Rescued By The Jaguar: BBW Paranormal Jaguar Shifter Romance

by Zoe Chant

  Nicodemus grudgingly nodded.

  “Well, we’ve been doing our own research into it. There’s a man here in Tucson who knows a lot about the subject. Can you come to Tucson University tomorrow? I think that maybe when you’ve talked about it to him, you may change your mind.”

  Octavia could see the wheels of Nicodemus’s mind turning.

  “I can be there," he said. “But if I’m not convinced...”

  “We can discuss it then,” Octavia interjected before Nicodemus could suggest that they break it off. “See you tomorrow, uncle.”

  She cut the call short, and scowled at the screen. “Impossible man.”

  “Don’t worry. Tomorrow, Dad’ll set him straight,” Luke said confidently.

  “I don’t think you actually told me in detail what your dad does for a living,” Octavia noted, pushing down her irritation.

  “He’s a historian. Don’t ask me to tell you what history because I’ve never been able to stay awake during his lectures, but as a side-line, he’s the most knowledgeable person on shifter culture and genetics in the whole United States. And if his credentials and research aren’t good enough, Dad has enough contacts to explain anything to the most dedicated of skeptics.”

  “Soul mates,” Octavia said thoughtfully. “It sounds unbelievable. But it feels true.”

  To prove her point, she kissed him again, just to feel the spark.

  “Mmm,” Luke agreed.

  “I hope that Nico understands,” she admitted. “He’s family.”

  “I’m sure he will,” Luke reassured.

  “I don’t know if I can go back to work straight away, though. When I think about leaving you, it hurts. And with Nico... it would just be awkward.”

  Luke chuckled, and tousled her hair. “I feel the same about leaving you. I was going to volunteer to give up my job for you, and follow you back to Cancun, if we can talk Nico into letting me back into the country.”

  “I wouldn’t ask you to do that.”

  “I know you wouldn’t, bright eyes, but maybe a sabbatical for both of us might work. I think we’ve got a lot of things to talk about.”

  Octavia bowed her head. In everything that had happened to her since she had arrived in Tucson, it had never occurred to her to think about the events that had split them up. Now that she knew it was Nico’s fault that they were ever at odds, she didn’t know where to begin.

  “I’m sorry,” Luke said, startling her.

  “What? No, I’m the one that should be sorry,” Octavia said. “Believing all those text messages were from you. I should have known that you wouldn’t do that to me. I should have trusted you.”

  “I should have known something was up when I saw my phone in Nicodemus’s pocket at the police station. I should have tried harder to get to see you. I should have trusted that you would get in touch with me.”

  She risked a look up from the grass, and saw Luke looking at her uncertainly.

  “Can we just say that we should have trusted each other?” she asked tentatively, shuffling closer to him.

  “And that we’re both sorry for hurting the other,” he added, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

  “And leave it there, in the past.” She cuddled into his side, feeling stress that she hadn’t even known was there melt away from her body.

  He sighed in what sounded like contentment. “And look forward to our future. Together.”

  “Sister!” Ruth hollered from the table. “Come and tell Mom about your favourite flowers.”

  “Oh Lord, she’s started planning the wedding,” Luke groaned. “Run.”

  Octavia laughed, and rose to answer the call.

  ***

  Since they hadn’t agreed a time to meet up, Octavia and Luke made sure to be at the university early. Octavia volunteered to wait outside at the reception desk while Martin and Luke got things set up in the office for their presentation. Octavia was more than a little nervous, but was trying not to show it. After she had been shown where she would be leading Nico, and the receptionist had been told that she was meant to be waiting there, Luke had pulled her into a tight embrace.

  “We’ll get through this," he had whispered in her ear. “We have each other now, no matter what. I want Nicodemus to still be a part of your life, but I won’t let him hurt you anymore.”

