Shea and Savannah were close
friends and often visited each other, but even their homes were miles apart. Jacques had built a very elegant house almost into the mountain itself, so even from the air, it was impossible to see.
The cat lifted its head and scented the air several times. She is searching for a particular scent.
What is it? Byron could feel the urgent compulsion in the cat, but he couldn't find the thread driving it.
Antonietta didn't answer him right away, and when she did it was with some reluctance. She is hunting prey.
The female jaguar pushed off with her hind feet and sprang up onto a fallen log, pausing for a moment to look toward the mountain:, toward Gregori's home, and then turned her head in the direction of the other house.
Deep inside the body of the jaguar, Antonietta gasped. Byron! Did you feel that surge? The eagerness?
What is she after?
The baby. She's after Shea's baby. That means Darius's leopards are being pushed to attack Shea. Whoever it is doesn't know about me. The compulsion is directed at the cats.
Byron reached out on the private link he shared with his childhood friend. Jacques. Hear me now. He shared the information, the feelings Antonietta was experiencing as well as their fears. We have to give this information to all Carpathians, but once we do, Shea will hear. Do you need time to break it to her gently?
Byron hated to add to the couple's stress level. Both were terrified of the upcoming birth -and rightly so. Now they had to worry about an enemy who could manipulate animals and was doing so with the specific intent of harming their child.
Spread the word, Byron. We must find this enemy before Shea gives birth. I fear it will be this night. There was a small silence, and then Jacques sighed. She is already fighting it, wanting to keep our son safe inside the womb.
You are certain it is a boy?
Yes. I have a son. He is strong and wants to come out into the world, but Shea has been holding him back. Knowing an enemy has specifically targeted our child makes it more difficult.
She has my protection as well. I stand by your side, ready to fight.
We thank you, my old friend. There was weariness in Jacques's voice. Please thank
Antonietta. It must have been difficult for her to get her cat to reveal this information. Without her effort we would not know an enemy is about to strike. Shea sends her thanks as well.
Byron shared the response with his lifemate as they both exerted pressure on the jaguar to turn back toward home. Immediately, the warning went out to all Carpathians on their common path of communication, and he felt a surge of pride in Antonietta.
The female snarled, resisting the order. Byron moved in closer, and at once Antonietta responded, catching his thought. There were much more pleasant ways to distract the cat than fighting it. Byron quickly shifted forms. The male jaguar shouldered the female, rubbing his chin along her back, and the female sprang away from him, throwing an enticing look over her shoulder. They raced back to the house, heat overcoming the need for prey.
By the time they shifted back to their own forms, their arms were wound tightly around one another, mouths welded together, and his hands were deftly pulling the intricate weave from her hair.
Chapter 11
Juliette De La Cruz paced restlessly back and forth across the kitchen tiles. Her body felt too tight for her own skin. It was impossible to control her mind as it flipped channels, a chaotic whirl from subject to subject. She couldn't seem to stay focused on anything at all- not even the fruit and melon salad she was making for tonight's celebration.
She missed her sister and cousin. This would be her first holiday without them. She'd invited them, but as always, they'd refused to have anything to do with the De La Cruz men. It wasn't as if she blamed them, but Juliette could have used their company. Outside the window, the snowflakes drifted, turning the world around her into a peaceful, quiet realm, but her body and mind were out of control.
It was hot. Too hot. She unbuttoned her blouse and tied the ends together in a knot beneath her generous breasts. She lifted the heavy fall of hair from her neck and paced around the small kitchen once again. If you don't come home soon, I'm going for a run.