Aric gently lifted my hands and kissed them. “Listen to me, Celia. Whatever happens you need to believe you’re not alone. I will find a way to help you. In the meantime, you have to find a way to free your beast. Tura can’t keep something so strong away from you—just like he can’t keep me from you.” Those intense light irises flickered back at me, warming me in all the right places and giving me strength to keep from breaking down. “I’ll be with you soon. I swear I will.”

I nodded and pulled away at Misha’s approach. Aric met his gaze. “I’m entrusting you with her life. If anything happens to her on your watch or you use her to gain Shah, no treaty in the world will stop me from killing you.”

“Celia will be safer with me than with you.” The corners of Misha’s lips lifted, revealing his infamous wicked grin. “But I suppose you realize as much, mongrel.”

“Misha, please don’t,” I said when Aric growled. I stood on my toes and kissed his chin, calming him, but realizing that at least for now, we needed to separate. “I’ll call you later. Okay, wolf?”

I walked away at his nod, my head pounding from the stress. The vamps flanked my sides as I passed my sisters. I meant to say goodbye, but the fear claiming them made it hard for me to even meet their eyes. They thought they could hurt me and they were right. Unlike Aric, they didn’t have the ability to force Tura out. So they kept their distance, which hurt me more than I dared to admit.

Like Aric, my sisters had always believed me stronger, tougher, and smarter than I actually was. This was another one of those moments, and they were counting on me to pull through. I wanted to give them hope and assure them we’d triumph. Yet I couldn’t while I knew that which made me strong was leaving me.

I never knew exactly how to reach out to my tigress; I simply did. It was natural, like breathing. Yet although my lungs continued to work, I could feel her fading and I wasn’t sure how to keep her with me.

I frowned as we rounded the corner and a thought occurred to me. Although Tura had prevented my change when he’d forced Aric to attack me, I hadn’t felt my tigress pull away so severely until Shayna stabbed me…and sent me into that hellish nightmare. Was Tura somehow caging her within my dream?

You’re not alone, the voices said again.

I shook my head. The brink of insanity wasn’t for wussies.

We passed a window of the demolished building as we hurried up the incline. It gave me a good view inside, although I wished I hadn’t looked. Bloody ash smeared the walls where some of Misha’s family had met Taran’s fire. Broken glass shone like diamonds against the bright noon sun as it streamed in through the chunks of missing roof. Some of the weres who were cleaning up stopped what they were doing just to glare. I averted my face, not really blaming them for hating me just then.

Misha’s driver started his Hummer limo at our approach. Another vampire opened the door, allowing Misha and me to climb in. We were followed by the three vampires shadowing us, and two more who seemed to appear from nowhere.

Edith sat beside me, eyeing up my blood-smeared neck, stomach, and leg. She licked her lips. “Can I have the leftovers?” she asked. “I never did get breakfast.”

“Take your fangs and shove them up your ass,” I snapped. “And if you so much as lick the air around me, I’ll throw you out the damn window.” In my weakened state, no way could I take on Edith. But she didn’t know that and waning strength or not, I wouldn’t put up with her asinine behavior.

“You’re so testy,” she claimed. “You know what your problem is?”

“Supernatural freaks of nature are trying to kill me, again?”

“No—well, I guess in all fairness that’s part of it—I think the big picture is you’re not having enough sex.”

“Edith. Please stop speaking.”

“I’m only trying to help….” Her voice faded at Misha’s subtle yet reprimanding glare. She flipped back her dark hair. “Forgive me, Celia. I spoke out of turn.”

“You always do, Edith,” I muttered. I leaned back into the seat and tried to settle. I was quiet the whole ride to Misha’s estate. He spared me from talking by making a few business calls to France and Russia, speaking perfectly in both languages. I concentrated on how easily his tongue slipped over the most complex-sounding phrases. It was better than worrying about what was to come. Liz entertained herself by filing her nails while Tim was on his phone setting up their “meals.”

“Make that two blondes for the master.” His attention cut my way. “And a brunette. The master is ravenous after making Aric Connor beg for his life.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. He smiled. Oh yeah, this was going to be fun.

When we reached the grand compound Misha led me to the guesthouse, while the others hurried inside in anticipation of their lunch. “You are welcome in the main house as always,” he told me.

I smiled at him. “I think I’m better off here.”

He considered his words. “I will have my family guard you at all times. As always, you have nothing to fear here.”

“With the exception of the last time when the Tribemaster attacked, ransacked the place, and made us all his bitches.”

He threw back his head, laughing. “Perhaps you are correct.” His humor faded into a small smile. “Although our lives have begun to take separate paths, I’m glad to have this time with you now.”

“Misha, you’re my friend. That won’t change so long as you respect my relationship with Aric.”

“I believe you ask too much of me,” he said quietly.

I struggled, trying to find the right words. Sometimes, I felt my attempt to be Misha’s friend was a tremendous disservice to him.

“You will find everything you need in your suite,” he continued. “Should you lack anything else or desire the superior lovemaking only a master vampire like myself can provide, please phone the house.”

And sometimes I wanted to smack him. “Er. Thanks.”

Misha was still laughing when he left.

I strolled around the 1,500-foot first floor trying to think of anything rather than the ass-kicking my life had taken. Bloodlust vampires and werewolf attacks had forced Misha to renovate and redecorate. The honey wood floors had been sanded and polished and the walls had been freshly painted gold with white trim to match the comfy white couch. Where a giant picture window used to overlook the garden, French doors now led out to a new brick patio. The accent wall opposite the flat-screen television was a deep rust color, while the throw pillows and blankets were in different shades of brown and gold. What gave me pause, however, were the pictures of Misha everywhere.