  Even remembering Luke’s words, Octavia felt a frisson of warmth run through her. She was loved. She was protected. For so long, it had just been her and Nicodemus against the world. And now, she had Luke as well. She did not want Nico out of her life, far from it, but she couldn’t, and wouldn’t give up Luke now that they had found their way back together.

  And if Nico couldn’t accept that...

  Before her mind could finish that sentence, she saw Nico approaching. He was dressed in his usual sharp suit, but the dark circles under his eyes spoke of sleepiness nights, and the lines on his face seemed more pronounced. In her light dress, borrowed from Ruth, Octavia felt almost exposed, underdressed, un-armored. But despite everything, Nicodemus looked over the moon to see her, and wrapped her into a tight embrace. She rested her head on his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “I was so worried,” he breathed into her hair. “I thought that I had lost you.”

  “If it wasn’t for Luke, you would have. He saved me, Uncle.”

  She felt him stiffen, and loosened her grip. He pushed her back but still held onto her shoulder, staring deeply into her eyes. Although he was not a shifter like she was, the blood was still there, and she could almost see a cat looking back at her.

  “We can go, now,” he said hastily. “You and me. We can leave now, leave him behind. He’s not right for you, Octavia, and you know it. I’m only thinking of you.”

  She shook her head, almost feeling sorry for the desperate note in her uncle’s voice. “No, Nico. You need to hear this. Luke and I, we’re meant to be. We complete each other. But that doesn’t mean that I love you any less, Uncle. You’ll always have a place in my heart, You’re not being replaced. I want you and Luke to get on, not for one to be the replacement for the other.”

  Nicodemus looked more than a little shell-shocked at her words, and didn’t resist as she took him by the arm and started walking towards where she had been shown.

  Martin Covas had an office tucked away in the history department on the Tucson University Campus. To Octavia’s eyes, it looked rather like the stereotypical offices of lecturers, cluttered with books on dusty shelves, rickety stacks of paper always on the edge of toppling over, and a whiteboard covered in scrawled notes. Martin was already behind his desk, paging through a large leather-bound tome, looking utterly fascinated. Luke was staring out of the grimy window, but turned around as Octavia entered, with Nicodemus behind her.

  “We’ll leave you to it then, Dad, Nicodemus,” Luke said hastily, and pulled Octavia from the room and closing the door behind them.

  “What?” Octavia asked quizzically.

  “Dad wanted to talk to Nicodemus in private. Said that he thought he’d have more chance of getting through to him without us raising the tempers.”

  Octavia leaned back against the wall and thought about this. She was a bit upset that she hadn’t been asked about this. She had wanted to be there to talk Nicodemus through this fated bond that she and Luke had had. She could see the logic in the request, but that didn’t mean that she had to like it.

  Luke was watching her, concern on his face, as her jaguar twitched an ear at the sound of voices starting within the room.

  “I didn’t think you’d be this upset, sweet,” Luke said. “It made sense.”

  “I’m not upset,” she denied, and then reconsidered. “Maybe a little.”

  “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he apologized. “I know that we’re going to have fights, but so soon after... everything.”

  “Everything,” Octavia echoed, feeling a distant remnant of her jaguar’s loneliness echo in her heart. “We need to talk proper
ly about that.”

  Slowly, Luke nodded.

  “Not here and now, though,” she added.

  “Once we know how Nico is going to take things,” Luke agreed.

  Octavia settled into silence. It wasn’t a truly comfortable one, not like they had had before everything had happened, but it was close enough for her. Her jaguar could hear the voices through the wall, but most of its attention was focused on Luke. He had relaxed into stillness, but there were still furrowed lines around his eyes. His hands were hanging loose at his sides, and she reached for the nearest, twining her fingers in his.

  “I won’t leave you,” she whispered, for his ears only. “No matter our fights, you’re stuck with me.”

  Tension seemed to seep away from him, but whatever reply he was about to make went unsaid as the door opened. Nico stood in the doorframe, pale, as if he had received the shock of his life. Behind him, Martin was solemn, but with a hint of a smile in his eyes. Without Nicodemus noticing, he nodded at Octavia, who felt a wash of relief.

