The child signed. Wyatt tightened his hand around Pepper’s. The floor shivered. Ginger’s little fingers had said quite clearly, They hurt me. They hurt my sisters and Pepper.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Wyatt said. “I didn’ know about you or I would have come for you sooner. We’ll get the others out and we’ll protect you.”

Ginger signed, When?

“You’ll have to be patient. We have to know we can protect you and keep them from takin’ you back. That means preparation, but it won’ be for a few more days.” Her face dropped, and he couldn’t stand it. “As soon as possible, I promise, Ginger.”

“For a temporary measure, we can try caps on their teeth. I’ll have to study them to see how the venom is delivered. When we go for the children, I’ll hit their computers and take as many files as possible to give us a jump-start. Trap is amazin’ in a lab. He’ll figure it out even if I can’. The problem is, everythin’ we do is invasive to a degree. They’ve been studied enough.”

Pepper hissed out a soft protest.

“It’s for their protection. We have to develop an antivenom that will work for anyone in the household.” Wyatt looked Pepper straight in the eyes. He had to brace himself. He’d been there before, floating through the night sky with her. “Were they successful when they tried making the antivenom from your blood? Did they test it?”

Is this a test? You said not to talk out loud.

He felt laughter start in his groin first. It traveled up to his belly. The woman knew how to start a fire. She had sass. I’ll let it go this time.

Her fingernails dug into his palm, but he held on, pressing her hand to his thigh. She ignored him and refused to struggle in front of the others, something he noted for future reference.

Pepper cleared her voice and tried hard. The problem was, even in a conversation like the one they were having, her voice came out slow and husky, a whisper of temptation. It didn’t matter what she said, her voice twisted its way into a man’s gut.

“They tested the antivenom several times. Those bitten were far sicker than me, and all of them died but one. The idea was to build soldiers up, to give them small doses over time so that they had a natural immunity to both types of venom.”

“Different snakes in the same families still require different strains of antivenom, don’t they?” Ezekiel asked. He avoided looking at her. Instead, he concentrated hard on the tabletop. “I thought it mattered what type of snake bit you.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Wyatt said.

“But,” Pepper explained, “the idea was to make me a universal donor, so that any of the soldiers, no matter what type bit them, would be covered.”

Malichai had a mouthful of food and chewed it slowly, his eyes studiously avoiding Pepper’s face. “Might want to try to tone it down, Pepper,” he muttered. “I’m sitting at Grand-mere’s table and wouldn’t want to embarrass myself and then have Wyatt stab me through the heart with that knife he’s got his fist around.”

Pepper’s gaze dropped to Wyatt’s other hand – the hand that wasn’t pressing her palm tight into his thigh. Sure enough, his fist really was wrapped around the hilt of a knife. She forgot all about the way her hand felt sandwiched between his thigh and palm. Burning. Hot. Now her cheeks were. Something heavy took hold of her heart and squeezed.

She gasped. “Oh, no. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be here. I can’t control…” How absolutely utterly humiliating. Even Grand-mere would see what she was. “I told you I was a reject,” she admitted in a low voice.

“Stop that,” Wyatt ordered. “I mean it, Pepper. Don’ you ever call yourself that again, and certainly not in front of one of the children. We all have to fight our natures, guard against natural instincts. Do you think it’s easy for any one of us?”

“We’re in this together,” Ezekiel reminded. “We’re a team, and we help one another. You need a reminder, we’ll give it to you. Wyatt has to work on pushing down his instinct to shield you. I have to keep from hunting prey. Malichai has to work on… well… everything.” He sent her a little grin.

He’s right, honey. They’re tryin’ to help you. You’re not flawed. Nothin’s wrong with you. All of us have to keep on workin’ to overcome some of the instincts and characteristics we don’ want to show in polite, civilized company.

She didn’t know what to do so she held very still. His voice could mesmerize her. The drawling sound of him could send flames racing through her body. That had never happened and truly, he had to be nearly as lethal as she was when it came to seduction.

Wyatt leaned close. When we’re away from polite, civilized company, I have no problem with anythin’ you might want to do or practice. I’m a willin’ participant in all your exercises.

He made her want to laugh even at the worst of moments. She didn’t know whether to believe that these men would include her in their camaraderie. She’d spent over ten years with several of the same teachers and guards and none of them had ever teased her or made her feel as if she was part of something.

Don’ you cry. You’ll break my heart, little darlin’. I’m serious here, woman. Blink until they go away. Ezekiel and Malichai want to help. We’re a team. We can do this together, just the way we’re goin’ to raise those three little girls together.