Loe raamatut: «Hunted by the Jaguar»

Hunted by the Jaguar

The Ancients

Book Three

Bonnie Vanak

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Stranded miles from home, Ariana Fuller has few ways to protect herself from the enemy hunting her—except to let her demon side take control over the angelic half of her soul. The last man she wants to come to her rescue is jaguar shifter Daimon Nelson, the man who claimed her virginity and still tempts her like no other.

Though Ariana fears giving in to erotic abandonment will free her inner demon, Daimon’s scorching kisses and wicked aura of sensuality make her forget all common sense. She tries to resist his allure, but Daimon is equally resolved to complete his mission of seduction. He must mate with Ariana to absorb her dark powers before they are unleashed—and before the enemy can claim her for himself….

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter One

“Ariana, Ariana.” A husky male voice sang out from the thick woods as Ariana Fuller sprinted across the deserted road to a nearby park. “Call on your demon and they will stop. Then return to me, and be mine forever.”

Like hell I will. She’d never surrender to Jarrett Lawson’s demands.

The pack of snarling wolves snapping at her heels ran harder. Close, so close she could feel their hot breath. Terror clogged her throat. Ariana summoned a last burst of strength as she spotted the public restroom in the distance.

Her luck, which had been scarce as sunshine in Seattle on a cold winter’s day, suddenly surged. The wolves ground to a halt in the parking lot, circling as they growled. Fumbling with the door handle, Ariana finally yanked it open and cried out as her jeans caught on a rusty nail that cut her skin. She ran inside and slammed the door, holding her weight against it.

The pack howled, eager for more of her blood.

Ariana leaned her sweating forehead against the door. No, she must not surrender to the demon. Instead, she opened her mouth and began to sing, the words garbled, the lyrics mumbled. But the purity of the notes and the resonance of her voice stilled the baying outside. The wolves grew quiet, then began to whine in a clear plea for more. And then they fell silent. Her angelic singing always soothed the savage beast into slumber.

Stranded miles from home and exhausted, she slumped against the door and slid down to the floor. Droplets of her blood splashed onto the dirty tile. As it always did, the singing had drained her. She realized that she had few defenses left unless she allowed the darkness inside her to take over.

Never. She’d made her angelic mother a promise never to give the demon power.

Forcing her trembling limbs to obey, she pushed to her feet. The cracked mirror showed that her blue eyes were wide with fright and her shoulder-length blond hair was matted. A smudge of dirt marred one perfect cheekbone. The designer clothing she’d purchased to impress was now only good for the trash. She tried finger-combing her hair.

“I look like a bad-hair day times two,” she muttered.

Two nights ago, she’d been happily humming along to Train’s latest hit while driving from Seattle to Oregon, where she’d been promised a job interview with a wildlife care center. They didn’t know she was a Darkling, half angel, half demon. They thought she was human. It was her one chance for a real life in the real world.

And then her two front tires blew out late at night on a lonely wooded road. A handsome stranger in a black cashmere coat stopped his pickup and offered to take her to his home. Jarrett Lawson’s manner was smooth, but she sensed that secrets lurked behind his eyes.

When she refused, he snapped his fingers. A pack of snarling wolves had set upon her, giving chase into the forest. Her cell phone didn’t work in the remote location, and she’d dropped her purse. She’d sung to calm the pack and then had to muster strength to search for help.

Each time she reached the edge of the woods, the wolves set upon her again. Ariana relied on her wits to hide from them. To ease the gnawing in her empty stomach, she’d eaten plant roots, resisting the temptation to launch a counterattack against the wolves. Even though the restroom where she was now trapped was grimy, the facilities worked and the water was sweet and cool.

But after two days of running, she was rapidly losing strength to make it on her own. Soon, she’d collapse.

Violent shivers racked her. She rubbed her arms, the damp cold and the hunger pinching every nerve ending.

A few minutes later, she opened the door and peered out. No wolves. But a small black cat meowed as it gazed upward.

Emerald eyes blazed as the cat twitched its tail. Ariana’s mouth curled in a slight smile. An air of familiarity, like an old friend, surrounded the cat as it purred and wound around her legs.

“I suppose you want a piece of me too, cat. Are you after me as well?”

Light shimmered and glittered suddenly, the cat’s meows turning into a deep grunt like a big wildcat. As her tired, shocked gaze beheld the vision, the cat shifted into a tall, sleekly muscled, naked man. Hair the color of midnight swung just below his stubbled jawline. The wickedest sin sparkled in his gaze. The delicious scent of sharply turned earth, pine and musk filled her senses.

