Jaguar's Passion: A Shifter Romance (Guardians of the Fae Realms Book 5)

by JL Madore

  No one offers up any opinions, so I bite the bullet. “Take it, Jaxx. Get us over there. Lukas, maybe you can whip up a concealment spell on this giant rubber ducky so we can keep our position hidden long enough to get things done.”

  Lukas pegs me with a stink-eyed glare. “Yes, sir. I’ll get right on that as soon as I take down the protective field keeping us from getting shot and release the power of the river that I’ve been calling and commanding for the past fifteen minutes.”

  I chuckle and hold up my hands. “It was just a request.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Calli

  While Hawk, Lukas, and Kotah work on securing the raft and glamouring it out of sight, Keyla and Doc get some distance, and Jaxx and I tend to Brant. Once our bear’s feet are on solid ground, I figure we’ll be good. Wrong. His massive frame bursts to bear and he lifts his maw to the air to let off a piss your pants roar.

  “Alrighty then. Not fine.”

  He grunts and stomps into the trees, snapping twigs and scaring the locals.

  Jaxx catches the worry on my expression and smiles. “He’ll be fine in a bit. Give him a chance to burn off some of his anxiety and calm down.”

  “We should stick close to him. If people are out here with rifles, I don’t want anyone shooting him thinking he’s a raging bear.”

  Jaxx chuckles. “The people out here shooting are likely more interested in shooting us than a bear. We’ve got a few minutes while they work on the dingy. He’ll be back by then.”

  I don’t share Jaxx’s optimism.

  “Okay, you do you. I want to go see if maybe I can help calm him down.”

  Jaxx breaks into a smile. “You can try.”

  The two of us tromp off in the direction Brant’s bear took and soon come to broken ground with a rock formation jutting up from the forest floor.

  The huff and growl of my bear are unmistakable. Rounding the upcropping rocks, my breath catches. Brant’s in fine form, his bear seeming bigger than usual in his current state of fury and fluster. Standing eye level in front of me, his massive, boxy face and golden eyes strike me to my very core.

  “Hey, bear. You okay?” Jaxx asks.

  He twitches his black nose and lets off another long-suffering groan. It vibrates inside my chest. When I pat the spot where I feel his anguish, he lumbers forward and presses his forehead against my chest.

  My fingers sink into his muzzle and scrub his cheek. His pelt is thick, the fur long and luxurious. “I’m sorry the river part was rough on you, big guy.”

  “It’ll take him a minute to shift back,” Jaxx says, his voice laced with understanding. “When we’re hurt or worked up and retreat into our base selves our animal instincts surge forward. He’ll be raw and aggressive until he burns it off.”

  I press my cheek against his head. “That’s fine. He has every right to be upset. We’ll deal.”

  I nuzzle into Brant’s neck and breathe him in. “You smell good, Bear. Like evergreen trees and summer sun.”

  Pressed against his sturdy frame my skin tingles when he shifts back to my mate. My very naked, very aroused mate.

  He moves in with predatory strength and primal sexuality and lifts me off the ground. The tearing of fabric spells the end of my blouse and Jaxx manages to get my pants down my thighs fast enough to save them.

  Even though he’s standing before me as a man, Brant’s eyes are glowing the solid gold of his bear.

  He’ll be raw and aggressive until he burns it off.

  “Tell me if you need me to alpha stop this, kitten.”

  “No!” Brant snarls.

  “No,” I say, gripping Brant’s shoulders as he grapples ahold of me to block Jaxx. “No, I’m good. He won’t hurt me.”

  Strong fingers knot in my hair and I gasp as his mouth seizes mine. His tongue pries my lips apart at the same time he presses my back against a moss-covered rock wall and splits my legs.

  My pulse hammers in my veins and a rush of hot moisture soaks my core.

  He breaths in deep and his growl rumbles through his chest to mine. “You cream for me.”

  “All for you, Bear.”

  This is Brant, more bear than man. He tips his head back and his lips curl. “They shot at you. Tried to take my mate from me.”

  “I’m whole. Prove to your bear that I’m strong and healthy.” We’ve been through this enough that I know if their wildling sides get triggered about my safety, nothing will soothe them until I’m marked and mated once again. “Fuck me, Bear.”

