Lair of the Lion

piercing straight through her thin robe. Despite her gloves, her fingers felt numb as she gripped the branches. She clung there, teeth chattering, and watched with horror the scene unfolding beneath her.
    The wolves came out from the trees, their eyes fixed on their prey. Not Nicolai—the pack avoided him but moved toward the tree where Isabella perched. One, far bolder than the others, leapt, growling, its jaws snapping at her leg. A scream escaped as she jerked her leg up, scraping her skin on the tree bark.
    A lion's roar shook the valley. Angry. Fierce. A challenge. A good six hundred pounds of solid muscle, the beast leapt into the middle of the wolf pack, swiping at the most aggressive animal with a deadly paw. In desperation, the pack leapt on him, snarling and growling, rending and tearing his back, his legs, his neck, until the snow was dotted with red. The wolves were so numerous, Isabella was certain the lion would fall beneath their weight. The sight was terrifying, the sounds worse.
    "Nicolai." She whispered his name into the night, her voice aching and filled with tears.
    She had no idea how to help him.
    The lion shook his massive body, and the wolves went flying in all directions, yelping and crying. The beast leapt after them, swatting at the slower animals so that they screamed in terror and limped off, running away from the larger and more powerful predator.
    The lion stood still for a moment, watching them move off—then it shook its shaggy mane and shuddered. Isabella could see that red darkened the fur in many places. The huge mane, thick around its neck, down its back, and under its belly, had protected it from the worst bites, but it was wounded. It turned its head and looked at her. Amber eyes blazed at her, focused and intent.

    "Nicolai!" There was joy in her voice. She jumped out of the tree and landed on her backside in the snow.
    The massive head went down, and the beast crouched as if to spring. Isabella felt its swelling triumph in the air, dark and venomous, gloating with its power. Her breath stopped, and her heart pounded. She tasted fear. The lion's eyes never left her, the intensity of its concentration terrifying.
    Isabella sat in silence, waiting for death. She looked straight into the amber eyes. "I know it isn't you doing this, Nicolai. I know you only wanted to protect me." She said it softly, lovingly, meaning it. "You are not my enemy, and you never will be." Whatever lay in the valley with hatred and cunning, it wasn't Nicolai DeMarco. It used the killing instincts of the beasts, any intense emotions, anger and hate and fear, human or otherwise. It twisted such things to its bidding. Isabella refused to allow it to use her feelings for the don. She stared straight into those flaming amber eyes and saw death as it leapt at her. "I love you,"
    she said softly, meaning it. Then, for the first time in her life, she fainted.
    A voice called to her, urging her to open her eyes. Isabella lay quietly in a cocoon of warmth. She had the oddest sensation that she was flying. If she was dead, it wasn't all that bad. She snuggled deeper into the warmth.
    "Cara, open your eyes for me." The voice penetrated her awareness again. Rough with worry, anxious, sensual. Something in the tone melted her insides. "Isabella, look at me."
    With a great effort, she managed to lift her lashes. Nicolai was staring down at her face, holding her in his arms while he guided the horses. The conveyance was gliding over the snow at a fast pace, heading straight for the palazzo. Nicolai let out his breath in a rush of white vapor. "Don't ever do that to me again."
    Isabella found herself smiling, lifting a furred glove to trace the frown on his face. "This was a very exciting adventure, Nicolai. Grazie."
    "You told me you faint, but I didn't believe you." The accusation was somewhere between teasing and relief. "Dio, Isabella, I thought you were lost to me. You were so cold.
    I was selfish to bring you out here in such clothes. I'm taking you back to the castello, and we are packing your things. I'm personally escorting you out of the valley."
    To his shock, she burst out laughing. "I don't think so, Signor DeMarco." She shifted in his arms to look up at his set face. "You sent me away once and promised you would not do so again. Don't you know what happened? Don't you understand?" She caught his face in her hands. "Together we can defeat it. I know we can."
    He used one hand to put her back beneath the