Awakening (Kiss of the Jaguar Series Book 1) (6 page)

When his head rose up, Alesha didn’t hold back her cry of relief. “Jonah!” The tears came and she didn’t have the strength to hold them back.

He pushed himself up off the ground, and rushed to her, naked. “Are you okay?” he asked as he started to work on her wrists.

“No,” she sobbed. “What’s going on? He—he killed your butler.”

“I know.” Once he had her wrists free, Jonah pulled her into his arms, and she went willingly. “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“No, no, it’s not.” She pulled back and looked him in the eye. “He said there was a sixth. A sixth family. What’s that mean?”

“Sixth?” Jonah frowned. “There’s no sixth, only five.”

“He said the
Five
destroyed his family.”

Jonah pulled her back into his arms, “Shhh. I’ll figure this out, but first let’s get you out of here. He’s hurt, not dead so he could come back if he wanted to.”

Jonah ended up carrying her all the way to her uncle’s place. Garek saw them coming from the back door. He held it open and Jonah went inside, right up the stairs to the third floor where Ashley paced anxiously.

Garek found some clothes for Jonah.

Jonah turned to Garek with conviction. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

Jonah leaned down kissing Alesha on the top of her head and left the room.

* * * *

Jonah didn’t like letting Alesha out of his arms, or his sight, but he needed to have a word with Ghost. On the second floor, Garek followed him to the room.

“Your father is on his way,” Garek said.

“I’ll be down after I talk with Ghost first. How is he?”

“Grumpy. Won’t let him leave, not until he can shift and that won’t happen until he fully heals. The shots I gave him will help him rest, speed that up.”

“Good. My gut is telling me that we’re going to need him very soon.”

Jonah walked into the room and closed the door. Ghost was sitting up in the bed, and like Garek said, he looked like he was in a pissy mood. “Okay, spill it. I know you know something.”

“Yeah, you look like shit.”

Ghost was the same age as Jonah, had the same build, but that was about it. His complexion was much darker since he spent so much time out in the woods in the sun, but when he shifted, he was a beautiful white jaguar with the faintest of black spots and bright blue eyes. An albino of sorts. In human form, he had dark golden locks that were always in his face and a two-day growth on his face. He always dressed like a mountain man. Leather pants and a fur vest with thick boots. That was it, even in the winter.

Ghost was a loner and could be one mean ass son of a bitch, which had Jonah really wondering how anyone could sneak up and slice him like that.

“Don’t give me your shit, Ghost. I just fought with a rogue that killed Jonesy and took my mate. I heard you say something about a sixth and she said the same thing to me a bit ago. What is this fucking sixth bullshit?”

Ghost turned his cool blue eyes on Jonah. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?” Jonah snapped.

“I don’t know it all, or really that much, just enough to get tossed on my own and told to keep my mouth shut.”

“What’d you mean? You were kicked out of your home for this?”

Ghost rolled his eyes and looked down. “I’m tired of keeping his secrets. Fuck him, and fuck the others too. There was a sixth family. I don’t know much about them, only that they did something to really piss our grandfathers off. I mean so bad that if you haven’t noticed there is no sixth anymore. They’re gone.”

“But they’re not, are they?” Jonah walked further into the room. “That rogue tonight, he mentioned to Alesha something about the sixth, like he was the sixth.”

“I don’t know. I’m just telling you what I do know and it was enough to get my father freaked the fuck out. I’ve never seen him panic like that before, and neither had my mother.”

“How’d you find out about them?”

“I followed him to one of those meetings. You know, the one where all the alpha’s of the families get together. I heard them talk, one saying something like not all gone. I don’t know. I just asked him and he lost it. So now, I don’t talk to him and he pretends I’m not alive.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What would you’ve done? Your father knows why I’m on my own. They all do.”

“Is this sixth the one that got you?”

“No. It was a woman.”

“Um, excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Jonah saw Ghost’s unamused expression and in any other circumstance he might laugh, but something about the whole thing going on he didn’t find any humor in any of this.

“Garek says stay until you can shift, and I agree.”

Ghost growled.

“I mean it Ghost.”

“Not a good idea.”

“Why not?”

Ghost looked at him again, and a shiver went right down Jonah’s spin. “Trust me; it’s not a good idea for me to stay in this house.”

“Deal with it. I’m going to go down and talk with my father. Maybe get a few more answers to figure out this damn puzzle.”

“Don’t push too hard Jonah,” the look Ghost gave him once more had a shiver going down his back. “This is a well-kept and guarded secret whatever it is. I doubt any of them are willing to give it up, even for their own blood or to save their asses.”

Jonah walked out and stood in the hallway for a moment digesting all that Ghost told him. When he felt as if he had himself under control, he headed down.

Garek and Chloe were both in the living room. Loraine came out of the kitchen with a tray in hand.

“Garek, may I please—” Jonah started to ask.

“I’ll send them upstairs,” Garek cut him off and motioned for his family to quickly leave and go up the stairs.

When the three of them were alone, Jonah faced his father.

“How is she?” Noah asked.

