His Darkest Hunger

by Juliana Stone

  And then he would kill her.

  How dare she defy him? And take such a chance with her life? The woman was fucking insane.

  And that’s what you love about her.

  Jaxon pulled his body up from the ground, savagely shaking his head, but the truth was there, buried deep in both his mind and his heart. A lot of things had changed over the last three years, but several things had obviously not.

  Libby Jamieson had always irritated the crap out of him, she’d angered him on a daily basis, most times never listened to anything he said, was pig-headed…and he wouldn’t change one damn thing about her.

  He needed to get to her in a way that hurt and cut him sharper than a blade.

  His heart was pounding loudly now, and Cracker looked at him, sorrow lining the tired wrinkles around his eyes. He’d heard the conversation with Ana and was awaiting his instructions.

  “Do you think she was capable of trekking through this jungle in the shape she was in?” Cracker’s voice was soft, but the concern was evident.

  Jaxon shook his head ruefully. “Nothing that woman does surprises me anymore, and truthfully, she’s been out in this jungle for three years. If there’s anyone who can survive and find their way around, it will be Libby.”

  Jaxon nodded toward the flaming compound. “I need you to make sure our team is intact. Once you’ve rounded up everyone, have them start searching for her.”

  Cracker left immediately, and Jaxon ran toward what was left of the compound, sending his extraordinary senses high into the air, seeking out any trace of his woman that he could find. He passed several charred bodies along the way, but was able to ascertain that they were male and didn’t belong to any of his crew.

  Poor bastards. The DaCosta carnage continued to pile up.

  He sensed movement to his left and whirled around, his stance aggressive. Relief flooded him when he saw it was his brother Julian. “You all right?” He barked the question, not bothering to stop and check himself. The urgency to find Libby was biting at his heels, and he tried to squash the fear that accompanied it.

  If something happened to her now, before he was able to make things right, he would never forgive himself.

  “Don’t worry about me. What the hell happened?”

  “The DaCostas knew we were coming. The whole thing was a setup, and now, apparently, Libby might be around here somewhere.”

  “Libby? I thought Declan sleep-charmed her. Shouldn’t that have knocked her out for the entire day?”

  “You would think.” Jaxon pounded the air with a fist, his frustration and anger exploding as he realized his own stupidity. “How the hell did I let this happen?”

  “Don’t worry about that now. What do you want me to do?”

  Jaxon paused. “See if you can find her scent out in the jungle, and if so, where it leads. For all I know, she’s nowhere near here yet.”

  His brother immediately turned and headed for the jungle, while Jaxon took off toward the burning compound again. His belly was full of knots as his fear for Libby intensified.

  The main building was totally engulfed in flames, and he circled it as closely as he could, hoping to catch Libby’s scent if she were anywhere nearby. He sensed no trace of her, but bleakly knew that meant nothing.

  He began to scan the perimeter, and he jumped over blasted bits of what was left of the main building, as well as remnants of the smaller bungalows that had lined the far side of the compound.

  He’d begun to make his way in that direction when a familiar sliver of emotion shivered through his mind. It was incoherent and faint, but it definitely was there. It stopped him cold. It was Libby! He had felt it earlier when he was in the main building, but had been too distracted and bent on revenge to pay attention to it.

  Fear began to gnaw at him. She was here! And she was alive.

  At least for now.

  He needed to find her. The soldier that lived deep inside him quickly took over, and his thoughts turned logical as fear, panic, and the ferocity of the jaguar receded. He could deal with the emotions later. Right now he needed to focus.

  He stilled and concentrated, closing his eyes and seeking the energy that lingered along the edge of his mind, elusive but so real to him he wanted to physically wrap his hands around it. The smallest trace of her essence drifted through his nasal passage, and his head turned to the left, where he spied two large buildings, one of which was completely destroyed, the other half standing.

