Remy stepped back into the club just as the band swang into a sultry, steamy number. Bijou’s voice seduced the crowd until they appeared almost mesmerized. He’d seen her do the same thing at a concert, a few years back when he couldn’t stop himself from going to see her perform. Curiosity, nothing more, he’d assured himself.

She stood on the stage and looked ethereal, beautiful and so not of the world, Remy hadn’t believed it was actually Bijou. Her hair fell to her waist, thick and glossy, the kind of hair a man got lost in. She’d been far too seductive to equate her with the gawky teen he’d caught glimpses of when she hung out with his sister. She was even more beautiful now.

Remy found he didn’t dare look at her, not if he was going to protect her. There was an undercurrent in the room his leopard sensed that kept the cat prowling close to the surface. It was an expectation, an awareness of danger. His belly was in knots, his muscles coiled and ready. He didn’t know for certain where the threat would come from, but it was safe to say, it would come.

Remy frowned as two of Drake’s men shifted positions. They were acting as bodyguards for Bijou, and he wasn’t entirely happy about it. Joshua Tregre had shaggy sun-bleached hair and piercing green-blue eyes. He was a man with a strong build, carrying the heavy muscles of their kind—a leopard—and he was fast. Very fast. Remy appreciated that trait, but he knew how dangerous the emerging of a female leopard could be, and just how difficult it could be on any male in the vicinity.

Elijah Lospostos was a steely-eyed, far too handsome man, with a wealth of gleaming black hair spilling into eyes the color of mercury one moment and as dark as night the next. He was tough and extremely dangerous, a good man to have on Bijou’s side—but he also was an unmated leopard. Drake had chosen both men to work at Bijou’s club on her nights to perform because they were dangerous and fast and could protect. The leader of the lair hadn’t known Bijou was leopard as well and that she was entering the Han Vol Dan.

Remy gritted his teeth and took a long, slow look around the room. What had the two leopards up front, close to Bijou, seen that he hadn’t from his position in the back of the room? He shifted, his gaze scanning the large overcrowded club. He spotted several male leopards in the room, not surprising because their lair was small, but most of the males were unmated and that added to the undercurrent of danger.

The song ended and the crowd went wild, clapping and stomping feet. Bijou smiled and gracefully made her way to Arnaud’s table as the band went into an upbeat, dance melody. A few couples bravely took to the dance floor while others sipped at their drinks and tried to work up the courage to ask for Bijou’s autograph.

Remy frowned as Arnaud rose to hold her chair for her. She shouldn’t be sitting with him, she should be with Remy—under Remy’s protection.

“You’re rumbling,” Gage cautioned. “Remy, this is turning into a bad situation. Have you thought about asking her to leave with you?”

He’d thought about throwing her over his shoulder and just taking her out whether she liked it or not, but it wouldn’t earn him any points with her. No way was she going to be reasonable if he said he needed to talk to her. The time to talk had been when she woke up.

“She’s only got one more set and she’s done,” Remy said. “If we’re lucky we can get through that, and I’ll get her out of here and have the talk with her.”

Gage snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure you’ll be talkin’ to her.”

“I have to tell her about her leopard.”

“And if for some reason her female never emerges?”

Remy took a deep breath. “Then she’ll think I’m crazy, and I’ll have to prove to her I’m not. Either way, she’s mine and I’m goin’ to tell her the truth about what I am and what she is.”

Gage’s gaze shifted to Bijou. Her profile was to him and she was laughing. Lights shifted over her face as she leaned toward Arnaud and said something. “Are you certain she’s your mate? This isn’t about sex? Because she’s beautiful, Remy, and it would be easy enough to get things mixed up.”

“Damn it, Gage.” Remy’s frustration nearly exploded at his brother. “Quit askin’ the same damn thing every few minutes. Nothin’ has changed and nothin’ can change. I’ve marked her as mine. She is mine. There’s just a little matter of persuadin’ her, and it’s done. I don’ care if her leopard emerges or not, she belongs to me and no one and nothin’ is goin’ to stand in my way. Is that clear enough?”

Gage shrugged, hiding his grin and deliberately goading his brother further. “Lust has a funny way of colorin’ a man’s perspective, brother, but since you’re so certain and all, I’ve got a text from the boys sayin’ they’re on the way, so we should have reinforcements soon.”

“Good. The feelin’ of impendin’ doom is not goin’ away.” And if his brother kept asking him the same question over and over, doomsday was going to start with Gage.

Remy spotted the older couple, Mr. and Mrs. Chambridge, from the café in the crowd seated at one of the tables in the middle of the room. Emile and Thereze were there as well, Emile looking mesmerized.

Cooper’s table was growing louder and more obnoxious by the moment. He knew if Bijou was singing, the bouncers would likely throw the men out, but she was on a break and they were getting away with their noise. He ground his teeth together and held on to his foul temper with every bit of discipline he had, commanding his leopard to back off and let him handle things.