Hunted by the Jaguar

by Bonnie Vanak

And now she’d tricked him again, leaving him fast asleep just like last time. Only this time, something evil lurked on the horizon. Something that would lash out with cruel claws and fangs and bring blood and suffering and death.

  Curse me for being a coward. I don’t know what to do, she thought, her breath hitching on a sob as she ran.

  Finally she slowed, her legs shaky, a burning pain in her side. Time, she needed time to think.

  Daimon needed her, but she needed the full truth. She had to know what drove him to lead a ragtag group of dying Jaguars. He was a powerful Ancient, a soldier for good. So why was he hooked up with prisoners?

  Searching for a stump, a rock to sit upon, she rounded a bend and saw the crossroads. A large black Ford truck drove slowly toward her.

  Her heart beat faster.

  The pickup ground to a halt. Two men jumped out, stalking toward her with menace. A third slid out of the driver’s seat and moved forward with lethal grace.

  Her heart pounded a warning. Ariana held out her hands, retreating.

  “Stay away from me.”

  Jarrett Lawson’s mouth curled into a satisfied smile. “Not a damn chance in hell.”

  As she turned to flee, they pounced on her, and she fell with a groan.

  Chapter Six

  After they’d bound her wrists with handcuffs, shackled her ankles and gagged her, Lawson’s men threw Ariana in the back of the truck. Lawson’s men had climbed into the front, their expressions blank. Dust flew up beneath the tires as he hit the gas. Their gazes met in the rearview mirror. From beneath his blond bangs, Jarrett’s brown eyes gleamed with purpose.

  “My men informed me you have a beautiful, but deadly voice, my little siren. I wish the gag were not so necessary. I have a hankering to taste your sweet mouth.”

  She wished the gag weren’t necessary so she could call him all the nasty names coming to mind. Ariana glanced at the door, the handles removed. Couldn’t even jump out.

  A plan, she needed a plan. Maybe her fogged brain could kick in by the time they reached…

  Lawson pulled into a narrow dirt road, parked. He shut off the engine. “Sal, Markson, go take a walk. I need a little alone time with my mate.”

  Cold dread snaked down her spine.

  As the men got out, they shifted into gray wolves and ran off into the pine trees. Lawson got out as well, opened the back door. Kicking her feet, she shuffled away from him. He grabbed her, forced her halfway out of the truck until her legs dangled over the sides. She kicked hard, but he pressed his heavy body atop hers.

  “You will be my mate. I need you, Ariana. My pack needs you.”

  He eased the gag off her mouth. Ariana licked her cracked lips. She opened her mouth to sing.

  Jarrett pressed his lips against hers.

  Oh, the wolf knew how to kiss. Coaxing, and licking, his tongue traced her bottom lip in a teasing caress. Gently, with subtle pressure, he deepened the kiss, urging her mouth to open to him.

  His tongue swept inside, flicking and retreating. With every plunge, he commanded and controlled. He would be a lethal opponent in bed and in battle, she dimly realized. But he kissed with purpose, not passion. Her breasts tingled as he palmed one, gently thumbing the nipple. Jarrett swept a hand down her body, beneath her rear and lifted her to his straining erection. Pleasure sang in her veins, a natural erotic response to the dominating pressure, the pleasure promised in his kiss.

  Yet beneath the surface burned no fire, no emotion like the kisses she’d shared with Daimon. Her body reacted, but her spirit did not. Only pity hummed deep inside.

  Jarrett broke the kiss, his dark eyes narrowing.

  Sighing, she reached up and touched his face. Lines creased his mouth. Ariana suddenly knew he was young but had lived a hard life. Her angelic half surged, filling her with white light. A vision shimmered in the distance.

  “She’s all right now. There is no more pain, no more suffering. She’s with your unborn child, and they await you on the other side, when your time comes. But you must not grieve anymore. You have work here yet to do. Her love for you will never die, Jarrett. She will always be with you, in your heart.”

  He blinked furiously, his body losing the tension. Moisture shimmered in his eyes as he stared in stricken confusion.

  “Chloe,” he whispered.

  Anguish radiated in every syllable. A single tear leaked from the corner of his eye. Jarrett brushed it away. “How do you know about her?”

