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maybe more. The battles with you seem to blur together."

Falcon glided in silence to stand directly behind the vampire.

"I'm really going to miss you, Arturo, but all good things must come to an end," Natalya said and took a step toward him, sword at the ready.

Falcon struck from behind, driving his fist through skin and sinew and bone, grasping the heart and wrenching it from Arturo's body. Lightning forked across the sky and slammed through the hole in the roof hitting the heart as Falcon dropped it, incinerating it immediately.

"Nice work," Natalya said. "You don't fool around. I hope you can repair the place for Slavica and Mirko," she added. "I'm going after Vikirnoff."

"He is an experienced hunter. He will not want his lifemate to place herself in jeopardy." Falcon directed the lightning to the body. "He expects me to guard the prince." It was the only apology he could give her.

"I am well aware of what he expects." Natalya raced for the bathroom again. She'd changed her clothes so many times in one day she was beginning to get annoyed with the whole thing. "Go. You do what you have to do and I'll do what I have to do."

"Good hunting."

"Same to you." Vikirnoff had drawn off a pack of vampires and he might lead them in circles just to buy the prince and Gabrielle time, but eventually he would have to fight them. She was damned if he was going to do it alone.

Natalya undressed once again. It took seconds to shove weapons, ammunition and clothes in her pack before slinging it around her neck and shifting back to her animal form. She could always put out the rumor of an escaped circus animal or let the Carpathians worry about a cover story. The roof was repaired and Falcon already gone when she reentered the bedroom. There was no body and no singe marks on the floor, not even from her practicing with the hairspray cans.

The tigress leapt from the balcony to the wraparound deck and then to the ground. She sprinted through the town, keeping to the shadows as best she could, avoiding humans whenever possible. She heard a few murmurs as people caught glimpses of the tigress moving fast through the bushes and trees. With all the events at the inn, there would soon be many frightening tales that would grow with each telling into large legends and her tigress would become a part of that.

She stayed connected to Vikirnoff, reaching past his persona of the prince. He was thinking thoughts the vampires might pick up, thoughts of his people and how it was so important to stay alive to protect them. She considered Vikirnoff's impressions of what Mikhail might be thinking idiotic...

Idiotic? These are princely thoughts. What do you think you are doing?

Following you. Watching your back. You're leading them deeper into the forest, aren't you? Where he would have to deal with them alone. Natalya wasn't about to let that happen, whether he wanted help or not.

Yes. I want them away from the inn, but in a place of my choosing to fight. Far away from where his lifemate would be in danger.

Arturo is dead. Falcon killed him and he's guarding the prince. He said it's what you'd expect of him.

Of course.

Natalya sighed at the perfect calm in his voice. He had gone into his battle mode and put aside his feelings, relying on centuries-old warrior instincts. They said only you could keep Gabrielle alive. What did they mean?

I am the keeper of her spirit. They will continue to try to heal her body and Falcon will give her blood next. They will try to heal her again and Mikhail will give her blood. She will go through the conversion at that time. If she is strong enough, if my will and her will are strong enough, we will see that she lives.

Natalya increased her speed, cutting through a meadow and bounding over a hill. She

took even' short cut she could find as she raced to find his chosen battleground. Can you do that and fight, too?

Of course.

Of course. She repeated it sarcastically. Why did I bother to ask? You're invincible. How many do we face?

We?

Yes, we. And don't argue with me. You're already in enough trouble with me.

She received the brief impression of his teeth snapping together. Five. But not Maxim.

At the name, Natalya's heart gave a jump of fear. That's a relief, but I'd like to know why. If he went to