“All my life, I’ve done what has been expected of me,” Jonah moved to the side and then started to pace back and forth, or more like side to side in front of his father. “Done what you’ve commanded and asked nothing. Not once have I ever questioned anything you’ve done, or said, but right now I am and I want the truth from you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Was there a sixth family?” Jonah saw Garek stiffen, and the color drain from his father’s face. He knew he had his answer. “I want to know what happened to them, or so help me I’ll take you all down myself.”

Noah pulled up to the old house deep in the woods. He parked, got out, and walked as fast as his old legs would move to the front door. Not bothering to knock he went right in, slamming it behind him in his haste to meet up with the others.

Far in the back of the house, the other four stood waiting. All stopped drinking and even talking when Noah entered, and no one said a word either.

“We’ve got a problem,” Noah huffed. He swallowed hard, moved over to the liquor, and poured himself a large drink. Downing it, he poured himself another before closing his eyes, taking a deep breath and facing them.

“Always a dramatic Noah. What now?” Jack Paxon sighed in irritation.

“One lived,” Noah hissed.

“One what?” Jack snapped, clearly he didn’t want to be here anymore than Noah. In fact, Jack never liked to come to any of the meetings, but when one was called, the others had to come. No questions asked.

“The sixth.” Tension suddenly filled in the room. Noah moved to one of the sofas and sat down with a heavy sigh. “A son I believe lived.”

“Not possible,” Richard Cutter said “There was no way in hell any children were left behind.”

“The preganant female lived,” Garek mumbled low.

“No!” Jack yelled. “She didn’t live.”

“None lived,” Richard said, shaking his head. “We were there. We saw our fathers burn them all.”

“You fucked up,” Martin Keeton remarked low with his head down. Slowly he raised it up, looking Jack right in the eyes. “She was to die for the father’s sins, remember?” Jack’s eyes narrowed and one even started to twitch. “You were to finish it and you fucked it up. What’d you do Jack, toy with her like a cat to a mouse?”

“Shut up!” Garek yelled, throwing his glass right at Martin’s head. “We swore we’d never talk about this shit.”

“And yet somehow it has gotten out!” Martin yelled right back. “Seems as if she survived and if so, then she’s bred a killer just like her father.”

“No,” Jack shook his head. “I buried her myself and trust me she was dead when I did it.”

“Jonah knows some of it,” Noah said.

“Fucking great,” Richard groan.

“It won’t be long before the others find out,” Noah looked around the room at each one of them. “And when they all know, we must be prepared for the hell that will follow.”

“All that is being discovered is that there was a sixth…that’s it,” Jack sneered. “Doesn’t mean shit, or that there is anything more to know.”

“Oh I’m sure there is more to know,” Noah stood back up and looked right at Jack. “There’s always more to know.” He finished his drink in one gulp. “You’ve got to check that grave Jack. Make sure she’s there. Because I have a strong hunch that she’s alive and that rogue out there belongs to her.” Noah walked to a table and put his glass down slightly hard. “Find out fast or it will be us and our families that pay the price for what our fathers did. Night boys.”

* * * *

Ghost tried like hell to sleep but couldn’t, thanks to his side throbbing and the itch to shift and run. Then you add that he’s in a house and not in his cabin in the woods, well that made sleeping really impossible.

With a low growl, he flung the blankest off his legs and with some difficultly, got out of the bed, arm across his belly holding onto his side as he moved. He swore under his breath. Mostly he was pissed that some female could sneak up on him and get a shot in. No one has ever been able to sneak up on him before. He chastised himself for being so distracted with this rogue. Maybe, just maybe, if he wasn’t so tunnel vision on tracking that bastard down, he’d picked up on her before she struck. Bitch!

Ghost paced slowly back and forth, working out the knotted muscles and trying to get his body limber enough that maybe he could change. Yet, every time he’d think about it, his side would burn reminding him painfully that it wasn’t going to happen.

“Motherfucker,” he hissed, then stilled. Something tapped on the window. Slowly, Ghost walked over and peeked through before opening it to stick his head out. When he did, a small rock hit him right in the forehead. “Motherfucker,” he grunted again, closing his eyes as they watered up.

“Sorry man.”

“Lucas?”

“Yeah, can I come up?”

“Hold on,” Ghost left the window and went to the door. Slowly he opened it, looked up and down to make sure everyone was asleep for the night, then closed and locked it before walking back to the window. “Okay, come up.”

Lucas took three large steps backwards to come at the house at a run, jumped up and with his hands and feet, clawed like a cat up the side of the house to the window, jumping in.

He stood tall, thick and strong. His hair wasn’t long, but thick, and his eyes were gold like the others. What had him standing out from the rest a simple accident of birth. Lucas was a lower class jaguar in the pecking order. His family was not one of the
Five
. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t rise up for it, even though chances were slim. Fathers that practiced the old ways kept daughters safe from the lower class and even the
Five
kept their daughters close. Daughters of the
Five
might be allowed to mate with only a few worthy families, but that had to be approved by their fathers.

“Man, you look like shit,” Lucas said.

“Thanks,” Ghost grunted. He went back to the bed and sat down. “What are you doing here?”

“Thought I’d come and check on you. You didn’t return from the hunt.”

“Some bitch tried to slice and dice me.”

