Chapter 7
Carter
“What’s the plan?” Bobby looked at me like I had a masterful plan.
“Keep Katya safe while figuring out why those jaguar shifters are here. This whole area has been jaguar-free for years.”
“Other than you.” Bobby smirked.
“Easy to be brave when there isn’t the ghost of a teenage girl, right?” I snapped.
He glared at me. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Jaguar shifters! I don’t think Katya even knows that she’s anything other than human. It sounds to me like her dad never told anyone about his real heritage.”
“Do you think those jaguars have been looking for her?” Alex asked.
I clenched my fists. “I don’t see any other reason they’d be here.”
“It could be a coincidence.” Alex tilted his head. “This whole area is full of supernaturals.”
“But not jaguars.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Bobby repeated.
“I’m going to find out what I can about them and also about Katya.”
“Can’t you just tell her she’s a shifter?” Alex was a wolfborn, and had spent the majority of his life in the wolf form, only becoming human when other werewolves shifted into their animal form. He was still learning about the human world and had a long way to go. I was just grateful jaguars didn’t rely on lunar cycles for shifting anymore.
“Not without her thinking I’ve lost my mind. And I don’t want to freak her out by shifting in front of her.” I rose and cracked my knuckles. “Why don’t you two follow me? But stay a distance behind. I don’t want the jags to get a whiff of you.” To say that traditional jaguar shifters hated werewolves was the understatement of the century. It had been like that for centuries.
They both nodded.
“Do you know where they’re staying?” Bobby asked.
“I will once I sniff them out.” I pressed my ear against the door. “It’s clear. Wait no more than a minute before coming out. Track my scent.”
They both nodded, then I slipped out into the hallway. It was a nicely kept hotel, and I liked the old charm, though it did kind of creep me out. What if there really was an entire wing nobody could find? What secrets would be found there?
I shook my head to clear it. I needed to focus. This wasn’t a ghost hunt. There was a lone female jaguar shifter who didn’t realize how much danger she was in. And I was the only one who could help her.
Closing my eyes, I listened. Muffled conversation sounded down the hallway in both directions. I sniffed the air. The jaguar scent was impossible to miss with so many having checked in. It irritated my nose since they weren’t from my family.
I followed that odor to the left, and it grew stronger. The conversation grew louder. I pressed my ear against each door I passed. None of them appeared to be jaguars. Most of them were talking about a visitor’s day on campus.
The perfect cover for the jaguars.
A door opened down the hall, and two male voices sounded. I pressed myself against the wall, not that it would hide me if they came my way. The jaguar scent grew stronger with them in the hallway.
The two guys hurried down the other direction in swim shorts, laughing and shoving each other. They would definitely pass as college hopefuls. No wonder the shifters had brought them.
I waited for them to get far enough ahead that they wouldn’t sense me behind them before I crept down the hallway. As I went, I continued listening in each room to see if there were other shifters.
Most were there for the college, and few others were there for different reasons. None of them were jaguar shifters or any other kind of supernatural creature.
I glanced back to see if Alex and Bobby were behind me. They weren’t in sight, but I picked up a trace of their scents. At least they were hiding well.
As I pressed my ear against the next door, I froze.
“…told you this place was the one. We all knew Kevin was hiding something from us. Not just a hotel, but a family with humans.”
“No wonder he fled, but he paid the price. Nobody leaves and lives. We always find them.”
Laughter roared.
A chill ran down my back. Were they planning on killing Katya?
“Well, at least we found out about Kevin’s daughter before marrying off Cole. Now he’ll get a princess.”
“He’s got his work cut out for him. That girl doesn’t seem to have a clue she’s a shifter. Women these days are so rebellious. She’s going to have to be broken before she learns her place.”
Anger burned in my gut. Sure, I’d suspected their motives, but hearing the confirmation shook me in a way I hadn’t anticipated. They had no right stealing her from her life and forcing her to live as a traditional jaguar shifter.
I continued listening, hoping they’d spill their strategy, but the conversation moved on to something else, and then they turned on the TV and stopped talking.
