His Darkest Embrace (Jaguar Warriors 2)

Skye continued to follow Jagger for the remainder of the day. He didn’t stop once, and in fact kept up a relentless pace. She kept to the top of the canopy, flying low and keeping herself as hidden as she could. She didn’t want the enemy spotting her high in the sky.

Off in the distance she could see that he was headed for the coast.

She needed to get her shit and return to her quest. Deep within the Maya Mountains of Belize, the portal lay, long buried, hidden from the eyes of man, magick, and indeed, the eagle shifters who’d been charged with its protection.

Why her father had decided to hide the portal without telling her or Finn was something she didn’t understand. But he had died trying to close it and Skye wasn’t leaving until she found it.

And sealed it forever.

A small sliver of sadness wove through her then, because truthfully, she was never leaving. Either way, her days were numbered.

If the enemy didn’t get to her first, she’d be sucked far into the demon realm when she finally got her hands on the portal and closed it.

Skye tucked her dark thoughts far away into the little holes of her mind that hid such things. She had no time to dwell on them.

In fact as the fading sun began to affect her shifting capabilities, she realized she had no time at all. She was fast losing power.

As she dipped ever lower amongst the trees, Skye was aware that Jagger was a good mile ahead. Hopefully, he’d realize she was no longer following and stop, or she’d have a long night ahead of her, trekking through the jungle.

In the buff.

She felt the ancient magick take hold of her body as limbs elongated, feathers slipped into skin and her human body replaced that of her eagle.

Several seconds later Skye came to a running stop and she paused for a moment, her equilibrium a little out of sorts. She was always thrown slightly off balance when her raptor eyes returned to their much weaker human form. It only lasted for a few seconds, and in fact her eyesight was still much stronger than the average human, but the change threw her for a loop. It was as if a film of mist rolled across her vision and then cleared.

She blew out a deep breath and looked around.

The air was colder down here. It was much damper along the jungle floor and she felt her skin react. Her hands caressed the goose bumps that had spread like a rash across her flesh, and she began to shiver slightly as the heated flesh started to cool.

A howler monkey wailed from several feet away and Skye jumped nervously, her eyes straining to see past the thickening gloom.

Her belly grumbled loudly and she felt frustrated yet again. She was so freaking tired of being hungry, of being hunted, of being in a constant state of unrest. It really was time to get her ass in gear and end this all.

She felt the telltale prick of tears begin at the corners of her eyes and wiped them away angrily. There was no time for weakness.

Skye squared her shoulders, shook out her hair until it fell down past her shoulders in a mess of tawny waves. She turned toward the direction that would lead her to Jagger and seconds later was swallowed whole by the lush greenery that enveloped the jungle floor.

At least two hours later she stopped. Her legs were trembling from exhaustion and lack of food, and the need for water was pounding at her relentlessly.

Skye’s skin was slick with sweat and impatiently she wiped her brow, lifting the heavy mass of hair that was now sticking to her neck in an uncomfortable tangle. She was very near the end of her rope, but forced her body to move forward.

She’d just cleared another ridge when she sensed someone close by. Pulling herself up against a tall tree, Skye melted into the darkness as her eyes scanned the area in front of her. Panic was beginning to beat at her heavily. Was it Jagger? Or had he fled? Left her out here alone and naked?

Long, silent moments went by and Skye began to question her own sanity. Was there anybody out there? Had she imagined it?

She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, but it was no use. She was done. Used up.

She leaned her body back, resting briefly against the tree as her mind continued to whirl in a jumble of chaotic thoughts.

Several moments later she detected a hint of water in the air and her eyes widened. The thirst that had been stuck at the back of her throat returned with a vengeance and she turned quickly, silently slipping back into the underbrush as she headed toward the water.

She opened up her senses and smiled harshly. The flow of water could be heard somewhere ahead to the right, and Skye quickly switched direction, making haste. She needed food and water, not necessarily in that order.

Seconds later she burst through the thick greenery and was rewarded with a sight for sore eyes.

To her left was a crystal clear flow of water that fell from the mountain that towered behind her. A mere trickle really, but it was enough to fill a rather large basin with the cool, refreshing liquid that her body was craving.

Skye licked her parched lips, whispered a prayer of thanks, and ran gracefully to the edge, her body arcing into perfect form as she dove deeply. The cool wetness slithered over her hot flesh and for a brief moment, her world was perfect.