He wanted this woman to trust him. To give herself to him. To let him into her life.

My woman has a temper?”“I prefer to say I have a sense of justice and when someone crosses it, it is at their peril.

I need you, malen’koye plamya, just to breathe, to live . I’ve never said that to another human being, but it’s the truth. Not for Shturm, but for me.

Sometimes, Sevastyan thought his leopard, whom he affectionally called Shturm, meaning assault, would end his life by literally ripping him open and climbing out of him rather than shifting the normal way they exchanged forms.

Flambé was in far more danger than she realized, not in a way that would ever harm her. She was the safest woman in the world from him, but not only had Sevastyan taken a real interest in her when he didn’t in any woman, but so had his leopard.

His leopard leapt and raked, clawing for supremacy, demanding they claim her, but that wasn’t Sevastyan’s way. His woman was going to be his fully because she wanted him. Exclusively. Him. With every one of his flaws— and he had them in abundance.

I'm not a good man, Ania, and you're a good woman. A man like me has to think long and hard before he decides to bring a woman like you into his world.

One night will never be enough. A thousand nights will never be enough. If you come to me, Ania, it will be a commitment to me. To us. There will be no going back.

His body hurt all the time. The bullets had torn into him; not only him, but his leopard as well, nearly killing both of them. He wished they had succeeded.