Jungle Freakn' Bride (19 page)

*

Chaob caught
Carlie
before she hit the floor.
“You know this won’t hold her still for long. Already she is growing stronger and stronger. Soon
,
like us, she will resis
t
the effects.”

“I know, but it will last long enough for me to be on my way and at least ensure her sister is safe.”

“Will you prevent any from claiming her as bride?”

A heavy sigh left his friend. “I wish I could, but if the gods have chosen her, you and I both know the mating fever will have its way.”

Unfortunately, Chaob didn’t think his new bride would care for that argument.
How he envied
Acat
when he
left to meet up with the hunting part
y
tasked with meeting the outsiders.
Chaob didn’t relish his role when his
mate
woke. With his luck
, he’d get to deal with a spitting hellcat
,
because he didn’t doubt for a moment she’d wake angry. Her spirit was one of the things he most admired about her
,
t
hat and her courage.
At the same time
,
though, her spirit made her most vexing to deal with. She didn’t at all react in the manner he’d come to expect. His own mother and aunts never acted this way.

Best enjoy the
silence
while it lasted
.
With his mate cradled in his lap,
Chaob
took a moment to admire h
is woman
.
In repose, she
appeared
spectacular
–
from her creamy unblemished skin to her silken
,
gold locks
to her magnificent
, plush
frame.
As a lover, she was more than he could have hoped for.
More than he could have imagined.

In a fury, she
shone like a
goddess come to life.
And
she’s
mine.

Sure, she refused to accept
her fate
for the moment
.
She
i
nsisted on fighting
the path the gods chose for her
, but surely once she got over their initial misunderstanding
,
she’d forgive them and embrace their new life.

Or so he hoped
,
and yet at the same time
,
doubted.
Carlie wasn’t like other wom
e
n
,
no matter what Acat thought.

It took less time than even he anticipated for her lashes to flutter open.
He expected fury
,
m
aybe a yelled diatribe. Instead
,
she sighed
, a heavy sound full of sadness
. “He’s gone
,
isn’t he?”

He nodded warily.

“And
he left you as my babysitter?
”

“Mate.”

Her lips tightened at his reminder but she didn’t argue.
“So now what?”

“We
can
wait here for his return.”

“Or?”

“Or we can return to the village.”

“Where will he take Ruth?”

“Probably the village.”

“Can we go? Please.”
Her soft plea clutched him.

He wanted to believe this softer side
,
b
ut it didn’t seem like her.
He narrowed his gaze.
“
Will you try and escape me?”

“As if I could slip your grasp,” she replied
,
batting her lashes in an innocent fashion he didn’t trust at all
.

“You could try, but I would track you.”

“You or your cat?”

“There is no difference.
We are one, just like y
ou are a part of me now. I could follow you no matter where you go.”

“
Lovely,” she mumbled. “Just what a girl wants to know, she smells enough to leave a trail.”

He couldn’t help laughing at her indignant expression.
“
It is not unpleasant as you seem to think. Your odor is just unique. Everyone’s is
,
as you’ll discover. Have you not already noticed it when it comes to Acat and myself?”

She cocked her head. “I have actually.” She appeared surprised at her own admission.
“So, if you tried to leave, I could track you?”

“With practice, yes.”

“As a cat or not?”

He nodded.

Her nose wrinkled.
“Disturbing in a sense
,
but cool.”

“You’ll find you have many cool abilities,” he replied as he helped her to her feet.

“Like running without getting tired?” She smirked. “If not for those webs, and that nasty spider,” she shuddered, “I betcha I could have lost you for awhile.”

“Indeed you might have. You are rather fleet
-f
ooted, but we still would have found you
eventually
.”

“Because I smell. Gotcha.
So,
now that we’ve ascertained that,
can we blow this joint?”

“If by blow you mean leave, then yes. It is a few hours journey to the village.”

Chaob led his mate into the hall, pleased at her cooperative attitude. Perhaps she fina
lly began to accept her status.
Or, she planned something devious.
He tended to lean toward the latter.

“No spiders this way?” she asked as they headed toward the exit
, peering about with a leery expression
.

“The path is clear. Fear not, though
,
e
ven were
danger to arrive unexpectedly
, I would not allow you to come to harm.”

“My very own knight in a skimpy
loincloth
.”

“We prefer the term warrior.”

