“You have been with him, Maggie. You know he is capable of twisting your mind, bending you to his will. He placed memories in your head, memories you think are real. It is not so. He wanted revenge for the death of his sister. They blamed me because I loved you. They forced me into the ground and punished you by keeping us apart. It is the truth. They even took my son from me and gave him to another to raise. They turned him against me so that he was loyal only to them.”

Everything seemed so hazy, her mind confused and sluggish. He was stalking her now, following her every backward movement with a forward one, bending his head closer toward her throat. She should allow him to feed, shouldn’t she? Even if she wasn’t Maggie, she was his daughter, and he was so alone and tormented. She could feel his hot breath on her neck, his will pushing at hers, his hunger beating at both of them. She didn’t want this. What was happening to her that she was standing so still, waiting for him to take her blood, when every cell in her body shrieked at her to ran?

Shea! God, love, get away from him. I do not know what he is doing, but you are in danger. Do not let him take your blood.Jacques’ voice was strong in her mind.

Shea leapt away, putting distance between herself and the tall, handsome man. “You’re scaring me.” As always when emotions threatened her, she forced her brain to take over, find a way out for her. “I don’t know what to believe anymore. You’re saying Jacques and Mikhail planned to keep us apart because you didn’t love their sister?” Shea held up her hands imploringly, her large green eyes shamelessly pleading.

He halted a few feet from her, visibly relaxing now that she was seeking answers from him. “They believed me responsible for Noelle’s death because I left her unprotected while I was with you. She was murdered by Slovensky and his friends.”

“Did you know Slovensky?” she asked quietly, holding her breath. Could her father be responsible for all the deaths? Could he be the vampire?

“Had I ever met the man, I would have broken his neck on the spot. He and he alone is responsible for Noelle’s death. I may not have loved her, but she bore me a child.” He tilted his head, and it was easy to get lost in his dark, mysterious eyes.

Shea felt behind her for a solid tree trunk, needing to touch something real. This was all some gigantic spider web, so sticky with intrigue that she had no idea where to turn. Something wasn’t right. She was becoming confused, her mind playing tricks on her. Deliberately she pressed her palm into the bark of the tree in an attempt to focus on something that might break the spell he was weaving around her.

J am your lifemate, my love. J am the one you turn to when you are afraid and in need.Jacques’ voice was firm, and she sensed him close by.

Shea mentally shook herself. It was like being tugged in two different directions. She knew she was Maggie’s daughter. Rand might believe what he was saying, but she knew who she was. Didn’t she?

Rand gave a gentle sigh. “All of us are capable of planting memories, Maggie. It is reasonable to assume they would say you are your own daughter. That way they would be able to say there was no chance we could be together. Do you not see the brilliance of such a deception, of such a revenge? It would last a lifetime.”

“A Carpathian has only one lifemate. I am Jacques’.” She pushed at her hair, found her hand trembling, and put it behind her back.

“He has had plenty of time to work on your memories. Years. He worked his way into your mind and then took you over. Do you really believe he could have lived all those years in that cellar?” His voice was soft and reasonable.

Her head hurt so badly, Shea could barely think. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, Rand had glided closer, was bending once more to her throat.

Get away!Thewords were so sharp and clear, Shea scrambled away, lost her footing, and fell across a fallen log. Jacques was furious, and his rage was a hideous thing. He dropped like a silent phantom out of the sky to reach her before Rand could. His fingers closed around her arm, possessive and unyielding. As he helped her to her feet, he thrust her body behind his and faced her father.

“What are doing, Rand?” he snapped. His voice was low and ominous.

Rand smiled gently, calmly. “And do you now kill me, too? You are a bloodthirsty one, are you not? You claim I am her father, yet you are eager to slay me.” He looked directly into Shea’s eyes. “Does this make sense?” His voice was low and sad. “That he might want to destroy your father?”

“You are deliberately trying to confuse her.” Jacques’ face, worn and lined, was hardened with anger. Shea found herself studying its every beloved detail. All at once she didn’t think Rand quite so handsome. There seemed something sinister about his perfect good looks and his thin-lipped smile. Rand seemed without emotion, almost lifeless, his sorrow unreal, while Jacques’ powerful form was trembling with volcanic emotion. His mind was a red haze of swirling anger and fear that he might lose her, that he had inadvertently placed her in danger. The rage was toward Rand that he would betray his own daughter.

Rand sighed softly and shook his head. “How easily you allow yourself to be tricked by this dark vampire. Your own neck holds the answers you seek. The wounds there are torn and ragged. Who but a vampire feeds so carelessly? Does a loving lifemate abuse his woman in this manner? When he killed this morning, using your innocence and your very mind and soul to aid him, was he not feeling joy? When you begged him to stop, did he not continue? And when he came to you with blood on his hands, could you not see the dark desire and hunger in his mind, in his eyes, in his body? Could you not see the dark compulsion of the kill? Vampires are very clever, my dear, and you have fallen under his spell.”

Jacques regarded the older man with black, empty eyes. “Do you challenge me?”

Shea gasped. Jacques and her father? She pressed both hands to her head. She couldn’t stand this confrontation, being fought over like some dog’s bone. She didn’t even know what was true and what wasn’t anymore.

Yes, you do, little red hair. He is attempting to bewitch you. He thought me occupied with Byron. He thought he could lure you from the safety of our people. He will not accept a fair challenge.Jacques attempted to reassure her. She was fighting to stay calm, but Shea had suffered far too much trauma in the last few days. Jacques was certain Rand had not only planned for that but also counted on it to sway her.

Rand’s smile was calm. “I would not wish to cause Maggie any further grief. But be warned, dark one, you would be hunted and destroyed if Mikhail were not your brother. You have deceived and hurt this woman I love, and I will not allow you to get away with it. But I would not be the cause of her further distress.”

Jacques bared his fangs. “I was certain you would say something of that nature. You prefer to do your dirty work through trickery.”

Rand raised an eyebrow. “Listen to him, my dear. Next he will be accusing me of associating with the human murderers. Are you going to say I tried to kill Byron? What about Noelle? Perhaps I was responsible for what happened to you and my own son, too. You are the vampire, Jacques, and you are powerful enough to deceive one such as Gregori. I would be a fool to fight you when you are holding Maggie hostage.”

Shea clutched at the back of Jacques’ shirt. “Rand, you’re wrong about him. I look like Maggie, but I’m your daughter. And I would know if he was truly a vampire.”

Rand looked at her with sad eyes. “How many times have you asked yourself what he is? Did you not feel his joy in the kill? He wanted it, welcomed it, and he fed voraciously. You cannot deny this is so. Who better than Jacques to set this entire thing up? Noelle was his sister, and he adored her. He led the others away from you and from his brother’s woman. He killed the humans because they could identify him.” He bowed his head tiredly. “I cannot convince you, I know this, but in time you will see that I am right. Tell me, Maggie, did you not see me differently when he arrived? Perhaps more like a villain? I wonder who projected that image to you? I doubt that I would have done so myself.”