CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Sal thought about his words, and the way he was laying it all on the line here. That took courage. She recognized her power in that moment—the power to crush his hopes or make both of their dreams come true—and she couldn’t deny him.
“I feel it, Nick,” she admitted in a shaky voice. “It’s like a magnet, drawing me to you.”
“And me to you,” he agreed, hope shining in his eyes.
“It all happened so fast,” she breathed as he drew closer, his head dropping down toward hers.
“That’s the way it is with shifters. We fall hard, and we fall fast. And we love forever.” He nibbled on her lips, and she almost let the moment carry her away. Almost.
Hands on his chest, she pushed gently, to make some space between them. She looked up into his eyes, the moment more important than any other moment in her life.
“You love me?” she asked, trying desperately to settle the small hint of fear still in the pit of her stomach.
Were they too different to make a go of this? Were shifters meant to be with humans? Or even human mages who hadn’t known they were mages until very recently? The thoughts jumbled through her mind, making little sense…except for the fear that she might still lose him, somehow, despite his words. Perhaps it was fear of belief. If she believed in him and then he left, she knew she would never survive.
But Nick held her gaze, the magic swirling slowly in his eyes, his expression as serious as she’d ever seen it. Hope started to overshadow the fear in her heart.
“I love you, Sal. I will always love you, and I will never leave you unless you drive me away. Even then, I’ll watch over you from afar, if that’s all I have left. When shifters mate, it’s forever. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me, sweetheart.” At last, he smiled, and it was as if the sun had come out after months of rain. Years of rain, in her case.
She could deny the joy in her heart no more.
“I love you, too, Nick,” she told him, smiling as he did. “It’s all happened so fast, but I feel it in my heart. In my soul. I love you, and I never want us to be apart.”
Now, it was his turn to beam at her, tugging her into his arms for a jubilant embrace. He lifted her high and twirled her around the room, making her feel carefree in a way that she hadn’t felt for a very long time. Breathless, she hugged him back, wanting the moment of mutual discovery to go on and on.
He slowed them, looking down into her eyes as he let her feet touch the ground. “It’s fast, but it’s real, Sal. As real as anything has ever been.”
She caught her breath, feeling the magic rise and meet his, touching, exploring, not out of her control but definitely doing its own thing. He seemed to feel it, too.
“I have another little confession to make,” he told her somewhat sheepishly. “Being part of the Balam bloodline means I have a little more magic than most jaguars. I guess that’s why it bothered me so much that I hadn’t detected your magic. I’m sorry, Sal. The extra dose of magic is what makes me Beta and protector of the Clan and why my grandma is a wise woman. Somewhere in our family tree is a mage—or maybe more than just one—and that gives us a little extra something.”
“That’s why my magic reaches out to you,” she reasoned, and he nodded.
“Yeah, probably. But we can ask Abuela, if you want. She knows more about it than I do, that’s for sure. My strength is more martial than magical.” He settled his arms around her waist, looking at her with a speculative gaze that held a bit of humor. “I suspect any children we manage to have will be quite a handful, and probably a lot more magical than their old man.”
Children? She gulped, already dreaming about what they would be like. She’d never thought she’d have children because she’d feared passing on the curse of wild magic, but now… Now, everything was different. She had hope for the future, and with Nick, children were not only possible but very much desired.
“I think I’m really going to like being mated to you,” she told him, only partly joking. Nick had changed her whole world. For the better.
Nick growled and picked her up, taking her to his bedroom and laying her down on the big bed. She didn’t argue. She wanted to make love to him, right now, more than she wanted her next breath.
They undressed each other with eager hands, getting down to skin on skin in record time. Then, there was a slight pause as they kissed and stroked each other to new levels of yearning, driving each other up the ramp of passion toward their ultimate goal. Sal gave as good as she got and felt a thrill race down her spine when he started that sexy low purring that seemed to come to him at times like these.
Yeah, that was a total turn on. His rumbling chest against hers was all kinds of sexy and made her eager for more. She climbed on top of him and let him know in no uncertain terms what she wanted. Taking when he gave and joining them with gusto when he might’ve held back.
