The Jaguar Prince (7 page)

W
hat happened?
Rogar’s thoughts filled the jaguar.

Ahh, you’re awake,
Balam communicated the same way.
I had begun to wonder if you would ever regain consciousness.

Where’s Callie?
Fear filled him. Rogar wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he’d harmed her in any way.

We didn’t eat her if that’s what you’re asking.

Then where is she?

I believe she’s in the other room. She slammed the door and locked it.

Rogar felt relief wash over him.
I’ve never lost control like that before.

Because you’ve never lost control at all. It was not I who initiated the change. This sometimes happens with the males of our species when passions rule. Don’t worry, I have no desire to dominate.

Don’t you?
Rogar could feel Balam’s amusement. Guilt filled him for even having those kinds of thoughts. Balam was a friend, not just his guide.
I’m sorry.

You lead a more exciting life than I ever could. I don’t mind living vicariously through you.
There was a deep sigh.
Besides, our bond is stronger than most. It’s when man and beast don’t respect each other’s needs that trouble begins.

You’re right.

Of course I am.
The jaguar jumped to the bed.
You’d better go to her. I’m sure she didn’t sleep well last night.

Rogar flinched.
I doubt she’ll be happy with me.

She’s very beautiful you know.

Yes, I do.

Rogar closed his eyes, felt the transformation begin, the damp fog as it began to roll in. He was used to it. The first time had been the hardest. At one point during the change, his thoughts were no longer entirely his. Rogar knew Balam experienced the same feeling. It was as though they stopped being two, and became one, if only for a moment in time. Never once had Rogar felt threatened—which made his guilt all the more harder to swallow. They’d always respected each other’s identity.

He growled from low in his throat. It changed to a moan. A paw became a hand, a jaw that could crush a human head returned to human form, hair changed to flesh.

Rogar opened his eyes, blinking several times until the room came into focus. It was always the same—as if he’d walked from darkness into light. Tiredness washed over him in waves. He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, and waited for everything to come into focus. To catch up to being human again.

He finally stood, remembered he was naked, and quickly slipped on his briefs and slacks. Rogar wasn’t quite sure if Callie would feel the same way about his nakedness as she did last night before they mated. And since she’d spent the night in the bathroom, he thought it might be wiser not to push his luck.

When he turned the doorknob and pushed, there was a catch that prevented him from opening the door all the way. He peered through the small crack, but he couldn’t see Callie, nor did he hear her moving around. She might be sleeping. If he could manage to get inside, he would know for sure she was all right.

He looked around, spotting a card on her bedside table that might work to unlatch the door. He picked it up, and slid it through the crack, then upward, unhooking the latch. He tossed the card on the bed, and opened the door.

She wasn’t in the room. Had Balam lied and ate her after all?

I don’t lie,
Balam’s voice interjected into his thoughts.
Try looking behind the curtain.

Sometimes you pain me,
Rogar told him. He knew Balam was smiling.

Rogar slid the curtain open, making very little sound, then grimaced. Callie was curled in the tub, her knees scrunched to her chest. He leaned over and shook her shoulder. “Callie.”

She stretched, groaning. “Oh, Lord, I feel like death warmed over.”

He wasn’t sure what death warmed over meant, but from the pained expression on her face, he was pretty certain it didn’t feel good.

Callie opened her eyes, then frowned. “Why am I in the bathtub?”

“We mated last night…”

She smiled. “I remember.”

He felt heartened that her smile was full of satisfaction when she remembered.

Her smile quickly turned downward. “Was I so bad at making love that I had to sleep in the bathtub, rather than in bed with you?” she asked.

“You were magnificent.”

“No,” she said as if he hadn’t spoken. “I remember now, you changed into a jaguar and I was afraid.”

He nodded.

Her eyes grew round. “Oh, crap, it is all true. I didn’t dream I was alien—I am an alien. I changed right before we made love—into a freakin’ bunny which was so uncool.” She quickly sat up, then grabbed her neck. “Oh, damn!”