“
How about enigma?
”

“I would hardly
call myself
that. Ask me anything
,
and if I can, I’ll answer.”

His mate didn’t waste time once he made the offer.
“
How is it you speak such good English?” she queried
as they walked.

“When Acat’s fathers decided he should go to school in town to better understand the ever expanding
m
odern world and its wonders, as his beta, I was chosen to go along with him.”

“So you haven’t always lived in the jungle?”

“Why so surprised?”

“It’s just you seem to at home
here among the trees and lack of amenities
.”

“Because I am. The jungle is where I belong.
Where I feel most at ease.
However, love it as I do,
it doesn’t mean I am blind or impervious to the allure of modern living.”

Fascinating and so unexpected.
She would have never expected to meet a
n educated caveman
–
who turned into a cat
– in the middle of the jungle
. It boggled the mind. She focused back on something else he’d said.
“
You called yourself b
eta? As i
n
second in command
?
”

“Second in everything. In our tribe,
males
do everything in pairs from schooling to warrior training to mating.”

“
That is messed up.”

“Not if you’re raised that way. To us
,
it’s very natural.”

“
But how do you decide on a partner? Or is someone chosen for you? Did you even get a say?”

“
The gods decide
,
I suppose
,
of
a sorts. No one understand
s
how it works or happens, it just does. When we’re cubs, we tend to gravitate to our partner.” He shrugged. “Acat and I have always just done things as a duo. From our first
steps, first
kill, to schooling,
hunting,
to finding you.”

“Doesn’t it bother you to play second fiddle?”

He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

She gestured her with her hands. “Second fiddle, as in, he’s the boss and you’re his minion.”

He chuckled. “Is that how it seems? Acat might be the alpha of our pair, but it does not mean I do not get a
n equal
say. It just means he is the one tasked with the most responsibility and is the one the focus falls on.
I am quite content to let him have that. In other pairings, the strength is more equal, but because of his status as the trib
al
leader
’
s son, there is more of a distinction in our status. One he is welcome to.”

“Don’t like the spotlight?”

“I don’t like the headache,” he corrected with a grin.
Arriving at the
sealed
portal, he pressed a series of stones and enjoyed how her eyes widened as with a grinding of hidden gears, the
heavy portcullis
rolled to the side
,
revealing the jungle and
the warming rays of the sun.

Carlie bounded into the brightness and lifted her face to the sky. “Ah, that’s better.”
She closed her eyes and sighed in enjoyment.

“
You didn’t like the ruins?”

“Oh, they’re okay
,
and
they sure
beat sleeping in the jungle, but I’ve always been an outdoorsy type
even if
I can’t abide spiders.” She shuddered.

“Well, you only have to worry about normal
-
sized ones now,” he joked.

“Anything bigger than my hand is still not normal,” she chided. “But they do beat that monster
-
sized
one
in those ruins
. How did it get so big? I wouldn’t have thought it would be so well fed inside there
.
”

“Would you believe me if I said it was because of magic?”

She snorted.

“Then, I’m afraid I don’t have an answer.”

“Seriously?” She stared at him.
“Magic? Don’t tell me you believe in that?”

He shrugged. “I can turn into a jaguar and so can you
–
”

“Says you.”

“And yet you won’t believe in magic?”

“Magic is for fairy tales and witches. Role playing games on the
I
nternet and stories.”

“Where do you think the origins for magic came from?”

“I never really thought of it.”

“Because it exists. It is just those who can’t wield it who deny its existence.”

“Then why not show it to the world?”

“Ah yes, because history and religion has shown such a tolerance for those who’ve proven its power
,
”
he said in a mocking tone.

She bit her lower lip. “Good point.
Back to the whole kitty thing.
When will I turn into one? Do I need a full moon?
Catnip?
”

“You don’t need the moon at all
,
although, the pull to let your beast roam free will be strongest during that time. As to when, you already have.”

“I have?” She appeared surprised. “You mean that dream I had was real? I thought I was hallucinating.
”

“
No dream, datura.
You have
already shifted once into your jaguar
. A beautiful one
,
too.
The f
irst one
in our tribe
,
too
,
with your coloring.”

“What do you mean by coloring?”

He reached out and grasped a golden strand, tugging it. “Golden from head to tail. Not a single spot either. It’s different, but quite beautiful. Acat and I shall be envied by the others of our tribe for having captured such a rare bride.”