Then, she began to ride him. Slow, at first, her strokes became more intense, more fluid, more impatient as she went along. Her passion rose and rose…and then rose some more, reaching toward a height that only Nick had ever shown her.
And then, the magic began to rise, as well, and for a moment, she faltered.
But it was cool. She was in control. The magic wasn’t running away from her to do God-only-knew-what. It was running toward Nick, and he was meeting it. Caressing it. Like he caressed her body with his hands. Somehow, his magic was accepting hers and returning the tingling stroke for stroke.
Her breath caught at the sensations—both physical and magical. Who knew sex could be so multi-dimensional?
Aware of her now as never before, Nick could feel Sal’s magic reaching toward his, touching tentatively at first, then twining together with his, as if they had been made for each other. They had been, after all. He and Sal had been matched up by the Goddess. They were mates. It wasn’t all that surprising—or at least it shouldn’t have been—that their innate powers would recognize each other and blend together.
The flavor of her power was quite different from his. She wasn’t a shifter, for one thing. That was a huge difference right there. But they were more alike than he had imagined. Given the chance for their energies to intertwine as their bodies came together in passion, the magic roiled and bubbled happily—not at all contentiously. This was a good match. One that would stand the test of time…and beyond.
As Nick and Sal made love on the physical plane, their powers came to terms with each other on the magical and spiritual planes. There was a joining, and a blending, that resulted in a new incarnation for each of them. They came together as separate beings and came out of the encounter joined. Renewed. Reenergized. Remade.
When their bodies reached for the ultimate reward, together, the magic poured out, sparkling around them together, an echo of what their bodies were doing. Climax after climax was powered by both the physical and the magical, lasting long after any previous experience Nick had ever had with other women.
There were no other women. Not anymore. From now on, the only woman he could contemplate was his mate. His perfect match. His Goddess-given joy.
“I love you, Sal,” he whispered in her ear as they clung together, magic swirling around them.
He felt her relax into him. “I love you, too, Nick. With all my heart.”
*
As the sun set, Nick pulled up in the driveway of the mansion on the other side of the island. Sal was beside him, as he hoped she would be for the rest of their lives. What came next would determine whether he—whether they—would stay here as part of the Jaguar Clan or have to move on. Mark would have to make a decision to either accept Sal into the Clan or lose Nick forever. It was just that simple. And that scary.
Nick got out of the Jeep and tossed the keys to a nearby youngster whose job it was to keep the drive clear. He’d park the Jeep around back, out of sight, with the other vehicles as soon as Nick escorted his new mate into the mansion. The kid would also unload their bags and put them in Nick’s room, so Nick was unencumbered as he offered Sal his arm and led her up to the doorway.
The door was thrown open before they got there, the new Alpha female offering a cheery welcome to Sal, and a somewhat suspicious look thrown toward Nick. Shelly still hadn’t forgiven him for interrogating her when they’d first met, but he figured she’d give up her mad in a few months…or, maybe years. Possibly.
“I’m Shelly Howell…uh…Pepard. Sorry, that’s still kind of new to me.” Shelly’s open smile invited all around to join in. She had a naturally sunny personality that had only gotten brighter since her mating. “My dad’s been telling me all about you, Miss Lane.”
Sal offered her hand and returned Shelly’s smile. “Oh, please, call me Sal. Your dad’s been helping me a lot. He’s a really great guy. And congratulations on your marriage.” Sal was making small talk, offering all the right noises as the two women moved into the foyer of the big house.
Nick was aware of Mark standing at the back of the open space, watching his mate and the newcomers. The fact that he’d let his mate come forward on her own to greet Sal was a good sign. It showed a level of trust Nick, quite frankly, hadn’t expected so soon.
Maybe… Maybe the trust wasn’t for Sal, per se, but more for Nick’s judgment. After so many years growing up together, working together, and facing danger together, Mark and Nick had formed a friendship based on mutual respect. Up ‘til now, Mark had trusted Nick to watch his back in many different types of dangerous situations. Perhaps that had earned Nick a bit of leeway when it came to introducing an unknown into the Clan.
