THE AWAKENING

Tieran stilled as a discordant vibe washed over his entire body. He had seconds before Cassandra’s scream echoed through his mind.

He gripped his head with both hands and for a moment went completely blind. He stumbled and Jandin caught him before he crashed into the wall. “What is it?” he asked.

“Cassandra,” Tieran answered, pushing off his brother and running at a full tilt to her bedroom with Jandin and Koris close behind.

He burst through the door, shattering the jamb into pieces to find Cassandra crumpled in a ball, her arms cradling her belly as if to protect her babies.

“Oh Goddess, no.” He scooped her from the floor and laid her gently on the bed. When he released her body, he realized she was leaking blood.

“Woman’s blood,” Jandin said, worried as he looked to Koris. “Get the vampire. He knows the most about Breeding Females. Where is Iona?” Koris immediately split the room, fast as his beastly strength could take him.

“Gone until tonight. Damn the old woman for her stubborn ways. She wouldn’t tell me where she was going or why,” Tieran nearly shouted in his fear. He leaned in smoothed her forehead with his palm. “Cassandra, talk to me. Open your eyes. Tell me what is wrong. What should I do?”

and inhaled sharply. “Something was here…in this spot. Wolfsbane. Brother…” he looked at Tieran, shock in his expression. “Someone has poisoned

horrified question and realized with a sinking heart he knew the answer. “Serra,” he said,

a

said sharply. “I told her that Cassandra is my True Mate and she didn’t believe me. I had to send her away for her own good, so she could heal

Serra. She will answer

realized the wisdom in Jandin’s advice and choked down his need to tear Serra limb from limb

Cassandra. Tieran suffered the vampire’s presence and the knowledge that Cassandra had been intimate with the blood sucker only because Cristophe seemed bound to aid by

the compound. That, and Cassandra seemed to enjoy the vampire’s dry wit even if Tieran found him tedious

if he’d tasted the poison himself. “Someone has poisoned

ourselves, vampire,” Tieran said, glowering.