Guarding His Heart

by Serena Pettus

  Shocked into silence at what she was hearing, Lynn could only sit there in wide-eyed wonder as Kitty divulged so much of her history. It was no wonder she hadn’t shared this before. Something of this magnitude could only be entrusted to someone who would hold it in confidence.

  “My grandfather wasn’t in any position to fight for me. He was in his nineties and therefore unable to contribute much to the clan in any way other than being my guardian. God bless the man, he put himself at risk by giving me all the money he had in his home safe, a gun loaded with silver and a map of the area. He woke me late one night and told me everything before promptly kicking my ass out the back door and telling me to never stop moving.”

  “Why not stop? If you moved away from them, why couldn’t you just settle down somewhere permanently?” Usually if a girl ran from a guy, going so far as to leave the area, the man took the hint and gave up.

  “Like I said, I was the only female of breeding age at the time, and I’m not sure if that’s changed or not. Every time I get a whiff of anyone like me, I immediately pack up and move again. This is the longest I’ve been in one place, and I’m starting to wonder if maybe they’ve finally decided I’m not worth the trouble.”

  Damn, Kitty had lived a rough life. Lynn couldn’t fathom what it would be like to constantly have to look over her shoulder and remain on alert for signs of family. These were the people who should look out for one’s best interests and support one’s life choices, not force a person into relationships and children at such a young age.

  “You’ve been alone for a long time now, haven’t you?” Lynn asked.

  “I’ll turn thirty tomorrow, so yeah, it’s been awhile. Figures a shifter would have a birthday on Halloween, huh?”

  “Halloween? Shit! I have to go by my old apartment to drop off my keys and see about getting my deposit back from the landlord. It’s a good thing you brought it up. Maybe, you can come with me and I’ll take you to lunch for your birthday?”

  Kitty’s eyes lit up with excitement. “You’ve got a date! I haven’t eaten out in a long time. It’s just too depressing to sit by yourself while everyone else is there with someone. I typically do takeout and come back here.”

  “Well, what would you like? There’s a little of everything around here, and my apartment is on the outer edge of the city, so think about it, hop on the internet and scan what’s around. I’ll pick you up around ten-thirty tomorrow. Does that sound okay? Oh, and after we’re done, maybe we can go see Sam and the baby. I just don’t think it’s safe enough for her and the baby to be off Pride property right now.”

  “I’d love that. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact she had a baby and is mated to the Prime.” Kitty shook her head. “At least now I don’t have to hide that side of myself from you guys. I must admit, it feels good to be able to talk to someone about all of this, so thank you.”

  “It’s no problem at all. You know, I hope you don’t just up and disappear if you find some of your family hanging around town. Mason and the others will see to it they understand your answer is no.” The Pride would defend Kitty; Lynn was certain. After all, she was also friends with their Prima. “Why don’t you join the Pride? Set down some roots?” Immediately, the light left Kitty’s eyes, and Lynn wanted to kick herself.

  “I’m not a lion, Lynn.”

  “Neither is Jag. I bet there are several others who aren’t, too. You can’t use that as an excuse. Try again.”

  “You’ll just have to trust me on this. I don’t shift around others for a reason.”

  And there it was! “But you do shift,” Lynn stated. “What’s so bad about being around others?”

  Kitty shrugged pretending nonchalance, but not fooling Lynn for a second. “My tiger is different, like really different from others and people tend to fear what they don’t understand. I have enough problems without having a mob carrying pitchforks and torches coming after me.”

  Lynn merely blinked at her explanation.

  “Seriously, it happened to some of my ancestors.”

  Shaking her head, Lynn tried to bring her thoughts back from visions of angry villagers from old movies. “It can’t be as bad as all that. Besides, those were probably humans anyway.”

  “Not all of them.” Turning in her seat, Kitty looked to Lynn beseechingly. “How about we change the subject?”

  Seeing as it was probably best to do so, since either Jag or Mason could come up at any moment, Lynn didn’t argue. “I know… Let’s go down for a drink! Surely, Mason can’t get pissy about us hanging out and chilling downstairs, especially with him and Jag being right there.”

