Jaguar Nights

By Mary Alice Pritchard

She looked down at his hands and realized he fought the need to touch her. They opened and closed by his sides almost reaching out, stopping just short of touching her. It made her sad to realize they both felt the same way. They were both slaves to the whole magic of the pard and being mated. There didn’t seem to be a choice. Was that enough for her? Could she just accept that maybe, just maybe their feelings for each other weren’t real at all, but only magic? Did it even matter? Without saying a word and before she could talk herself out of it, Syndee reached out the barest of inches and touched Cole’s hand with just her fingertips. Instantly the air surrounding them thinned and breathing became easier. A soft sigh filled the silence and she wasn’t sure which of them, or if either of them uttered it or if it was the release of tension in the air. Cole bowed his head and rested his lips against her hair before he wrapped his arms around her and held on.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary Alice Pritchard
• Release date: Jun 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301394920

Mary Alice Pritchard

Born in Greenwood, Mississippi, Mary Alice has lived all over the state of Mississippi. She’s a nurse and has worked in nearly every area of the profession. Her favorite area in the hospital is the Emergency Department with its fast pace and constant change, a true adrenaline junkie! Drawing from the rich culture of the South and her own menagerie of experiences, she spins addictive tales of romantic suspense often with the paranormal thrown in for good measure.She lives with several muses who both inspire her and conspire against her, their feline antics a constant source of entertainment and inspiration for her writing. Her love of animals is only matched by her love of books and the joy of exploring a new world every time she dives between the pages. When she can’t find one to entertain her, she writes her own.

Book preview

Jaguar Nights:

Tales of the Cat, Book 1

by

Mary Alice Pritchard

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Jaguar Nights: Tales of the Cat, Book 1

COPYRIGHT 2009 by Mary Alice Pritchard

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Publishing History

First Black Rose Edition, 2009

Published in the United States of America

Smashwords Edition-2013

Dedication

To my parents, who always believed in me, and to my dear friend Nita Wick for all her help.

A special thanks to Syndee, Laura, and Lori, my close yet distant critique group.

Chapter One

Unease hit Syndee Rawlings like a blow to the head. It prickled down the back of her neck and grew stronger by the second. Her stomach clenched as her senses recognized danger.

Danger for me or someone else?

The stoplight ahead turned green just as she reached the intersection. Syndee let off the brake to coast through. From the corner of her eye, she noticed movement. Out of nowhere, a transport truck ran the light. No time to stop. She spun the wheel, hit the gas, and made a quick turn to avoid T-boning the truck. Her little car slid around the corner, and its rear-end just missed the truck’s back bumper. She smacked the curb. The front tire blew with a pop.

Slamming on the brakes, Syndee gasped. The seatbelt bit into her neck. Her shoulders ached with the force of the stop. She began to shake all over.

Shit, shit, shit.

Her heart thundered in her ears and melded with her raspy pant. Syndee forced herself to take deep breaths. Her hands cramped on the steering wheel, and she flexed them to stimulate the circulation.

Where did the truck come from? She strained to see deeper into the darkness ahead. The headlights revealed nothing, and Syndee rested her head against the wheel.

Great. Now what am I going to do?

She opened the door and stepped out to survey the damage. The left front tire was beyond repair, and she didn’t have a jack. Shoving her hands on her hips, she thought about her options. She could walk the four miles to her apartment—alone in the dark. She vetoed that idea.

Maybe she could call someone? Except, no one came to mind. She didn’t exactly have many friends. Her psychic abilities scared most people off. And truth be known, she didn’t enjoy being around a lot of people. Their emotions and thoughts crowded her.

As she looked around, a neon sign at a gas station caught her attention. Perhaps someone there could help her. Syndee locked the car and headed for the station, cutting through a deserted parking lot.

The sound of running feet made her stop and turn. Two teenagers ran past and nearly knocked her over. Fear poured from them as they ran by. It washed over Syndee, sending chill bumps racing down her arms. Her senses reeled as their desperation flooded her.

What the...? Three burly shapes crashed into Syndee from behind, knocking her off her feet. One of them turned on her, his rage smothering and thick.

