Vixen raced all the way back to the secluded spot she'd chosen earlier, and then shifted back into her normal form. She was exhausted, but slightly less than she might have been, thanks to the substantial sips she'd had of Gregor's blood.

It was evil blood, but powerful enough to help her through the struggle of shifting. The process had always drained her-much more so since she'd become a vampire. But it was less exhausting tonight. And maybe, she thought, Gregor's blood was only part of the reason. Part of it was surely her own all-too-human emotions. She was angry, furious at Gregor for inflicting pain on Topaz. She was frightened for Topaz's safety. She was desperate to get back to the mansion to warn Seth-to warn everyone that Topaz would have to reveal their whereabouts. Maybe she already had. Maybe Gregor and his band of evil vampires were on their way to raze the place, even now. Maybe she would be too late.

All of these things drove her, so that she shifted far more quickly than she normally would have, and then threw her clothes on in a rush and raced through the forest back to the mansion, praying all the while that she would make it in time, and fearing what she might find awaiting her if she didn't.

The image of Seth, dead or dying, lifeless eyes staring up at her, haunted her mind and propelled her ever faster through the night. Until, finally, she arrived at the plantation house and sensed that beyond the doors, behind the walls, all was well. Relief washed over her, nearly leaving her limp. So much so that she paused there in the gravel-lined drive and lowered her head into her hands with the sheer magnitude of the feeling.

Then hands closed on her shoulders, gently, comfortingly. "What happened? Are you all right?"

She lifted her head and stared into Seth's worried eyes as they probed hers. It was genuine fear she felt wafting from him, fear...for her.

"Did they hurt you again, Vixen? I swear to Christ, if they hurt you I'll-"

"No. No, no one hurt me." She had hurt them, though. With a secretive smile, she recalled sinking her teeth into Gregor's arm and hoped she'd reached the bone. And then she reminded herself of the urgency with which she'd fled that place. "We have to leave here."

"What? What happened?"

She looked past him for the others, but no one was in sight. It was only Seth, then, who'd waited for her all the way at the end of the drive. Waited and worried. For some reason the knowledge made her feel warm inside.

"Let's go inside. We have to tell the others."

He nodded, not pressing her further, and walked with her up the gravel driveway toward the towering front doors. As they walked, he closed his hand around hers, interlocking fingers, squeezing tight. She glanced down at their joined hands and felt that they symbolized something beyond just physical contact. It was a possessive gesture, but an intimate, caring and protective one all at the same time.

She liked it, she decided.

They entered the house, and the others crowded around her before she even got through the entry hall. Roxy was barking questions about whether Topaz was all right. Reaper wanted to know what she'd seen and when she'd seen it. Briar was howling from the room above, but Vixen paid no attention to what that one was saying. She held up her hands for silence, then kept her voice low, her thoughts guarded, as she spoke.

"First, none of this must be revealed to that one," she said, with a look toward the ceiling to indicate that she meant the wild thing on the second floor.

"Of course not," Seth said, shooting a look at the other two. They both nodded in confirmation.

Vixen nodded, too, then swallowed and tried to think where to begin. "We have to leave this place."

Reaper lifted his brows. "Topaz told them where we were staying?"

"She hadn't when I left, but I imagine she has by now."

He looked disgusted. "I can't believe she would-"

"Gregor held a hot poker to her face, Reaper. He burned her."

Roxy turned her head away as one hand flew to her mouth. Seth swore under his breath and clenched his fists. Reaper lifted his gaze slowly, and there was, Vixen swore, murder in his eyes.

"Then Jack attacked Gregor, knocked him to the floor and kicked the poker away."

"Jack Heart? Gregor's right-hand man?"

"I've never believed Jack to be anyone's man, besides his own. He tried to convince Gregor that Topaz had come there to join them and to give information, and that torturing her wasn't necessary. But Gregor insisted she had to prove herself by telling him where we're staying."

"And she did?" Seth asked.

"No, and that's when he burned her."

Reaper swore under his breath.

"Jack spoke to me mentally. Told me to get back here and warn you, that Topaz had to betray us or face a slow and cruel death, and that he was going to convince her to cooperate, for her own sake."

Reaper nodded slowly, and Vixen couldn't read his thoughts on the matter. They were guarded.

"We have to go," she insisted. "Gregor won't waste any time giving us a chance to elude him. He's coming, Reaper."

"All right. Grab what we'll need, and anything that might give them information we don't want them to have. Roxy, take the van. Seth will ride with you. Vixen, you ride with me in the Mustang."

Seth started to object, but Reaper shot him a look full of meaning. Vixen didn't understand it, and she shivered a little at the thought of riding with Reaper. He was a powerful man, dark and tormented, and, she'd sensed from the start, a dangerous one.

