"I'll see you later, then." She strode toward the cafeteria.

The noise inside was deafening. Children were chasing each other around tables. Balloons were popping. Adults were in small groups, talking. Every time Constantine opened a new present, a cheer erupted. Caitlyn eased through the crowd till she reached her sister.

Shanna grinned at her, then her smile faded as her eyes narrowed. "Are you all right?"

"I need to talk."

Shanna took her arm and led her into the kitchen. She poured a glass of water. "You look hot and flushed, which is odd since it's chilly outside."

Caitlyn sipped some water and set the glass on the stainless steel counter. "I'm seriously leaning toward accepting the job with Emma's security company."

Shanna's face lit up. "That would be wonderful! We would see each other all the time."

"Yes."

Shanna studied her sister's face close up. "You look like you've been kissing someone."

"Maybe because...I have been kissing someone."

Shanna gasped and stepped back. "My God, Caitlyn. You just got here. You're already - isn't that kind of quick?"

Caitlyn gave her an annoyed look. "Believe me, I don't usually throw myself at men the first time I see them. But these vampire guys...well, they're really attractive."

"Who was it?"

"Carlos."

Shanna's mouth dropped open.

Caitlyn reached for the glass to drink more water.

"Give me that." Shanna grabbed it and gulped down a few swallows. "You kissed Carlos?"

"Yes."

Shanna drank some more water. "Are you sure?"

Caitlyn snorted. "Yes. I did manage to learn his name before I jumped him. I have some scruples, you know."

Shanna set the empty glass on the counter. "I want you to stay away from him."

"What?"

Her sister gave her a stern look. "Don't get involved with him."

"How can you say that?" Caitlyn's temper flared. "Do you think I'm not good enough for a vampire? You've got a vampire. Why can't I have one?"

"Cait!" Shanna reached out to her. "Sweetie, he's not a vampire."

"What?"

"Carlos is not a vampire."

Caitlyn slumped against the counter. Her attraction to him wasn't caused by a supernatural allure? She could have sworn he was...special somehow. "He's a regular guy?"

"Not exactly." Shanna winced. "Some of the guys who work the day shift for MacKay Security and Investigation are...different. They're shape shifters."

Caitlyn stared at her sister. The rabbit hole had just reopened. She collapsed onto a stool. "Carlos is a...?"

"Shape shifter. They can change into animals."

Caitlyn gulped. "Like a werewolf?"

"Phil and some of the boys are werewolves," Shanna explained. "And of course, Howard Barr is a bear."

"A bear?" Caitlyn motioned toward the dining room. "There's a bear over there? Where?"

"There." Shanna pointed at Howard. "A were-bear."

Caitlyn touched her brow. "I'm losing my mind."

"I should have warned you." Shanna shook her head. "It just never occurred to me that you would..."

"Lock lips with the first man to cross my path?" Caitlyn asked dryly.

"You have to understand. We shouldn't anger Dad more than necessary. He's going to be pissed if you take the job with Emma. He's already furious that I'm married to a vampire. If he finds out that you're involved with a shape shifter - "

"I know," Caitlyn muttered. "He'll have kittens."

Shanna snorted. "No, Cait. You would have kittens. Carlos is a were-panther."

Chapter Five

"Here." Shanna set a plate of birthday cake and a cup of punch on the kitchen counter, then perched on a stool next to Caitlyn. "The all-natural remedy for coping with stress: chocolate."

Caitlyn slipped a small bite of chocolate cake into her mouth.

"Better?" Shanna asked with a strained smile.

Caitlyn nodded. No doubt her sister was worried about her. She'd sat on a stool for five minutes frozen in shock, not uttering a sound. She ate another bite of cake. The rich, gooey texture melted in her mouth, erasing the lingering taste of blood. His blood. From his kiss.

A were-panther. She'd kissed a were-panther. A Brazilian were-panther.

She sipped some punch. The last thing she probably needed was a sugar rush. Her heart was already racing. "I'm falling for a giant Mr. Foofikins," she whispered.

"Excuse me?" Shanna gave her a wary look.

She thinks I've gone over the edge. "When I was young and you left home, I was...really lonesome. Dylan was always off somewhere playing soccer, and he didn't have time for a little sister. Mom was always kind, but detached, like she wasn't quite there."

Shanna nodded. "I know. I'm sorry."

Then why did you leave me? Caitlyn had wanted the answer to that since she was nine years old, but she didn't ask it now. She was afraid she would hear what she'd always suspected. You're not good enough.

"About a month after you left," she continued, "a little black kitten came to our back door. I loved it at first sight, but as usual, Dad insisted we take it to a shelter. It turned out that the kitten had feline leukemia, and the shelter wanted to put it down."

"How terrible," Shanna murmured.

Caitlyn's eyes blurred with tears. "I begged Dad to let me keep it. I told him I had no one to love. So he relented. I adored Mr. Foofikins. I gave him all the love I could, but he died about a year later."

Shanna touched her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

Caitlyn wiped a few tears from her cheek. "Why don't you know about him? Didn't you read my letters? I wrote all about him for months. I even sent pictures."

Shanna sat back. "You wrote to me?"

"Yes. Every week for months. I...I stopped when you never replied."

"Oh my God." Shanna pressed a hand to her chest. Tears shimmered in her eyes. "I never received any letters from home."

Caitlyn blinked. "You didn't get my letters?"

"No." She shook her head, her face deathly pale. "I...I thought you'd all abandoned me."

"I thought you abandoned me."

Shanna shut her eyes briefly with a pained look. "How could he..."

"What? Who?"

Shanna grabbed Caitlyn's hand. "What's important is we're back together now. No one can separate us."

