His Darkest Embrace (15 page)

Blue eyes pinned him with a look that could shred intestines.

“That’s bullshit.”

“No, it’s the truth.”

She shook her head and even though he could tell she was furious with him, Jagger preferred the anger to the total wall of silence he’d been treated to all day.

“You’re so full of it your eyes should be brown, not green,” she spat as she came to her knees.

The wind had picked up as the coming night began to blanket the horizon, and long wisps of her hair floated on the breeze. She pushed them away impatiently, chest heaving, eyes blazing with anger.

“Last night was about control and nothing more. You were pissed you didn’t get a little action and took it out on me. Last time I checked, a woman still has the right to say no.”

Her words stopped the automatic denial that lay on his lips. Truth was, he’d
wanted
to hurt her, humiliate her the way she’d done him.

She marched over and thumped him in the chest.

Hard.

“But what more could I expect from someone like you?” She shook her head. “You’re no different than the DaCostas.”

The insult hit him hard and his reaction was quick.
“That
is something you’ll not say again.” The whispered words were a deadly warning.

One that Skye did not heed.

“Fuck you. I’ll say and do whatever the hell I want.” Her voice rose shrilly. “I’m done with the fear, the uncertainty, the chaos.” She turned from him. “I’m done with all of it. I’ll get my hands on that portal and end it, once and for all.”

Skye shot a look of loathing at him. “And I don’t need a fucking arrogant jaguar to accomplish my endgame.”

Jagger grabbed her arms, even as he felt his own skin begin to burn. For a second the air around him shimmered and he had to fight like hell to hold his animal inside.

Skye Knightly pressed every single button he had going. Hell, she fucking smashed them.

“No? Seems to me you and your kind have been out here screwing the pooch for months. Christ, you couldn’t even avoid getting caught by the jaguars. What makes you think you have what it takes to find this so-called portal?”

“That’s low, even for you. The only reason the DaCostas were able to get their filthy paws on me was because—” Skye stopped abruptly and Jagger paused, feeling an edge of unease surpass the anger that he felt. She was holding something back. It was in the way her eyes darkened just before she looked away.

“Don’t stop now.”

Her body was tense. She was obviously hurt, tired, and God knows, he was getting sick of the constant battle between the two of them.

He felt his own anger deflate and let her go, pushing her away. “Actually, fuck it. I don’t care.”

“They attacked at dusk,” she said quietly and he stopped. “Like the cowards that they are, they attacked when I was at my weakest.” Skye snorted and shook her head. “Even then it took three of the bastards to bring me in.”

He watched closely as her golden skin flushed dark and her eyes shadowed before she looked away. Her delicate throat contracted as she swallowed, but when she turned back anger was quite evident in her face.

Her mouth was closed tightly and she shrugged her shoulders. He could tell there was some sort of internal struggle going on.

“What aren’t you telling me?” he asked harshly.

“I can’t …”

“You can’t what? Look, I don’t have the time or patience for these games.”

Jagger was beginning to think he was better off distancing himself from the blonde. He needed to get this mission done and get away from her. Because the truth was, he did care. A little too much for his liking.

And he’d learned the hard way that it was a road he didn’t want to travel on. Someone always got hurt.

Her face went blank. “Whatever,” she muttered under her breath.

He watched as Skye gathered up her satchel and the extra supply bag. It was obvious she was going to leave but he made no attempt to stop her. His anger was a slow burn that left his gut roiling.

He was torn. On one hand the need to protect was nearly overwhelming, but the desire to protect his sanity, his
soul
was pretty high on his agenda. He’d let the little bird fly the coop for the night and deal with her in the morning.

It took too much energy to fight and he needed sleep badly.

He turned away from her and rotated his head in an effort to relieve some of the tension that scraped along the edge of his shoulders and down his spine. God, what he wouldn’t give for a refreshing swim.

Still ignoring the blonde he grabbed food from his own supply bag and was about to relax when the merest of whispers tingled down his back.

Jagger whirled around, nostrils flaring, as a scent drifted up his nasal passages, one that he’d not expected to run across out in the Belizean jungle.

He immediately crossed to Skye, his hand snaking out to stop her cold.