  Before the words are out of my mouth, he sets me on the ground, spins me around, and bends me toward the rockface. Rough hands spread my thighs as his crown pushes inside.

  I cry out, shock and arousal warring in my mind. Brant’s always so careful. He primes me. He stretches my muscles before he enters me. Not today.

  “You okay, kitten?”

  “Yes,” I say, the invasion stealing my breath. “Gawd, you’re so big, Bear.” With my palms splayed against the jagged surface of the rock, I brace for what’s next.

  “Tell me to fuck you again.” The masculine demand in his voice triggers a pulsing clench in my womb.

  “Fuck me, Bear.”

  He grips my hips and invades me with a rough thrust. I cry out, but the pain of being stretched too much too quickly is soon replaced by the burn of slide and glide.

  I’m so wet.

  This man—this beast isn’t Brant—but it is.

  A part of him, anyway.

  “You like that, beautiful? Do you need me hard and deep? Do you need what I can give you?”

  “Yes.”

  His body, hard and muscled, hits me from behind. The penetration is pure, scalding pleasure. He shifts his stance and fills me again. And again. And again.

  His growl bounces off the rocks and trees around us, the guttural vibration bearing no resemblance to his usual easy-going tone. His foot inside my ankle spreads my legs wider as he thrusts deeper, driving harder.

  The clenching muscles of my sex tense around him. The building pressure of my release ratcheted nearer. My nails dig at the moss, grasping for purchase to ride out this maelstrom.

  Brant isn’t an alpha, but that doesn’t mean he’s not downright aggressive. He thrusts inside me, over and over, and with each hit, I push against the rock. My hands are scraped and probably bleeding, the muscles in my arms burning. This is wild and carnal and I love everything about it.

  “I love you rough bear. Really fuck me rough.”

  The forest erupts in the slap of flesh and the grunts of pleasure. I can’t hold them back. I don’t want to. My skin ignites, and I know without opening my eyes that I’m glowing. My woman aflame comes forward now when I let my wild side loose.

  And I love it.

  I flip my head back and grind my clit against each incoming hit. A sharp, keening zing releases with each penetration and my need tightens viciously.

  More. Harder. Wilder.

  “Gawd, yes…”

  A fiery burst of pleasure shatters inside me.

  My orgasm pours through me in a scorching wave. I cry out, lost to the primal connection between me and my bear. I sag forward, riding out the tidal waves of release.

  So good.

  I pant hard, trying to get reacquainted with oxygen.

  My legs give out as Brant withdraws but I don’t fall. He has me in his arms and spins me, so my back is against the rock wall and I’m wrapping my legs around his waist.

  “I want to kiss you.”

  I wrap my arms around his neck and groan as he reclaims his place. His cock slides in and wow, I’m going to be sore. Doesn’t matter.

  My phoenix side will heal me within the hour.

  Brant crushes me in his embrace. His arms wrap around me, guiding me up and down the length of his shaft, as his mouth finds the hollow at the base of my throat.

  This is the best kind of torture.

  He pulls back enough for me to see the anguish in his eyes. “I want to… I need to…
”

  A shiver chills my bare skin. “Whatever it is, my answer is yes. I want all of you. No holds. No manners. I want your wild side, Bear.”

  I watch as his canines lengthen, and he lowers his mouth toward my shoulder. A sharp scrape over my flesh sends another shiver up my spine. He nips the sensitive skin above my collarbone, his gaze locked with mine. “May I?”

  The need is wild in his gaze and I swallow. “Yes.”

  His face grows savage with lust as he closes his eyes. White daggers puncture my flesh and the pain that sears me is so wildly out of control, I convulse around him in another wave of orgasm.

  He moans and starts pumping again.

  Rapture explodes along our mating bond and sends me higher. I was wrong to think of this as wild sex to reassure his bear. This is more than sex.

  This is Brant’s bear possessing me.

  As my orgasm grips and releases, his rhythm shifts from fast to frenetic. Hot breath washes over my shoulder as he pants against my skin. His teeth remain sunken in my flesh.

