He shook his head, willing himself to believe it, but he knew the truth. He hung up before Jacob could say anything else, and shoved the phone at the agent who stood watching him.
“What are your orders, sir?”
Chase growled, his muscles vibrated, the skin rippling as the animal fought to get free. Claws shifted beneath his nails, tearing through the skin, itching to tear into his enemy's jugular. He was so close to losing control of his animal that he could barely function, let alone give orders.
His goal was to save Lora, to protect his mate, to bring her home safe, and make sure she never ran from him again. But now he had only one mission—kill Austin McCaffrey.
* * *
Austin ripped the tape off Lora's mouth. He smiled, a cold, mocking sneer. Lora blinked several times as the room came back into focus and the searing pain subsided. She felt as if she were breaking in half. Her animal growled and clawed in protest, and then went deathly still.
“What did you do?” Even as she voiced the question, she knew. A bitter emptiness filled her, and for the first time since she could remember, her animal lay dormant. Somehow his bite had cut the bond between her and Chase.
“I gave you what you wanted.” His eyes glittered with triumph. He trailed his fingers over the fresh wound on her neck, and she flinched. He chuckled and cupped her breast, squeezing hard. “Trust me, darling, you have no idea how powerful an aphrodisiac a werejaguar bite can be. Once the mating process is complete, you'll beg for my touch, and those sweet little thighs of yours will open up and weep for me.”
She spit in his face. “Never.”
A snarl molded his lips and his canines glinted in the dim light. A deep-throated, predatory growl rumbled in his chest. He lifted his hand as if to strike her, then pulled back and smiled coldly. “Once Chase Payne is dead, you'll be mine. There's nothing you can do to stop it.”
Chase. Dead. The words sliced through her calm. “What are you talking about?”
His lips quirked up. “How did you think this would end? Did you really think that you could walk away from him, a man who claimed you as his mate, and both of you would survive?”
Yes, of course, she did. She would never have put Chase in danger on purpose. “I won't let you hurt him.”
He laughed harshly. “Let me tell you how this works sweetheart.” He pulled a chair in front of her and straddled it. Arms crossed over the back of the chair, he kept a firm hold on the gun. “I bit you, which means my mating hormones are coursing through your body. The special thing about werejaguars is that we have the unique ability to override another animal's claim. Once I kill Payne, you'll be mine.”
She swallowed tightly. “Kill him?”
“Our mating can only be complete once the opposition is destroyed.”
Fear was an agonizing ball of flames growing inside her. Sweat broke out on her forehead and trickled down her cheek. This wasn't happening. She had sought out Austin to protect Chase. Now her decision could kill him.
“You didn't tell me—”
“You didn't ask. All you were concerned about was getting away from that arrogant bastard. Not that I can blame you. The man's been a pain in my ass the past few years.” He chuckled, apparently amused with himself. “Get it? Pain, Payne?”
She glared at him, biting the cheeks of her mouth. How had she ever found this man attractive?
Chase was coming for her. She felt it right before Austin bit her. He was close. Too close. She needed to keep Austin talking. Distract him.
“Why me? Why take what doesn't belong to you?”
“Because I can.” He smirked, his eyes glittering with something akin to insanity. “Power, control, dominance. That's what we were made for. Not for hiding, pretending we don't exist. Living by human rules that confine us, make us weak.”
“If you expose Metamorphs, it will cause worldwide panic. They'll hunt us down. They'll hunt you down. It'll be genocide.”
“You're not seeing the bigger picture.” He shook his head and laughed. “We're stronger, genetically superior. We'll be seen as gods, superhumans. We'll be able to take the power we deserve.”
“You're delusional.”
“It's the Therian Agency who is delusional if they think they can keep their secrets secure. The world is changing. People are changing—”
“You mean the spontaneous shifting? You know what's causing it?”
He clicked his tongue. “Does it matter what or who's causing it? It's a sign, a symbol that now is our time to rise up and take our place at the top of the food chain.”
An alarm went off and Austin jumped, sending the chair flying.
With his gaze averted, she tugged on the ropes that bound her wrists. They were tight, but if she could shift, she could break free. She closed her eyes and tried to connect with her animal.
Nothing.
She pushed harder. Begging the animal to once again claw and fight its way to freedom, but still it remained silent. It freaking figured. She cursed the lioness, whose only response was a gentle rumbling sigh.
The alarm continued to sound. He scanned the surveillance video, turning his back on her.
A blur of movement crossed one of the screens.
Austin placed the gun on the desk and leaned over the computer typing furiously. “You better hope that brother of yours isn't trying to fuck me over.”
Now was her chance. He was unarmed, if she could just—
The door crashed open, falling forward from the impact of the animal that came with it.
The lion's roar threatened like rolling thunder.
Chase.
A silvery mane, streaked with ochre and browns framed his massive head. His lips pulled back in a furious snarl, showing large white fangs. Cold blue eyes flamed with fury. He lowered his head and prepared to attack.
He paused. His head jerked, nostrils flaring, and then his gaze locked on hers. She watched as his expression changed. His savage features softened, his eyes widened. It was only a slight hesitation, but it was enough time for Austin to strike.