  Kitty sat up straight, pushing back her shoulders, a defiant gleam sparking in her eyes. “You’re right. He’s my boss and he can tell me I can’t work, but I’m not a prisoner. Besides, if he won’t let me stay down there and grab a beer, there are plenty of other places to try out.”

  The next thing Lynn knew, she was being pulled from the apartment by an oddly chipper Kitty. Apparently, the thought of pissing off Mason held some major appeal. When they entered the bar, Jag greeted them both with a smirk.

  “Hey, Kitty. How are you feeling?” he asked while Mason seethed behind the counter. “Arm healing up?”

  “Doing good. I figured if I couldn’t work, I’d at least come down and say hi to the regulars.” Spinning around, she hollered, “How you fellas doin’?”

  Now the patrons seemed to come alive. Several wolf whistles sounded before the group began to chant, “Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!”

  “All right now, calm your tits,” she laughed. “Mason’s making me take a few days off to let my arm get better after I injured it, but I’ll be back soon enough,” she promised. “In the meantime, don’t treat him any differently than you would me.”

  Whoops and guffaws rang out. “I’d rather not sit here and stare at his ass. I’m not drunk enough for that yet,” one man called. The customers howled with laughter, their amusement shared with the waitresses weaving through the tables.

  Lynn glanced at Mason and found his face had turned a dark shade of crimson, though further inspection showed the slightest twitch at the corners of his mouth. It would seem he wasn’t immune to Kitty’s outrageous personality either. “Yeah, yeah. What do you two hell-raisers want to drink?” he shouted over the others.

  “Vodka and cranberry for me,” Lynn called out, and Kitty quickly seconded. “I could use a little something to soothe my nerves after today.”

  “Mason told me something happened earlier, but he promised me that you were safe. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

  Jag came over with their drinks before flipping his chair around and straddling it with his arms resting on the back. “These rogues are getting ballsy. They sent her candy and flowers, probably trying to make it look like a gift from a grateful patient. The chocolates were laced with a type of sedative that acts as a paralytic, depending on how much was ingested,” he explained.

  “And if she’d eaten too much?” It was obvious Kitty suspected the truth, but Lynn confirmed it anyway.

  “It could have stopped my heart. I’m lucky Liam was there with me. He stopped me from eating any and got me out of there before anything else could happen.” Leaning on Jag’s shoulder, Lynn offered up a soft smile when he kissed her forehead. “Jag and Liam are tag-teaming me, which sounds kinda dirty, but both of them are doing their best to ensure nobody gets too close. I just feel bad because I know they both want to be out there, yet one of them is always stuck babysitting.”

  Kitty perked up. “I can hang out at your place if you want. With me around, nobody would get to you either, then they could both do whatever it is they need to do.”

  Jag frowned. “I’m not sure about that. It’s nothing against you, but you don’t shift, so what would happen if you two were attacked? In your human form, you’re much more vulnerable.”

  “I can shift if I need to, Jag. I prefer not to, but if it was a matter of keeping Lynn safe or keeping my
human form, I’d change so fast they wouldn’t know what hit them. Trust me, I don’t think there’s anyone out there who can shift as fast as me.” Her gaze moved to Lynn and excitement shown on her pretty face. “And we can still have our girl’s lunch tomorrow after we take your keys back to your landlord. That should give the guys a little time to do what they need then we can hang out either here or at your place until they get back.”

  Lynn got the feeling Kitty needed more time around females outside of work, so she put in her request as well. “I think that would be great. It should be fine as long as I’m with Kitty, right? She could pick up any shifters around and would be able to smell any poisons or drugs, not that I think a restaurant would do anything like that. We’ll be in public with the exception of time spent in the car. My landlord’s office is in the main lobby of the building, and he’s expecting me anyway.” Adding in a little pout and a bat of her long lashes, Lynn awaited Jag’s answer.

