His Darkest Hunger

by Juliana Stone

  The woman continued to regard her with eyes that had turned dark with loathing. “You lay with a jaguar and you expect me to help you? You’re fucking crazy.”

  Libby frowned and shook her head. She was done with games.

  “You will help me get my son back,” she stood quickly, her eyes narrowed as she lowered her voice, “and Cormac will die.”

  “Cormac? He has your son?”

  Libby nodded and moved toward a long table, her steps sure and her heart full of many scattered emotions. She grabbed a gun, one that was loaded to the teeth with antimagick bullets, as well as a long serrated knife. The symbols that lined the silver blade proclaimed it as charmed, and she smiled softly as she held the deadly weapon in her hand. She would slice his throat with it, if she had the chance.

  Turning back around, she motioned for the woman to get up. Skye hesitated briefly, but then slowly moved her limbs, gingerly gaining her feet with a grace that was surprising considering her arms were bound behind her back. When she was standing and facing Libby, she spoke.

  The venom and hatred that poured from her mouth was undeniable.

  “I’ll help you get your son back, but you will let me kill Cormac. He needs to be stopped.”

  Libby paused, staring at the other woman suspiciously. “Why does he want you?”

  The blond woman grimaced but kept quiet, refusing to answer. A sliver of doubt slid through Libby and was gone as quick as it had arrived. She didn’t for one second trust the other woman, but would not change her own course. There was no time. She nodded toward the exit. “All right, let’s do this.”

  She listened intently at the door, and when the coast was clear, pulled back the flap. She let Skye pass and followed suit. Seconds later both women disappeared into the darkness and were enveloped into the arms of the jungle.

  Chapter 25

  The going was rough.

  Libby and Skye had been trudging through the jungle for what seemed hours. The sun was up, but the rays were hampered not only by the thickness of the jungle canopy, but the dark clouds that blanketed the area as well. The occasional rumble of thunder could still be heard in the distance, and as Libby paused for a moment, wiping sweat from her brow, she doubted the darkness that was following her had anything to do with the weather.

  Cormac’s black magick could be felt in every breath she drew deep into her lungs. It was pungent, thick with the taint of his evil. She tried not to think about the fact that she found the sensation almost familiar. In fact, it seemed as if her legs had a mind of their own and she was just along for the ride.

  The two women had spoken barely a word to each other the entire morning, but the silence that lay between the two of them was not so much one of dislike; rather, it was something akin to slowly gained respect. It had grown as their legs ate up miles of jungle underbelly, and about an hour earlier Libby had finally relented and untied Skye’s hands from behind her back.

  She was impressed that Skye had no problems keeping up with the relentless pace she set. She was more impressed that the woman hadn’t tried to escape. Of course, the gun and knife that she brandished might have had something to do with that, but it also appeared that Skye wanted to destroy Cormac almost as much as she did.

  Maybe even more so.

  She grabbed some water and took a long draw, letting the liquid slide down her throat as she caught her breath. The stitch in her side had returned, but she’d become so used to ignoring pain that it was no more annoying than a mosquito bite. She rubbed her ribs gently and passed the water to Skye.

  The other woman grabbed the bottle and took a long swig. She wiped her hands across her mouth and looked directly into Libby’s eyes. “Sorry for that.”

  Libby looked at her, confused by the comment, but when the woman nodded toward her ribs, she understood. The only reason she’d received the injury was because Skye had initiated a rebellion against Fat Frank.

  Libby shrugged and looked away. She was trying to banish the horrific memories that she’d only managed to regain a few days ago.

  “You were there when they brought me in.” Skye’s words were spoken quietly.

  Again Libby remained silent, but now Skye had her full attention.

  “How long did the DaCostas have you?” the other woman asked.

  Libby considered ignoring the question, but for whatever reason, she found an answer slipping from her mouth before she could stop herself. “Three years.”

  She could tell that Skye was surprised by her answer, and for a moment there was just the familiar silence from before.

