The Jaguar Prince (9 page)

R
ogar had blundered and he knew it. He stalled by taking a drink of the liquid Callie called soda, then choked and coughed as it burned his throat. This soda did not go down as smoothly as the wine. He brought his napkin to his mouth as he tried to bring his fit of coughing under control.

Callie’s birthday celebration was not going well. At least, not as well as DeeDee had said it would. He and Callie should be in bed making love. DeeDee told him that women appreciated when men made an effort to cook a meal. They wanted the fairy tale, the romance. When he’d looked up fairy tale on his database, it had shown a picture of flowers along a walkway. It hadn’t been difficult to find someone to come out and provide the landscaping. He’d offered lots of money, and they’d immediately done his bidding.

Nor did it take much to have a food store deliver ingredients for a gourmet meal. He’d thought the instructions for the preparation were self-explanatory, but apparently not.

When he’d researched romance, he’d come up with candlelight, presents, a rose-scented bath, and making love. It seemed everything had to be in that order. Not that he’d minded, as long as the last one on the list didn’t get forgotten. He had a feeling because the first two had been disasters, the last might not happen.

The bath with candles and petals was a good idea. That one seemed to work very well. The stress was gone from Callie’s face and she looked more relaxed. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t guarded his words as well as he could have. He’d make sure he was more careful in the future.

“You okay?” she asked when his breathing returned to normal.

“The drink is strong and made bubbles in my nose.”

“But you’re okay?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then tell me why you
need
the people to return. You said needed, not wanted.”

“Maybe I chose the wrong word. Your Earth words sometimes carry a meaning I don’t wish to convey.” He’d lied. But it had been for Callie’s own good. Now he was starting to pick up her bad habits.

She smiled. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Not buying it,” she said, still smiling.

He frowned.

“You might as well tell me.”

He tapped his fingers on the table, then finally spoke, choosing his words more carefully. “Our blood has become too pure. If we don’t mix with impures, we will destroy ourselves. Our children cannot be of pure blood.”

“So mix with another species. Problem solved.”

“It’s not that easy. You should know that. There are certain consequences that go along with being Symtarian.”

“Like changing form.”

“Yes.” He picked up his glass, then set it back on the table without taking a drink. “People have been locked away, driven insane, when they heard their guide speaking to them. Or worse.”

“Worse?” Her eyes widened. “What could be worse than that?”

“Actually shifting. Changing into animal form, then changing back. Not knowing what happened to them.”

“And there’s no one to explain?”

He shook his head. “The Symtarians left on Earth adapted the best way they knew how. They were told to blend with this new society, so they hid who they were, even from their offspring, thinking they were probably doing the right thing.”

“Why didn’t your people come for them sooner?”

“The old leader died, my grandfather, others took his place…” he hedged.

“You forgot about them?” One eyebrow quirked upward.

“Yes.” He hated to admit it, but that was exactly what happened.

“And now you want everyone to come home so there will be mates with less than pure blood so the Symtarian race will continue.”

“Yes.”

“And what happens if I decide to stay here?”

Maybe it was best that she knew everything. “Then your life will be in danger.”

Callie closely watched Rogar’s face. He looked serious. “What do you mean, I’m in danger?”

“Some want to keep our line pure. They don’t like the thought of mixed bloods, and they’re trying to destroy every one of them.”

She shot out of her chair. “You mean there’s someone out there who wants me dead?”

He nodded.

“But I didn’t do anything to this other person.”

He grimaced. “You were born.”

The room suddenly tilted and she had to grab the edge of the table to steady herself. “Is that what happened to my mother? Was she murdered by this monster?”

Rogar looked away. He knew more than what he was saying. All this time, and he hadn’t told her what she so desperately needed to know, to understand.

“You know, don’t you? You know what happened to my parents. Why they left me at the orphanage, don’t you?”

“I didn’t want to upset you needlessly.”

She slowly sat down in the chair. “Tell me. I have the right to know.”

He didn’t look happy. “I have very little information. The last known whereabouts of your parents was Kentucky. That’s where your father was…found dead.”

She hugged her middle. “How…” She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. “How was he murdered?”

“Isn’t it enough to know he died? He has no more pain. His sleep is peaceful.”

Her gaze didn’t waver from his. “How was he killed?”

“The report said his heart was ripped out of his chest, his skin shredded. They thought a wild animal might have killed him.”

