A Jaguar's Kiss

By Katie Reus

Owen Wright, alpha of his wolf pack, hasn't seen jaguar shifter Gabriela Segura in nearly ten years. She was his first love – until he did something to drive her away just as their relationship was heating up. Now Gabriela has returned to Montana, and his craving for her is stronger than ever….

But a recent string of brutal attacks on humans have the wolves suspicious of the jaguars, threatening the tenuous peace between the packs. Before he can claim Gabriela as his mate, they must join forces to prove her family's innocence and track down the true predator.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Oct 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781460886663

Katie Reus

Katie Reus is the USA Today bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom’s stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Gabriela Segura slowed her rental truck as she drove down Main Street in Bear Mountain, Montana. A faint smile touched her lips at the name of the town she’d grown up in. Wolf and jaguar shifters lived in a town named after a bear. Unfortunately the man who’d broken her heart also lived here. That thought made her smile wane as a familiar heaviness settled inside her. She mentally shook herself, trying to banish thoughts of the past.

Even though it was five o’clock in the morning, she spotted the bright blue neon OPEN sign at Lucky’s Diner. She mentally sighed in appreciation and found a spot about a block down from the restaurant. After traveling for nearly forty-eight hours straight and living off airport food, she wanted real coffee and a home-cooked meal. And God bless her mother; the woman just couldn’t cook so before she made it home, Lucky’s was calling her name.

The icy-cold wind whipped against her face the moment she opened the truck door, but with her jaguar blood it didn’t bother her much. She scented a wolf shifter nearby but didn’t look around. The Wright pack made their home in Bear Mountain and Gabriela would be fine if she never saw any of them again. Especially Owen Wright, son of the pack’s Alpha. If she hadn’t desperately needed a break from her job and the loss she’d recently experienced, she wouldn’t even be here.

As she opened the front door to the diner, the bell jingled loudly above her head. For a brief moment the place quieted and the dozen or so men in flannel shirts and cowboy hats looked at her with curiosity. She hadn’t been home in almost four years and she knew this place didn’t get many strangers. To many in this town, she would be just that.

Just as quickly the noise resumed, so she hurried to the counter and ordered a coffee before looking at the menu the harried waitress placed in front of her.

Well, well, well, if it isn’t Gabby Segura. Couldn’t even call to let me know you’d be in town this morning. A teasing, familiar female voice made her turn.

Her high school best friend, Sharon Damico, slid onto the swivel stool next to her. She talked to Sharon fairly often and her friend had even offered Gabriela a job should she ever want it—she shoved that thought from her mind. A twinge of guilt settled inside her for not calling to tell Sharon she’d caught an earlier flight but seeing her friend in uniform made her giggle.

Gabriela shook her head as she looked her friend up and down, taking in the brown-and-tan polyester uniform that proclaimed Sharon the sheriff of the town. Nice digs.

A half grin quirked Sharon’s mouth. I wouldn’t talk if I were you.

Gabriela ran a hand through her hair and laughed under her breath. After traveling for so many hours straight, she’d been wearing her now rumpled dark jeans and black sweater for longer than she cared to admit. She might need a shower and a bed but she needed good food more. I won’t argue with you there.

Sharon continued grinning and started to say more when the bell jingled again. At the scent of a wolf shifter, Gabriela tensed as she glanced over her shoulder. She inwardly cursed. It was Ethan Wright, brother of the one man on the planet she had no desire to see. Ever.

Gritting her teeth, Gabriela turned back to face Sharon, who had gone quiet. Sharon had no clue about shifters, but she did know about Gabriela’s former relationship with Owen. Gabriela fished out a bill and dropped it on the counter to pay for her coffee. She’d rather eat her mom’s cooking than deal with Ethan. For all she knew, Owen wasn’t far behind him. Seeing him now when she hadn’t showered in days and looked like a freaking hobo? No, thanks. Mind if I call you later? she murmured, hating that Ethan could probably hear her anyway, thanks to his oversensitive ears.