  The spell broken, she blinked. “Her?”

  “Dammit. Those powers of yours, get her back.” His voice quavered. “Please.”

  The broken voice shattered her heart. Ariana shook her head. “I’m sorry, Jarrett. I can’t.”

  He closed his eyes, his jaw taut. Then they opened and narrowed with angry purpose.

  “So what? The past is gone. You’re all that matters now, Ariana. You and your demon half. What’s inside you will be released and then I’ll have enough power to defeat Daimon and kill every one of those jaguars.”

  Tears clogged her throat. Beneath the arrogant statement lurked a heart so shattered she wondered if it would ever mend. Her gentle spirit ached to ease his pain.

  Ariana cupped his face tenderly, soothing with her touch. Jarrett blinked and confusion settled over his face. For a moment, she saw hope there as well.

  But the moment ended when she heard the sound of the metal door being torn off its hinges. As the door was tossed aside, Ariana peeked over Jarrett’s shoulder. Daimon’s emerald eyes narrowed in pure rage.

  He threw Lawson out using his powers. The werewolf landed on hard ground with a surprised “umph!”

  Daimon reached inside, grabbed her hand. He gave no time to think or act as he helped her out of the truck. With a loud snap, her restraints fell off.

  “The car’s parked on the main road. Run and don’t look back.”

  The baritone pitch of his voice became lower, threatening as he watched Jarrett stand. Beneath his dark brows, Daimon’s eyes glittered with rage and then narrowed. The werewolf uttered a snarl that made the tiny hairs on her nape salute the air.

  This was going to get very ugly very fast.

  “He didn’t hurt me,” she told him.

  “You know better than to sniff around another woman, Lawson. My woman.”

  Jarrett sniffed the air. “She’s not yours. Yet.” The werewolf swayed on his feet as if caught in a terrible windstorm. Or a transformation.

  “I’m not a damn toy you can fight over,” she protested. Ariana bunched her fists, feeling the demon rise. She wanted to toss both of them on their behinds.

  She wanted to run far away and never look back.

  But the torment swirling in Daimon’s eyes caught and held her like a fly in a spider’s silky web. Something greater was at stake, and the white light inside her urged her to discover the truth.

  A painful truth both these men hid.

  A warning growl rumbled from Daimon’s deep chest. “Don’t force me to draw more blood, Jarrett.”

  Something flickered in the other’s gaze. “What does it matter anymore, cat? I’ve already lost everything that matters most to me. You know we’ll keep at this until one of us lies dead on the ground. You’ve already killed Sal and Markson.”

  “Banged their heads together. They’ll have a vicious headache, but nothing more.”

  Jarrett sneered. “I would have killed your men. I suppose you’ve grown soft. Soft in the head and soft in the crotch, which is why you haven’t made her your mate.”

  Ariana watched Daimon’s jaw turn to stone as he struggled to leash his temper. “I only want peace between our people.”

  “There will never be peace between us. If you want to mate with the woman first, fight me for her. Or I’ll summon my whole pack here.”

  “Your people can’t hurt me.”

  “Not me.” Jarrett glanced at her. “But I’m sure she bleeds red.”

  A low cough of fury rolled from Daimon.

&
nbsp; The transformation flashed before her startled eyes. A sleek, furred black jungle cat faced the muscled, powerful gray wolf. Lips drew back in snarls, showing fangs and teeth. Ariana backed away.

  The two beasts charged each other, powerful bodies clashing in a smack of muscle and sinew. Spitting and snarling, they fought. Claws slashed down, ripping through fur. Their beasts unleashed, the jaguar and wolf tangled together in feral anger.

  They fought over her, over the right to mate with her. Ariana clapped her hands over her ears at the sound of their panting breaths as they collided. Daimon had the advantage, but Jarrett was powerful, fast and would never relent.

  Then he retreated and gave a short, eerie howl.

  Calling the pack. Daimon snarled and charged, tipping the wolf back before he could finish. The cat’s powerful jaws clamped around the wolf’s throat.