Ariana staggered back against a chipped sink.

“Daimon?”

“Hello, sunshine.” He cocked his head at her. “Yes, I am after you. I have been, for quite a while.”

The deep, velvet-smooth voice sent a shiver down her spine as it had one year ago when he’d coaxed her into his bed. She’d lost her virginity to Daimon Nelson.

And then ran away.

The golden skin, chiseled muscles and aura of power was the same. His smoldering gaze swept over her body, stopped at the nasty gash in her jeans.

Daimon squatted down, parting the fabric and studying the cut, which was already healed. A frown dented his forehead. He looked mighty angry, as if he wanted to tear apart the wolves chasing her.

She didn’t care. She didn’t trust shifters, any shifters, especially not this one. When he straightened, Ariana backed away, holding out her hands.

She opened her mouth to sing and muddle his thoughts as she had that long-ago day. Flee into the dark night and escape the wicked aura of sensuality he wove around her, threatening to bring her demon raging forth.

Daimon seized her wrist in a firm but gentle grip. “Not so fast, sunshine. No singing pretty tonight. I’m here to help you get free of the wolves.”

“How did you find me?”

“I told you, I’ve been keeping track of you for a long time.” He dropped her wrist. “Let me help you.”

Wary, she stepped back. “Why should I trust you?”

“We shared something special. Your first time.” His emerald eyes gleamed with the memory. “It was very special. Remember?”

A flush ignited her cheeks. “I put it out of my mind.”

“Maybe you need a little reminding.”

He stepped forward with a purposeful air, gently captured her in his arms and lowered his mouth to hers.

Thoughts became scrambled, the notes in her throat turning into a low moan as he kissed her. His mouth claimed and possessed. He coaxed her lips to part and gently thrust inside her, exploring leisurely. The kiss turned her limbs even weaker as she clutched his broad shoulders for support.

The kiss stroked every sense into mindless pleasure, just as his kiss had the first time they’d made love. She had avoided sex, fearing such erotic abandonment might free the demon in her. Give way to the darkness. And then she’d met Daimon, and his wicked sensuality had made her forget common sense.

A low growl tore from her throat as she gripped him harder, her nails scoring his skin. He broke the kiss and rubbed his stubbled cheek over hers, as if marking her. Sense returned, and horror. She yanked away. Anger bubbled in her veins. The hot temper she’d inherited from her father rose to the surface.

“I remember.”

Ariana gave that muscled chest a hard push, shoving him against one of the clay-colored stalls. The impact resounded with a sickening crack of bone. Horrified, she stared, but he seemed unhurt.

As opposed to the dented stall.

He grinned. “About damn time you got mad.”

Cold fear doused the fiery anger. She’d nearly lost it, thanks to his kiss. The demon banged against her thudding heart. Free me.

Never.

Gooseflesh dimpled her arms, and she hugged herself, feeling lost and more unsure than ever. He came close, his eyes gleaming with triumph.

“Ariana,” he murmured. “Dammit, you’re hard to track and I’ve hunted the best.”

“Why are you after me?”

That sensual mouth tipped upward. “I’m an Ancient. Since we already know each other, I’ve been tasked with finding you.”

Panic skidded down her spine. Ancients were powerful soldiers fighting evil forces. They possessed enormous magick and were ruthless in tracking down prey. What did he want with her?

She blurted out the first thing that came to mind as she studied Daimon. “You can’t be an Ancient. You’re too young.”

“I’m 789 years old, sunshine.”

Ariana tried to squelch her raging emotions, knowing the demon danced close to the surface. “Why are you after me?”

“I’ll explain the details later. For now we have to get you safely out of here. I chased away the Lawson pack, but they’ll return.”

“Who wants you to find me?”

“The Society.” As her pulse pounded, he gentled his voice. “To protect you, Ariana. You’re very special and they don’t want any harm to come to you.”

“If you are a shifter who works for them, you’re a lousy one,” she snapped as he went to the door and opened it a crack. “You can’t even dress yourself after you shift. I thought the Ancients were powerful.”

The acid remark slid off those golden shoulders in a slight shrug. “I like to be naked. Don’t you like the view?”

Ariana slid a covert glance at his very masculine backside, the smooth indentation of muscles and taut butt cheeks.

