Her blue eyes sought the black of his and her hatred for the jaguar sizzled. “I will never submit willingly to such filth.”
“I wouldn’t dream of you submitting willingly … that would take all the fun out of it, don’t you think?” His laughter fell over her like sharp glass and she felt the heat of his breath on her face.
Skye closed her eyes. She wasn’t strong enough physically to defeat the bastard on top of her. She braced herself and sought the place of calm that resided
in her mind. He would use her body, but she would plot and find a way out of this. There was no other option.
An unholy roar rent the air and bounced off the rock face. It was full of power and Skye felt the warrior atop her go still. Something new stalked this evening and she waited, hoping an opportunity for escape would present itself.
Her eyes cracked open and she watched as a furious snarl erupted from the man on top of her. His large hands ground into her skull once more and he cracked her head hard against the rock she lay against. The pain was immediate and Skye felt her sanity slip away as the scent of blood filled the air. A deep sadness leeched from her heart into every cell of her body, but she could do nothing about it.
She would fail her father and their people.
And she would die this night.
The heavy weight left her as the warrior sprang from her, his body shifting into the mist. She fought the darkness that lingered around the edges of her mind, knowing her one chance for survival was fast slipping away. But her body wasn’t working and her mind was slow.
She could hear the sounds of battle: screams, roars, and a fight that sounded savage in its simplicity as flesh pounded against flesh. Skye inhaled deeply and forced her brain to work through the fog. She urged her limbs into work mode and lurched forward, her eyes automatically seeking out the enemy.
What she saw left her speechless. Two large jaguars were locked in a fight to the death.
To her left was the body of the jaguar she’d killed. Her gaze flew back to the two snarling animals and she began to inch away. Her legs slid down the slippery rock and she drifted into the water once more. Once she was in, she began to swim toward the ledge of the waterfall.
An insane and painful roar erupted from behind her and Skye quickly glanced back in time to see one of the jaguars crushing the skull of the other. The beast stood above its kill and its eyes sought hers through the mist and dark that enveloped her.
Something slithered through her as she locked onto the strange green eyes that shone brightly like beacons. The jaguar stood there, panting and barking its victory. It started pacing along the embankment, and it growled deep from its belly but never broke eye contact with her.
If Skye didn’t know better, she’d say it felt as if the animal were warning her of danger. She shook her head. All jaguars were evil. They lived to hunt and kill. They could take human form, yes, but there was nothing remotely human about them.
Her feet scraped along the shallow bottom as she neared the edge of the falls, and slowly she stood. The animal roared its disapproval and jumped into the cool depths of the water, its body encircled with mist as it glided toward her. Skye glanced below and tried not to acknowledge her fear of the long, dark, and dangerous drop.
Her head felt dull, thick with pain, and she shook herself, her eyes once more drawn to the wall of mist. Sparks seemed to fly from within, and she was taken aback as a tall, lean, incredibly ripped and naked man slid from the fog to stand before her. His green eyes glowed with a feral fire and her heart began to beat a rhythm that left her breathless.
He moved toward her with sinuous grace and Skye panicked. She took a step back and teetered on the edge, feeling the water twirl around her feet as it cascaded below. The man stopped and she noticed his tattoos through the darkness that separated them.
They clawed their way up abs that looked as if they were carved from stone. Black symbols that caressed taut muscle.
He was a jaguar warrior. She had no other choice. Skye inhaled a ragged breath and murmured to herself, “Watch over me, Daddy,” before closing her eyes. And then she jumped.
Chapter 2
The tall, powerful male shook his head aggressively. His skin shimmered as the last remnants of jaguar slipped from his limbs, the soft black fur rippling away in silence. Water sprayed out into a fine mist around his body and settled in a silvery sheen that coated his flesh in an eerie glow.
Jagger Castille had not taken his human form in almost two months. Hell, it could have been six months. He’d lost track of time and quite possibly his grip on reality.
His eyes burned with a fire that lit them with an intensity that seemed frenetic. The scent of the woman lay heavy in his mind, and he felt an unmistakable twinge as his body hardened with a need long denied.
Thin tendrils of fog crept forward from the mouth of the cave he’d called home for the past two months, and lapped at the water that rose up to his thighs. A few drops of moisture fell into his eyes and he impatiently wiped them away as he slowly moved toward the edge of the falls.
His hair had grown since he’d been in the jungle and was now touching the tops of his shoulders. The blue black waves were a far cry from the crisp military cut he normally sported.
He snorted; that seemed like a lifetime ago.
His ears perked and he listened intently, waiting for a splash. He knew the terrain here well, and if the female survived the fall, it would be a miracle. There was not a lot of room from the center of the falls out to the sides and there were large boulders below that would break her body into pieces if she landed on them. The pool at the bottom was deep where the water circled before heading toward yet another waterfall that went straight down the mountain, well over one thousand feet.
If she were to have a chance of living, he’d have to act now.
He moved forward, frustrated because his body seemed sluggish as it took time to adjust to his human form. Jagger was well over six feet in height, and his center of gravity was extremely different from that of his jaguar.
