He looked from the cabin to Saria's face as she stood, one hand resting lightly on the helm. Her hair blew around her face, yet there was an elegant, regal quality to her in her simple blue jeans and face scrubbed clean of makeup. She embodied the spirit of nature to him. Strong yet fragile. Independent and still vulnerable. Elusive and so tempting. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes shining. The wind put color in her cheeks. She glanced at him and laughed, clearly enjoying the ride over the water. The sound carried on the wind and became part of the rhythm of the swamp for him.
His body reacted immediately, hardening on the outside, melting soft on the inside. He'd never quite experienced the sensation of need before--and need was definitely part of what he was feeling. She moved him. The stillness of her. The simplicity and complexity of her. Saria's laughter was pure magic, wrapping him up in her spell.
"Are you from a large family?" He'd overheard the remark about her brothers, plural, so she had more than one.
"Yes and no."
She gave a casual shrug, maybe too casual. He went instantly on the alert. Her gaze had touched his and jumped away. She stared out over the water. She hadn't changed her stance, but he felt her withdrawal into herself. She wasn't thrilled talking family. Was it the natural reticence of their kind, or something more sinister?
"I've got five brothers but I'm eight years younger than my next siblin' . My mom died a couple of years after I was born, and before I really had a chance to know any of them, they were all workin' away from home. They sent money of course, but I wasn't really raised with them, so in some ways I'm an only child."
"That must have been lonely."
She frowned, shaking her head. "Sometimes, when they were home and would talk together, not really noticin' I was around, I felt left out, but for the most part, I had a great childhood." She sent him a grin. "I just did whatever I wanted."
He fell halfway in love with her for that grin of sheer camaraderie, as if she expected him to fully understand her way of life. He couldn't help but send her an answering smile. She was beautiful, giving him that little insight to who she was and what she needed. He tucked the information somewhere into his soul where he could never lose it. After walking through life these last couple of years feeling as though he were dead inside, she'd certainly awakened him with a vengeance.
He saw her head snap around and she stiffened, looking into the swamplands to their left. He looked carefully to the right in case she glanced at him. Yeah. He knew. There were two of them running together. He was definitely outnumbered, and if they came at him en masse, which was proving to be likely, someone was going to get hurt.
Drake risked a quick glance at her face. She'd gone pale. Her mouth set in a firm line and her shoulders straightened. He followed her gaze to the trunk in front of her. He'd bet his last dollar she had guns in that trunk. So his little guide was prepared to defend him. Warmth poured into him.
"Hang on." She sounded grim.
He took the hint and grabbed for safety. The boat turned abruptly, skimming through the thick carpet of duckweed into another canal. Reeds divided the narrow lane of water, taking them away from the swamp where the large cats, in a relay, had followed. A roar of fury sent birds screeching into the air--a male leopard venting.
His eyes met Saria's. "What the hell was that?" Surely the question had to be asked.
"There are bad things in the swamp," she explained. "Don' worry. I know my way around."
"I can see that. I'm not worried, Saria. I'm quite capable of taking care of myself--and you--if there's need,ront he assured. "And I hired you as a guide, not to put yourself in danger. If we get into trouble out here, I want you to cut and run."
She made some sort of sound that ended in a cough. He was fairly certain she'd hissed the word "bullshit" under her breath, but she covered the slip nicely. "Now, cher," she soothed. "I wouldn' have much business if I left my customers in the swamp to be eaten by gators, would I?" She sounded as if he wasn't quite bright.
"I see your point," he said, and couldn't help laughing.
She laughed with him. "I'm glad we're in agreement. The last three I left for alligator bait turned me in to the Better Business Bureau. Some trivial matter like losin' a leg or arm, nothin' big, you understand?"
"Imagine turning you in for a little thing like that."
The boat swerved again and they skimmed through a thin point in the weeds, taking them back across to the main channel. Without warning the water changed to a glossy dark blue. They were in open water and the lake was beautiful at night.