He grabbed Syndee by the leg and pulled, dragging her across the ground. She kicked at him and managed to land a strong jab in the man’s face. As soon as he let go, Syndee scrambled to her feet and raced after the teens. The man was not far behind.

Most days she worked out at the gym, but despite her great shape, the guy gained on her. Being psychic gave her a little extra strength, but it paled compared to the thing behind her. The teens disappeared around a corner. Syndee nearly stumbled from their fear. It burned hot against her skin.

She concentrated on breathing while she kept an eye on where they ran. She struggled to understand what her other senses told her.

Something was off about the entire situation, something other than three big men who chased two teenagers through the night. Whatever the tingle along her skin meant, it was bad.

The teens turned a corner between two buildings and disappeared. The other two men followed close behind. The sounds of a fight just ahead reached her. With a curse, Syndee plunged into the darkness as she prayed for guidance...and a good dose of luck.

She found herself running along a narrow pathway that opened into a small brick courtyard. A security light hung over one of the doors at the back of the building to cast a hazy glow over the walled off area.

Syndee skidded to a stop just inside the enclosure. She’d been right—they couldn’t be more than sixteen or seventeen. The boy and girl, both dressed in jeans and T-shirts, looked more like they should be standing outside a movie theater. Instead, they fought for their lives in a back alley. And, it was obvious by the amount of blood and nasty cuts that was exactly what they were doing.

Back-to-back near the center of the open space, the teens fought desperately as the two men lunged at them. Someone wasn’t going to make it home from this fight. She’d be damned if it would be those two kids. She barreled through the two men with the third one only inches behind her.

Up close, she finally knew what her senses picked up on. The three attackers weren’t just butt-ugly, they were—well—wrong. A weird sort of wrong with snouts like large dogs and hair that covered their faces. Brown, greasy, fur-like hair covered every part of their bodies showing through their torn clothes.

In the light, their hands glistened. No, not hands, claws. Long, lethal-looking claws sharp enough to tear through a man’s throat. They appeared to be a cross between a man and some sort of animal.

Mindless rage and hatred poured out of the thing closest to her. It scalded her psyche and almost knocked her down. She couldn’t discern his thoughts, only the dark hungry emotions of a wild animal.

Syndee gritted her teeth and cursed. She must have let her shields down. Slammed back into place, she caught just the briefest of thought from one of the two teens before she shut them out. Who is she, and why is she helping us?

Before she could do more than register the bizarreness of it all, one of the hairy things lunged for her. It growled like an overgrown dog. She sidestepped its extended arms with their needle sharp claws, dropped to a crouch, and swung both clasped hands upwards into the general area of its crotch.

Damn, I hope you’re male.

It fell to its knees with a howl and held its crotch with both hands. At the same instant, Syndee brought her knee up catching its chin. The resulting snap assured her he was out of the fight. One down.

Syndee whirled to face the next one. She noticed the male teenager appeared to be holding his own. The girl, though small, fought like a wildcat with teeth and nails. Syndee jumped in and kicked low. She aimed for the area where the monster’s kneecap should be and with enough force to crack it. It worked. The contact jarred her all the way up her leg and into her hip. The thing roared in pain but, to her dismay, didn’t go down. Instead, it turned away from the girl and to her. The monster backhanded Syndee. It sent her flying into the brick wall.

The solid contact knocked the wind out of her, the biting scrape of brick through her blouse, painfully. Syndee gasped and rolled to her knees to push back up. If she stayed down, she was dead. She struggled to her feet but found her legs wouldn’t support her. She slid back down the wall.

Syndee ground her teeth and used the bricks to pull herself up. She bent over, her hands propped on her knees and drew in one long breath after another. With a flash of adrenaline, she jumped on the back of the hairy thing.

It never slowed down but swung her around as it delivered blow after blow to the arms and shoulder of the young woman. Claws tore at cloth and skin, yet still the girl fought back. How was she still on her feet?

Syndee held tight, her legs around the beast’s waist. She grabbed hold of its neck with both hands and tried to cut off its circulation, but its neck was too big for her to reach around it. She shifted her approach and curled her hands into fists before grinding them into both sides of the thing’s neck. She hoped to cut off the circulation.

