Secret Jaguar (Curse of the Moon Book 6)

by Stacy Claflin

  Not only that, but I probably only had a little time to make my decision. Shift or not? Staying in my human form seemed like a horrible choice. They could too easily overpower me.

  I undid my pants and slid them down to my ankles. They wouldn’t go any farther. I pushed and kicked, but my ankles wouldn’t part.

  They’d tied my ankles together.

  Someone hit the trunk from the outside.

  Did they know what I was doing? I quickly pulled my pants back up and my mind raced. There was no time to disrobe. I just needed to shift.

  I closed my eyes and focused on turning.

  Nothing happened. Not even a sore muscle. No bones popped.

  Maybe I was doing something wrong.

  I tried calling to my inner jaguar like Carter said the werewolves did with their wolf halves.

  Nothing.

  I focused on my anger. My fear. Stressful emotions usually caused the start of a shift. That was when my bones always started popping before I knew why.

  Not this time. Even though I was being held against my will, it wasn’t enough to press a shift.

  Then I remembered the needle. Whatever had been injected in me probably prevented me from shifting.

  So much fury tore through me, I could have exploded. I should have been able to turn into a jaguar ten times over with all my anger.

  Yet not even one bone popped.

  The sound of a key sliding into a keyhole sounded. I wanted to tear off the face of the next person I saw, but I needed to think clearly.

  These people probably expected me to be awake. Angry. To fight back. They’d see that coming a mile away.

  Just as the trunk started to open, I closed my eyes and let my body fall limp.

  “She’s still asleep.”

  “I told you that was too much solution for her. She’s weak. Been raised by humans. Probably never even shifted.”

  Laughter.

  Rage tore through me, but I managed to lay still. I had the advantage of surprise. They didn’t expect me to shift and they didn’t think I was awake. One way or another, I would use that to my advantage.

  Hands slid under my side and back, and someone hefted me up, throwing me over his shoulder. He kept hold of me by keeping his hands pressed against my thighs.

  “She’s surprisingly muscular.” His voice vibrated against me.

  “It’s gotta be from playing volleyball.”

  “No, stronger than that. Like she’s shifted already.”

  “That isn’t surprising. She’s almost twenty, and she’s been hanging out with that jaguar who thinks he’s a werewolf.”

  More laughter roared. Gravel crunched underfoot as everyone started walking. The man holding me slid his grasp of my legs higher and higher with each step he took.

  He had to be the one who thought he owned me. Who thought I’d be his wife and obey his every wish.

  The man had no idea just how wrong he was. As soon as I had the chance, I would take off. With any luck, he’d set me down while we were still outside. Then I could run off, surprising them.

  His hold on me kept moving. It took every ounce of my self-control to keep from beating on him. The moment he thought I was awake was the moment I lost surprise being on my side. He could cop a feel now, but that was all he was getting.

  He stopped walking. Wood creaked. He stepped up, making my legs bump into someone in front of him. More creaking steps, then a door opened, the hinges squeaking.

  I cracked open my left eye to see where we were.

  All I saw was another eye of someone right behind the man carrying me.

  “She’s awake!”

  So much for having the element of surprise. I closed my eye and continued playing unconscious. Maybe they’d think the hollering guy was wrong.

  “She’s awake!” he continued.

  “Get her inside.”

  There was a blur of commotion as numerous hands wrapped around me, pressing me against the guy carrying me.

  I was thrown onto a bed. A door slammed shut. Someone pinned my wrists together and pressed me down on the bed, breathing hot tomato breath on my face.

  It took all my effort not to turn away. I had to convince them I was still unconscious.

  “Are you sleeping?”

  Slap! A hand across my face.

  Somehow I managed not to react, other than my head moving along with the assault.

  “Are you awake?” Spittle hit my face.

  I refused to respond.

  “Rob, you’re an idiot!”

  “She opened her eye! I saw it. I swear.”

  “And I swear you’re a fool.”

  Slap! My face throbbed as it was hit on the other side.

  “Answer me, woman.”

  Oh, how I wanted to punch him. He was making it harder and harder for me to fake unconsciousness.

  “She’s awake! She is,” Rob insisted. “Try consummating your marriage early. I bet she’ll fight.”

  My stomach lurched. He wouldn’t.

  Smack!

  That wasn’t me. And my ankles were now free.

  “Shut up. You just want to watch.”

  Laughter.

  I cracked open my eye. Three men were in the room, and they all had their backs to me.

  The door was only a few feet away.

  I jumped up and lunged for it.

  Chapter 27

  Carter

  “Want some more?” I dug into the picnic basket on the coffee table between Kevin and me that Laura had brought over. We sat in the lobby while he ate. I pulled out a glass container. “Looks like some stew here.”

  Kevin nodded, his mouth still full from the half roast-beef sandwich he’d just stuffed in his mouth. He’d already downed a container of macaroni salad and eaten all the meat off a roasted hen.

  Apparently nineteen years without food did that to a shifter.

  He took a deep breath between bites. “You know, each thing I eat gives me so much more strength. I almost feel as good as I did twenty years ago.”

