Jungle Freakn' Bride (32 page)

Rolling to her side, she went after the hard one first. Mr. Kitty.
She circled his flat nipple with a nail.
“Now that was what I call a good time.”

“We aim to please.”

“
Oh, you managed that all right.
Since I’ve agreed to act like a good jungle wife for now, then
how’s about
I
go with
you
when you
bring my sister back to town
?
”

Acat opened his mouth, but Chaob launched into a speech she couldn’t follow in Mayan, a language she needed to learn quick
ly
if she was going to stay in the loop.

Or, she c
o
uld set some ground rules now.
“In English please. I don’t like secrets, or did I not make that point clear
already
?
”
She shot them both a look.
Chaob had the grace to look sheepish.

“
Sorry.
I was saying that perhaps this one time we could make an exception.” Chaob smiled at her while sending a pointed look over her to Acat.

She flipped to see his response.

A tic pulsed in Acat’s jaw. “I will let you come, but
—
”
he raised a hand
and flicked the tip of her nose
“
—
o
nly
on
the condition you not try and escape
,
and that you agree to return after.”

Return and turn into a dutiful jungle wife he meant. As if.
Forget the promise he solicited during sex. In her mind it didn’t count because he extracted it under sexual duress.
“
You can’t force me to be something I’m not.”

“No. But you also need to realize you are no
longer
the person you were. Your body is still changing. Don’t tell me you can’t feel it.”

“I feel my cat.”

“
It’s
more than your jaguar. Tell me you can’t feel the jungle calling to you?
Tell me t
hat you don’t feel a growing affinity to it
?
To the tall trees with the swaying boughs
?
To the life teeming in the brush
?
”

She wanted to tell him no
,
t
hat she was a modern girl who enjoyed visiting
,
but wanted to return
to
the concrete madness of the city
.
However,
to her surprise
,
she couldn’t say it because damn him, he was right.
Something called to her
out here
. Something on a primitive level she couldn’t describe but felt.

“If I agree to behave myself and learn more
about myself
and
your
culture, you’ll
let
me come with you when you escort my sister to safety
?
”
She tried to phrase it in such a way to avoid any loopholes
,
w
hich was funny given he’d kept his word so far. She was the one who’d proven untrustworthy.

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“How long what?”

“How long do I have to let you try and convince me I belong here? What if after a week, a month, I still want to go home? What then?”

“
Won’t happen.”
He said it so confidently.

“Won’t because you’ll hold me prisoner?”

“Won’t because this is where you belong now.”

While a part of her, despite her resistance
,
agreed with his words, even warmed to them, another part sadly knew he was wrong. Yes, she’d changed, not just
physically
, but mentally. And she didn’t doubt she’d change still
.
Yet
she knew
,
never would she
find
content
ment
in
merely being a jungle wife, keeping her hut clean and cooking meals, waddling around pregnant.
She needed more in her life. Needed the mental challenge she’d come to expect, and a feeling of
self-worth
that she worried couldn’t come with from what he proposed alone.
He said he’d set me up with a laptop to do my work?
But would he? Or had he just said that to placate her?

Unable to look him in the eye any longer, and unwilling to lie, she turned away.
Their close bond, the one she kept denying, let her feel the
disappointment
flooding him
, and
the
odd touch of fear.
Acat
afraid
?

It took her aback.
Did
this big, strong man really fear the idea of her leaving?
Of losing her?

It gave her something to ponder as they
kept
their
word and let
Carlie
escort
Ruth
and her lovers out of the jungle.
A boring escort given poor Ruth and her boyfriends were u
nconscious
– due to a super
-
secret potion whipped up by a dreadlocked shaman
. Her sister snored
the entire trip to
maintain the secrecy of the tribe.

During the vo
y
age, Carlie spent a lot of time thinking
and l
earning as well. Not just about the jungle, but her mates and the new culture she belonged to.
She learned that on top of birthing only male children, twins or any type of multiple birth was unheard of. Gestation was a shorter seven months, and the
babes
emerged human
– not in a bloody claws
-
and
-
teeth
-
flashing manner she initially feared
.

Transformation didn’
t usually occur until a few months of age.
Most cubs didn’t do it often because of the pain
,
though.
Interesting stuff that made her wish for a computer or at least a notepad to take notes
,
s
omething Chaob promised to procure her as soon as he got a moment.

All in all, she enjoyed the trip to town, until the moment to say goodbye arrived.
Carlie
sat by her sister’s side when
Ruth
awoke with a stretch from her prolonged sleep.