My mind raced. With an entire family of jaguar shifters ready to abduct her, I might have to bring in my entire pack and maybe some other supernaturals. We needed to work together to protect Katya. I couldn’t do this on my own.
I bolted down the hall to Bobby and Alex. After filling them in on what I’d heard, I told them to call Toby. “See what he thinks. Should we call in the witches, or maybe see what Tap knows? Actually, one of you should call Tap while the other calls Toby. We don’t have time to waste.”
They agreed and raced back to our room. I hurried down the hall, eager to find the guys in swimsuits. One of them was likely the guy who thought he was going to marry Katya—then break her.
Not if I had a say in the matter. And with Toby and Tap’s resources, the arrogant shifters didn’t stand a chance.
I sniffed the air and followed the trail to the jaguar shifters. Interestingly, it led away from the pool.
My skin crawled once I figured that out. What exactly did they have in mind? Were they going to try and take Katya already? Or did they have other plans? Why the swim shorts?
I hated having a ton of questions and no answers.
Their odor led me to the end of the hall, which was roped off. A giant sign warned, ‘No Entry. Employees Only.’
Yet the jaguar scent was strong down that way.
I glanced around for any people or cameras, but saw neither. Not that it mattered. If Katya was in danger, I’d risk the wrath of the hotel management.
Ducking under the rope, I sniffed the air again. The scent went to the left. Chills ran down my back as I tiptoed down the dusty hallway. Old framed paintings hung crooked, many covered in cobwebs. Paint peeled and the walls were cracked in several places. The carpet was worn down in places and had plenty of brown stains.
The only thing that made the hallway feel like part of the rest of the hotel was that it had doors spaced apart like the rest. Otherwise, it felt as though I was in a completely different building.
I refocused as the jaguar scent grew stronger. And mixed with a feminine aroma.
Did they already have her?
Without thinking, I burst into a run. The creepy hallway passed in a blur as I allowed myself to go faster than a human could.
I skidded to a stop just as the three of them came into view. They hadn’t seen me, and I darted behind a dusty fake potted tree.
Katya was arguing with them, but they stood at an arm’s length. They weren’t forcing her to go with them. Yet.
I calmed my breathing and listened, trying to make out what they said. It was hard to tell from the distance.
“You… need the… don’t understand…”
She responded with a harsh tone, though I couldn’t understand a single word.
One of them grabbed her arm. She yanked it back, but he held on.
Such fury ripped through me that I almost shifted right there. It took me a minute to stop that process from starting. By that time, the guy had pinned Katya to the wall, close enough to kiss her.
I fought the shift as I ran right toward the three of them.
“Let go of her!”
They all turned, shock covering their faces. The guy restraining Katya didn’t let go.
I punched him across his smug face. “The lady doesn’t want you doing that.”
“Who are you?” demanded the other guy.
“Your worst nightmare if you don’t get out of here right now.” I glowered at him, ready to fight the both of them if need be.
“Oh yeah?”
He hit me across the jaw.
Katya cried out.
Everything turned into a blur of fists, elbows, and blows. I tried to restrain myself in order not to freak out Katya, who knew nothing of the supernatural world. But the other two weren’t holding back.
I let loose and pummeled them both with all my fury. One of them flew back into the wall, blood gushing from his nose. The other jumped on me, knocking us both to the ground. Before I knew it, they were both pounding on me.
Katya yelled out and pulled on one of the guys, trying to get him off me. He swung at her, but that only made her fight all the harder. He turned his attention from me to her and shoved her against the wall.
More anger surged through me. I pushed the one fighting me then kicked him in the crotch, then the knees. He doubled over and stumbled. I grabbed him by the throat and squeezed as hard as I could. He fought against me, but couldn’t remove my hands from him.
I shoved him against his friend, pushing him away from Katya. “You two need to leave her alone. Don’t ever let me see you near her again.”
The one gasped for air and glared at me. His friend lunged at me. I hit him across the jaw. Blood spurted from his nose, spraying onto my face.
“Leave her alone,” I repeated.
He wiped his nose. “You can’t watch her every second.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
We stared each other down until they finally left.