“The lair where I was born belongs to the bratya. They believe the bratya comes before family, a woman, anyone. To prove loyalty, they take a wife, usually one they buy from another lair, or get as a favor, and breed her for sons. If a female child is born, that child is doomed to the same fate as her mother, if she survives at all. When he gets his sons, to prove loyalty, he murders his wife with his own hands. Often his sons are expected to participate.”
She was shocked, and she knew it showed on her face. He spoke matter-of-factly, distancing himself from his childhood, but she could see and hear that he was telling her the truth. “Mitya.” She whispered his name, one hand going defensively to her throat.
“The leopards are turned into killing machines. They are always denied their true mates. Eventually, the cats become unmanageable. They are allowed, even encouraged, to hunt human enemies. Sometimes they are taken into another territory and let loose to kill as many as possible. They rage day and night, raking and slashing at their human counterparts, and of course they are extremely strong. Controlling one every second of the day and night becomes more than challenging.”
She understood the lines of strain in his face. Sevastyan, his cousin, had them as well. It had to be a horrible way to live. She sat back, the delicious meal suddenly tasting like cardboard. “I’m so sorry, Mitya.”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Don’t be, Ania, not for me. My leopard, but not me. I escaped with cousins, and we came here and have made a life for ourselves.”
“You were shot.”
His smile was faint, but his eyes had gone a disturbing and very sensual, warm green-blue, pushing the glacier away for just enough time for her stomach to pitch.
“I see you’re doing your homework on me.”
She couldn’t very well deny it. “Naturally. I have my father to look out for and my attraction to you was . . . unexpected. And unsettling. At least I know why it was so strong.”
“Why do you think it’s so intense?”
There was the slightest touch of amusement in his voice, and that got to her as well, although not in the good way his faint smile had. The chemistry between them was intense, but she hadn’t gone near that word deliberately.
“Our leopards.” She tried to meet his eyes, but she couldn’t. She used her fork to push around the rice on her plate.
“Ania, look at me.” He went silent.
She knew he was waiting. He could wait until hell froze over. The silence stretched between them, and she felt his eyes on her. Almost as if his gaze was burning right through her. Reaching deep. She tried to resist, but her stomach kept doing those weird slow rolls and she felt him crawling deep inside, right where she didn’t want him. She raised her eyes to his. Instantly, she was caught and held. Mesmerized. Unable to look away.
“I’ve had a lot of women. Fast. Back to me. No time spent. No kissing. Just get relief and send them away. I’m not telling you this because I’m proud of it. I’m not. I’m telling you because I want you to know the moment I saw you, I couldn’t stay away. I had to be with you.”
“For your leopard,” she persisted. Her heart was beating far too fast.
“For me. I needed you for me. I wanted you for myself. I knew better. You deserve better, but I found I wasn’t a good enough man to give you up, not when I knew you were attracted to me.” He leaned forward. “We can take this slow. You deserve that, Ania, and I want to give you the world. The problem is our leopards may not give us the time we need.”
She bit down on her lower lip, hard. She’d felt the beginnings of her leopard’s need, so she couldn’t pretend not to understand.
“I don’t know, Mitya. I’m responsible for the care of my father. I’m in the middle of trying to sell the family business. This isn’t a good time.” She forked rice into her mouth. Her food was cold, and she put her fork down again.
“Keep trying to find reasons to push me away.”
That was exactly what she was doing because he scared her. Everything about him scared her because everything about him appealed to her.
“I’m not going to say I’m not tempted, because I am, but it’s the wrong time