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When Dr. Shay McCormick died, there was no white light, no loved one to comfort her. There was a half-man, half-jaguar there to greet her. He's a decedent of the nagual, a spirit guide. It isn't her time and he leads her to safety. Shay wants proof shapeshifters exist. Her curiosity leads her into a world of danger and to Gabriel Cruzado. Fate threw them together, but despite their differences, they work together, eliminating a threat to their future. Destined to be lovers long before he touched her soul and she saved his life. Customer Ratings:
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Excerpt:
Chapter One
Demetrius Cruzado loosened his tie as he thought about his visit earlier today from Antonio Vertiz.
Vertiz ran the local pub in town where most of the preternatural beings hung out. He asked Demetrius to look into the disappearance of his son, Tony, a sixteen year-old werejaguar, who went missing two months ago. Demetrius practiced law, he didn’t run a detective agency. Because Vertiz and his father went way back, he made a few calls. To his chagrin, he discovered a rash of missing person reports had been filed in the Los Angeles region alone. At first the cops assumed the gangs were retaliating against each other, but now the faction targeted teenage weres—good kids with no history of trouble.
A few years back, his cousin at the San Francisco PD told him they experienced a similar problem. The police ferreted out a cult—humans whose motto stated: eliminate shapeshifters from existence. Demetrius knew it had been too quiet.
Before he left the office, he put out a bulletin alerting the nearby were community to watch for suspicious behavior. How he detested humans who acted out of fear and not facts. Weres in general didn’t threaten mankind. Sure, an occasional rouge shapeshifter reared his ugly head, but statistically speaking, humans murdered in greater numbers.
Demetrius headed down the long hall of the family estate glancing at the portraits Gabriel had painted of jaguars, large, strong and determined. Demetrius had to admit his brother’s talent surpassed the conventional in the way he blended the colors triggering the painting to life. At first glance, one would only see the scenery until the optical illusion revealed the animal, as if it could leap from the foliage.
Gabriel finished a painting yesterday for the preserve’s auction. Demetrius hoped his brother remembered to deliver it. With Gabriel’s change nearing its peak, he’d been unpredictable.
Demetrius opened the mahogany wood door to the study, flipping on the lights as he walked in. He dropped his briefcase by his recliner before heading to the sidebar to pour himself a glass of wine. He sipped, the dark liquid held the aroma of mint and black currant. He let the silky texture linger in his mouth before he swallowed. “Aah, exactly what I needed.”
He intended to indulge again, but a sound pricked his ears. His face tightened, his adrenaline level spiked as he scanned the room for the intruder. Spotting a whispery movement near his desk, he placed his glass down, keeping his gaze locked on his prey. He moved with swiftness born to his kind and lunged. He grabbed the intruder by the scuff of his shirt and hauled him up, eager to do damage.
“Holy …” Demetrius bit back a curse. “Gabriel, what are you doing? I almost drove my fists into your skull.” Demetrius let go of his brother, shoving him aside.
Gabriel slumped forward.
“What in the world.” Demetrius’ hand snaked out once more and steadied him. He pulled out the desk chair, letting his brother fall into the seat. “What’s happened to you? Are you hurt?” He scanned for injuries.
“I’m spent,” Gabriel rasped out, his massive shoulders heaving with each breath he took.
Demetrius took in his brother’s appearance and frowned. T-shirt halfway tucked into his jeans; his thick dark hair matted to his head, while trickles of sweat dripped down his face; and his normally bronzed skin appeared pasty and blotchy. Demetrius’ eyes narrowed to slits as he realized what caused his brother’s rapid deterioration. “You channeled, didn’t you?”
Gabriel met his gaze. “I had to. A lost soul wandered between life and death. I couldn’t ignore the plea.”
“You know it’s too risky for you right now. It’s near your time. You could have been lost.”
“Better me than the woman I guided back.”
Demetrius’ right eyebrow rose. “A woman? Your grandness of honor staggers me.”
Gabriel breathed an exaggerated sigh. “How do you live with yourself, Demetrius? How do you pretend the souls aren’t out there? We’re the decedent of the nagual. The Jaguar is our brother and we are one.”
“I accept we are shapeshifters. No, correction.” His voice had risen. “I embrace it, but I do not risk my life to save a human who would rather see us dead. I will do business with them, I will live among them, but I will not risk my neck by playing hero in the astral plane.” His cold eyes sniped at him.
“You need a human to mate,” he reminded his brother.
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