Though, really, after spending time with Howell and passing Abuela’s tests—whatever they had been—Sal wasn’t really that much of an unknown anymore. Oh, she probably still had a few surprises in store, but Nick knew deep in his heart that his mate could never pose a real threat to anyone he loved. Mark and his mate were part of that select group.
Nick caught Mark’s eye, and the Alpha nodded, moving smoothly forward to intercept the women. Nick made the introductions.
“Sal, this is Mark Pepard.” Nick watched as she reached forward to take the Alpha’s hand, each of them taking careful stock of each other.
“Welcome to Jaguar Island, Miss Lane,” Mark said, pouring on the charm as Nick breathed a sigh of relief.
“Please, call me Sal.”
“I thought the newspapers all called you Sully?” Shelly asked.
“They do, but…that just doesn’t feel right. I was born Sally Lannier. I only became Sully Lane recently, and only the newspapers and a few of the people I work with call me that. Somehow, when I met Nick, it didn’t feel appropriate to hide behind the stage name. The only one who still calls me Sal is my mom,” Sal’s voice dropped into a sad tone. “And now, you guys.”
“I’m honored,” Mark replied, equally somber. He seemed to understand the importance of what Sal was telling them.
For his part, Nick was blown away by the fact that she’d been following her instincts since the moment they met and she’d asked him to call her by the name only her mother still used. That meant something to him. It was a clear indication that the Goddess did, indeed, move in mysterious ways, and that his mate had known, on some instinctual level, when they met that there was something special happening. Nick’s inner cat wanted to purr in both triumph and satisfaction.
“We were just about to head in for dinner. Do you guys need to freshen up or are you good to go?” Shelly asked.
Sal looked at Nick, shrugging. “I’m kind of hungry,” she offered, letting him decide for both of them.
“I could eat, thanks,” Nick said. “We’ll head in with you.”
And just like that, the two couples were walking together through the large house, heading for the far dining room and the Clan members already gathered there. One hurdle jumped, and things were starting to look really good for the future. Nick started to breathe a little easier, though he was still on guard. Mark had to give his formal welcome—accepting Sal into the Clan—before they would be home free.
“Where’s your dad?” Nick asked Shelly as they walked.
“He flew out to California this afternoon, to meet Sal’s mother,” she replied almost offhandedly, though she had to know how big this news was. “My dad’s been known to commit the odd philanthropic gesture. This move could be made to fit into that scenario because, though I was kept in the dark for a long time, apparently, my father has done this sort of thing before—rescuing mages who’ve had little or no training and helping them learn control.”
Beside him, Sal’s steps faltered, and she grabbed for Nick’s hand. Mark and Shelly stopped walking and turned to face Nick and Sal. Mark eyed them both.
“I’m looking into your mother’s case,” he told Sal directly. “There’s a good chance I’ll be able to pull some strings and get her released into Mr. Howell’s care. He’s got a foundation already set up that has done this sort of thing before, oddly enough.” Mark smiled and shook his head as if he was surprised by the turn of events himself. “Eventually, if you’re agreeable, and depending on my father-in-law’s recommendation, I wouldn’t be opposed to moving your mother to the island so she could continue learning how to control her wild magic. At least here, her chances of hurting anyone are greatly diminished, even if her magic goes out of control again.”
“Really?” Sal looked like she was about to cry. “How?” she choked out. “Why?”
“Shifters have a bit more protection from magic than most beings. It’s part of what makes us unique among the supernatural races. We can take hits that would destroy most other kinds of folk. The magic sort of rolls off our fur, even when we’re not wearing it,” Nick explained, finding it hard to find the right words. “It would take a lot for your mom to hurt any of us, even the cubs,” he tried to reassure her.
Sal squeezed his hand tight, and a single tear tracked down her soft cheek. He bent to kiss it away, knowing how monumental the past few moments had been for her.
“I’m…” She tried to talk, but it took a couple of tries before her voice would work. “Thank you, Mark. Shelly. I…I don’t know what to say.” More tears threatened, but they were happy tears. Ecstatic tears.
“I’m glad Mark and my dad could help,” Shelly assured Sal. “And I’m certain we’re going to be great friends. And probably classmates. I understand we both came to mage-craft kind of late in life.” Shelly’s conspiratorial giggle invited Sal to join in.
