Secret Jaguar Read online

  “Is it about those three boys you and Alley were sitting with? Were they giving you grief?”

  “No.” It was the truth. They hadn’t done anything wrong. Other than Carter insinuating that he knew about my family. “They just got me thinking about Dad.”

  She rubbed my back. “I wish you girls could’ve met him. You’d have adored him, and he would’ve felt the same way. Did I ever tell you that he named you?”

  I gave her a double-take. “No. Why didn’t you tell me before?”

  Mom frowned. “It hurts so much to think about him.”

  “Did you name Alley?”

  She nodded. “After he picked your name, insisting that your nickname would be Kat, I picked Alley, thinking we could call you two Alley-Kat.”

  I groaned. “That was on purpose?”

  She smiled sadly. “Yeah. I know it annoys you—you’re too old for it—but I can’t let it go. I feel like it keeps us all connected to Dad.” She sighed. “It was cute when you were little, you have to admit.”

  “I guess. Why did he want me to have the nickname Kat?”

  She looked behind me, her gaze turning dreamy for a moment before returning her attention to me. “I’m not really sure. Your dad was a man of many mysteries. I suppose that was a big part of what drew me to him. He seemed to be shrouded in secrets, and I felt special whenever he’d reveal one to me.”

  “Like what?”

  “Family things, mostly.”

  I froze. After the conversation with Carter and his friends, her wording just didn’t sit right with me.

  Mom continued, “But even with as long as we were together, and having had you girls, there was still so much I didn’t know. I felt like he was holding back on something big. Not to be mean, but more like… Well, I suppose if I knew, it wouldn’t be a mystery, would it?”

  I scratched my head. “Then why stay with him if he had so many secrets? I can’t imagine wanting to be with someone who liked to keep things from me.”

  She put her hand on mine. “It wasn’t like that, Katya. He wasn’t trying to be deceptive. It was more like…” Her voice trailed away for a moment. “…like there were things he wasn’t ready to reveal. I like to think that he planned to tell me everything someday.”

  “Huh.” I tried to imagine the appeal. Carter was mysterious, but it only annoyed me. I couldn’t picture myself wanting to stick around and figure it out.

  Mom patted my knee and smiled. “It felt like slowly unwrapping a present.”

  “Ew, Mom. That’s my dad you’re talking about.”

  She laughed. “That’s not what I meant, but that was fun, too.”

  I turned away, my face heating. “I don’t want to know.”

  “Okay, sorry. I wasn’t trying to go there. I just meant that with him, it felt like every new mystery revealed was bringing me closer to the core secret.”

  “But you never got that far.” I frowned.

  Mom shook her head. “Not before he was killed.”

  “Did you ever have any ideas about how he died?”

  “Some, but who’s to say how far off they were?”

  I scooted closer. “Like what?”

  “He got this hotel from his family, so I assume they had money. Or maybe they got a good deal on this place. It was hardly in pristine shape. The thought of the mob crossed my mind once or twice, but he didn’t act like your typical mob guy.”

  “You mean stereotypical?”

  “Probably. He wasn’t anything like they are in the movies. Honestly, I think it was something else, but we’ll never know.”

  Curiosity burned in my chest. That wasn’t just some interesting story, it was my history. My family. “Did you ever try to dig deeper? I mean, once he was gone, it wasn’t like he could get mad at you.”

  She met my gaze. “I know, and I have looked several times—for you girls—but I’ve found nothing. Even with everything available online these days, I haven’t come up with anything.”

  I tapped my finger on the bed, nervous energy buzzing through me. Answers had to be somewhere. Maybe she hadn’t looked in the right places. “Have you tried a private investigator?”

  “No, honey. Whatever money your dad’s relatives have, we don’t have access to it. Money’s always tight.”

  “Yeah.” I frowned. “But there has to be something we can do. Somewhere else we can find answers?”

  She squeezed my hand. “If you start looking, be sensible.”

  “Sensible? You’re talking about my family and my history. I don’t just want answers out of curiosity. I need to know.”

  Her expression tensed. “He was afraid of them. There was a reason I never met them. Look for answers, but promise me you won’t look for the people.”

  How could I make such a promise? I had grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins out there who I’d never met. People who could tell me things about my dad that Mom couldn’t tell me.

  “Katya?”

  “Why are they so dangerous?” I countered.

  “I don’t know, honey.”

  “And if he didn’t want us to find them, why give you this hotel? Isn’t that just asking for them to show up one day?”

  Mom squirmed. “I don’t have the answers. Your dad would’ve been the one to talk to, and believe me, every day since his passing I’ve wished he was here for you girls.”

  I raked my hands through the length of my hair. “Yeah, me too.” I stared into her eyes. “What killed him? Why haven’t you ever told us? You always dance around the subject or change it altogether.”

  Tears shone in her eyes and she rose to her feet. “I don’t want to talk about this. It’s too much.”

  “Mom! We’re almost twenty. Whatever it is, we can handle it. And what’s to stop us from looking online?”

  “Have you?”

  “Yes. There’s nothing I can find.”

  She stared into my eyes, tears running down her face. “He was murdered. Brutally. And I was the one who found him.” She ran from the room.

