The Jaguar's Arranged Mate: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (9 page)

“To know that, you would have to be a Brutal Claw, and believe me, you don’t have what it takes to be one. You have to be driven and ambitious and willing to obey orders. Our alpha is strong. He is powerful. He will never lead us astray. Can you say the same about your alpha? Will he recognize that he cannot win if he tries to fight us? So much blood could be shed… or not a single drop more.”

Wordlessly, the Brutal Claws stepped back. One at a time, they slipped away, slinking into the shadows of the trees. Soon, only the muscular one and the scarred one remained, but then they, too, left.

For a long moment, Beric stared down at Lionel. He had so wished the teen had kept silent as the others had. Maybe then he would still be alive.
If only I had sent him back like I had thought about…

With a grunt, he kneeled and picked up the teen’s body. Not a single drop of blood covered his body. A chill ran throughout his body.
They
can
kill without bloodshed. Everything he said could be a lie or the truth.

The slow, long trek back to their compound was a silent, somber affair.
Slaves. Is that why they want us? To plant fields for them, to grow them food?

Or do they mean for us to be their food?
While the animal jaguars were only carnivores, most were-jaguars also ate plants and herbs.
They are more vicious, more in tune with their animal side than their human side. I wouldn’t be surprised if they
are
cannibals.

All the more reason to not give in. All the more reason to fight for their lives.

All the more reason to marry Miera so they might have a fighting chance.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Miera wanted to go out scouting by herself, but she wasn’t that stubborn and bullheaded. To do so would be foolish, so she recruited Lisa and a few other Blood Roses to come with her, even though she would have preferred solitude.

Lisa chatted nonstop as they armed themselves and even as they started their expedition. Eventually, Kevin snorted. “You might want to be a little quieter.”

“Fine,” she huffed. But then she knocked her hip into his. “Although you were singing a different song last night.”

Kevin’s face turned bright red, and he moved to the other side of their group.

“You and Kevin?” Miera asked. “Since when?”

“Since last week. He’s fun and a little wacky, and right now, I need someone who loves life like he does. Most everyone is too serious right now, too afraid for the future.”

“His wanting you to be quiet seems like he’s being serious.”

“He’s just concerned, that’s all. And aren’t you? You should be.” Lisa rubbed her arms as she walked beneath a tree, ducking to avoid a low branch. She glanced sideways at Miera. “So… speaking of guys…”

Miera flushed. Her stomach churned whenever she thought about Beric, and she couldn’t afford to be sick right now. For a little while, after she had learned she was pregnant, she hadn’t been quite as hungry all the time, but now her appetite was returning with a vengeance. She was hungry for both food and for blood. Some said there was no were-jaguar more fearsome than a pregnant one.

“You and Beric. You said he’s hot, but you haven’t talked much about him aside from that. A few of us have been wondering…”

“Wondering about what?”

“If there’s something wrong with him. If that’s why you two haven't married yet.”

“No. We were waiting for them to finish their defense. Their fence. It needed repairs.” A convenient excuse. “I know we need to get married and we should have before now, but they only just completed the fence.”

“What’s the hold up?”

By now, the two were lagging behind the others, enough for Miera to consider her friend. Her father knew. For all she knew, her father was telling everyone about it. The secret would only keep for so long anyhow.

“I’m pregnant,” she whispered, her lips hardly moving.

Lisa’s eyes widened. “Wow, you two just jumped ahead of the whole wedding and… Oh, wait, is it his?”

“No.” Miera shook her head. “That’s part of the hold up. I’m not sure if Beric can forgive me.”

“Who is the father?”

She shook her head again. That was a whole other issue she wanted to avoid. Nothing would come of it. She had no feelings for the other man. He had found her when she had been vulnerable, and what had happened had only been lust.

Another reason why she did not wish for her marriage to be built on the same emotion. Not that there was time for her to fall in love with Beric or for him to forgive her, let alone love her.

We’re forced into this, but we can’t be forced into love.

The thought saddened her.

“Aw, cheer up. Beric will still marry you, I’m sure.”

“Out of duty for his people.”

