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feel radiating from you."

He smiled at her and brushed back the fall of soft waves around her face. "That power belongs to you, Solange. It is there for your protection. For your happiness. For your use. It belongs to you. You have not figured it out yet, but you are both intelligent and a fighter. Do not fight me. Fight for us. Fight for me. Without you, I cannot survive. Can you do that?" He leaned down and brushed a soft kiss across her lips. "You are a strong woman, Solange. Will you save me? You are the only one who can."

Her heart contracted. "You don't need me, Dominic. You're so--so absolute. You could have any woman you wanted. This has to be some bizarre mistake."

He shook his head. "In many ways Carpathians look to be a superior species, and it is true we have many gifts, but in truth, like every species, we have weaknesses. Jaguars and humans can mate with anyone, and they often mistake physical attraction for a lasting relationship. For Carpathians there is only one. You are the other half of me. There is no getting it wrong, Solange. You were meant for me. If you choose not to commit to me, I will be lost."

Solange blinked back tears and opened her hand to look down at the bracelet, at the fiery red gems nestled in her palm. "I have a really, really bad temper," she warned. "And a very mean mouth."

Very gently he took the bracelet from her hand and fastened it around her wrist. He leaned down and brushed another kiss across her upturned lips before very gently slipping the robe from her body. "Then we will have to teach you other uses for your mouth. I dream of it often."

Her body reacted, flooding with heat. He leaned his head toward her, a slow, steady movement that only seemed to heighten her anticipation. Her legs trembled and turned to jelly. She gasped when he lifted her into his arms and when they turned, there was a thick, handwoven rug carpeting the bench. She had time for one brief thought-- How does he do that?

"I think you need to relax. You are shaking again."

He placed her faceup on the padded table. She stared up at the ceiling of the cave. It was as if he'd thrown her midnight blue robe up above her and scattered amazing silvery stars across the night sky. She recognized the dragon constellation. This dragon was blazing, as if the stars hadn't faded with time and still had the wings.

"I am going to give you a scalp massage. You do not have to worry about anything, Solange. I am not expecting or asking anything of you at this time. Only to relax."

His fingers were strong, yet so very gentle. The mesmerizing soft voice stroked like velvet over her skin while his fingers worked their magic.

"I want you to feel warm, kessake. And safe. Because you are always safe in my care. Do you know what the binding ritual is? Has your cousin talked to you about it?"

His voice had dropped an octave lower. Solange listened for the sound of it, concentrating on every cadence and rhythm of his tone as she looked up at the burning eyes and sharp teeth of the dragon overhead.

"Not really. I didn't understand what she did say." Her mind was a little hazy from the absolute pleasure his hands were inducing. There was no way she could fail to relax, not with his large hands drawing the tension out of her.

"The male of our species is imprinted with the binding words before birth. Once we say them to our lifemate, she is bound, soul to soul, to us. We believe the soul was split. The male is the darkness and she is the light."

In spite of the sheer magic of his fingers, she winced. "Surely mistakes are made. I've told you before, there is little light left in me. I kill, Dominic. I plan an attack and I carry it out with precision and no hesitation."

He waited in silence, and Solange bit her lip and then lifted her left hand into the air so she could look at the bracelet. The light from the candles caught the rubies and emeralds, and they blazed to life. "Maybe that's not exactly the truth. Lately, I've been hesitating." The confession came out in a soft little rush. She didn't want to lie to him. "The last few times I've