The girl almost fell under the constant blows, and Syndee directed all her strength into her fists as she forced them hard into the sides of the monster’s neck. She shoved herself higher and squeezed her knees inward against the creature’s sides like a person riding a mechanical bull. She used the added height to rock down harder with her fists and put everything she had into it.

Syndee’s knuckles bruised with the effort, but she refused to back off even a little.

The monster growled low in its throat. The noise grated across her body, jarred her legs, and raised goose bumps along her arms. It tried to sling her off. When that didn’t work, it reached back to blindly claw at her. She dodged back and forth to avoid the knife-like claws. White-hot pain lanced through her legs as claw met flesh. She screamed as another sliced her arm.

The girl plowed into the animal’s stomach head first. It sent all three of them backward into the brick wall with Syndee taking the brunt of the impact on her hips and lower back. It knocked the breath from her for a second time, and once more she slid down the wall, helpless to stop herself. The sensation of warm fluid running down her arm and leg didn’t register at first.

She had to get up. Movement brought on the nausea. A deep torturous ache built somewhere in the vicinity of her thigh. Syndee swallowed down the bile threatening to choke her. She shook her head to clear the haze that waited to settle there. Syndee rolled over to her hands and knees, so shaky she wasn’t sure she would be able to make it up this time.

The teenage girl continued to pummel at the ugly head with her fists and elbows, trying to keep it off balance. The downed beast struggled to stand, but Syndee knew he’d soon recover unless they could finish him off before he got to his feet.

She leaned against the bricks and used them to push herself up. Unsteady, she coughed. Agony narrowed her vision. She finally managed to stagger forward. Without waiting for the girl to slow down, she all but fell on the thing and grabbed at the hair covering his head and face. She curled her fingers into it and banged the back of its head into the brick wall until her hands grew sticky with blood. It slumped, the dead weight too much for her to hold upright. She let go.

They’d done it. Dear God, between the two of them, they’d actually managed to kill the thing.

Syndee panted with one hand holding her side.

What in the hell is that thing?

I, I uh... The bloody, bruised teenager shook her head.

Syndee looked back at the gargantuan body slumped against the wall. And, it was then as the girl turned her head that Syndee caught the bright yellow glow of the girl’s eyes. Diamond shaped like a cat’s.

She could no longer stand up and sank to her knees. It didn’t make sense. Not what she’d fought, not what she’d seen in the girl’s eyes. The teenager glanced back at Syndee, the strange glow now gone. A trick of the light?

The boy! Syndee suddenly remembered the third monster and turned toward the boy. She was relieved to find he’d just put it down. He swayed, steadied, and then shuffled toward them.

The unmistakable sound of pounding feet from the direction of the alley forced a groan from her throat. Please God, not more.

She drew in a deep breath and winced at the sharp ache in her side. It took every ounce of will power and every last drop of her energy to stand and join the teenagers as they held desperately to each other. By the looks on their faces, whatever was about to push its way into the courtyard scared them almost as much as the three hairy beasts lying dead behind them. Instead of fear, she felt their resignation as if they’d already given up.

She managed to place herself between them and the entrance just as the new group emerged. The security light hanging from the building blinded her. The newcomers didn’t immediately attack. Syndee prayed they were actually men and not some strange mix like the ones they just defeated.

Neither the teenagers nor the new arrivals said a word. She didn’t dare let her shields down enough to explore what was going on. She didn’t think her pounding head could take much more.

Her exhaustion poured over and through her. Syndee worried she might not be able to defend herself, much less the two kids. When one of the men in the group reached out and attempted to grab the girl, Syndee figured this would probably be her last fight.

The teenage boy yelled NO shoving the girl behind him. Syndee launched herself at the man and caught him off guard. She knocked him from his feet and would have gone for his throat, but someone pulled her off. Large hands grabbed her around the waist to pick her up like a Raggedy-Ann doll. Thank God they were hands, not claws.

Syndee kicked back and tried to make contact with whoever held her tight against his chest. It was a massive chest, muscled and solid. Her fingers dug into the equally hard arms clamped around her waist.

