His Darkest Hunger (Jaguar Warriors 1)

“What do you have to do?” He pressed his lips into the softness of her hair and murmured, “Trust me with this. I can help you.”

“Cormac wants the woman who was at the compound.” Libby pushed against him, her voice rising. “Did you find her? Is she alive?”

Jaxon looked from Libby to Declan, clearly not liking what he was hearing.

“Well? Is she alive?”

Declan answered as he walked toward them, “Yeah, she’s alive, but what the hell does my father want with her?”

“Your father!” Libby shook her head, as she looked to Declan, incredulous. “That son of a bitch is your father?”

Declan’s demeanor cooled as he nodded, and when he spoke, it was as if ice had formed in his veins.

“He might have had a hand in creating me, but beyond that he’s nothing but garbage. I don’t know what he’s up to.” Declan looked pointedly at Jaxon. “But I can sure as hell tell you one thing, it won’t be anything good. And if he’s looking to grab the blonde we found, there’s no way in hell we can let him have her.”

“He has my child, and I’m not leaving Belize until I have him back. How can I leave and never know the truth? I have to finish this, regardless of the outcome.” Libby grabbed Jaxon’s hand, and the pain that clouded her violet eyes lashed at him. It was as if someone had physically punched him in the gut. It was heartrending, and he felt his heart break a little as he held her.

“Jaxon, I’ve never even held him. They took him from me as soon as they cut him from my womb.” Her voice was thick with emotion, but she forged on, needing to make herself heard, and needing them to kn

ow her intentions.

“I know he’s alive. I can feel it,” Libby pounded her chest hard. “Here.” And her expressive eyes told him all he needed to know. There would be no turning back now.

She let him pull her in close once more, and he relished the feel of her trembling form against his chest. He could smell the salt from her tears as they fell from her eyes and moistened his skin. Jaxon’s stomach clenched as thoughts of a child alone with Cormac began to take root.

His child.

A son he’d not known about until a few days ago. Tiredly, his mind tried to make sense of it all, but there was just no way he could wrap his brain around it. But what did it matter, really?

As he held his woman so close and tenderly against him, he knew that he would do anything in his power to erase the sadness, pain, and despair that lived inside of her.

Anything. If it meant tearing the jungle apart to find Cormac, then that’s exactly what he would do. But he was a warrior, first and foremost. He needed to be smart, calculating. Deadly.

Deep inside his soul, the animal that defined who and what he was stirred, and Jaxon welcomed the rush of power. It burned deep within.

And it wouldn’t be denied.

Gently, he pushed Libby away, his eyes never leaving hers, but his words were directed at Declan, who stood a few feet away, tense and on edge. “We need to rendezvous with the others and come up with a plan.”

He tore his eyes from Libby long enough to direct them toward one of the best soldiers he’d ever fought with.

“This is going to get nasty. You in?”

Declan gave a harsh laugh, but turned away and began heading toward the passage. “In? Me? Do you honestly think I’d turn down the chance to kick my father’s ass all over Belize?” He snorted. “Hell yeah, I’m in. About time I give that bastard as good as he used to give me.”

Without another word, Jaxon scooped Libby up into his arms and they followed Declan from the cave. They quickly found their way back to the opening of the large cavern and began the arduous trek back down the mountain.

Once they had cleared the high country and were hiking through the lower forests, Declan grabbed his radio. “Yo, Ana, you guys make it to the airport?”

Static rippled through the air, but the cold voice that shot back at him was clearly not happy.

“No, we’re not at the airport. We’re still waiting at base camp.”

“Miss me much?”

“Yeah, like the plague.”

“Now don’t go getting all sugary sweet on me, Ana.”