  “That’s a relief. Keep eating. We have plenty.”

  Kevin wasn’t only gaining strength, but also weight. I could see him filling out with each bite he took. He was nearly as big as me now.

  My phone buzzed with a text from Toby.

  We picked up Katya’s pack scent on the other side of the woods. Hers was mixed in with theirs.

  I stared at the text in disbelief.

  “Waf?” Kevin swallowed his food. “I mean, what?”

  I couldn’t find the words. Even though I hadn’t been able to get ahold of Katya, I’d assumed she was still in the hotel.

  Before I could process that, Jennifer and Alley walked down the stairs. Kevin had his back to them. They walked over and stood behind him, staring at me.

  “You should probably go now, Carter,” Alley said.

  My brows came together. “What do you mean? Am I not welcome here?”

  Jennifer stepped forward. “That’s not it, but Katya isn’t here. She won’t be back for some time.”

  My mind spun, trying to make sense of what had happened. Why didn’t Katya’s mom seem concerned that she was gone?

  Kevin spun around.

  Jennifer stared at him, her mouth gaping and her face paling. She stumbled forward. Her mouth moved, but no words came. She fell toward the floor.

  Kevin leaped up and caught her. “My Jenny, you look exactly the same.”

  “Kevin? You… you’re alive?”

  “Katya was right,” Alley whispered.

  Kevin swept some hair from Jennifer’s face and kissed her. “I’ve been here in the hotel this whole time.”

  “But, but… How’s that possible?”

  He walked her over to the couch where he’d been sitting and held her close. “Baby, there’s a lot about my family that you need to know. I don’t know where to start…”

  Jennifer sat up straight. “Like what? Katya’s with your father.”

  Kevin jumped back. �
��She’s what?”

  “He said she had a mental illness. That it ran in your family.” Tears filled her eyes. “I never should have believed him, should I? It’s like something came over me…” She paused. “Wait. He gave me something to drink when we talked. Then suddenly everything he said seemed to make so much sense.”

  “You can’t blame yourself. You were only trying to help our daughter. Now tell me everything. Don’t leave out a single detail.”

  While she told us the whole crazy story, I texted back and forth with Toby to find out how close they were to Katya.

  “Is she going to be okay?” Alley asked me.

  “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure she is.” I continued texting with Toby.

  “So, what’s going on if it’s not mental illness?”

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  “I just found out that my dad’s actually alive—and he’s been living here this whole time. Whatever you have to say can’t be weirder than that.”

  “I’m going to leave that up to him to tell you. Better yet, Katya.”

  She huffed. “Who are you texting?”

  I hesitated. No matter how I said it, it’d sound weird. I was talking to my alpha. Her sister’s math professor.

  “What’s going on?” Kevin asked.

  I glanced up from my phone. “I have a lead. You and Che should come with me, but Jennifer and Alley should stay here.”

  “Sexist much?” Alley glared at me.

  “Trust me, it has nothing to do with that.”

  She folded her arms. “Right. The men are going to save Katya while the women stay here. What should we do? Make dinner? Knit?”

  “It’s dangerous. There’s a whole world of things you don’t understand.”

  “Whatever. You aren’t keeping me from helping my sister.”

  I glanced at Kevin.

  He gave me a slight nod and turned to Alley. “We wouldn’t dream of keeping you from helping. You two look around here, and we’ll track down my family.”

  I rose. “And to prove how un-sexist I am, I’ll have Alex and Bobby come over here.”

  Alley arched a brow. “Because Mom and I need protecting?”

  I threw my arms into the air. “What do you want? I’m trying to help—and I need to get out there to find Katya!”

  “Just let me help!”

  I turned to Kevin. “If you want to explain your… family dynamics to them, go ahead. I’m going to find Katya.” I didn’t wait for a reply. We were wasting too much time as it was, and I wasn’t going to let another second slip by while she was in danger.

  I raced out the door and sniffed the air. The slightest trace of her scent lingered. It headed toward the woods.

  Several of my bones popped.

  “Not just yet.” I followed the trail until it came to a dead stop a couple blocks away in a small parking lot. They’d taken her somewhere by car.

  Great.

  I closed my eyes and sniffed the air, holding it in my nose. The trail ended here, right where they’d forced her into a car.

  There had to be more to go on. Some other clue. Something. Except that there wasn’t anything. No stray items left. Nothing.

  I called Toby. “They took her by car. I can’t tell what direction they went.”

  “Killian’s here, and he’s running a locator spell.”

  “What about Gessilyn?” Her husband was a well-respected witch, but we needed the high witch at a time like this.

  “She’s working on something back at home. Some of her other family members are preparing some other spells.”

  “Tell me the moment you know anything.”

  “Of course. And Tap’s working on something, too. He was speaking too fast for me to understand, so I don’t know what. You can try talking to him.”

  “Not when he’s that frantic. I’m going back to the hotel.” I ended the call and headed over.

  Kevin and Che were both putting on coats. Jennifer and Alley were nowhere in sight.

  “Find anything?” Kevin asked.

  I shook my head. “I followed her scent to an empty parking lot. They took her somewhere, but where is anyone’s guess.”