  I’m dizzy as hell. Not from the bite… but yeah, from what it does to me to have him bite me.

  With one final growl, his hips pitch forward and lock. He releases his bite, and snarls so loud the echo bounces off the rocks and trees around us.

  I tuck my face into the warmth of his neck and revel in the sensation of warm cum coating my throbbing muscles. As a human, I never could’ve imagined this kind of sensitivity but as a wildling, it’s one of my favorite things.

  The heady burn to have my mates mark me eases with such primal bliss when they’re coming inside me, I crave it day and night. It’s the same for them.

  There’s no way to make sense of it, yet I hope it never ends. By the time his release eases, my legs feel like rubber and my entire body is shaking with worn muscles.

  I sense when the bear recedes, and the man regains control. Gentle fingers stroked my shoulder, pausing over the sensitive tissue where he bit me. “I’m sorry I lost control.”

  I smile up at him and let the glow of my phoenix side recede. “I’m not. Not unless too much pleasure can destroy a person. If that’s the case, I might be in trouble.”

  Jaxx

  Once Brant and Calli finish fucking like animals in the forest, I help her get into her pants and offer her my shirt. Technically, it should be Brant who sacrifices his shirt, but that would be a dress on her and not a top. And we still might need to run or fight at any moment, so my shirt is a better choice. Plus, it’s not for long. As soon as we get back with the group, Hawk opens one of the travel packs and tosses Calli a shirt.

  After almost three months of dealing with Calli’s phoenix fire issues, we’ve learned to pack her backup clothes for whenever we’re not close to home.

  “All good?” Hawk asks, tossing me my shirt once our girl has covered her girls.

  “Brant’s bear needed a moment,” Calli says, her cheeks flaming red.

  “Trust us. We heard.”

  I chuckle and wrap an arm around Calli, walking her away from the knowing smiles. “Ignore them. We are who we are. No one else gets a vote.”

  After another ten minutes, the Pennsylvania forest sextacular is forgotten and everyone returns to normal. Kotah and Keyla shift to wolf and are happy to run point and see if there are any dangers in our path.

  Brant and Doc break off to chat.

  Lukas and Hawk are talking safety and strategy with the two FCO guys Alex and Amir, and that leaves Calli and me to enjoy the forest hike.

  “I’ve never been to Pennsylvania,” she says, smiling at the trees surrounding us. “It’s nice.”

  “It is.” The forest is dense, the canopy thick, and the shuffle and scuffle of wildlife rustles all around us. While I prefer the hot sun and the feathered heads of wheat swaying in vast fields, this runs a close second. “It reminds me of the Northwood property.”

  “Which is probably why Kotah’s so happy.”

  “That and the fact that Keyla’s here with him and we’re out here doin’ our Guardian thing instead of bein’ cooped up in the palace assuming his duties as the Fae Prime.”

  Calli nods. “I don’t blame him for that.”

  “Me either.”

  We walk a long while in companionable silence before she reaches over and laces her fingers with mine. “I can almost forget there are madmen after us and two realms depending on us to battle the dark forces when we’re alone like this.”

  “Nature has a healing ability all its own.” Our joined hands swing between us and when the way narrows or gets clogged up, I use our hold to help her through. Now and then, we catch a glimpse of our wolves or bears in the trees, but for the most part, we’re alone in paradise. “How are you feelin’ now, kitten? Is your sleepy spell over with?”

  Her emerald gaze glitters as she stops our progress. Pushing me up against the closest tree, she leans in and claims my mouth. I’m always good for this kind of an ambush and meet her teasing affection with my own.

  Unfortunately, time is not our own.

  I end the kiss and ease back, my cat pleased with the distraction. “So, I take that as a yes. You’re feeling good.”

  “Great even. I feel strong and happy and in love. I’m hopeful that we’ll succeed. And I’m determined to find Riley. If I had a pack of M&Ms I’d be golden. But other than craving crunchy chocolate, I haven’t a want in the world.”

  Good. That’s good.

  Still… my cat thinks differently. There’s something off with her and I can’t quite figure out what it is.

  “You two done making out?” Hawk calls from ahead.

  I waggle my eyebrows and flash Calli a teasing gaze. “Only if we have to be.”

