"I know you would do everything you can, just as you have, to save me," she whispered. "But even if you could, I don't know if I can take everything that comes with you. How can I ever be sure no one in your family will ever turn on me if I hurt you like I did before?"

Damian released a heavy breath. "Because if they ever dared to lay a single finger on you, they know I'd take them down. One, two, d.a.m.n it, all of them if necessary. My adopted family and my pack in New Mexico. You come first, Jamie. You always will. Not them. Your happiness, your joy. You matter most to me."

Fierce loyalty to her rang through his words. No one had ever put her at such a high priority. Jamie's heart melted as she stared at him. "Oh, Damian, I'm tired of running. I don't want to be alone anymore. I want you, for whatever little time I have left."

His eyes burned bright as green lasers. He grabbed her by the shoulders, took her mouth, possessive, controlling, claiming. She slid her hands up to clutch him closer.

The low moan of a.s.sent rumbling in her throat triggered him.

"I have to get inside you. Now," he muttered into her mouth.

Still kissing her, he swept her into his arms. Taking the stairs, his long, powerful legs eating up the distance. He carried her into his bedroom, and set her down on the floorboards.

Damian stripped off his clothing. Naked, he ripped her blouse apart. b.u.t.tons snicked onto the hardwood floor. A low growl rippled in his throat as his claws emerged, and sliced through her bra. He shoved the pants down her hips, sheared off her panties.

She hit the bed and fell backward, as he rolled next to her. Damian rose up, took her nipple into his mouth and suckled her. Little, fast flicks, creating a gush between her legs. Then he reached down, his hands spreading her wide, bent his mouth to her core and licked her. Fast, furious swipes with his tongue, getting her scent on him, all over him. She writhed in ecstasy, making little animalistic sounds.

Pushing her thighs farther apart, he mounted her. His look was intense, determined.

Jamie sagged against the mattress in surrender, recognizing the humming need, the instinctual drive. The grief and anger he felt raged also in her own heart.

The head of his erection pushed at her wetness, then surged inside. He slammed into her, driving up to the hilt. Shocked at the invasion, she writhed. He was bigger, harder than ever. She felt stretched, full, Damian joining them, possessing her in the most primitive way.

"You're mine, mine," he breathed, the powerful muscles of his arms locked as he held himself over her. He thrust forward again, pulled back, thrust again, pressing her deep into the mattress. "Mine. Do you get me, chere?"

"Damian..."

"Answer me," he demanded, withdrawing. His slick p.e.n.i.s hovered just outside, leaving her empty and aching.

She sobbed, clawing at his shoulders, her need great, so close, so close. "Yes, I'm yours, only yours," she cried out.

Damian gave a satisfied smile. Then he rewarded her by sliding deep into her again, and taking her mouth. His tongue stroked as she pushed her hips up at him, frantic now to come. He pulled away, licking her lips. A bead of sweat popped off his forehead, splashing onto her breast.

She reached up and bit his collarbone. He grunted and pistoned his hips harder, making the bed shake and thump. Jamie strained against him. She stared up at his eyes, dark with pa.s.sion, his face hardened and intent. He commanded her body now, this big male joining them intimately. The heat of o.r.g.a.s.m flickered just out of reach, and she wailed, needing it, wanting it.

"Yes, that's it, come, come for me," he demanded.

The words and the tender command in his husky voice clinched it. Jamie arched, her body rising off the mattress as she shattered, climaxing hard. Her nails dug into his thick muscles, scoring the skin. He threw back his head, the cords and tendons on his neck straining, and roared her name. Coming inside her with powerful spurts of his seed.

She bore his heavy weight as he collapsed onto her with a soft sigh, his head dropping to the pillow beside her. Jamie locked her trembling thighs around his hips, stroked his sweating back.

Damian rolled off her, breaking their contact. He slid an arm around her, as she curled into his shoulder, her heart rate slowing.

"You left me again." His voice was low, anguished.

Jamie stroked the damp hairs on his muscled chest. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to leave me instead."

She dropped her head back onto his shoulder, ashamed. He raised her chin with a finger, forcing her to look at him.

"I could no sooner leave you than bite off my own arm," he gently teased.

"Coyote ugly doesn't apply to wolves?"

Damian laughed, then drew her tighter. He buried his face in her hair. "You won't die, Jamie. You can't. I won't let it happen."

They drowsed a little, then her hand slipped down his muscled thigh. His p.e.n.i.s lay against his leg, stiffening. Damian groaned as she gently squeezed, and rolled her over onto her stomach. Jamie tensed as he settled behind her, his hands braced on her hips.

In this position she felt open, vulnerable. But she trusted him.

