Carpathian 18 - Dark Possesion

arrogant, we cherish and hold our women above all else."
    The sincerity in his voice made her feel a little better. And Juliette was no pushover. It was just that MaryAnn found all that testosterone a little annoying. The De La Cruz brothers would demand full surrender in all things. She couldn't see them compromising all that much. Even the very tone of their voices put her on edge. She couldn't imagine herself with one of them as a husband. They might be easy on the eyes, but she'd probably develop ulcers trying to be with one.

    "That's admirable, Riordan, it really is." She could be sincere as well. "But I'm not certain you're right about me being meant for your brother. If he did put this mark on me," she struggled not to blush, remembering the heat of his mouth and her body's reaction to it, "then he did it without my consent. I don't know why in your society you would think that was okay, but in mine, it's wrong."
    "You're no longer living in your society," he said without a trace of remorse. "Our rules are rules of survival.
    We only have one chance of survival after centuries of living as honorably as possible. That chance lies in finding our lifemates. Without our women, our species cannot exist and our men must either commit suicide or become vampire. There is no other choice for us."
    MaryAnn sighed. Without grief and despair eating at her, she should have been able to think much more clearly, but now confusion reigned above all else. Were her own emotions to blame, or was it Manolito? And if it was Manolito, how could he survive in the rain forest without knowing what was happening to him?
    "How do I reach out to him? I've never even tried anything like that before."
    Riordan and Juliette exchanged a long, puzzled look. They'd never had to explain what seemed to come naturally to them.
    "Picture him in your mind. Use details, down to the smallest thing you remember about him, including scent and emotion," Riordan advised.
    Great. She remembered feeling he was the most sensuous man she'd ever conjured up in her life. Heat swept through her body. Had his mouth really traveled down her throat to the swell of her breast? Had his teeth sunk into her skin to draw her life's blood out of her into him? The thought should have been repulsive to her.
    Any sane woman would have found it repulsive. She closed her eyes and thought of him.
    His shoulders were broad, his arms powerful. His waist and hips were slender, his chest muscular. Muscles rippled beneath his skin like a great predatory cat's when he moved. And he moved in absolute silence. His face… MaryAnn took a breath. His features were exquisite. He was the most handsome man she'd ever seen.
    Dark, mysterious eyes, shiny black hair accenting the strong angles and planes of his face, a straight masculine nose and high cheekbones that any model would envy, his jaw strong, with just a dusting of a shadow over it. But it was his mouth she hadn't been able to stop staring at. Sensual, with a hint of danger.
    Just enough to drive a woman wild.
    She reached toward him and to her astonishment felt her mind expand, as if it had only been waiting, as if the path was already familiar. She felt him, just for a moment, touching her, reaching for her, but then… Her eyes widened in terror and her hands shot out defensively. A huge, fierce cat leapt between them with murderous intent. The teeth exploded out of the muzzle, driving for Manolito's throat. She screamed and thrust her body in front of his, feeling the hot breath fan her face. Jaguar .
    Chapter Three

    Manolito spun around, still on his knees, his hands going up instinctively to catch the large, heavy cat as it sprang for his head. The force and power of the jaguar was tremendous, driving him down and onto his back.

    Was this real, or was this an illusion like the shadowy vampires must have been?
    His fingers sank into thick fur. Claws raked his belly, tearing through skin and muscle. Hot, fetid breath exploded in his face, and wicked teeth scraped along his arm as he used sheer strength to keep the beast from getting to his throat and skull. For one moment, as he lay beneath the cat, keeping its massive head from his, he felt someone— her —his lifemate—move in his brain.
    Her cry of terror echoed through his mind, replacing hunger and confusion with a focus he might not otherwise have found. He saw her reaching for the cat, trying to aid him. Not wanting to risk her life, he broke the telepathic