Isabeau walked with her head up, refusing to be intimidated or humiliated by the group of men. Whatever she was, whatever was happening to her apparently was normal in their world and she refused to be afraid. She might desperately want sex, but she didn’t lack courage.

She watched the mechanics of the change over and over. Eventually she got over seeing a naked body and became fascinated by the actual shifting. It looked as if it could be painful, although it seemed to happen so fast as Jeremiah ran that maybe it wasn’t that bad.

Rio, Felipe and Elijah shook their heads and looked at one another as they timed Jeremiah’s run for the umpteenth time.

“Too slow, Jeremiah,” Conner snapped. “Do it again. And this time think about someone shooting at you while you’re running. You’re younger than any of us and you should be faster. You need to shave fifteen or twenty seconds off of your time.”

Jeremiah shot Conner a look of utter disgust. “Jealous bastard,” he muttered under his breath. “It can’t be done.”

Jeremiah should have known better. Conner had excellent hearing. Conner stalked across the forest floor to loom over the younger leopard. “You don’t think it can be done? Not only can it be done, you young lazy cub, but it can be done racing through the trees, not in some nice clearing like this one.”

Jeremiah compounded his sins by sneering openly. “I don’t believe you.”

Rio came up behind him silently and cuffed him on the back of the head, the blow hard enough to rock the kid. “Stop whining and try to learn something. If you’re going to be working with us, you have to know how to stay alive. You didn’t even hear me coming.”

Isabeau turned away to hide her smile. Jeremiah really was a large child, wanting the respect of the other leopards, but not wanting to work that hard for it. They were all exasperated with him. They’d been working all morning and it was becoming clear he was a bit self-indulgent and lazy.

“You said your family was from Costa Rica?” she ventured, forcing herself to keep a straight face.

Jeremiah nodded. “But I’m doing this on my own. My parents don’t need to know,” he added hastily.

Rio whirled around. He’d been stalking across the clearing, his shoulders stiff with annoyance. “Your parents don’t know where you are?”

“I thought maybe your mama raised you,” Elijah muttered. “And you were an only child.”

Jeremiah glared at him, drawing himself up to his full height and pushing out his chest. “I’m from a huge family, the youngest of eight. I have seven sisters. My father wanted a son.”

The men exchanged knowing looks.

“And he got you,” Elijah muttered under his breath.

“That explains a lot,” Conner said. “Well, boy, this isn’t home and your sisters aren’t here to coddle you. Improve your time or get your sorry ass back to Mama where it’s safe. If you stay with us, someone’s going to be shooting at you.”

Jeremiah flushed. “I’m no mama’s boy, if that’s what you’re implying. I’m just saying, my time is fast, probably faster than any of yours.”

Conner sighed. “Who has the slowest time of any of us shifting on the run through the trees?” He looked around at the men.

Felipe raised his hand. “I think it’s me, Conner.”

Conner stepped back and waved Felipe forward. Felipe glanced at Isabeau and raised an eyebrow at Conner.

“She has to learn. And she’s sure seen enough of Jeremiah’s naked ass.”

Isabeau blushed, cursing under her breath as once again attention centered on her. She was trying to fit in, whether they all believed it or not, and she didn’t need the added burden of them constantly throwing out reminders that she was female and basically going into heat like a freaking cat.

She let her gaze drift over Conner. She’d spent the night curled up next to a leopard, as warm and safe as she’d never even dreamt of being. Listening to the steady rhythm of the rain and the leopard’s heartbeat had allowed her to drift off to sleep fast, even in the midst of so many strangers. She’d felt comforted and completely at ease. Now, watching him in action, the fluid grace, the play of muscle beneath his skin, the burning eyes and focused stare, her body had gone into meltdown. She could barely keep her eyes from him. And she was acutely aware every single second why she had brought him to Panama—to seduce another woman—and that he had rejected her.

Conner cleared his throat. “Isabeau?” he prompted.

She flushed, realizing Felipe was waiting for her permission. “I need to learn how to shift as well,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant, as if she was used to seeing naked men all day long.

Felipe took her at her word, peeling off his clothes without further modesty while he sprinted. She had to admire the efficient way he stripped, a smooth, practiced motion that took only a couple of seconds. The moment he kicked off his shoes and shed his socks, he was running, stripping as he went, already shifting as he shucked his jeans and shirt, the muscles contorting as he picked up speed, so that he was leaping, covering large areas of space before his shirt floated to the ground.

Conner hit the stopwatch and walked over to Jeremiah. The kid’s mouth hung open as he stared at the large leopard in utter astonishment.

“I could barely see him do it,” Jeremiah said, admiration in his voice. “I swear, I almost think I can’t believe my eyes.”