“He’s gathering his forces, preparing for when the shit hits.”
“And when he sends out the call, will you answer?”
The sorcerer shook his head and shrugged. “At this point, my only concern is taking care of my own ass. I have no idea how things are going to shake out.” He pinned her with a direct stare. “O’Hara is one helluva powerful mage. I don’t think you know what you’re up against. You’d best tread carefully. I’d hate to see your lovely ass served up on a platter at one of his parties.”
“We are committed to the cause,” the lie slipped from her mouth easily, “but we don’t trust Cormac.”
“Lady, you’ve no idea . . .” Kragen looked away and for the first time Jaden saw fear shadow his face. That had all kinds of alarm bells banging inside her.
“I need to find him,” she said firmly, “and will do whatever it takes to accomplish that.”
He laughed. “Including screwing total strangers?” He leered at her. “Your father pretty much offered you up for free. A taste of DaCosta meat is what I was after.”
The glow from his hands flashed bright, then disappeared, leaving her temporarily blinded.
“I’m not leaving until I get it.”
A burst of energy hit Jaden in the chest, throwing her off balance. Kragen was there in an instant, his arms going around hers, pinning her tightly. Inside her jaguar burned, welcoming the violence, feeding upon it.
“This is going to be fun,” she whispered softly, her body stilling as her power gathered inside.
“Yeah,” Kragen whispered at her neck, “that’s what I was thinking.” Her skin crawled as his heat swept across her, and her cat recoiled instantly.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” she ground out. “A good asskicking gets the blood moving.”
“Right,” he whispered.
She felt a pull on her limbs, some invisible force tugging at her hands, and she flexed her fingers as heat seared across the skin.
Son of a bitch! The pain was incredible as it roared across her palms.
“The only ass that’s gonna get kicked is yours, but I promise, I’ll be gentle.” His voice was hoarse, and she could tell the thought of violence excited him.
“Fuck you, Kragen.”
His voice was thick, colored with need, and she grimaced as she felt the hard length of him press into her back.
“Yeah, that’s what I was hoping for.”
Chapter 11
Jesus Christ, were all men cut from the same cloth? Did they all think with their dicks?
She gritted her teeth as a fresh wave of anger swept over her, hot, pulsing, feeding the strength inside and agitating her jaguar into a frenzy. Kragen was gonna learn the hard way it wasn’t smart to corner a cat.
He was breathing hard behind her as he attempted to pin her tight to his body, but she arched her back and slammed her foot onto his once more. His yelp of pain made her smile.
“Fucking bitch.”
She smiled to herself as she used every bit of strength she possessed to break his grip. The bastard was strong, but his strength paled next to that of an enraged jaguar.
She whirled around, her arms flying wide, but he threw an energy pulse at her. The force of it knocked her in the chest hard, another burst of searing heat to join the flames that still licked at her hands.
She doubled over, breathing heavily as her eyes frantically searched for a weapon, anything that she could use. Her palms were on fire, but she ignored it, her muscles bunching together tightly as her jaguar continued to make noise.
Kragen rushed her, and she sidestepped at the last minute, twisting her body, throwing her hips into the air as she did so.
Her legs arced upward, and she knocked the sorcerer in the back as he went by and sent him flying. Damn ninjas had nothing on her.
A smile cracked her mouth open wide as her body began to shift, her energy exploding. The mist was already clawing its way up her legs, and she reveled in the ancient magick that took hold.
She rolled to the side, bones popping as fur rippled over her flesh. Seconds later, her dress was in tatters, and she barked a warning as she emerged from the mist to face her enemy.
Her long tail swung back lazily, flicking the air and catching the eye of the sorcerer. Kragen was breathing heavily, his face a dark mask of hatred, and Jaden wondered how she’d ever thought him handsome.
“I’d love to see your sorry ass locked up in a zoo somewhere.”
She ignored the taunt and moved forward, her movements slow, precise. Kragen was frantically weaving a spell in the air, and she knew she didn’t have much time.
She was about to pounce, her paws digging into the earth beneath her, when a blur whipped by, a golden mix of fur and snarls.
A large spotted jaguar took Kragen down, hard, the great cat swiping his paw savagely across the man’s face. Kragen emitted a god-awful sound and began to struggle. The jaguar swiped once more, and he was still.
The spotted cat made a keening noise, deep from its gut as it turned from the sorcerer and stared at her, its golden eyes burning with a madness that gave her pause.
She called the mist to her once more, her eyes never leaving his, letting her anger push her through as the change took hold. Kragen belonged to her, no one else.
Seconds later, she stood in human form, her body tight and humming with an energy that had every single nerve ending on fire.
“Goddamn it, Castille, I don’t need your help,” she spit at him. “I had him on my own.”
She walked toward the downed sorcerer, well aware of the jaguar as it stared at her, studied the naked lines of her body. The cat slowly moved away giving her room, and she bent over Kragen. His flesh had been cut, a gash across the cheek that put her bruises to shame. Blood was flowing freely, but his chest rose and fell. He wasn’t dead, thank goodness, only out cold.
