Awakening (Kiss of the Jaguar Series Book 1) (5 page)

“And I don’t know what that means either,” she sighed.

“It means that I’ve found my mate. I’ve never locked inside anyone ever. So as I was your first, you happen to me mine also.”

A sharp knock on the door had her jumping in his arms.

With a sigh, Jonah let her go and rolled to the opposite side of the bed. He bent, picked up his pants and grinned when she dashed to the bathroom naked, closing the door. With pants in hand, he went to the door and cracked it open.

“Your father wishes to speak with you,” Jones, the butler said.

“I’ll be down,” Jonah said, closing the door.

Turning, he quickly got his pants back on, then went to the dresser and grabbed a fresh shirt. When he sat down and started to put his shoes on the bathroom door finally opened. “My father wants me downstairs.” He finished and looked up and grinned. She had wrapped herself in the one and only robe in the bathroom, his and he never used it really. “That looks good on you.”

“When do I get to go back?”

Standing up, Jonah closed the distance between them. He grabbed her chin and kissed her. “There is no going back. We go forward now.”

“I don’t belong here and you know it.”

Another kiss, this time a touch deeper before letting her chin and lips go. “You belong here. Lie back down. Not sure how long this is going to take. We’ll talk more when I come back.”

“If I stay here.”

Jonah raised one eyebrow up at her. “Challenging again?”

“Stating a fact. I might leave.”

“You do, I’ll just hunt that pretty ass of yours back down again and have you right back here where you belong.” Another quick kiss and he turned for the door.

Saying nothing else, Jonah left his room and closed the door behind him softly. He stayed put for a moment, taking it all in, what just happened in the past few hours. Hell, he never thought that his true mate would be the daughter of the one the five families banished for breeding with a human.

Shaking it all off, he walked away from his door, headed for the stairs and walked down. His father was waiting for him in the large library, standing in front of a window with drink in one hand. The other inside his suit pocket.

“Have you summoned me to rip me again?” Jonah asked, standing in the middle of the room.

“I got a call less than an hour ago,” Noah said, not turning around. “Trouble has landed in our village.”

“If this is a method of trying to get me to let her go for the name of the family, then—”

Noah held his hand up, “This has nothing to do with your half-breed. Rumors are spreading of an attack.” Noah slowly turned to face Jonah. Their eyes met and he took a drink from the glass in hand. “A human has been attacked, one that knows nothing of any of us.”

“What kind of an attack?”

“The kind that has me very concerned, as it does the others. She claims while walking to a friend’s house, she heard this strange low growl and it freaked her out so she ran. Apparently, a jaguar chased her down.”

Jonah felt his gut drop. “We don’t chase down humans.”

“Yes, well this is where it gets worse and where our fears come into play,” Noah finished his drink in one gulp, and then went to the table that had more drinks and refilled his glass. “She told the police that this animal transformed into a man right before her eyes. Of course, they don’t believe that part really. They think the trauma has affected her.”

“What kind of trauma?”

“Raped, and most brutally I might add, and for a long period of time. When finished, she said the man went back to the animal and then it attacked her. Jonah, flesh was ripped from her body. They don’t know if she’ll make it with the loss of blood.”

“Jesus,” Jonah sighed. He rubbed his face and went over to the liquor table. He poured himself a large drink and downed it, welcoming the burn. “Who do the families think it might be?”

“Well Ghost’s name was brought up.”

“That’s bullshit!” Jonah snapped.

“He does live out there alone.”

“Only because of his family. And you know he’s a white jag, right? You just said a jag attacked her, so that shows right there it’s not Ghost. No one connects jaguars with the color white.”

“Needless, I told the others that you will go out and speak with him. Maybe he knows of this rogue, and that is what they are calling him.”

“I doubt Ghost knows anything. He keeps to himself.”

“Doesn’t matter. You go now.”

“Now?” Jonah didn’t bother with hiding his shock. “I can’t go right now. Alesha is here and she still doesn’t understand everything.”

“That’s going to have to wait. This is more important.”