“Be still,” he whispered hoarsely.

Her head whipped up but his hand was over her mouth before she could speak. Skye began to struggle and it was all he could do to keep her restrained in his arms. When she bit his hand, he clamped down on the curse that lay trapped in his throat and applied pressure, his arms brutally strong.

Eventually she ceased her struggles, although Jagger was pretty sure it was more to do with the fact that she’d not eaten or rested properly in days.

But it was already too late.

Two shapes materialized from the gloom that shrouded the entire area. One tall, obviously male, the other female. Their scent was otherworld and it was one that he knew well.

A deadly calm slipped through his veins. The situation had just gone from bad to worse. Only he knew how much the stakes had just been upped. The fact that the two mercenaries had snuck up on him like he was a wet-behind-the-ears freaking newbie was unacceptable.

Skye Knightly was too much of a distraction. If he didn’t deal with that soon, she’d get them both killed.

“Jagger Castille, been a long time.”

He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached. But first things first.

It looked like Jagger’s past was about to bite him in the ass. Big-time. If only he’d had more time back in Michigan, when he’d first realized they were tracking him.

“Tag,” he said calmly. “Was hoping I’d never have to lay eyes on your ugly-ass face again.” He then turned to the woman, whose smile was empty, cold. “Dani, you’re looking a little pale. Short supply of O-neg around these here parts?” The sarcasm of his words was hard to miss.

“Good to see you too.” The female spoke softly. “Although I’m guessing, you’re not quite as happy to see us as we are to find you out in this godforsaken corner of the world.”

Power surged through Jagger’s veins as he smiled at the two before him. They both had a major hate-on for all things Castille.

Especially the one named Jagger.

Chapter 14

I
nstant dislike ripped through Skye’s body as she carefully observed the newcomers. She could sense the animosity, the hatred, emanating from the two of them, but there was something else. Something subtle.

There was a history between them and Jagger. She could tell that it was ugly.

The female, Dani, was obviously a vampire. There was no mistaking the sickening scent that clung to her skin or the otherworld glow that hung in the air around her.

Of course the fangs that half slid from between the plump red lips were a dead giveaway as well.

The woman’s eyes passed over Skye, dismissing her instantly, to rest on Jagger as if he were a yummy piece of meat she wanted to enjoy. Skye’s hackles rose and for an instant she visualized her fist connecting with the perfectly white skin, marring the paleness in some violent way.

The other one, Tag, was something else entirely. That he was otherworld was without question. Yet his scent was something she’d not come across before.

His eyes were flat, dead, and at the moment their black roundness was directed solely at her. The intensity behind them made her skin crawl.

She moved back without thinking, her body melting into Jagger’s warmth. Her reaction drew a wicked smile from the man.

Bastard knew exactly how he made her feel.

“Christ, Dani, you could have sent a postcard, although I guess I should be flattered I’m worth a trip to the Belizean jungle.”

What the hell was Jagger doing, baiting them? Did he have a freaking death wish?

“But really, a little overly dramatic, don’t you think? Seems an awful long way to carry a grudge if you ask me.”

His hands tightened around Skye’s waist. “You need to shift and get as far away from here as you can,” Jagger’s voice was a whisper in her ear.

A low growl escaped from Tag’s mouth and Skye felt her belly flip over when she caught sight of the deadly row of serrated teeth. She couldn’t stop staring at them, not even when he licked his lips and hissed at her.

It was then that she knew. Tag was a demon.

Shit, this put a whole new spin on the situation. Demons were still relatively few and far between in the human realm, and not much was known about them.

“Oh, Jagger, you silly animal. Haven’t changed at all, have you?” Dani looked at his arms, still pressed possessively at Skye’s waist. A shadow passed over her face and when Dani turned her attention to Skye, the vampire made no effort at all to hide the contempt and utter disregard that she felt.

“Want to weigh in on that one, chica? Is Jagger still an arrogant son-of-a-bitch who thinks the world revolves around him?”

Skye remained silent, not willing to be drawn into whatever the hell was going on between the two of them.

Jagger was slowly trying to shift his body so that she was no longer in front of him, his hands urgent at her waist. Once more he whispered softly into her ear. “You need to get out of here,
now.”

