Jaguar Secrets
Authors: Khloe Wren
Evernight
Publishing
Copyright© 2013 Khloe
Wren
ISBN: 978-1-77130-672-0
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Laurie Temple
ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this
copyrighted work is illegal.
No part of
this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written
permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are
fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or
persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
My Angels: Fi, Jen, Katie and Nic. This one's for each of
you.
xo
JAGUAR SECRETS
Khloe Wren
Copyright © 2013
Chapter
One
Cammi’s
shirt hitched up and the skin of her tummy scraped over a rough rock.
Clenching her teeth against the pain she reached her hand out as far as she
could.
“Here, kitty-kitty, come to Cammi.”
The large black kitten with its big green eyes was
trembling and pressed up against the rough timber of the underside of the
jetty. It looked wet. Cammi guessed it had been forced up here with the high
tide and was now too scared to venture out.
She’d been on her morning jog when she’d heard the distressed
meows coming from beneath the jetty. Being a lover of all animals, especially
felines, she couldn’t resist coming to the rescue of this little fellow. Her
fingers just brushed against the kitten’s side as she wriggled further forward.
“C’mon kitty, I’m just trying to help you. I promise.”
Finally the kitten moved toward her and rubbed its
head into her palm.
“Good kitty, that’s the way.”
Scooping it up with her hand she tried to wriggle back
out.
Dammit! Now I’m stuck.
She
brought the kitten in close to her as she tried to look around for a way to
free
herself
. She’d managed to jam her hips between
two large rocks. Taking a deep breath she rested her forehead against the sand.
With a purr the kitten curled up against her neck and shoulder. She couldn’t
help but smile, the feel of the soft downy fur—still slightly damp— against her
skin instantly relaxed her.
“Hello? You all right there,
darlin
’?”
The deep husky voice flowed through her body, and goose
bumps rose despite the heat of the rising sun.
“Ah, hi.
I’m actually kind of stuck. Could you give me hand?”
“Sure, but may I ask what you’re doing under here?”
“I heard a kitten meow so came to the rescue, only now
we’re both stuck.”
“Well, that’s convenient. I was looking for the little
mite myself. Thanks for finding him. Now, do you know what’s got you stuck?”
Heat rose in her cheeks. Her hips were wide. Her last
foster mother, a gentle elderly lady, had called them ‘child bearing’. She
called them annoying as all get out.
“Ah, my hips are jammed between two rocks.”
He didn’t say anything, however she felt him move
closer, a warm muscular hand moved up her leg. Her thin
lycra
jogging shorts did nothing to prevent the
searing heat of his touch.
“You might want to get a hold of Rogue, don’t want him
running off again.”
“Rogue?
That’s a cute name.”
She heard him choke back a laugh. “Oh, he’ll love
that.”
“What do you—
”
Her words were cut off as the man easily pulled the
rock away from her. How the hell? It was huge. The man leaned in and scooped
her up as easily as she’d scooped up the kitten. Cradled against his bare chest
and clutching the purring kitten, she stared up completely dumbfounded. The man
had green eyes, slightly slanted. They looked feline, almost.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Luca Jag, and that is my little brother,
Rogue.”
“Little brother?”
Rogue jumped from her grip and, with a bright flash,
landed on the sand as a child.
Where the
hell is the kitten?
Her mind whirled, her vision blurred and she felt her
eyes roll up. The last thing she heard was Luca’s voice.
“And you, my mate, are coming home with me.”
****
Luca was torn between being pissed off and elated.
Rogue was forever nicking off and forcing him to drop everything to go find
him.
Although, if it weren’t for his latest romp, Luca
wouldn’t be currently holding his mate in his arms.
“Why do they always pass out?”
He frowned down at his brother, “What do you mean
‘always’? You better not be flashing yourself in front of humans. Dad will skin
you alive if you cause another incident.”
Rogue slowed his pace, scuffing his shoes in the sand.
Luca was grateful Rogue had at least mastered the magic needed to clothe
himself
after he shifted.
“I clear their memories. Nate showed me how, so I
wouldn’t get in trouble anymore. I don’t try to do it. Honest. It just … happens
sometimes. Not my fault.”
Luca lowered his nose into his mate’s strawberry blond
hair, inhaling her scent to calm his nerves. He understood that at ten years of
age, Rogue had a lot of growing up to do but still, did he have to make Luca’s
life so bloody hard?
“You’d better quit with the running off, Rogue. I’ve
got a mate now. I have things I need to spend my time on that don’t include
chasing your tail around the countryside.”
“Yeah, whatever.
Nate will help me if you’re busy.”
Shaking his head at his little brother he bounded up
the stairs to their holiday house, keeping his mate securely against his chest.
Normally, he and Nate, his best friend, lived in a large homestead out on the huge
property all the jaguar shifters jointly owned. The land backed onto the Pureba
Conservation Reserve. It was thick with shrubs that allowed them to roam as
they needed to. But each year for a couple of weeks in the height of summer,
his parents hired this mansion in the center of Ceduna to have a family
holiday.
Luca stopped short as he found himself standing in
front of his father. His very pissed off father who was blocking the stairs
that led to the upper levels. The house was big and allowed for Luca and Nate
to have an entire floor to
themselves
. It afforded
them all the privacy they could want, while still being
close
enough to enjoy his mother’s cooking. However, it also meant his parents knew
what he was up to as he had to pass them on his way up the stairs.
“What happened this time?”
His father’s words were rough with anger, and Luca
noticed his hands twitching, signaling he was close to changing form.
“He got caught out with the tide and ended up trapped
under the jetty. This lovely lady was trying to get him free when she got
herself stuck.”
“And why did you bring her home? Why the hell is she
unconscious? Please tell me Rogue didn’t flash her.”
“I only flashed her after Luca told her I was his
brother. It’s not my fault!”
His father whirled on him, fury clear in his gaze.
“That’s not like you, Luca. You’re always careful. Why did you say such a
thing?”
“She’s my mate, Dad. I didn’t want to start off with a
lie.”
Closing his eyes, his father sighed heavily.
“Okay. I can understand that. She’s still going to
freak out when she wakes up. You know that, right?”
“I’ll handle it.”
“You’d better. I’ll not have a repeat of what happened
with
Jace
and Tilly.”
Yeah, no one wanted a repeat of that situation.
Jace
had scented Tilly was his as she’d been out hiking
near his home. Unfortunately, she’d been with another man and
Jace
had seen red. He attacked the man in jaguar form
before flashing to human to take Tilly, who had passed out with fright by that
point. Five years later, they were finally happy together but it hadn’t been an
easy road.
“That won’t happen, Dad. I’ll make sure of it.”
“She’s not wearing a wedding ring, but that doesn’t
mean she’s single.”
“I know, Dad. Is Nate back yet?”
“Yeah, he’s upstairs waiting for you.
Oh, and congratulations on finding her, son.”
With a grin in place he moved up the stairs. He and
Nate had always been close friends. Even as small cubs they’d been inseparable.
Coming from different families they weren’t exactly the same. While Luca was a
pure black jaguar Nate was a golden spotted one. Not that either of them cared
in the least. Reaching their level he pushed open the door and called out to
his friend.
“
Yo
, Nate?
Have I got news for
you!
”