“Here, let me help you.” He practically lifted her out of the tub, then aimed her toward the bedroom. She held her neck as though it might snap in two at any second. More guilt washed over him. He helped her ease down to the side of the bed, then began to massage her neck.

“Oh, oh, oh that hurts…Ahh.” She sighed. “Better.” She leaned her head to the other side. “You have magical hands. I mean…”

When their gazes met, he saw her cheeks were a rosy hue. He couldn’t stop his grin from forming.

“That’s not what I meant, so deflate your ego,” she said, one eyebrow arching.

“You didn’t like when I touched you?”

She looked down, picking at the material of her white robe. “Yes, I liked it a lot.”

Heat flared inside him.

Someone knocked on the front door.

Callie came to her feet, looked toward the door, then at him.

“Hide?” he guessed.

She nodded. “I’ll get rid of them, then I have to get ready for work. Not all of us can make their own money.” She paused briefly. “We’ll talk about that later, too.”

Callie hurried to the door, her movements stiff. That was something else they’d be talking about, too. The next time they made love, there would be no more changing form, and if he did, he would be the one sleeping in a bathtub.

She glanced at the clock as she passed by. Who would be knocking on her door this early in the morning? It was barely seven.

For safety, she peeked through the window before opening the door. Not that she had much to worry about. All Rogar had to do was shift into the jaguar, and whoever was on the other side would have a heart attack.

But it was her heart that pounded when she saw her landlady’s car in the driveway. Great. What did she want?

Callie unlocked the door, then opened it. “Mrs. Winkle, is there something wrong?”

The older woman raised her chin. “That’s what I was about to ask you. I saw you with the policeman yesterday and it looked like he was doing a sobriety test.”

The old busybody. Callie took a deep breath and smiled sweetly. “A bad case of allergies, that’s all. Was there anything else?”

Mrs. Winkle glanced over her shoulder.

Damn, she’d forgotten about Rogar’s car being parked out front.

Mrs. Winkle looked at Callie again. “I won’t have any shenanigans going on in one of my rent houses. Mr. Abner, a few blocks over, didn’t keep a close eye on one of his renters. I told him more than once that he had to keep up with what’s going on, but he only laughed.” She puffed out her chest. “The next thing he knew, they were throwing wild parties. I tried to warn him.”

“I’m sure you did your best.”

“So, did you get a raise? That’s a pretty fancy car for someone who works at the zoo.”

Callie gritted her teeth to keep from saying something she might regret, but before she could say anything, Rogar stepped into the living room.

No good could come from this. Mrs. Winkle would kick her out for sure, and houses this cheap weren’t easy to find in a halfway decent neighborhood. At least, he’d put on a shirt, although he hadn’t bothered to button it, and he was barefoot. She glanced at Mrs. Winkle. The woman’s mouth had dropped open. The old battle-ax finally drew in a long, deep breath.

“You have a man in your house.”

Rogar continued forward, took Mrs. Winkle’s hand in his, and brought it to his lips. “Prince Rogar Valkyir, at your service.”

Callie almost lost it. He hadn’t lied. Did the man not know how? He was going to get her thrown out on her butt.

“Prince? Here, in one of my houses?” She drew her hand out of his, her eyes narrowing, then sneezed. “Oh, excuse me.” Her brow puckered. “Is there a cat in the house? I swear, I sneeze every time I come over.”

“And each time I tell you, there are no animals,” Callie said with more than a little exasperation.

“I met Callie when she was attending college,” Rogar interrupted. “We became friends. She was gracious enough to let me spend the night.”

Mrs. Winkle still looked skeptical. “You’re a prince and you stay here, rather than a five-star hotel?”

“No matter how lavish one’s surroundings are, they can’t dispel the coldness of a hotel room. Only the warmth of a friend’s hospitality can do that, and I find the home Callie rents from you is quite warm.”

Mrs. Winkle’s frown turned to a smile. Wow! Callie had never seen her landlady smile. In fact, she was actually simpering. Of course, why wouldn’t she, Rogar had complemented one of her rent houses. Couldn’t she see they were practically dumps?