Caitlyn squeezed her sister's hand. "Agreed."

"Good." Shanna helped herself to a sip from the cup of punch. "I think you've been through enough for now, so if you want more information about the job, can you come back tomorrow night to talk to Emma?"

"Sure."

"I'll get you a key to the townhouse so you can move in tomorrow."

"That would be great. Thank you." Caitlyn ate another piece of cake.

"We have a few friends staying there while they're in town. Jack and Lara and Robby and Olivia. They work for MacKay S and I." Shanna gave her a curious look. "I suppose you know that Carlos works for MacKay, too."

"I sorta figured that."

"I hope he's not the reason you're considering the job."

Caitlyn shook her head. "No."

"Good." Shanna looked relieved. "I know you loved your little black kitty, but Carlos is not a giant Mr. Foofikins. My husband has fought in a few battles with the Malcontents, and he's seen the were-creatures in action. They're not cute and cuddly. They're deadly and savage."

And sexy as hell. Caitlyn sighed. Who would have thought a jungle cat could kiss that well? "Do you think they can be trusted?"

"I trust them completely," Shanna admitted. "But only when they're in human form. Once they transform, I'm never quite sure how much control they have over the beast."

Caitlyn shivered. She knew her sister was trying to scare her away from Carlos. But the lure of the exotic always pulled at her. God help her, she knew the truth about Carlos, and it only made him more exciting.

"Toni, pick up. I know you're there." This was Carlos's third attempt to call Toni MacPhie.

She'd returned to Dragon Nest Academy after the party had ended last night. A group of Vamps had teleported the mortals and shape shifters who lived at the school back to the dormitories. His adopted children had gone back.

Carlos had remained at Romatech, spending the night in one of the bedrooms in the basement. He hadn't slept well because of her. One minute he was chastising himself for kissing her, and the next he was replaying the kiss in his mind and wanting more. When he finally fell asleep, he dreamed about her. And him. Rolling around naked in the jungle. Then he woke with an erection and started the whole process all over again, beginning with the chastising.

During the day, he was on guard duty at Romatech, protecting the Vamps who were death-sleeping in the basement. Howard, the other day guard, was usually at the Draganesti home in White Plains, so he could guard Roman and his Vamp bodyguard, Connor. This left Carlos alone all day, bored and yawning with sleepiness because of her.

He couldn't allow himself to get involved with her. He had to get away. He'd spent the last few hours planning his trip so he could leave tomorrow. But before he left, he needed to make arrangements for his adopted children. And he needed to patch things up with his friend Toni.

"Menina," Carlos continued to talk to Toni's answering machine. "How long are you going to stay mad? Do you need to slap me again?"

There was a click as someone picked up the phone.

"I ought to clobber you," Toni said. "You deserve it."

"Oh come on, you always knew I was naughty." He lowered his voice. "Would you prefer to spank me?"

She snorted. "Bad kitty. I still haven't forgiven you."

"What if I told you that out of all the girls I've ever helped dress, you were the prettiest?"

"Gee, thanks," she muttered. "And what about the ones you helped undress?"

"I made them purr."

She scoffed. "Do you realize how pissed Sabrina's going to be when I tell her?"

"Sabrina's always pissed."

Toni laughed. "Yeah, but at least now she'll be pissed at you and not me."

He shrugged. Toni's former roommate was still struggling with the fact that her best friend had married a vampire and become the headmistress of a school for shape shifter and hybrid children. "How is her orphanage coming along?"

"She's doing great," Toni replied, "but she's still mad that I'm working here and not with her. So why did you mislead us, Carlos?"

"I was worried about the two of you living alone, especially with Sabrina being a rich heiress. I was afraid someone would try to take advantage, so I wanted to keep an eye on you. At the same time, I didn't want you to interpret my concern as something romantic. I have to keep myself unattached until I can find a were-panther mate."

There was a moment of silence while Toni considered his words. "You did a good job of convincing us you were gay."

"I'm good at pretending." For five years he'd been pretending everything was fine and life was one big carnival. The daily deluge of pain threatened to break loose. Merda. Couldn't he go one day without having to relive the Summer of Death? "My...twin brother was gay."

Toni gasped. "You have a twin? You never told me that."

"Had." Carlos rubbed his brow. "It's normal for us to be born in litters of two or three."

"You...lost him?" Toni asked gently.

The pain spilled over and flooded his senses. His brother. His parents. His village. All gone. Everyone dead.

"Carlos?"

He shoved the pain back, but the effort made his head throb. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry. I don't really know what you or your children went through, but I know it must have been traumatic. Those kids are hurting."

"I know. If I can just find more of our kind, then they won't have to feel so alone. And if I can find a mate, then they'll have a mother. Someone who can give them...comfort."

"I think they need you, Carlos."

He frowned as the throbbing in his temples increased. How could he help them get over something that he couldn't get over? "I called Fernando. He's much better with them than I am. He agreed to visit them at school while I go on this trip. I was hoping you'd let him live in the dorm."

"He's the one who was taking care of the kids while you were at NYU?"

"Yes. In Rio."

"Hmm. I'm wondering if there's anything he can teach, so we can hire him," Toni murmured. "Is he a were-panther?"

"No. He's a geek. Knows everything about computers and modern technology. He taught me everything I know."

"That sounds promising," Toni said. "We could use a computer specialist. And if he can help the kids feel better, then I'm all for it."

"Great. Thank you." Carlos checked off one of the major concerns on his to-do list. With the children taken care of, he was free to leave on his trip.

"When are you leaving?" Toni asked.

"Tomorrow, I hope." He just needed to get Angus to okay it. "I'll call Fernando again, and he'll catch the next available flight."