“Let me help the two on the ground,” Elie called out, cautiously moving toward the two fallen shifters.

“Go ahead,” Drake signaled for his team to allow Jeanmard to give the two downed fighters medical aid.

Saria self-consciously raised her hand to wipe the streaks of mud from her face. Drake caught her wrist and gently put her hand back to her side. “You look beautiful, Saria, and you’ve done nothing wrong. You protected your client and if they don’t see your courage and that you were right to do what you did, fuck ’em.”

She blinked, swallowed whatever she’d been about to say and nodded. Saria made her way across the soft ground to her eldest brother. Remy put both hands on her shoulders and inspected her carefully for injury.

“I’m fine, Remy, just a little scared. I’ve never had anyone shoot at me before.” She sounded a little shocked that her brothers had come after her.

Remy wrapped his arm around Saria, and pulled her close to him in a tight, fierce hug. “You scared the hell out of us, cher. When Elie contacted us that you were bein’ pursued in the swamp by Armande and Robert with guns . . .” He trailed off, that hot blue gaze leaping murderously to Armande again.

Saria looked up at her brother. “I’m sorry. I had no idea they’d react like that. What’s wrong with everyone?”

Remy inhaled deeply, taking the combined scent of his sister and Drake deep into his lungs. The piercing gaze swung back to Drake. “I think, ma soeur, that man who has his scent all over you is what’s wrong.”

At the accusation in his voice, Saria’s color rose.

“Did this man force himself on you?” Remy demanded.

At the question, Saria’s other brothers closed in, forming a tighter circle. Instantly a barrage of bullets kicked up water at their feet. Saria gasped and whirled toward the shooters. Drake shook his head, holding up his hand to stay fire. He held his ground. His shirt was unbuttoned, and like most shifters, he could lose his shoes fast, but his jeans would be a problem. Still . . . He waited, just as they all did. Every man there was looking at Saria, not at him, and he wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d caved to the pressure.

She lifted her chin, looked Remy straight in the eye and shook her head. “I asked him to mark me. Someone else attacked me, rakin’ my back and bitin’ me. Scared me to death and it hurt like hell. I asked him to tell me what the Han Vol Dan was, to talk to me about shifters, because no one else had.” This time the accusation was quite clear, aimed directly back at her brothers.

The two youngest brothers looked at each other and then at the ground.

“Did he coerce you in any way, Saria?” Remy ignored her pointed charge. “A female cat emergin’ can be very amorous. He would know that.”

“I coerced him, if you must know the truth, Remy. He was a gentleman the entire time, even though I did my best to seduce him. Is that what you wanted to know?” Now there was defiance and a hint of tears in her voice.

“Saria,” Drake said gently. “You don’t have to say another word. Come here, honey.”

Remy kept his arm around his sister when she turned toward Drake. “He should have come to us.”

“It happened too fast, Remy. I didn’ know what was happenin’ to me. And then I asked him not to go to you.”

“That doesn’t matter, he should have.” This time the cobalt eyes pierced right through Drake.

Drake shrugged. “If you’re implying I was afraid of you, you’re wrong. I would have come this evening. I had important business that couldn’t wait and Saria was safe with me.”

“She was so damned safe someone shot at her.”

Drake shrugged his shoulders. “I would have killed them before they got to her.” His tone was matter-of-fact and absolutely confident.

Remy studied him. “Where are you from?”

“Originally, the rain forests of Borneo. I work for Jake Bannaconni.” Drake glanced at the two men, torn and bloody on the ground. “I’ve never seen a lair like this one. No one that I know of would harm a female and if there was such a male, he’d be killed and burned, his remains buried deep.” He poured disgust into his voice, disgust for the entire damned lair.

Remy didn’t flinch. “We’ll take care of this matter.” He lifted Saria’s chin so she was forced to look him in the eye. “Do you know what his claim on you means? Did he explain that to you? You don’ have to accept him, Saria, even if your leopard does.”

“I’m aware of that. I chose him. I still choose him.”

Remy sighed. “If he’s your choice, Saria, then we’ll stand with you. In the meantime, I need to know who attacked you.”

“I don’ know. I really don’. I couldn’t get a scent. Just leopard. I was so scared.”

“You should have come to me.”

She swallowed hard, ducked her head and nodded. “I know I should have, but I couldn’t, Remy, not then. I have reasons.”

His eyebrow shot up. “Are you goin’ to enlighten us?”

She lowered her voice. “At home. When we’re alone, Remy.”

He studied her face, his jaw set. He gave a small nod. “You are comin’ home then.”

“We have to get this done and then we’ll come right away,” she assured.

“What done?” Remy demanded. His eyes narrowed on his sister, that deep cobalt blue that seemed to pierce through every cover.