“I do try to make the houses as nice as possible. My daddy always told me that you could judge a woman’s worth by the property she owned.” She sneezed. “Excuse me. It must be pollen or something.”

“You’ve done a splendid job making this home so exquisite, and Callie has told me more than once that she looks up to you.”

“I have?” Callie cleared her throat. “I have. I mean, you are a businesswoman, after all.”

“You have to run a tight ship,” Mrs. Winkle nodded.

“It’s the same way with a country, even one as small and insignificant as mine. If you don’t stay on top of everything, you soon have wars.”

Mrs. Winkle nodded. “Exactly.” Then sneezed.

“But I’m sorry. I’ve interrupted your conversation. What were you saying?” Rogar’s gaze never left Mrs. Winkle.

“It was nothing, really. I mean, I don’t actually let my renters have people move in with them, but since you won’t be staying long…” She let her words pointedly trail off and Callie saw Rogar hadn’t quite sweet-talked the old biddy.

“It’s so peaceful here that I might decide to stay longer than I’d planned.” He reached into his pocket. When he pulled out his roll of bills, Mrs. Winkle’s eyes grew big.

Oh, yeah, give my landlady counterfeit money. Dig the hole a little deeper, why don’t you.

He peeled off 5 one-hundred-dollar bills. “I believe this will cover the cost of Callie having a guest more than a few nights. If I should decide to stay longer, I’m sure we can come to an arrangement that will benefit us both.”

Mrs. Winkle grabbed the money out of his hand, practically salivating. “I’m sure we can.” She sneezed twice before stuffing the money down the front of her dress.

“And you won’t mention that I’m here. The press can be quite annoying at times. I never seem to have a moment of peace when they discover my whereabouts.”

“My lips are sealed.”

“If you don’t mind, I need to get ready for work.” Callie looked between the two. It was nauseating watching Mrs. Winkle being reduced to a giggling schoolgirl as Rogar fed her ego and her bank account.

“Of course, dear.” She looked at Rogar as if she hoped he planned on lingering.

“It was nice meeting you,” Rogar said.

Mrs. Winkle held out her hand and Rogar kissed it. She blushed, then hurried back to her car, sneezing three more times before she got inside and drove away.

Callie thought she was going to be sick from all the sugar that had flowed between Rogar and Mrs. Winkle.

Bleh!

“I
need to get ready for work,” Callie said when Rogar closed the door.

“You’re really going to work? I thought you were lying to your landlady.”

Now he’d confused her. “Why would you think I was lying? I may be half Symtarian, but the Earthling side of me still has to pay the bills.”

“I have money.”

She threw her arms in the air. “Counterfeit! It’s illegal to make your own money. Which I’ve been meaning to talk to you about. You have to stop making money illegally. I’d rather not spend the rest of my life in jail as an accomplice, if you don’t mind.”

“Don’t you want to know about your ancestors?” He conveniently changed the subject.

Now he’d hit a sore spot. “Of course I do. Everyone wants to know where they came from, what their relatives were like. I won’t deny I’ve had questions over the years.”

“Then stay with me.”

“Ten years ago I might have jumped at the chance.” She shook her head. “I’ve been on my own for a long time now and I’ve learned to make my way without any help. My job probably doesn’t seem like much to you, but my dream has always been to work with the big cats. There’s an animal keeper job opening up soon and I’m next in line. I’ve worked hard for that position, and I won’t let anything jeopardize it.”

“You’re from another world.”

“Only part of me, the rest is from right here on Earth.” She tilted her head and studied him. “I’ve never shifted until last night, and I had to think about it before I could. Can I control it? Keep from shifting again?”

He took a step back and Callie knew she’d shocked him.

“You would give up that part of who you are?”

“Then it can be done?”

“You would be killing a part of yourself.”

“Just like my parents killed off a part of themselves when they dumped me at the orphanage?”

“You don’t know their reasons.”