  Nicodemus looked at the pair of them, at their joined hands, and swallowed, hard. He seemed torn between speaking and remaining silent, but Luke beat him too it.

  “So now you know. Nicodemus, I don’t want to be at odds with you. You love Octavia, and only want the best for her. I want the same. She is the treasure that I never dreamt I could find, the other half of my soul, the keeper of my heart. You’re her beloved and trusted uncle, respected and wise. Octavia and I are meant for each other, destined for each other. Be happy for her. Be happy for us.”

  The passion in Luke’s voice stole Octavia’s breath away, but she had to speak.

  “Think on it, Nico,” she said softly. “I still love you, and I still want you as part of my family. I can’t forgive and forget the hurt immediately, but I will eventually. We’ll talk again tomorrow.”

  Nicodemus managed a watery smile. “I will, Octavia. I have a lot to think about. And Luke? Thank you.”

  Nicodemus nodded, and made his shaky way off down the corridor.

  Octavia slumped against the wall as the relief surged through her. Whatever Martin had said, it had worked. Whatever evidence he had shown, it had worked. She hadn’t lost her uncle.

  “That went well,” Luke said brightly. Octavia poked him gently in the arm.

  “Your treasure, am I?” she asked.

  Luke looked straight at her, nothing but love in his eyes. “Yes,” he said simply.

  She paused, and whispered in Luke’s ear, feeling the truth of it in her heart. “You’re my treasure, as well.”

  Luke brightened at her words, and reached into his pocket, drawing out a small jewellery box. Octavia’s heart seemed to skip a beat.

  “It’s not a ring,” he said hastily as he caught sight of her expression. “It will be, soon, but not yet. This is something that I made for you.”

  “You made it for me?” she asked, feeling warm.

  “I started shortly after I got back here to the States just after I met you Go on, open it.”

  He handed her the box. Her hands shook a little as she accepted it. The confrontation with Nicodemus slipped from her mind as she focused entirely on Luke, on the man who had changed her life for the better. He saw her as the woman she was, not the rich ornament the others of her social circle saw. He saw her strengths, he saw her weaknesses, and he loved her for them.

  And she could be there for him, showing him the other side of life beyond his work, beyond his city borders. Together, they became more than they were apart.

  She opened the box, fingers touched the blue velvet lined interior. It was a charm bracelet within, its fine chain glowing under the fluorescent lights of the hallway. It was cold steel, burnished smooth, but still delicate. Hanging from the bracelet was a jaguar charm, carved with such attention to detail that it took her breath away. Made from bronze, it was cool against her fingers, and rang softly against the steel chain.

  “It’s not much…”

  “It’s everything,” she interrupted him, sliding the bracelet out and over her wrist, admiring the way it looked against her skin. It was fanciful, but she imagined that she could feel a loving heartbeat against the pulse point in her wrist. “You made this yourself?”

  “In a way, yes,” he said, lifting the jaguar charm up. “This little girl was carved in wax first before she was cast, and I wanted to make sure that I got her as perfect as possible. As perfect as you are.”

  “She’s beautiful.”

  “Just like you.” Luke’s heart was in his eyes. “Are we going to be okay, sweet? After everything?”

  Octavia took his hand, resting her palm against his, skin against skin.

  “We are,” she said with certainty. “Believe it.”

  “I do,” said Luke. And he lifted her into his arms.

  A note from Zoe Chant

  Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list.

  Please click on the title to write a review of Rescued by the Jaguar . I love hearing what my readers think! It helps me decide what to write next.

  The cover of Rescued by the Jaguar was designed by Isabelle Arden

  More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant

  Bought by the Billionbear . BBW + billionaire bear shifter + bachelorette auction = one broiling-hot story!

  A Pair of Bear s . One lonely cat shifter + two sizzling hot bears who want to share + a whole lot of action (in and out of bed) = one wild and sexy adventure!