The sound of the gun's blast drowned out her scream.
“Chase!”
Chapter 22
The lion staggered forward and collapsed at Austin's feet.
A strangled scream tore from Lora's lips as she fought to breathe. She struggled against the rope that held her, and could feel it slicing into her skin as she tried to get free. Blood dripped down her fingers, but she still couldn't get loose. The lioness within her clawed and roared to get out, to protect her mate. “Chase—”
His body shuddered, a rippling of muscles under golden fur. He tried to stand, and Lora saw the large pool of blood beneath his body, before his legs buckled beneath him.
Austin continued to point the gun at the lion's head. “I was afraid I was going to have to track you down to kill you. But this makes things so much easier.”
“Let him go. I'll do anything you want.”
A rumble of sound came from deep in the lion's throat. With slow, deliberate movements, he lifted his heavy head and looked at her. Their connection had been severed, but he still possessed the ability to push into her mind.
He thinks you can't shift. But I know the animal still lives within you.
She bit her lip and shook her head. No, she couldn't do it. It had been too long. But even as her mind protested, the lioness pushed for control. It was so close to the surface that she could feel muscles vibrating, waiting to be released.
You can do it. I believe in you. Chase's words echoed through her mind, edging the animal forward.
“Any last words for your lover?” Austin spat, cocking the gun. His eyes raked over her, his expression mocking, his smile vicious.
“Please. Don't. Do. This.” Each word was forced, painful, filled with soul-shattering terror. She had to let her animal free, had to give up control, but it wasn't possible. The connection was severed, no matter what Chase believed, and because of it, he was going to die. Her eyes burned wi
th unshed tears. A sob tightened in her throat, nearly choking her. “I'm sorry.”
Chase's breaths were labored, and he closed his eyes in acknowledgement.
Austin chuckled and turned his back to her. Squatting, he pressed the barrel of the gun against Chase's forehead. “You have no idea how much I'm going to enjoy this.”
The animal inside her screamed in rage. She couldn't let him die. He was her mate. Chase was the only man she loved, and even though she was willing to live without him, she wasn't willing to live in a world where he didn't exist.
She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. The lioness was there; its canines bared, desperate to be released, to re-join with the woman who shared its soul. Lora took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and allowed the animal to consume her. She gave up complete control.
Pain exploded at the base of her skull. Her muscles ripped and tore, and bones cracked and reformed. The ropes that held her wrists broke and fell to the floor. Her neck snapped back, and when she opened her eyes her vision was sharp, the focused sight of the lion. The entire transformation took less than a few seconds, but it was long enough for Austin to sense the shift behind him.
Austin stood quickly, and turned his head towards her. His eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open.
She lunged. The metallic sound of the gun firing seared her ears as her powerful jaws clamped around Austin's throat. She ignored the pain that tore through her stomach.
He fell backwards against her weight and her teeth sunk deeper, piercing the flesh. She tasted blood. One movement and she could rip his throat out. The lioness wanted vengeance and death, but Lora hesitated. Killing him in human form would have been easier, but it went against Therian law. To take a life, even one as evil as Austin McCaffrey, would make her no better than him.
She felt his body tense, preparing to shift. Biting down harder, she held him in her powerful grip as his body contorted beneath her.
In animal form, he was smaller than her, but still powerful. A large clawed paw swiped at her face. His hind legs pushed against her flank, sending stabbing pains shooting through her stomach. She stumbled back and shook her head.
The jaguar stood slowly, and Lora swore the animal was smiling.
It's a shame, Austin pushed into her head. We could have been really good together, but now I'm going to have to kill you.
She snarled in response and crouched low, preparing to attack. He mirrored her action.
Just as she was about to pounce, a shot pierced the silence, and the jaguar dropped mid-air in a lifeless heap in front of her.
She stumbled back, her paws slipping on blood.
“Lora.”
She lifted her head slowly, with small flashes of light blurring her vision of Chase.
He stood above her, the gun still tightly clutched in his hand, his body gloriously naked. His broad, muscled chest gleamed with sweat and blood. “You're going to be okay. I need you to shift back for me now. So I can help you.”
Shift back? The lion rumbled in protest but the sound was weak.
Chase placed the gun on the floor and slowly approached her. “You're hurt. I need to get your wound looked at.”
She snarled as he took another step towards her, the lioness' response to once again being caged within its human body. Her heart pounded in her chest and her breathing became erratic. She slumped on the floor, the pain in her stomach increasing.
He knelt before her and placed a warm hand on her head. She could sense his own pain in the trembling of his fingers. They were both going to bleed out if they didn't get help soon.
“Lora, I need you to shift back before you lose consciousness. It's not about control, it's about unity. Find peace with the animal. Let it know you won't cage it again.”
He was right. It wasn't about control, it was about letting go, finding peace with the part of herself she had denied. I'm sorry, she spoke to the animal's mind. They were one, not two separate beings as she had forced herself to believe. The animal sensed the acceptance within her, bowed its head, stepped back and surrendered control.
* * *
Chase exhaled a shaky breath as Lora morphed.