  I stared at the closed door with a mixture of emotions raging through me. I’d always assumed Dad had died from an accident or an illness. But a brutal murder? Someone had killed him on purpose? And made him suffer?

  Part of me wanted to chase after Mom for more answers, but I couldn’t move. Not after hearing that news.

  After what felt like forever, I finally gained control of my body again. I reached over to my nightstand and picked up the framed photo of my parents and stared at my dad’s smiling face.

  He was so happy in that picture. Like his world was complete just having Mom in his arms. She looked so different back then. What would Dad have looked like if he was still alive? More importantly, what would he tell us about our family? Would he have trusted us with the truth?

  My bedroom door opened, and I glanced up. It was Alley wearing a silky pajama set.

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She sat on my bed, almost exactly where Mom had been. “Don’t tell me that pool ghost came up here.”

  I turned the picture toward her. “Do you know how Dad died?”

  Her face contorted. “Yeah, that he was killed.”

  “Murdered.”

  Alley nodded. “I know.”

  “You know?”

  She looked away. “Mom wanted to be the one to tell you.”

  I squeezed my comforter. “Why did she tell you before me?”

  “She said she wanted to tell us individually when we were ready.”

  “I’ve been ready for a long time!”

  “Did you ask?”

  I folded my arms. “I was waiting for her to tell me.”

  “Well, you know now. Isn’t that what matters?”

  “How long have you known?”

  “Katya, don’t do this.”

  “Why not?” I demanded. “How long have you known?”

  She sighed. “A while, okay? Just let the news settle. It sucks, and it takes time to process.”

 
I glared at her. How was it that she always experienced everything before me? Everything. And I was the one born first. Where was the justice?

  My sister gave me a sympathetic glance, but I wasn’t going to accept it. Why did she always get the better end of the deal? First lost tooth, first award, first boyfriend, first everything.

  “Katya—”

  “Just go.”

  “We need to talk about this.”

  I shook my head. “I need space. Please.”

  “Don’t do this.”

  “Like you said, I need time to process the news.” I clenched my jaw. “Let me have that much. You had all the space in the world since I didn’t know anything.”

  “I wanted to tell you. More than anything. Twins aren’t supposed to have secrets, right?”

  “Apparently we do.” I shot her an icy stare.

  “That’s not fair. Mom made me keep it a secret.”

  “Seems our family’s full of those. You could’ve told me if you’d wanted.” I turned my back to her and waited for the sound of the door closing behind her.

  Angry tears blurred my vision. I blinked them away, then turned around and looked at my room. The walls seemed to close in on me. This little corner of the massive building had been my refuge for the last five years, but now it was more like a prison.

  Fuming, I grabbed a light hoodie from my closet and headed out into the hallway. It wasn’t like I was going to get any homework done in my current state of mind.

  Silence greeted me. I walked down the hall and leaned against the wall to try and catch my breath. My fury made it hard to breathe normally. I glanced down both directions. I could go to the left and pass the guest rooms and other more public areas.

  Or I could go to the right and eventually wind up in the areas where guests weren’t allowed. Places that hadn’t been renovated and brought to code.

  Places that might be sealed off, holding secrets that could reveal answers to my own past. A fake wall or hidden door that could lead me to a wing unseen for centuries.

  I took a deep breath and turned right.

  Chapter 7

  Carter

  “What’s the plan?” Bobby looked at me like I had a masterful plan.

  “Keep Katya safe while figuring out why those jaguar shifters are here. This whole area has been jaguar-free for years.”

  “Other than you.” Bobby smirked.

  “Easy to be brave when there isn’t the ghost of a teenage girl, right?” I snapped.

  He glared at me. “What’s gotten into you?”

  “Jaguar shifters! I don’t think Katya even knows that she’s anything other than human. It sounds to me like her dad never told anyone about his real heritage.”

  “Do you think those jaguars have been looking for her?” Alex asked.

  I clenched my fists. “I don’t see any other reason they’d be here.”

  “It could be a coincidence.” Alex tilted his head. “This whole area is full of supernaturals.”

  “But not jaguars.”

  “So, what’s the plan?” Bobby repeated.

  “I’m going to find out what I can about them and also about Katya.”

  “Can’t you just tell her she’s a shifter?” Alex was a wolfborn, and had spent the majority of his life in the wolf form, only becoming human when other werewolves shifted into their animal form. He was still learning about the human world and had a long way to go. I was just grateful jaguars didn’t rely on lunar cycles for shifting anymore.

  “Not without her thinking I’ve lost my mind. And I don’t want to freak her out by shifting in front of her.” I rose and cracked my knuckles. “Why don’t you two follow me? But stay a distance behind. I don’t want the jags to get a whiff of you.” To say that traditional jaguar shifters hated werewolves was the understatement of the century. It had been like that for centuries.

  They both nodded.

  “Do you know where they’re staying?” Bobby asked.

  “I will once I sniff them out.” I pressed my ear against the door. “It’s clear. Wait no more than a minute before coming out. Track my scent.”

