Free Taken By Desire by LeTeisha Newton

crushing Matherson’s head in his massive jaws. Selene tore at his neck, and Collin scooped Maddy up and away. But none of that mattered. Cirro struggled with tears as he felt Sasha’s heart stutter, and then stop. Then he couldn’t stop the torrent from flowing.

Chapter Ten
     
    It was hot. So very hot. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. She struggled against the weight pressing in around her, trying to get cool air, oxygen. A grunt met her ears when she kneed the weight away from her, but she didn’t care. She needed to breathe, to reach Cirro. He’d looked heartbroken when he’d attacked. Sasha had known, somehow, what he was going to do. She’d known he’d been too far away to save her, but she had trusted that he would deliver his wound first before Matherson could take her life. Had trusted the man she loved to keep her safe, like he promised. She hadn’t expected Selene to attack, but she should have guessed. Selene was the momma hen of them all, if truth be told. She would be the one to fight first and ask questions later. Sasha knew that it would have been much worst had Selene not done that, but she would never forget the look on Cirro’s face when his claws had ripped through her.
    Had the pain been terrible? Of course, but the sheer agony in his eyes, the knowledge there of what he was doing, and the abhorrent thought of it had been plain to see. If he could have saved her any other way, she had no doubt that he would have. She couldn’t be angry at him for trying to save her the only way he knew how. No. She loved him more, because he’d made the hard decision, not caring what it would do to him, for her. He’d chosen her needs over his own, and she’d seen that plainly. If that wasn’t love, then she didn’t know what was.
    Slowly the weight around her moved, and when she opened her eyes, she saw they were limbs. She almost screamed until she say Rachel’s green eyes in front of her. The strawberry-and-crème colored wereleopard that looked like she should have been straight from Ireland, had come to her minutes before Ice had shown up in Cirro’s quarters. She’d explained that she and the three other women with her would be to Sasha as Beth and her girls were to Selene. Sasha had known that Cirro had sent them. If they were here then she had lived, Cirro had saved her life.
    And she was no longer human.
    “Cirro?” Sasha croaked and Rachael smiled.
    “Passed out in the chair,” Rachael said pointing at Sasha’s slumped over mate. “He hasn’t left since you were brought in here.”
    “How long have I been out?” Sasha asked, feeling her muscles protest her movements as she sat up.
    “A week. That’s long for a conversion, but you had some serious wounds. Cirro’s was the worst, and was enough to convert you, but you suffered a lot of blood loss from the thigh and head injury. The bastard hit an artery in you thigh. If Selene and Cirro hadn’t acted, you would have bled out,” Rachel explained.
    “I’m glad they acted.”
    “So are we, Asfaleia,” Rachel agreed.
    “Asfa-whata?” Sasha asked.
    “Asfaleia. It means protector. As my mate, you are also the protector of the leap. You are afforded the same respect that I am,” Cirro said, his voice gravely from sleep. Sasha thought she’d never heard a sound more perfect.
    “Cirro,” she whispered watery.
    “You made it. You pulled through,” Cirro said.
    “We will leave now. We will see you in the morning. You won’t be able to get rid of us,” Rachael said with a smile, directing the other ladies to the door.
    “After seeing you fight, I think I’m fine with that,” Sasha said and laughed.
    “Thank you,” Cirro said to Rachael.
    “Of course. We are honored.” Rachael and the others left, leaving Cirro and Sasha alone.
    “This isn’t our room,” Sasha said while looking around the room.
    “No. Renovations are working to restore it. Between the gun fight and leopards it’s a complete mess. We won’t be