Eat Prey Love (21 page)

Nothing happened.

“Okay, that space is safe.” Carlos stepped close to the backpack and picked it up. He held out his hand to Caitlyn.

She grabbed his hand and stepped close to him. Just a few feet more and they could slip through the narrow gap. “Do you think the next room is safe?”

“Probably so. That ditch was designed to take out an entire group.”

She shuddered, and the beam from her flashlight quivered. Poor Tanit. They shouldn't have forced him to come inside.

Carlos tossed his backpack again, and it landed just to the right of the entrance. When nothing happened, he lunged toward it and picked it up. He reached for Caitlyn.

It was a jump for her. She leaped, but overcompensated and bounced into him hard. When she fell backward, he dropped his backpack to grab her.

Click.

A spear flew from a hidden crack in the cave wall, zooming straight toward them.

“Get down!” He pushed her down and jumped in front of her.

She fell on her rump and looked up just in time to see him jolt. The point of a spear shot through his stomach, coming to a stop inches from her face.

She screamed. Carlos shuddered, his face pale, his eyes wide with shock. He collapsed to his knees.

She scrambled to her feet. The spear had impaled him from the back. “Oh God, no.”

He crumbled onto his side.

“Carlos.” She knelt beside him. She could see him before her but didn't want to believe it. He couldn't die. Not Carlos.

With shaking hands he grasped the spear that protruded from his stomach. “Not much time,” he rasped. He gritted his teeth and attempted to break the shaft of the spear. He cried out in pain.

“Carlos, what are you doing?”

“Have to break off the point. Help me.”

She stared at the blood rapidly coating his hands.

He fumbled for a knife at his belt. “Help me.”

She pulled the knife free and sawed at the spear shaft.

“Let me try again.” He gritted his teeth and snapped the shaft in two. “Pull it out of me. From the back.”

“It'll make you bleed more.”

“Pull it out!”

Tears ran down her cheeks as she grasped the shaft and gave it a hard yank. Carlos cried out.

“Don't die on me!” She yanked handfuls of T-shirts and underwear from her backpack and pressed them against the wounds on his back and stomach. “Don't you dare die on me.”

“Don't be afraid,” he whispered. “I'll be here for you.”

Her tears splattered onto his T-shirt. “Carlos, don't leave me.”

His eyes flickered shut. His body shuddered, then went still.

“Carlos?”

He lay there, still and pale.

Caitlyn let go of the clothes she'd pressed against him. She sat back and looked at her trembling hands covered with blood. His blood. He was gone.

“No!” She flung herself on top of him. “No, Carlos, no.” This couldn't be true. She couldn't lose him. She clutched at him, willing him to come back.

The cave suddenly grew much darker and colder. She glanced at the entrance. It was dark outside. And she was all alone in the jungle, in the Temple of Death.

With a shudder, she realized the sun had gone down. She might not be alone after all.

C
aitlyn fumbled on the ground and located the flashlight she'd dropped earlier. The beam quivered in her shaking hand as she pointed it at the narrow opening.

Get a grip
. But how could she when Carlos was dead? A sob racked her body.
Don't fall apart now. Think, think
. She needed to protect herself. Carlos would be angry if she hadn't learned her lessons well. He would be even more pissed if he'd died in vain protecting her.
He's not feeling anything. He's dead.

She wiped at the tears streaming down her face, then realized her hands were still coated with Carlos's blood. She rubbed her hands on her khaki pants. She had to protect herself. She had to make him proud. She removed the gun from his holster. If anything came through that opening, she'd shoot and keep shooting.

The gun trembled in her hand, and she prayed for strength. She kept the flashlight aimed at the opening and waited. And waited.

She edged closer to Carlos 'cause somehow she felt safer when she was sitting next to him. His body was still warm. And solid. Tears slid down her face, but she didn't dare put down the flashlight or gun to wipe them.

It was going to be a long night. In the dark. How long would the batteries last in the flashlight? Carlos's was still on. She quickly set her flashlight and gun down, so she could grab his flashlight and turn it off. She might need a backup.

Still nothing from the narrow opening. Maybe the vampire was gone. Maybe she was safe. Relatively safe. There was still a ditch filled with iron spikes between her and the cave entrance.

If she couldn't go back, could she go forward? She eyed the narrow opening. Maybe there was an exit on the other side of the mountain? Or maybe there were more booby-traps. Or worse.

No, she wasn't going through that opening. It was too much like the silly girl in the movies who ventured up to the attic all alone. Or the basement. In her underwear.

She dug into her backpack and pulled out her cell phone. It was worth a shot. No signal. Not surprising when she was in a friggin' cave in the middle of the jungle.

“What do I do, Carlos?” she whispered.

She dropped her phone into the backpack and noted the silk scarves she'd bought for the three were-panther girls. She smiled, remembering how
Carlos had fussed about her shopping. More tears rolled down her face.

