To the furious man above her, she weighed little more than a doll. His heavy frame covered hers, the muscled thighs gripping her body as his hands encircled her head. Her arms were trapped against her sides and the sheer weight of him made breathing difficult. Skye ceased her struggles, aware that it both infl
amed and excited the man.
His eyes were as black as tar but the tinge of blue light that shone from behind them was eerie and he smiled at the fear that briefly graced her features. He ground his body against hers, laughing as she bucked her hips, the reaction instant as a sickening lurch went through her.
“You’re not going anywhere, bitch.”
His hands tightened cruelly against her cranium but Skye held on and uttered not a sound as he continued to apply pressure, his fingers sharp with their clawlike nails, biting deep into the skull. She watched in silence as his eyes began to shimmer and the blue light that lit them churned brighter and morphed into a deep red color.
His mouth opened to a slash of white teeth and his tongue reached down toward her. He growled menacingly and Skye tried to arch away, but she was held fast, and shuddered as he licked her face from her forehead down to her chin.
She was going to be sick. She could feel her gut rolling over as a mixture of dread and fear settled in the shadows of her soul.
“It’s a shame really, how this night will end. You taste like the sun. And make no mistake, I will taste every inch of you, but first I need to know where the portal is.”
“Screw you, dickhead.” Skye spit in his face and cringed, expecting some sort of physical retaliation. Instead laughter echoed across the stillness of the night.
She closed her eyes as he howled at the top of his lungs, “The jaguar will once more feast upon the flesh of the eagle.” He moved slightly and she was able to breathe a little easier. “But first things first.”
The bile that had been sitting at the back of her throat rose quickly and even though Skye was a warrior in her own right, an eagle knight, she felt shame wash over her at the fear that began to beat through her body as his eyes raked over her curves.
Her mind began to close in on itself and a vision of her father drifted before her. How had it come to this?
Her father’s eyes sliced through her, full of love and encouragement but alive with the fire of battle. It was all she needed, and once more she began to struggle against the monster. A surge of adrenaline hit her hard as her heart answered the call, and she continued to struggle, ignoring his harsh laughter.
Her blue eyes sought the black of his and her hatred for the jaguar sizzled. “I will never submit willingly to such filth.”
“I wouldn’t dream of you submitting willingly … that would take all the fun out of it, don’t you think?” His laughter fell over her like sharp glass and she felt the heat of his breath on her face.
Skye closed her eyes. She wasn’t strong enough physically to defeat the bastard on top of her. She braced herself and sought the place of calm that resided
in her mind. He would use her body, but she would plot and find a way out of this. There was no other option.
An unholy roar rent the air and bounced off the rock face. It was full of power and Skye felt the warrior atop her go still. Something new stalked this evening and she waited, hoping an opportunity for escape would present itself.
Her eyes cracked open and she watched as a furious snarl erupted from the man on top of her. His large hands ground into her skull once more and he cracked her head hard against the rock she lay against. The pain was immediate and Skye felt her sanity slip away as the scent of blood filled the air. A deep sadness leeched from her heart into every cell of her body, but she could do nothing about it.
She would fail her father and their people.
And she would die this night.
The heavy weight left her as the warrior sprang from her, his body shifting into the mist. She fought the darkness that lingered around the edges of her mind, knowing her one chance for survival was fast slipping away. But her body wasn’t working and her mind was slow.
She could hear the sounds of battle: screams, roars, and a fight that sounded savage in its simplicity as flesh pounded against flesh. Skye inhaled deeply and forced her brain to work through the fog. She urged her limbs into work mode and lurched forward, her eyes automatically seeking out the enemy.
What she saw left her speechless. Two large jaguars were locked in a fight to the death.
To her left was the body of the jaguar she’d killed. Her gaze flew back to the two snarling animals and she began to inch away. Her legs slid down the slippery rock and she drifted into the water once more. Once she was in, she began to swim toward the ledge of the waterfall.
An insane and painful roar erupted from behind her and Skye quickly glanced back in time to see one of the jaguars crushing the skull of the other. The beast stood above its kill and its eyes sought hers through the mist and dark that enveloped her.
Something slithered through her as she locked onto the strange green eyes that shone brightly like beacons. The jaguar stood there, panting and barking its victory. It started pacing along the embankment, and it growled deep from its belly but never broke eye contact with her.
If Skye didn’t know better, she’d say it felt as if the animal were warning her of danger. She shook her head. All jaguars were evil. They lived to hunt and kill. They could take human form, yes, but there was nothing remotely human about them.
Her feet scraped along the shallow bottom as she neared the edge of the falls, and slowly she stood. The animal roared its disapproval and jumped into the cool depths of the water, its body encircled with mist as it glided toward her. Skye glanced below and tried not to acknowledge her fear of the long, dark, and dangerous drop.
Her head felt dull, thick with pain, and she shook herself, her eyes once more drawn to the wall of mist. Sparks seemed to fly from within, and she was taken aback as a tall, lean, incredibly ripped and naked man slid from the fog to stand before her. His green eyes glowed with a feral fire and her heart began to beat a rhythm that left her breathless.