Ju DiMello - Jaguar, Be Mine

Her chin jutted out and she lifted her head, glaring at him. Now that was more like the jaguar he knew. As he sensed, he’d been tried and condemned for hitting close to the truth regarding her emotions.

Damn if she didn’t get him all hot and bothered with that single, skewering look. He couldn’t wait to coax a smile or steal a kiss—or both.

He fought to keep a straight face though he wanted to pull her out and skip all the way to his secret hideout. Which reminded him…

“We might need a vehicle.” He gave himself a mental shake and forced a smile.

She gave him a curious look, but took her truck keys from the nightstand and handed them over.

He closed his hand over the keys, relishing the buzz of an oncoming drive. How had she known? “You’d let me drive?”

“Let’s get going before I change my mind. Besides—” Her lips curled in an almost-smile as she tossed her head and stomped down the stairs and through the connecting garage door, while he followed her, anticipating her next words.

Even after they buckled themselves in and pulled out of her compound, she left the sentence hanging.

“Besides what?” he asked when he couldn’t bear the wait.

“Besides,” she repeated, drawing out the word. “I’ve no idea where you’re taking me. You driving is the only logical option.”

“That’s all?”

Her laughter made certain body parts of his tingle. “Did you expect something else?”

“I—” What could he say? “Nothing.”

“Aww,” she crooned. “You poor baby. You look cute when you sulk.”

“Cute?”

His grimace set off another round of laughter. The flush in her cheeks and the twinkle in her eyes made him join in, be a part of the fun she had, even if it was at his expense.

The ride went smoothly, or as bumpily as it could, from near the woods to the deserted roads, for once his enjoyment stemming more from the company than the drive. He didn’t stop until he reached his destination.

“Here we are.” He got down and came around to open her door with a flourish.

She took in the desert and the single trail leading near the hills—where their pack’s boundaries ended and another’s began. “We’ll have to go far?”

“Not much. Is that a problem?”

“No. As long as we stay on our side,” she said. “Oh, by the way, I let you take the wheel because you seemed to need a pick-me-up.”

With those words casually thrown at him, she flicked her hand, asking him to lead the way.

He was sure his jaw literally hung open and he closed his mouth shut. He’d prided himself on being able to keep his expression out of his face or his voice—which made him a darn good negotiator with the customers—but she’d easily stripped away his professional mask, seeing right through him. She’d studied him equally, if not more than he did her.

It was uncanny—this perpetual awareness, the mind-readings. Only soul-mates possessed the ability to share thoughts.

Maybe Karintha was… Could they…

The realization floored him. Soul-mates had been a thing of the past, a wishful legend passed on to them by the elders though a few of the jaguars claimed to have found their perfect bond. Anything to convince themselves they’d made the right choice, he’d thought once.

She let out a low growl, reminding him to move.

He reined in his wandering mind and strode ahead, tackling the uneven ground with ease. She easily kept up with his pace, not filling the silence with mindless chatter. He loved talking as much as he loved listening, but there were times when he’d wanted wordless communication, but hadn’t gotten any. With Karintha… His apprehensions and doubts struggled to find a footing.

What if he’d mistaken their sexual compatibility as something more? Wishful thinking, much?

He studied the landscape, his jaguar senses filtering the scents and cataloguing the changes since he’d last been here. A slight uneasiness crept up his spine, but not enough to warrant him to stop. He pushed on for another minute.

Almost at his destination, he stopped. She walked straight into him, but instead of bouncing back, she wrapped her arms around his torso and gave his stomach a pinch.

“Ouch. What was that for?”

She pressed her breasts against him. “Like you don’t know.”

He smiled at the teasing in her voice, and took a few steps round the corner, ensuring she followed. “As much as I love feeling you against my back, I want to you to see this.”

He twisted aside so she could take a look.

“Spoilspo— Oh my!” She bent low and squatted before the rock, her nose close to the night-blooming cereus, inhaling the unique fragrance of the flower of the cactus-like desert plant.

Her unabashed enthusiasm made him grin. “Well?”

“I’ve always wanted to catch the Queen of the Night in bloom, but… Wow!” She glanced at him and then back at the cactus, the rapturous look in her face speaking volumes. “And you know where to find this, at the exact day it bloomed because?”

The question took him by surprise. He’d never shared his interest in nighttime photography with anyone else before. He’d done it so far out of passion, but going forward, his photographs might become his means of livelihood until he could feel safe. The night shimmered around them, ripe with promise and yet his stomach churned. Partly with unease, but mostly because of the way he was exposing himself to her.

She stood up, her hands on her hips. “Spill.”

“Research,” he said simply, hoping she wouldn’t probe more.

Long moments passed. Her brow furrowed as she studied him, but instead of pestering him for answers he wasn’t ready to share, she leaned closer, her lips slanting against his. “I see you have a lot more hidden talents than I initially suspected.”

Her breaths fluttered against his jaw and his cock surged against his jeans, lengthening, hardening with her almost-touch.

He really had it bad, but except for shoring up bittersweet memories, he could do nothing.

The heat of her body surrounded him, the scent of her body arrested him. His hand moved of its own volition, cupping her breast, his held breath escaping as a ragged groan.

He moved to bridge the minute distance between their bodies when the wind changed direction, bringing along a new scent—stronger, concrete. Of another jaguar—one not of their pack.

Save his Alpha. Protect his love—with his life.

Thoughts shuttered down as instincts took over. Adrenaline rushed through him, the change descending on him so swiftly he had no time to react. His bones expanded, realigned for the second time in a single night as his shredded clothes lay beneath his paws in tatters.

Intruder. Shift. Attack.

Karintha dug her nails into her palms, but held her ground against her shifting instincts. Her beast, not willing to be denied, fought to get free. Her body ached with the internal struggle.

The roar of an irate jaguar rent the air, followed by an answering roar from nearby. Xander, apparently realizing she wasn’t going to join him, turned and bounded toward the nearby scattering of rocks.

He ground to a halt when the other jaguar showed himself, but the growl rumbling from his chest raised the hair on the back of her neck. The two shifters circled each other—the newcomer not backing off. One drastic move from either of them could start another godforsaken war between the packs.

Oh God, no. Her stomach roiled and her heart leapt to her throat. “No!” The hoarse cry wrenched from her came out a bare whisper.

You are the freaking Alpha, Karin. Stop them.

She should. She was the only one who could prevent the oncoming crash.