  “Why did they take you?”

  “Why did they take you?” Libby shot back.

  Skye remained quiet, her deep blue eyes shadowed and pained. Libby exhaled deeply and looked away into the distance. The sadness that encircled her heart was making it difficult to breathe. A plethora of emotions wracked her psyche, but she didn’t give into them. She needed to be strong.

  For Logan.

  “I worked for the government, in an antiterrorist unit. I met Jaxon,” her eyes bored into Skye’s, “my jaguar, at PATU. He was in charge of our unit.” A small smile lit the corners of her mouth as she continued. “We became involved, and we’ve both paid the price for that.” She grimaced and glanced at Skye, who was listening quietly. “We are the poster couple for the million reasons not to get involved with someone you work with. It will come back to bite you in the ass.”

  Libby sighed harshly, her voice bitter, “The DaCostas took me, and tortured me to get information on a mission that Jaxon was involved in. They wanted to eliminate him. There was no way in hell I was gonna give up the man that I loved. But then…” Her voice trailed off softly.

  “Then what?”

  “They found out I was pregnant.” Libby shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. “Suddenly I had to choose between the man I loved and the child I carried.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I chose my child, but at what price? Logan was ripped from my womb two years ago. I didn’t even get a chance to hold him.”

  “I’m so sorry, Libby. I had no idea.”

  Libby was silent for a moment, as a new thought struck her. “Do you know why Cormac has my child? And what your role in all this madness is?”

  She watched as the other woman struggled with something internal. As if she were weighing all of her options.

  “I don’t know why Cormac has your child, Libby, but nothing he does is random. There’s an ulterior motive there, and it’s something above and beyond using your son to get to me. He will not hand the boy over.”

  “And he wants you because…?”

  Again Skye hesitated, but then shook her head and answered. “I’m guessing he thinks I’ll lead him to an ancient portal that’s a direct conduit to the demon underworld.”

  Libby was stunned at her answer. She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it. She was speechless. All sorts of thoughts ran through her mind. Demons? She’d never dealt with anything like that in PATU, but she’d read reports that had made her skin crawl. If Cormac somehow managed to open his very own portal to the underworld, all hell would literally break loose.

  “Can you?” she finally managed to ask.

  Libby watched as pain crossed Skye’s features. She was a striking woman, but there was also strength there to match the beauty.

  “My father died trying to destroy the portal, and I will give my own life to keep it out of that bastard’s hands.”

  Her answer was barely above a whisper, and Libby was still not altogether sure that she trusted her. But at this point she had no other choice. “Okay, then. I’ll do whatever I can to help, but my son comes first. Understood?”

  Skye nodded, and Libby exhaled slowly. A shrill shriek cascaded across the jungle as a large bird flew overhead. Both women jumped, and afterward Libby tried to calm her nerves.

  “We need to get going,” she said, stashing the water bottle and standing. “I want to get to Cormac before Jaxon and the rest of the
team follow suit. I can’t take a chance on everything going to shit. I won’t let Logan get hurt in the cross fire.”

  “Do you even know where we’re going?”

  The heaviness in her heart turned over, and Libby fought the panic and nausea that roiled in her gut. She nodded and began to move, Skye following her lead. “Cormac has tapped into me somehow. He’s leading us right to him.”

  “That’s great to hear,” Skye replied sarcastically. “We got a plan?”

  “No.”

  Skye laughed softly. “Good to know.” She fell in step behind Libby, and the two women were once more swallowed whole by the Belizean jungle.

  Base camp was quiet, yet the air was thick with anger. It clogged Jaxon’s throat, preventing him from articulating the boiling rage that simmered beneath the surface. But maybe that was a good thing.

  He could not believe he was about to go after Libby…again, the second time in as many days. The woman was certifiable! What the hell was she thinking? Traipsing off into the jungle, going after Cormac alone—taking the only bargaining chip that they had with her.

  How the fuck had she managed to sneak out of camp, and take their prisoner along for the ride?