They made quick work of gathering their belongings and trooping out to the garage. Reaper tranquilized Briar again, though he was reluctant to do so, and bound her, then carried her out to the garage. He moved toward the Mustang, where Vixen stood waiting.

"Will you get the door for me?" Reaper asked.

Arms crossing over her chest, she shook her head.

Reaper frowned.

"If you insist on me riding with you, that's fine," she told him. "But I will not ride in the same vehicle with her, drugged or not."

He looked down at the woman he carried, then sighed and nodded. Then he turned and carried her to the van. Seth opened the door for him, and Reaper laid Briar, unconscious, onto the rear seat.

Vixen reached for the passenger door of the Mustang, but before she got it open, Seth came to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"He only wants to speak with you alone, Vixen. There's nothing to be scared of."

"Then why am I afraid?" she asked in a whisper.

"A lot of people are afraid of things when they shouldn't be."

She shook her head slowly. "Not me. I'm not the kind who feels fear without cause, Seth. It's instinctive, a survival mechanism. And it's never let me down before."

"Look, as soon as he seems to be finished with whatever it is he wants to discuss, just tell him you want to ride with me. Ask him to pull over so we can put Briar in with him, all right?"

She nodded. "All right."

"You sure?"

She tipped her head to one side. "Why are you so protective of me, Seth?"

He smiled a little, but it died when he saw in her face that it was a serious question, not a teasing one. "Because I care about you, Vixen."

"Care," she repeated, turning over the word's meaning in her mind. "But you care about all of us, don't you?"

"Of course I do. But it's...it's different with you."

"How is it different?" She searched his eyes, really wanting to know the answer.

He seemed to hunt for words, but before he found them, Reaper was clapping Vixen on the shoulder. "Time to go. Don't worry, I'll have you back with Seth in no time. I just want a private word, okay?"

She turned, nodded, and felt that her instincts were pointing toward risk, rather than impending doom.

Seth touched her chin, turning her face to his again, and then he leaned close and pressed his lips to hers for just a moment.

"See you soon," he promised.

"Yes. Soon."

Then he left her and got into the van, while Reaper reached past her to open the passenger door of the Mustang. She got in. He went around and climbed behind the wheel, and moments later the engine roared to life and they were leaving the plantation far behind them.

"Torch it."

Immediately a dozen of Gregor's drones surged forward with their tools in hand: cans of gasoline, matches and lighters, fuel-soaked rags and too few brains to realize they could go up in flames just as easily as the stately plantation house could. Or maybe they realized it and had too few brains to care.

Jack watched them, saying nothing, though he thought it was a crying shame to burn such a valuable piece of real estate. There was no reason whatsoever, besides Gregor's temper. Not a single member of Reaper's gang was inside.

Then again, he figured the drones had probably trashed the place anyway, when they'd been sent in to search. Gregor hadn't sensed his enemies within, but he'd already learned how adept Reaper was at blocking his essence.

Jack had never seen Gregor quite as furious as he'd been when the drones returned to report the place empty. Abandoned.

"How do you suppose they knew?" Gregor turned to face Jack as he asked the question. The look in his eyes made it feel more like an accusation, though.

Jack squared his shoulders and looked Gregor squarely in the eye as he answered. "You know the answer to that as well as I do. You saw the fox-up close and personal, as I remember it."

"Yes, but I've since decided it was just a fox. It wasn't Vixen."

Jack was struck mute for a second. Was the boss truly that dense? "What other fox would be lurking around the place, attacking when you tried to torture one of Vixen's rescuers? You think that was random?"

"There was no essence. No sign of vampiric presence, and I would have felt it."

"She could have been blocking," Jack countered.

"She didn't even know she couldn't go out in sunlight until you told her, Jack. We transformed her, we didn't teach her anything."

"Perhaps Reaper has."

"She was right on top of me. There's no way she could have learned to block that well in so short a time."

Jack shrugged. "Maybe, when she's a fox, she's not exactly a vampire."

"Don't be stupid."

Jack didn't think he was the one being stupid, but he hesitated to say so just then. Gregor was in a murderous mood, and Jack needed to stay on his good side until he got a better feeling for which way the wind was blowing. He didn't owe any particular loyalty to Gregor. His only loyalty was to himself. He could play any role in any situation, convince anyone of anything he chose. His intent, always, was to be on the winning side, the side most profitable to him-and, he supposed, the side most likely to ensure his continued survival.

He hadn't decided just yet which side that would be.

"It wasn't Vixen," Gregor said again. "Though I suppose she could have sent some animal to act on her behalf."

Jack blinked, but bit back his comment. That Gregor thought it impossible she could fail to emit the essence of the undead in fox form, but entirely rational to think she could command other wildlife-Damn, the man was deluded.

Or maybe he was fishing. Looking for a reason to lay this at Jack's feet, or, worse, at Topaz's.

