Instinctive - By Cathryn Fox Page 0,31
him.
“You’re very libidinous, aren’t you? Unable to play well with other females, aloof at times. Not a fan of the canine. Never felt sated before until you slept with me . . .”
“Yeah, but—”
“You’re my mate, Jaclyn. I’m your alpha and you belong to me.”
“So what does that mean, I’m your subordinate?” she challenged.
“It means I’ll always protect you and take care of you.” He softened his voice. “It also means I belong to you.”
She swallowed as something inside her gave. She’d never really belonged to anyone before or had anyone belong to her. It gave her a weird sense of comfort.
“You have the mark of fire, Jaclyn.”
“You mean my birthmark?”
“It’s more than just a birthmark. It’s the mark of the panther. We’re all descendants of the courageous Indian maiden Tallie.”
“Tallie?”
“Native American legend says the Indian maiden had a vision of an injured panther. As if drawn by the animal, she traveled great lengths, putting herself in danger in an effort to rescue the wounded animal. When she found the panther, she wasn’t strong enough to carry it back to her grounds to care for it, so she stayed with it to provide warmth and give it food. That night she dreamed the panther had turned into a man and made love to her. Come morning she had gained the strength of the alpha and was able to bring it to safety and nurture it to good health. Tallie was then able to summon other panthers and, soon after, had taken on the animal characteristics herself.” His hand trailed down to the juncture between Jaclyn’s legs, to where her birthmark was hidden. “Tallie wore the mark of fire because she was as bright and beautiful as the blazing sun. The sun that gave us crops, sustenance, and life.”
Jaclyn became acutely aware of her birthmark, and the way it burned and itched whenever Slyck was near.
“I have the mark too.” He lifted his shirt and then his arm, showing her the same mark etched on his side. The only difference was that his had bright yellow flames, where hers had gone from pale to red-hot. As if he read her thoughts, he said, “It’s not a coincidence.”
Jaclyn got quiet, trying to sort through everything he’d just told her.
“You can’t mention this to anyone,” he said, his voice taking on a hard edge.
“I would think not,” she said. A trip to the hospital that Slyck had obviously escaped from was not on her list of things to do today.
“Because as the offspring of the rogue shifter, you’d be terminated.”
Okay, that totally got her attention. She gulped air. “Terminated?”
“Our town isn’t what you think it is. You see, you would automatically be killed, as per our rules, for fear that the offspring—you—would retain rebellious traits of the rogue parent and reveal our secret community.”
Her stomach knotted. What the hell had she gotten herself into? None of this could be true. She needed to go to the police to report this lunatic. But what if they were just as crazy as he was? She had to leave. To get the hell out of Dodge.
“You can’t leave, Jaclyn. Because we’ve mated, bonded in a way that you don’t yet understand. And like your mother, the panther in you will die without me, your true mate, at your side.”
She decided to humor him for another moment. “You mean mates die when they’re not together?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Then uncomplicate it for me.”
“Like Tallie, females can gain strength from their alpha. The longer mates are together, the stronger the female becomes, and upon prolonged separation, such as death, she can absorb his strength through their life bond and live on, should she so choose. But if the male dies, most females choose death, not wanting to live on without their partner.”
Jaclyn shook her head. “That’s one hell of a bond.”
“Yes, it is. And that bond empowers each mate. Someday you’ll understand.”
“Like my mother understood?”
Slyck pitched his voice low. “Jaclyn, your mother probably didn’t understand any of this. And she wouldn’t have chosen death over her daughter. She just hadn’t been together with your father long enough to have gained his strength to live on without him.”
Jaclyn gave a heavy sigh. “Why are you telling me this, Slyck?”
“To protect you.”
“So you’re telling me I’m a shape-shifting panther, and you’re my mate, and if anyone in the town finds out what I am, they will kill me, and I can’t leave because my panther will die?”
“Yes.”
Her entire body stiffened. “That’s some pretty