With reverence, he kissed her tattoo, then she felt him cover her from behind. A big, muscled warrior ready to invade her in his ancient mating tradition. He entered her hard and fast, and began thrusting in a rhythm that sent heat spiraling through her. Damian bent over her, his chest hairs sc.r.a.ping against her back, murmuring to her in French. He reached down between her legs and touched her.

She came apart again, crying out, squeezing him tight as he stroked inside her. He joined her, his big body shuddered as he clenched her hips.

When they lay spent and exhausted, he gave her a warm, lingering kiss. Jamie blinked, her heart beating fast to the pace of his, the breath bellowing out of her lungs slowly easing to normal. Damian wrapped her in his arms. Comforted by his strong embrace, she fell asleep.

Hours later, she woke, the room shrouded in darkness. Her senses screamed danger. Damian snapped back the covers, pulled her off the bed so hard her arm felt like it nearly detached from the socket.

And then she smelled it.

Smoke.

He swore as he jammed his legs into his pants, pulling them on commando style. Jamie grabbed a T-shirt from the drawer, pulled on her sweats and raced to the window. Below on the street were about thirty people. Not people. Morphs.

Fear made her heart race.

"They couldn't get past Rafe's safeguards, so they're flushing us out. Stay with me."

Damian hustled her out into the hallway. The door to the attic burst open, Cindy's face strained as she hustled Michael, Sophie and Sandy down the hallway. Etienne followed, Ana in his arms. Bare-chested, Gabriel ran toward them, buckling his jeans.

"Fire's on the first floor. d.a.m.n it, they tossed a Molotov into a window and the drapes caught. We'll have to go out the back way through the windows." Gabriel herded Etienne's family across the hall toward his room.

"How did they get past our defenses?" Etienne shifted Ana in his arms.

"Someone using magick weakened the shield just enough."

Several pairs of eyes shifted to Jamie. Oh c.r.a.p. Playing basketball in the house, and practicing her powers secretly in the house, dematerializing when she ran away. With all else, she'd forgotten. And her magick was far more powerful than theirs.

"Where's Rafe?" Gabriel yelled.

"Here," a calm voice answered. In black leather, his face surreally calm. "They're outside. Waiting for us."

"Saw them," Damian said grimly as they crossed the room. "Gabriel, take the children and Cindy, get them onto the Ca.s.sidys' property next door. They're away and Rafe and I safeguarded the yard just in case. The Morphs can't touch them there. Then come back, we'll need you to fight. Jamie, go with Cindy and Gabriel."

Smoke clogged her lungs as it thickened the air. The children came first. Her magick caused this problem. And it would help now.

Gabriel already had the French doors in his bedroom opened to the balcony. Etienne was just about to climb over the railing, a bawling Ana in his arms. With his Draicon strength, he could easily jump. But with the children, he had to climb down.

Damian vaulted over the railing, landing fifteen feet below. He held up his arms, waiting. Waiting to catch her if Etienne dropped her. d.a.m.n, this was not good.

Jamie ran over to Etienne, grabbed Ana, s.n.a.t.c.hed up the wailing Sophie and set them down. He shot her a furious look.

"Trust me," she said softly. She bent down to the children. "Hey, guys, remember when we played floater basketball?" When they nodded, eyes huge in their faces, she smiled. "We're going to play another game called flying. It's just like when we played basketball. I'll have you the whole time. Okay?"

Sophie nodded, gripping Ana's hand.

"That's right, hold her hand, she's scared and you're her big sister. Hold on."

Taking a deep breath, Jamie concentrated. Pain speared her temples. The children's feet rose off the balcony, and they floated, safely down, into Damian's arms. At the same time, Etienne herded Cindy to the railing, and she jumped. Damian and Cindy took the children and gently lifted them over the fence. Ran back.

Jamie held a hand to her pounding temple, feeling the pain as if someone shoved an ice pick into her head. Oh G.o.d, she couldn't do this twice. The agony was too much.

A scream snapped her attention below.

Cindy was pointing toward the side of their house, where a pack of wolves now slunk toward them. Morphs. The last magick barrier dropped, they breached the yard. Damian didn't hesitate. He grabbed Cindy about the waist, all but hurled her over the neighbor's fence. Then turned, ready to fight.

The wolves ignored him, loped over to the balcony. They waited below, their jaws open, snarling. Their eyes focused on Michael and Sandra on the balcony.

They waited for the children. Their mouths opened, showing rows of razor-sharp teeth. Saliva dripped from their jaws.

Raphael and Gabriel stared below. "We can take them, Etienne, Gabe and I and Damian."

"What if they shift again, and get up here? Stay here. I need you to protect the kids." Etienne's lips were tight, his expression grim. He had a death grip on his offspring. Ready to do anything to keep them safe.