  Clearly he was torn, wanting to give her what she wanted, but also wanting to keep her safe. He stared at her for what felt like several minutes before he looked to Kitty. “You swear to keep her safe, to shift and fight to protect her if necessary?” Leaning in, he added, “I’m entrusting you with the most precious thing I possess. Lynn is my mate and the other half of my heart and soul. You won’t want to know me if something happens to her. Are we clear?”

  “Crystal,” Kitty replied, seemingly unfazed by the threat. “There’s this new place that just opened not far from here, called Dixie’s Delights. I checked out their menu on the internet the other day because they have a bakery inside, too. We should eat there. Maybe, I’ll even be nice enough to bring a certain grumpy bear some honey buns back.”

  “I am not grumpy,” Mason called out.

  “Oh really? That hasn’t been you growling for the last day or so?” Turning her attention back to Lynn and Jag, Kitty added, “He eavesdrops a lot, too, so if there’s ever anything you want to talk about and keep private, do it outside or when he’s not here.”

  “I’m not deaf either.”

  “See what I mean?” Kitty had effectively broken the tension in the group, and all three chuckled as Mason merely lifted a brow in their direction.

  They finished their drinks before Lynn and Jag wished both Kitty and Mason a good night and headed home. Lynn was glad to be back in her own space where she knew everything was safe. With all the shifters patrolling the area, she knew her home hadn’t been breached in any way.

  Turning, she saw Jag stripping near the back door. “Whatcha doing?” she asked, leaning against the doorframe to the mudroom.

  “I wanted to run a quick loop around the perimeter. I know there are others out there, but it’s more for my own peace of mind.” Jag took three steps, putting him mere inches from her, with his bare chest just begging for her touch. “I’ll make sure there’s nothing going on then I’m coming back to curl up with you. I plan to hold you all night long.”

  The deep cadence of his voice combined with the warmth of his skin had Lynn closing the distance with a sigh and leaning into his hard body. Instantly, his arms surrounded her, providing the loving embrace she craved. “I’ll be here waiting. You probably need to burn off some nervous energy too, so take a run if it will help. I’ll be fine here.”

  His big hands rubbed soothing circles on her back. “You’re sure? I don’t want to leave you here alone for very long.”

  Lynn was about to answer when the phone in the kitchen rang. It wasn’t too late, but most everyone called on her cell, so she wasn’t sure who would try to reach her on the landline. Upon answering, Lynn learned she’d left her cell phone in Kitty’s apartment. It turned out Kitty was already on her way over with the device, so it looked as if she wouldn’t be alone after all.

  Returning to the mudroom, Lynn took in Jag’s splendid backside as he finished taking off his pants in preparation to change. “Kitty’s on her way with my phone. I guess I set it down sometime while we were talking. Anyway, I won’t be alone now, so you can take your time.” She gave his firm ass a quick smack before winding her arms around his waist and resting her cheek between his shoulder blades.

  A yawn escaped before she could prevent it, and Jag turned. “You’re tired, huh?”

  “It’s been a crazy few days.”

  “That it has. I’ll be back soon, and we’ll see about getting a good night’s sleep tonight. You need it.”

  She did, but if it meant less time spent with Jag, she’d deny it until the cows came home. Good thing she didn’t own any. “Go on. The sooner you go the sooner you come back.”

  He gave her a heated look, causing her belly to flip. His bones began to snap and reshape his body into that of his jaguar. Less than a minute later, she stood next to a large black feline with the most beautiful crystalline eyes she’d ever seen.

  Sitting on the floor, Lynn reached out and brought his muzzle closer to her so she could plant a kiss on his nose. He allowed her a few moments to explore him. Lynn couldn’t help but run her fingers over his sleek fur, and she discovered the spots, which were all but hidden due to his dark coloring. “I hadn’t noticed these before, but I suppose you’d have to be pretty close to see them.”