  He threw a dark look toward Cracker, but truthfully, he knew he couldn’t blame the soldier. They were all exhausted, and there had been no reason to suspect she would pull such an incredibly stupid stunt.

  He snarled, angry with himself more than anyone else. He’d had the woman in his bed and still she’d managed to slip away.

  Libby was going to get herself killed. And over what? Some fantasy that his enemies had kept his offspring alive? That someone as evil and demented as Cormac would take care of a small jaguar shifter? Out of the goodness of his heart? That even if he had, he would just hand the child over? The man was a monster, and for reasons Jaxon didn’t understand, wanted the woman that they’d pulled from the wreckage of the compound.

  None of it made sense.

  But he was going to get to the bottom of it. And there would be hell to pay if one hair on Libby’s head was harmed.

  He clenched his teeth as he heaved his bag across his shoulders. They were full of weapons, Declan specials, and he was ready to use all of it to get back the woman he loved.

  “You ready?” Declan asked as he moved toward him, followed closely by Julian and Cracker. The ex-soldier was avoiding his eyes, and Jaxon left it alone. He knew Cracker felt responsible, but he’d come around eventually. No words were necessary.

  Jaxon nodded and glanced over to the tech tent. “Ana, we’re going silent. Don’t contact us unless we’ve got company.” He could see the frustration that lit her eyes. The vampire was damn pissed that she wasn’t able to come along.

  “I’m coming after you as soon as it gets dark,” she replied.

  “Ana, we need you here with all the equipment.”

  “No you don’t, Jaxon. Tech boy over here can handle it without my help.” Her eyes softened as they passed over the sorcerer, but the familiar bite was still there as she continued, “You better watch your ass, Declan. I don’t want to be picking it up off the jungle floor.”

  “Hell, Ana, is that all I have to do to get your hands on my ass?” Declan smirked and then winked back at the vampire. “Don’t worry, darlin’, I’ll be back, and you can inspect every inch of me for damage. In fact, I’ll expect a thorough examination.”

  “Just be careful.” With a whirl of long dark hair and pale limbs, Ana disappeared into the tent. Their tech boy saluted and followed suit.

  “All right. Let’s head out.” Jaxon turned in a semicircle and inhaled sharply. He felt a rush of emotion threaten to overwhelm him as her scent drifted on the wind and settled deep inside his chest. He could track her easily by smell, but he knew he didn’t need to do that any longer. She belonged to him now, and her essence called to him on a primitive level.

  His gaze swung west and he began to move quickly, his men following suit. She had at least a two hour head start and they had some rough ground to make up.

  The four men moved through the thick trees with deadly precision. Each were consumed with thoughts of their own, and the jungle fell silent as they methodically ate up the terrain. Jaxon could feel Libby’s emotions all around him. They were in each breath he took. They ran the gamut from pain, anger, and a touch of hope as well, and surrounded him as if they were hung from the branches of the low lying canopy. Everything that she felt pummeled him with an intensity that left no doubt she belonged to him body and soul.

  His long frame hummed with a hunger that ate at him, pushing him forward at a relentless pace.

  Julian fell into step beside him, and Jaxon felt grateful for the presence of his brother, although that brought to mind the missing Jagger. He grimaced at the thought and shook his head; one more thing to file away and deal with later. All that he could think about right now was finding Libby and getting the hell out this jungle.

  “We have a plan?”

  Jaxon stole a glance to his brother and snorted. “We’re going to go in with everything we’ve got, and I’m going to personally rip that fucking bastard to pieces.”

  Julian nodded. “Not if I get to him first.”

  “Hey, he’s my piece-of-shit father,” Declan put in. “If anyone has the right to send him to hell, it’s me.” He grinned as he pulled up alongside the two brothers. “It’s about time we started a pissing contest.” He looked back to Cracker. “You in?”

  “You young pups are all insane. Cormac O’Hara is one crazy son of a bitch, and he’s not going down without a fight.” The older man’s words sobered them a bit. “Declan, you’d better make sure you’re on top of your game, and don’t let him mess with your head, or we’re all dead.”