“Duty, yes, but that’s better than nothing, isn’t it?”

Duty. Obligation. What if Beric would one day come to hate her? Or what if he even resented her child?

Well, she would have no one to blame but herself. She could only hope he would marry her and that their combined clans would provide enough of a basis of support that the Brutal Claws would rather not risk their numbers to take them down.

It was a gamble, but it was the only chance they had.

My worrying might be moot if he or I die.

“Stop frowning so much,” Lisa scowled. “You have to practice smiling more.”

“Why?”

“So that Beric will have no choice but to give into you. You’ve always been able to have your way with men whenever you smile at them.”

“That’s not true,” Miera protested.

“Maybe not, but just humor me.” Lisa glanced away but not before Miera saw her always smiling friend frowning herself.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“I… You know how I’m impulsive, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well…” Lisa glanced around. “Kevin and I got married yesterday.”

“What?”

“Shhh, not so loud! I was feeling a little depressed about the future, and he was talking about how we should live for today, and one thing led to another and… yeah, were-jaguar and wife.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Nope. Ever since, he hasn’t been quite as spontaneous and free-spirited, which is what I need right now, so I might be regretting it a little.” She knocked her hip into Miera’s. “Kinda like you’re regretting your romp with the guy who knocked you up.”

Miera sighed. “Geez, thanks.”

“Sorry. It’s just… misery loves company.”

The two were-jaguars looped arms and hurried to catch up to the others. There was almost a warmth in their unified lines, that they could support each other and stand beside each other. That they could be together and yet separate, that they were one in their desire to be safe and were willing to risk their lives so that they could worry more about what to eat for dinner that night instead of whether or not they would live to see another sunrise.

These were her people. For them, she would marry Beric. And if he would not marry her, she would find someone else. She would do whatever it took to better their chances of survival.

For an hour, they scouted their perimeter, and all seemed safe. Then Kevin noticed paw prints. “Jaguars, definitely, and recent too.”

“We should follow them.” Miera led the way. At first, the prints obviously only belonged to one jaguar, but as they moved farther away from their home, the more prints they found. She shifted her nose to pick up the scent and quickened her pace.

All at once, pairs of cold yellow eyes peered at them from the surrounding underbrush. Miera, with her nose already her jaguar’s, shifted fully, relishing the feeling of her fingers turning into long claws, of her teeth lengthening, sharpening into points as fangs. She growled a warning to her people.

With slow deliberateness, she stalked toward the closest jaguar. The creature was far too large to be an animal. This was a were-jaguar, and not just any were-jaguar, but a Brutal Claw. She could smell blood, and a speck of meat was stuck between his front fangs when he bared them at her.

She halted just in front of him, staring him down. There were as many Brutal Claws as there were Blood Roses… if none of the Brutal Claws were hanging back in the shadows.

A flash of light was the only warning she had as the were-jaguar brought up his claws to swipe at her. Her claws caught his, a screeching sound echoing throughout the forest at their connection.

That’s when the fighting began in earnest. Her other Blood Roses also shifted their forms, and the sounds of grunts and whimpers and roars filled the air. The stench of blood only grew, and Miera soon tasted it, too, when she bit down hard on the ear of the were-jaguar she was fighting.

Despite the whimpers, Miera noticed, in between ducking blows and trying to scratch at her foe, that none of the were-jaguars had killed another. They were rather evenly matched, the two sides.
We might not have “warriors” in our pack name, but we are already warriors in battle.

Fighting while pregnant was almost an agreeable experience, and she found her reaction time to be a little faster than normal, which surprised her. Her blows were just as strong, though, or maybe even stronger. For every blow she landed, her foe landed one in retaliation.

Kevin and Lisa were fighting together, she noticed as she backed around a tree to put some distance between her and her enemy. She needed a moment to catch her breath. They battled well together, working as a team, protecting each other and fighting the other’s foe for them when they had an opening, but only if doing so wouldn’t leave the other at risk of being hit.

They might yet make things work out between them for the long haul.

If they could survive that long.