“And the next verse is, I don’t want to know.” She looked at her hands, gathering her thoughts. “What if the truth is worse than I could imagine?”

“What if it isn’t?”

“Maybe I don’t want to take that chance.” A long time ago, she’d created a fairy tale in her mind that her mother and father had to leave her because they were dying of some horrible disease. The lies she told herself were so much better than facing what the truth might actually be—that she was dumped because she’d become a burden. She just wasn’t sure she wanted to face the truth.

Rogar raked his fingers through his hair, clearly frustrated. “Let me explain what a guide means. At least, give me that.”

Didn’t he realize it wouldn’t make any difference? She still wouldn’t go back to his planet with him. She’d finally adjusted to this one, and she’d been born here! No, Callie didn’t want to walk into the unknown and take a chance it was worse than Earth.

She sighed. But Rogar had traveled a great distance, and he was starting to grow on her.

“We’ll talk after I get off work,” she conceded.

He finally nodded.

She hurried from the room, more to get away from Rogar. She wanted to tell him that he could be waiting for her every night, but it wouldn’t do him any good. It was as though all her life she’d been working toward this one job. The dream was as much a part of her as breathing, and she wouldn’t let anyone or anything stand in her way.

Sometimes new dreams can become just as important.

She stumbled as she went inside her bedroom. Dizziness washed over her. It hadn’t been her thoughts. It couldn’t have been. She’d been dreaming of working with the big cats since going to the zoo on a field trip when she was nine. It was the first time she’d felt whole.

Damn it, Rogar was making her think things she didn’t want to think. She brought her hands to her face. And feel things she didn’t want to feel.

She grabbed a uniform out of the closet, and undergarments out of the drawer, then marched to the bathroom. She refused to think about anything to do with him, or shifting into another form. That was his world, and she wanted no part of it.

She showered, then dressed, before going to the other room. “I’ll need a ride to work,” she said. He’d changed clothes. He must have gone on his own little shopping spree with his counterfeit money.

He didn’t say anything. Just walked to the door.

The silent treatment?

“I’m…I’m sorry that I’m not what you were wanting,” she told him as guilt flooded her.

He turned around, his expression puzzled. “Not what I wanted?”

He ambled over to where she stood. She swallowed hard, looking everywhere but at him. He raised her chin and forced her to meet his gaze.

“Not what I wanted? How can you say that? You’ve been everything I could imagine. I love watching the changes happening in you. I love when you laugh. I love mating with you.” He lowered his head, his lips brushing against hers before he deepened the kiss.

Heat flared inside her. He slid his hand down her back, cupping her butt, pulling her closer to his need. His tongue stroked hers, then sucking. Her pleasure centers exploded. She wanted him, she needed him. He pulled away, looking as shaken as she felt.

“That…that won’t change my mind. I still won’t go with you,” she said.

“Then I’ll stay just long enough to tell you the story of our beginning.”

Would he really do that? Tell her the Symtarian history, then leave, letting her live her life as if nothing had happened? She studied his face, not quite trusting him.

“And you won’t speak again about me leaving with you?”

“If that is what you want.”

“It is.”

He opened the door and she walked outside, feeling as though she was entering into another phase of her life.

“But it doesn’t mean that we won’t mate again,” he said.

Oh, she was counting on that, but she chose to keep her thoughts to herself. This was all too new.

Rogar dropped her off in front of the employee entrance, and promised he would have her car back by the time she got off work, then he ground the gears as he shifted, and pulled away.

She felt torn about going inside. For a moment, she wanted to chase after him. That was crazy, of course. She might be part alien, but as she’d already told him, the other half was Earthling, and she planned on sticking with what she knew.

She clocked in and went straight to Sheba’s cage. She just wanted to stop by for a few minutes. Sort of anchor herself to where she really belonged, but she would need to hurry.

“Hiya, Pete,” she said. Pete was just closing the gate to Sheba’s empty cage.

“Hey, Callie. You just missed Sheba. I’ve already turned her out into the pit.”

“I was hoping I would get here before you did.”