Carlie
poked her
sister
in the ribs.
“About time you woke up, Ruthie.”

“Carlie. Is that you? I had the strangest dream,”
her sister
murmured. “I dreamt you were lost in the jungle and…”
The words trailed off
as Ruth opened her eyes and blinked at the green canopy overhead.

“It wasn’t a dream.” As if
Carlie’s
observation was needed.

“Apparently. But this also isn’t the hut I went to sleep in.”

“You call that sleep?” Carlie snickered.

“More like a climax coma then. How long was I out? And where are we?”
Ruth
asked, peeking around at the trees and fauna surrounding them.

“Almost back to the real world. Here
,
drink this. It will help clear your head.”

Ruth took the flask with a he
althy dose of suspicion.
“Are you sure? It’s not, you know, poisoned or anything is it?”

Carlie laughed. “No. Your humanity is safe.”

With a few gulps, Ruth sucked back the remedy and immediately looked more awake.
“Where are Kendrick and Joel?”

“Your mates? Male bonding with mine and a few others over there.”

“Mates? No. We didn’t get married like you.”

That’s what Ruth thought. Carlie knew otherwise
, but kept silent
.

“
I can’t believe I slept with them both at once
,
”
Ruth lamented.

Yeah
,
but there was at once, and there was at
once
. Carlie still shivered every time she thought of it. But she didn’t dare ask he
r dear husbands
to do it again. They’d stuck to vanilla three
-
way sex instead. Good thing
,
because she doubted her heart could take that kind of bliss too often without exploding.
“Way to go, little sister. I wouldn’t have thought you had it in you.”

“I did. Times two.” Ruth giggled, a tad hysterically. “Oh my God, I slept with werewolves. Does this mean I’m going to turn shaggy on the full moon and crave Scooby snacks?”

Carlie couldn’t help the
twitch
of her lips
. “Sorry to disappoint, but no, lycanthropy is not contagious. You’re still one hundred percent human.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

“Bad about what? That I can change into the first golden jaguar to ever join the tribe? I actually like it more and more every day.”

“So, that’s it
?
You’re going to be
C
atwoman for life?”

Minus the hot leather outfit
?
Yup.
“As far as I know.
”

“You know, most families have a black sheep.”

With a snobbish sniff, Carlie tossed her hair.
“I always did like to do things a little different.”

“That you do, but if you think I’m cleaning out any litter boxes…”

A
giggle
left Carlie
.
“Don’t you dare start getting me catnip for Christmas.”

A mischievous grin pulled at Ruth’s lips. “How about a windup mouse?”

“Seriously, though, I know this is a lot to take.”

“You’re telling me. How am I supposed to explain this to Mom and Dad without them having kittens
?
”

Carlie winced at the pun. “About Mom and Dad – they can’t know.”

“You have to tell them something, or are you going to let them think you’re dead?”

“Of course not!”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know. Just tell them that I love them. That I’m okay, and I’ll be visiting them soon. Tell them I’m documenting the traditions and what
-
not of jungle men and will be back in a few weeks.”

“Traditions?” Ruth snickered. “Is that what you’re calling sex with them? I think you like them more than you want to admit.”

She did
,
b
ut that was a problem
on which
she preferred not to dwell.
“I don’t love them if that’s what you’re implying. Lust after their bodies
,
yes, but I don’t love those manipulative jerks.”

“Says the girl who would rather stay with them than come home.”

“Like I said
, i
t’s complicated. There’
re
things I need to learn. Things I need to know. But rest assured, I will be in touch.”

“She will be safe with us,” Acat stated, coming up on them silently.
For some reason, her inner pet didn’t always warn her of his approach.

“I’m gonna put a bell on you,” Carlie snarled.

“I’d li
ke to see you try,” Acat challenged
.
And oh, if she couldn’t see herself wrestling with him, naked, with some oil…

“I’ll help,” Chaob chimed in, appearing suddenly
, his hand tickling up her spine, letting her know he guessed the direction of her thoughts
. “It is time for us to leave, datura. We’ve come as far as we can with them.”

Nice reminder that she was about to say goodbye, not only to her sister, but her old life for now.
Big sigh.

Standing, Carlie faced her sister one last time,
flanked by
her males and feeling less torn than she should about her decision to stay. Hugs
and kisses exchanged,
Carlie didn’t draw the moment out and slipped into her furry skin
.

“Meowr?”
S
he cocked
her
head a
t
Ruth
who
smiled.