“And my mother?”

“No one knew what happened to her. A neighbor said she was far into her pregnancy.”

Callie closed her eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath. “Do you think she might have been protecting me? Is that why she left me at the orphanage? Maybe she didn’t leave because she didn’t want me?”

He stood, coming around the table, and gathered her in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder, and realized her cheeks were damp.

Rogar led her to the sofa and sat down, pulling her onto his lap. “Symtarians bond very strongly with their children, from the moment of conception. More so than any race I know. Your mother wouldn’t have left you because she didn’t love you. I’m certain she cared for you very much.”

“And this person who killed my father, is he still out there?”

“I’m afraid so. His name is Zerod. He was son to one of the elder rulers, born later in life. He was against mixing our blood. But we had no choice. Our blood had become so pure that it’s harder to control our guides. Zerod lost control of his, and now his guide rules his head.”

“And that’s dangerous?”

“You should be one with your guide, a blending, so to say. The natural instinct of the guide is to hunt, to kill, but always to protect the human side. When the guide begins to take over, then those natural instincts are stronger. But Zerod has the blood lust on his human side as well. That makes him an even greater danger. And there are those who follow him.”

“And he wants to kill me.”

“Yes. That’s why it’s imperative we bring everyone home. Zerod is searching for you even now.”

She closed her eyes and breathed in Rogar’s scent. For the first time in her life, she felt protected.

The real world quickly closed in around her. Rogar wouldn’t always be there to protect her, and she couldn’t leave the only thing she’d ever known to step into the unknown.

He lightly began to caress her arm. She doubted he even realized what he was doing, but she did, as heat spread through her. She bit her bottom lip. Sensations swarmed over her, and her body tingled to awareness. It would be so easy to let him continue to touch her, raise her face so that he could brush his lips across hers. How much more difficult would it be to say good-bye if they grew even closer?

She came to her feet, putting distance between them. “What can I do to protect myself?”

He blinked, as though he’d also been lost in thought.

“I can do something to protect myself, can’t I?” She sounded a lot braver than she felt.

“Not without your guide.”

“The bunny?”

He shook his head. “That wasn’t your guide.”

It was a good thing because she really doubted a rabbit could protect her from anything, except maybe a giant carrot.

He stood and came toward her. Not stopping until he was barely a foot away. She could feel the heat emanating from him. Her nipples tingled as he awakened her body to awareness. But he didn’t touch her.

“Close your eyes,” he told her. “Take a deep breath, then exhale.”

She did as he asked, but caught his scent again. It tickled her senses. Tempted her to step closer.

“Free your mind,” he said, breaking into her thoughts. “Let it go blank.”

Not easy with him standing this close, but she tried, until a car went barreling around the corner, apparently on two wheels the way it screamed. That was followed by a horn honking and an obscenity being yelled out. She wondered if she should pull at least one of the Jags into her tiny garage. The red one maybe. Anything could happen…

“You’re not concentrating.”

She opened her eyes. Not good. Now she was staring at him. Rogar was really handsome. “Easier said than done with all the noise.”

“That’s how you ended up as a bunny. You didn’t concentrate.”

“I’m not exactly the kind of person who gets into all that meditation stuff.”

He cocked an eyebrow.

“Okay, I’ll try again.”

She closed her eyes. What should she think about? Maybe an elephant. Then she could squash anyone who got in her way. It would be kind of hard to hide if she was an elephant, though. A horse could run fast.

Her red Jag had a lot of horsepower. She’d felt it the moment she’d turned the key. Unleashed power that she’d had complete control over.

“Are you concentrating?”

She glared at him. “Yes, if you’d quit interrupting me. Sheesh.” She closed her eyes and forced herself to think about an animal. She’d love to shift into a jaguar, like Sheba.

There was a knock on the door.

She opened her eyes. “This isn’t going to be that easy. If DeeDee is on the other side, she’s got a lot of explaining to do about filling your head with happy birthday ideas.”

She marched over to the door and flung it open, but a man she’d never seen before stood on the doorstep.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you might have been someone else.”

He smiled. The man was handsome with light brown hair, just a touch of silvery gray at the temples, and gray eyes. It was what she saw in his eyes that made her go cold. There wasn’t an ounce of warmth. It was almost as though he was dead. He looked behind her and his smile widened.

