Assassin's Kiss

by Paris Brandon

  Kira whirled, her eyes wide. “What do you mean, this time?” she asked, while Sebastian processed the fact that Ramon and Sylvia, two people he’d known his entire life were dead.

  “Rogue priests have tried to force the prophecy for their own gain before. Their plots have always been discovered and the halflings killed. We don’t know how you came about but the fact that a Jaguar Warrior of Sebastian’s standing allowed you to live fulfills the second part of the prophecy, the one that’s remained secret for so long.”

  “Tell him the third part.” She glanced over at Sebastian. “You’re going to love this one.”

  “She will heal an enemy,” Juan said tiredly.

  Kira glared at Juan and Lily. “They won’t tell me which enemy or anything else.”

  Sebastian could swear every sound around them stopped as Juan and Lily and he traded glances until he couldn’t help himself and slid his gaze to Kira. He pointed to himself and watched the blood drain from her face.

  She hadn’t thought of him as the enemy. It was her turn to trade glances and she obviously didn’t like what she saw. “You mentioned this was provisional. Would you like to explain that now?”

  “All I can tell you is that you are the key to healing Sebastian. Your fates have been intertwined since you were both born. I’m not allowed to tell you specifics but no one said I couldn’t point you in the right direction. The answers you seek are within Sangre de Luna.”

  “Are you telling us that in order to heal Bastian, we have to go back?”

  Juan shook his head and glanced miserably at his daughter. “We can’t tell you any more than what I’ve told you already. The next time you see me, either the prophecy will be fulfilled or the new Council will decide you are both rogues.”

  “In which case, you’ll do your duty and kill us both?”

  “I’ve taken an oath to protect the Jaguar People. So has Lily. You can do more good than harm but the key to helping Sebastian and stopping this war lies within the forbidden temple.”

  “Then you’re what—just leaving us here? Do I have to remind you that time isn’t really on our side?” She turned to Sebastian, clearly panicked. “I hope you have some idea of how to get back there because I don’t.”

  “Alex might be in the area,” Juan offered.

  She glanced back at Juan. “Who’s Alex?”

  “He sometimes helps with…exits. Sebastian has used him before and his boat would be faster than traveling on foot.”

  She turned back to him, clearly panicked. “I hope you remember how to get to this Alex and it isn’t going to take long.”

  He slashed at the air in front of him and Lily was the only one who stepped back. He knew Kira well enough to know that she’d realized just what his decision not to kill her had cost him. He was lost to the Council and the Jaguar People. He watched the anguish settle on Juan’s face as he turned away. Lily didn’t look back. It was as if he’d become invisible.

  Kira watched Juan and Lily walk away and knew the clock was ticking. Bastian looked just as lost as she felt. “Please tell me this Alex is close.”

  He arched a brow and growled low in his throat.

  “Then it’s the Hummer overland until we run out of gas. Do you at least know how far it is from here to Sangre de Luna? A rough estimation? Anything?”

  He squatted, extended a claw, and proceeded to draw in the dirt. “Oh great, another map, and me without a compass.” Bastian drew a thin line westward, cutting through the country and following the river into Guatemala.

  “Do you believe Juan? Do you believe that I can somehow help you change if we go back?”

  He nodded again and she wanted to hit something. “I’m just going to say this once, because it’s going to make me feel better for about three seconds, which I need desperately. If we get out of this, I’m going to kick Juan Calderon’s ass and if his bitch daughter interferes, she’ll have to wear a wig until her hair grows back.”

  Bastian turned to watch Juan’s SUV disappear down the barely passable path. He started for the jungle and she grabbed his arm, letting go when he jerked away, his gaze narrow and angry. She stood her ground.

  “Back there, Juan guessed what I was—pretty damn quickly, I might add. Lily panicked and reminded him that he’d taken an oath. What was she talking about?”

  He shook his head.

  “We’re being set up. You know we are. Please tell me there’s someone else you can trust more than those two. Someone who might know how to help you, because I don’t mind telling you that you’re starting to scare me a little bit.”

