I thrust myself against Katya’s attacker.
He flew into another jaguar, who immediately tore into him.
Katya struggled to her feet.
Are you okay?
Never better. She licked a bloody patch of fur. You?
Ready to get you home.
She shook her head. I’m not leaving until this is finished.
Have you seen how many people they have?
I don’t care. Like you said, we have to make it clear they can’t have Dad and me.
To the left, a pink glow covered a group of men.
Katya glanced over then turned back to me. What’s that?
The high witch is friends with your professor.
And she’s here?
I nodded. Something caught my attention.
Just behind her, a jaguar leaped through the air, headed straight for her.
There was no time to warn Katya. I flew over her and crashed into the other jaguar. We fell to the ground. He landed on top of me, and a sharp rock dug into my side.
We rolled around, growling and clawing one another. I just needed him to bite me. He seemed uninterested. Did he know my blood was practically poison?
I turned my head, giving him an easy shot to my neck.
He bit down, but didn’t yelp or cry out.
Chapter 31
Katya
Terror ran through me as Carter offered his neck to the other jaguar. My instincts kicked in as soon as the jerk bit down.
I roared—a sound so terrifying it sent a shiver down my own spine. Then I lunged through the air and slammed into the jaguar. He sputtered, spraying blood all over my face.
We rolled onto the ground and crashed into a tree. The image of him digging into Carter’s flesh was seared into my mind. I dug my teeth into the creature, eager to kill him.
Once he went limp, I spat out the blood and looked around for Carter. What I saw in the distance sent a chill of fear through to my core.
Even more men arrived from the direction of the cabin. They marched toward us like they were on a mission. And they were—a mission to kill me and the ones I loved.
There had to be ten times more of them than us.
Everything spun around me and I struggled to breathe. Had we underestimated them? Even if we had witches and whoever Tap had brought, did we stand a chance?
Or would it be better if I gave myself up in order to save everyone else?
As much as I hated the thought of joining my dad’s family as someone’s property, maybe it was for the best. They might even let my dad go back to Mom and Alley if I handed myself over.
I stood taller and glanced around, trying to tell if I could see who was in charge.
A spine-chilling roar rang through the air.
Something primal inside of me told me that was the roar of an alpha. He was the one I needed to turn myself in to so I could save everyone else.
He roared again, and I spotted him near the humans.
I turned to Carter. I love you.
Wait. What are you doing?
The realization that I’d never see him again nearly crushed me. I spun away from him and bounded toward the alpha, stopping just a foot away. Then I knelt and pressed my nose to the ground.
Loud flapping sounded in the air above.
Flapping?
I glanced up. Dragons of every shape, size, and color filled the sky, blocking the view of all the trees. Several blew fire, lighting up the entire area.
Carter had said something about Toby having a connection to a dragon king.
In a blur of activity, everyone jumped into action at once. Dragons attacked shifters and people alike. Some even turned into human themselves.
I turned and threw myself at the alpha I’d started to submit to.
He threw me to the ground and pinned me, proving to be far stronger than any of the other jaguars I’d fought.
I struggled to break free, but he wouldn’t budge. Carter lunged at him, but bounced right off, skidding on the ground.
The air glowed pink and then orange. Spine-tingling roars sounded from every direction—warning calls from jaguars, dragons, and wolves. A couple even sounded like bears.
A chill ran through me.
Something hard struck my head. White dots danced before my eyes. My eyelids closed, blanketing me in darkness.
Chapter 32
Katya
A sweet smell tickled my nose. I rolled over. Soft, warm blankets enveloped me. So did a pounding in my head. A fluffy pillow seemed to help the aching.
What was that aroma? It made my stomach rumble. Had Che made me breakfast?
Images from the forest flooded my mind. Jaguars, wolves, dragons, bears, witches, and trolls fighting.
I’d bowed before the alpha jaguar to offer myself in exchange for everyone else.
What had happened after that?
Had he accepted the deal? Was I now part of the family as a wife and baby-maker for a tyrannical husband?
My stomach twisted in such tight knots that not even the delicious smell could relax me. Food didn’t matter if I now had only a lifetime of servitude to look forward to. It would be worth it if my loved ones were safe—if my mom and dad could finally be together again. At least they would have Alley.
The anticipation was too much. I needed to open my eyes and see where I was. It was time to face reality.
I cracked open one eye. The strange room was dim, but there was enough light to see. I appeared to be alone. At least from the section of the room I could see.
The furniture appeared to be expensive, and everything was tidy.
I opened my other eye and sat up, scanning the room. More pricey items decorated the huge bedroom.
At least if I was going to be forced into a miserable marriage, I’d have nice things.