“Rogar.” He held up a newspaper. “You take a good picture, but then, you are my cousin so I would expect no less.”

“Cousin?” She looked at Rogar, and knew by the glare in his eyes that there was no love lost between these two.

“I lost you for a while in Kentucky.” His gaze turned to Callie. “You look much like your mother.” He reached out and twined a dark curl around his finger.

Cold chills of dread swept over her. “You knew my mother?”

“Leave,” Rogar said with barely controlled anger. “You’re not welcome here.”

“But I’m not here for you,” his words were silky.

Rogar stepped closer, moving Callie behind him. “I won’t let you harm her.”

“She’s an impure,” he spat. “Not worthy to breed and produce weaker versions of herself. It would be an abomination to our society!”

And then she knew for sure. This was Zerod, the man who’d murdered her father, and stolen her childhood. For the first time in her life, she wanted to kill someone.

R
ogar hated Zerod with a passion. He killed because it was something he loved to do. But Rogar wouldn’t let Zerod harm Callie, not while there was breath left in his body.

“You killed my parents,” Callie said, stepping from behind Rogar.

Zerod grinned, and walked inside the house. “Only your father. He distracted me long enough for your mother to escape and give birth to you. Then she disappeared. Clever woman. If she isn’t dead, I’ll find her.”

“You bastard!” she hissed.

“I mated with a human, you know,” he said, turning back to Rogar, as though Callie was merely an annoying insect. “It was pleasurable, in its own way, but then I had to kill her, of course. I enjoyed hearing her scream, during both experiences. Watching her die was even more pleasurable.” His eyes glazed.

“You’re sick.” Rogar was disgusted they shared even one drop of the same bloodline. “Someone should have killed you long ago,” he told him.

“But then, you and I know it’s forbidden for one Symtarian to kill another. No excuses. It would mean immediate death to anyone who dared break the king’s law.” He smiled. “I wonder how the king would feel if he had to kill his eldest child. I think it would drive him insane, don’t you?”

Rogar growled from deep in his throat. “Don’t push me or I’ll be tempted to see.”

Don’t trust him,
Balam’s thoughts joined with Rogar’s.

Never.

“I know you too well. Your family is important to you.” Zerod laughed. “I know you hate to admit it, but we are related. Join forces with me.”

“And murder innocents.”

He shrugged. “The impures are a different story. There is no law against killing a half-breed.”

“On New Symtaria maybe, but on Earth we have a different set of laws,” Callie spoke up.

Zerod didn’t acknowledge her. Instead, he stretched his arms out to the side, growling low in his throat. The air grew heavy and damp.

He was changing form, but Rogar knew Zerod well and anticipated his treachery. He and Balam were ready.

“Hide in the bedroom.” He shoved Callie to the side, and closed his eyes, not waiting to see if she obeyed, only praying she would.

His change came seconds after Zerod adopted his guide’s form of the tiger—seconds in which Zerod slashed one claw across Rogar’s thigh. Rogar fell back, kicking out, connecting.

Balam.

I’m here, and he will not harm us again.

Rogar breathed a sigh of relief, felt the blending of their souls, saw through Balam’s eyes.

Zerod’s animal guide paced, stopped and turned, then launched himself across the room. Balam jumped sideways at the last moment, but not before he slashed the tiger’s muscled shoulder. It screamed in pain, but quickly turned and crouched, then sprang back, knocking into Balam. Balam grunted when he fell against the sofa, his head hitting the wooden rail across the bottom.

For a moment, Rogar was stunned, but Balam recovered quickly, and moved out of the way, anticipating the tiger’s attack. The animal hit the table instead, knocking it over, the lamp crashing to the floor.

The tiger turned, his eyes menacing, spitting anger because Rogar and Balam were still alive to protect Callie. He opened his mouth, and roared his frustration and fury, then ran through the open doorway.

Balam sank to the floor, knowing neither Zerod nor his animal guide would return tonight. The jaguar’s breathing was labored. His wound bled freely.

Thank you, old friend
, Rogar told him.

Not so old that I couldn’t whip Zerod.

True. You’ve always been my protector against the evils that plague me, and once again, I owe you my life.

You can’t stay here. She’s still in danger.

I know.

Fog rolled across the room. Rogar closed his eyes, letting the change take place. When he became himself once again, he was sitting on the floor. He groaned as the burning in his gut was replaced by the searing heat from the wound that stretched across his thigh, from his knee to his hip.

