Remy shook his head, clearly shocked at his younger sister. “If you’d come to us, we would have talked to you about it.”

She pressed her lips together for a moment, but Drake could see she was distressed, although she quickly hid it with a casual shrug. “I thought maybe you didn’t come around me much because I wasn’t one of you.”

She tried to hide the pain in her simple, honest statement, but Drake felt it—and so did his leopard. The big cat leapt so hard against Drake, his entire body shifted position, his muscles rippling and contorting. He had to breathe deeply to keep the animal at bay. Evan had said he kept his leopard under strict control, rarely letting it loose, and only then when they were completely alone because his animal was so violent. Drake was beginning to think his cat was following suit—at least around Saria’s family.

Remy stepped back, drawing Mahieu with him. “Do you generally have problems with your leopard?” he asked in a low voice.

Had Remy sounded taunting or snide, Drake was fairly certain nothing could have stopped his leopard, but there was a note of worry there and Remy was once again looking around with wary, assessing eyes.

“No. Never. My leopard is always calm, otherwise I could never lead the teams into combat situations.”

Remy nodded his agreement. “Somethin’s not right. I can still feel it and it isn’t Saria’s leopard,” Remy said. “I don’ think it’s safe here for either of you.”

“It’s important, or I wouldn’t keep her here,” Drake said. “I might be able to make it back on my own if you . . .”

Drake sent Remy a rueful grin. “She’s hard to argue with.”

“She’s always been like that. I’ll expect the two of you back at the house.” Remy gave his sister a stern look. “And talkin’, Saria. I want to know everythin’ goin’ on, you hear me?”

“I hear you,” Saria said, then muttered under her breath, “I think the world heard you.”

“What was that?” her brother snapped.

Drake could see the amusement in his eyes belying his tone. “We’ll be there.” His palm slid down Saria’s arm to her hand, his fingers tangling with hers. He gave a little tug. He wanted away from Fenton’s Marsh as quickly as possible.

Saria looked up at Remy, still a little shocked that her brothers had come to rescue her. “Bien merci, I had no idea you’d come.”

Mahieu stepped close to hug her tight. “Of course we’d come for you, Saria.”

“Don’ make me cry, Mahieu. I didn’t know.”

“We’re famille.” He leaned close. “J’aime beaucoup, ma soeur. How did you not know that? If you’re in trouble, Saria, we all come.”

10

DRAKE nodded to Saria’s two brothers as he took her with him back down the narrow path leading away from the water, but he walked carefully, keeping them in sight until they had put foliage between them. Saria lifted her hand toward her brothers in a brief wave, but she didn’t say anything more, although they shifted positions, Saria taking the lead.

Drake frowned. His leopard was still prowling, pacing back and forth, fighting him occasionally to get out. “You’re certain your female isn’t giving you trouble?” He watched her closely, searching her dark eyes for signs of trouble.

Saria shook her head, glancing back at him. “She’s quieter now.”

Drake looked around them. Fenton’s Marsh smelled like death to him. “Let’s get going. I want to do this before nightfall.”

Truthfully, he wanted Saria away from the area, although he couldn’t say the marsh wasn’t beautiful. He could see why Fenton’s pristine acreage was the habitat to so many wildlife species as he followed Saria into the interior.

Flowers grew among the darker greens of the plants, tall stalks strangely striped a dark and light green. The blossoms resembled a golden lily with dark splotches in the soft coned petals. Scattered among the taller flowers was another species he didn’t recognize, each one of them growing about halfway up the striped stalk of the strange lily. Just as the vines tangled in the branches of the trees and wove them together, the smaller bright-colored flowers did the same on the ground.

Moss hung in long veils from tree branches, and every kind of plant possible seemed to vie for space in the thick brush. As they moved deeper, away from the water’s edge, the foliage was even thicker, resembling a dark jungle. Mushrooms and fungus grew in abundance. Here, the flowers were thick carpets covering the ground beneath the trees.

“This is like a rain forest in here. The soil must be incredible.”

She sent him a smile over her shoulder, immediately capturing his attention. “I’ve photographed every inch of this land through here. I’m slowly working my way south. I can’t find the names of some of these plants and flowers anywhere. Like I said, no one comes here, they haven’t for years. I’m hopin’ there’s somethin’ important to National Geographic or one of the other science mags.”

“Get some plant named after you?” He watched her walk, the easy sexy sway of her hips. She walked with straight shoulders, and that gentle sway emphasized her narrow waist. She wasn’t fashionably thin, but rather had curves where a man like him most appreciated them.

“No, that’s more Charisse’s style. I just want to have my photographs paid attention to and somethin’ like that would make me famous. I could really make my livin’ that way.” She flashed him another look over her shoulder and he forgot everything about his surroundings. It was a beautiful place, but there was nothing there more beautiful to him than she was.