  His lips drew back over his teeth, a cross between a grimace and the smile she remembered.

  “Not helping,” she whispered. “I guess it’s time for me to save you.” She’d meant it to be a joke, something to remind him of what they’d had, what they’d been through. His jaw worked as if he wanted to say something.

  He couldn’t. The panic was there in his eyes and he lowered his head, slowly moved toward her. His haunches rippled in a deliberate stride until he towered over her.

  His breath was warm against her face and she forced herself not to back up. There was a chance that the Bastian she knew was slipping away from her, that he was forgetting what they’d shared. There wasn’t anywhere to run if that happened. She kept her voice even, as if she were placating a wild animal.

  “Even if I was just your ticket here, I owe you my life. Without you, I couldn’t have jumped from that balcony and lived or gotten over the fence before the dogs had me. So I suggest we get our collective asses to Sangre de Luna and try to figure out how I’m supposed to heal you, which, though no one’s mentioned it, might help me heal too.”

  He drew back, his gaze wary.

  “You didn’t think about that, did you?” she whispered. “What’s going to happen to me when the next full moon appears? Do I just stay human with no consequences? Will I partially change and end my days hiding? Maybe I’ll be spared that, and maybe I won’t, but we won’t find out unless we get moving.” She jerked her head toward the Hummer. She didn’t move until he nodded.

  Chapter Eleven

  There was enough fuel in the two extra gas cans strapped to the outside of the Hummer to blow them to hell. Unfortunately, Sebastian didn’t think it was enough to get them to Alex, if he was even in the area. It definitely wasn’t enough to get them back to Sangre de Luna.

  He was pretending to sleep because communicating was becoming more awkward by the hour. His mind still worked but he found himself relying more on instinct and that worried him. He could have hurt her, or worse. Yesterday he’d thought Juan would be able to help him, tell him that Fontaine had lied and the drugs would wear off. Then at least he would have been able to protect Kira, maybe get her away to someplace safe.

  He could still protect her but it would be from the shadows. How long before not being able to touch her would drive him away so he didn’t hurt her or worse, kill her. Her scent surrounded him. It was all he could do not to reach for her.

  He kept imaging her dark nipples beading under his tongue. He could still feel their delicate texture, taste the saltiness of her skin. Concentrating on keeping his mouth and cock away from her pussy was taking every ounce of strength he possessed. He fought to keep his breathing even.

  Frustration and fury went hand in hand. If he concentrated, he could keep himself from getting hard because there was no way of hiding his erection now. He couldn’t use his hands, the minute he touched his cock, he’d come. He fisted them at his sides and kept his eyes tightly closed.

  How long before she looked at him as Lily had, horrified and disappointed?

  “How long are you going to pretend to be asleep? I could use some direction here. The terrain is getting worse and it’s starting to rain.” Her voice was shaky and he could sense her unease, her exhaustion. She was barely holding together.

  Sebastian opened his eyes. It was dark and the steady drizzle that washed over the windows was picking u
p momentum. He could smell her through the denim of her jeans, the dark shirt covering her small breasts. She glanced at him and her breath caught. She bit her lip and he wanted to slide his tongue across the fullness, taste her desire.

  The only sound in the vehicle was their breathing, shaky and low, reverberating through the Hummer, and punctuated by the steady beat of the rain. She cleared her throat and returned her gaze to the terrain that was barely visible now.

  “Maybe you’d better go back to pretending you’re asleep.”

  He almost missed her whispered sigh. He didn’t miss the rise and fall of her breasts, her nipples peaking behind the thin, blouse that covered them. He reached across and extended one claw, used it to lift the material away and swallowed hard. He couldn’t resist brushing the swell of one soft globe with the back of his hand. Her shudder vibrated through him and his cock strained upward, high and tight against his abdomen. She glanced over and licked her lips. He imagined the steady pull of those lips on his cock. His balls were so tight they ached.