She pointed to a small, inviting cove. "See that little beach there? People swim there all the time. One of the biggest gators I've ever seen uses that area all the time to sun himself. His territory is just to the left. They're crazy to bring their kids here."
"Has anyone tried to trap him?"
"Trap him?" she echoed. "We don' relocate gators, Drake. We live off them, but yeah, we've all tried to get him. He's smart. He takes the bait, bends the hooks, steals the bait and leaves us all lookin' foolish." There was respect in her voice.
A bluish gray settled around the trunks of the trees lining the shore, the muted color a cloak of mystery. It was difficult for anything to penetrate too far behind that thick veil. He studied the terrain as the boat swept around a curve and stands of cypress gave way to oak and pine. The trees sheltered a long, Victorian-era inspired chateau. Pale blue trimmed in white, the house blended with the gray-blue fog pouring in from the bayou. The wraparound porch was inviting and the balconies on the second story were large, enticing any visitor to sit and watch the water flowing over the rocks. Hammocks were slung in the trees a few feet from the water's edge in the cool of the shade trees. He could hear bullfrogs and crickets calling in invitation.
Saria beamed at him. "Isn't it a jewel? Miss Pauline Lafont runs the inn now. It was her grandmother's home first. Her mother turned it into a bed-and-breakfast and Miss Pauline has made a lot of improvements."
"It's everything you said it was," Drake agreed. Mostly the house had privacy. The place was old-style elegance, an era long gone. Quiet, hidden, an inviting jewel, just as Saria had promised when he'd contacted her through her guide advertisement. "Perfect," he added with satisfaction.
He hadn't yet told Saria he'd rented the entire bed-and-breakfast for two weeks with the intention of bringing his team in the moment he found anything. And he knew he was going to find something. He'd stumbled onto a shifter's lair right there in the middle of the Louisiana swamp. They were every bit as elusive and secretive as the shifters in the rain forests throughout the world--but it all made sense now.
Dke waited patiently as he was introduced to the woman whose family had owned the beautiful Victorian-style home for a hundred years. Pauline Lafont was a small woman with laugh lines around her eyes and a ready smile. He liked her instantly.
"Would you like the grand tour?" she asked graciously.
"I'd love it, ma'am," he said, meaning it. "The house is amazing." It was essential that he knew the layout of the house. Every nook and cranny, every hiding place, where Pauline Lafont slept and lived when she was not interacting with her guests.
"I'll leave you in Miss Pauline's hands," Saria said. "But I'll be back at dawn to pick you up."
He was reluctant to allow her out of his sight. If the leader of the leopard's lair knew she was close to the emerging of her leopard, he might not let her anywhere near Drake. "Can you just stay here so we can get an early start? It might be easier. In any case I'll want to go into the swamp at night."
"I've already arranged with Miss Pauline to stay," Saria admitted, "but I need a few more things from home. I'll be here before first light if I can't make it back tonight."
He couldn't kidnap her, as much as he wanted to. Instead, he locked his gaze with hers, knowing his eyes had gone pure cat, mesmerizing, holding her to him through sheer willpower. She had to have read the hunger in him, the urgent need, he couldn't suppress i
t, even when he told himself she needed--even deserved--a courtship. Even a male leopard courted his mate carefully. Bands of color widened, and heat leapt between them.
Pauline cleared her throat. Saria blinked rapidly and looked away. There was color in her cheeks.
"Miss Pauline," she said, not risking another glance at Drake. "I'll be back as soon as possible." Saria turned away from them, keeping her head down to avoid looking at Drake.
"Saria," he said softly, unable to just let her go.
She stopped, but didn't turn her head.
"Be careful. And come back to me." He said it deliberately, using a velvet purr mixed with a steely command.
"I will." Her voice was barely above a whisper. He felt that soft sound vibrate through his body. His fingers curled tightly into his palms as she walked way, Pauline trailing after her. His leopard was close--too close. He could feel the stiletto-like claws puncturing his palms. He breathed the animal away.