The tension in his voice lent credence to the severity of their situation, and Skye felt a myriad of emotions wash over her. On one hand she’d love nothing more than to call to her eagle, shift, and get the hell away from everything.

Aside from the fact that it was impossible for her to do that once the sun had set, she was more than a little surprised to realize she didn’t want to leave Jagger.

At least not here, alone, to face the two deadly otherworlders who stood before them.

The vampire began to move toward them, her long legs not seeming to touch the earth as she drifted across the ground. She stopped a few feet away and hissed, baring her perfect white fangs as she laughed at them.

“You really think you’re going to be able to protect her?”

“I really think
we need to finish things and leave Skye the hell out of it.”

The vampire’s eyes darkened. “You’re such an arrogant prick. You actually believe Tag and I spent the last week hiking through this fucking jungle because I wanted a piece of you?” She sneered and shook her head. “Typical, but that would be wrong.”

An eerie fog began to drift over the hard, barren ground. It slid along the earth and rock like a snake, moving sensually as it crept closer, caressing the vampire like a lover.

Dani licked her lips and her voice dropped as a cool breeze lifted her long dark hair.

“A call went out on the wire a few days ago.” The vampire nodded toward Skye. “There’s a shitload of mercenaries crawling through this jungle looking for her. She’s worth a small fortune. Tag and I aim to collect.”

Skye’s heart began to beat heavily inside her chest as adrenaline rushed through her body. A fight was imminent, and even though she couldn’t call upon her eagle, she still had enhanced strength and fighting skills.

She wasn’t going down easily.

“The fact that we’ve finally got Jagger Castille in our sights is just an added bonus,” the vampire added as she licked her lips salaciously. “Unexpected, but I’ll take it.”

Jagger shoved Skye behind him. She felt the heat from his body against her cheek and she swore the air shimmered around his form. He was on the cusp of change, his energy dark and dangerous.

Jagger kept his voice light. “Hate to point out the obvious, but dude, you’re gonna have to go through me first.” He growled then. “And though I don’t make a habit out of hitting women, I totally am looking forward to bitch-smacking your white, bony ass.”

Dani’s eyes narrowed into small slits. “This has been a long time coming, Castille. I’ve thought of nothing else since Iraq. Speaking of …” The vampire began to move again, while the demon held back, his eyes glowing brightly in the early-evening gloom.

“You took out half my unit, and for that alone you will pay. Eden’s death was only a small reward.” Her voice deepened and shook as her anger became palpable. “Although I did enjoy hearing her beg for your life, just before I took hers.”

Skye felt Jagger go still. It was one of those moments where the scenery faded into nothing but background noise. The trees still existed, the earth was still warm at her feet, but everything was fuzzy, unclear. The world shrank and became small. So small that the only things she was aware of were the four of them and the deadly game they’d become embroiled in.

“You look surprised. Who did you think was responsible for your lover’s death?” The vampire hissed and growled. “I didn’t drain her, didn’t even go for a nibble. Your scent was all over her and ruined my appetite. But it was
my
hands that choked the last bit of air from her lungs.”

She began to laugh once more, the sound maniacal. It was harsh and echoed into the darkness. A mess of howler monkeys began to make noise, their excited cries echoing up from the canopy below, adding to the illusion of chaos.

The air changed; electricity crackled along invisible conduits, charging the atmosphere with an eerie glow.

Skye could feel Jagger’s rage. It clung to him like a dark cloud. It was in the way his heart slowed to an ominous beat, the way he shook out his limbs in slow, exaggerated movements.

In that moment she could feel how lethal an animal he was, and she looked up at Dani in time to see something other then hate flicker across her face. Was it fear? Probably not, but the vampire sure as hell knew Jagger was primed and ready for battle.

A million questions shot through her mind but the loudest had nothing whatsoever to do with the impending fight.

It made her angry, the direction of her thoughts, and she shook her head in an effort to purge them from her mind, but it was no use.

Here she was, atop a freaking mountain for God’s sake, with a vampire and demon standing only a few feet away, both of them gunning for her … and the only thing she could think about was the mysterious Eden.

Who the hell was she? And what had she meant to Jagger? The vampire had said they were lovers, but had it been more than that?