  “Really, sleep might be the best idea. We could stay in the Hummer tonight. Maybe it will cut down on the mosquitoes,” she rambled, while he listened to the breath struggling from between her lips.

  He inched closer, trying to control his own breathing, slow the blood pounding through his chest. Retracting his claw, he turned his hand over and felt her nipple bead, scrape against the leathery pad of his palm. He was lost. Leaning over, he touched the tender spot behind her ear with the tip of his tongue. She stomped on the brake and threw the car into park.

  The impact smashed him against her and instinctively he closed his hand around her breast. Pulling her close, he kneaded the soft mound of flesh. Curling his lips, he gently nibbled the side of her neck, breathing her in until she moaned and dropped her head against the back of the seat, allowing him better access. She pressed her hand over his, encouraging his touch.

  “Every time I think it would be so easy to just run and not look back, you do something like this and all I can think about is when we were together at the temple.” She turned her head and he drew back. “I look at you and see the way we were in the bathing room, against the wall. I want you inside me again,” she said, her whisper harsh and desperate. She gripped his hand over her breast so tightly that her knuckles where pale in the dashboard light.

  Every muscle in his body strained toward her, his erection rock hard against his belly, pulsing like a live animal on the attack. And that’s what it would be if he didn’t find some release soon. She groaned, reaching for him and he was lost.

  He hauled her against his chest and maneuvered them to the back, onto the hard bench seat. She twisted into him, rubbing against his chest and belly. His nipples stiffened as the rough denim of her jeans slid over his cock.

  She knew what she was doing because she curled her hips and dragged the rough bump of her zipper over his erection. Dared him with an agonized gaze.

  Breathing hard, she nuzzled the side of his neck and ran her hands over his shoulders and arms. Her fingers found the leathery sheath where his cock was emerging, hard and pulsing…and barbed.

  He closed a rough palm over her wrist and stilled for the instant it took to control his erection. Her wide-eyed gaze glazed when she reached for him and he growled low in his throat. She was past being frightened when he sank between her thighs and inhaled two agonizing breaths. He nuzzled her thighs wider, scented her arousal and drew his tongue over the denim. She reached for her zipper and he stilled her hand once more.

  It had to be this way. Even his tongue was too rough. He could still hurt her. But he couldn’t stay away. He flicked the seam of her pants with just enough pressure that she jumped, her breathing uneven and harsh.

  She slipped one hand inside his, held on while she unbuttoned her blouse with her other.

  Bastian was looking at her as he had in the temple. His eyes were the same, still Bastian, still the Warrior who’d jumped from a balcony to save her, or kill her. She hadn’t known in that moment, might never know. It didn’t matter.

  The only thing that mattered was that she kept his gaze, not turn away from the Warrior who needed her as much as she needed him. Not be shocked by the feral desire she knew he was afraid of unleashing.

  She wouldn’t make him invisible. He didn’t deserve that. The hand that reached for her looked human except for the dusting of tawny fur and the leathery palm, like a soft glove, gliding over her stomach, her ribs, caressing and worshiping her.

  She wanted to close her eyes and lose herself in the pleasure but she didn’t want to miss one moment. She wanted him too badly. She wanted his kiss, his arms around her, his cock buried deep inside her.

  Cupping her breast, she roughly pinched the nipple, drawing it down. He growled and the vibrations coursed through her and thrummed against her pussy. He bent, burying his face between her legs and she almost flew apart but she wanted this to last. She wanted more.

  He dragged the tip of his tongue against the seam of her jeans, pressing until her labia fluttered and the lips of her sex opened. She flexed her hips and spread her legs wider, cupped her other breast roughly and imagined his teeth nipping, his lips pulling on her.

  He lapped at her as if he were starving and the pressure built while his tongue speared her as far as it could, fucking her through the rough denim. She drew her legs up, curled them around his shoulders and shook. A visceral wail, primal and urgent escaped her.

