His Darkest Embrace (17 page)

That was no longer.

Jagger quickly crossed to Skye and scooped her up in his protective embrace.

His body trembled as the force of his thoughts washed over him. How could he ever have thought to leave her when this whole mess was done and over with? He’d never met a woman like her before and he doubted there was another. She filled the ache inside of him so that he could breathe again.

She moaned softly, and as his arms tightened around her, he whispered, “You won’t be getting rid of me so easily, my little bird.”

The jaguar turned and crossed the creek, with Jagger following closely behind. They disappeared into the thick foliage that lined the opposite bank, and the jungle claimed them whole.

Many hours later they stopped at the edge of the town of Placencia. They’d been lucky and hadn’t come across any of the commandos that had been dispatched to the jungle in search of Skye.

She had become more and more lethargic as the day progressed, and the urgency Jagger felt was becoming a physical manifestation. Nervous energy clawed at him. He could feel it building. The waiting was driving him fucking crazy.

He watched as Nico returned to his human form. The tall warrior took a deep draw of water and stretched out his long, lean limbs. “The healer, Mary, lives about a mile from here. I’ll bring her back.”

Nico swung his head back, the dark of his eyes glittering diamonds in the early-evening gloom.

“Can’t we just take Skye to her?” Jagger was getting anxious. They’d come so far.

“That wouldn’t be a good idea. She doesn’t like strangers.” Nico turned from him, “I’ll do my best to convince her that your woman is worthy. I won’t be long.”

“You’d better do more than convince,” Jagger muttered, but the warrior had already disappeared.

Jagger took a few moments to grab some food from his bag. Being a former black ops soldier, he was used to going days without sleep and food, but even he’d found the last few to be some of the most exhausting he’d ever had.

He ate quickly, holding the shivering Skye against his chest. A long strand of her hair fell across her face and as each breath was expelled from her body, it moved. He reached for it, his dark, rough fingers carefully rolling the silky strands between them. He bent down, nuzzled the soft skin along the side of her neck, and felt his animal tremble with emotion.

She moaned softly and turned into him, her arms going around his neck as her heated flesh pressed against his bare chest. He could feel her breasts, soft, curved, full, and his body began to tighten painfully.

What the hell was wrong with him? The woman lay in his arms, ill from the effects of demon poison, and all he could think about was how much he wanted to touch every inch of her. Kiss away her pain.

His body was rock hard and he clenched his teeth tightly, until the pain along his jaw became too great.

After a few moments he was able to relax, and blew out a deep breath as he sat down and leaned back against a tree, Skye nestled protectively in his arms.

He knew they weren’t far from the Caribbean Sea. The smell of salt lay heavy in the humid air. It tugged at something inside of him, leaving a bittersweet melancholy in its wake.

Here, on the banks of the Monkey River, the jungle seemed untouched by the darkness that was slowly seeping into the local landscape. There was no smell of demon, shifters, or black magick.

It was as it always had been.

Jagger, more than anyone, knew how quickly reality could change, how much it was already changing.

He’d seen a demon, full on, and knew that they were slowly seeping through into the human realm. There was no other choice. They had to destroy the portal.

He looked down at Skye and murmured, “We’ll get it done.”

Jagger’s eyes closed and though he appeared to be resting, he knew exactly when Nico arrived, and he definitely wasn’t alone.

Quickly he rose to his feet. He’d wrapped Skye in a blanket and she lay on the ground, shivering still.

The tall warrior was quiet, and though he’d managed to find clothes, it did nothing to lessen the wild aura that shrouded his body. He turned to look down at the woman beside him and Jagger was surprised at the flash of warmth. She meant something to Nico.

The woman, Mary, was small, barely reaching Nico’s chest. She was Mayan, with thick dark hair that hung to her waist in an intricate plait. Her skin was wrinkled with age and the eyes that stared out through the dark at him had seen a lot.

They were the color of dried tobacco leaves and she pierced him with a stare that seemed to look right through him. The woman made him uncomfortable.

After a few seconds she shuffled forward, past him, and knelt down beside Skye. Her hands held two large bags. Jagger watched as she slowly peeled back the blanket, running her hands slowly up and down Skye’s shivering body.

She inspected the wound on her calf and then bent over her, sniffing around her ears, nose, and mouth.

Jagger was beginning to think the woman was loony, and when she carefully withdrew a long, slimy snake from the bag beside her, Nico had to physically restrain him.

“What the hell is she? A fucking voodoo witch?”

Nico shook his head, a ghost of a smile playing along his face. “Mary uses the ancient magicks. It might seem strange to you, but this is something she’s done many times.” Nico pushed him back. “You need to give her some room.”

