Leopard's Wrath - Christine Feehan Page 0,26

right now. I’ve got responsibilities. A few months from now . . .”

“What will you do when she goes into heat?”

She moistened her lips. She still couldn’t look away from him. It was impossible. “I don’t know. What do most women do when it happens? Lock themselves away? Find a companion? What?”

“You find a companion other than me and that’s a dead man,” Mitya said so mildly that for a moment she didn’t comprehend.

Footsteps sounded on the tile and Sevastyan was there immediately, stepping between the running woman who had come from down the hallway and Mitya and Ania.

“Miss Ania. You’re needed now in your father’s room. Hurry.”

4

“HE’S having another one of those spells!” the woman shouted. “Hurry, Ania!”

Mitya’s gaze had been on Ania’s face when the nurse had rushed into the room, calling out to her. He saw the fear in her eyes, in the sudden white beneath her skin, beneath her expression. She tried to hide the trembling of her hands as she put them on the table to leverage herself out of her chair. It wasn’t just fear of her father passing; this was much more primal. He was on his feet almost before Ania.

“Stay here, Annalise,” Ania commanded. “I’ll handle it.” She didn’t even look at Mitya, almost as if she’d forgotten he was there as she raced out of the room.

Mitya paced along right behind her, Sevastyan at his side. Neither made a sound as they hurried after her. Ania used her leopard’s speed whether she knew it or not. A leopard could leap long distances, and she covered the ground at an incredible pace.

Annalise had looked frightened. More than frightened. Terrified. Ania had reacted quickly, without giving her company a thought. When they reached the hall leading to the master bedroom, Mitya heard the chilling sounds coming from the room. He knew immediately what was happening.

“Ania.” He tried to stop her, but he’d been hanging back so she wouldn’t realize they were right behind her.

Sevastyan increased his speed as well. The two sprinted down the hall and were just able to leap into the bedroom before Ania slammed the door closed and shot multiple bolts. Her eyes were wide with fear. Both could smell it coming off her in waves, but she approached the bed and the contorting man in it.

“Dad. Look at me. I’m here with you.”

The man was very far gone. When he swung his head around toward Ania, it was a leopard staring at her. As if that weren’t bad enough, the leopard was crazed, in a frenzy of rage, desperate to escape the pain the dying man was in.

Mitya caught Ania by the shoulder and thrust her behind him. She didn’t want to go, using her strength to try to get around him.

“Get out of here,” she hissed.

Sevastyan caught her by the shoulders. “Hush. You’ll trigger the cat.”

Mitya moved close to the bed and the thrashing man. Her father’s skin rose and fell in waves as if something alive moved beneath it. His muscles contracted and then released. His jaw elongated, his mouth filling with teeth, and then receded back to normal. All the while those eyes tracked Mitya, recognizing the vicious leopard in him.

Her father’s name was Antosha Dover and he was in his early sixties. At one time he’d been strong, strong enough to hold back his leopard after he’d been shot multiple times. No one knew he was still fighting, keeping the cat at bay while his brain was slowly shutting down due to the bullet that couldn’t be removed. He was still fighting, for his daughter’s sake, but the leopard was gaining strength as he lost it.

“Antosha,” Mitya said. “I’m your daughter’s mate. Look at me. See me. Hold your cat back or I will have no choice but to fight him. My leopard is vicious and very experienced.”

The cat’s yellow eyes swung around the room, clearly looking for Ania. Mitya had wondered about the deep scratches in her arms. Defense wounds. She had helped her father battle back the cat on more than one occasion. Mitya wanted to shake her. This was dangerous. She needed help and yet to keep her father safe, she had taken on the duty of guarding him from the rest of the world and guarding the world from his leopard. He admired her for doing it, but knew it was far too dangerous for her on her own. Sooner or later the cat would break free and she would be