“So I see.” Lucas smiled, then the smile froze on his face for a moment, slowly disappearing. His eyes closed and he took in one very large breath.

“What?” Ghost said, standing back up. “Is he here?” Lucas only shook his head. “Then what’s wrong?”

“I’ve picked that scent up before,” Lucas groaned, eyes still closed. “Fuck, if it doesn’t stir my blood.” Right before his eyes, Lucas stripped.

“What the hell are you doing?” Ghost demanded. “Do you know whose house you’re in?”

“I’ve got to go to her,” Lucas said, bending over and pulling his pants off, then kicking his shoes off. He went right to the door, unlocking, then opening it, not looking back at Ghost at all. “I’ve got to have more,” he finished with a low growl right before dropping to the floor to shift. His arms and legs pulled in and transformed. Skin turned to a soft golden pelt, and his face twisted and changed. With a hard shake of his whole body, skin seemed just to melt away and fur replaced every inch of him.

“Oh fuck,” Ghost groaned. Faster than he could move, Lucas was out the door and down the hall. “This is not going to be good.”

* * * *

The scent was much stronger now in his jaguar form. Lucas let his nose guide him to where the man inside wanted to be. He went towards her room and nothing or no one was going to stop him from touching the one that haunted his nights each time she went out into the woods. So many nights as he was hunting he would pick up that scent and just that smell alone did things to him that no other had been able to ever do. Never had he felt so hard and out of control before, or hunger for, as much as he hungered for this one.

He stopped at the far end of the hallway, right in front of a closed door. If he could, he’d smile at the fact the door was cracked open. With his nose, he pushed it fully open, went inside, turned and shut it the same way. Before he moved any further, he stood there and breathed in the scent. It filled the room, confirming he was indeed in the right room.

In the middle of the bed, no covers on her body. She was on her stomach. A long t-shirt covered her down to the top part of the back of her legs. Lucas licked his lips right before moving closer, then as carefully as he could he walked up on the bed from the foot.

The bed shifted and moved while he stepped toward her. Carefully, he moved over her and settled his whole body down on her. That contact was all it took for her to wake up.

“What the hell?” She tried to rise up, but his weight prevented it and as he lay on her back in his jag form, Lucas slowly shifted back to human.

“Shhhh,” he said low in her ear, settling himself down more on her body with his hips pressing against her ass. “Don’t want to wake daddy now.” He made extra sure that she could feel his erection against her ass.

“Who the hell are you and how did you get in my room?”

“Come to see you,” closing his eyes he rubbed part of his face against the back of her head, then around to the side of her cheek. “And getting in isn’t that hard to do. Not when there’s something I want.”

“Get off.”

“No.”

“I swear if you don’t get off of me I’m going to scream.”

“You scream and I’ll make sure I’m locked nice and tight inside you for daddy to see when he comes running.” That statement made her stiffen. “I know you’ve been going into the woods. I’ve picked up your scent before. What’d you looking for out there?”

“None of your damn business. Now get off.”

“I’m making it my business.” He moved just enough to brace some of his weight on one side and free up a hand. Looking down at her, he touched her leg and slowly ran the side of his hand upward. “And I’m not ready yet to get off you. What’s your name?”

“Stop that!” she snapped.

“No,” all the way up to her hip he went. “Ah, I was sort of hoping no panties.”

“Knock it off!” she reached down for his hand and Lucas moved faster, slapping hers away.

“I’m not done yet.”

“This isn’t funny. Get off me. You’re heavy.”

“Not until my inspection is done.”

“You’re what?”

“My inspection. With you sneaking out in the woods so much, I’m curious to know if another has invaded my territory.”

“Wha—wha—,” she shuddered. “Who the hell are you?”

“Name’s Lucas,” he moved his hand right back under the shirt and then right under the panties, touching her bare ass. That had her stiffening and her ass clinching up. “Nice. Body language tells me that the answer would be a no. Am I right?”

“Like I said before. None of your damn business.”

Lower he slid his hand, all the way down and then up to her bare mound. Giving no thought, he moved two fingers up and down the slit, then right into her as deep as he could get them in the position she was in. “Are you going to tell me your name?” He purred low in her ear, teasing her some between the legs.

“Ahh!” She started to cry out in a high pitch tone.

Quickly he covered her mouth with his other hand. “Shhhh, we don’t want daddy to come in now do we?” he said low in her ear. Slowly he moved his fingers in and out, wiggling as much as he could inside her. “Yeah, untouched. Perfect.” He kept moving those fingers slowly in and out with a wiggle deep inside her. “I can only imagine what it’s going to feel like to be deep inside you,” he kept his hand over her mouth and she shook her head. “Oh yes, and it will happen. Just a matter of time.” She bit his hand and he hissed, but didn’t remove it. “I can bite to, if you want to play that way?” He stopped moving the fingers and withdrew them, only to touch her clit and moan low in her ear, “Very hard.”

Chloe turned her head fast and when she bit him again this time he let her mouth go. “Stop, please.”

“Begging now? I’ll stop, but you have to tell me your name.”

“Chloe. Alright? My name is Chloe,” she rushed out. “Now please stop.”