Jagger’s hands remained clenched to his sides, his eyes riveted on the scene before him.

Mary hunched over Skye and let the snake slide from her grasp until it lay coiled in the middle of Skye’s belly. As the animal unfurled its length and slowly moved along Skye’s body, Mary began to murmur words and phrases Jagger had never heard before. And Lord knows, he’d spent a good bit of time among the Mayan and other indigenous peoples of Belize.

She sprinkled herbs, foul-smelling concoctions, in a circle around Skye and then rubbed something together between her fingers. Skye began to shake violently, and Jagger broke from Nico, his long legs carrying him to her side in seconds.

Mary glanced up at him and he stopped dead in his tracks. Her eyes were glowing, swirling rings of fire. She motioned to him and he fell to his knees, holding Skye still while the old woman cradled her face between the bony fingers of her hands.

When she lowered her head once more, Skye began to moan loudly and when Mary’s mouth closed over Skye’s, Jagger struggled to hold her down.

The keening sound that built from deep inside Skye was awful to hear. And when Mary drew away, spitting black, foul-smelling liquid into the dirt beside her, Jagger watched in shocked silence. Acrid smoke rose and every bit of greenery the liquid touched withered and died in front of his eyes.

The snake lay limp on Skye’s flesh, its dark green color fading fast.

Mary repeated the procedure, again and again. Eventually there was nothing more for her to draw from Skye, and when she was done, Mary fell back to her haunches, clearly exhausted. She wiped her mouth with a cloth, rinsed with a solution that was equally repulsive, and then turned to Jagger.

She didn’t say a word but her eyes spoke volumes.

“Thank you,” he said hoarsely, not really knowing what to make of what he’d just witnessed. His eyes drifted to Skye. She lay on her side, but her color looked healthier and the scent that had clung to her since the attack was no more.

Mary turned from him and grabbed the snake. He watched in silence as the carcass hung from her hands before she deposited it back into the bag. Without another word she crossed to Nico.

She paused and then spoke softly to the warrior, her hand gentle on his. When she turned once more to Jagger, her features softened and her large expressive eyes misted. She seemed incredibly sad.

She nodded her head and then disappeared into the darkness that lay heavy along the jungle floor.

“What did she say?” Jagger asked as he carefully tucked the blanket around Skye once more, thankful to hear that her breathing had returned to normal.

Nico had begun pacing again, his body coiled tight and his face dark. The energy that clung to him was frenetic and dangerous, off center. But then again, the dude
was
crazy.

“She called upon every god imaginable and asked for a blessing.”

“Great, I’m guessing she thinks I’m about to get my ass kicked.” Jagger grimaced. “Good to know.”

Nico stopped his pacing and the two warriors stood in silence, listening to the comforting sounds of the jungle. Each deep in thought.

“I need to hunt,” Nico said suddenly.

Jagger watched the warrior slide into the darkness and then he went to Skye. He pulled her against his chest and settled in to rest. Tomorrow they would head out in search of the Cave of the Sun.

His thoughts turned to his enemies and he snarled softly into the night. He would not hesitate to kill any who stood in his way.

Chapter 16

S
kye was awake long before Jagger. Her head hurt, her throat was dry, and every single muscle that she owned was either sore or cramped.

But she didn’t dare move.

Being held by the tall warrior, tight against his chest as if she were a breakable, a china doll, was like heaven. Well worth any of the other discomfort.

She let her hand trail a soft path across the width of his shoulders, admiring the intricate tattoos that marked him as jaguar.

How weird was that? Had she lost her mind?

Maybe she had. But, hell, it just felt
so right.

She sighed softly and snuggled deeper into his embrace, wanting the moment to last longer than it could.

Images danced in front of her, hazy weird things, and while she knew something profound had happened the night before, she wasn’t quite sure what it was. Skye remembered the demon, the vampire, but most everything else was fuzzy.

Her hand rested against Jagger’s chest and she could feel his heart beating steady, firm against her fingers. She turned her face and kissed his skin, her tongue slowly moving over his flesh.

He tasted wild, untamed, and she moved slightly as the softness between her legs began to pulse. It was a sinfully sweet pain, and as she continued to rub her legs together, it increased, drawing a small moan from her throat.

She could feel the response in his body, his hardness thickening against her thighs, and she smiled softly to herself. Her hand moved across the rock hard abs, up his arms, and when she looked up at his face she stilled.

Green eyes, dark and stormy, pinned hers with an intensity that took her breath away.

“Hey,” she said softly.