  They both nodded, then I slipped out into the hallway. It was a nicely kept hotel, and I liked the old charm, though it did kind of creep me out. What if there really was an entire wing nobody could find? What secrets would be found there?

  I shook my head to clear it. I needed to focus. This wasn’t a ghost hunt. There was a lone female jaguar shifter who didn’t realize how much danger she was in. And I was the only one who could help her.

  Closing my eyes, I listened. Muffled conversation sounded down the hallway in both directions. I sniffed the air. The jaguar scent was impossible to miss with so many having checked in. It irritated my nose since they weren’t from my family.

  I followed that odor to the left, and it grew stronger. The conversation grew louder. I pressed my ear against each door I passed. None of them appeared to be jaguars. Most of them were talking about a visitor’s day on campus.

  The perfect cover for the jaguars.

  A door opened down the hall, and two male voices sounded. I pressed myself against the wall, not that it would hide me if they came my way. The jaguar scent grew stronger with them in the hallway.

  The two guys hurried down the other direction in swim shorts, laughing and shoving each other. They would definitely pass as college hopefuls. No wonder the shifters had brought them.

  I waited for them to get far enough ahead that they wouldn’t sense me behind them before I crept down the hallway. As I went, I continued listening in each room to see if there were other shifters.

  Most were there for the college, and few others were there for different reasons. None of them were jaguar shifters or any other kind of supernatural creature.

  I glanced back to see if Alex and Bobby were behind me. They weren’t in sight, but I picked up a trace of their scents. At least they were hiding well.

  As I pressed my ear against the next door, I froze.

  “…told you this place was the one. We all knew Kevin was hiding something from us. Not just a hotel, but a family with humans.”

  “No wonder he fled, but he paid the price. Nobody leaves and lives. We always find them.”

  Laughter roared.

  A chill ran down my back. Were they planning on killing Katya?

  “Well, at least we found out about Kevin’s daughter before marrying off Cole. Now he’ll get a princess.”

  “He’s got his work cut out for him. That girl doesn’t seem to have a clue she’s a shifter. Women these days are so rebellious. She’s going to have to be broken before she learns her place.”

  Anger burned in my gut. Sure, I’d suspected their motives, but hearing the confirmation shook me in a way I hadn’t anticipated. They had no right stealing her from her life and forcing her to live as a traditional jaguar shifter.

  I continued listening, hoping they’d spill their strategy, but the conversation moved on to something else, and then they turned on the TV and stopped talking.

  My mind raced. With an entire family of jaguar shifters ready to abduct her, I might have to bring in my entire pack and maybe some other supernaturals. We needed to work together to protect Katya. I couldn’t do this on my own.

  I bolted down the hall to Bobby and Alex. After filling them in on what I’d heard, I told them to call Toby. “See what he thinks. Should we call in the witches, or maybe see what Tap knows? Actually, one of you should call Tap while the other calls Toby. We don’t have time to waste.”

  They agreed and raced back to our room. I hurried down the hall, eager to find the guys in swimsuits. One of them was likely the guy who thought he was going to marry Katya—then break her.

  Not if I had a say in the matter. And with Toby and Tap’s resources, the arrogant shifters didn’t stand a chance.

  I sniffed the air and followed the trail to the jaguar shifters. Interestingly, it led away from the pool.

  My skin crawled once I figur
ed that out. What exactly did they have in mind? Were they going to try and take Katya already? Or did they have other plans? Why the swim shorts?

  I hated having a ton of questions and no answers.

  Their odor led me to the end of the hall, which was roped off. A giant sign warned, ‘No Entry. Employees Only.’

  Yet the jaguar scent was strong down that way.

  I glanced around for any people or cameras, but saw neither. Not that it mattered. If Katya was in danger, I’d risk the wrath of the hotel management.

  Ducking under the rope, I sniffed the air again. The scent went to the left. Chills ran down my back as I tiptoed down the dusty hallway. Old framed paintings hung crooked, many covered in cobwebs. Paint peeled and the walls were cracked in several places. The carpet was worn down in places and had plenty of brown stains.

  The only thing that made the hallway feel like part of the rest of the hotel was that it had doors spaced apart like the rest. Otherwise, it felt as though I was in a completely different building.

  I refocused as the jaguar scent grew stronger. And mixed with a feminine aroma.

  Did they already have her?

  Without thinking, I burst into a run. The creepy hallway passed in a blur as I allowed myself to go faster than a human could.

  I skidded to a stop just as the three of them came into view. They hadn’t seen me, and I darted behind a dusty fake potted tree.

  Katya was arguing with them, but they stood at an arm’s length. They weren’t forcing her to go with them. Yet.

  I calmed my breathing and listened, trying to make out what they said. It was hard to tell from the distance.

  “You… need the… don’t understand…”

  She responded with a harsh tone, though I couldn’t understand a single word.

  One of them grabbed her arm. She yanked it back, but he held on.

  Such fury ripped through me that I almost shifted right there. It took me a minute to stop that process from starting. By that time, the guy had pinned Katya to the wall, close enough to kiss her.

  I fought the shift as I ran right toward the three of them.

  “Let go of her!”

  They all turned, shock covering their faces. The guy restraining Katya didn’t let go.