Bloodhunter

by Vonna Harper

  Ah, a feline nose pressing into the small of her back, a male penis plundering her core, her thighs working and her head back, breathing open-mouthed. Heat, all heat sliding into every pore and losing herself in her muscles’ effort and the predator’s breath chasing over her spine.

  Fucking, fucking, everything movement and determination and lifting and being lifted, pussy muscles relentlessly contracting and relaxing, releasing the jaguar’s fur so she could wrap her arm around the solid neck.

  Sliding off into nothing, into dark and light, reds and blacks and multi-colored explosions and three lungs working as one.

  Over and over again.

  Dana had showered before she risked looking at the back of her shoulder in the mirror. Yes, there indeed were several indentations where the jaguar of her “dream” had bitten her. Even more telling was the dark bruising around the marks. Despite the hot water she’d let run over them, her thigh muscles still ached, and she’d broken a fingernail—from gripping the jaguar’s fur? Her pussy had been used. But her dream lover must not have brought her to climax because she was uneasy in her skin, and if she wasn’t afraid she’d spend the day doing that one thing, she would already be masturbating.

  At least she had plans for the next few hours, she reminded herself as she reached for her clothes. First order of business: to see how Aztec had weathered the night in his new enclosure.

  Being relocated had done nothing for Aztec’s mood, as witnessed by his ceaseless pacing. When she’d first climbed the observation tower, she’d half-believed she was going to conduct herself as nothing more than a photojournalist, but how could she take so many pictures of the sinewy body without absorbing the emotion running through it?

  This wasn’t just a primitive wild animal, an example of how much man’s influence had changed that animal’s world. Aztec symbolized lost freedom, but it was even more than that. His desperate search for a different existence mirrored what she’d been feeling for longer than she cared to admit.

  “I understand,” she muttered, although at the moment she couldn’t see the jaguar. “I have so much of my father in me, wanting new experiences, seeking fresh knowledge. I doubt if you’re looking for anything so sophisticated, but I can’t help thinking you’ll understand when I say that neither of us is comfortable in our skin.”

  As if on cue, awareness of her body between her legs sprang to the forefront. Not caring whether anyone might see, she widened her stance and clamped her hand over herself. Feeling heat through the denim only increased her frustration.

  “It isn’t just sex.” Whether she was now talking to herself or Aztec or both of them didn’t matter. “Maybe I’ve been jumping Nacon’s bones because I hope shagging him will make me forget how tight my skin feels.” Looking around, she half expected to see Nacon heading her way. “What I need goes beyond physical gratification. Maybe it’s that way for you. Having a mate and being able to fuck might satisfy you for a short while, but it isn’t enough, is it?”

  Then what is?

  Because she knew a headache would be her only reward if she went looking for the answer, she closed her eyes and concentrated on rubbing, rubbing, bringing herself close to a climax with her clothes on and even closer to mind-numbing frustration. And when she couldn’t stand it anymore, she opened her eyes and brought her world back into focus.

  Aztec, standing as close to the observation tower as the high fencing allowed, looking at her with his beautiful and deadly eyes.

  “I love you,” she whispered. “And that’s the hell of it.”

  Night brought no peace, and although Dana had spent the past couple of hours informing herself that she absolutely wasn’t going to do this insane thing, here she was, climbing the gate that isolated Aztec from the rest of the world.

  “Dad? If you’re tapped into me tonight, I’d appreciate a sign. I might be losing it. Hell, I am losing it. Believing I have more in common with a jaguar than any human being, even Nacon.”

  Nacon?

  What was it about his name that made it impossible for her to concentrate on the task of hanging on and finding adequate toeholds as she inched her way up the metal fencing? She’d already thought about Nacon more than she’d wanted to today, and here he was again, challenging her to weather the distraction of his allure without falling.

  By force of will or maybe determination not to break any bones, she managed to shove Nacon and his impact aside until she’d reached the top and started down the other side. Then, although it was much too early for her physical well-being, Nacon lapped at her nerve endings again. Because she didn’t dare try to shake him off, she had no choice but to finish her descent with him alongside.

  There, terra firma under her tennis shoes!

  And now what?

  Hand over her mouth, she headed toward where she’d last seen Aztec today. If anyone saw her, she’d be fired and chased down by the white-clad men with butterfly nets, maybe at the same time. She couldn’t possibly explain to Rose why she was doing what she was because she didn’t understand it herself.

  But maybe Nacon did.

  “I don’t feel fully human anymore,” she whispered, hand still over her mouth. “Maybe you’re responsible, you and Aztec. And maybe what I’m going through is something that’s been waiting to happen for a long time.”

  Hearing the words caused her to start and then nod. Maybe that’s what her restlessness boiled down to, an impending shape shifting, a sloughing off of a skin that had never been fully comfortable and searching for one that fit—a jaguar’s skin?

  “Is that what my tattoo’s about?” Struck by the desperation in her question, she had no choice but to acknowledge how much she needed Nacon’s support and understanding and wisdom. “Yours is identical so maybe you’ve gone through or are going through the same thing. Is that why the sex between us is as powerful as it is, because we feed off each other?”