“If you’re done studying my ass, I’d be glad to show you the front.”

The amused chuckle brought a flush to her cheeks. “I’d rather get the hell out of here. Even if it’s with you. Though how you tolerate the cold in your birthday suit is beyond me.”

“Magick. But this cold weather does affect my best asset. Wouldn’t want you to get the wrong idea. Shrinkage and all.”

Any sarcastic remark died on her lips as he opened the door and several low growls sounded. Ariana steeled her spine and peered into the darkness. A dull glow from the restroom’s light did little to spear the dense, foggy blackness in the trees ringing the facility. She doubted she had the strength to run, or even sing another note. But her not-so-immortal-and-dark soul be damned if she became canine fodder in this dank, filthy restroom.

He glanced over his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”

Trusting this arrogant cuss was tough, but she had little choice. Until she regained her energy, she doubted she could handle another run-in with the wolf pack. And she would never surrender to the dark side.

Sparks shimmered in the air as magick wove around Daimon. “Follow me and don’t stop, don’t look right or left. There’s a red Jag parked in the lot. Get in and lock the doors.”

The last word was uttered in an odd, guttural sound. Startled, she recoiled as the sparks swirled and then cleared, showing a large black jungle cat with glittering emerald eyes.

“Jaguar,” she whispered, awed.

Shadows moved among the trees. The pungent odor of animal musk filled the air. The scuffle of paws on wet leaves and dead grass, the huffing breaths, sent alarm clawing up her spine. Ariana followed the muscled cat outside, training her gaze on the sleek backside.

Ten feet away from the building, they attacked with a savage snarl. The jaguar grunted and whirled, lashing out as she ran to the car.

As her fingers fumbled with the latch, she glanced over her shoulder and her breath caught in her throat.

Light from the restroom’s lamp showcased the fight. Wolves flew through the air like toys flung by a petulant toddler. One escaped the fracas and loped toward her with a snarl. The jaguar raced after it with a low grunt. The wolf sailed into a tree and hit hard. It slid downward, its angry snarl turning into a pitiful whimper.

The jaguar paced toward her, giving another low, coughing growl. It bumped against her backside, the pink tongue lolling out.

She got the message and climbed into the car.

When the driver’s-side door opened, she gave her rescuer an arch look. “A Jag for a jaguar. Very apt. I was wondering if you’d shift back. Must be hard to reach the pedals with your paws. Or do you use telekinesis to drive as well as fight?”

Clad now in a black turtleneck and black jeans, Daimon started the car. “I told you to get inside and lock the doors. I see I must teach you to obey me.”

Her temper rose. She slammed it down. “Listen, I’m grateful you have a car and you got me out of that mess, but it ends there. I just need a little money to get my wheels fixed….”

“They sabotaged it. By now your car is scrap.”

Ariana’s hands tightened in her lap. She hadn’t bathed, eaten a full meal or slept, and this news sent her raw nerves screeching. The dark intensity on his face and the savageness of his voice warned he told the truth.

“Why are they against me? I’ve never hurt anyone!”

“Not yet, because the demon inside hasn’t been released yet, Ariana. You will not allow it power.”

Panic thudded in her heart. “How do you know about me?”

He ignored her question. “Those after you are werewolves, part of Jarrett Lawson’s pack. The pack sensed you coming and threw nails into the road. You didn’t have a chance. They were running you down on purpose until you dropped and were forced to use your dark powers. Jarrett wants you the same way I want you.”

She was terrified to ask but did so anyway. “What for?”

He shot her a glance filled with hot male hunger and purpose. “Naked in bed underneath him, to make you his mate.”

Chapter Two

The last of the three Darkling triplets wanted by the Society had been captured. She now lay slumped over in sleep, riding shotgun in his sleek red Jaguar.

First she’d issued a string of vehement cuss words about his plans. Then, after turning the air blue and her face red, she turned away.

“I need to rest and shut off my mind, and my mouth.” Tucking her legs beneath her, she’d promptly dozed off.

“But I like your mouth. I like it on mine very much,” he’d murmured back.

Daimon gave a wicked smile as he guided his car to the farmhouse. A Jag for a jaguar. She was clever as well as lovely. He glanced at his charge. Even the smudges of dirt streaking her face, the ripped jeans and the mussed hair couldn’t dim her beauty.