  “You do. If we’re waylaid every time one of us sports a stiff cock, we’ll never get to the coordinates.”

  I chuckle and get us moving again. “Spoilsport.”

  It doesn’t take long before we catch up with Hawk and the others. Hawk’s got an aerial map pulled up on a tablet and is tracking our progress.

  “How long will it take for us to get there?” Calli asks.

  Hawk hands the tablet to Lukas and offers her a hand to help her up a steep slope. “Wildlings hike at about one mile an hour. According to Brant’s calculations, we’re just over a mile away from where we want to be.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  The disappointment in her tone is nothing Hawk or I miss. “What is it, Spitfire?”

  “Nothing important. I’m good.”

  He chuckles and shakes his head. “No, you’re not. Tell us, please.”

  “No, I am fine. I’m just hungry and we’re looking at another three hours or more before we get finished and back to the raft to get out of here.”

  Hawk stops and turns his back to me. “Jaxx, snacks are in the zipped pocket sealed in the plastic. Pull something out for our girl.”

  I do as he says and smile at the yellow candy bag. “Ask and ye shall receive my queen. M&M peanuts for you, courtesy of our ever-anticipatory mate.”

  “Yay! Thank you.” She takes the bag, rips the top corner off, and starts popping in the colored chocolates. The smile she beams over at us is like July sunshine and the finest whiskey. “Man, I love you two.”

  My cat purrs long and loud as her words warm me inside and out. “And we love you.”

  We continue like that until Kotah and Keyla come barreling past us and shoot off to our left. They’re growling and not the happy, tongue-wagging wolves they’ve been the past hour.

  The level of aggression puts us all on notice and we tighten our ranks. “What is it?” Hawk asks, narrowing his gaze on the trees. “Does anyone hear or see anything?”

  I shake my head, searching the trees and the surrounding area. “No, but if you boys are good here, I’ll check it out.”

  Hawk, Lukas, and the FCO guys all have their guns drawn, so I squeeze Calli’s hand and pull away. Shifting on the fly, the wide pads of my paws come down on the leaves and twigs as I gain speed. After
a few more running leaps, I launch into the air, grab hold of an angled tree, and climb for a better vantage point.

  Brant and Doc are below, lumbering through the scrub. Other than that, I don’t see or hear anything. Certainly, nothing that concerns me.

  Still… Kotah’s senses are the keenest of all of us, so I don’t relax. I trust his wolf and when he blew through here, he wasn’t happy. The air tingles in my nose and the hair on the ruff of my neck stands on end.

  Magic.

  “There’s a portal opening,” Hawk shouts from below. “Incoming.”

  He barely gets the warning out as a dozen men spill out of the energy distortion before us. They come through, fully engaged weapons raised and firing.

  Calli bursts into flames and gets between the incoming force and Hawk and Lukas. The two of them have their guns out and scramble for cover to return fire. That’s if there’s anyone left to attack after Calli gets done charbroiling them.

  Dropping to the branch below me, I take a run and launch through the air. My cat lets off a roaring rowl and I take down two unsuspecting attackers. Protective vests and guns are no defense against speed, strength, and dagger-sharp claws.

  I go for the exposed flesh of their throats and they fall without a fight.

  A pair of coyotes flank me with a hyena and my cat lets off a rumble of excitement. Finally, a decent challenge.

  Wildling to wildling is the stuff of legend.

  As the forest erupts in snarls and the crack of gunfire, I dig in and take on my three. The coyotes are quicker than me, but not as strong. The hyena matches me in strength but doesn’t have my agility.

  The makings of an exciting battle in my mind.

  I swipe at one of the hindquarters of a coyote and send him spinning into a tree trunk with a yelp. His battle partners compensate and close in. With two running strides, I leap at a tree, push off the wide, bark-covered trunk, and rebound, soaring through the air, taking the hyena down by the head.

  Blood sprays the forest floor as Brant’s bear comes to join the fun. He picks up the dazed hyena and slams him against the tree, bear-stomping him beneath his massive paws. I’d say our grizzly hasn’t worked off all his pent-up hostility after his river trip, but honestly, this is how Brant fights on any day.