Secret Jaguar Page 17

  They took me to the bedroom I’d been in before. He threw me onto the same bed I had already escaped from.

  I was back where I’d started.

  “You keep an eye on her, Josh.”

  One of the men pressed his hands on my arms, pinning me to the bed. “You got it.”

  The other two left, grumbling and slamming the door behind them.

  I fought and struggled, but it did no good considering how tightly I was bound.

  “I don’t want to be here, either,” he said.

  What game was he trying to play? I struggled against him all the more.

  “Hey, I’m serious. I’m sick of the old ways.”

  I glared at him. Why was he telling me this? Just to get me to calm down? As if I’d give him that much.

  “You don’t believe me? I can’t blame you, but maybe we can try to get out together. Will you put in a good word for me with your jaguar friends out there if I can get you out?”

  Was he for real? I stopped struggling—exactly what he wanted—and studied him.

  His expression seemed genuine.

  Not that I was going to buy into it for a second. I’d read enough books to know about the whole good cop, bad cop routine. They’d chosen the youngest guy there, thinking he’d be the most convincing. He couldn’t even have been old enough to drive.

  Too bad they didn’t know who they were dealing with—me.

  I may have been related to them, but that was exactly where our similarities ended.

  “Hey, if you stop struggling, I’ll take that tape off your mouth.”

  Was he serious?

  Knock, knock!

  “How’s it going in there?”

  “She’s still struggling!”

  Laughter. “Well, this is good practice for when you get your own fiancée. You have to teach them being feisty comes with consequences.”

  More laughter. It faded as they walked away.

  The kid leaned closer to me. “I’m serious. This is our chance to get out of here. I want to experience the world. You don’t want to be part of ours. Let’s work together.”

  I stared at him. I’d stopped struggling.

  Could I trust him? It had to be a ploy.

  It just had to be.

  He ripped the tape off my mouth. I started to cry out in pain, but he covered my mouth with his palm and shook his head. “Can’t let them know I’m doing this.”

  Then he pulled the fabric from my mouth.

  I gagged and gasped for air. “How do I know I can trust you?”

  “Have I hurt you? Or helped you?”

  “You’re with them.” I clenched my jaw.

  “So was your dad. More and more people have been escaping since he left. Our leaders are furious. He basically started a mini-revolution.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “For all the good it did him. He’s been locked away from everyone for my entire life.”

  “You know about that?”

  I glared at him. “I’m the one who found him.”

  He studied me. “They said he was protected by an impenetrable spell. How’d you do it?”

  “Because I fight until I get what I want.”

  “And we both want out of here. If we hurry, we can do that.”

  My pulse pounded. “If this is a trap…”

  He shook his head. “It’s not. I swear.”

  I struggled to sit up. “Then prove it. Untie me, then let me tie your wrists while I open that window.”

  “Or.” He jutted his jaw. “I take care of the window, then untie you, and we both climb out.”

  “My idea is better.” I narrowed my eyes.

  His nostrils flared. “If we don’t work together, and soon, we’re going to be stuck here. You’re going to have to marry a jerk that I guarantee you’ll hate. He will force you into a life of submission. Your entire existence will be to serve him. Once married, there’s no escape.”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  He leaned closer to me. “Then you understand the seriousness of this. You’re going to have to trust me or not. Do you want to be the wife of a traditional jaguar shifter, or do you want to live in freedom?”

  I glared at him. “This better not be a trick.”

  “The only thing I want is to get away from these people.”

  One of my ribs popped. “Untie me.”

  “You’ll put in a good word for me?”

  “If you get me out of here safely, then yes.”

  He untied my wrists.

  Chapter 29

  Carter

  I sniffed the air. “Her scent is coming from the same direction we heard the screams.”

  Kevin sniffed. “She’s with a handful of my family members. We have to hurry.”

  “Is this the direction of that cabin?” Che asked.

  Kevin nodded. “It isn’t far.”

  I reached into a pocket for my phone only to realize it wasn’t there. I’d had to leave it in my car, close to where we’d left our clothes to shift. Now I wore an itchy outfit we’d found about a mile back. And Kevin had been right—everything was sorely out of style.

  Before leaving my phone, I’d told Toby everything I knew, including where the cabin was located. He said he’d pass the information on to Tap and Gessilyn.

  The thought of Katya being held captive by the traditional jaguars sent waves of fury through me. What were they doing to her, given they thought they owned her? I shuddered at the thought.

  I’d make them pay. Whatever they did to her, I would double onto them. They would regret ever crossing paths with me.

  “We’re getting close.” Kevin’s voice broke through my thoughts.

  “What’s the plan?” I turned to him. “Bust in and take them down?”

  “I was thinking more along the lines of figuring out which room she’s in and then breaking her out.”

  “That works, too.”

  Che froze. “Do you hear that?”

  Kevin and I paused.

  Footsteps.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Someone was close, and moving quickly.

  “Who’s there?” Che called out.

  My muscles burned as I prepared to shift at a moment’s notice.

