one of the workers, he would have had to go through that barrier.
Marguarita? Could she have been possessed and opened the door for him?
Dominic shook his head. The undead tried to get into her head and was unsuccessful. He questioned her, and even though I felt the strength of the compulsion in his voice, she refused to give him information.
They followed Cesaro to the house. Dominic glided rather than walked, although he appeared to be walking with his easy, fluid, graceful stride and paying attention to Cesaro as he identified workers they passed. He didn't want to take a chance of making it appear as if he was examining the mind of every person within range. Everyone appeared protected.
The house rippled when they walked in. Dominic stopped abruptly. "Has Zacarias been here?"
"He would not leave with the undead walking the night. The cattle are restless and last night we lost several to the bloodsuckers. They dropped down from the sky. Two of my men barely escaped with their lives. Zacarias returned right after that and strengthened the protection in each house. He told us the cattle were not worth dying for and he wanted his men inside at night."
"And yet, it is night and you are watching the cattle."
Cesaro frowned. "We cannot just let them be slaughtered. This is what we do. Who we are. We are taking precautions. If there is a disturbance, we all go inside immediately. We have shelters set up for our protection."
Dominic exchanged a long look with Solange. These men were feudal in their own way. They had a job they took great pride in, and they weren't about to abandon their cattle to the vampires rampaging near their homes.
"Marguarita took a turn for the worse," Cesaro said. "She ran a high temperature and could barely breathe. Don Zacarias must have sensed she was dying and came to try to heal her again. He spent much time with her and then left. He is not resting here. He said it would be too dangerous for all of us."
"Perhaps he is right," Dominic acknowledged. There had been a touch of guilt in Cesaro's voice, as if he was ashamed that Zacarias would think they could not protect him while he slept. "He is feared by the undead and they do not know I am here. They believe he is the only one between them and what they want. They will try any means to kill him." He looked Cesaro in the eye. "Do you understand what I am telling you? He does this because you are his family. He will go to any lengths to protect you, even from himself."
Cesaro heaved a sigh. "I understand. It is our duty to serve and protect him as well. This does not feel right to me."
"He is lucky to have you," Dominic said with another small bow.
Ask him if anyone visits regularly that maybe doesn't work for Zacarias but borrows his vehicles once in a while, Solange prompted.
Dominic pushed a smile into her mind. Of course she would hit on the right question. He loved her all the more that she understood the way these men thought and acted, and it didn't bother her. They would feel much less inhibited discussing the workings of the ranch with a male than with her. He was Carpathian, like the family they worked for, and they knew he was Zacarias's friend. She was a shifter--a cat they equated with being an enemy. Cesaro was respectful but uneasy in her presence.
I do not care what others think of me, Solange said. Only you.
He could feel the truth of her words and it warmed him. She belonged to him--she wanted to be his alone. You know I value you above all else. Her opinion, her skills, most of all the love that was beginning to show in her cat's eyes.
His heart tripped a little over that shy, very new look. Sometimes when she looked at him, her expression sent his body into a violent, almost brutal state of arousal. She was so new to the idea of actually sharing her life with someone, and yet she was trying very hard to find a way around absolute terror to come to him whole. He loved the experience of watching her struggle to accept not just him, but her growing love for him. It was an unexpected journey he'd never thought he'd take, and he found himself loving her all the more for it.
"Cesaro." Dominic halted