No, wait, that wouldn't be worse, that would be better. Slightly better. Because he only looked out for number one. Odd how he'd forgotten that for a moment.

Flames were lighting the night now. Every few yards, near the base of the mansion, flames leapt to life. And there were several more on top of the wide staircase near the front door. The drones who had set them were already heading back toward Jack and Gregor, while the ones who'd gone inside to set the fires there were taking a bit longer. Jack didn't suppose it had occurred to the idiots outside to let the ones inside get clear before lighting up the outer walls.

Gregor was still watching him, awaiting some kind of response. He decided not to dance around it but to meet the accusation head-on. "It certainly wasn't me. And it wasn't Topaz, I guarantee you that."

"And just how can you be so sure?"

"Come on, Gregor, do you need the details? I've been with the woman. I've shared blood with her. You know what that does to the psychic connection between vampires."

"Not to mention the bond."

Jack shrugged that off as if it were of little consequence. "I can read her. Even when she's blocking, I can read her. I would have known if she'd been trying to warn Reaper and the others."

"Perhaps," Gregor said. "But would you have told me?"

Jack tipped his head back slightly. "Ah, now I see your point. I suppose, in your position, I'd wonder the same thing. So I won't swear my loyalty or beg for your trust based on our past camaraderie. If you're doubting me, none of that would convince you, anyway."

"True."

"But let's not forget your own precautions, Gregor. You've made our headquarters into the vampiric version of a soundproof room. Psychic messages can't seem to get in or out. And I have to admit, I'm dying to know the secret."

Gregor looked at him sharply. "Then you'll die not knowing. I don't give away anything that might prove to be an advantage."

"The strategy of a true warrior," Jack said, kissing up just a little. "But even the greatest general shares secrets with his captains during times of battle, my friend."

"Not this one. You never know when the two of us might be on opposing sides of the battlefield."

"Right. Like that's going to happen."

"It's not impossible."

"Don't worry, Gregor. I know on which side my proverbial bread is buttered."

"Good. Then tell me again that your girlfriend had nothing to do with warning her people."

"I guarantee you, she didn't. And they are not her people. Not anymore. We are. She's loyal, Gregor."

"To me? After I burned her pretty cheek? I seriously doubt that-which is why I left her locked in your room under heavy guard while we tended to this little errand. I have a feeling she'd stake me in my sleep if she could."

"True, she's madder than hell at you. But she's loyal to me. She risked her neck to warn me about Reaper. That tells me all I need to know."

"She's loyal to you. On that we agree. But the question remains, just how loyal are you to me?"

"I gave you a quarter of a million dollars, even though I was beginning to have...sentiments toward the woman I conned out of it. I walked away and brought you the take. In my estimation, that should buy me some trust." He watched Gregor's face, saw a bit of the doubt beginning to leave his eyes. "Besides, if your theory is correct and Vixen can somehow communicate with animals, wouldn't it make sense to think they can communicate back? Perhaps her furry friend told her that Topaz was being tortured. Anyone with half a brain would take precautions and move themselves, rather than trusting in her ability to withhold information under those conditions. Wouldn't they?"

"Yes. I suppose they would."

Now that Jack had offered an explanation that fit with Gregor's warped theories, the boss man seemed more able to believe him. That was Gregor. He was smart, but he also liked his people to tell him what he wanted to hear, to validate his own theories rather than shooting holes in them by pointing out their flaws. And that was his greatest weakness. His biggest point of vulnerability. The one thing that could probably be used against him successfully.

"We'll figure out where they've gone and strike again," Gregor said. He clapped Jack on the shoulder by way of apology and turned, at last, to survey the progress his drones were making on the mansion.

The ones who'd set the outside walls burning stood in a huddle a few yards away. The walls were engulfed, and just now the idiots who'd gone to torch the place from within began trying to find their way out. It wasn't pretty.

One flaming hulk fell, screaming, from a second-story window, while another burst through the front doors and ran toward them like a walking torch. He was cinder before he made it halfway.

Gregor sighed, shaking his head, then glanced at the group who were safe, and Jack heard him counting mentally. Then he rolled his eyes. "Down six more. I wish I could find a way to make them smarter while still keeping them perfectly obedient."

Jack shrugged. "If I knew how you made them at all, I might have a suggestion or two."

Gregor sent him a look. "You know better."

"Of course I do. So keep them stupid but obedient, then. That's better than smarter but rebellious. You don't want a bunch of independent thinkers on your hands. It's a trade-off, I suppose."

"I suppose you're right." Gregor turned and shouted to the drones, "Back to the mansion. Now."

They trooped back, obeying without question, as they always did.

Jack smiled to himself at the thought of getting back to Topaz. Then he wiped the smile off his face. Don't start believing in your own con, Jack, he told himself. That's the kiss of death.