Pauline walked Saria to the door and stood for a minute watching her run lightly down to the dock. "She's a smart girl that one," she announced, obviously sensing his interest. Pauline Lafont, he decided, was an incurable romantic and the moment he'd displayed his interest in Saria, she began planning. At least someone was on his side. "And sweet."
"Very competent in the swamp," Drake said. "I was surprised by her. She's very well educated, yet she chooses to stay here. I would have thought most of the young people would look elsewhere for employment." Saria hadn't looked back at him. He knew, because he watched her all the way to the boat. She hadn't so much as glanced over her shoulder.
Pauline nodded. "As a rule that's true, although most of us return when we'r older. There's something about this place that calls us back. Saria comes from one of the seven oldest families in the area. They almost never leave the swamp even if they work away from it. Remy, her oldest brother, works as a detective in New Orleans. All of her brothers served in the military and most work on the river, but they always come home." She looked at him directly, imparting the knowledge as a warning. "She has five brothers."
"Big families around here," he commented, showing confidence. "Is it unusual for the children to come back to the swamp after they go to school?" Drake asked as he followed her, committing the layout of the large house to memory.
"I think most young people think there's something better for them. Certainly they want more," Pauline said. "Life in the swamp can be hard. They all get educations and move away, like I said."
"With the exception of families like Saria's?" He kept his voice casually interested.
Pauline frowned a little as she thought about it. "The seven families that live closest together seem to always come home," she admitted. "As far back as I can remember, they've done that--gone away to school and come back. The children take over their parents' businesses and lifestyle right here in the swamp. My sister, Iris, married into the Mercier family, and her children, Armande and Charisse, both went to college and returned. I never had children so my nephew and niece are very special to me--as is Saria. Charisse is extremely talented." Her voice tinged with pride. "She and her brother own the perfume shop in New Orleans together, but Charisse actually makes the perfume and sends it all over the world. The shop has become a tremendous success because of her talent. Still, they live in the Mercier family home rather than town."
"Instead of living in New Orleans itself?"
Pauline nodded. "Remy, Saria's brother, is a detective with the police force and he always stays in their family home. I was so surprised by them. Charisse in particular used to say she couldn't wait to get out of here to a city. The families are very close, but as I said, it's a difficult way of life."
"I can imagine," Drake said, infusing admiration in his voice. He had grown up in the rain forest and understood the need to stay in the wild. The Louisiana swamp was as wild as the local leopards could find. "Seven families? Are you part of one of those families?" She wasn't leopard. He would have known. At her age, her leopard would have emerged already, but it was a way to keep her talking.
Pauline opened the door to the dining room with its gleaming floors and polished table. "Oh, no, but I've certainly known them all for years. They're very tight-knit. They participate in the get-togethers, but as a rule they stay to themselves. They're pretty isolated."
That made sense. Leopards, animal or shifter, as a rule were elusive and very secretive. Seven families would make this a large lair for such a small area.
"Which seven families?" Curiosity edged his voice, a deliberate attempt to lure her into talking more. "Names are so intriguing here."
"Let's see. Boudreaux of course. Lanoux, Jeanmard, Mercier, Mouton, Tregre, and the Pinet family. I think they all date back to the first settlers here."
Drake took the punch in his gand breathed his way through it without showing a reaction. Tregre? He knew that name. He knew a woman from his own lair who had married a man with that last name. She'd come home a widow, with her son, Joshua. The same Joshua who was now employed on the Bannaconni ranch as a bodyguard to Jake's wife, Emma.
Joshua had never said a word to any of them about a connection to a family in the Louisiana area. Did he even know his father was from the Louisiana swamps? Joshua was part of the team Jake would send to back him up. Could he be trusted if he had to bring justice to his own kin?
