Talon was braced for the two Hunters who charged toward him, prepared to kill them if that's what it took to protect his mate.

It didn't matter that he'd trained with them. Or that they were only following the commands of the elders.

If they stood between him and the woman who was his other half then they had to die.

On the point of shifting, Talon was caught off-guard when the nearest Pantera halted, pointing a small crossbow in his direction.

What the hell?

He dodged to the side as the small bolt whizzed toward him, striking him in the upper thigh.

The weapon wasn't large enough to cause permanent damage, but Talon swiftly realized that he was in trouble.

Already a thick potion laced with malachite was pumping through his bloodstream, caging his cat and weakening him.

God. Dammit.

"Don't interfere, Talon," the voices of the elders thundered through his mind as they went in pursuit of Isi who'd already vaulted over the gate and disappeared into the marshes.

The two guards followed behind them, leaving Talon to collapse against the stairs of the porch.

Black fury engulfed him, his cat roaring in distress as the scent of his mate faded.

On hands and knees he tried to claw his way toward the gate, refusing to give up despite the knowledge that he'd never get to Isi before she was caught by the elders.

He would fucking drag himself across the entire country to get to his mate.

He'd managed to crawl halfway down the path when he heard a startled curse and Raphael was abruptly kneeling beside him.

"What the hell is going on?"

Talon reached out to grab Raphael's hand. "The elders...they have Isi. You have to save her."

"Shit," Raphael muttered. "What did they do to you?"

Talon struggled to lift his head, meeting Raphael's eyes that glowed with a luminous rage.

"Malachite," he managed to mutter.

With another round of foul curses, Raphael ran his hand over Talon's trembling body, at last locating the dart.

"This is going to hurt," the older cat warned, yanking out the dart before he used his dagger to cut a deep incision and sucking out the potion like it was snake poison.

Instantly Talon began to feel stronger.

With the source of the malachite removed, his natural immune system kicked into gear, beginning to burn away the effects of the mineral.

Forcing himself upright, Talon would have tumbled on his face if Raphael hadn't reached out to wrap an arm around his shoulders, hauling Talon against his side.

"Damn," he growled.

"I've got you," Raphael promised, keeping Talon upright as they headed toward the gate.

Talon's balance remained uncertain and his movements painfully stiff, but he grimly forced himself to keep pace as Raphael led them along the edge of the marsh, the older Pantera's expression intent as he remained locked on the trail.

Then without warning he came to a halt. "Dammit."

Talon clenched his teeth, the need to get to Isi pounding through him with a brutal insistence.

"What?"

Raphael grimaced. "The elders used their mist to mask their scent."

Talon closed his eyes, concentrating on his bond with Isi. "I can find her."

"You're mated?" Raphael demanded in surprise.

"Not now," Talon snarled. "We have to get to Isi."

"Fine. Where are they?"

"The temple."

Raphael gave a sharp nod and together they were headed toward the most sacred section of the Wildlands. Less than fifteen minutes later they approached the wide, cypress bridge that extended across the moonlit bayou.

It was said that the middle of the bridge marked the precise spot where the sisters Opela and Shakpi were born.

And where Opela had sacrificed herself to imprison her evil sister.

Tonight the foot of the bridge was brightly lit with torches. The pools of light surrounded the three elders who sat before Isi who'd been tied to a wooden pier. On each side of her was a male Pantera guard holding a large dagger. Not that they needed the weapons. Isi was not only bound and gagged, but she was barely conscious, with a large bruise already forming on the side of her head where she'd been hit.

Talon roared in outrage, desperately trying to shift so he could rip the bastards to tiny, bloody shreds.

"Stay back." The voices of the elders blasted through his brain, but Talon moved grimly forward.

"Talon." Raphael grabbed his arm, holding him in place. Then he turned to glare at the elders. "Don't do this."

"We have no choice," they replied in unison. "Look at the land. Even here, in this sacred place, the magic is fading."

Talon glanced toward the mossy ground, noticing for the first time that it had turned a sickly shade of brown. A part of him was saddened by the sight of the decay. He was as horrified as any Pantera at the thought that the Wildlands were endangered.