His nose wrinkled. She hadn’t bathed in a few days, but somehow that made her scent of hot sunshine and delicate wildflowers more potent and alluring to his feline side.

This particular assignment had fallen right into his lap. Ariana had not recognized that he was the childhood companion she’d known—the cat who’d had kept her company as she went on solitary strolls through the woods. She’d never known his true identity or how he’d guarded her from the predators in the dark forest and kept her safe.

Then again, he had never shown her his human side until that night when they’d made love. Didn’t want to scare her off. Daimon’s hands tightened on the leather wheel. He had some demons of his own and they weren’t pretty.

When the Society for the Elimination of Malevolent Magick had assigned him to find Ariana and tame her dark side, he’d gladly accepted. Her two sisters had already been mated and their demons were no longer a threat. Daimon wanted her at his side. The Society would have no means to destroy her, because he would fully assimilate her dark powers.

He needed them to revitalize the weakening spirit of his people. So the task of absorbing her demon powers to keep her from turning evil fit exactly into his plans.

Unfortunately, his enemy wanted her as well. Jarrett, alpha leader of the Lawson pack, was ancient, knowledgeable, and could accomplish the same as Daimon by mating with Ariana. The Lawson pack would gain immeasurable power and they would come straight for Daimon and his men.

The battle would be bloody, brutal and cost many lives.

His jaw tightened. Jarrett had nearly worn her down, if not for the Darkling taking refuge in the restroom, a safe and neutral zone no werewolf could access.

The weathered, split-rail fence came into view. Daimon relaxed as he drove to the gate. With a press of a button, the gate swung open to and he proceeded up a long gravel driveway.

The three-story rustic lodge had a backdrop of Washington pine. Once used as a hotel, it now served a different purpose. The seventy-five acres had become his to rule after he’d agreed to become leader of this colony.

A short while later, he pulled in front and cut the engine. Ariana sighed in her sleep. Gently he smoothed back her blond hair. His knuckles rubbed against her chilled cheek.

His brow furrowed as he assessed her appearance. Skin stretched tautly over fine bone instead of the soft roundness he remembered from the last time they had seen each other.

As a child, she’d trusted him utterly, confided secrets, cried into his silky fur.

He’d trusted no one, told no secrets, and his eyes were dry as desert dust.

Emotions were a luxury. He couldn’t afford them, not if they were to survive the winter and constant threats from the Lawson pack.

“Sunshine, fear not,” he murmured, his fingers caressing her nape. “I’ll take good care of you.”

She would need plenty of food, warmth and tender loving care before he set out on his task. Seducing her into his bed and coaxing out her dark powers to infuse his men with strength shouldn’t take too long. Desire fled in the face of tender concern. Daimon frowned. Ariana was an assignment, nothing more. His people were in desperate need of her. He could not allow his feelings for his childhood companion to deflect his goal.

Skin like pale porcelain was marred with dirt. Her powder-blue sweater was torn and destined for the trash. The print trousers were frayed, as if the pack had chased her through brambles. Daimon’s lips narrowed. He’d tear Jarrett’s throat out for running her ragged.

“Hey,” he told her, jostling her gently. “We’re home. Wake up.”

As Ariana rubbed sleep out of her eyes, his throat tightened. All the forgotten misfits in his unruly pack depended on this woman—and Daimon taking her in the flesh.

If he didn’t mate with her and absorb her dark powers, they risked much.

Their very lives.

A purple-and-green quilt covered her. Ariana sat up, pushing aside the fabric. Dust motes danced in sunbeams streaming through the partly closed green drapes. Morning already. Last night she’d bathed, pulled on a thick terry-cloth robe and eaten a hearty meal. She’d dozed off in her chair afterward. The last thing she remembered was Daimon carrying her to this bed.

His scent was familiar, and that arrogant air hadn’t changed. A tingle rushed down her spine as she remembered meeting him a year ago in a northern California bar. She’d been lonely and vulnerable. He was handsome and charming.

And then he’d taken her to his cabin in the woods, lain her down on the bed.

Ariana covered her face with her hands. After, she’d fled like the hounds of hell chased her. Her demon had surged up with each exquisite stroke of his hands, each slow thrust inside her trembling body. It had scared her. Daimon had been fierce and possessive, murmuring how she was his now, and he’d never let go.

No man could hold her, and no man would ever coax out the darkness inside her. So she’d sung him to sleep, then dressed and fled, taking care to cover her tracks.

So much for taking care. He’d found her anyway.