Why had Elaina come home? He remembered her well. She'd gone to school in the States, married, and then a few years later, Joshua had been about four or five, had returned to the Borneo rain forest and her family. No one had mentioned Joshua's father. Elaina had never remarried. The web was becoming more tangled with each passing moment.
Drake climbed the stairs to his room after bidding the innkeeper goodnight and assuring her he wouldn't need to eat until early morning. The first thing he did was contact Jake Bannaconni on his satellite phone.
"We've definitely got a situation here, Jake," Drake greeted. "I have no idea how large it is yet, but there's a shifter lair here."
There was a small silence as Jake Bannaconni digested the information. "You safe?"
"For the moment. I expect a visit tonight. They know I'm here and they know I'm leopard. They aren't going to want me sniffing around their territory, and if it comes out why I'm here, I'm certain none of them are going to be welcoming."
"Have you figured out who wrote the letter to me?" Jake asked.
"Not yet, but the way it was worded, so carefully, yet implying they knew of shifters, it has to be someone in one of seven families. I've met my guide and the innkeeper, but they don't seem to have a clue about the shifters, although I can't really tell with either of them for certain. Your great-grandfather had to have known. He leased them his lands."
"Jake Fenton was a man who played his cards close to his chest," Jake said. "He was careful what he said to me, but he left me the properties and my guess was, he expected me to protect those people."
"Not if one of them has turned killer, Jake," Drake cautioned. "What did you know of Jake Fenton? Who was he?"
"He was my mother's grandfather. I asked him straight out once if he could shift and he said no. He admitted his family had deliberately tried to find women carrying the shifter genetics in order to produce a child who could shift. They were looking for a child who could find oil."
"Like you."
"Like me, but they didn't know what they had. My great-grandfather suspected I was a shifter," Jake said, "but I didn't ever admit it to him. He was the one who suggested I go to Borneo and seek out my people to learn about them."
"Did he ever suggest you come to Louisiana? Or reference this area in a conversation about shifters?" Drake prompted.
There was a small silence as Jake pulled up the memories of his talks with his great-grandfather. They had been few and far between and Jake had been young and very guarded. "I don't recall that he ever mentioned shifters in conjunction with Louisiana. He knew there was oil there. He bought the lumber companies out, not fo
r the lumber, but for the oil," Jake explained. "I haven't spent a lot of time exploring there. In all honesty it wasn't on my list for another two years. I continued the leases. Fenton seemed to be friends with seven or eight families there and has given them the use of the land for hunting, fishing and trapping."
"Can you get me the names of the families?" Drake asked. "I can compare the names on the leases with the families I suspect are shifters. I'll bet my last dollar each family leasing the land from your great-grandfather is shifter. There seems to be a very real lair here. Sooner or later their leader will have to come out into the open. First he'll send his soldiers. Once he identifies himself, I can find out where this lair comes from."
"I don't like the sound of that, Drake."
"I've handled worse. What do you know of Joshua's family?"
There was a small silence. He'd managed to shock the unshockable Jake Bannaconni. "You vouched for him. That was good enough for me." There was caution in his voice.
"His last name is Tregre, one of the family names I suspect is on the lease. His mother brought him home to her family in the rain forest, so he may not even know them, but it's worrisome."
"Do you want me to question him?"
"No. I've known Joshua most of his life. He wouldn't betray us. His loyalty isn't in question, but then it might not be best for him to come here. I wouldn't want to put him in a position of choosing family over his team."
Jake swore under his breath. "He's one of the best we've got. I want to send the boys to back you up. And damn it, Joshua is family. Our family."
"I'm telling you, I don't doubt him. I don't want you to think he wouldn't die to protect Emma, the children or you for that matter. He's a good man. I just want to find out a little more about his father's family before I put him in a bad position. We should send word to Rio and ask him to do a little research for us." Rio Santana was the leader of a team of shifters in Borneo. They traveled around the world wherever they were needed. Drake trusted Rio implicitly.