But in this moment, nothing mattered but rescuing Isi.

Raphael spoke directly to the elders. "My baby...the first Pantera in fifty years...will die without her."

The elders never allowed their attention to waver from Isi or the men who both lifted daggers to slice through Isi's forearms, the wounds deep enough to allow blood to drip down her arms and onto the ground.

Talon lunged forward, only to be halted by Raphael. He growled in fury, but the malachite still coursed through his blood, making him too weak to fight the larger Pantera.

"This is the only way to ensure the child will survive," the elders pronounced, hissing in disgust as Isi's blood hit the ground with a loud sizzle, scorching what was left of the dying vegetation. "There. You see. Her blood is toxic."

A shocked silence filled the air as they watched in varying degrees of horror as the blood continued to spread over the ground, leaving blackened earth in its path.

It was as if her blood held a wildfire that destroyed whatever it touched.

Chillingly aware of what was going to happen next, Talon fiercely called on his cat, overcoming the lingering malachite with grim resolution.

In a blur of power he shifted, lunging forward before anyone could react to his abrupt attack.

His roar shook the ground as he rammed into one of the guards who'd dare to hurt Isi, using one brutal swipe of his paw to knock him unconscious. Without hesitation, he was slamming into the second guard, catching him before he could shift and defend himself.

His teeth sank into the man's flesh, but before he could rip out his throat, Raphael was at his side, yelling directly into his ear.

"Wait. Dammit, Talon, look."

Slowly the words penetrated the red haze that filled Talon's mind with the need to kill, forcing him to release his prey and glance where Raphael was pointing.

Astonishment jolted through Talon, jerking him from his cat form to human. Instinctively he moved to stand as a barrier between Isi and the elders, his frantic gaze watching as the blackened earth trembled, as if a powerful force was surging from beneath the ground. Then tiny, tender sprouts of green began to break through the crusty dirt.

"It's starting regrow," he breathed. "She's healing the land."

There was the sensation of furious disbelief as the mist around the elders shimmered in the torchlight.

"It's her death-"

"Stop." Talon took his life in his hands by challenging the powerful females. "You see what's happening." He swept his hand toward the tender green shoots that were beginning to spread. "Are you going to let your stubborn belief that you're always right destroy our hope for the future?"

Raphael moved to stand at his side, his arms folded over his chest. "Talon is right. Until we understand what is happening, we can't risk destroying the female."

There was a long silence, as if the elders were arguing among themselves. Talon swiftly used their distraction to turn back to Isi, using a claw to slice through the ropes that bound her to the pier.

His heart clenched as she tumbled into his arms. She was barely conscious, her body trembling from a combination of pain and shock.

God dammit.

He'd failed her. She was his to protect, but he'd allowed her to be stolen from him and injured.

"Talon." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his throat.

He scooped her off her feet, cradling her against his chest. "I've got you, darling," he swore, his gaze locked on the elders. No one was taking her away. Not ever again. "And I'm never letting you go."

"You have made your point, Talon," the elder with white fur spoke in his head, taking the lead for her sisters. "Although we are not convinced she is harmless, there is enough doubt to delay her death until we have a greater understanding of what is occurring."

"I think I might be able to help." Stepping from the shadows at the edge of the sacred land, a male Pantera offered the elders a low bow. "May I approach?"

The elders spoke in unison. "Welcome, Xavier."

The tall, mocha-toned man with startling blue eyes moved gracefully forward.

Talon felt a leap of hope at the sight of the leader of the Geeks. If anyone had managed to coax the secrets from the computers Talon had brought from Baton Rouge, it would be this brilliant Pantera.

"What did you discover?" he demanded, ignoring the annoyance of the ancient females who clearly felt they should be in charge.

He didn't give shit who he had to piss off.

He was going to do whatever necessary to protect his mate.

Xavier walked forward, his gaze flickering toward the fresh green vegetation on the ground before moving to Isi who remained cradled in Talon's arms.

"I know who our enemies are searching for."

Talon felt a tingle of premonition inch down his spine as Xavier's dark gaze remained locked on Isi.

"Who?" Raphael at last demanded.

"Chayton," the Geek revealed. "Father of Isi and Ashe."