Her body seized and convulsed, bones shifted, muscles and sinew stretched and shrunk. The lion's muzzle pulled tight into a snarl, as her features became more human. Her eyes closed tightly, grimacing against the pain that wracked her body.
The bullet that was lodged in her stomach fell to the floor as the shifting expelled it from her body. But the wound was deep, and the location life-threatening if he didn't get help soon.
He glanced around the room and stood. Clothes hung on a rack in drycleaner bags. He jerked the pants on and grabbed the pressed button-down shirt. He placed it over Lora's naked body, her blood instantly soaking through the white fabric.
Her skin was cold when he picked her up. The movement sent a shock of pain through his shoulder, and he hissed in a breath.
“You're hurt,” she whispered, eyes closed, face unnaturally pale.
“It'll heal.” He stood, ignoring the discomfort.
She mumbled incoherently against his chest, and flinched as he repositioned her in his arms, making sure she was properly covered.
“Chase?” Tears filled her amber eyes. “I didn't know what he was going to do. I would never—” She grimaced, and let out a small cry. “I would never have left if I knew.”
He shook his head and tightened his grip. She'd left him, again. He still didn't understand what had happened. Why their connection had been severed? He'd sensed McCaffrey's scent on her, seen the mark on her neck…a mating mark. He didn't know what the fuck it meant.
Tension held his body tight as he looked down at the fresh wound across her jugular. The thought of another man touching her, claiming her, sent a violent shiver down his spine. She was his. He didn't know what McCaffrey had been playing at, but he wasn't sorry the man was dead. If he could kill him again, he would.
He growled as he glanced at the man's corpse. In death, he had shifted back to human form. Dark blood pooled around the body. Chase knew he would have to answer for shooting a Metamorph, but any sentence he would receive was more than worth saving Lora's life.
She was alive—for now. But if he didn't get her help soon, he knew she wouldn't survive. He couldn't lose her.
He swallowed tightly and looked down at her. “Just don't fucking leave me again.”
She nodded weakly, a trace of a smile curving her lips.
He stepped around the body and exited the cabin. Moving as quickly as his body would let him, he made his way through the forest towards the agents that waited for him.
With every step, he could feel her slowly slipping away. He knew his shoulder hurt like a bitch, but the only thing he could feel was paralyzing fear. She was everything to him and he damn well wasn't going to let her die. Not in his fucking arms. He pushed himself harder, running at a rate that would have left him breathless even if he weren't carrying her and had just been shot.
“Agent Payne!” The shocked voice of a younger agent had the rest of the team rushing towards Chase.
“Open the car door. You need to get us to a medical building. Call Agent Oliver and tell him to have a surgical team waiting. Now!”
The men and women scrambled to obey.
Chase closed his eyes as the car lurched over the rough terrain. Lora lay motionless in his arms. He didn't know when she had passed out, sometime during the trek from the cabin. Her pulse was weak, but her heart was still beating. He clung to that as hope.
Tears burned his eyes, and he swallowed hard. He swept one hand through her disheveled hair. Wishing he could do something more, but there was no mating bite that could heal her now. He pressed his lips against her icy forehead, and breathed in deep, silently demanding that she live.
Chapter 23
A heavy veil weighed Lora down, dragging her into a world of nightmares and strange visions. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't open her eyes. Someone call
ed her name. She recognized voices. Chase's harsh angry tone, and Jacob's calm, level response. Then her mother and sister were there, their voices muffled by sobs, urging her not to give up. Finally silence, only the soft hum and rhythmic beeping of machines.
A man's voice echoed down a long dark tunnel. She could see an image in the distance. Chase. She ran to him, but her feet didn't touch solid ground. Cold seeped through her. She couldn't reach him. No matter how hard she tried to get to him, he never came any closer, always lingering in the distance.
She grasped for him, but caught only air. His image disappeared, leaving only darkness. The world spun around her, gray images that mocked and threatened. Pain sliced through her. Her mind and body screamed in agony. Then everything went numb.
The lioness was there, in her dreams. It watched her, its presence calm, steadying, giving her strength to push through the fog. For the first time in her life, Lora felt at ease with the creature, as if the animal had finally found its place. She walked towards it, and placed her hand out as a peace offering. The lioness moved towards her. Purring, it placed its head against Lora's palm. Warmth spread through her, and she felt the connection expand until it consumed her.
She was floating. Her body weightless, mind numb. The animal merged with her, so completely that it was impossible to tell where she ended and the animal began. This was the way it was supposed to be. There was no fear. No anxiety. Only tranquility.
Lora.
The voices returned, demanding she wake up.
Lora, wake up.
Slowly her mind cleared of the fog and heaviness that held in the darkness. The strong scent of antiseptic and chemicals overcame her. Chase cursed fiercely from somewhere nearby, and she heard Jacob's familiar sigh. Her fingers brushed against course material that draped over her chest like a steel blanket. It was difficult to breathe. There was pain, but it was dulled, hidden within a drug-induced haze. She tried to open her eyes, but it felt as though they had been glued shut.
“She should be conscious by now.” Chase. There was an edge of panic behind his words.
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