“Rogar, you’re hurt,” Callie said as she knelt beside him. “I need to get something to staunch the flow of blood.”

She was gone before he could say anything. He scooted against the back of the sofa until he could lean against it for support.

“I thought I told you to stay in the other room?” he asked.

She laid a towel across his thigh, pressing against it. He sucked in his breath as pain shot down his leg.

“I have to stop the bleeding.”

“I know.” His energy was quickly draining. “Why didn’t you stay locked in the bedroom?”

“It got too quiet. I figured if you were dead, then I wouldn’t stand a chance anyway. If you were still alive, then you had to be hurt or you would have called out that it was safe.”

She moved the towel. He saw the bleeding had slowed.

“And I was right. You are hurt,” she said.

“A scratch.” He attempted a smile, but couldn’t quite force his lips to curve upward.

“Duh, that’s pretty much a gimmie. It’s the length and depth of the so-called scratch that has me worried.”

He frowned. She was beginning to remind him of his sister, who could be quite annoying at times. But Callie was taking care of him, and that gave him a good feeling.

“I have bandages and gauze. I think you need stitches. Probably a tetanus shot.”

“This will be sufficient,” he told her. She didn’t look convinced. “Symtarians heal faster than other species. Besides, your doctors would ask too many questions.”

“You’re right. It would be kind of difficult explaining you were mauled by a tiger.” She cleared her throat. “Thank you for saving my life.”

“It’s a life worth saving.” He watched as she blushed, then quickly set about bandaging his leg, but the higher she went with the gauze, the more flustered she became. He glanced down and saw the cause of her embarrassment. He was naked. He gritted his teeth and moved his leg, then raised it slightly so she had better access to his wound.

“Yeah, right,” she mumbled, but she placed the bandages over his wound, then began to wrap his leg the rest of the way, careful not to get too close to anything other than his wound.

Her touch was warm and gentle. He rather enjoyed that she was taking care of him. It had been a long time since anyone had done so. He could get used to it. If they had more time, that is, which they didn’t. “We can’t stay here. You’re in danger.”

“I know,” she said.

He clasped her hand, felt the trembles running through her body. “Come back to New Symtaria. You’ll be safe there.”

“I can’t.” She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “I know someplace we can go where we’ll be safe.”

“Zerod will still be around, and there are others who believe as he does.”

“That’s why you have to teach me about who I am so I can defend myself.”

And maybe he could teach her to love her other self as well. Enough that she would leave with him. “We’d better go then. Zerod will be nursing his wounds as well, but he will return.”

“I’ll just get some things.”

Callie hurried back to her bedroom and began to toss clothes into a case, noting that her top drawer contained men’s briefs and socks. When she opened the closet, Rogar’s clothes hung beside hers. She should be furious he’d been so presumptuous. Except, if he hadn’t been here, she’d be dead right now. A sick feeling rumbled in her stomach, and she had to sit on the side of the bed until it passed.

Had her mother felt the same way as Callie did right now? No, it had been worse for her mother because she’d watched her husband die, barely escaping with her own life. And she’d been pregnant. All the anger Callie had harbored over the years drained from her. She still didn’t quite understand the reason her mother had left her at the orphanage, but she had a feeling it was a good one.

Callie wished just once she could tell her mother how much she loved her, and how it must have taken a lot of courage to do what she’d had to do. Maybe some day she would get that chance. Zerod had said she’d gotten away. She could still be alive.

Callie went back to the living room. Rogar was once again dressed in the clothes he’d worn before he’d changed form. His face was pale, and his hands trembled.

“Why didn’t you wait? I could’ve helped you get dressed.”

“I managed. Ready?” he asked.

“One more thing.” She ran back to the bathroom and filled a bag with painkillers that she’d been given when she sprained her ankle a few months ago and had never used. It had healed really fast, but she’d paid for the pills, and she damned well wasn’t going to throw them out.

She hurried back to the living room and grabbed the first aid kit. “I am now.”

He started to reach for the suitcase, but she shook her head. “I’ve got it. Just let me take it out to the car, then I’ll come back and help you.” She only wished she’d kept the crutches, but they would’ve been too short anyway.

“I’ll manage.”

“Uh, I don’t think so. Just stay put until I return.”