She’d have Nico take him to the hub, and they could interrogate him. Kragen Black would answer their questions one way or another.
The jaguar made a weird sound from behind her, one that pulled deep in her belly, and she shivered as it slid up over her skin, teasing the tattoos along her flesh.
She heard the jaguar panting softly, felt the shift in energy, and tried her best to ignore him as she scooped up the remnants of her dress. The black silk was pretty much in tatters, and she sighed heavily as she fingered the soft fabric. Damn, but she’d done a bang-up job in totally ruining the Cavelli original.
She looked to the side. Where in hell are my Jimmy Choos?
“Are you out of your goddamn mind?” Julian’s voice was low, but there was no mistaking his anger. “He could have raped you. Or worse.”
“I was in no danger. Trust me, I’ve handled lots worse than that asshole.”
“I’ll bet you have.”
“What the hell does that mean?” She turned to him, the tatters of her dress forgotten as they fell from her fingers. Why did she let him get under her skin like that?
He didn’t answer.
Julian stood several feet away, his tall form half-hidden by the shifting shadows the wind produced. She’d seen all of him the night before, but still, the sight of his hard, muscled frame made her mouth go dry.
The man was walking perfection. An amazing blend of GQ looks with the predatory danger of an animal.
It was wrong. For her to want him as she did . . . all of it.
He hissed, and his chest rose and fell as he continued to stare at her from the darkness.
“Why are you here?” she asked again, curious really, as to why he felt the need to follow, to stalk, someone he didn’t care for. “Are you trying to prove something? Some weird, alpha control thing? None of that shit will work on me.”
“Lady, I don’t need to prove anything to you. I want the portal. End of story. You’re the part of the equation I’m not sure of.”
Her nostrils flared madly, and she took a few steps toward him. “For the last time, you will not question my loya
lty or actions.” She was livid. “If you want my help, accept the fact that we’re on the same side or get your ass away from here.”
“So defensive,” he whispered. Julian took the remaining steps between them until they were but inches apart.
Her heart pounded against her chest, the beat heavy and strong. It kept time with the madness that danced along the edges of her clan tattoos, the energy biting, thrilling.
She was tall but felt inadequate next to his six-foot-four-inch frame. Damn but she wished her Jimmys were still attached to her feet.
He changed the subject. “I hate to point out that Kragen had you exactly where he wanted.”
“And where would that be?” she asked cheekily, the words dripping in sarcasm.
“Between his legs.”
She snarled, and her hand flew up, but he caught her fist before she could do any damage, while his other arm grabbed her around the shoulder and held her still. His fingers dug in, but she refused to acknowledge the pain and glared up at him.
“You don’t want to do that,” he whispered dangerously.
“You have no idea what I want to do to you.” She tried to pull away, but he refused to let her go; instead, he jerked her close, and she inhaled sharply as her nipples grazed his hard flesh.
She felt a blush creep up her cheeks as his teeth flashed white, cutting through the gloom. His lips were firm, open slightly, and she fought the insane desire to grab them, claim them as hers once more.
She knew how amazing they felt as they slid along skin.
“I’ve a pretty good idea,” he answered, his long lashes sweeping downward as he gazed at her hard, aching nipples. “Always the little whore, no?” He laughed harshly and nodded behind them. “Magick man not enough for you?”
He bent his head, and, for a second, she was afraid he would kiss her, and she’d never have control over the emotions and urges that were ripping through her relentlessly.
She felt liquid heat pool deep within the softness between her legs and wanted to lash out at the irony. That she should feel such overwhelming desire for a man who thought she was no more than a common prostitute.
She tried to arch away, but he held her firm, and his mouth settled near the hollow in her neck, allowing her a moment of relief. But only a moment, and she shuddered as his warm breath spread shivers of energy across her heated flesh.
He inhaled a deep breath and sniffed along her collarbone, his hands tightening against hers painfully, but she didn’t care.
Inside her body, everything had melted into liquid fire. Her jaguar burned beneath her flesh, wanting the man she’d claimed years earlier.
He continued to slowly move back up the side of her neck until his lips were next to her ear. “Or have you already had dessert?” The energy in the air changed then, as did the tone of Julian’s voice.
His tongue licked along the small juncture between her ear and her neck, and she couldn’t stop the groan that fell from her lips. She shook her head slowly, hating the way he made her feel. The lack of control he pulled from her.
“Did you fuck him?” he asked abruptly. He was hard and ground his erection against her belly, his hand loosening its grip on her shoulder as he slowly dragged his large palm downward against her butt and held her tight.
Her nostrils flared as she looked up into the glittering depths of his eyes. “Take your hands off my ass.” Her voice was low, the words precise.
His eyes narrowed, his lips were tight. “Did you?” he asked once more. “Spread your legs for that piece of filth?”
“What if I did?” she answered, her own anger rising to the fore.
He opened his mouth to answer when a cough, followed by another cough echoed into the small garden. They both froze.
Shit. They had company.
Jaden peered around Julian and spied both Finn and Declan. Finn looked away, but Declan grinned at her, winking as he did so.
Could this night get any worse?