He stood atop the falls, on the precipice of indecision. His mind was at war with his body and he shuddered as images began to assault him, ones he cared not to revisit ever again. Small slivers of his past rippled through his brain and he cursed at his weakness.
He could literally taste hot desert in his mouth, the sand so thick he felt like choking. He once more saw explosions, blood, his brothers; all of it converged and formed a collage of confusion.
And Eden, the one he’d tried to forget the most. Her face, deathly pale as her life fled quickly. Even then, she’d looked at him like he was some kind of hero.
He almost took a step back.
But the woman’s scent triggered something buried inside of him, a protective instinct that was only enhanced by the fact that the two jaguars who had attacked her belonged to the DaCosta clan. Just thinking of them brought a savage snarl to his handsome face. His mouth broke into a smile that not wholly conveyed pleasure, but nonetheless fit his mood.
Without further thought Jagger ran forward and leapt over the edge of the slippery cliff, his body streaking down three hundred feet, until water closed over his head.
The water was chilled but refreshing, and he welcomed the purity of it as it slithered over his long body. He was heavy and went deep, but with a few quick, strong kicks his body rose to the surface seconds later, and he broke through.
The night had become quiet. He noticed the lack of sound immediately and his eyes automatically scanned the perimeter of the large basin, running over the rock face and embankment in quick succession as his arms began to slice through the wetness that surrounded him. There was no moon this evening, but his eyes penetrated the gloom, his enhanced vision moving along quickly as he searched for any sign of the woman.
He was almost to the side when a sliver of something caught at his peripheral vision and he swung closer to where the water gathered and moved quickly toward the second drop.
There! Near the edge!
Long blond hair snaked out, riding the top of the water and drifting toward certain death. Without pause, Jagger accelerated and grabbed the woman’s arm just as the tug of the stream would have lifted her over the edge.
She was unconscious, and his nose inhaled the scent of blood. He gathered her close and began to swim against the current, his eyes seeking out the path he’d used many times before. He could feel her heartbeat against his chest; it was faint but steady, and as he glided through the silent night, his eyes raked over the features he’d not seen clearly before.
Her eyes were closed but he didn’t need to see them open to know she was one hell of a looker. A straight patrician nose was accentuated by high cheekbones, wide-set eyebrows and lush, killer lips.
Her breasts were crushed against him and he could feel their softness and the fact that they were a little more than a handful.
Just the way he liked them.
Even as the thought crossed his brain he could feel her nipples harden against his naked flesh, and his own body, already tense with need, answered in kind.
The animal inside, still so close to the edge, roared in frustration and his skin began to burn as his jaguar railed against being confined. He’d been too long in animal form and the savagery shocked him. He pushed the beast back, cursing the way his body was behaving. Not liking any of the sensations that pulled at him now.
Things were so much simpler when he’d become one with his jaguar. After the DaCosta compound attack and subsequent destruction, he’d woken up, deep in the jungle, and hadn’t returned to his human form.
He’d not remembered his human side for several weeks after, but even when he did, Jagger had had no desire whatsoever to return to his old life.
He’d welcomed the fierceness of his jaguar blood, and thrived on the wild nature that was left wide open to roam and to hunt, and slowly he’d felt his grip on reality begin to fade. He truly thought he’d never answer the call from his other half again.
As time moved on, his humanity had slowly slipped away, and truthfully, he’d been happy to just be and live with the status quo.
He couldn’t even explain why, he only knew he needed this. His body and mind were tired of war, tired of conflict, and he’d seen enough death and destruction to last a lifetime. Losing people you cared about just wasn’t worth it anymore.
He was done with it.
He’d felt guilt as he thought of his family. His brother, Julian, along with Cracker and Declan, had come back several weeks earlier, and he’d avoided detection by them, wanting only to be left alone.
He had existed peacefully with the vast array of animals that inhabited the dense mountain terrain he’d come to love. He had even made his way north, down the mountains and into the lush rain forest that caressed the lower lands. A jaguar refuge was deep in the heart of the Cayo district and he had spent time amongst his animal kind.
They knew what he was—a shifter, neither fully animal nor human—and they’d steered clear of him. Jaguars were pretty much a solitary breed but he had enjoyed knowing they were nearby.
Yeah, his self-imposed exile had been a long time coming and he felt a flash of resentment run through him as he hauled his body out of the water, still cradling the unconscious woman. What the hell was he going to do with her?
The animal inside of him cried out at the thought, wanting only to do one thing, needing to free the tension that rode both of them hard. Jagger clenched his teeth and hissed as his body began to throb with a hunger that he wasn’t sure he’d be able to control. His gaze passed over her face once more, and with superhuman effort, he managed to keep his emotions at bay and picked his way up the slippery, smooth rocks until his feet landed upon warm, moist earth.
His eyes were constantly on the move, and even though the surrounding forest was eerily quiet, he sensed no danger. He grasped the woman tightly and swallowed a groan at the sensation of her soft, wet skin sliding against his hard flesh.