“The hell it is!” Jonah snapped this time. “She’s important to me.”

“I think you mistake me son,” Noah’s eyes narrowed on Jonah. “This wasn’t a request. You are to go and speak with Ghost and I’m going to talk with the others.  Jonesy will make sure she stays put.”

To make his point as always, Noah just walked away from Jonah, leaving him alone in the room. Gritting his teeth, Jonah turned and stormed out. At the front door stood Jonesy with his jacket in hand. No expression crossed the man’s face. Jonah snatched his jacket from the outstretched hand, walking out the door. He didn’t bother with the use of a car. Ghost was deep in the woods. No car, truck, or jeep could get to him. Only way to get there was to walk. Ghost kept his home very secret. He always found Jonah, before Jonah found him.

* * * *

He stayed in the thick brush, watching the house, watching as first one left, and then not too much longer the older one walked out as well. Only one headed into the woods, the other slipped into the back of a car and pulled away.

He waited until all around stilled, then closed his eyes and sniffed long and slow. Oh he could smell her and she smelled so good. So fresh and so perfect, unlike the one he had last night.

Humans had such a taint about them, yet they helped to ease the needs that raced in his body. Needs that he refused to control. The rush of the attack was so addicting that he hungered for more. And from what he smelled right now, he knew this one would work to not only extend his pleasures, but draw out that bastard as well. The son would pay for the father’s sins.

In full jaguar, he came out of the brush and walked slowly towards the house. No crushing sound came from the thick padded feet and all the smaller animals that hung around went quiet. Fear filled the air, and it only added to his pleasure.

He paced back and forth in front of the porch, studying the layout and sensing his surroundings. Besides the female, all he smelled was another male.

With a snarl, he stopped his pacing, looked right at the door, backed up a bit and then charged at it. With all his strength and might, he busted through the door into the house. The male he knew was in the house came running out. With another snarl he lunged at him, closing his jaws on the throat before any real sound could escape.

A scream had him stopping. Letting go of the throat, turning his head, his eyes landed on the female standing midway on the stairs. The fear in her eyes and the scent of the kill gave him a thrill.

Right before her shock filled eyes, he changed back from jaguar to a large, well built and very naked man that had blood running down his chin to the chest.

“Hello pretty,” he smiled at her. “Care to have some fun?”

“Can’t believe he’s got me going out when I just fucking found my mate. Just to speak to someone that doesn’t want to talk to anyone,” Jonah talked to himself as he stomped through the woods. Halfway to the middle he stopped. Everything around him was dead quiet and still—not normal. “Something’s not right here.”

Walking slower, looking around, all his senses on full alert, Jonah waited for something or someone to jump out and attack at any second. He could feel the tension in the woods. He was about to shift, stopped and sniffed the air. Blood! Fresh blood.

Moving faster, going deeper into the woods, he sniffed with each few steps he took, following the smell of blood. When he finally did reach it, the sight had his gut dropping.

“Ghost!” Jonah rushed to the fallen male and fell to the ground at a skid. Ghost lay on his side, a very large gash across the other side of his naked body, covering the ground in red. “Jesus.” Jonah took his jacket and wrapped it as best he could around the wound, pressing his fingers at the wounded male’s throat, looking for a pulse. Finding one, he let out a short sigh of relief, then looked around to see if the attacker might still be around.

They were right in the middle of the woods, but closer to Sulwen’s place. Moving Ghost enough to tie his jacket as tight as he could around him with hopes of slowing the blood flow down, Jonah grabbed Ghost by the arms, pulled him up to a sitting positioned and then with a hard yank, had him up on his shoulder.

As fast as he could move, Jonah jogged towards the house. Each step, he still sniffed, making sure that whoever attacked Ghost, wasn’t following him.

Coming out of the woods, not slowing down, he went right up to the back door, kicking it in. “Garek!” he yelled.

“What the hell?” Garek came around the corner right as Jonah walked into the kitchen.

“I need your help,” Jonah huffed. “He’s been hurt real bad.”

