Seduction's Shift (3 page)

“He’s right. Their defenses will likely be down at that time,” X said in agreement.

At his sides Nick clenched his fists. If he shifted and charged into the forest in search of Ary, Rome and X would no doubt follow him. They’d protect him to the end whether or not they agreed with his actions. They would also die for him. Nick knew that for a fact and admitted he wasn’t ready to risk his friends that way. Coming up with a plan could also keep Ary safe. The way he was feeling right now, he’d go in ready to rip throats out. If there were other jaguars holding her, they’d defend themselves and their catch. Ary could be hurt. That was not an option.

“Fine,” he said reluctantly.

He didn’t like it, but he would do what was necessary without putting anyone else in danger. With long strides he passed Rome, heading toward the village. Within a few steps the human reached for the solace of the cat, shifting and blending into the forest atmosphere seamlessly. Behind him his friends followed suit, and the big cats ran through the forest they’d once called home.

Only home was a lot more dangerous than it had been years ago.

*   *   *

Life in the Gungi was centered on community and ritual. That community was grounded in the leadership of the Elders, and they led steadfastly from their location called the Elders’ Grounds. The Grounds consisted of two main huts connected by an annex called the
amizade,
which was used as a place for the tribesmen to fellowship with the Elders. The
santa casa
or holy house was the larger of the circular huts made of vine and leaf thatch located in the center of the village. Each of the Elders lived in rooms in the second hut, called the
pessoal
. Throughout the day when the Elders were not in special meetings, tribesmen were allowed inside the
amizade
to speak to the Elders or simply to pray among the pioneers of the tribe.

Tonight Nick, Rome, X, and Kalina were meeting in the
amizade
with Elder Alamar and Sheena Serino to discuss Ary’s disappearance.

“Rogues have been spotted outside the village, near the border,” Elder Alamar said.

Nick listened to the older shifter’s voice, noting the air of authority coupled with the slightest bit of compassion. He figured that’s what was called for in a leader. Right now, Nick was having a hard time coming up with any compassion for the woman who sat cross-legged on the floor across from them. They were all in a semicircle with Elder Alamar at the head.

The Elder was in his midfifties with a formidable muscular frame. His complexion wore the weathered burnt orange look of the Topètenia who stayed in the Gungi, but his eyes were clear, his speech impeccable.

Sheena Serino, wife of Davi Serino, a family of
curanderos
within the Topètenia shifters, was a thin woman, her curved back complementing the downward hang of her head. Long, dark hair reached past her shoulders in glossless strands. Everything about the woman screamed defeat, and Nick wanted to scream alongside her to help her only daughter. He remembered Sheena from before, when he’d been only nineteen years old and had fallen helplessly in love with her daughter. The woman had looked at him that night with watery eyes imploring him—as did his own parents—to leave the Gungi and never bother Ary again. He’d let her hopeless look sway him then. That ploy wasn’t going to work now.

“When was the last time you saw Ary?” Nick asked.

Rome gave him a stern look, but Nick ignored it. He’d spoken out of turn, but he didn’t give a damn. The hierarchy of the Topètenia was strictly upheld in the Gungi, whereas at home, even at a meeting with the Faction Leaders, Nick, as a commanding officer, held enough authority to talk whenever he wanted to. Here he was supposed to yield to the Elder and to Rome as the Faction Leader.

Sheena lifted her head slowly, her mud-brown eyes already blurry with tears. Her face looked ashen and sunken in, as if she were suffering from malnutrition even though the Serinos were responsible for receiving and disbursing food and supplies in the village.

“She is gone,” Sheena mumbled.

It looked as if her lips barely moved, the sound almost inaudible.

“We know that!” Nick roared, only to have Rome reach out a hand and touch his shoulder.

“When did you see her last?” Rome asked.

Sheena didn’t answer immediately, and Kalina scooted closer to the older woman. Kalina Harper was a cop back in DC. She was a beautiful officer of the law with a quick trigger finger and dangerously accurate aim. She was also a Topétenia shifter who had mated with a Faction Leader. This made her as close to royalty within the world of the Shadow Shifters as Queen Elizabeth in the human world.

“Do you recall what she was doing when you saw her last?” Kalina asked in a much friendlier voice than either of the males had been able to achieve.

