Katie Reus: Tempting the Jaguar

Estrella shrugged and returned her friend’s grin.

“I don’t know how you eat all that processed crap or where you put it all.” Sabrina mock-shuddered and grabbed a strawberry off her plate.

Estrella just shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re missing.” She popped another of the mini cakes into her mouth, savoring the sweetness. Thanks to being a shifter her metabolism was high, which meant she had to eat a lot more than most people. Of course her friend didn’t know she was a shifter. It was the only secret Estrella had ever kept from her. “So, how was the show?”

“A lot better than expected. I’ll be able to cover rent for at least the next six months if I budget right, which means I can officially quit my waitressing job.” Sabrina picked up her purse off the table so Estrella stood and snagged her own clutch, leaving her plate behind.

Estrella had just done the same after selling a few of her sculptures. Of course money was definitely tight, but she’d decided to take the plunge and throw herself into her work full-time. At least until her money ran out or she sold more pieces. Hopefully the latter would happen instead. “Do you realize this means we’re both full-time artists? Both doing exactly what everyone said we were crazy to even think about trying?”

Sabrina’s megawatt smile was blinding. “I’m scared to quit my job, but...I’m more scared not to.”

“I totally understand.” Estrella and Sabrina had met as freshmen in college and had been inseparable ever since. No one else she knew understood what it was like trying to make it as an artist more than her best friend.

“I’m tempted to go out and celebrate but I’m so tired.” Sabrina stopped in front of their vehicles as she fished her keys out of her purse.

Estrella did the same and stifled a yawn. “Go home and get some sleep because tomorrow you’re giving your notice at work.”

“You just don’t want to go out—but you’re right, I do need sleep. Thanks again for tonight.” Sabrina gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before pressing her key fob.

Following suit, Estrella got into her Jeep and steered out of the nearly deserted parking lot. Instead of heading east like Sabrina she turned west in the direction of the new place she’d recently rented on the outskirts of Huntsville, Alabama. The cottage-style house in the middle of the woods had been perfectly priced and allowed her to shift and run free in privacy. Plus it had a small air-conditioned studio attached to the house where she was able to work. It was like the place had been custom-made for her.

As she turned off onto the two-lane road that led to her place, she was surprised when headlights appeared in her rearview mirror. The road was a dead end and there was only one more—unoccupied—house about two miles down from hers. Slowing her vehicle, she started to pull off onto the side of the road when she spotted another set of headlights behind the first vehicle. What the heck was going on?

She stopped so that whoever was behind her could pass. When the vehicle behind her also pulled off, panic jumped inside her.

The headlights directly behind her shut off and she realized it was a truck. It was too dark to see who was inside other than to make out a big, broad-shouldered silhouette. Definitely male. Estrella quickly debated her options. She could try to turn around and outrun the man in her Jeep but he could easily block her with his vehicle. No, she’d be better off if she jumped out, shifted and made a run for it. If this was a group of shifters who wanted her for nefarious purposes she’d have a much better chance in her animal form. As a jaguar she was powerful and could run at incredible bursts of speed. Considering the way that shifter had been eyeing her at the party tonight, she couldn’t discount anything.

The moment her fingers touched the door handle, a tearing sound made her jerk around. Claws sliced through the plastic window of her Jeep. There was no way the silhouette she’d seen in the truck behind her could have moved so fast.

Before she could move, the figure was jerked away by someone else. Whoever it was moved in a quiet, fast blur. Scrambling, she leaped from her vehicle. Someone let out a strangled cry but the sound was cut off abruptly. Hurrying away from her Jeep, she froze as she rounded it and saw a giant black wolf use his freaking claws to rip the head off a man. The wolf snarled angrily, its white teeth dripping blood as it tossed the head to the side.

Estrella’s mouth almost fell open as the decapitated man shriveled to ash right in front of her. What the hell?

She stumbled back into a wall of muscle. Turning, she nearly shrieked as a man with fangs and claws protruding from his hands grasped her by the shoulders. At least he wasn’t slicing her up with his claws.

“Don’t worry about the wolf, you’re coming with me, bonita,” he purred. His amber eyes were definitely not human.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! This guy was a vampire. Her brain rejected it, not wanting to believe the creatures were even real. But this guy was so a vampire. And he thought he could take her?

Instinctively, she shoved at his chest before undergoing the change into animal. She’d seen a wolf change once and his shift had been brutal and had taken precious moments. Hers was seamless as her jaguar form took over. Her clothes shredded as her bones quickly realigned and her much stronger and bigger animal side took over.

She lunged at the vampire, going for the throat as she knocked him to the ground. That wolf shifter might not be an ally but she’d seen the way he’d taken down that man—vampire. She’d been forced to kill a wolf shifter in the past and it looked like these other creatures had the same weakness. Decapitation probably killed everything.

The vampire with an olive complexion similar to her own held up his arms defensively as he cried out. “I don’t want to hurt you!”

If she’d been in her human form, she’d have snorted. Yeah right. She bit into his forearm, surprised by the taste of his blood. It was sweeter, not as coppery as animal and human blood.

The dark-haired vampire slashed at her, raking those claws down her left side as he tried to dislodge her. Behind her she heard more snarling. Afraid of a sneak attack, she let go and risked a quick glance over her shoulder. The black wolf was sparring with two more vampires.

She didn’t know why he was putting himself in danger for her, but if he could take on two, she could take on this one. The vampire struggling underneath her hold was keeping his throat and face protected so she went for one of his biceps, keeping him pinned to the ground with her weight and strength.

He cried out in pain as she tore through tendons and muscles. A hard fist slammed into her head, loosening her jaw. Letting go, she rolled over onto her paws and jumped back, putting a few feet of distance between them.

“We don’t want to hurt you!” he shouted, palms raised.

She snarled and started for him again. He sprinted away from her. The vampire shouted something and she saw a blur of movement as one of the others who’d been sparring with the black wolf ran back to the SUV parked behind the truck. They dove into it and seconds later tires squealed as they tore back the way they’d come.

Still panting, she took a cautious step toward the limp wolf on the ground. Even though it was dark, thanks to the stars, moon and her extrasensory abilities, she could see a pool of crimson spreading onto the road underneath the other shifter.

Though she didn’t know the wolf, he’d still been fighting the vampires. For her? Maybe. She didn’t know what to make of this guy.

She knew she should probably be more focused on the fact that vampires were real and she’d just been attacked by one, but she had to help the wolf. As she neared the animal it let out a soft moan. Nudging his jaw with her nose, she froze when its eyes blinked open. They were the exact pale shade of green as the man from the art studio.