  Awareness flitted through her to send goose bumps over her shoulders. Head high and eyes constantly moving, she scanned her surroundings. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she thought she could see more clearly than she ever had. True, the moon was nearly full, but there were still countless shadows—shadows she was able to penetrate.

  There. That magnificent wild form.

  On the brink of welcoming Aztec, she took closer note of his stance. He was on the move, slow and deliberate with his body low to the ground and his head high, mouth open, nostrils flared.

  Stopping, she watched the creature she wanted to believe knew her as well as she knew herself. But instead of feeling a kinship with him, the truth insisted she listen.

  Aztec was stalking her.

  Damn, damn fool! He isn’t a symbol or spirit! He’s a wild animal and you’re dinner.

  Almost as soon as the thought settled in her, she relaxed. Yes, Aztec was a meat eater, but he’d never kill her. They’d connected; they had so much in common; she’d imprinted her skin with his likeness; he’d held her flesh in his mouth.

  Cooling night air brushed her neck and throat as she turned and faced what might be either her death or salvation. Aztec was maybe a hundred feet away and moving with a grace only he was capable of. But as incredible as his eyes were, she couldn’t tell what, if anything, he was thinking.

  Don’t get carried away by fantasy, damn it. Stay in the real world and face real issues.

  Aztec had been alone for so long. Except for when man with their weapons and drugs forced their will on him, he was locked within his solitude. If it was her, she wouldn’t trust anyone, especially not the foolish woman who’d climbed into his world.

  “I love you. Do you truly understand the meaning of the word love?” Although her fingers clenched, she kept her arms at her sides and relaxed her muscles as much as she could. “It means, in part, that I trust you.” I want to trust you.

  The words were still fading when she noted his lashing tail—proof that he was in attack mode? But although part of her wanted to run, a stronger force kept
her in place. “My life’s in your claws and teeth, my beauty. That’s what trust is about, believing we’ve connected. Deeply.”

  Ah, those mysterious primal eyes. Teeth and claws designed for one thing and muscled legs built for incredible speed.

  “You’re beautiful. And deadly. But that’s part of your appeal.”

  As he continued his measured approach, she dropped to her haunches and held out her hands. Unfortunately, from this position, she couldn’t see the details of his muscled body, so she straightened again. Absolutely no, she told herself; she hadn’t stood up so she might stand the slightest chance of surviving an attack.

  Foot by foot, sometimes inch by inch, Aztec destroyed the distance between them. She now heard him breathing and the faintest sound of his great spreading paws landing on the ground. Even his fur seemed to whisper his approach. Beautiful and deadly, life and death, energy and blood.

  He was hypnotizing her. Even as she denied that it was happening, she relaxed. Her strength seemed to be oozing from her, and she could no more turn away than she could fly. He’d become her world, her only existence. And maybe the end to her life.

  Meshing and flowing, not body parts, but a single and seamless whole. More a part of the earth than any human could ever comprehend, intense, inescapable.

  What would being killed by him feel like? Would there be pain or would shock render her numb? Yes, she’d feel betrayed, but the betrayal wouldn’t last and then it would all be over. She’d cease to exist.

  A feathery heat snaked through her nerves to pull her out of the jaguar-controlled lethargy. No, she didn’t want to cease to exist. She wasn’t ready to die.

  She was opening her mouth to tell Aztec that when not just the lines of his body, but his surroundings as well, blurred. The haze was dark red morphing into black, but unlike any night she’d ever experienced. Needing to be part of the haze, she took a forward step, but couldn’t manage another.

  Chapter Twelve

  Nacon stood beside the slowly re-emerging Aztec. The man was naked, strong and tall with his shoulders back and his arms, like hers, at his sides, but not fisted. He was looking at her, of course, but she didn’t think he was taking note of how she was dressed. Instead, his gaze sliced past fabric and flesh and found her heart, maybe her soul as well.

  “I’ve been waiting for you,” he said.

  “I didn’t know you were here. I couldn’t sense you.”

  “Because I wanted you to focus on Aztec.”

  The jaguar no longer stalked her. Instead, the beast all but stood on his toes with his head tilted to one side as if concentrating on the human conversation. Although he must be aware of Nacon’s physical presence, he gave no indication. To her relief, the big cat seemed more easy in his skin than he’d been before. Was Nacon responsible for the change? He’d given the jaguar the connection with something living that he craved?

  Maybe, she concluded, but sensed that the union between man and animal went deeper than that.

  “Did you know what I was going to do tonight?” she asked.

  “If you’re asking if I somehow controlled your actions so I could get you in here, the answer is no. I don’t work that way.”

  Although she wasn’t sure of that, she said nothing about the power he held over her will. Her body was warning and awakening, muscles and tendons meshing into pure energy while her mind hummed and vibrations echoed throughout her. She wanted Nacon as she’d never wanted a man before, and yet she could be patient. One step at a time, one experience playing out before another began, anticipation and hunger feeding her heat.

  Nacon wasn’t beautiful, not in the primal way that made Aztec so magnificent, and yet she’d never seen a more perfect man. His body was designed for joining with hers, his strength fueling her weaker body, his cock created to fill her empty places. Fighting and sinking into sexual awareness at the same time, she let out her breath and wasn’t surprised to hear a growl instead of a sigh. After all, this wasn’t a place or time for a civilized woman.