“Running late this morning?”

“Car trouble,” she said without going into detail.

“Bummer.”

“Yeah.”

He strolled over to where she stood. “I heard you were around when the guy jumped down into the pit to save that kid. Man, I would’ve given my left…” He cleared his throat. “I mean, I would’ve given just about anything to have seen that. They say he was a hero, and he had Sheba acting like a spoiled housecat.”

“That pretty much sums it up.” Even though she was a little irked that Sheba had taken to Rogar so quickly, Callie couldn’t stop the warm fuzzies from tickling her belly. Not that she had a right to feel pride in what Rogar had done. It wasn’t as though she and Rogar were an item or anything. They’d mated—she frowned—they’d
made love
once. Yes, she liked him well enough, but that was as far as their relationship went. When he returned to his own planet…

Wow, it was really hard getting used to the fact he was indeed an alien, but she knew it was true.

“That’s what we need,” Pete said, and she realized she’d been lost in thought.

“What do we need?”

He brushed his hand through his unkempt hair. “Someone like him working with the cats. Maybe he could even do something with Sheba. Like walking around in the pit while she’s in there, and maybe talking about the big cats. It would be a great draw, don’t you think? More money for programs and all.”

She stiffened. “Excuse me?”

“Huh?” Confusion knit his brow.

He really didn’t get it, did he? “The next animal keeper opening is supposed to be mine.”

“Oh, now I understand.” He nodded. “But you could have the one after that.”

“I don’t think so.” She said between gritted teeth, then turned on her heel. “I have to get to work.”

“But I thought you liked working with the baby animals, and the kids who come through the petting zoo.”

She didn’t even bother to answer. Not that it mattered because Rogar wouldn’t be staying. He wasn’t a threat. The job had her name written all over it. Besides the fact, Mr. Campbell promised it to her.

Well, he hadn’t actually come out and said the words, but his implication had been pretty strong.

She walked inside the building beside the petting zoo and grabbed the keys just as Gail hurried in.

“Sorry, I’m running late.”

“Don’t worry. I just got here myself.”

“So, everyone’s all buzzing about what happened yesterday.”

“I’ve heard,” she spoke dryly.

“Does he really have a sexy black Jaguar?”

Callie stilled. How could Gail know about Rogar’s ability to shift?”

“I mean the car, not the cat.” Gail laughed.

Callie relaxed as she walked toward the baby animal pens. “How would I know?”

“Didn’t he take you home when your car wouldn’t start?”

How the hell did she know about that? Did she also know they’d had wild passionate sex?

“Ben saw you leave with him,” Gail explained. “It’s so romantic. Like Prince Charming.”

What would Gail think if she knew Rogar
was
a prince? Not that Callie would be the one telling. “There’s nothing going on between us. My car wouldn’t start. He was just leaving and offered me a ride home. End of story.”

“Really?”

Gail looked so disappointed that Callie almost laughed. “Yes, really.”

“Well, since you apparently don’t want him, mind tossing him my way?”

Callie chuckled, but at the same time, a little flare of jealousy sparked inside her. Which was so totally ridiculous. She and Rogar were only friends—who’d made wild passionate love last night. No biggie. Of course she wasn’t jealous. A touch of indigestion from all the rich food she’d downed last night was more plausible.

Gail and Callie didn’t have a chance to speak again as they opened the gates and led the baby animals out to the big open pen. The little ones were more than eager to stretch their legs and greet the new day. Callie wished she could feel the same way. Her day was going downhill in a hurry.

She was leading the lamb out when the phone rang in the office. She glanced up, but Gail was already hurrying to answer it.

“Okay, Lamb Chop, off you go.” She patted the animal on the back and it joined the others in a half-hop, half-walk gait that had her smiling. The young animals were cute. Kind of like being around puppies all day. But it wasn’t what made her truly happy.

“Mr. Campbell wants you at the main office as soon as you can get there.” Gail wiggled her eyebrows. “Maybe your prince has returned.”

Only if he wanted to be a dead prince.