  Bodyguard Bear. (Protection, Inc. # 1). A BBW witness to a murder + the sexy bear shifter bodyguard sworn to protect her with his life + firefights and fiery passion = one hot thrill ride!

  Defender Dragon. (Protection, Inc. # 2). A curvy backpacker who loses a shoe at a ball + a lonely dragon prince facing an arranged marriage to a princess he doesn’t love + magnificent castles and deadly assassins = one thrilling romance!

  Protector Panther. (Protection, Inc. # 3). A curvy paramedic who doesn’t know the meaning of fear + a mysterious panther shifter bodyguard with the power to inflict terror + sinister experiments and desperate passion = one heart-pounding romance!

  Alpha Lion. A frightened but determined BBW + a sexy lion shifter martial artist + a dangerous enemy = one unforgettable romance!

  Joining the Jaguar. A BBW doctor with no time for love + a protective alpha jaguar shifter + a kidnapping = one sizzling hot love story.

  Kodiak Moment. Workaholic wildlife photographer + loner bear shifter + Alaskan wilderness = one warming and sensual story.

  Loved by the Lion. BBW looking for a family + hot alpha lion shifter protecting his pride + a dangerous stalker = one sweet and steamy story!

  Keep reading for a special sneak preview!

  If you love Zoe Chant…

  You’ll also love Lia Silver!

  Keep reading for a preview of Lia’s full-length paranormal romance, Laura’s Wolf (Werewolf Marines.)

  Werewolf Marine Roy Farrell, scarred in body and mind, thinks he has no future. Curvy Laura Kaplan, running from danger and her own guilty secrets, is desperate to escape her past. But together, they have all that they need to heal.

  Laura’s Wolf

  (Werewolf Marines)

  Chapter One

  Roy

  Caged Wolf

  Roy Farrell paced in circles around his cell.

  He tried to tell himself that it was a private hospital room, not a jail cell or a cage. But he wasn’t convinced.

  If it’s locked from the outside, it’s a cell, he thought.

  When he’d first woken up stateside after his helicopter had been shot down in Afghanistan, a doctor had told him that he was in a military hospital for wounded soldiers with “unique issues.”

  Roy hadn’t taken it in at the time— he was too busy trying not to pass out or throw up. The glare of the overhead lights felt like red-hot knives stabbing into his eyes, the hum of the machines f
illed his head until he couldn’t think straight, the chemical smells nauseated him, and all of it together made his heart speed up like he was in the middle of a firefight.

  Once he’d managed to tell them what was wrong, he’d been moved into a darkened, quiet room and repeatedly asked if he’d injured his head (maybe), or had a history of migraines (no), or had been exposed to chemical weapons (not that he knew of).

  His wounds healed, but his senses remained stuck on overdrive. They gave him all sorts of medications, none of which did anything but make him sick or knock him out. They tried gradual exposure to various stimuli, as the doctors called everything that bothered him, which did nothing but create a depressingly long list of ordinary things that now hurt like hell. They gave him test after test, with results that were always inconclusive. At least, that was what they told him.

  Finally, a woman came in and informed him that she was going to be his therapist. He’d assumed she meant physical therapist, and waited hopefully for her to give him some exercises. Instead, she asked him to imagine a bright light and tell her what emotion that made him feel.

  That was when Roy figured out that “unique issues” was the polite way of saying “broken and crazy.”

  But what military hospital— what psych ward, even?— wouldn’t allow him any contact whatsoever with the outside world? And what hospital of any kind never let the patients so much as see each other?

  Roy finally told the main doctor, Dr. White, that he refused to cooperate with any more tests until they put him in touch with his commanding officer.

  “You’re not ready for that yet,” Dr. White had said.

  When Roy shouldered him aside and started to walk out, the doctor pressed a button on the little black box that all the personnel in this place carried. It never even touched him, but Roy dropped to the floor, unable to do more than twitch like a gaffed fish. Two guards dumped him on the bed, where he lay paralyzed for hours.