His Darkest Hunger (Jaguar Warriors 1)

“You’re up early.”

The words sliced through the air and brought Libby up cold. She turned to her left, a small smile

playing around her mouth as she spied Cracker.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

His raised eyebrow brought a blush to her cheeks, but Libby ignored it, her focus shifting to the woman who lay a few feet beyond him. She was bound, and her eyes burned with dark emotions that were evident even through the dim interior of the tent.

“I need to talk to her.” Libby nodded toward the prisoner. “Alone.”

“Aha.” Cracker spat to the side and slowly got to his feet. “I’m going to give you a few minutes, Libby, but pay attention. She’s a slippery piece of work and not to be trusted.”

“Don’t worry about me. Why don’t you try and get a few hours sleep? I’ll stay with her.”

Cracker’s dark eyes bored into her, and Libby hoped he would just leave. She didn’t know what she’d be forced to do if the ex-soldier refused and stuck around. Seconds ticked by, and then, with a slight nod, Cracker disappeared and left her alone with the blond woman.

A woman who was the key to her son’s survival.

Her face grim, Libby turned and slowly walked toward her. She needed to know why Cormac wanted her so badly. She needed to know what kind of hell she was going to unleash by giving him exactly what he wanted.

Because she would sacrifice this woman for her son, if she had to.

Of that there was no doubt.

Libby squatted down in front of the woman that she’d shared a room with for several weeks in the DaCosta compound. They’d hardly spoken then, and the dislike evident on the stranger’s face told her she would have to do her dammed best to get her to talk now.

“Skye?” Her voice was soft, silky smooth. As the seconds ticked by, Libby knew with all her heart she was on the right path. She would do this.

She would get her little Logan back.

The woman’s electric blue eyes were full of anger, but she remained silent.

“Skye, we don’t have much time. I need your help.”

The woman continued to regard her with eyes that had turned dark with loathing. “You lay with a jaguar and you expect me to help you? You’re fucking crazy.”

Libby frowned and shook her head. She was done with games.

“You will help me get my son back,” she stood quickly, her eyes narrowed as she lowered her voice, “and Cormac will die.”

“Cormac? He has your son?”

Libby nodded and moved toward a long table, her steps sure and her heart full of many scattered emotions. She grabbed a gun, one that was loaded to the teeth with antimagick bullets, as well as a long serrated knife. The symbols that lined the silver blade proclaimed it as charmed, and she smiled softly as she held the deadly weapon in her hand. She would slice his throat with it, if she had the chance.

Turning back around, she motioned for the woman to get up. Skye hesitated briefly, but then slowly moved her limbs, gingerly gaining her feet with a grace that was surprising considering her arms were bound behind her back. When she was standing and facing Libby, she spoke.

The venom and hatred that poured from her mouth was undeniable.

“I’ll help you get your son back, but you will let me kill Cormac. He needs to be stopped.”

Libby paused, staring at the other woman suspiciously. “Why does he want you?”

The blond woman grimaced but kept quiet, refusing to answer. A sliver of doubt slid through Libby and was gone as quick as it had arrived. She didn’t for one second trust the other woman, but would not change her own course. There was no time. She nodded toward the exit. “All right, let’s do this.”

She listened intently at the door, and when the coast was clear, pulled back the flap. She let Skye pass and followed suit. Seconds later both women disappeared into the darkness and were enveloped into the arms of the jungle.

Chapter 25