In turn Sheena’s response was a little less fretful, but still not very informative.

“She is a talented
curandero
” was the woman’s reply. “Her skill is more than I or her father possess.”

Kalina nodded. “That makes her very important to the tribe. We want to find her as soon as possible.”

“Did she go off with someone?” Rome asked. “A male or female? Human or shifter?”

Sheena shook her head adamantly, and Nick swore. This was getting them nowhere. When X came beside him, nodding that he go outside, he obliged. Not because he was used to following X’s directives, but because his body was tight with restless energy. He needed to move, to walk, to do something that would help find her. This being still and waiting was definitely not working for him.

“Man, you’ve got to calm down,” X said the moment they were beyond the opening of the
santa casa
.

“I need to run,” Nick said pacing back and forth. “I just need to go and run.”

“You need to get some rest for tomorrow. We’re going to find her,” X insisted.

Nick paused. “And what if we don’t?” he asked. The possibility was there, ripe in the air like the scent of fresh-fallen rain. Whoever had her could kill her. Then what? Nick would go on a killing spree that would make Charles Manson look like a saint.

“Nick, I know this is personal for you. It’s sort of personal for all of us, because she’s a shadow.”

“Her father’s involved,” Nick said, ignoring X’s attempt at calming him down. X didn’t possess the same steadfast cool that Rome did. And the shifter was edgy himself. Nick could scent the tension rolling off his friend in thick waves. He wanted to believe it was because of the situation at hand, but wasn’t sure. X had a lot of things brewing in his mind, within his own issues. Nick respected those boundaries and didn’t pry. But he’d be there to back X up whatever he needed. He wanted his friend to have that same undying support.

“The mother’s not talking much. That’s a problem,” X admitted.

Nick rotated his neck, letting the cracking sound soothe him momentarily. “She’s scared of Davi. Always has been.”

“Does he abuse her?” X asked with a frown.

He steadied his breathing, focusing his energy. “Not physically. I think it’s more of a mental intimidation. I sensed it the last time I was here. He sort of controls his whole family like that.”

“So it’s strange that he would go missing as well. He was the one who reported Ary missing, right?”

Nick nodded. “He went directly to Elder Marras, telling him that she didn’t return home.”

“She didn’t return from where?”

“That’s what we were hoping Sheena could tell us. But she’s not being real helpful. If I’d been raised by anyone other than Sofia Delgado, I’d shake the truth out of her.” His hands mimicked the motion of shaking someone.

X shook his head. “Not only would your mother roll in her grave, she’d get up and kick your ass for that type of disrespect toward a female. But there’s hope. Kalina may be able to get some answers out of her.”

“Yeah, you’re definitely right about that,” Nick replied, then sighed. “I hope Kalina can get through to her.”

The minute Nick spoke those words, Rome and Kalina came out to stand beneath the cover of darkness provided by both the night sky and the thick canopy above.

“She was picking up supplies from the drop-off on the mainland then heading to see someone called Yuri,” Kalina reported.

“Yuri is the shaman,” Rome added. “Sheena says that Ary often helps Yuri in creating new medicines designed specifically for the shifters.”

“So Yuri has her?” Nick asked. “I don’t buy that.”

Rome shook his head. “No. Neither do I.”

“Who is this Yuri? Is he a shifter, too?” Kalina asked.

“Yuri is a different type of medicine man than the tribe’s
curandero
. His healing is more spiritual,” Rome told her.

Nick smirked. “Like a voodoo witch doctor.”

“Not voodoo, just blending spiritual beliefs with medicinal.” Rome frowned at Nick then turned back to Kalina. “Yuri’s been around the forest forever. He’s not a shifter, but a tribal man who knows his way around. He’s powerful in his own right and would really have no reason to kidnap Ary if they were already working together.”

“Then somebody knew where she was going and caught her then. Yuri still lives beyond the Gungi borders, right?” X asked.

“Right,” Rome said.

“So somebody knew where she was going and tipped the kidnapper off.” Nick’s temples throbbed incessantly. In his gut, he had a good idea who this person was. But for now he’d remain quiet. He was trying to go about this the smart way, as Rome had advised. Accusing people, especially other shifters, wasn’t going to go over real well with the Elders. But if his hunch turned out to be true, the bastard better pray the Elders’ wrath was all he’d have to deal with.

