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surrounding us and you have been marked, singled out, yet you turn from the one person who has every right to protect you."

"Dimitri." Francesca said his name aloud to gain his attention. "Now is not the time for this. You are welcome to come to our home and talk about things. I know you have a large wolf preserve and are caretaker of several packs. Skyler is very interested in wolves and probably would enjoy hearing some of your stories."

Francesca! This man is threatening to take our daughter from us. Gabriel bristled, although in truth, he was ashamed to be caught so much in an enthrallment that he had

nearly killed a man. Not just any man-lifemate to his daughter.

And you did not use every means at your disposal to bind me? He is acting on instinct. She triggered his response to her and what can he do but try to protect and bind her to him? You cannot forbid him seeing her. After all, he will be your son-in-law.

Gabriel did the mental equivalent of a snort. Not if he's dead. If he lays one hand on her, I will remove his heart. It was an empty threat now, and he knew it. He couldn't really fault Dimitri, although he didn't think anyone would ever be good enough for his daughter.

Francesca sighed. We should have had boys. He is her lifemate, Gabriel. He healed her leg and gave her blood when it was needed. He did not bind her or touch her inappropriately. Now stop trying to intimidate him.

Gabriel sent her a low, rumbling growl of warning, but remained silent.

"You have no choice but to cancel the celebration tonight," Dimitri said. "Skyler cannot go to the inn when she has been identified. And every one of our women would be in danger."

"Mikhail," Alexandria protested. "You cannot cancel our celebration. The children are so excited. We can take precautions. It isn't like we don't live under a threat every single day of our lives. We don't even know what this is."

"Exactly" Dimitri said. "We don't know what this is."

Mikhail shook his head. "We need to be calm and think clearly. Skyler, if this person or persons uses psychic talent again, will you be able to tell, or can they block you now that they know you are close by?"

"I doubt they could stop me from feeling the disruption in nature, but I carry Carpathian blood as well. I didn't feel it right away when Alexandria and I were walking in the forest. She knew something was wrong before I did."

"Not exactly," Alexandria said. "I felt the effects, and bought into the illusion my mind created, but I didn't realize I was being manipulated."

"Skyler cannot go anywhere near that inn," Dimitri decreed, glaring at Gabriel, his body posture clearly challenging the other man.

Before Gabriel could respond, Mikhail held up his hand. "I'll send Jubal to the inn. He's human and is a very strong psychic. Manolito De La Cruz will go with him. His wounds from the battle are healed, and he is a very powerful hunter. Together perhaps, they can pick up any signs of treachery. We will all be on our guard. As for Skyler, she has Lucian and Gabriel as well as you, Dimitri, to look after her. I doubt with the three of you guarding her, anyone could do her harm."

Mikhail beckoned for the teenager to approach him. "You understand the danger you are in? Because our enemies might be able to find you, everyone in your household is in danger. You must be guarded at all times. Francesca, I suggest you talk to her about what a Carpathian male suffers when he is alone without his other half. She should have some understanding of the situation."

Dimitri, you will learn about this young lady, what she has suffered, the trauma in her life, and you will also avail yourself of Raven's knowledge of human children. Mikhail made it a command, emphasizing what he knew Dimitri was fully aware of. Dimitri had to understand the girl was too young and had been through too much for him to bind her to him. "Skyler is cold and Alexandria needs to get back to her home. Thank you, Alexandria, for your quick thinking in shoving Skyler out of the way. She could have been hurt a lot worse."

Alexandria's gaze jumped to the face of the prince. "How did you know?"

He indicated the ground. "I can read signs just as well as the