he wouldn't drop her, so she just gave herself up to his care.

dominic felt the exact moment she let go and gave herself over to him. his arms tightened around her, holding her close to him. she was very fragile, and so vulnerable. not simply her physical self, but the woman she hid from the rest of the world. she was exhausted and she would have gone off to a damp retreat to lick her wounds alone and try to recover before she took on the enemy again.

not this time, my little cat. this time i will see to your care.

she didn't answer, but her weeping, the tears tearing at his heart, lessened. he meticulously scanned the area for signs of the undead before he took her down to the forest floor, to the entrance of her favorite retreat. he'd seen it a dozen times, that small, snug cave deep in the recesses of the limestone labyrinth, when they met in her mind. the images were very detailed. she had no idea how much information he could pull from her mind in seconds when needed. and both of them needed this.

he found the entrance too small to carry her through, and reluctantly let her feet drop, his arm firmly anchoring her to him.

"how did you know . . . ?" solange looked around her, lashes wet, her eyes bright and slightly shocked.

"i am your lifemate," he pointed out, his voice gentle. "this place brings you comfort."

she turned away from him and ducked inside, blinking back tears. he doubted if anyone had seen to her comfort in years. he followed her, noting the fluid movement of her body, just like the cat that was so much a part of her. she had a wild, untamed scent that appealed to him more than any other perfume he'd ever smelled. she belonged in the forest, and she moved with silent stealth, even in human form in the dark.

the tunnel led downward, deep under the earth. she stopped at what appeared to be a dead end and reached down to work at several large stones. dominic gently moved her out of his way and simply levitated the large blocks of limestone and set them aside, and with a low bow gestured for her to precede him.

she hesitated, standing very close to him in the small confines of the tunnel. he could hear her heart, the rhythm too loud. she was frightened, but she was still putting herself in his hands; her courage humbled him. to encourage her, he took her hand and brought it to his mouth. he stroked long fingers over her wrist, the one zacarias had drawn blood from, as he pressed a kiss into the exact center of her palm.

solange's breath hitched, her gaze jumped to his face and then quickly skittered away. "you have to crawl to get into the chamber, and your shoulders . . ."

he kept possession of her hand, her fingers against his mouth. "i can turn to vapor," he reminded, a smile in his voice.

he felt her acute embarrassment that she hadn't remembered. her body flooded with heat and immediately tensed. she started to pull her hand away, but he refused to relinquish control back to her. instead, he drew her fingers into the warmth of his mouth and sucked on them. a shiver of awareness went through her body as he then drew her fingers to his lips and bit softly on the tips. "you are very tired, solange. i thank you for your concern."

once again her gaze flicked to his. she looked so uncertain he wanted to crush her to him. instead, he released her hand and dropped his hand to her shoulders, silently guiding her to her knees. for a moment, he savored the feel of her warm breath on his rock-hard cock right through the material of his trousers. it would be so easy to remove them. the idea of her mouth on him shook him, but he didn't allow his own pleasures to be put before her care. he pressed gently until she was on all fours and crawling into the narrow, tight tunnel leading to the chamber.

the channel reminded him of a rabbit warren. he flowed through it easily, following his woman into the cave. she had made it somewhat of a home and his heart stilled in his chest when he realized she had never shared this sacred place, her only true refuge, with anyone else. she went to the north wall to find her lantern, but he lit the candles with a wave of his hand. immediately the soft light threw shadows over everything.

he was grateful for the rich dirt floor. in one corner there was a handwoven rug and a few wooden bowls. the sound of water was background music as it trickled steadily from the wall on the east side to fill the basin so a wide pool took up one corner of the chamber. the ceiling was high, giving the illusion of space when actually the cavern was snug.

he noted that she stayed a good distance from him, silent, her green cat's eyes watching his every move as he explored. he took his time, allowing the silence to stretch out, listening to the beat of her heart, waiting for her to calm. he saw books and picked up several to study the titles. most were on making weapons and the plants of the amazon. he thumbed through one of the volumes and found many of the healing plants highlighted.

when he moved closer to solange, she reacted the way a cornered wildcat might, retreating, her eyes wide, almost mesmerized by him. she kept her head down, face slightly averted, but she was watching him the entire time. he went to a small pile of articles carefully placed on a rock shelf inside a small alcove, and the tension seemed to ease out of her just a little bit more. her heart rate slowed nearly to normal.

there was a ragged blanket, very old, that someone had lovingly made for a child. not hers, he guessed by the blue color. a boy. someone she loved, by the look of it. a faded picture of a woman in a wooden handmade frame, a woman who must have been her mother, sat on a shelf. she had the same amazing eyes. a hand-carved comb of the finest wood. he touched each item. read the memories imprinted there. a brother--no, two brothers. the comb had been made by her father. he frowned. not her birth father. the man she loved as a father. all gone. every one of them.

he lifted his head and looked at her, his gaze colliding with hers. "come here to me, solange. right here." he pointed to a spot right in front of him.

she looked startled. her eyes went dark. her heart began pounding again, filling the small chamber with its frantic beat.