He didn’t say a thing. He didn’t have to.

The air stilled around them and her mouth went dry. She wanted him. That was all.

When he lowered his mouth she met him with equal fervor, her tongue sliding between his lips and attacking aggressively. The feel of his warmth was incredible and she nipped at his mouth, her tongue circling madly.

His taste was wild. Intoxicating. It pulled at her and she felt the heat rush through her body, filling her veins with liquid fire.

“I want you,” she said simply; there were no other words.

Jagger groaned against her mouth, his tongue plunging into her depths. He pulled her across his body until she straddled him, and his mouth fell to her breasts.

“Are you all right? Christ, I thought you weren’t gonna make it.” He paused as if he’d said too much. “I mean, the demon … you’re not in pain?”

“The only pain I’m feeling right now is the kind that hurts so good, it’s sinful.”

Their eyes met and held.

His were dark with need, and with a growl he pushed the thin T-shirt she wore up roughly. His hand claimed one breast while his hot mouth closed over her other nipple. He suckled the turgid peak, hard, and each pull drew a line of desire from deep within the folds of her sex.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he whispered against her soft flesh. The stubble that adorned his cheeks was rough, and as it scraped across the sensitive skin of her breasts she moaned once more.

Skye arched her back, her hands digging into his thick hair. She pulled him into her roughly and smiled when he chuckled at her display before treating the other nipple to the same wicked sensations.

She began to gyrate in his lap, her softness pushed hard against the hard bulge that lay between his legs.

“I’ve never felt like this,” she said breathlessly. “Never wanted someone so bad that it hurts.”

Skye’s eyes widened. The sight of Jagger’s dark head against the golden skin of her breasts was incredibly erotic. It fed her passion, inflaming her desire to a level she’d never reached before.

She didn’t care that he was jaguar. The world was going to hell. Literally. It was time for Skye to take what she wanted and damn the consequence.

She grabbed the baggy top and pulled it over her head and then stood up.

She could feel the first rays of sunlight beginning to break across the morning sky. It sang to her, and the rush of power that filled her soul only enhanced the emotions and sensations that ran across every single nerve ending in her body.

Jagger lay at her feet, his body resting against a tree, his panting, naked chest heaving. The green of his eyes literally glowed, and Skye couldn’t help but think he was the most incredible man she’d ever come across.

Strong. Wild. He was an animal, and one she had every intention of taming.

She smiled down at him, slow and seductive, and then grabbed the waistband of her shorts. Without hesitation she stripped them from her body and stood proudly before him, her golden skin alive and open to his hot gaze.

“Don’t tease me, Skye.” His eyes darkened. “I don’t think I can take it.”

The warning was there and she paused for a second, a blush coloring her cheeks. She’d brought him to the brink several times before, but this time was different.

“I want to make love to you, Jagger.”

She took a step forward and began to pant as his eyes feasted on the blond patch of hair between her legs. His handsome face was focused entirely on her, and the look of hunger that adorned his features was laid bare to her. It was raw. Honest.

“Come here,” he said hoarsely.

Skye took one more step and when his arms snaked out and grabbed her around her butt she nearly stumbled. Automatically her hands reached out and she braced herself against the tree.

Every limb trembled and if not for the strength of the man beneath her, she would have surely collapsed.

She looked down at him and her breath caught in her throat at the heated glance he threw up at her. His lips were drawn back and a growl ripped from deep in his chest.

“You belong to me,” he said, and she could do nothing but nod. There were no words for what she was feeling.

His fingers trailed over the taut skin of her belly and he stopped near her navel. Skye looked down and felt something break inside of her as he reached over and gently kissed the flesh that was still raw from three mornings before.

Slowly he spread her legs until she was open to him—the part of her that was trembling, swollen with the need for his touch. And when his fingers sought out the wet heat hidden between the folds of her sex, she threw her head back, her mouth open, her breathing ragged.

His touch passed over her clitoris softly, and then again more aggressively, each time eliciting sensations inside of her that fired off into every direction imaginable.

He held her ass with one hand and thank God for that. Surely Skye would have melted into a pool of liquid nothingness. His other hand continued to caress her slick folds, teasing, tugging, and when she felt the heat of his mouth on her inner thigh, Skye thought she’d go mad from desire.

Small sounds erupted from the back of her throat and her fingers gripped the tree, the nails digging in hard.

She spread her legs even more and began to gyrate, loving the rough feel of his whiskers as they brushed against the softness of her thighs.

Anticipation was running rampant through her body and as the moments ticked by, with her desire running hot, the need became nearly all-consuming.