She noticed his forehead was beaded with perspiration.
Don’t go superman on me.
He finally nodded. She quickly went to the red Jag and stowed the stuff in the trunk, then hurried back to him. “Lean on me.”

“I don’t need to lean on anyone.”

“Yes, you do, so stop being so blasted stubborn.” She tucked herself under his arm and felt some of his weight shift to her. She got her balance before they made their way slowly to her car.

After he was safely in the passenger seat, she went to the driver’s side. It was almost as though she could feel eyes watching her. Any minute she expected Zerod to pounce, but then, Rogar said he’d be nursing injuries as well. She hoped the SOB bled to death.

“Where are we going?” he asked as she backed out and started down the street.

“To DeeDee’s. She owes me big-time for putting crazy ideas in your head.” She cast a look in his direction and saw the corners of his lips had curved upward. The man was devastatingly attractive. It was so not fair that anyone could look as good as he did.

He closed his eyes and she could see the strain on his face. He was in pain, but he tried not to show it. Men. It seemed it didn’t matter if they were an alien or not.

But he had saved her life. Damn it, she’d told him she didn’t want a hero. Heroes only existed between the pages of her romance novels. It was so not fair that like the heroines in her books, Rogar was making her fall in love with him.

No, no, no! She couldn’t be falling in love with him. He’d only come to Earth to collect her so he could take her back to New Symtaria. For breeding purposes at that. Not that she had minded making love with him.

Still, he was a prince for God’s sake, and the only person she knew who’d married a prince was Cinderella. It only happened in fairy tales.

She was just reacting to someone who had showed they cared, someone who’d given her the best orgasm she’d ever experienced, and someone who’d saved her life. She had a touch of hero worship, but that was all.

She hit a pothole, he moaned. “Sorry. We’ll be there soon. Only a few more miles.”

DeeDee lived in a gated community. Her parents foot the bill, although DeeDee would’ve been just as happy living next to Callie. DeeDee’s father was the CEO of a large company, and her mother was a photographer. She didn’t take just any pictures, though. No, she shot the stars and their homes, and freelanced for magazines like
Vogue
and
Cosmo
. If that wasn’t enough, they also spent time with their only child. Real quality time.

Callie often wondered why DeeDee was her friend. DeeDee had once told Callie that she was real, and the world needed more real people. Callie hadn’t been quite sure what she’d meant, but they’d become friends.

She turned in at the entrance, stopping long enough to punch in the code. The gate opened, and she drove through.

DeeDee’s house was more like a mini mansion sitting on half an acre. Callie usually hid her car in the garage, not that DeeDee had ever asked her to, but this time there was no need. It felt good driving a red Jaguar. Lord, maybe she was more materialistic than she’d thought.

It wasn’t that late, only eight, but it was already dark. The lights were on so maybe DeeDee was home. Callie should’ve called. “I’ll be right back so stay put,” she said as she opened her door and got out.

She hurried past the bubbling fountain that sat in the middle of DeeDee’s landscaped yard, barely giving it a glance, even though she loved the fountain. Hmm, was that where Rogar had gotten the idea? Probably.

Callie hurried up the three steps and rang the doorbell. A few minutes passed before the door was flung open. DeeDee stood there in a pair of baggy gray sweats and a faded T-shirt that once had the name of a football team on it, but was missing letters.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Then why are you here. You hardly come over to my neck of the woods so something has to be wrong. Do you want me to call my dad? He can get you out of anything—trust me.”

“It’s Rogar…”

“Do you want me to hire someone to beat him up? He seemed nice, but if he hurt you, then you should retaliate…”

DeeDee had always been protective of her for some odd reason. Callie had never been able to figure that one out. It wasn’t like she needed protecting. She figured DeeDee just felt sorry for her because she was raised in an orphanage.

“Callie, you’re scaring me!”

She returned to the present. “No, it’s not me, and Rogar didn’t hurt me. He saved my life, but he’s hurt, and we need a safe place to hide.”

“Where is he?”

“In the car.” She took a deep breath. This was the one time she’d actually asked for DeeDee’s help. Would she give it? “Can you help us?”

“Of course. I can’t believe you would ask.”

“Even if it could put you in danger?”

“I’m your friend, and that’s what friends do. Now, let’s get Rogar into the house.”

DeeDee left the door open, and they hurried to the car.

“How did he get injured?”

“He was mauled by a tiger.”