  One move and Jarrett was dead. Yet the jaguar did not bite down. He remained still, as if the logical man and the wild beast struggled for control

  She could stop this by releasing her demon. The darkness longed to sink claws into Jarrett, strip away his flesh for abducting her. Ariana’s body tensed. She must not. Daimon didn’t want bloodshed; he wanted peace. He could easily rip Jarrett to pieces, but did not. She must find out why these two packs were trapped here.

  The white light sang inside her. Ariana’s tension fled. She let go, opened her mouth and began to sing.

  Serenity flowed through her with each note. The clear, angelic melody filled the air, halted the thudding of dozens of paws tearing through the forest to aid Jarrett. Daimon released his grip on the wolf, backed away, shaking his head as if to free himself from her music. Jarrett, panting and bleeding, lay on the ground. His brown eyes slowly closed and the wolf slept.

  She sang louder, weaving her siren’s spell around Daimon. He staggered on all fours toward her, his eyes blinking furiously. Ariana walked toward him, her music coaxing his eyes to close. Stubborn resolve kept him upright. With a sweet wash of notes, she approached the big cat and gave him a gentle push.

  “Timber,” she sang out.

  Daimon tumbled downward, crashing onto the forest floor. Pine needles and dirt flew outward.

  Still she sang, for the song gave her strength, filled her body with powerful white light. She jogged to the roadway, carrying the big cat over one shoulder as if he weighed no more than a housecat.

  She found where he’d parked his Jag on the main road. Ariana dumped Daimon onto the dirt. After opening the door, she sagged against the car and fell silent.

  The white light that had given her incredible strength was now fading, the customary weakness settling into her limbs. She could not heft more than two-hundred pounds of muscled feline into the car.

  Soon the wolf pack would awaken and race after them. The only safety lay within the jaguars’ fenced prison compound.

  Ariana climbed on all fours over to the sleeping jaguar. His sides rose and fell as he breathed deeply. She prayed he would not instinctively lash out as she leaned over his head, inhaling the musky scent of animal and Daimon. Her lips came close to the rounded edge of his ear.

  She bit down hard.

  With a coughing roar, he woke up. She scrambled back, dirt and gravel digging into her tender palms.

  Sleek fur faded, transforming into a naked, furious man with dark, wavy hair and a long, bloody scratch across his neck. Daimon glared at her.

  “Goddammit, what the hell were you thinking?”

  Fury sparkled in his eyes. Tension gripped every muscle, as if he fought to rein in his temper. Not doing a very good job, she thought.

  “Thought that would be obvious,” she croaked out. “I was saving your ass. It’s a very nice ass and I thought it was worth saving.”

  Daimon ran over to her, his dark brows knitting. Fingers explored her body, gently probing the skin, his eyes sweeping over her body. When he saw the faint ligature marks on her wrists, he growled.

  “Daimon, he didn’t hurt me.”

  “When I woke up and saw you were gone… I panicked. Ariana, he had you. Lawson had you, he could have killed you.”

  “Killing me wasn’t his intent. I think he wanted you dead.” She rubbed her swollen mouth, remembering the brutality of the werewolf’s kiss. “Fighting him was a bad idea. It was a stupid, macho thing to do.”

  Expecting a bristling response, she was surprised at his stricken look. “I know. And now there will be a price to pay. My stupid pride, it got us into trouble again.”

  A distant, haunting howl split the air. Fear clogged her throat.

  “They’re waking up. We’ve got to get back.” Daimon stood, gesturing to the car. “Get in.”

  “Ah, slight problem, Einstein. My legs don’t seem to be cooperating.”

  Snarls wended through the thick pine trees. A cool wind brushed the branches, sending showers of pine needles downward. Ariana felt herself picked up and deposited into the front seat. The car door slammed, then he raced to the driver’s side.

  “Hurry,” she urged as he climbed in. “How fast are they?”

  Daimon started the engine. “Not as fast as a jag.”

  “They don’t eat cars, do they?”

  “They’re strong enough.”

  Growls sounded as she turned and saw what looked like a hundred wolves racing toward them. One leaped onto the trunk, saliva dripping from its opened jaws. It smashed its powerful body against the back window. A spiderweb of cracks showed.

  “Dammit, I just got this car washed,” Daimon muttered.

