She is mine.
She will never be yours unless she gives herself freely. And you are too afraid to allow it.
Anger swept through him. Who the hell is this?
Someone who will whip your ass if you hurt my sister again.
You're Vannah's twin?
Yes.
How the hell did you get into my mind? He had shields. Good shields. Even those at the academy could never touch his thoughts unless he lowered some of his protection.
A distinctly unfeminine snort ran through his mind. Your shields are little more than what a pup would have in the golden pack.
But Savannah—
Trusted you, which is why her shields were so low. And you abused that trust. For that pain alone I should whip you.
Obviously, this woman had a thing about whipping. And does Vannah know you're in my head now?
A chuckle ran through his mind, then another voice, as cool as the hands that were now on his flesh, joined the first.
Goddamn it, Neva, you promised to behave.
Vannah? Never, in all his time at training, had anyone told him it was possible to hold a three-way telepathic conversation.
Yes. Now shut up and brace yourself. Ready Neva?
Yes.
Alarm ran through him. Hang on, ready for wha—
The rest of the sentence cut off as a force swept through him, capturing his mind, his control, wrapping him in a net as gentle as silk, yet one through which there was no thought, no pain, just endless floating.
Go, the gentle steel that was Neva's presence said.
The fire that was the white ash sliced through his flesh. It should have left him a screaming mess. It didn't. Though he felt the arrow's tearing path, it was a distant thing. The cocoon around his mind shielded him from all hurt, all agony, all sensation.
Vannah swore, but it was a far off sound that had no meaning. As were the words that followed. Cade, you have to shift shape to stem the blood.
Shift shape? Why should he? He was content floating—
He's out of it, Neva said. I've shielded him from the pain, but the shock is still there. You want me ... ?
No. It had better be me. Vannah's voice held a grimness that sent a distant shiver of warning down his spine. He hates me anyway, so it won't matter.
He doesn't hate you, Sis.
Lust isn't like. It's quite possible to hate someone and still want them sexually, you know.
Ladies, he wanted to scream, I am here. I can still hear you. But the words in that part of his mind that was still his never touched the void, never reached the two women.
Do it, Neva said. It's getting harder to hold his mind.
Do what? he wondered.
Then suddenly, he knew. Because Vannah was in his mind, in his body, in his soul, invading his very essence as she called forth the wolf within. He wanted to rage against the intrusion, but his thoughts were still held in the cocoon of silky steel, and he could only scream in silent frustration as his body obeyed the call. Muscles and bone became fluid as his flesh shaped and reshaped itself. He'd barely even reached wolf form and Vannah was back, calling to the magic in his soul once again, bringing back the man.