Boots shuffled against the wood floor. She glanced up. Her rescuer stood in the hallway, his sharp emerald gaze sweeping over her in a soft caress. A smile curved his firm mouth.

“Good morning. I trust you feel more human now?”

Ariana yanked the covers over her naked body and shot him a scathing look. “I was dressed in a robe last night.”

“And so uncomfortable, I took it upon myself to ensure you’d receive a good night’s sleep.”

“Assuming? That makes you an ass.”

Daimon showed no reaction. “I told you my plans, to make you my mate. Now get dressed and go downstairs. Breakfast is ready.”

“And I told you what I thought of them. I’ll take your offer of a hot meal, and if you’ll loan me a little money, I’ll pay you back soon as I get to Portland.”

He cocked a dark brow. “Running off so soon? What kind of host would I be if I sent you out naked into the world?”

“Where are my clothes?”

“Burned,” he said briefly. “There’s plenty of clothing that should fit. I went shopping for your size. After you get dressed, come downstairs and meet my men. They’re eager to know their future mistress.”

Knots formed in her stomach. “I’m no one’s mistress.”

“You will be,” he murmured. “We jags tend to be loners, but in this colony, we’re forced to band together.”

“How many jaguars?” Gooseflesh sprang on her arms as he told her. Thirty! So many would make it difficult to leave if Daimon didn’t release her.

“Don’t you like cats?” He cocked his head at her in a peculiar way she vaguely recognized.

Ariana loosened her grip on the sheets. “I had a cat, once.”

Daimon sat on the bed. “A childhood pet?”

Her throat closed tight. “Whiskers was my only friend. I found him when I was seven. My sisters always played without me because I was frail. We moved when I was twelve and I had to leave him behind. I cried as he sat on the porch as we drove away. Who would feed him? My dad said he’d be okay on his own, but I couldn’t believe it.”

His gaze softened. “He was.”

“I couldn’t forgive myself.”

He wiped a stray tear away with the edge of one thumb. “All is forgiven. Your father was looking out for your virtue. He knew you were growing up, becoming a beautiful woman.”

Ariana tensed herself against the compassion. She flung his hand away. “And what does that have to do with a stray cat? It’s not like he was the big bad wolf.”

She didn’t like the wicked gleam in his eyes. Daimon’s mouth quirked upward. “Just the big bad pussy.”

Her heart skipped a beat as he picked up her hand, gave the knuckles a slow, lingering kiss. “Meow.”

“No…you?”

“None other.”

“You can’t be Whiskers!”

In a blink, he vanished. In his place was a small black cat with brilliant emerald eyes. The cat climbed into her lap and nuzzled her chin just as her childhood friend had.

As her trembling hand stroked his fur, the cat purred. He grabbed the sheet in his small teeth and tried to yank it past her breasts.

“Hey!”

She jerked away and he jumped off her lap, transforming into Daimon again. Daimon in a black shirt and jeans, wearing a sexy smile and no shoes.

“Your father knew what I was. He saw no harm in it, until you were on the verge of womanhood. Then he wanted me the hell away, but I wasn’t budging, so he moved your family. And warned me to stay away unless I wanted to tangle with his powers.”

“Why did you hang around me?”

His gaze grew guarded. “To protect you at first. You were lonely, in need of a friend, but you were frail back then, Ariana. Your solitary jaunts into the woods were risky. There was darkness in those woods. I would not see you hurt.”

The thought comforted her a little. “And later?”

Those broad shoulders stiffened. “I was your guardian. That’s all.”

It wasn’t. Ariana reached for her angelic side. The white light was the teller of truth. She sent a tendril snaking toward him. In the starkness of his expression, she saw the answer.

I was lonely, too.

She reached out and touched his hand. “So much pain inside needing to be healed. So little peace.”

Daimon’s eyes darkened. “So you enjoy playing head games with your powers? I’ve got a better game in mind.”

He reached up and gripped her jaw lightly, his thumb feathering over her skin. “Soft as an angel’s wing. Angels are cotton candy and fluff. But there’s more to you, Ariana. Much more. Let me show you.”

A tingle raced through her as she remembered his lips on hers, the warm pressure and subtle movements. His mouth hovered near hers, tempting, rich and full. Tendrils of his delicious scent wrapped around her like a blanket. Her body reacted naturally, her breasts tingling and full, the space between her legs throbbing.

“Would you like to know?”