The were-jaguar stalked around the tree. It moved with grace and poise despite bleeding from several locations. None of the wounds either had delivered so far were fatal. Most were superficial, but not for lack of trying.

Miera attacked first this time, slashing high and low. The were-jaguar blocked the first blow, but the second connected with his knee. It buckled, and he lowered himself into a crouch before leaping into the air toward her. She tumbled to the side, and he landed right where she had just been.

Breathless, she faced him. Her stomach was tightening, and something didn’t quite feel right. Oddly, her first thought was that she wished Beric was there. Where had that come from? She could defend herself. She didn’t need him.

A were-jaguar whined, and she couldn’t tell if the owner belonged to her or was an enemy. Did it matter? They were hurting each other, killing each other, and all because the Brutal Claws wouldn’t leave them be. If it weren’t for them, she wouldn’t have to be forced into a loveless marriage. She could have her baby, and their family just be the two of them, until she did find someone she wished to spend the rest of her life with.

The crazy thing was, though, that Beric might have been the kind of were-jaguar she would have looked for. But he’d never consider her. Not after her getting pregnant by another.

Blind fury filled her, and she almost couldn’t see, a red sheen coloring her sight to the point that she couldn’t make out fine details. She attacked with a savagery she hadn’t known she possessed. When she came back to herself, she saw her foe fleeing from her. He was whimpering at his fellow were-jaguars, and they all followed him.

Gradually, her vision cleared completely. Although spots of grass were soaked with blood, none of the were-jaguars had been killed, on either side.

No causalities.

That was good at least.

Lisa approached. Even in jaguar form, her friend always managed to look her best.
Should we head back?
she roared.

Miera grunted.
Kevin. Please climb up this tree and tell me how far those were-jaguars have gone.

Kevin rushed to obey. All jaguars were natural tree climbers, regardless of their form. With ease, he soon was so high up that Miera could hardly see him, the tree branches were too bushy.

A mile away already.

Any sign of them slowing down?

No.

Good.
Miera nodded. Although a part of her wanted to remain out here, where she felt useful, where she could make a difference, where she hadn’t screwed up… yet… it was better to return home now before they were attacked again. Best to not push their luck.

Come on. Let’s go home.
Miera retained her jaguar form whereas most of the others reverted to their human form. They quickly changed back into the clothes they had discarded when the battle had hit. She didn’t want to reveal her pregnancy to them just yet. In this form, she carried her pregnancy well enough so that it wasn’t obvious.
In another few weeks, that wouldn’t be the case. Her future husband thought poorly of her. Her father certainly did, too. The rest of her people… would they judge and condemn her, as well?

***

That night, Miera dreamed of Beric. He came to see her, looking every bit as dashing as a movie star. Music started to play, and they danced together, moving perfectly in time together, as if they had practiced for years.

When he dipped her, she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his arm around her waist, trusting him completely.

But then he dropped her. Her back connected with the wooden floor of a shack. Where was the grand ballroom they had just been in?

He stared down at her, his face twisted with fury and contempt. “You would have me bring dishonor to my pack.”

“No, Beric. Please.” She scrambled to her knees and grabbed his hands. “It’s nothing like that.”

“I deserve to have an heir who is my own flesh and blood. Don’t you agree?”

She could hardly blame him. “I never intend—”

“Intentions?” He spat. Luckily, the saliva landed just in front of her feet instead of on her. “You knew you were pregnant when you had your brother send me your proposal. Couldn’t bear the thought of asking me in person, could you? You had to hide behind your brother.”

“That’s not it at all.” She shook her head fiercely. “Beric, please listen to me. I didn’t know—”

As if he just realized she was holding onto his hands, he jerked them away from her, essentially flinging her back onto the ground. “Because you sent him in your stead, we became friends. That’s why we went out scouting together. That’s why he ended up risking his life to save me. His dying is all your fault!”

“No, please,” she begged as tears streamed down her face. “That wasn’t your fault.”

“Exactly.” His face was twisted into a horrible sneer.

“It wasn’t mine either,” she protested.

“Is that what you believe? That you’re innocent? What would you have me believe? That you got pregnant by magic?”