Part 5 (2/2)

”No need to be,” he responded. He did not release her instantly, and she found herself hesitating, trying not to stare into black eyes that at the moment were frighteningly intense. ”It's not an unpleasant way to wake up.”

Maybe not to him, her mind argued bitterly. He was the owner, not the slave. The choices were his.

He let her go and she stood hastily; Jaguar followed more slowly, but as she stepped out of the grove and into the open starlight he caught her arm.

Her mind kept flas.h.i.+ng snippets of memory as she tried to deal with the present. Lord Daryl had mostly treated her as a disobedient pet. More than once she had fallen asleep-usually still bruised and aching from the last beating-with her head resting on his knee as he worked on some carving, and woken curled in his arms like a child's favorite toy.

”Audra, there's no need to be frightened.”

Only when he said it did she realize she was frightened, enough that she could feel her heartbeat in her temples and wrists, fast with nervousness. Jaguar and Lord Daryl were nothing alike; she repeated the words in her mind over and over.

The fact that he was a vampire did not scare her; she had hunted enough vampires over two years that they no longer forced terror into her mind.

The fact that she had let her guard down, forgotten even so briefly what Jaguar was, that frightened her. The fact that she actually found him likeable, with a sense of humor and compa.s.sion, that terrified her.

She might need to kill him; she did not want to start thinking about how human he seemed.

”What are you afraid of?” Jaguar asked, as she yanked her arm out of his grip. ”You had no fear in you until this instant.”

She ignored him, picking her way carefully around stones in the darkness and trying to remember which wall the door was on.

”You've bared your throat to me, Audra. You aren't afraid of what I am,” he stated. ”What else is there?”

She turned back to face him, wis.h.i.+ng she could simply sink into the wall she leaned against. ”I can't explain.” ”Why not?” he asked, and though his voice was gentle she could tell he was not going to let her worm her way out of this easily.

”Who is stopping you? I'm your only master here, and I'm not going to hurt you for anything you say.”

He stepped toward her, and Turquoise flinched as he planted one hand on the wall to each side of her shoulders. ”What are you afraid of?” he asked softly. ”Are you afraid I'll recognize that you're pretending to be a slave when you have as much free will as I do? Or are you afraid I'll recognize these . . . ?” With fingertips that barely grazed her skin, he traced the scars on her right arm, finally settling on the ring around her wrist. ”And that I'll know whose weapon made this mark?”

Her throat was choked around the knot that must have been her heart, which jumped from her chest at the mere suggestion of Lord Daryl.

”Afraid I'll remember stories I've heard, the ranting complaints of one of my a.s.sociates? Pretty, but very disobedient, he said.

And strong-but of course he would call her strong, since he couldn't seem to tame her. She had a natural resistance; he couldn't get into her thoughts, and didn't know any other way to break her. He called her Catherine.”

The silence after he finished speaking seemed to last forever.

She jumped when he reached for her again, but all he did was brush a lock of hair out of her face. Jaguar 's proximity was awakening more than her hunter's instincts.

”I'm not going to hurt you,” Jaguar repeated. He lowered his lips to her throat, and she relaxed in the familiar position. ”What is it that terrifies you not of this . . .” She felt the sharpness of fangs against her throat, not pressing quite hard enough to pierce the skin. ”. . . but of this?”

He kissed her.

He kissed slowly, unhurried, as if he could stay all day and not miss a beat. At the same time he was demanding, deepening the kiss before she knew what was going on. Gentle he was not, but the aggressive edge of his kisses was like the sweet rush of adrenaline so dear to a fighter.

Of course, he had a few hundred years of practice, and Turquoise had very little to compare him to-human boyfriends, mostly, and all of those a long time ago. And Lord Daryl.

The last thought made her jump. Jaguar 's kiss had none of the violence of Lord Daryl 's, but the undertone of possessive dominance was the same, and that made Turquoise recoil the instant she recognized it. She pulled back, slamming her back against the stone wall as she pushed Jaguar away.

”Audra-”

”Jaguar, let go of me.”

He hesitated. ”Audra-” he began again, and again she interrupted, ”Let go of me.”

He released her so suddenly she had to bite back a gasp. ”I'm sorry.”

Turquoise saw the newcomer enter the courtyard before Jaguar did. The vampiress glanced at Turquoise for a brief moment before turning her gaze to Jaguar. She caught him by the shoulders and whispered, ”How touching, kitten. It seems you've made a new friend.”

Jaguar spun around in a movement too fast for Turquoise's human eyes to follow, recoiling from the vampiress behind him.

”Jes.h.i.+ckah.” The name fell off his lips as a mixture of greeting and fear.

”Are you enjoying your new pet, little cat?” Jes.h.i.+ckah purred, inclining her head toward Turquoise. Turquoise's hand itched to reach for a knife-if only she had one-the instant those black eyes fell on her. At the same time, Turquoise heard Jaguar's silent voice. Kneel. She cringed at the invasive feel of his command in her head.

Jaguar's expression did not change, but his voice was desperate as he added quickly, Don't fight me now, Audra. Not unless you want her to hurt you.

The sensation was like sandpaper sc.r.a.ping down her throat as she swallowed her pride and went down to one knee, lowering her gaze so ”Mistress” Jes.h.i.+ckah would not see the blatant hatred there. She had been prepared for moments of subservience, but that didn't make her enjoy them.

To Jes.h.i.+ckah's question, Jaguar answered aloud, ”Audra has been keeping me entertained.”

”She's not very well trained,” Jes.h.i.+ckah observed.

Jaguar shrugged. ”She's adequate, and I don't have time to work with her.”

”Adequate?” Jes.h.i.+ckah's voice sounded amused.

”Do you need something?” Turquoise marveled at how perfectly cool his voice was, after he had been so obviously frightened by her sudden arrival. ”You aren't supposed to be here.”

”Do I need your permission to enter?” Jes.h.i.+ckah's voice had picked up a dangerous tone, but it was light again when she added, ”Besides, I would have hated to miss such a touching little scene with the girl.”

Turquoise wondered how much Jes.h.i.+ckah had seen. She also wanted to know when she could stand up; her neck was getting a crick in it.

”As for what I need,” Jes.h.i.+ckah continued, ”we were supposed to have a meeting several hours ago that you neglected to attend.”

”I told you I had other obligations,” Jaguar answered. Of course, the fact that he was blatantly lying showed his disregard. He had done nothing all day, unless Turquoise had slept through it.

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