She smoothed her fingers along the silk. So soft and shiny. And amazingly strong. She fisted her hands in it and yanked. If she tied the three lengths together, she'd have a nice rope. She scanned the cave with her flashlight and studied the crisscrossed ropes where the monk had hung the yellow paper prayers. Maybe the prayers had worked. The vampire didn't seem to be using this cave anymore.

She tied the scarves together, then tied one end to the spear shaft. Hopefully, all her exercising with Carlos had helped her upper body strength and aim.

She propped the flashlight on top of her backpack so it would light up the prayer ropes. Then she threw the spear like a javelin, hoping to wedge it into the crisscrossed ropes. The first few tries failed, and she retrieved the spear by pulling on the scarves.

It was too lightweight, she decided. She reattached the end of the scarf with one of the silver panthers. This time when she threw the spear, it caught. She tugged hard on the scarves to make sure it was secure. She needed to swing across the ditch without falling in.

She anchored the end of the scarf on her side with Carlos's backpack. She would wait till morning before attempting to cross the ditch. No way was she venturing into the jungle in the dark.

She sat beside Carlos with the flashlight and gun within reach. A new wave of grief swept over
her, and more tears fell. As the hours dragged by, it seemed like she'd fallen into a nightmare that would never end.

 

Carlos jolted as an electric bolt of energy jump-started his body. He opened his eyes to darkness.

Something behind him jerked, and he heard a gasp and a fumbling sound. A flashlight beam struck him in the face, and he turned his head.

Caitlyn screamed and scrambled away.

“Cait—” His throat was tight, so he cleared it. It rumbled deep in his throat like a growl.

“What—Who? What?” Her voice sounded panicked.

“Caitlyn.” He sat up. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dark. “Dammit, woman, don't point that gun at me.”

“You—You're dead. I saw you die.”

“Put the gun down. I can explain.” Or maybe not. He didn't have much time. Already he could feel the Surge building inside him.

“You were dead,” she whispered.

“I know.” He yanked his T-shirt over his head. “I hate it when that happens.” He pulled off his hiking boots and socks.

“You're alive?” She set the gun down. “And stripping?”

He unbuckled his belt, yanked down the zipper, and pulled down his cargo pants, taking his underwear with it. “I don't have much time. The Surge is coming. It always comes right after—” He jolted as the first wave of new power shot through his system.

“Carlos?” She stepped toward him.

“Stay back.” He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. So much raw power. He wasn't sure he could control it. “I'll try not to hurt you.”

“What?”

He cried out as the Surge took him over. Wave after wave struck his body with increasing force, pummeling him so that he writhed and twisted as the power grew and grew. He flipped over onto his hands and knees and arched his back. His body shimmered, then transformed. But that wasn't enough. No, now he would be a level four were-panther, larger than he was before. His bones crackled, lengthening and thickening. He thought his head would burst. He roared with the pain, and the sound echoed around the cave.

He rolled his massive shoulders back and looked at the huge paws supporting his black powerful body. His claws sprung out, more sharp and lethal than ever. His vision was sharper. Even in the dark he could make out the tiniest of spiders on the cave wall.

With a low rumbling growl, he turned his head toward Caitlyn. His woman. His wife.

She stepped back, her face pale. The flashlight trembled in her hand. “Ca-Carlos? Are you there?”

He lifted a paw, then advanced a step in her direction.

She stepped back. “N-Nice kitty?”

A red haze filled the cave. Something strange was happening to his eyes. His woman seemed to shimmer in a red glow. It made his blood boil, his heart pound. He had to take her. He stalked slowly toward her.

Her eyes widened and she looked about nervously. Suddenly, she ran to a length of silk and pulled it loose from where it was anchored by his backpack. She jammed her flashlight into her belt and took a running leap across the ditch.

He roared for fear she would fall to her death, but the silken rope carried her safely across. She scrambled to her feet and faced him. He growled deep in his throat. Did she think she could escape him?

He leapt across. She screamed, and he knocked her flat on her back. He straddled her trembling body. All it would take was one bite, and she would be his forever.

“Carlos, please,” she whimpered.

He bared his teeth and snarled.

Tears filled her eyes. “Don't kill me.”

Kill her? He didn't want to kill her. He wanted to possess her, mate with her, keep her forever. All he had to do was bite her.

And that might kill her.

He shook, trying to regain control. He couldn't bite her. He could never bite her. He loved her too much.

He fought the beast, panting over her as she trembled beneath him. His body shimmered, and with a gasp, he returned to human form.

He collapsed beside her, breathing hard.

She scooted back on her rump. Tears ran down her cheeks. “Carlos? Are you okay now?”

No, he wasn't. The Surge wasn't over yet, not until he found release. A flood of lust gripped him, and he rose onto all fours. Blood rushed to his groin, and he grew instantly hard. His eyes
narrowed on his prey and he growled deep in his throat. She was still shimmering with a red glow.