When kicking didn’t get her anywhere, she tried butting her head backward into her captor’s face. He was ready for her and held his head away from the attack. She kicked and struggled, but she didn’t have much in reserve after the recent fight. It left her beyond exhaustion and close to passing out. She barely registered the fight going on between the teenage boy and the man she attacked.

I’m sorry, she managed in a whisper. She didn’t really expect anyone to hear her over the fight. I tried.

Her captor stiffened as if he’d heard her. He drew in a deep breath, and a curious rumbling from deep in his chest vibrated against her back. It reminded her of something she’d heard earlier.

Stop! The man who held her yelled. Danger dripped in his voice like molten lava, and the strange rumbling grew in his chest.

No more. No one moved, not even the two teenagers. The struggle between them and the man stilled with the last shout.

Syndee hung limply from his arms. Her breath rasped in and out in small gasps. Her side burned as if on fire, and blood dripped from various places on her battered body. She couldn’t help them now, if she had ever been able to help them in the first place.

Do you see what you have done? You’ve exposed us all to the outside with your selfish actions. The deep velvet voice pulled at her in strange places, pulsing down her back to curl around her like a living thing.

Caleb. If you were intent on mating, why didn’t you approach her father? We have traditions for a reason, not to pretty up our culture. They keep it alive—keep our people alive. You’ve put us all at risk with your blatant snub of these traditions.

The boy dropped his head but didn’t let go of the young girl in his arms. The older man who’d grabbed at the girl seemed different to Syndee now. His face shimmered. It almost looked as if it was growing rounder. She couldn’t tell how much of this was real and how much was a result of her pain-blurred vision.

No, the female cried out. It’s not his fault. He did approach father. He wouldn’t listen to Caleb and had my brothers beat him and throw him out.

Be quiet, cat, you have no say in this matter, the voice growled out of the shimmering face of the older man.

Enough. Again, the powerful rumble that commanded obedience tightened around her spine, and darkness finally claimed her.

Chapter Two

Quiet, she’s coming around.

Hushed voices floated around Syndee as she fought her way though the thick fog of haze inside her head. The multitude of bruises and cuts covering her body ached and burned.

Can you hear me? One of them asked. My name is Sonya.

Syndee forced her eyes open. The blurry features of one of the teenagers from earlier swam into focus. Strangely enough, the girl’s face didn’t appear to have as many cuts and bruises as she leaned over Syndee. Was her mind playing tricks?

That’s what it was. Those monsters didn’t exist. She must be waiting for an ambulance after the crash. She hadn’t been able to avoid the truck.

Was I in a car wreck? Her voice cracked. I thought—I thought you were being chased…

Syndee let it trail off at the panicked expression on Sonya’s face. When she tried to look around, pain lanced down her back. The left side of her face throbbed and felt swollen, stiff.

I told you she was really hurt. She needs the healer, Sonya said.

What’s going on? Syndee tried to sit up. Moving was agony. She winced when she pushed up from the ground. I wasn’t in a car wreck, was I?

Um, no. You don’t remember anything? Sonya bit her lip.

I thought you and someone else, a boy right? Sonya nodded without meeting her eyes. You were being chased by some type of animal.

The struggle to sit up proved too much of an effort. Instead Syndee tried to turn on her side so she could see more of her surroundings. A sharp pain sliced through her, and she nearly gagged.

They would have killed us if you hadn’t helped. The girl’s words were barely a whisper. I can’t thank you enough for helping us, but I’m scared for you. Her voice shook, and now that Syndee could see a little clearer, noticed the girl’s eyes brimmed with tears.

I’m all right. I’ll heal, Syndee said. Where am I?

Trees loomed on all sides. Nothing looked familiar. Other than grass and trees, all she could see in the faint light of a starry sky was the small group of women surrounding her. One thing was certain. If she could see the stars, she wasn’t in the city anymore.

We brought you back with us. Sonya hesitated, fumbling over her words. Back to the—our—um, home.

The girl withheld something. Not just because she avoided looking Syndee in the eyes, but also from the uncertainty and guilt brushing softly like butterfly wings along her skin. Sonya harbored a secret. Syndee couldn’t focus enough to catch it with her shields in place.

I need to get to a hospital. How do I get back to town?

Our leader will be her soon, Sonya said.