  “I know exactly where they took her.”

  “You do?” I gave him a double-take.

  “Our family has a cabin in the woods about fifty miles from here. It’s rarely used, but I’m sure that’s where she is.”

  I tugged on my sleeves. “Should we drive or shift?”

  He cracked his neck and then twisted his body, sending popping noises down his spine. “I don’t know about you two, but I could really use a shift about now.”

  “Probably faster, anyway.” Che unbuttoned his shirt.

  “What about clothes to change into?” I asked.

  “We’re shifters.” Kevin slid off his jacket. “We have outfits all around the cabin for miles. They might be out of date, but they’ll do the job.”

  “Sounds good to me. Let’s not shift right here, though.”

  We headed outside.

  Chapter 28

  Katya

  Someone slammed into my back, throwing me forward. I crashed into a wall, and a framed photo landed on my head. The corner dug into my scalp. Warm blood oozed out.

  “Get her!”

  I picked up the heavy frame and threw it at the guy about to grab me. It sliced his cheek diagonally. I spun around and ran down the dim hall.

  Voices sounded on both sides of the hallway.

  I was trapped.

  They would be doubly pissed that I’d gotten out of the bedroom.

  I darted into the nearest room and closed the door behind me. It was pitch black. I didn’t dare turn on the light on the off chance that no one had seen me come inside.

  My eyes started to adjust, but not quick enough. I felt around. My fingers found something cool and smooth. It was a dresser. I raced over to the other side and pushed, blocking the door.

  It wouldn’t keep them out long, but it would buy me a couple minutes at the very least. If that.

  I put my hands back out in front of me and walked toward the opposite side of the room. With any luck, there’d be a window.

  Smack!

  I’d walked right into a bed. It was too low, and I hadn’t felt it with my hands.

  Voices on the other side of the door called out.

  They’d heard me hit the bed.

  The door opened, banging into the dresser. It crashed back and forth between it and the door frame.

  My throat closed up. A rib popped.

  Please wait until I get outside. Please.

  I scrambled around the bed and felt around until I came to the wall. There had to be curtains. There just had to be. A shelf. Another one. A desk.

  The door continued banging against the dresser. Yelling and swearing.

  I felt fabric. Curtains and a window. I scrambled around the curtain, pulling it behind me. My palms pressed against the cool glass. I yanked on the window in the off chance it was unlocked.

  It wasn’t. I felt around for the lock, unable to see from either the room or the moonlight outside. The woods were too thick on this side of the house.

  More banging. Yelling.

  Slide.

  The dresser moved over the carpeting.

  I felt around some more for the lock. It had to be close.

  Bang! Bang!

  “We’re going to get you. Your fiancé is going to make you pay for this insolence!”

  Several of my ribs popped. My muscles tightened. If I wasn’t so determined to get away from them, I’d spin around and fight them just to prove them wrong. Nobody would ever treat me like that.

  My fingers found a curved knob near the middle of the window. That had to be the lock.

  Bang, bang!

  Slide. Slide.

  The dresser fought against the carpeting, but it was a losing battle.

  I pressed against the lock. It didn’t budge. I tried twisting
it. Again, nothing.

  Slide…

  Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I tried twisting the lock the other way.

  It twisted.

  “There she is!”

  Rays of light shone in from the other side of the curtain.

  My throat dried. I yanked on the window as hard as I could. It slid slightly open.

  Bang, slide.

  They were still fighting with the dresser—and probably almost had it out of the way.

  I pulled against the window. It barely budged each time I pulled with all my strength.

  Footsteps thundered toward me.

  I yanked on the window. It budged, like it was stuck on something.

  Voices yelled over each other. Hands grasped my legs and side.

  I gave the window all I had. It opened another inch, but the hands on me thrust me backward. I got caught in the curtain. It twisted around my head. My arms flung out, simultaneously fighting it and the men.

  The curtain rod fell to the ground just behind me, allowing the fabric to break free of my face.

  Three men had a hold of me. It was three against one in a home they knew well.

  I screamed at the top of my lungs.

  They pulled me to the ground. I struggled, kicking and hitting. My bones continued popping. Muscles burned.

  “She’s going to shift!”

  “Hey, you’ve got a fighter. Sure you can handle her?”

  Laughter.

  I kicked one in the face. The other two tackled me. I resisted with everything in me. They had me outnumbered, but that didn’t mean I was going to make it easy on them.

  Someone pinned my hands together. They wrapped a rope around my wrists—tightly.

  I grimaced and continued kicking. “I’m never going to submit to your backward, archaic rules. Ever!”

  “That’s what you think.” A fist struck my cheek.

  “I won’t! You may as well give up now. I grew up in the real world, and I refuse to live by your ways.” I kicked and kneed at them.

  “James likes a challenge.”

  I yelled out, bit the nearest arm, and continued kicking and kneeing them. Someone pinned me back against the floor and jammed fabric in my mouth. I tried spitting it out, but they taped my mouth shut.

  More of my bones popped. It was only a matter of time before I turned and ripped them apart, assuming they didn’t also shift.