“We’ve got about three hours left before dawn. We can get an early start and head out to Yuri’s place. If Ary made her scheduled stop with him, we’ll work our way back from there. Hopefully we’ll pick something up from that trail.”

Kalina touched a hand to Rome’s bicep. “That sounds like a good idea.”

Nick watched as Rome stepped closer, wrapping his arm around his mate’s waist and kissing her forehead. “Let’s get some rest,” he said in a hushed tone that was probably meant just for Kalina.

X cleared his throat. “I’ll camp out here to keep watch,” he said.

Rome nodded. “You. Go to the north side and rest. You’re no good tomorrow if you’re tired and cranky and ready to kick ass instead of think.”

“I’m not a toddler,” Nick said with a scowl, then wished he’d simply kept his mouth shut because that response sounded like he was exactly that.

“Just do it and stop bitching.” Rome was already turning away with Kalina, fully prepared to ignore any more of Nick’s protests.

But Nick wasn’t going to protest.

His parents, Henrique and Sofia Delgado, a Topètenian and the missionary born in Panama he’d fallen in love with, had built a home in a section of the Gungi called North Side. Even though Nick did not live in the Gungi, his father had worked closely with the Elders before his death, and Nick was a commanding officer with the stateside shifters. This meant their home was of royal status and was kept for use by descendants of the Delgado clan only. The dwelling sat with its back against vines and fig-lattice-covered trees. It was a peaceful locale—which worked out for Nick, who intended to get some rest.

Because come hell or high water he was finding Ary tomorrow. If he didn’t there was going to be hell to pay.

Chapter 4

Nick never dreamed. He never spent time wondering about the “what ifs” or “has beens.” That was useless and a waste of time. He was a busy man and didn’t take kindly to wasting his time for any reason.

So as he lay beneath the netting that covered a clean mattress on evergreen logs, he welcomed sleep but cursed the vivid images that tagged along under the pretense of slumber …

She was close, her scent undeniable.

Soft, innocent, elusive, enticing.

Nick sat straight up, his eyes instantly focused past the thin layer of mesh surrounding his large platform bed. It was late night in the forest, sounds of its inhabitants echoing through the air. Crickets, leafhoppers, and cicadas were singing an evening lullaby.

His bed was in the center of the second room of the bungalow owned by his parents. After years living in the States they’d returned here, to the forest, to their home. Nick was nineteen now and had left the forest when he was four. His younger sister, Caprise, was with them, experiencing her first time in the Gungi. Henrique and Sofia Delgado understood the importance of knowing where one came from and embracing that heritage. They also knew that in the coming years Caprise’s body would change; the
acordado
would begin, and she needed to learn as much as she could early on from the other females in the village. Caprise was anything but happy about the trip, but Nick attributed that more to the fact that she’d left some young boy back in Washington, DC, pining for her than her actual distaste for the shifters and the forest. Caprise was a pretty girl, with a cheerful personality and a body that would most likely have Nick fighting off every male within feet of her. She was a Topètenia Shadow Shifter, just like Nick and his parents. And they had come back here to usher her into her destiny. But there was another destiny to be fulfilled on this night.

Outside, the female moved slowly, stalking him as she would her prey. When he’d lain down in the bed, he knew she was approaching from the patch of trees that separated the Topètenia from the Gungi border. She lived there in a series of huts connected to form their main house and the tribe’s healing center. The center skirted the perimeter of the Gungi. She lived there with her parents. Nick knew because he’d seen her with them at the
santa casa
and followed her home. Their hut was a distance away from the other tribe members because her father, Davi Serino, was a
curandero
. He and his wife, Sheena, provided all the medical care in the village. Aryiola was their only child.

With stealthy movements, Nick pushed back the netting and let his feet soundlessly hit the floor. She was nearing the door now, the scent of her growing need sifting through the windows as a tailwind to the evening breeze. Naked and fully aroused himself, Nick made his way across the room and into the large opening toward the back of their bungalow. His parents and Caprise were asleep, their rooms facing the front of the unit. The interior was dark but he didn’t need light to guide him. He came to a stop at the back door, where he stood perfectly still, his body tense and waiting, knowing that she was just on the other side.