Garek’s eyes widen, looked at Ghost then back up at Jonah. “Upstairs. Follow me.”

They took the stairs two at a time. On the second floor, Garek turned and went down a hall to the very last room. He stood back, letting Jonah walk in with Ghost. Right up to the bed he went, putting the male down as carefully as he could.

“Let’s have a look,” Garek said, pulling the jacket away. He whistled. “This wound is not done with a knife.”

Pounding feet had both turning, Jonah instantly ready to shift and fight. Chloe came to the door, eyes wide open. “What’s going on?”

“Chloe, get my kit,” Garek told her. “Hurry!” She looked fast at Jonah then dashed away. He could hear her feet pounding all the way to the other end of the house. “Who did this?”

“I don’t know,” Jonah answered. “I was on my way to go talk to him. Father said something about a human being attacked.”

Garek nodded his head in agreement.

“Is she still alive?”

Garek looked up, his hands still pressing on the side wound. “I don’t think so.”

“Here!” Chloe rushed back in, handing a large bag to her father.

“I need towels and water,” Garek told her.

She nodded, and once more ran out of the room.

Jonah only stood and watched. Garek had the bleeding slowed down, but not stopped. In the bag, he brought out a surgical kit as well as two needles. One he stuck Ghost with to numb the area up, before doing anything else.

Chloe came back and went right to the bed, sitting down on the other side. She instantly went to helping her father, holding the wound together as Garek started working to stitch it up.

“How’s Alesha doing?” Garek asked, not stopping or taking his eyes off what he was doing.

“Still working on her understanding of us,” Jonah asked.

Garek nodded again, “I’m sure now with this, it’s not going to be easy.”

“I’m sorry.” That statement had Garek stop and both he and Chloe looked at him. “I should’ve done things differently with her.”

“It’s our way,” Garek went back to work. “Don’t apologize for what her mother has failed to do.”

“How is Ashley handling this?”

“Jonah, you are the alpha son of the Devanta family. Worry not about anything but you and Alesha.”

“I need to call and check in,” Jonah rubbed his face and started to leave. In fact, he had turned away and started for the door but stopped when he heard one faint word.

“Rogue.”

Everyone in the room stopped. Slowly, Jonah turned back around and Ghost had his eyes open. Soft, bright blue eyes that were right on Jonah. Ghost even reached his hand out towards him, Jonah moved closer, taking the hand and going down to his knees. He leaned in.

Ghost gripped him tightly. “There’s a rogue out there,” he whispered.

“We know,” Jonah said.

Ghost shook his head, “No you don’t know shit. Bloodline to the sixth.”

Jonah frowned.

“He wants retribution. Blood for sins of the fathers.” Ghost whispered again.

“What are you talking about?”

“He’s coming for us all,” Ghost swallowed, then grimaced in pain, before the grip loosened and his eyes closed.

“What’d he say?” Chloe asked.

“I don’t know.” Jonah stood up and when he did his phone in his pocket went off. Backing up, taking it out, but not taking his eyes off of Ghost he answered: “Hello?”

“Get home right now,” his father ordered. The line went dead.

“Something’s not right,” Jonah stated, putting the phone back in his pocket.

“What?” Garek asked.

“I don’t know. Take care of him. I’ll be back when I can.”

Jonah left the house as fast as he could. When he reached the woods he ran, all the way back to his own house. Skidding to a stop right at the edge, his nose once more picked up the fresh scent of blood.

“No!” he said right before running again to the front door. “Alesha!” he yelled, busting through the door.

“Not here,” Noah stood at the very top of the stairs, alone.

Jonah walked over to a blood stained sheet spread out like a cover on the floor. He picked it up and looked at the mangled body of Jonesy. “Where is she?”

“I don’t know. Message left on the wall just says to find him.”

Jonah turned his head and there on the far wall, written in blood, find me. Dropping the sheet, he turned and headed for the door.

“Jonah wait!” his father called out, but he wasn’t listening.

