His Darkest Hunger (Jaguar Warriors 1)

She sighed heavily before returning to her notes, and Jaxon felt his insides thicken into ice at the sight of a woman, usually so in control, now shaken and disturbed.

“She was tortured with knives. There are a series of wounds along her back and crossing over the top of her buttocks. They are deep and would have been extremely painful. I also found evidence of old burn marks that were inflicted in the same area.”

The knot inside Jaxon exploded and his fist pounded the table. Then he grabbed a chair and flung it hard against the door. His fury was so strong and all consuming that Declan had to grab him, pinning his arms behind his back in an effort to contain the beast that was roaring for release.

Ana jumped up and went to Jaxon, her arms going around him, calming him with her softness and compassion. “Please, Jax, let me finish and then we can figure out how to get the bastards who did this.”

Jaxon inhaled deeply, relaxing gradually, until Declan felt it was safe to release his arms. Nothing more was said, and Ana returned to her notes, though Jaxon had the impression it was only to keep her eyes away from his. She knew damn well what she’d written in her report.

“There were also similar signs of torture on the bottom of her feet. I did a CT scan, and other than a few smaller fractures to her skull, I thought everything was normal. At first nothing jumped out at me, but then I noticed a blemish that seems almost unnatural. I’m not convinced the amnesia is linked to the torture and abuse she experienced. I’m more inclined

to think that there has been some sort of block put on her memories.”

“But that would mean—” Declan stopped as his eyes flew to Jaxon’s.

“Yeah, Dec,” Ana said. “It would mean dark arts are at play here.”

Jaxon watched her bite her lip, fighting the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her—and that, more than anything, scared the crap out of him. Ana was always cool under pressure. She could take anything thrown at her and remain calm, but this—this was hitting far too close to home.

Mind rape hurt, almost as much as—

He couldn’t finish his thought, but he managed to say, “Was she…?”

Ana shook her head, “I don’t know, Jaxon. At that point during my physical examination she was getting too emotional and wouldn’t let me continue. I can’t tell you if she was assaulted or not. What I can say is that I noticed a long thin scar, low on her abdomen.”

“Well, what the hell does that mean?”

“It could mean nothing.” Ana took a deep breath. “But it looks to me like a scar indicating a birth by cesarean section.”

“What!” Jaxon’s voice was hoarse and his eyes full of disbelief.

“Jaxon, I’m sorry. I can’t be sure unless I do a further examination, but the scar’s diameter and positioning lend itself to my theory.”

“Well, if she had a fucking baby, where the hell is it?”

“I wish I could answer that.”

Ana was about to go on when a resounding explosion rocked the building.

Jaxon swore a long string of profanities as he moved quickly to the computers. Declan, close on his heels, looked back to Ana. “Guess that’s them shouting hell-fucking-O.”

Within seconds a light began to flash above the door, illuminating them in a wash of red. A buzzer sounded and a large screen to their right came alive. Then Cracker’s large mug was staring down at them, and they watched him calmly look away and spit as another blast tore through the outer perimeter.

“Jaxon,” he said calmly, “as I’m sure you can tell, we’re under attack.”

“Yeah, I can see that. How the hell did they get near us without you knowing?”

“Not sure. But judging by the vibrations and harmonics that are ripping through the area, Declan’s protection wards are not going to last much longer. It doesn’t look good. There is a large and well-trained group of men on the other side of the courtyard, and I think it’s time to vamoose.”

“Call the dogs and get inside the building. Declan is on his way to put more wards in place. We need time to follow protocol before we leave.”

“Roger that. I’ll be up in a few.”

The screen went blank, and Jaxon flexed his hands as hot anger began to boil deep inside him. He also felt excitement at the thought of a fight, and tried to maintain a professional manner when all he wanted to do was unleash the power that lay within him, waiting for the chance to attack.

“How the hell did they breach our perimeter and go undetected until they were able to set off charges?” His voice thundered from his chest, but no one could answer his question.

Declan crossed to a large cabinet and grabbed a satchel. He filled the bag with an assortment of weapons, going heavy on anything antimagick. His stash included a charmed serrated knife, a Glock, and several charges. When he was done, he shouldered the bag and turned toward Jaxon. His body hummed with energy but his face was tense and when he spoke, his voice was low. They both knew this was about as serious as it got. No one had ever been able to breach their defenses.