  Muffled voices sounded.

  Kevin, Che, and I exchanged concerned glances. I clenched my fists and prepared for the worst.

  Jet, Bobby, and Alex stepped out between some bushes. They all jumped into defensive positions, but then relaxed.

  “Did you find them?” Jet asked.

  “That way.” Kevin nodded in the direction we were heading.

  “Where’s Toby?” I demanded.

  “He’s waiting with the witches. Gessilyn is finishing up a spell that should render the jaguars unable to shift for a while.”

  “Including us?” I exclaimed.

  “Not if you stay out of the way.”

  “What about Tap? Is he coming?”

  “As far as I know. He was calling in some favors.”

  I raked my fingers through my hair. “So, in other words, it’s just us for now.”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Let’s do this.”

  “What are you wearing?” Bobby arched a brow. “You guys look like you just stepped out of Dirty Dancing.”

  I glared at him. “We had to borrow clothes. Come on. Focus. We have to save Katya.”

  “Save me?”

  I whirled around. Katya stood behind me with some kid. I threw my arms around her and spun her in a circle. “I’ve never been happier to see anyone in my entire life!”

  “Me too, but we have to go!”

  “They’re right behind us,” said the kid. “They’re going to find us if we don’t leave.”

  Kevin stood taller and tightened his expression. “Good.”

  “Good?” Katya exclaimed.

  “It’s time we confront them.”

  “We’re outnumbered!” Katya pleaded with her eyes. “They have weapons.”

&nbs
p; Kevin turned to the new kid. “You take her to safety. We’re going to deal with them.”

  Katya’s mouth dropped open. “Why? I’m away from them. Let’s go.”

  I held her close. “They’re never going to give up. We have to face off with them.”

  The new kid shook his head vigorously. “The rest of the family is headed this way. They want to fight. We don’t stand a chance.”

  I glared at him. “There’s no other choice. We have to fight them, or they’ll never back down. As in, ever. They’ll keep coming after Katya, after Kevin, and now after you. If we don’t take them down, they’re only going to get worse. You should know that if you grew up with them.”

  “We can hide.”

  “That doesn’t work,” Kevin said. “Nobody knows that more than I do.”

  Katya pulled away from me and took his hand. “But we can fight them later. On our terms.”

  “We already have people headed our way. They’re going to help us. Soon, we’ll outnumber them.”

  She turned to me. “You can’t be in on this, can you? Letting my dad fight?”

  “You think I can’t hold my own?” Kevin arched a brow.

  “I think you need time, Dad. Just hours ago, you were bound to that bed.”

  “And now I’m not. You’re more than welcome to head back. Your mom and sister are worried about us. Not that I can blame them. We can’t tell them about us being shifters.”

  “Cloaking spells,” Katya said. “We can carry on with those. They’ve worked for—”

  I shook my head. “That’s no way to live.”

  She turned to me. “I can’t ask my dad to jump into this after all he’s been through.”

  “Nobody’s asking me,” Kevin said. “This is my fight. I’m the one who decided to walk away. I knew the consequences, and I’m still willing to fight for them. Now I actually stand a chance with all you guys on my side.”

  “That’s what you think.”

  We all spun around toward the voice.

  Three groups of about ten shifters each stepped out between the trees.

  They outnumbered us.

  Chapter 30

  Carter

  Click, click, click, click.

  They not only outnumbered us, but they had guns. We’d been forced to leave everything behind when we’d shifted.

  One of them stepped forward. “Care to give up now, while you still have your lives?”

  Kevin moved toward him. “Not a chance. You can’t have me or my daughter.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong.”

  The two men stepped even closer to each other, staring one another down.

  “Get over here, Josh. Did our captive drag you away?”

  Some of the other guys laughed.

  “Hardly.” The new kid stepped closer. “I’m done with you guys. I want to live out in the world. Away from your backward rules.”

  “Nobody leaves our family and lives to tell the tale.”

  “Kevin did.” Josh glared at him.

  “And that ends tonight. Last chance, kid. Make the right decision.”

  “I am.” Josh stood taller.

  “Your funeral.” He aimed his gun at Josh’s face.

  I jumped at the gunman, knocking his weapon out of his grasp. He stumbled but didn’t fall. The gun slid away, and Josh lunged for it.

  Shots rang out all around.

  I leaped toward Katya to protect her.

  Bones popped all around as our side turned into jaguars and wolves, then jumped toward our gunned assailants.

  I turned to Katya. “Run!”

  “Not a chance.” She spun around and pulled off her shirt. “I’m fighting in this battle.”

  Trees rustled just behind me. Not more of Kevin’s family. I spun around, prepared to attack with my fists.

  Toby and some members of our pack pushed through the trees.

  Relief washed through me as I raced over to them. “They’re not going to give up without bloodshed. Typical traditional shifters.”

  Toby nodded knowingly. “Gessilyn’s coven isn’t far behind.” He handed me a ten-inch blade. “And we brought weapons.”