Sharon shook her head as she frowned in Ethan’s direction, but smiled softly at Gabriela. No prob.

I promise I’ll call as soon as I’ve settled in. We can grab a drink the next time you have a night off. Gabriela gave her a quick hug before sliding off the stool. Barely glancing in Ethan’s direction, even though she could feel his eyes on her, she skirted past him and was out the door in seconds. Thankful for the fresh air, she sucked in a deep breath. With his blue-black hair, Ethan resembled his brother so much it was difficult to even look at him.

Her flat boots were quiet against the sidewalk. So were the man’s behind her, but she could scent him, anyway. Out of all the shifter breeds, she could smell wolves the strongest. Probably because of that whole cats and dogs thing.

Gabriela. Ethan fell in step with her. He was about four years younger so she didn’t know him as well as she’d known Owen, but he had that same confident swagger now that he’d grown up.

She gave him a quick glance. That would be my name.

What are you doing here? He sounded genuinely confused.

She hadn’t been gone that long. Okay, well four—actually almost five—years was stretching it. "Uh, my family lives here."

I know that. But what…are you here because of the attacks? Now his voice hardened and when she looked at him again, those blue eyes of his were stony and angry.

She had no idea what he was talking about and she didn’t plan to waste time chatting with him. The last few months at work had been hell. Some dear friends had died and right now she didn’t need any crappy reminders from her past literally staring her in the face and acting all hostile. Remaining silent, she pressed the key fob to the truck she’d rented. As she reached the driver-side door, she turned to look over her shoulder and tell Ethan to get lost.

That’s when she noticed the weapon in his hand. Maybe it was the lack of sleep the past few days, but she blinked once as she stared at the barrel of the gun pointed right at her.

Step back, he said quietly, his voice a sharpened blade.

"Are you seriously pointing a gun at me? she asked, staring at the SIG, surprised her voice didn’t shake. Considering the retrieval work she did for the CIA, she dealt with all sorts of guns, but to have one held on her by a semiacquaintance in the middle of her small hometown....She shook her head, certain that this was a mistake. What—"

I don’t know why you’re here but if you think you can help your family cover up the attacks, think again, he growled softly.

Uh, attacks? Gabriela hadn’t shifted in days and her reflexes were dulled. Not to mention she was in the beginning

Reviews for A Jaguar's Kiss

[literaladdiction · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:I'm a big fan of big cat shifters, so I figured that I'd like A Jaguar's Kiss. I didn't think that I'd enjoy it quite as much as I did though...Gabriela is a strong, confident, alpha female jaguar shifter who works for the CIA and is coming back home for some R&R after an incident leaves her shaken. She's looking forward to her time off, but not looking forward to running into her high school fling, the one man who broke her heart.Owen is Bear Mountain's wolf Pack Alpha, and an ex-military man. He's sexy, sensitive, and capable, yet he's stepped into some pretty big shoes, taking over the pack at the tender age of 23. He's also never forgotten his best friend and the woman who he was never able to get out of his thoughts - Gabriela.When a jaguar shifter killing humans brings the jaguar and wolf packs against each other, Gabriela and Owen find themselves working together to find out what's going on and confronting the still smoldering attraction between them. Owen has never forgotten Gabriela and while she's spent the last 10 years incredibly upset with Owen, she's never been able to get him out of her heart.Katie did an unbelievable job of fitting a story this intense with romance this steamy and emotion this strong into a novella. I was hooked and only wanted more when all was said and done. I would have liked a bit more story, but it is a novella and there are only so many pages to work with. So, if asked to choose between getting into the bad guys' heads a bit more and getting a bit more backstory vs. what Katie gave us with the romance and Owen/Gabriela storyline, I have to say I'll take what I was given. :)LITERAL ADDICTION gives A Jaguar's Kiss 4 Skulls and would recommend it to pretty much any Paranormal Romance fan.