Dark Fire by Christine Feehan. Dark Series – book 6

“Rusti, stay back!” Desari called out to her. She tried to move forward to help Barack, to stop Tempest, but Julian was restraining her, literally lifting her off her feet, his strong arms around her waist.

The terror on Desari’s face, echoing in her voice, registered with Tempest, but even with her own heart pounding in alarm, she reached for Darius, past the fierce fury of the animal to find the man. She knew him. She wasn’t exactly certain how, but she knew he was there, somewhere inside that killing rage. Darius. It is over. Barack did nothing but frighten me. Come back to me. She kept her tone a soft, trusting plea, much like what she used first with a frightened animal. Soothing, with a belief that it would respond. She somehow knew that Darius would not respond to any of the others and that if she didn’t stop him, the cat could very well end Barack’s life.

This had happened because of her. That knowledge, like his identity, came to her seemingly out of nowhere, but she was certain of it, and she felt a rush of wonder that anyone could have such a depth of feeling for her. Please, Darius, for me-release Barack and come to me.

The panther snarled, exposing long, razor-sharp canines, but at least he wasn’t sinking them into Barack’s throat. The cat crouched low, vicious, its body frozen into utter stillness, only the tail twitching restlessly, angrily, back and forth. Barack lay under the cat, totally submissive, well aware of who had attacked him. The silence was filled only with his heavy breathing and the cat’s snarling rage.

“Darius.” Tempest was a heartbeat from the cat’s teeth. Cautiously she laid a hand on the heavily muscled back. Her voice was soft, warm honey. “I’m all right. Look at me. He didn’t hurt me. He really didn’t.”

A collective gasp went up, as much for her knowledge as for her courage. It was now obvious to all that she knew the identity of the great cat. Desari clenched Julian’s hand in hers, suddenly afraid. No human could know of their existence and live. It placed them all in jeopardy. How did Tempest Trine know? Neither Darius nor Barack would have been so careless as to forget to expunge her memories. Yet how could they do such a thing as destroy the woman who had the courage to save one of their lives, as Tempest was clearly attempting to do?

The black panther moved, ever so slightly shifting its weight, placing its neck beneath Tempest’s palm. Please, Darius, I’m hanging on to my courage by a thread. Help me out. I want to get away from everyone. This is very frightening. All of it. And I don’t understand it, so come to me and explain it. In spite of her determination to be brave, her hand was trembling as it lay on the great cat’s back.

Tempest felt Darius’s control seeping slowly back into his mind, felt the man overcoming the beast’s rage. The panther moved against her, inserting itself between her and the fallen man. It pushed her away from Barack’s supine figure, farther even, toward the trees and away from the prying eyes of his family. Then the leopard padded behind her, directing her into the deeper woods, its walk so silent, she felt she could hear leaves falling.

Back at the campsite the group released a long, collective sigh of relief. Dayan moved first, reaching down and pulling Barack to his feet. “Close call. What the hell did you do?” His voice was accusing. No one ever crossed Darius.

Barack held up his hands. “Nothing. I swear it. I was going to feed, that’s all. Nothing else happened. He went berserk on me.”

Syndil’s slender hand fluttered to her throat. “Could Darius be turning? Darius is never out of control. Could it be happening?”

“No!” Desari cried out, somewhere between fear and outrage at the betraying thought. “No, Darius cannot turn. He is too strong.”

Julian slipped an arm around her waist, a slight grin on his face. “None of you know, do you? Darius has not turned. He will never turn. Not now. He has found his lifemate.”