  Libby had told him they were used for storage, but now, as his mind wandered back, he realized her nonchalant answer to his questions about the buildings were a little too cut and dried. It was obvious she had not wanted him anywhere near them.

  Because she wanted them all to herself!

  He flew down the length of the compound, Declan joining him in his mad dash. They reached the two buildings, and the smoke was thick indeed.

  “Libby?” Declan’s one word question pained the both of them, and Jaxon nodded grimly as her sweetness drifted up at him. She was here, amidst this mess and destruction.

  The front of the building had been destroyed and the roof had caved in, pulling the front of the facade and the left side down along with it. The back was still intact, and he savagely began to pull at the smoldering pieces of wood that kept him from ducking inside, frantic to reach the only area that would have provided some shelter from the attack.

  He didn’t feel the heat of the fire or the toxic smoke he was breathing deep into his lungs. He was numb to everything except his need to find Libby. Inside, the cat howled, wanting its mate, needing to see the face of its woman.

  Declan was chanting softly now, his eyes blackening as his hands furiously drew a spell into the air. The wind howled and picked up, bringing with it heavy moisture that lashed at the flames that had kept them at bay. Within minutes the heat began to subside and pull away as the water drenched the dry wood.

  Jaxon made quick work of the debris, and a few moments later they were able to open up a large enough hole to allow the two men access.

  Libby’s scent was so strong it was almost overwhelming, and a new fear began to ride him. He didn’t know if it was because she was indeed there or because this was where she’d been kept for the last three years.

  She was everywhere and nowhere. Wildly, his eyes crept over every surface. A bed had been placed against a wall, with two long chains that were attached to shackles. From the ceiling hung several more long chains, whose ends held heavy manacles that swung lazily back and forth. Grimly, his eyes skimmed over the entire area and he felt a wave of blackness threaten him; he had to inhale sharply and steady his mind.

  But it did no good. His body began to tremble violently.

  This was a torture chamber. Evidently the one used to maim and hurt Libby.

  Jaxon crossed to the bed, grabbed the chains and yanked them out of the wall with a huge roar. It did nothing to abate his fury, but the sadness that now threatened to overwhelm him was much worse. How had she survived all of this?

  Because of the child…their child.

  “Jaxon! I think I’ve found her.”

  He raced to where Declan was pulling back a huge chunk of debris, and felt his heart literally stop at the sight of a mess of blond hair, intermingled with the unmistakable reddish stain of blood. He fell to his knees, using the strength that only a warrior possessed, and lifted up the remaining slab, his tortured eyes urging Declan to hurry and pull her from the wreckage.

  Everything faded to black then. Chaos could be heard from outside, cries lit the night as the wounded huddled out in the jungle, but here, in this tiny enclosed space, all he could see was the matted tangle of blond hair.

  He needed her to be alive. He needed her to know he’d never leave her side again.

  He grunted with the effort it took to keep the debris from falling back, and watched as Declan gently dislodged Libby from underneath.

  There was so much blood. She was covered in it. Thick bile crowded his
throat and he felt ill, but still his eyes did not leave her form.

  When Declan managed to pull her free, Jaxon released his pent-up breath.

  “She’s alive and breathing.”

  He rushed to Declan’s side and automatically reached for the limp body, wanting to feel her softness and hold her close.

  She was covered in dirt, and so filthy from the black soot that cloaked everything in the immediate vicinity that there was no trace of her milky white skin to be seen.

  Jaxon took her from Declan’s arms and they quickly exited the ruined building. He drew air deeply into his lungs, then fell to his knees, cuddling her still form close to his heart.

  He held her there, close, his nose buried deeply in the side of her neck. And even before the scent clawed its way into his system, he knew. And it killed him.

  The woman he held so tenderly in his arms was not his Libby.

  Slowly, he held her away from him, taking in the features covered in dirt and ash. The woman was of similar build, but definitely was not the woman he was aching to hold.

  Jaxon sat back, feeling crushed. His head swung back toward the wreckage, and the way Declan avoided his burning gaze pissed him off even more.