“I guess so,” Sal agreed, looking at Nick and then turning her gaze to Mark. “That is… If the Alpha agrees to let me stay.”
Nick sucked in a breath. Sal had pushed the issue, and he was still somewhat afraid of what Mark would say.
“You’re welcome among us, Sal,” Mark said formally. “As friend to the Clan. As mate to my best friend, Beta, and protector of the Clan. And as a Clan member in your own right by virtue of that mating.”
Nick’s breath rushed out in relief. This couldn’t have gone better. He wouldn’t have to leave his people, and Sal had just gotten a giant-sized welcome from the Alpha. Mark couldn’t make it much plainer than that.
Nick held out his hand, drawing Mark in for a back-pounding hug. “Thank you, Mark,” he said low, near Mark’s ear. “I won’t let you down.”
Mark stepped back and looked at Nick. “You never have, and you never could. Congratulations on finding your mate.”
“Thanks,” Nick said, feeling it down to the soles of his feet. He was so grateful to be alive and mated to the most wonderful woman in the world.
Shelly was hugging Sal, and when the two women broke apart, Sal came right back to fit under his outstretched arm. The two couples just stood there for a moment, joy between them.
“I’m going to do the official welcome at dinner,” Mark told them. “Try to act surprised.”
Sal laughed. “I usually get paid to act,” she said, then looked as if she might want to recall those words, but Shelly and Mark laughed with her.
“Speaking of which, you’ll be able to keep acting, if that’s what you want,” Mark told her when the laughter had died down. “I’ve managed a very public life in the human world, and I think you can, too.”
“I hadn’t thought about it much, to be honest,” Sal admitted. “But, if I still have a career, I might as well take advantage of it while it lasts. As long as I can get a handle on the magic, I might just look into taking on a few roles to build a little nest egg. That is, if Nick doesn’t mind.”
“Mind?” Nick replied, hugging her to his side. “Why should I mind? As long as you let me run your security, you can go just about anywhere you want, sweetheart.”
“Does this mean I’m losing you as my head of security?” Mark asked, but there was a grin on his face.
“You’ve got enough young jaguars to watch your back when you leave the island,” Nick told him. “And I’ll go along when I can, but you have to understand, my mate is my first priority now, Mark.” Nick looked into Sal’s eyes and got lost in the love he saw there.
Mark’s words came as if from a distance. “I understand, my friend, and I couldn’t be happier for you.”
Nick didn’t hear if Mark said anything else because he was kissing his mate. As far as he was concerned only the two of them existed on the entire planet.
Shelly and Mark walked away, leaving the two newlyweds to their kisses, but as they tiptoed along the corridor, Shelly put her hand in her mate’s. “Do you think we should send someone to get them if they don’t surface for a while?”
Mark grinned down at her and shrugged. “If they miss dinner, they can always do a midnight kitchen raid. Nick knows where everything is.”
Having done quite a few of those midnight kitchen raids herself over the past few weeks with her new mate, Shelly couldn’t help but smile. She hadn’t liked Nick when they first met, but she found herself softening toward the man she’d dubbed Atilla the Bodyguard. Sal was a nice woman, and somehow, she softened the hard-assed security chief.
With a shrug, Shelly turned her attention fully to her new husband. “I guess you’re right. What do you say we cut this dinner short and raid the kitchen for ice cream around midnight?”
Mark smiled at his adventurous mate. “I’m game if you are.”
The official welcome announcement happened the next day, but nobody really minded. It was clear to everyone in the Clan that the Alpha and Beta couples were lost in love, and the jaguars were incredibly happy. Things were looking up for the Jaguar Clan and the island that they were turning into a true home.
*
Thank you for reading The Jaguar Bodyguard. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review.
A complete list of all of my books, separated by series, follows the excerpt. You can also check out my website at . Or you can sign up for my to be alerted when new books are released.
Howls Romance
Classic romance… with a furry twist!
Did you enjoy this Howls Romance story?
If YES, check out the other books in the Howls Romance line by heading over to our website!