Without further thought he climbed back up the side of the mountain, his long legs eating the distance in less than five minutes. Once he’d gained the top of the waterfall, the scent of the two dead jaguars clung heavily to the humid air and surrounding mist.
He strode forward, his shoulders squared and nostrils flared as rage simmered along the edges of his mind.
Dirty filth! How dare they creep into his domain and foul his small corner of paradise with their DaCosta stink. His eyes found themselves once more regarding the unconscious woman he held so close to his chest.
Her scent was tantalizing in its simplicity and he frowned slightly, sensing something a bit off. He lowered his head until his face was merely inches from hers and without thinking, closed the remaining space between them as his nose nuzzled the soft cheek that lay there.
Her skin was cool to the touch and he savored the feminine texture, drawing her essence deep into his lungs. There was no false scent clinging to her skin, no manufactured perfumes to cover the unique and musky odor that was all her own. She was of the earth, the sky, and his body began to quiver in excitement.
The cat clawed at him hard and his skin began to shimmer and burn. He felt his fingernails begin to grow and he growled loudly, pushing the animal back once more.
Jagger tore his face from hers and his eyes landed on the corpse near the edge of the pool of water. He jumped over a large boulder and quickly made his way inside the dark opening of his cave. Here the air was cool and he deposited the still form near the back where he usually slumbered.
Returning outside, he made quick work of the bodies, dragging them down the side of the mountain and into the thick, silent forest. He disposed of them, leaving the remains on display at the edge of his territory as a warning to all.
He would not tolerate any form of human jaguar in his domain. If the DaCostas were starting to make noise once more, he was more than ready to battle.
It was almost an hour later when Jagger returned to the cave, silently returning to where he had left the woman. She was still unconscious, and he found her balled into the fetal position, her skin damp, and shivering with cold.
He knelt down beside her, probing the back of her head with his fingers, and she winced, jerking uncontrollably when he passed over a wound at the back. Her hair was matted here, stiff and sticky with blood, but the wound had stopped seeping.
Jagger sighed softly. What the hell was he going to do with her? He rocked back on his haunches, his face a mask of indecision.
There were still several hours until daylight, and while normally he was active at this time of night, he knew that the woman would become feverish and sick if he left her on her own. His gaze slowly made its way over her body. She was shivering and he briefly considered removing her wet clothes. Indeed the white tank top did nothing to hide her lush curves. In fact the dark circles of her hardened nipples were clearly visible.
He tore his eyes from her chest only to focus on the outline of her butt, where the wet shorts she wore cupped each delicious mound. Jagger groaned as his body once more reacted to such a display of feminine beauty. He glanced down at his own rigid hardness, realizing for the first time he had not one stitch of clothing with him.
He righted himself and frowned, feeling tension begin to trickle down his neck and settle in his shoulders. Resentment danced along his mind as well.
His mouth formed a thin line as once more his gaze raked over the shaking form beneath him.
He inhaled slowly and let his breath out, his hands combing through the thick waves of hair at his neck. He wanted nothing more than to leave and forget the woman even existed.
But he could never do that. His genetic makeup would not allow him to callously leave a defenseless woman alone out here in the jungle.
His eyes settled on her face and he kinked his head to the side in an effort to better study her. A slight grimace creased the soft corners of her mouth and her eyes were moving rapidly behind the closed lids. Her arms
were wrapped tightly about her midsection and long strands of dark blond hair fell in mass disarray well past her shoulders.
“Who the hell are you?” he murmured out loud, stunned to hear the sound of his own voice, husky and scratchy from months of silence.
Jagger glanced around what had been his home for the last two months and then without pausing slid his long limbs behind the slumbering woman. He clenched his mouth together tightly, biting the inside of his cheek at the feel of her against his nakedness.
It was pure torture … and incredibly erotic. His cock, already hard with need lay against the small of her back. Slowly he pulled her shivering form into his embrace and fought the urge to bury his face in the fragrant layers of hair that caressed her neck.
He felt her body tense but then, seconds later, relax. She sighed softly, welcoming the warmth his body provided, and wiggled her ass slightly in an effort to get closer to him. Jagger hissed at the sensations that exploded up from his groin and went straight to his dick.
Fuck. It was gonna be a long night.
Pain was the first thing Skye felt as she slowly muddled her way up from the deep recesses of sleep. Her mind was fuzzy, thick, and sluggish. It felt like a whole bottle of cotton balls had been deposited inside her cranium and they were deadening all sensation and warping her thought process.
The pain continued and radiated from the back of her skull outward. Her hands automatically tried to reach the back of her head but she was pinned beneath something. Her eyes flew open and she groaned as fragments of pressure burst behind them, and she squinted, trying to see clearly.
She felt something at her back. It was warm, solid, and as her brain began to function, a feeling of dread leapt up from her belly. She could feel and hear a heartbeat that was strong and steady against her flesh. It belonged to a male. Of that there was no doubt. The masculine hardness that gripped her soft curves could not be confused with anything other than what it was.
His Darkest Embrace Page 2