He seized her by the ankle and dragged her toward him.

“Carlos, what are you doing?”

He moved over her and pinned her down by the shoulders. “I need sex.”

“Your eyes are glowing.” Her gaze drifted down his body and her eyes widened. “Oh my God.” She struggled to get away from him, but he pushed her back down.

“Carlos, please. I—I'm too freaked out. I thought you were dead. Then I thought you were going to kill me.”

He noticed for the first time how red and puffy her eyes were. She'd been crying. A lot.

He gritted his teeth, once again fighting for control. The beast inside him howled, wanting to possess her and take her by force if necessary, but the human part of him loved her. The red haze faded away.

He backed off her. He would still need release for the Surge to end. He slowly stood and turned his back to her. He glanced ruefully at his erection, then leaped across the ditch.

Behind him, Caitlyn gasped. There was no need to fear. With his newly added power and strength, he could easily jump a dozen feet. He strode toward the narrow opening.

“Carlos? Where are you going?” Her flashlight beam caught him standing naked at the narrow gap in the cave wall.

“Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back.” He
glanced over his shoulder and gave her a wry look. “It won't take long.”

 

Caitlyn sat in the dirt, breathing heavily, wondering what the hell had just happened. Was she dreaming this? Was she so desperate for Carlos to be alive that she'd dreamed all this? She pinched herself.
Ouch.

She should have known. Her dreams were rarely this strange.

Carlos was alive
. Her heart expanded, finally able to accept the truth. She didn't know how it could be true, but it was. Carlos was alive. And apparently, masturbating in the next room.

She jumped when he roared. It wasn't quite as loud as his panther roar, but it was still impressive. He was correct. It hadn't taken long.

She beamed her flashlight at the narrow opening and rose to her feet. “Carlos?”

He emerged from the opening, frowning.

She gulped. He was still naked. No longer hard, but still magnificent.

He glanced at her. “I want to show you something.”

She snorted. “I've already seen it.”

He gave her a wry smile, then grabbed his underwear and pants off the ground and put them on. “There's something really strange farther back in the cave.”

“There's something strange right here. You just woke up from the dead.”

“Yes.” He buttoned the waistband of his khaki cargo pants. “I hope you're not disappointed.”

“That's not funny, Carlos. I thought you were dead. It nearly killed me. It was awful.”

“I didn't enjoy it much either.” He rubbed a hand over his stomach.

“The wound is gone,” she whispered. “How did you do that?”

He sat down to pull on his socks and hiking boots. “That rumor about cats is true. Were-panthers have nine lives.”

Her mouth fell open. “You have nine lives?”

“Actually, only five now.” He tied the laces.

“What? You've died before?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, I'm getting really good at kicking the bucket.” He picked up his T-shirt and grimaced at the blood. “Still hurts like hell.”

She tightened her grip on the flashlight. “You should have told me. You scared the hell out of me.”

“I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting to die.” He walked over to his backpack and pulled out a fresh T-shirt. “It's not something I ever plan on doing. And I don't like to talk about it. It feels like a giant failure.”

Her anger wilted away. “You didn't fail. You saved my life.”

He glanced at her and smiled. “That's true. But I always thought a real hero should manage to save the princess without getting himself killed.”

She smiled at him. “You're still here. That's what counts.”

He pulled on the T-shirt, then motioned to her rope made of scarves. “You made that?”

“Yes. I was planning to swing across in the
morning, then hike back to the village. I thought the tigers might help protect me.”

Carlos regarded her with a look of amazement. “You didn't need me. You would have survived without me.”

“That's all it was. Survival.” Tears blurred her vision. “I thought my heart had died with you.”

“Catalina.” He jumped across the ditch and pulled her into his arms.

She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. Her flashlight lit up the ceiling.

“Don't cry.” He kissed her brow and wiped her cheeks. “We're alive, and we have each other.”

She rested her head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. Carlos was alive.

“Come now. I want to look at the rest of the cave.”

He swung her up into his arms.

“What are you—” She gasped when he leaped across the ditch and landed neatly on the other side. She squirmed out of his arms. “Would you stop scaring the hell out of me?”

He grinned. “I have super strength and agility. I'm at level four now.”

“Great. I'm so glad dying came with a bonus.”

He chuckled, then grabbed his flashlight off the ground and turned it on. “Let's go.”

She followed close behind him as he went through the narrow opening. It was a long, narrow passage filled with rock formations.

“Watch your step here.” He maneuvered her to the left.

She shone her flashlight down to see what he was avoiding. It was a whitish puddle. “What is
that? Rainwater with chalk or lime deposits?” She beamed her light at the ceiling to look for drips.

He snorted. “That was from me.”

Her face grew warm. “Oh.”