Somehow, that seemed like little consolation. I was only trying to make the horrible situation seem tolerable. It never would be. Not when my heart would always belong to Carter.
“You’re awake.”
I froze. The male voice came from right next to me—in the bed.
Fear tore through me.
Why couldn’t I have died in the woods?
“Katya.” The voice was gentle. Familiar.
I turned toward him. My gaze met the eyes of the man I loved more than life itself under the covers with me. I crumbled back onto the pillow, unable to hold myself up.
Carter brushed hair away from my face. “Are you okay?”
I gasped for air, unable to breathe. The only thing I could do was take in his sight. He was just as gorgeous as ever and had on no shirt. A blood-stained bandage wrapped around his torso.
Finally, I found my voice. “What happened? How’d we get here? Where is here?”
He scooted closer and pressed his lips on mine. “Toby’s mansion. We won. The few remaining members of your relatives ran away with their tails between their legs. They aren’t coming back.”
“Who’s left?”
“Not many. I killed their alpha. Not that he made it easy.” Carter rubbed his bandage. “But once the dragons arrived, victory came quickly. Between them and the witches, the other side didn’t stand a chance.”
“What about Josh? He helped me. I hope he’s safe.”
“He’s downstairs—he was a lot of help during the battle, too.”
Relief washed through me. I leaned my forehead against his. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
He kissed my cheek. “I’m better than okay. You’re alive and well, and those jaguars are gone for good. What more could I ask for?”
“What about my dad and Che? Your pack?”
“Your dad and Che are back at the hotel. They concocted a story about a hunting accident. Your mom and sister think you’re helping me recover from that.”
Sadness ran through me. “They can never know about us being shifters?”
Carter shook his head. “Not unless they witness something that we can’t explain away—such as one
of you shifting. It’s better that way.”
I nodded, understanding but hating it. “What about your pack? Is everyone okay?”
He cleared his throat. “We weren’t without casualties.”
I gasped. “You lost family because of this? Who?”
Carter rubbed his thumb along my jawline. “Don’t feel guilty. We all knew what we were getting into.”
Tears stung my eyes. “Who died?”
He wiped his eyes. “A couple guys you never met.”
“I need to know their names.”
Carter cleared his throat again. “Mateo and Dash.” His voice cracked. “They were wolfborns.”
It felt like a punch in the gut. “And now they’re dead because of me.”
“No, to keep you safe. To stand up for the freedom of shifters everywhere. Anywhere a shifter is in danger, it’s a cause our pack stands up against.”
I snuggled closer to him, pressing my ear against his bare chest and listening to his heartbeat. No matter how he tried to justify it, good shifters had died for me.
He ran his palm over the length of my hair a few times. “Don’t blame yourself. They wouldn’t want you to.”
“How do you know?”
“Because they were excited to fight for a cause. To help take down people like your fam—your relatives.”
I looked at him. “But still. They shouldn’t have had to pay the ultimate price.”
Carter pressed his mouth on mine and kissed me deeply. It took my breath away, and almost made me forget why I was upset. Almost.
His phone rang, and he reached over to a nightstand. “It’s your dad.” He swiped his finger across the screen. “Hey, Kevin… Uh-huh… Yeah, sure. Give us an hour.”
I arched a brow.
“Okay. See you then.” Carter ended the call and set his phone down. “We’re going to meet your family at the hotel. Your mom and sister are worried about you.”
“I’m sure they are.”
He kissed my forehead. “I’ll let you get the first shower. That dried blood in your hair will freak them out.”
My hand immediately went to the sorest spot on my head. Sure enough, my hair was stiff and a little sticky. “What happened?”
“Someone hit you in the head with a rock while the alpha had you pinned. I killed him before the alpha.”
My heart raced as I stared into the eyes of someone who loved me enough to actually kill for me.
He brushed his lips across mine. “Hurry up and get that shower. I told them we’d be there in an hour.”
I held his gaze as I climbed out of bed and headed into the bathroom. Inside, a pile of folded clothes awaited me.
Once dressed, I went back into the bedroom. Carter sat on the perfectly made bed, already showered, a tray of steaming food next to him.
“What’s this?”
He smiled. “Laura brought us up breakfast. I’d already put on fresh blankets, so now it’s breakfast on bed instead of in.”
“Sounds good to me.” I climbed over and snuggled against him.
Carter picked up a strawberry and fed it to me. I picked one up and dipped it in a little tray of melted chocolate. Smiling, I held it out for him but then took a bite myself.
He laughed. “You’re beyond adorable.”
“You think that’s adorable?”
“I do.”
“How about this?” I dipped another strawberry in the chocolate and leaned toward him, but at the last second, I smeared it across his face.