This is what family is about, she realized. It wasn't relatives taking you in for your parents' money and making life h.e.l.l or a brother who ignored you when you desperately needed attention. It was about bonding together and seeing each other through the worst, and a love so deep that a father would sacrifice all for his children.

Her eyes watered suddenly, and not from smoke.

Ignoring her throbbing temples, Jamie squeezed Etienne's shoulder. "Please, trust me. I won't let anything happen to them."

Etienne brushed a kiss against Michael's and Sandy's foreheads and released his children. "Take them," he said hoa.r.s.ely.

Jamie focused and the children floated over to the neighbors' yard. The wolves howled in protest as Gabriel, Raphael and Etienne jumped to the ground, joining Damian. The four brothers shape-shifted simultaneously into wolves.

Closing her eyes, Jamie dematerialized. And reappeared in the yard next door. Her limbs felt like cooked noodles. Even now she could feel the poison seeping through her veins, the stone spell working, overpowering Damian's magick in her cells, invading and marching through her system.

Cindy herded her children away from the ugly sights and sounds of violent battle. Her body screaming in pain, Jamie staggered to a tree as the brothers took on the Morphs. It was a grotesque, awesome display of power. Damian and his brothers were vicious, savage killers. They killed to defend their family, take down evil. In minutes it was over.

Summoning her strength, she ran and opened the gate, running toward Damian. He caught her in his arms.

"I'm sorry...it's my fault...I weakened your shield."

Damian stroked her hair. "Shh. It's my fault. I shifted several times. But it's okay. We're all safe."

"It wasn't your fault the first time, either, Damian. If you had been there that night, they would have gotten you, too." Shivering, she touched his cheek. "It's time to let them all go and forgive yourself."

His eyes closed as he leaned against her palm. "I will."

Gabriel, sporting a bruise on one cheek, whipped his head about. "Where's Alex?"

"He went to Bourbon Street for the night," Etienne said, embracing Cindy and the children.

"No, he came back a half hour ago."

Worry tinged Rafe's voice. All of them froze, looked up at the house.

And set against an eerie backdrop of orange flames at a side window, was a figure standing at the window. Alexandre.

Jamie stuffed a fist in her mouth. Damian yelled.

"Alex, jump!"

His brother made no move to open the window. Damian ran forward, but Raphael caught a fistful of his shirt.

"Too dangerous, t'frere. You won't get up the stairs."

"Alex..." Damian's voice was a low moan.

Anguish twisted Damian's expression as he stared at the house. His brother. Dying. The screams of the fire engines sounded down the streets. By the time they got here, it'd be too late.

He glanced at her, touched her mind and his face blanched. "Jamie, no, no..."

"Yes. I have to make up for my past crimes," she said quietly. She reached up, kissed him briefly. And vanished.

Smoke stung her eyes, filled her lungs as she materialized just by the window. Agony splintered her head. Jamie coughed violently, squinted through a gush of tears to see Alexandre whirl, his face blackened by smoke, his eyes hopeless.

"No," he choked out. "Go away, go back to Damian. I want to stay."

"You're coming with me."

"I can't." He wrenched free, his shoulders slumped, his face haunted. "I'll die...and be free at last," he whispered. "My mate and daughter are waiting for me in the Other Realm. I can't live like this anymore. I have to be with them."

Jamie's eyes watered further. She grasped his hand, feeling pain radiate from him like a throbbing heartbeat. Lost in misery, nothing would snap him out of it. Not pity.

"You selfish b.a.s.t.a.r.d," she yelled. "You can only think about what you lost, and not what you'll lose? I'd have given my right arm for a family like yours who loved me like they love you, and Damian? This will shatter him. I'm not going to let you do that to him. No way."

His eyes popped open wide, as if he hadn't considered that. Alex stared.

"Alex, it's not your time," she said softly, and coughed again. Jamie threw open the window, jackhammers of pain pounding rail spikes into her temples and forehead. Her lungs burned. With her mind, she tried to lift him. His feet barely cleared the floor.

Think of Damian. Think of all he's lost, and how it will rip his heart if he loses Alexandre. Jamie concentrated on Damian, his love, courage and loyalty. She closed her eyes, saw Alexandre flying through the opened window into the arms of his family.

Family was all that mattered.

Her eyes flew open to see Alexandre's feet touch the ground next door.

She ran to the window, drew in fresh air, her eyes stinging. Took a deep breath. Jamie materialized behind a sheltering oak. And began falling, distant shouts of alarm raised. Strong arms caught her as a pit of inky darkness yawned before her.

She let herself go into the blackness.