  He was out of the Hummer before she could touch him, disappearing into the rain and the dark jungle. She screamed and pounded the seat, rocking back and forth, swallowing her frustrated sobs. She still wanted him inside her.

  * * * * *

  Sebastian made a quick kill and dragged it to the edge of the clearing, watching for activity as he devoured it. He couldn’t take the chance that Kira would be taken by surprise but he had to eat, had to keep up his strength if he was going to get them back to Sangre de Luna.

  He’d known she was exhausted and he hoped she was at least sleeping. He’d find her some fruit when it became light enough for them to leave. It wouldn’t take long to get to the exit point if it was the same one he’d used on a couple of other jobs.

  Alex was a wild card and not always the most dependable operative. He rarely followed orders but he was one of the few people Bastian knew who didn’t have an agenda, other than being left the hell alone.

  The drums had been talking all night. If they were lucky, Alex was still in the area.

  He could still smell Kira through metal and leather, through the rotting jungle floor and the blood in his mouth. The rain that had started up again should have washed away her scent. He wanted to scream but she might hear and answer him. He couldn’t have that.

  He closed his eyes and teased one leathery palm over the crown of his cock, worked his other around his balls and tried to remember how it felt to be inside her. All of her soft heat surrounding him, grasping him while he fucked her, absorbing her shudders and her desperation. He remembered her mouth, soft and demanding at the same time, giving as much as she took and he came, a frustrated roar building inside his head, screaming her name in a voice that would no longer obey him.

  * * * * *

  He’d spent the night out in the rain. It had been the only way he could be sure he wouldn’t be tempted beyond reason. This morning, the steamy jungle felt as if it were closing in on him. He could feel himself losing ground and to make matters worse, the gas tank was dry.

  Behind him, Kira mumbled to herself as she stumbled over a tree root and he held up a hand. She stopped directly behind him, instantly quiet and alert. He scented Jaguar Warriors and humans with dogs, which only meant one thing. Both enemies were closing in and they were running out of options.

  He dropped to his haunches and she followed while he drew furiously in the mud. When he looked up she nodded and took off in the direction he’d indicated. He brushed away his primitive instructions and took off in the opposite direction.


  Splitting up and then leading the rogue Jaguar Warriors and the Brotherhood toward one another was their only chance and she knew it. At least she wasn’t barefoot. She added that to the very slim chance that she could outrun Fontaine’s Jaguar Warriors, who were behind her. Bastian had refused to let her be chased by the men and dogs. Dogs were too unpredictable. The Warriors, on the other hand, would follow orders to take her alive if her luck ran out. She could see the clearing where their trails would cross. Sebastian should be just ahead.

  The Jaguar Warriors were closing fast. She could hear their grunts and barks, sense their growing excitement and a trickle of fear funneled through the adrenaline driving her. It sounded as though they’d passed the point of reason, no longer concerned with the mission at hand.

  Bastian had made her understand that at some point her scent might override their judgment and her only choice would be to stay in front of them. The foliage ahead of her was already broken. Bastian’s trail. She crossed it quickly and was snatched mid-stride and lifted into the jungle canopy.

  She looped her arms around his neck and hung on while Bastian climbed higher then leapt through the next three trees to settle into the crown of another. Ancient and gnarled, its thick foliage shielded them. She could feel his heartbeat next to her cheek, his breath on her neck.

  The next moment the jungle erupted with yelps, screams and gunfire as Fontaine’s Warriors slashed their way through dogs and men. Sulfur and blood and the unmistakable stench of death rose through the canopy. Nothing else did. Behind them, men, dogs and Jaguar Warriors were locked in a life-and-death struggle.

  Kira’s heart still hammered in her chest when Bastian dropped from the trees at the edge of the river. She barely had time to take in the fact that a beat-up cabin cruiser lay anchored well away from the shore before he threw her in the water. She came up sputtering.

  “I see you’re just as charming as ever,” a man called to Bastian, who’d jumped in behind her.