Carter grinned slyly. “Now you have to lick it off me.”
“You wish.” I put the fruit in his mouth and reached for another.
He dropped it on the tray, wrapped his arms around me and rolled me over. “Yes, I do wish.”
My cheeks heated, but I leaned closer and kissed the chocolate from his face. He then covered my face in kisses, stopping at my mouth.
Carter held my gaze. “I love you.”
“I love you more.”
He pressed his mouth on mine and deepened the kiss right away.
It sent a wave of warmth and excitement through me. My heart raced and threatened to explode out of my chest.
Carter sat up, pulling me with him, and he ran his fingertips from my ear to my chin.
A chill shivered its way across my whole body.
He traced my lips. “I can’t live without you. Now that I’ve tasted what life is like with you, I’ll never be able to go back to my boring, monotonous life.”
I kissed his fingertip. “You don’t have to.”
Carter stared into my eyes with an intensity I could feel to my core. “Will you marry me?”
My mouth gaped and my pulse raced through my body. He wanted to marry me?
“It doesn’t have to be today, or even before you graduate. But will you make me the happiest man alive?”
I threw my arms around him and kissed him. “Yes, yes! A thousand times, yes.”
He squeezed me tightly, then turned to the tray of food. “Where did Laura put that ring?”
It hadn’t been an impromptu proposal? He’d put enough thought into it to get a ring?
Carter dug around behind a napkin. “Found it.” He held up a gorgeous sparkling diamond engagement ring and slid it on my finger. “I hope you like it.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off it. “I love it almost as much as I love you.”
“It was my mother’s.”
I turned to him. “You want me to have your mom’s ring?”
He nodded. “As long as you’ll have me.”
“Forever and for always.” I gazed into his eyes. “Where are we going to spend the rest of our lives?”
Carter kissed my nose. “Here. The hotel. I don’t care as long as we’re together. Maybe we could travel to Central or South America to where the jaguar shifters originated. I’ve always been curious to visit the old ruins.”
“I like the way you think.”
His eyes lit up. “We could also check out Egypt. We have a lot of jaguar history there too. In fact, my friend the valkyrie loves it over there. She could show us around—you two will hit it off for sure.”
“That sounds like quite the adventure. I’d love to explore the world with you.”
I wrapped my arms around him again and kissed him passionately. I couldn't wait to be the wife of the most wonderful jaguar shifter in the world.
COVER REVEAL
Renegade Valkyrie Coming in 2018
Other Books
If you like the Curse of the Moon series, you might enjoy the Transformed series where it all began…
The Transformed Series
Main Series
Deception
Betrayal
Forgotten
Ascension
Duplicity
Sacrifice
Destroyed
Transcend
Entangled
Dauntless
Obscured
Partition
Standalones
Fallen
Silent Bite
Hidden Intentions
Saved by a Vampire
Sweet Desire
Curse of the Moon
Lost Wolf
Chosen Wolf
Hunted Wolf
Broken Wolf
Cursed Wolf
Secret Jaguar
The Gone Saga
The Gone Trilogy: Gone, Held, Over
Dean’s List
No Return
Alex Mercer Thrillers
Gone Saga spin-off
Girl in Trouble
Turn Back Time
Little Lies
Short Story Collection
Tiny Bites
Standalones
Haunted
Sweet Dreams
Love’s First Kiss
Lost in Romance
Visit StacyClaflin.com for details.
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Author’s Note
Thanks so much for reading Secret Jaguar. I’ve been looking forward to writing Carter’s story since he was first introduced in Lost Wolf. It was hard to wait, but it was well worth it! This won’t be the last we see of him or the others from the series, however. As was teased in the last chapter, we’re likely to see him Soleil’s series. (What do you think of that cover? Do you love it as much as I do?)
I can’t wait to dig in and start writing Soleil’s series. (If you haven’t yet read the earlier books in this series, be sure you do. They’ll give the background for what has Soleil in so much danger.)
While waiting for the new series, feel free to check out my other books—I’ve written over 40 at this point. I write in three genres: romance, thrillers, and of course paranormal! Similar themes run throughout most of my books, and many of my readers have found they enjoy new genres because my books tend to have similar undertones no matter the focus.
At this time, I’m writing When Tomorrow Starts Without Me, a standalone novel that’s slightly different than anything else I’ve written. It’s about a girl name Kenna who has nothing to live for, and when you find out her history, you’ll understand why she feels this way. Then she meets Rogan, who shows her life is worth living—after saving her life. But when Kenna’s past won’t stop haunting her, will she be able to find the strength to go on? Or will the demons win?
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Secret Jaguar (Curse of the Moon Book 6) Page 18