  Howls, growls, and other sounds of fighting grew louder behind me.

  I held the knife in position. “We’d better do this.”

  In a blur, we all raced for the other shifters. A new group of men marched over.

  We were outnumbered again. I ran toward the nearest one, aiming the knife for his chest.

  He punched me across the face. His ring sliced through my skin all the way from my ear to my nose.

  I dug the blade in as far as it would go.

  He spat on my face before crumpling to the ground.

  Before I had time to wipe the spit from my eye, two more attacked me in a flash of fists.

  I swung the knife into one neck while kicking the other guy in the groin. Blood sprayed on me as I yanked the blade out.

  He sputtered and crashed to the ground, cursing me. His friend threw himself on me, knocking us both to the ground. We wrestled, and I couldn’t dig the knife into any major organ.

  “You may as well give up,” he grunted.

  “Not until you leave Katya alone.”

  “Over our dead bodies.” He shoved my head against a rock.

  “If that’s what it comes down to.” I lunged the blade into his side. Blood immediately darkened his shirt and pooled to the ground. His grip on me weakened.

  A pistol lying on the ground in the middle of where the shifted jaguars and wolves fought caught my attention. I jumped up, easily escaping the hold of my dying attacker, and scrambled for the gun.

  Jaguars leaped through the air and rolled around on the ground, fighting each other. One nearly knocked me over, but I managed to grab the pistol.

  A hand rested on my shoulder. I spun around and aimed the hopefully-loaded gun.

  Gessilyn.

  I relaxed and dropped my arms. “You made it.”

  She gave a slight nod and handed me a small vial. “Drink this.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’ll make your blood sour—whether you’re in this form or if you shift.” She glanced around. “Is Katya here?”

  I waved toward the mass of fighting animals. “She shifted already.”

  Gessilyn handed me another vial. “Give this to her. Or do you think you’ll shift? In that case, I’ll hang onto it.”

  “I’m not sure yet.” I opened and swallowed my potion. It was bitter and bubbled as it went down my throat. “That’s awful.”

  “It isn’t nearly as bad as it’ll be for anyone who bites you.”

  I wiped my mouth. “How many came with you?”

  “Killian and Frida.”

  “Can you cast any spells on these guys?”

  She glanced around. “It’s going to be challenging with everyone fighting together. Anything I cast on them will also fall on our side.”

  A group of ten barged in through the trees. The one in front cracked his knuckles and glared at us.

  “I don’t suppose you know them?” Gessilyn asked.

  My stomach twisted in knots. “Nope.”

  “Good.”

  Good?

  She pulled something from her cloak and threw it at them, whispering in a foreign language. A pink mist covered the men and settled on them. They all froze in position.

  “That won’t last too long, but it’ll buy us some time.”

  One of the jaguars yelped.

  I recognized that voice.

  Katya.

  My heart jumped into my throat. Then anger ran through me. Why hadn’t I insisted on taking her away from here? She didn’t have experience fighting shifters.

  Yelp! Yowl!

  I clenched my fists and prepared to shift.

  Just as my bones began popping, Tap arrived with some others. The timing couldn’t have been better, because another group arrived from the other direction.

  Gessilyn spun in their direction and
threw a pink mist at them, chanting in a foreign language.

  Everything became clearer as I looked around with my jaguar eyes.

  Katya cried out again. I bolted in her direction and rammed myself into the jaguar who had his teeth buried into her neck.

  He let go but barely stumbled before lunging for her again.

  I roared as loud as I could.

  He froze and turned toward me, his pupils dilating and hairs standing on end.

  I bared my teeth and howled, warning him to flee.

  Unfortunately for him, he didn’t budge. I leaped on top of him, digging my teeth into his flesh and rolling onto the ground.

  We stopped, slamming into a tree. He bit into my back. Pain seared from the wound, but before I could react, he pulled away yelping.

  Gessilyn’s potion.

  I jumped to all fours and growled. How’d you like that?

  What’s in your blood?

  Wouldn’t you like to know? I jumped on top of him, tearing into his throat. Blood filled my mouth until he went limp. I spit out the liquid and spun around to find Katya.

  She rolled around with a different jaguar. But that wasn’t what sent a chill through me. Behind the fighting animals, at least fifty humans faced off—most of whom I didn’t recognize.

  Had Kevin’s father brought in his entire family as well as other jaguar families? We were even more outnumbered than before.

  Even with the high witch and a former troll king on our side, those were horrible odds. Deadly, even.

  For all of us.

  Gunshots rang out.

  Yelps and cries sounded all around.

  The metallic odor of blood hung in the air.

  Another jaguar jumped on top of Katya. The three of them rolled around, kicking up dust. Growling and howling ensued.

  A low and furious roar escaped my throat. In one quick motion, I ran toward them, slamming into one of them.

  He turned on me, digging his teeth into my side. Before I had time to react, he yelped and scurried off. Mid-stride, he crumpled to the ground.

  Was my blood growing more potent as the potion lingered?

  I thrust myself against Katya’s attacker.