His Darkest Hunger (Jaguar Warriors 1)

But there weren’t any men to be found there, and he took a second to scent the air, his nostrils telling what his mind already knew. The only people there were the women in the common room. He’d get Declan to find out what they knew.

Something caught his attention then, as a wisp of energy cut the air. He signaled to Declan and quietly made his way past the kitchen area and down toward a narrow hall.

If Libby’s details were correct, this was where the offices were located, as well as the weapons room.

There were four doors to choose from, and Jaxon began to check them all. The first two were crudely built storage closets, the second of which had obviously been used as a weapons room at one point. As of now, it was empty of any sort of weaponry other than a few shell casings scattered haphazardly across the floor. The door was open, as if the room had been emptied in a hurry.

He swore under his breath, his feeling of unease now a deafening cascade of warning bells that clamored for his attention.

Something stank, and frustration built in his gut at the thought of being denied the chance to face his enemy. The jaguar wanted to kill. He wanted to kill.

He was met at the door by Cracker, who raised his eyebrows, shaking his head in confusion. He signaled that he was going back outside and left as silently as he’d come.

Jaxon paused in front of the last door, which was closed. His senses reached out, searching for that elusive whisper of something he’d sensed earlier.

It was gone, and his anger boiled over as his foot made quick work of the door, reducing it into a wreck of splinters, leaving only one large piece hanging by the hinge.

The room was like the others. Empty. Heat burned its way up his forearms as he crossed to an old metal desk and searched through a mess of papers left scattered on top.

Something caught his eyes, and his blood turned to ice as he turned his attention to the wastebasket at his feet. He scooped out several photos and documents that had been thrown into the trash in an attempt to burn them. They were surveillance shots…of his brothers, as well as Libby, Declan, Cracker, and Ana.

His fear became more palpable as he pieced together what the photographs meant. All of the photos were recent. Some were from the airport in Texas the day before, and a few others had been taken in San Ignacio.

The anger he felt was immediate, as well as the sinking and empty feeling of a mission not completed. The DaCostas had fled like the cowards that they were. He would not have his revenge.

His com unit began to cackle and he grabbed it. “Jax here.”

He waited for the static to clear, but her words only confirmed the worst. “You guys need to get the hell out of there. We’ve got two blackbirds coming in fast, loaded with explosives.”

“God dammit!”

Fear for the safety of his team and all the civilians left in the compound flooded his mind. Adrenaline pumped through his veins at a vicious pace as he ran for Declan, his mind working furiously. He needed to get those women out of the building because he sure as hell wouldn’t be party to their innocent deaths.

His com unit was crackling and he could hear Ana fading in and out.

“We’ve got maybe two minutes before this entire compound is blown to bits,” he told Declan, and pointed to the women who were huddled together in a confused and scared circle. “I don’t care what you do, just get them the hell away from here. I’m going for my brothers and Cracker.”

Declan was moving toward the women before he finished his sentence, and Jaxon sprinted out into the dark night. Smoke was heavy in the air, and his long legs carried him across the compound in seconds. He spied Cracker, who held his com unit high in the air, indicating he was aware of the situation.

Low-lying clouds had converged and helped make an already dark night thick black and deadly. Jaxon spotted a golden jaguar and ran toward it, shouting at the animal as it cornered several men against an outbuilding he’d not noticed before.

“Julian! We’re under attack.” The cat froze, his long tail flicking back and forth, a testament to his agitated frame of mind. The large golden eyes caught and held Jaxon’s as he signaled for the animal to retreat deep into the bush.

His senses were on full alert, but with the number of humans present, and their mixed emotions coloring the air, he couldn’t lock onto his other brother’s trace signature. Wildly, he looked around, and as he began to move away, he shouted out into the night air, “Jagger, retreat!”

Off in the distance his ears picked up on the speeding aircraft that were locking in on them, and he turned to follow his older brother out into the jungle. Cracker was close on his heels, and Jaxon’s lungs felt about to burst as he ran hard and fast.

He hoped Jagger had heeded his warning and fled.

When the blasts went off, they scorched the earth in a series of massive explosions that lit the night and rocked the ground violently. Jaxon was thrown forward with such force his body hit a stand of trees. Even though he tried to fight it, he began to s

lip away, then lost consciousness.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out when the persistent cackling of his com unit brought him around. His entire body ached. He was pretty sure he’d bruised a couple of ribs, but all in all he felt extremely lucky to be alive.

Jaxon looked to his left and spied Cracker slowly gaining his feet, and he pulled the com out from under him and clicked the receiver.

“—find her?”