Skye tore her eyes away from the vampire as the demon began to make a series of grunting noises, not words exactly, but definitely some kind of chanting. She moved back a few paces, her eyes riveted to the beast as his form began to change. His body began to inch upward, the already tall form adding several inches in height and bulk.

Skye was transfixed. She’d never seen anything like it. Not even in her nightmares.

A hand gripped her forearm hard and she was pulled to Jagger’s side. His face was deathly cold, his rage turning the green of his eyes into crimson red.

“Get to Monkey River and find Nico. If he’s not there someone should be able to locate him in the reserve.”

Jagger’s voice sounded as if there were several layers to it. Skye could tell he was fighting to keep his human form for as long as he needed to.

He began to make a keening noise and mist encircled the whole of his body as he pushed her away from him violently. “Now,” was all he said before the change fell upon him.

Everything happened quickly. Bodies became blurs. Growls and screams ripped through the night air.

Skye stumbled back several paces, regaining her balance quickly. She watched as a large black cat erupted from the mist in front of her. Its body aimed straight and true for the vampire.

Dani’s fangs had elongated even more and the lethal weapons glistened in what little light there was. The vampire rushed at the jaguar and their bodies met in midair, the thud that reverberated in the night a testament to how hard they hit.

Skye started to run toward them, intent on helping Jagger any way that she could, but at the last minute sidestepped to the right, barely avoiding an assault from what was now a demon that was well over ten feet in height.

He whipped around, growling in anger and laughed down at her.

Skye held herself loose on the balls of her feet, hands fisted at her side. Desperately, she searched the immediate area for any type of weapon. When the demon began to laugh, he fed the anger inside of her until the flush of it crawled across her skin.

“Glad to see I’m so fucking amusing, dickhead,” she shouted, trying to tame the fear that was banging at her. The beast was massive and unless a miracle occurred, she didn’t see a way out for either her or Jagger.

Crap, the only demon fighting she’d ever seen had been old episodes of
Buffy.

Skye gritted her teeth, her gaze alighting on a small pile of rocks that fell away from a massive boulder to her left. She could hear the battle raging behind her but dared not turn from the demon.

His long, forked tongue slid from his mouth, as if testing the wind. Words slithered from between the jagged teeth and the stench made her nose wrinkle in protest.

“I can smell your fear, little bird.” He laughed harshly as he moved toward her. “It only makes the game that much more pleasurable.”

“Well, hell, glad to see I’ve managed to brighten your day, because so far, mine has been fucking peachy.”

Skye edged over toward the rocks, her mind circling for a way out. When she was only a few feet away, the demon lunged at her, his long arms grabbing for her. She jumped, trying to clear the boulder, and felt a hot sting of pain slice across her calf as the demon’s claws dug in deeply.

The cry that ripped from her lungs was harsh, but the pain was excruciating.

Skye’s hands landed on the top of the boulder and she tried to pull herself up, but the demon grabbed her and threw her back as if she were nothing more than a rag doll.

She landed on her back. Hard. And she began to sputter as the wind was knocked from her.

There was no time to react. He was upon her.

The heat of his breath against her face was bad enough, but the stench had her belly turning over in protest.

“Damn, no one ever introduce you to a nifty little thing called mouthwash?”

“Dumb bitch. You think to bait me? I care not for what you think.” He began to laugh once more, from deep in his chest. The vibrations shook her body and it felt like his words were not only outside of her, but in her head as well.

Skye shook herself, trying to clear her mind. If she could somehow distract the fucker long enough, maybe she’d find a way out of this mess.

“Cormac said he wanted you alive, but he didn’t say we couldn’t have a little fun with you.”

The hissed words slipped through her mind and Skye recoiled in horror as the demon lowered his head until there were mere inches between them.

“A demon’s kiss is something everyone should experience at least once in a lifetime.” His wide mouth opened and the serrated teeth hung heavily in menacingly dangerous rows. They dripped with something akin to saliva, but the liquid was brownish in color.

Skye’s eyes singled out a drop that clung to the teeth precariously, and when it fell toward her, she closed her eyes in revulsion, only to cry out in pain as the liquid slid across her cheek.