She strode around Petra—or Kallikatsou, as the locals called it—and spotted the house she’d
visited that morning. From the back, she could see the extensive garden and stone columns. She surveyed the
rocky bluff, searching for steps that would lead up to the house.
A sudden movement caught her eye, a black blur that seemed to fly off the bluff and land with a soft thud on
the sand.
Her heart lurched. She blinked her eyes to make sure she was seeing right. A cat. A giant, hulking black cat.
A jaguar ? On Patmos? It bared its teeth and growled at her.
A chill settled over her, prickling her skin. She could die. She couldn’t outrun a jaguar. She had no weapons,
and she doubted her martial arts could save her from those vicious claws and gleaming white teeth.
The giant cat watched her with golden eyes; then, with a slow, graceful move of its big paw, it took a quiet,
lethal step toward her.
She could only think she’d better not act like prey. She glared at the cat, then screamed as loud as she could.
The cat snarled and took another step toward her.
She couldn’t retreat without getting caught. She couldn’t climb the bluff faster than the cat. She sure didn’t
want to advance toward it. That left the sea. Cold and treacherous with a strong undertow caused by the full
moon.
She could only hope the jaguar didn’t like cold water.
She could only hope the jaguar didn’t like cold water.
Chapter Seven
R obby had just stepped out of the shower when he heard a scream. A feminine
scream. He dropped his towel, pulled on a pair of boxer shorts, and strode into the family room. “Carlos, did ye
hear something?”
The shape-shifter was gone.
Robby stepped onto the patio. A chilly wind slapped his bare skin and whipped his wet hair across his face.
He shoved his hair back and noted the steam coming up from the Jacuzzi. Carlos must have turned it on, but
where was he? Robby strode to the edge of the bluff and looked down.
Damn it to hell. He’d found Carlos. And Olivia.
Something must have snapped in the were-panther’s head, ’cause for some insane reason, he was
terrorizing Olivia. He stalked along the water’s edge, a large beast with a shiny black coat and a long pair of
canine teeth that made Robby’s fangs look downright wimpy in comparison.
Carlos was purposely pushing her into the cold sea. Damn him. Robby could hear her teeth chattering.
“Olivia!” He called out to her. “Hold on! I’ll be right there.” He sprinted to the stairs. It was tempting to jump off
the bluff or teleport down, but he didn’t want to cause her further alarm. He didn’t think Carlos would actually
hurt her. Not if the bastard wanted to live through the night.
“Robby, no!” Olivia screamed. “Don’t come down here!”
She was trying to protect him? His beautiful, sweet Olivia was so brave. “I’ll be right there!”
“Just call the police,” she yelled. “ Please! I don’t want you to get hurt.” She moved toward the beach, but
Carlos pounced toward her, splashing his front paws in the water. She lurched back, now up to her waist in the
chilly surf.
Robby paused at the bottom of the stairs with a sudden realization. Olivia was loyal. He could trust her. After
all these years, he’d finally found a trustworthy woman.
He couldn’t let her go. He strode onto the beach.
“Robby, no.” Her voice cracked with emotion, and he could see the tears on her face. “Go away before it sees
you.”
Lord Almighty, he could love this woman forever. He stepped closer, and Carlos whipped around, hissing at
him.
Robby attempted vampire mind control, focusing all his mental powers on the were-panther. He hit a rock-
solid barrier.
Bugger. The shape-shifter had good defenses. That would normally be a good thing since it meant Carlos
would be impervious to any control by the Malcontents. But it didn’t help the situation now.
“Ye crazy cat,” Robby whispered. “What the hell are ye
visited that morning. From the back, she could see the extensive garden and stone columns. She surveyed the
rocky bluff, searching for steps that would lead up to the house.
A sudden movement caught her eye, a black blur that seemed to fly off the bluff and land with a soft thud on
the sand.
Her heart lurched. She blinked her eyes to make sure she was seeing right. A cat. A giant, hulking black cat.
A jaguar ? On Patmos? It bared its teeth and growled at her.
A chill settled over her, prickling her skin. She could die. She couldn’t outrun a jaguar. She had no weapons,
and she doubted her martial arts could save her from those vicious claws and gleaming white teeth.
The giant cat watched her with golden eyes; then, with a slow, graceful move of its big paw, it took a quiet,
lethal step toward her.
She could only think she’d better not act like prey. She glared at the cat, then screamed as loud as she could.
The cat snarled and took another step toward her.
She couldn’t retreat without getting caught. She couldn’t climb the bluff faster than the cat. She sure didn’t
want to advance toward it. That left the sea. Cold and treacherous with a strong undertow caused by the full
moon.
She could only hope the jaguar didn’t like cold water.
She could only hope the jaguar didn’t like cold water.
Chapter Seven
R obby had just stepped out of the shower when he heard a scream. A feminine
scream. He dropped his towel, pulled on a pair of boxer shorts, and strode into the family room. “Carlos, did ye
hear something?”
The shape-shifter was gone.
Robby stepped onto the patio. A chilly wind slapped his bare skin and whipped his wet hair across his face.
He shoved his hair back and noted the steam coming up from the Jacuzzi. Carlos must have turned it on, but
where was he? Robby strode to the edge of the bluff and looked down.
Damn it to hell. He’d found Carlos. And Olivia.
Something must have snapped in the were-panther’s head, ’cause for some insane reason, he was
terrorizing Olivia. He stalked along the water’s edge, a large beast with a shiny black coat and a long pair of
canine teeth that made Robby’s fangs look downright wimpy in comparison.
Carlos was purposely pushing her into the cold sea. Damn him. Robby could hear her teeth chattering.
“Olivia!” He called out to her. “Hold on! I’ll be right there.” He sprinted to the stairs. It was tempting to jump off
the bluff or teleport down, but he didn’t want to cause her further alarm. He didn’t think Carlos would actually
hurt her. Not if the bastard wanted to live through the night.
“Robby, no!” Olivia screamed. “Don’t come down here!”
She was trying to protect him? His beautiful, sweet Olivia was so brave. “I’ll be right there!”
“Just call the police,” she yelled. “ Please! I don’t want you to get hurt.” She moved toward the beach, but
Carlos pounced toward her, splashing his front paws in the water. She lurched back, now up to her waist in the
chilly surf.
Robby paused at the bottom of the stairs with a sudden realization. Olivia was loyal. He could trust her. After
all these years, he’d finally found a trustworthy woman.
He couldn’t let her go. He strode onto the beach.
“Robby, no.” Her voice cracked with emotion, and he could see the tears on her face. “Go away before it sees
you.”
Lord Almighty, he could love this woman forever. He stepped closer, and Carlos whipped around, hissing at
him.
Robby attempted vampire mind control, focusing all his mental powers on the were-panther. He hit a rock-
solid barrier.
Bugger. The shape-shifter had good defenses. That would normally be a good thing since it meant Carlos
would be impervious to any control by the Malcontents. But it didn’t help the situation now.
“Ye crazy cat,” Robby whispered. “What the hell are ye
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