Twelfth Moon (28 page)

Pushing himself up, his arms supporting his weight, he looked down at her. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted. He paused for only a moment before he withdrew and thrust back in. She writhed and sighed and moaned as he advanced and retreated, keeping his pace slow and methodical. Every so often, he swiveled his hips, reaching a new spot deep within her, wringing cries of delight from her.

It wasn’t long before he was quickening his pace, panting and sweating and thrusting. He held her close, one hand reaching beneath her bottom, tilting her hips up to his. She clung to him, her arms wrapped around his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist, holding on while he pumped into her. They cried out together as he jettisoned his seed, her inner muscles milking every drop.

He slumped over her, breathing heavily, taking care not to crush her. This is where he wanted to be, with Cadence, wrapped in her arms, sheathed in her warmth – forever. But eventually the world intruded again and he became aware of birds chirping outside the open door to the cabin. They were in the middle of nowhere, with practically no chance of being interrupted, but still…

Cadence stirred, her hands gently pushing at his shoulders. He gave her a languorous kiss before he moved off her, rolling to his back beside her. He tucked one hand behind his head, the other he splayed across her flat stomach. “That was wonderful.” His voice caught on the lump in his throat.

“Yes,” she breathed, “it was.”

He grasped her hand, entwining their fingers, and turned his head to look at her. She was so beautiful, it stalled his breath. There was no question in his mind that this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. The hurt and betrayal of the past seemed wholly insignificant now that he looked back on it. Had he really loved Beth Ann? Compared to how he felt about Cadence, his feelings for Beth Ann had been paltry, something he’d desperately clung to during the war to keep him going.

Jonah sucked in his breath.
How did she know about that?

“I’ve sensed something in you from the beginning,” she said, answering his unspoken question. “It’s one of my special gifts.” She smiled. “Besides being able to turn into a panther, that is. I can sense emotions in people. Not all the time and with everyone, only when the emotions are strong, like love, hate, jealousy, betrayal.

“We all have some kind of gift, or talent. Jaelene has visions, I sense emotions, and Kara…well, we’re not exactly sure what her gift is, other than being extremely protective in a most aggressive way.” She chuckled.

“What about me? Will I have one of these special gifts too?”

“I don’t know. You’re the first of your kind. Anything is possible. Now, tell me about her.”

Jonah sighed. “Her name is Beth Ann. I was in love with her, or thought I was. We were engaged to be married, but then I went off to war. She was always in my thoughts – it’s what got me through the worst of it.”

“And when you came back?”

“I found out she’d married my best friend, Gavin Thompson, only a month after I’d left. She’d been writing to me and all along she’d already been married to another man.”

“How awful!” Cadence sat up, turning to look at him with a fierce scowl. “Do you want me to eat her?”

Jonah was surprised into laughter at her offer. “No, Hellcat,” he said, chuckling. “We’ll get Kara to do that.” He rolled on top of her, pinning her to the mattress. His voice lowered, his silver eyes blazing. “But,
I’d
like to eat
you
.” He emphasized his point by nibbling her neck.

Cadence sucked in her breath sharply, arching her back. She couldn’t think while surrounded by so much masculine power, so much naked skin. And the way his mouth, lips, and tongue felt on her neck…well, it made her forget everything else. “Jonah,” she breathed.

Would she marry him?
Cadence had no doubt that she would follow him to the ends of the earth. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, Jonah, I’ll marry you.” Nothing in this world could prevent it.

“I love you, my Little Hellcat.”

“And I love you, Jonah.” She had to force her mind to concentrate. “It’s time we ate what’s in that basket, or we’ll never have the strength for your first lesson.”

Grinning roguishly, he slipped his trousers on and went for the basket while Cadence scrambled into her chemise and dress. They had things to do and being half-naked would only serve as a distraction.

When he returned with the basket, Cadence spread a cloth over the quilt and laid everything out. Bless Mrs. Clemens and Mrs. Riley. There was an abundance of fried chicken, cornbread, cheese, apples, and even a whole cherry-rhubarb pie. No wonder that darn basket had been so heavy!

Cadence thoughtfully nibbled on a piece of chicken, admiring his handsome features, the way his dark hair tumbled across his broad shoulders. He hadn’t put his shirt back on and looking at the expanse of his muscled chest made her want to lick every inch of it. What woman in her right mind would let a man like him get away? But there was one thing she needed to know, not that she was sure she wanted to hear his answer.

They continued to eat in silence, while Cadence worked up the nerve to ask that nagging question. Finally, she asked, “Do you still love her?”

“Beth Ann, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“Back then, I believed I did love her. As time went on, though, it faded. I was left only with the bitterness and distrust. It wasn’t until I met you—” His gaze caught and held hers, the sincerity in his eyes plain to see. His voice softened. “It wasn’t until I met you, that I knew what it truly meant to love someone. I realize now that what I felt for Beth Ann makes a mockery of what I feel for you. It was mainly my pride that had been hurt.”

Cadence reached out and placed her hand on one of his. “Oh, Jonah. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

“Beth Ann told me that she’d fallen in love with Gavin, but she and I had already become engaged. She hadn’t known what to do about it. When I left, Gavin convinced her to elope with him. She felt so terrible about it, she continued to write to me, knowing it was what I needed while so far from home.”

“Well, she should have told you before you left,” Cadence grumbled.

“I can’t begrudge her for loving someone else and acting on her heart’s desire. If we’d gotten married as planned, we both would have been miserable, and I never would have met you.”