“Please,” she whispered hoarsely, shoving herself at him. Wanting him to do more than caress and tease.

She heard him laugh against her, his fingers rubbing along the inside of her wetness. The sensation was pleasing, but left her wanting a whole hell of a lot more.

“What do you
want
me to do, sweets?”

Her hips nearly buckled as he licked along the inside of her leg, his tongue long and firm.

“Jesus Christ, Jagger, I want …” Her voice trailed off as he continued to run his tongue along her inner thigh, circling the entire area.

“What do you want? I need to hear you say it.” His voice was thick, heavy, and Skye knew that he was as close to the edge as she was.

“I want your mouth on me,” she yelped softly as his tongue made a quick pass, dipping just along the inside of her center.

“I want your tongue inside of me.”

The hand at her back dug in and he brought her close. Skye looked down at him, felt the cream of her desire begin to pool as the feral look on his face fed her like a bowl full of chocolate and cherries.

He growled softly, smiled a wicked smile, and then answered her call.

Jagger’s tongue plunged deep inside her opening, working her over with a ferocity that brought screams from her mouth. Deftly he played with her clit, suckling the engorged nub until the pressure inside of her began to shake along her inner channel.

When his teeth scraped along the sensitive peak she leaned back and her hands fell away from the tree, finding their way to the dusky nipples that stood erect and needful. She massaged her breasts as Jagger continued to pleasure her in a way she’d not thought possible.

His tongue was like magic and he fed from her like a hungry man. When he inserted two fingers deep inside of her while continuing his assault with his wicked mouth, Skye truly thought she’d faint from sheer pleasure.

Was it possible to lose consciousness from the act of lovemaking?

“Oh my God,” she whispered. “I’ve just never … ever …”

She couldn’t even articulate her thoughts.

Jagger paused against her. She could hear his ragged breathing and knew he was as affected as she was. “That’s because you were made for me and no one else.”

His fingers began to work their way deeper inside of her, and when he curved them, found that special spot that lay hidden, she nearly collapsed.

Skye looked down again, her eyes drawn to the man beneath her.

“You will never belong to anyone other than me,” he said again. His words were simple but she knew what they meant. He was a warrior; they played for keeps.

It was then, in that moment, that she knew. Their future would never be a
together
thing. How could it? She had a mission to finish. And it broke her heart.

Her sad thoughts melted away as Jagger continued to worship her body, his fingers, tongue, and mouth giving her pleasure beyond what she thought possible.

Skye feared she would rip apart, so intense was the orgasm that exploded over and through her.

Her hands fell to Jagger’s head and she rested against him as her body continued to shudder from its release.

When she could stand no more, she slowly slid down until she was face to face with the man who had not only rocked her world, but had also changed her forever.

He grabbed her chin gently and brought her lips to his. She opened beneath them, wanting to crawl inside him, to caress and touch every inch of his body. She wanted to fulfill every wish and desire.

If only she had enough time.

Skye kissed Jagger with such passion that the ferocity of it startled her. Her arms wrapped around his powerful shoulders and she pressed every inch of her flesh against his.

He broke away, breathing hard. “You’re fucking killing me, woman.”

His beautiful eyes regarded her, hooded and full of need.

There was so much to say. Could she trust him enough? To tell him exactly how she felt? That amidst all this craziness she felt the same?

Was it fair considering her days on earth were numbered?

“Jagger, there’s something—”

Her words were lost as a harsh voice cut through them.

“I’d throw some clothes on if I were you two. We’ve got a situation brewing and you’ve got
maybe
ten minutes before a nasty group of magicks crash your little love fest.”

Skye stilled. She didn’t recognize the voice but the scent was unmistakable. The man was jaguar and by the reaction in Jagger’s face, she was guessing he was the mysterious Nico.

Jagger’s arms tightened against her, effectively shielding her nakedness from the stranger.

“Turn your back. Give the lady a little privacy.”

She heard Nico laugh softly, dangerously. “Well I’ve been standing here for a few minutes. It’s not like I haven’t seen the goods.”

Jagger’s hands tightened even more.

“You will turn the fuck around and show some respect.” There was no arguing with his tone and the energy in the air tripled. It became dark and threatening.

She heard Nico moving behind her and chanced a quick glance back.

The man that stood staring at the two of them was something else entirely. He looked savage. Lethal. He looked pissed.

“If you want to make it to the Cave of the Sun, I suggest you get your ass in gear.” Nico’s dark eyes glittered through the gloom and Skye swore she could see his jaguar, just beneath the skin. “I’ll get you there as promised, but then I’m done.”