  “Christ, you know how to close a party down but good. Don’t worry, Cracker, my old man is in for the surprise of his life.” Declan’s demeanor changed sharply, and Jaxon looked at him intently. The sorcerer’s body crackled with power, and sparks flew from his fingers as he clenched his hands.

  Rage, anger, and vengeance were strong emotions indeed. They could prove deadly when mixed with the kind of power Declan possessed. They could also corrupt and eat away at a person until all that was left was poison.

  Jaxon forged ahead, filing away that knowledge and knowing he’d have to keep a close eye on his friend.

  They hiked through streams, cut their way through verdant greenery, all the while on a direct course toward the Mayan ruins in Caracol.

  The thick jungle finally gave way to a vast area that had been cleared. It was early afternoon and they’d been hiking for hours. Jaxon could feel Libby much stronger now, her scent everywhere. It tore at him and he began to breathe hard.

  He quickly got hold of his emotions and called for the calm, calculating soldier that was so much a part of him. His eyes scanned the area directly in front of him, but the site was massive, spreading out over thirty square miles into the jungle. He could see humans milling about, but dismissed them as either tourists or members of the archeological team that was slowly rescuing Caracol from the jungle that had laid claim to it centuries before.

  The focal point was the large temple that rose well over 140 feet. It was one of the largest Mayan structures ever unearthed, and the largest one in Belize. His eyes narrowed as another flash of anxiety rushed through him.

  His body trembled as the cat shimmered and burned beneath his skin. Libby was there. Somewhere deep inside the temple.

  He snarled and took off at a run, and the three men followed suit. Declan began to chant a protection ward, his long legs keeping him abreast of the Castille brothers and Cracker as he did so.

  They skirted the perimeter of the ruins and slithered into the thick Chiquibul forest that surrounded the area. By the time they reached the back of the stone structure, it seemed that every cell in Jaxon’s body was on fire with the need to get to his mate.

  A thick ball of dread punched at his gut as a wave of intense fear rolled over hi
m in waves. Libby was in trouble and he knew he didn’t have much time. There was a crude opening, and he headed for it, his senses soaring out, trying to locate her exact location.

  What he found stopped him cold, and the pain in his gut threatened to bring him to his knees.

  Declan nearly crashed into him, and Julian narrowly avoided a collision as well.

  “What the fuck?” Declan’s eyes were almost feverish as power swelled from deep within his body. “Jax, what’s wrong?”

  Jaxon couldn’t speak at first, and he struggled to clamp down at the beast that was suddenly howling in anguish. “She was right.” He shook his head, turning pained eyes to the three men, who stood beside him, their chests heaving from exertion. “Cormac has my son.”

  Deep inside the belly of the temple, Libby faced her enemy, trying to put on a brave face, but fearing her weakness was pinned to her chest like a large neon button.

  About an hour earlier, she and Skye had finally found the temple. Libby had led the way, feeling like a puppet pulled by invisible strings. That weird and creepy sensation had been her constant companion all morning, but though she knew she wasn’t in control, she hadn’t cared. She knew it was Cormac reeling her in, but that also meant she was on the right path. And that was all that mattered. It was the path to her son, and now as she stood here, facing this demon from her past, she knew it was worth it. All of it.

  Because she could feel him. Logan. He was here, of that she was sure. She could feel his emotions battering at her brain with a feverish force.

  She had no clue whatsoever how she could feel the things that she was feeling. She just did. She knew that her son was scared and hungry. She ached at the very thought, but had to trust that Skye had her back and they would get Logan to safety.

  “Libby, how nice to see you again, and just in time for a family reunion.”

  The tall man smiled down at her from twenty feet above, his voice echoing eerily against the stone walls. She stood still, not saying a word, biding her time. Her violet eyes had darkened and now seemed to shimmer with a fire of vengeance that fueled her body with a flood of strength.