“You wouldn’t have become a U.S. Marshal?”

“I just wanted to get away from the two of them, so when an army friend offered me the job, I took it.”

“What about now?” She would go with him to track criminals, if that’s what it would take to be with him. “I won’t keep you from doing your job, if that’s what you want to do.”

“I don’t need the job, Cadence,” he said with wide grin. “I come from a wealthy family and I’m an extremely wealthy man in my own right.”

Cadence’s jaw dropped. She had definitely not been expecting that.

Twenty Three

JONAH SPRINTED THROUGH the thick foliage. Leaves and branches slapped against his fur as he dodged around trees and vaulted over fallen logs. Birds took flight as he passed, startled by his intrusion. His nostrils flared, allowing him to detect with keen accuracy, the presence of other animals, along with the stench of the bayou not far beyond the forest.

His lungs filled with much needed oxygen, bringing with it the distinct scent of his quarry. Using his superior eyesight, he was able to focus on the scene in front of him, processing everything with lightning speed, easily avoiding obstacles without even breaking his stride.

His chest expanded and contracted, his ears picking up the faintest sounds of scurrying creatures, the cry of a hawk in the sky far above the treetops, and as skilled as she was, Cadence running behind him, also in panther form.

For the last several of days, Cadence had instructed him on the nuances of being a panther. She’d made him practice shifting from man to panther and back again, over and over, until it had become practically second nature.

There’d been times when he could have throttled her, she was so relentless. He’d grow unbelievably weak, sweating and shivering like a newborn fawn, and then she’d snap,
“Again! You must learn to control it under any circumstances. Your life could depend on it.”

She was only trying to help him survive his new state of ‘being.’ He admired her strength, was amazed by how much she knew about life as an animal. She’d cared for and protected her two younger sisters after the death of their mother, and now she was caring for him, making certain he knew how to handle himself.

It was a humbling experience. Her thoroughness was astounding, her patience never-ending as she guided him through a world previously unknown to him. During the war, he’d fought as a soldier, killed men with his bare hands and later, as a field-promoted officer, had led his men on mission after mission. Then as a U.S. Marshal, he’d tracked down some of the meanest and most dangerous fugitives this side of the Mississippi. Some of them he’d brought back alive, some he hadn’t.

And here was this small, deceptively dainty woman ordering him about like a four-star general. No wonder she’d taken her hanging and subsequent capture by him in stride. He cringed every time he thought about his treatment of her back then and how easily she could have torn him to shreds.

This was the world she’d been born into, had learned from birth. Not only did she have to learn how to survive as a human – a woman – but as a panther and to keep that existence from being discovered. She had the strength of several good-sized men within her, but she chose not to use it against anyone unless absolutely necessary. She had a kind heart and as he’d learned first-hand, the capacity to love unconditionally.

She’d taken him into the forest, conducting numerous exercises, one of which was to play a game she and her sisters had dubbed, ‘chase and evade.’ It was as obvious as the name implied. Sometimes she evaded his pursuit, sometimes she would chase him, teaching him how to find the best places to hide.

She also taught him how to stash a change of clothes in strategic areas. She’d explained with a smirk,
“Just in case you’re caught without your knickers.”
But since he’d only brought one set of clothes, that part had been relegated to theory.

He’d been so exhausted by the end of each day, he’d fallen into bed, already half-asleep, only to be awakened before sunrise to start all over again. There’d been no time – or energy – to make love, which had put him in a sour mood.

They’d finished off the food from the basket, as well as the small supply of provisions that were always kept at the cabin. Before they left, it would be re-stocked for the next time.

Today’s lesson plan included a hunt for fresh meat.

His mind snapping back to the hunt in progress, Jonah effortlessly closed the distance.

You can do it, Jonah.

Wait. What? He faltered, but recovered quickly. He was certain he’d just heard Cadence’s voice inside his head.
Cadence?

You can hear me?
She sounded incredulous.

Yes.

How is that possible?

I wouldn’t know.
Jonah was sure his thoughts came out as dryly as he’d intended them to be.
You’re the experienced shape-shifter.

But my sisters and I have never been able to do that.

I guess that makes us special. Can we focus on what’s at hand?

Of course.
Now!

Jonah heard her command at the same time the muscles in his hind legs bunched, gathering all the energy there, launching him at his target. With a deep snarl, he sank his claws into the doe’s back, his long, sharp teeth cutting into its neck. Dinner.

He heard her voice again
. Do it quickly, the way I told you.

The doe in his clutches thrashed with a last-ditch instinct to survive, and then it was over in a matter of seconds.

It felt good. He felt invincible. The rush of a successful kill flooded his veins with a sense of euphoria he’d never experienced before. Of course he’d hunted and killed his dinner so many times it wasn’t worth counting, but this was different. He’d chased that doe, ran it to ground and killed it with his bare – claws – and teeth.

It was exhilarating.

And arousing.

He turned his head to look at Cadence as she loped over to him.
Congratulations, Jonah! You did well for your first kill.

Some of his intensity must have registered. She halted, staring at him with those mesmerizing green eyes.

He sent his thoughts to her.
I want you. Now.

N-now?

Yes, now.
It was a low growl that refused to accept a denial.

I’m all yours, Marshal.

He sauntered over to her and nuzzled her neck, nipping lightly. He heard her gasp in his head. He was already hard and aching, the lust brought on by the chase, the kill, and the scent of her desire, like a fever running through is blood.