  “She’s not in there!” He shouted his words into the chaotic night.

  “I know,” Declan murmured, before taking the injured woman from his arms and walking away a few paces.

  Jaxon’s chest felt like it was slowly ripping away from his body, as if someone had taken a large knife, sliced several chunks of his skin and then peeled it away ruthlessly, piece by piece.

  He closed his eyes and concentrated, until nothing existed but Libby. He focused, and her image floated in front of him, her large violet eyes so incredibly expressive. So full of mistrust and pain.

  His fucking legacy.

  That’s all he’d ever given her. He clenched his teeth together. He would find her. And he would make it right.

  Or it damn well would be the last thing he’d ever do, because he now knew if Libby wasn’t in his life, it sure as hell wasn’t worth living.

  Jaxon’s eyes flew open and he sprang to his feet. He threw his shoulders back and calmed the beast inside. He needed to think.

  His body screamed at him, wanting to plunge headlong into the jungle and find his mate. But he needed to be smart about this. He couldn’t screw this up, not when Libby’s life was on the line.

  A soft moan grabbed his attention, and his head whipped around, eyes narrowing as the woman in Declan’s arms began to pitch forward, her eyes wild with terror. Declan whispered into her ear, and slowly the woman calmed, her limbs going limp once more as she fell against his chest.

  He met Declan’s eyes and flinched at the knowledge that lay there. The woman had obviously been tortured as well. Bitterly, he thought of Libby out here alone, with no one to help her.

  Some warrior he was. How had he not been able to find her these past three years? The bitterness that clogged his mouth made it hard for him to swallow, and his features blackened even more as he watched Cracker and Julian approach. Both men were resigned, and Julian cleared his throat before speaking.

  “She was here, Jax,” Julian said. “I caught her scent and followed it to a river that’s about two miles south of the compound. From there I lost it. I swam to the other side but couldn’t pick it up anywhere.” He paused before continuing. “There was a man with her.”

  Jaxon growled long and hard at his brother’s words and spat, “Was it the stench of the DaCostas?”

  Julian nodded in silence, and they all watched as Jaxon shook his head and moved away from them.

  The odd scream echoed eerily on the wind, and the scent of burning wood, vegetation, and bodies filled the air. Darkness blanketed the jungle like a velvety soft sheath of fur, broken only by the glow of fires that would continue to burn for several more hours. The jungle, normally alive with all sorts of nocturnal beings, seemed devoid of life. As if everything with a living, beating heart had been sucked into a vortex and thrown miles from where they were.

  Jaxon’s voice was raw when he spoke, but the steel that lay at the heart of the jaguar shone through, and there was no mistaking the deadly purpose he held.

  “You need to return to base camp. Pack up and get the hell out of here.” He turned toward the rest of them suddenly, his face harsh, unyielding. “I’m going to get Libby and I’ll join you at the airport.”

  He began to move away from his team, his eyes meeting each one, realizing he was one member short.

  “Where the hell is Jagger?”

  His question was fired at Cracker, and he felt frustration claw at him as the soldier hesitated before answering him.

  “He’s nowhere to be found. I’ve searched the perimeter. Julian tried to catch his scent in the jungle but it’s no use.” He shrugged his shoulders, clearly perplexed. “He’s gone.”

  “What do you mean gone? How the hell can he be gone?”

  Cracker held Jaxon’s eyes, never wavering, his voice steady. “I mean, he’s gone. There’s not a trace of him around. I don’t know what happened to him. He was over by these outbuildings when the planes attacked and now he’s not.”

  “Christ! I don’t have time for this shit. I need to find Libby.”

  Jaxon was so enraged the cat shimmered along his body as mist started to wrap its long fingers around and up the sides of his legs. He moved from them quickly, breathing hard, trying to get his emotions in check.

  “Frank DaCosta took Libby.”