Leader? Leader of what? They didn’t wear dresses or coverings on their heads. Some of them wore their hair short, so she didn’t think they were from the local Amish or Mennonites.

Are you part of some sort of religious group? Syndee asked.

Uh, sort of—I guess. Still, Sonya wouldn’t look her in the eye. She tried to pick up on the girl’s thoughts, but unless she lowered her shields she couldn’t hear them.

The murmur of voices that drew closer startled the group. Syndee watched as Sonya stiffened above her. Fear seemed to chase away the previous uncertainty in her eyes. It colored the young teen’s cheeks a bright red. Sonya’s lips quivered, and tears brightened her eyes before she swallowed and regained her composure. She raised her chin just a fraction as she stood up and turned around to face the approaching group.

How is the human? A male voice asked. Shadows hid his features. She couldn’t see clearly enough to tell what he looked like.

She’s awake and asking questions. She needs a healer.

Syndee gritted her teeth against the burning fire in her back and side as she tried to sit up. Her back was raw and stung where her clothes touched it. It was enough to bring tears to her eyes. Her right thigh began to throb. Syndee couldn’t remember the details of the fight at that moment, but she remembered the sharp burn of something as it sliced into her legs and arms when she’d been on the monster’s back.

She shook her head in order to focus and clear the haze from her mind. Syndee fought to change her train of thought. She needed to deal with her present situation first. She pushed to her knees. The movement pulled at the painful area in her thigh, and blood ran down her leg. She swallowed back a cry. Syndee’s breath came in shallow gasps as she looked up the long line of the man standing in front of her. From where she knelt on the ground in front of him, he was tremendous and intimidating. Syndee pushed to her feet and managed to stand out of sheer will, though she swayed a bit.

Finally, her determination won out, and she stood up straight. None of the group behind her attempted to offer support, but that was just fine with her. Before she accepted anyone’s help, she needed to know what was happening.

Never show weakness when you’re not in your own element. It was something she learned the hard way growing up on the streets. Right now she needed to figure out what was going on and how to get out of it.

A group of people hovered behind the tall stranger, and it made her feel like a rabbit surrounded by wolves. She needed answers to the questions that burned in her mind.

You’re awake now. Good. We can settle this. That voice, thick and gravely, seeped inside her and settled into the spot that made her female. Syndee melted just a bit from the feel of the voice caressing her, stroking her. Alarmed, she tightened her jaw to regain control of her body. This was absurd! You can’t get aroused from a voice. Can you?

Good for you or for me? She forced the words out around her clenched teeth.

For both of us. I don’t particularly want to wait any longer to settle this—problem. He hesitated a little before saying the word. It gave her the idea she was the problem. You’re injured and need medical attention. The sooner we complete this business the better.

It surprised Syndee he bothered to answer her, given his obvious position of power. She wasn’t able to think much more about it because he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her along as he walked. His long strides made it impossible for her to keep up. At over six feet, he dwarfed her five feet four inches.

The ache in her side sharpened with each step along the well-worn path. When she stumbled and would have fallen, he reacted swiftly despite his bulk and size to pick her up in his arms.

Damn it! The big man cursed before swinging her into his arms.

If you wouldn’t walk so fast, I could walk on my own. Put me down.

I should have carried you to begin with. The fault is mine.

Held tight against his muscular chest, Syndee stiffened at the pain it caused. His quick stride jarred her battered and bruised body with every step, but she refused to complain.

Is everyone assembled? Her captor’s voice startled her from her thoughts.

He sounded angry, and Syndee realized she missed something very important. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts and what was in store for her, she totally missed it. I can’t hear him!

Some of his emotions, yeah—but not his thoughts. She was not only inside his aura, but her skin touched his in a big way. She should be able to pick up on his thoughts. Even lowering her shields just a little, she failed to learn anything. The realization rocked her. The significance of it, she’d explore later. Right now she needed to concentrate on what was happening around her.

They’re at the clearing and waiting for you. A different voice answered the man holding her.

Make sure the bodies of the others are burned. We can’t afford for there to be any evidence. Especially not here.

Syndee was helpless with one arm pinned between her and the man’s chest. He talked about burning evidence, for God’s sake, as if they did it all the time! Maybe they did, which