His Darkest Hunger (Jaguar Warriors 1)

Even though she was all angles, instead of softness and the curves he remembered, she still bit into that part of him that wanted to pound the pulp out of whoever had done this to her. It struck Jaxon as ironic, considering he’d come to Winterhaven with the sole purpose of ending her life.

His arms held her close, but a moan alerted him to the fact that he was hurting her, and he loosened his grip, remembering how she’d been favoring her left side.

He shook the thoughts from his mind almost as soon as they’d come. He didn’t have time to take a walk down memory lane. He didn’t have time to care.

He looked at the old man again and his eyes bored into him. “I need another exit. Is there a way to leave the diner that doesn’t involve the roof or the front?”

Still ignoring the gun, he plunged forward. “I need to get up to the ridge. My gear is stowed there.”

He waited, restraining himself as Pete weighed his options. He watched the old man walk to the window and peer out into the darkness. He must have seen the agent down in front because he turned back abruptly and sighed heavily. “I don’t like this one bit. But it seems as if I have no other choice.” His eyes softened as he looked at Libby. “Promise me you’ll take care of her. She’s had a rough go of it.”

Jaxon nodded and followed Pete out of the tiny apartment, cradling Libby in his arms. They made their way down a narrow hall until they reached another set of stairs that led down to the older man’s home. Once inside, they slipped down the steep, dark stairway and into a damp, musty basement.

“The set of stairs at the end leads outside,” Pete told him. “It’ll put you about fifty feet from the cordoned off area in front of my diner. Give me five minutes. I’ll see what I can do to get the area cleared.”

He began to head back the way they’d come, then turned back. “Promise you’ll let me know when she’s safe?”

Jaxon didn’t answer, not knowing what to say, and after a moment, Pete turned away again, slowly hiked up the stairs and disappeared.

Jaxon looked down at Libby, fighting the tenderness that threatened to overwhelm him. How could there still be feelings locked away inside of him? This woman had taken everything he’d given her and thrown it back in his face.

She’d betrayed the unit, and Diego had paid with his life. She deserved nothing from him. Angrily, he shook his head, and turned away from the angelic face that was tense even as she slumbered in his arms.

No, he would never show mercy where she was concerned.

Never.

A shout from outside brought his attention to the small basement window, and he peered through it. Some sort of disturbance had occurred. He could see Pete waving his arms wildly, and the police who were running toward the diner.

Jaxon sprang into action and leapt up the stairs, taking them two at a time. The large oak door didn’t open easily, and he shoved hard, welcoming the screech as the barely used hinges gave way.

Cool night air whistled through his lungs as he cautiously poked his head out. It was close to midnight now, and the soft glow cast by the moon misted eerily along the streets. To his right he could see the commotion abating, and that Pete had been successful, with less onlookers around than before.

Jaxon quickly scanned the area while scenting the air. There was no sign of the operative he’d spotted earlier, and the smell of danger didn’t grab at him. It was now or never.

He crept up the last steps and flattened his body to the side of the building, then slowly made his way around the corner, where he was out of sight. Pausing there, his eyes searched the grassy area directly in front of him, all the way up to the embankment several hundred yards away.

He still needed to gather his gear and head to his truck, which was parked a mile down the road.

He was just about to head out when Libby jerked in his arms. And then she was struggling against him, her eyes still closed, as if caught in a nightmare. He tried to control her shaking body as he watched her eyes begin to flutter madly. The moans that had started low in her throat were now louder.

At the same time, the slithering feeling of danger slipped through his mind and he whipped his head around, listening intently.

Someone was there, around the corner and in the alley that ran behind the diner.

Libby was bucking wildly in his arms now, and he pulled her closer and did the only thing he could think of to keep her silent.

He brought his lips to hers, claiming her mouth, silencing the screams that erupted from deep within her body.

She stilled as his warmth enveloped her, and Jaxon felt her body tense even more. Her lips were soft against his, and as her scent lingered along the lines of his nasal cavity, he felt an incredible rush of emotion. The beast inside clawed at him, wanting out.

Wanting to claim what he still considered to be his.

He pulled her in even closer. He opened his mouth fully, assaulting the softness of hers with his hard, lashing tongue.

He was angry.

Mad as hell that she could still make him want, could still make him feel.