* * * *

Alesha trembled. She was tied to a tree, her arms up over her head in a small clearing. Center to it, a pit with a fire burning, and hunched over staring into the flames was the one that took her and killed Jonah’s butler. He was naked and didn’t seem to care.

“Did you know that back in the day, breeding with a human was punishable by death?” he asked suddenly, causing her to tense. “My family witnessed many deaths.” Slowly he stood up, walked around the fire and up to her. When his hand came out to touch, she flinched. “And a half-breed like you would be fed to the young.”

“What’d you want?”

His eyes narrowed. Cold gold eyes that had no emotion in them. When his lips parted in a smile, it didn’t reach those cold eyes. “I want many things.” His hand closed on her throat and squeezed, cutting off some of the air. “Maybe I want your blood on my hands or maybe I want to fuck you to death.” He squeezed harder, watching as she struggled to breath. When she looked like she might pass out, he let go of his grip. His hand stayed there. “The
Five
, they call themselves. They make the rules, then they break them.” That hand slid down her throat to the shirt she put on after Jonah left. His shirt. Grabbing the front, he ripped it down, exposing her breasts. “Such fucking hypercritics.”

“What’d you want from me?” she yelled, desperation in her voice.

Those cold eyes of his moved down with the hand. It closed over one breast, squeezing it until it hurt. “I want the
Five
to pay for what they did to my family.” Another brutal squeeze and he let her go, turning his back to her and walked away, back to the fire.

“What are you talking about?”

He turned again, this time his eyes held such cruelty that she shivered.

“Number six.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tears filled up in her eyes. “I don’t know anything about any of them.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you don’t. You’re just his bitch.”

“I swear to you, I don’t know shit about any of them. I just moved here.”

“Then I guess you had better learn fast. There were six, not five families and they destroyed mine!” he growled, his face getting red with his anger. “Now the sins of the father will be passed down. Just like they did to mine.”

Alesha was unable to hold back her fear, or her tears. She broke down, a silent cry. She was about to confront him once again, but stopped when she heard something move in the bushes behind her. He also heard it because he stiffened.

Everything around them went dead quiet and still. Nothing in the woods moved and Alesha became so afraid she didn’t want to breathe. He took only one step toward her and all hell broke loose.

This giant black as night jaguar leapt from the woods. The paw touched the ground only once before he leaping up in the air again, coming down on the naked man. Alesha couldn’t help herself, she screamed. Watching and struggling with the rope around her wrists as the animal attacked the guy.

The jaguar bit down on the man’s leg and he howled in pain. How in the world he managed to free his leg, she didn’t know. But when he did, he scrambled to his feet and backed away and that black beast slowly circled him, waiting to lunge again.

“Just like you fuckers,” the man snarled. “Attack when one has their back to you.”

The jaguar lunged again, only this time the man was ready for it. He did a back flip high in the air and right before her eyes shifted from a human into a jaguar. It landed with a soft thud on the ground and charged the black one.

They rolled around, biting, thrashing, and scratching each other. Blood everywhere, but Alesha couldn’t tell who was bleeding.

More rolling, more snarling with growling and hissing, then the two lunged at each other at the same time, hit the ground hard and rolled out of sight. Alesha couldn’t see anything and really started to panic.

She looked up at her wrists pulling as hard as she could to free herself. Just when she thought she might have one free a very loud yelp rang out and everything went quiet once more. Still, she held her breath waiting, not knowing what to expect.

Time seemed to stand still, seconds felt like hours. From the other side of the clearing the black jaguar prowled, walking slow, steady, yet had this power about him. Golden eyes landed right on her and her mouth went dry. First thought, it’s going to kill her for sure.

He stopped right next to the fire, a snarl came out of him, showing very large teeth, his head went down and she could hear the crunching of bones. Front legs dropped as did the top half of the body. In fact, it started to stretch outward, the legs forming into arms, paws into hands with fingers.

Another very loud growl and the back legs also started to stretch outward, the paws turning into feet. All the black hair seemed to recede into the body and flesh replaced it. Right before her eyes, the very big cat turned into a man and he now lay face down on the ground, his body glistening in the moon light.