  Had she ever been one? She couldn’t remember.

  “I don’t know what this is about,” she admitted. “Everything is so new. The way I feel is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.” She didn’t know how many feet remained between them; more than she could kill in a single step, not enough for her to have a chance of escaping his hold over her—not that she wanted to.

  “It’s new to me, too.”

  “You’ve never drawn a woman to you the way you’re doing to me?”

  “I told you; I’ve been more dead than alive for a long, long time. Now that I’m awake and aware, you’re the center of that awareness.”

  Strangely, with his honest words, she relaxed a bit. At least she no longer felt so off-balance. If she thought too much about what was taking place, she risked losing what little remained of her sanity, so she listened to the night and her body’s song as she fully accepted that something otherworldly had brought them together.

  Something took ownership of her feet and carried her to man and animal. She’d been this close to Aztec before, hadn’t she? At least she had in her dreams. And yet she didn’t remember his animal smell or waves of something, maybe energy, emanating from him. Reaching out, she ran her hand into his fur. Although his coat was so thick that she couldn’t reach his flesh, she sensed the muscled strength at his core.

  “He’s magnetic, isn’t he?” Nacon said.

  “In every way possible. I—I wasn’t sure anyone else, especially a man, would feel that way.”

  “Oh, I do.”

  Of course he did, she acknowledged with her fingers still buried in the thick pelt. Something rare existed between Nacon and Aztec. She might have taken the careful approach and told herself the connection had come about because of Nacon’s tattoo, but that only touched the surface. There was a brotherhood between the two of them, maybe shared experiences.

  Shared experience? Shared history? Maybe the same destiny?

  Dragging her gaze from the cat who was regarding her with what seemed to be a bemused expression, she again concentrated on Nacon. “What is the connection between the two of you? Whatever it is, it’s powerful. You wouldn’t have brought me this far if you intended to keep that from me. I want—I’d love to be part of it.”

  “You already are. Don’t you know that?”

  How do you expect me to know anything? she nearly threw at him, but he was right, at least up to a point. Instead of voicing any of the questions pressing at her, she held out her hand and he took it. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen Nacon and Aztec as equals or fantasized or dreamed about what sex with both of them would be like, but although she was in awe of the jaguar, the layers between her and Nacon were much denser.

  “Sex between us is so intense that I have a hard time thinking about anything else,” she told him. “And even when everything’s taking place in my mind—do you know what my dreams are like?—I feel overwhelmed. Out of control.”

  With his slow nod, she believed he felt the same way; he wasn’t manipulating her thoughts or fantasies or whatever they were.

  “It’s kind of like knowing you’re going to fall off a cliff, but not being able to do anything about it.” She tried a laugh that died too quickly for either of them to believe it.

  “A fall’s frightening. Is that how you feel when it’s you and me?”

  Strange how a simple hand holding could connect her with every part of his body. Much as she enjoyed the sensation, it made it even harder for her to concentrate on the things she believed needed to be said. “More like overwhelming. Kind of like—Nacon, if I was sane, I would have never climbed into Aztec’s enclosure. Look at him. He’s designed for one thing, to kill. What the hell’s happening to me?”

  The way his eyes narrowed made her think he believed she was blaming him for the insanity she’d been experiencing, but damn it, maybe she was. And blaming herself. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” she asked when his expression didn’t fade. />
  “I’m not here to analyze what’s happening between us, Dana. Don’t forget, I come from a time and place when the Aztecs believed in and followed their gods’ laws. Life was harsh, but simple. Our tattoos—it all boils down to that.”

  Our tattoos? Was it really that simple? Yes, she concluded, and no. Drawing her hand out of Aztec’s fur, she ran her fingers over the denim covering the mark on her hip. Nacon watched intently, as did Aztec. The longer she stroked herself, the more her self-awareness grew, but if she pulled off her jeans, would Nacon’s cock be buried in her within seconds? The frenzy, the damnable frenzy between them had to stop. Or at least slow down enough that she could gain some measure of control.

  And yet when he took hold of her forearms and drew her closer so he could attend to the zipper, she didn’t protest, but stood shaking with her toes digging into the soles of her shoes. Lightning and thunder seemed to be colliding in and around her, something akin to static electricity making the hairs on her arms stand up. When he’d brought the zipper to the end of its journey and started guiding the waistband over her hips, she moved in practiced rhythm until the garment clung to her thighs.

  Keeping his hands on her for support, he crouched so he could untie her shoes. Then she balanced herself with a hand on his head and stepped out of them. This disrobing, this unabashed preparing for sex, made it impossible for her to concentrate on anything else, yet she felt Aztec’s gaze on her breasts and belly.

  You aren’t just an animal, you can’t be. Why do you exist and why have we come together?

  Nacon’s fingers sliding under her panties’ waistband stopped her wordless questions. Nacon had settled himself on his knees, and he’d slid her jeans all the way to her knees while she wasn’t paying attention. The stiff fabric acted as a restraint, not that she wanted or could do anything except wait for him.