“We were just . . .” she began. “I was just . . .” She bit back a curse. Her jumbled mind was making her sound like a freaking idiot. “Kragen needs to be taken to the hub for interrogation.”
Julian didn’t move, and for that, she was grateful. It was bad enough for one of her men to find her in such a ridiculous position, but damned if Declan O’Hara was going to get a peek at her naked bits.
Declan’s grin widened. “Where is he?”
Jaden frowned, not understanding. “What do you mean?” She looked up at Julian but his eyes were focused behind her, his expression thunderous.
She glanced back and hissed as she shook her head.
Kragen was gone.
“How in the hell?” The words slipped out of her and she winced at the stupidity they represented. “He was right here,” she finished lamely.
“Probably used a simple cloaking charm. If you two were”—Declan cleared his throat, obviously enjoying the show—“otherwise occupied, it would have been easy for him to sneak away unnoticed.”
Julian glared at her, his eyes flat, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He cocked his head to the side. “Can it, O’Hara.”
She looked away as silence fell between them all.
Awkward didn’t even come close to cutting it.
“Where’s Nico?” she asked hesitantly, but before anyone could answer, the warrior strode into the garden, his arms clasped around a dazed-looking Kragen Black.
His eyes swept over the scene, and he stopped abruptly.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked, his eyes flashing with accusatory zeal as they locked onto hers. “This is how you conduct an investigation?”
Julian turned though his body still blocked her nudity from the men. “Take the sorcerer down for interrogation.”
Nico blew out a hot breath, loudly. “You do not give me orders, Castille.”
“No, but I do.” Jaden spoke quietly. “Take him down, Nico. That is all.”
Nico glared at her, and though the hard lines of his face were set in stone, she saw the disappointment that shadowed his eyes. It cut her deep inside, and Jaden shook her head, hating the way Castille had managed to come between her and the team in only twenty-four hours.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Nico turned abruptly and left, dragging a protesting Kragen with him. Finn glanced her way, his eyes somber, and turned to follow in his wake.
Great. Now she felt like absolute shit.
Declan arched an eyebrow. “I’ll leave you two kids alone to, uh, do whatever it was you were doing.”
Jaden watched him disappear into the darkness.
She didn’t know what to say, how to feel. Nothing felt right. Her eyes shot bullets at Julian’s back. When it came to the jaguar, she didn’t know jack shit.
He turned abruptly, and the breath caught in the back of her throat at the feral look that haunted the golden depths. Slowly, her eyes swept across features carved from stone, lips that she knew from experience gave great pleasure, until she rested once more on the scars that marred the otherwise perfect flesh.
“This isn’t gonna work,” he said, and she looked up in surprise. “What the hell was I thinking?” His eyes flattened to that dull color she’d grown to dislike, and all expression fled his face. “I can barely stand to be around you.”
She’d like to say that his words meant nothing, but that would have been a lie. They cut her deeply, and she felt the prick of tears sting the backs of her eyes as she stood like an idiot, staring up at him.
Julian turned from her and slipped into the darkness, disappearing as quickly as he’d come.
She sniffled and gave herself a mental shake. Enough of this crap. It should have been her leaving after dropping a line like that.
Jaden clenched her teeth and spying her heels by the bench in the corner, grabbed them. She shivered as the damp air caressed her softness.
“Azaiel is tied to the jaguars and eagles, you should know this stuff. It’s not my fault you’ve lost touch with yo
ur history, your culture.”
The sorcerer’s words echoed inside her head, circling around and around as she flirted with the excitement they brought.
The bastard was right.
In order to hunt Azaiel and Cormac, she needed to understand every little detail about the portal and its connection to the fallen. She needed to go back to where it all began.
She left the garden and kept to the shadows, intent on grabbing a towel from the pool area before heading up to her suite.
There was only one place that she could find the answers she needed—The Temple of the Warriors.
Only problem was, it was buried under the ruins of Templo Mayor, guarded by ancient magick. Dark, powerful shit. The kind that wouldn’t take lightly to her poking around and disturbing history.
A thrill shot through her at the thought, and she smiled to herself. She felt like she had purpose again, like she wasn’t spinning her wheels.
Jaden slipped through the back entrance to her building. Tank didn’t flinch at her state of undress. Being a shifter, he understood. He moved aside and cleared his throat.
“Miss DaCosta,” he began, but Jaden shook her head and disappeared inside her private lift.
“Castille is a bastard. Just don’t let it happen again.” The door slid shut before the jaguar warrior could respond, but her mind was already moving forward toward a plan of action.
Tomorrow, she would head out and find The Temple of the Warriors, located deep within the ruins of Templo Mayor. She’d go alone. If this was a wild-goose chase, she didn’t want to waste her team’s time. There were a million and one things they needed to focus on.
More importantly, there was no way in hell she wanted Julian Castille along for the ride.
Chapter 12
Hours later, as dawn’s welcoming rays split the darkened sky into fragments of light, a large jaguar emerged from the jungle. The rhythms of the earth had changed subtly, and the huge animal paused, its powerful body still as it scented the air. The cat barked once, its dark rosettes glistening against the golden coat as mist swept along the ground toward it.
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