  The soft words hung in the air, coming out of nowhere. Jaxon turned in a rush, nailing the female Declan still held with his black gaze.

  “What did you say?”

  The woman swallowed hard, obviously scared. But then her eyes widened and her body went rigid. Her piercing gaze ripped through him, and it was full of a dark and extremely malevolent anger.

  “You’re one of them,” she spat, starting to struggle and only relaxing as Declan once more spoke soft words in her ear.

  “Who do you think I am?”

  “It’s not who.” The woman’s voice was rough and she drew in a ragged breath. “It’s what. You’re no different than the DaCosta scum. You’re all evil.”

  Jaxon’s voice was fierce but soft. “Watch your mouth, little girl. A DaCosta jaguar is but a kitten compared to me.”

  Her sapphire blue eyes narrowed into twin beams of contempt. Something was off about the woman. Her scent…it was different from anything he’d ever encountered. It slapped at some distant memory, but he didn’t have patience to sort out the puzzle.

  His gaze swung up until he met Declan’s. “Take her back to camp.” He looked to Julian and Cracker. “I want you two to look for Jagger. He’s got to be around someplace…maybe he’s unconscious; I don’t know. You two deal with it and get the hell back to camp.”

  Then Jaxon peered out into the gloom. He couldn’t think about Jagger right now, he had to concentrate on the task at hand. His brother was a warrior and a highly trained soldier. He could survive almost anything. Even though Libby had proved resilient and was tough to the core, he needed to get to her.

  The jungle beckoned to him on such a primitive level that his body vibrated with an urgency that could not be denied. He had no choice but to heed its call.

  He moved toward the thick foliage that lined the perimeter of the compound, his senses high, his long legs filled with purpose as he broke into a jog. He paused briefly at the edge and turned around.

  “I won’t return unless I have Libby. I won’t leave her out there again.”

  His eyes washed over the still form of his brother and the remaining members of his team. “If I’m not back by the time the plane is ready to leave…”

  His voice trailed off, and with a curt nod he turned and disappeared into the thick, silent jungle, his heart black and filled with the need for revenge.

  If he wasn’t back in time, they could leave without him, because he would not return to the United States
alone.

  His heart contracted painfully at the thought. If he didn’t make it out of the jungle with Libby, then this was where he would die.

  He snarled as he silently twisted through the thick, verdant forest floor, and he’d damn well take out as many DaCostas as he could along the way.

  Chapter 21

  The faint buzzing of an insect whistled close to her ear, and Libby gritted her teeth, flinching as it closed in on her exposed, pale flesh. Her entire arm was already covered in angry looking welts, so one more wouldn’t make a difference, but still she winced as the little bastard bit her but good, and it stung for several seconds before becoming as numb as all the other bites.

  She cursed silently. Her hair was plastered to her neck and face, scraggly tendrils of blond that tickled even as they annoyed the crap out of her. She wanted so badly to push the mess away and to scratch, and to—her heart took off like a rocket as blackness ran thickly through her veins—fucking kill the bastard who stood just a few feet away from her.

  But of course she could do none of this, since her hands were tied behind her back. She tried to calm her pulsing heart and slow her adrenaline. She needed to conserve her strength if she wanted to make it out of here alive.

  She had to. There was no alternative.

  Her eyes slowly trailed along the back of the man she hated more than anyone else. His tubby build was a direct contrast to the fact that he was a jaguar warrior, a piss poor one, but a formidable enemy nonetheless.

  She’d been pulled along behind Fat Frank for well over two hours. On top of the almost six hour hike she’d put in just to reach the compound, it had been one hell of a long day, and the next several hours promised to be even more of a challenge.

  Her eyes bored into the back of his skull, and all sorts of ways to maim and torture flashed before her. She couldn’t remember ever hating this much. Not even when she was at her lowest point over the last few years, and survived on a diet of revenge and hatred, had she felt this all-consumed with such evil thoughts—not even for Jaxon.

  Jaxon.