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A strange fog cloaked the entire side of the mountain, mixing with the steady downpour of rain that fell in sheets between the thick stands of trees. The eagle soared just above the canopy with the jaguar following his lead until they were both swallowed whole.
Julian Castille rolled his shoulders in an effort to shed the blanket of nervous tension that slid across his dark skin.
The rains had come, finally, after teasing them for weeks and he relished the feel of it against his body.
“I hate this fucking jungle,” Ana cursed loudly.
They’d hooked up with Ana and Jaxon hours earlier, and even though it was dawn, the heavy mist that clung to everything around them provided sufficient cover for her. He’d been surprised to learn years ago that vampires didn’t sleep in coffins during the day. In fact they required little or no sleep. They just needed to avoid direct sunlight or they’d literally fry.
Jaxon was deep in conversation with Cracker, getting up to speed. He wiped the slick moisture from his face and turned from them to peer out into the dark, quiet jungle. He felt anxious, as if he was traveling the same route over and over again. Lately he’d been constantly on edge, as if waiting for something to happen. He just didn’t know what.
“You all right, GQ?”
Julian nodded to Declan. “Yeah, just feeling the need to finish this once and for all.” He studied the tall sorcerer, watching him as Declan observed the vampire. It was obvious to pretty much everyone but Ana how deep the sorcerer’s feelings ran.
“And you?” Julian asked.
Declan laughed, but the sound was harsh, empty. “Just fucking lovely.” He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll feel a whole lot better when I get my hands wrapped around Cormac’s slimy neck.”
Julian remained silent, watching a muscle work its way across the tight skin of Declan’s jaw. Declan carried the sins of his father close to his heart and it was a weight that was tearing at him every day. Julian felt a certain kinship with him.
His father, while not the maniacal monster that Cormac was, was still a bastard nonetheless.
Sadly, no one could choose who their parents would be.
“The fucker has all but disappeared into thin air, and he’s got the entire jungle crawling with badasses from across the globe and beyond.”
Declan turned to Julian, his face hard, dark with the cold fury that lived inside of him. “I will track him down one day and when I do—”
His words were cut off as Jaxon shouted an alert. It was quick, precise.
Immediately all five of them went into battle mode and an unearthly quiet settled over Julian. He felt his pulse begin to race as his body shot adrenaline deep into his veins, goading the animal that lay underneath, teasing it with the hint of violence.
He clenched his teeth and held on, something he was finding harder and harder to do lately. Truthfully, he’d only just begun to understand Jagger’s need to live as a jaguar for the past three months.
It was something that ate at him constantly and the longer he’d been in the jungle, the more animalistic he’d become. He’d evolved and was still on the fence about whether or not the change was good.
When this was all over, he wasn’t so sure corporate America was ready to deal with the new Julian Castille. If they thought the old version was a cold, selfish bastard, then the new version was the devil himself.
Jaxon fisted his arm and they all fell into the shadows that bordered the area they were in.
His brother signaled to the left and Julian felt the burn of his animal yet again. He clenched his fists at his side, pushing the tremors back until he was able to focus. The thought of a fight was enough to send him over the edge.
He enjoyed it way too much.
His mind emptied and he concentrated on the shadows that flickered amongst the fog and rain that had laid claim to the jungle overnight. Carefully he scanned the area as he inhaled the myriad of scents in the air.
Something was there and it tingled along the edge of his mind. He turned to Jaxon in surprise.
But there was no need of words. The relief and anger on his brother’s face was enough.
A large black jaguar slipped through the underbrush and came to a halt several feet away. Its eyes glowed green.
Jagger had found them. And he wasn’t alone.
The animal paused, turned its head to the sky and Julian followed its gaze, watching as a large eagle swooped in, its great wings cutting through the air and sheets of water in silence. As the raptor approached he felt a sliver of unease.
There was dark energy here. He turned back to his brother Jagger, watching the large predator as it began to walk toward them, mist crawling along its black pelt as the magick took hold.