  She screamed as another wolf jumped onto the trunk, clawing at the cracked window. Daimon pressed on the gas and took off. The wolves spilled onto the roadway.

  Others raced behind them, jaws open, teeth snapping at the air as the car sped away. She cranked her head, watched them fall behind.

  Cold dread filled her. The pack would strike again. Jarrett wanted her badly, and would not stop.

  Behind her eyes hovered a new vision, one deep with striations of crimson.

  Death.

  Chapter Seven

  When they reached the lodge, Ariana had regained some strength. Inside the garish green-and-purple bedroom, Daimon examined her. He picked up her wrists, frowned at the faint ligature marks. His thumbs stroked over them.

  “Bastard, daring to touch you.” His fierce gaze went to her kiss-swollen mouth. “I can smell him on you. Did he do anything more?”

  “He didn’t hurt me. It was just a kiss.”

  “Just a kiss.” He slid a hand over the nape of her neck, began a slow massage. Beneath the soothing strokes, tension fled. Ariana leaned against him.

  “He’s hurting. Deeply.”

  “Enough of him. I’m worried more about you. Why did you leave, Ariana?”

  She sensed hurt behind the words. “You only wanted to seduce me for my powers. Like Jarrett. I’m not a toy both of you can fight over.”

  Like a flower on a wilting stem, her head tipped back as he kneaded her tight muscles.

  “Not now. The first time we’d made love.”

  The ceiling had a mirror, she realized. Kinky. Certainly did not add to the weird decor.

  Daimon stopped massaging and instead turned her around, cupping her face. “Ariana?”

  “You scared me. Us, scared me. It felt—” she nibbled on her lower lip, watching his hungry gaze track the move “—so good, but consuming. Everything inside me rose up, including the demon.”

  His fingers caressed her skin slowly. “I’d never hurt you. Why are you afraid?”

  “I promised my mother, long ago. You don’t know what she gave up for me, Daimon.” Ariana closed her eyes, the tightness in her chest swelling. “I was the last triplet born, and almost died. My lungs weren’t developed enough. She gave me her sweetest gift. Her breath. She breathed life into me, and gave me her music, so I would live.”

  “She was a beautiful soul. I kept my promise to her as well.” Daimon leaned close so their foreheads touched. “She alw
ays worried about you, being alone when your sisters played. I was prowling the forest one day—”

  “When I freed you from that nasty snare.”

  “Which I could have freed myself from, but couldn’t resist your kindness. But you didn’t know your mother met me afterward. She knew who I was, and made me promise to never hurt you. I made a solemn vow I’d always be there to guard your steps, Ariana. To be there when you needed me.”

  She lifted her gaze to study his solemn face. “I never realized how much I’d need you, either. Not just your body, not just for sex. Not your powers. It’s something I hate admitting to myself, but I do. All of you.”

  Wonder filled her. For the first time, she longed to let go, find release instead of locking herself up..

  Daimon bent his head, nuzzled her neck. “I can smell him on you. Wolf. You must shower.”

  “A shower sounds good.”

  The main bathroom was shining white marble, with a glassed shower big enough to host a party. She gave him an inquiring look.

  “Nice bathroom, but the bedroom…”

  “Ah, that.” He grinned. “I think the lodge’s decor was part of the Society’s punishment. I renovated extensively, except for your bedroom. Theo liked it. It reminded him of his daughter.”

  He turned on the spray. “She was only ten when he was imprisoned.”

  “And the mirror?”

  Another wicked grin. “That was my special touch. I installed it before tracking you down.”

  “You’re so bad.”

  “Yes.” He nodded at the spray, stepped out of the enclosure and began to strip.

  “Daimon, what are you doing?”

  He shot her an innocent look. “You’ll need someone to wash your back. I need to ensure all of Lawson’s scent is off you.”

  Ariana tried not to look. Useless. First the shirt, showing a firm chest darkened with crisp hair, feathering down to a narrow line that vanished below the waistband of his tight jeans. Muscles studded his flat stomach. His biceps flexed as he tugged the shirt over his head.

  Daimon unbuckled his jeans, pulled them down past narrow hips.