  She stood, and Jag rubbed his head on her leg before looking pointedly at the door. Taking the hint, Lynn opened it for him. As he passed, he pressed his body against her, dragging himself over her thigh before curling his tail around it and giving it a little flick over her pussy. Lynn gasped. She could only imagine what that would have felt like had she been naked.

  “You’re such a tease, Jag,” she laughed, earning what she swore was a leer before he darted out the door and straight to the woods.

  Chapter Eight

  Jag relinquished control, giving his jaguar free rein to run through the trees at top speed, yet he remained alert to everything around. So far, only the scents of Pride members reached him, men he knew were sent to patrol the area and guard against any intruders.

  He’d already heard Kitty’s car pull up to the house, and surprisingly, he felt a little more secure, enough so to broaden his scouting trip. He was enjoying a sprint along the creek when his nose detected another Pride member. Up ahead a lion male paced along the bank. His head shot up at Jag’s approach.

  Coming closer, Jag dipped his head in greeting before shifting to his human form. The other male took another long look across the water before changing. There were no scents other than the two of them, so Jag didn’t know what the other man had been so interested in.

  “There are tracks here,” the enforcer pointed out. “Human, but I can’t scent anything. I don’t like it. There should be something, identifying them as human or shifter, but I’m not finding anything.”

  Alarms sounded in Jag’s head. Everything had a scent. The only reason for that essential element of a person or animal to be missing was if it were masked. There were enough products on the market used by hunters to make it possible for one of their kind to conceal their presence. Having proof of someone using this and crossing onto Lynn’s land had his hackles up.

  “How far do the tracks lead?” Once more, Jag’s beast was pushing forward, and he struggled to get the words past the snarl threatening to rip from his throat at any moment.

  “These are the first I’ve found. It looks as if they were testing the land boundaries or realized the area is being patrolled.”

  No sooner had the words left the male’s mouth than a scream rent the air and stalled Jag’s heart. Before he even registered the movement, his legs were pounding the ground, covering the distance to the house with the enforcer hot on his heels. He remained in his human form so he’d be able to communicate, but it was costing him in speed. Jag prayed Lynn would be safe, that Kitty would keep her promise to protect her with her life if necessary.

  He skidded into the yard just in time to see Kitty being dragged from the house with a dart, tipped with a blue tuft, protruding from her neck. Her chest still rose and fell, so Jag k
new she lived, but another scream and a crash from inside caused a roar to rip past his lips and rattle the windows. Already the jaguar was pressing out, his fangs and claws exploding out as black fur rippled just beneath Jag’s skin.

  Next to him, the enforcer grunted in surprise before grabbing his shoulder and collapsing to his knees. A tranquilizer dart protruded from him, just out of his reach, but the damage was already done as his eyes glazed and he fell to the side.

  Jag managed only two steps before he too felt a sting in his upper back, placed well out of his reach, the drug did its best to pull him under, but his determination to get to Lynn was greater. As he struggled to put one foot in front of the other, his body refusing to do his bidding. A hand shoved him from behind.

  “There’s no use. You’ll never get to her in time, but don’t worry, we’ll take excellent care of her,” a voice sneered. “Do yourself a favor, cat, and stay by your phone. You won’t want to miss this.”

  “Take…me,” Jag begged. He had no clue what these rogues planned to do, but he knew he didn’t want Lynn subjected to it. “Leave…her.”

  A nasty kick to his lower back turned him just enough to see the face of his attacker, however the drugs coursing through his body left him unable to defend himself. “That’s right, son. The three bears are about to take your little golden girl back to their lair, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  “I’ll kill…you,” Jag vowed, his speech becoming more garbled as his mouth wouldn’t move to form the words properly.

  “You’ll have to find us first, and that’s something you won’t do. We’ve been preparing for this. She’ll be an example to everyone—anyone—who dares take a human as a mate. To those who dare to sully our bloodlines with the weaknesses of a lesser species!”

  Nuts. These lunatics were full-on fanatics. They were worse than the Kool-Aid cults Kitty had accused them of being, and now, they had both women and Jag was on the ground, completely incapacitated.