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CHAPTERTWENTY
Rev swam to the opposite shore, knowing the terrain would provide slightly higher ground and offer a better path to run on. As soon as he reached the shore, he picked up the scent and tracks of three jaguar shifters.
They haven’t shifted yet. They aren’t in a hurry. So, she is still safe.He moved quickly, only stopping when he noticed the tracks changed from human to cat.
Damn it! They shifted. They must have seen Sam’s boat and are keeping up with it. I have to get to those jaguars before they reach them.
Guided by the jaguars’ scent, he broke into a full run. Leaping over fallen trees and other obstacles, he raced until the swamp seemed to swallow up any semblance of solid ground. At that point, he resorted to swimming through the deep channel.
Ahead, he spotted a clump of trees and tall grass. He knew he was close to the island he’d noticed on the map.
Something blue stood out against the dark greens and brown colors of swap. Drawn to it, his heart pounded when he realized it was a man in a blue shirt lying face down on the shore. Seeing the man’s gray hair, he knew immediately who it was.
Shifting back into human form, he rolled the man over. “Sam! Sam!”
Obviously suffering from a concussion and deep claw marks, Sam groaned. But he would survive.
“Sam. What happened?”
“Attacked. Three big cats. Jaguars, I think. I shot one of them before they took me out.” He quickly looked around, panicking. “Hallie! My God! Where is she?”
“I don’t know how long you were out, but she’s not here. There are other human tracks; she must have left with them,” Rev said, lying about the fact that the jaguars were shifters.
“Other people? Who?” He rubbed his head. “Damn it. She told me about men she spotted out here. I think they’re criminals of some kind. They must have heard the gunshot.”
“Well, they took your boat.”
“Where’s yours, Rev? How’d you get back here? And why in the hell are you naked?”
Shit. Same didn’t know about shifters, as far as Rev knew.
“I-uh … swam out here and didn’t want my clothes slowing me down.” He quickly changed the subject. “I’ve got to find Hallie. And you’re going to stay here until I can come back for you. Can you climb up into that shack and hide up there?”
“With a little help,” Sam said, struggling to stand.
Rev wrapped Sam’s arm around his shoulder and helped him to the shed. After setting up the ladder, he watched as Sam carefully made his way inside. Noticing some of Hallie’s things had fallen from her bag, including bottles of water, he handed it up.
“Just sit tight, stay quiet and out of sight. I promise I’ll come back for you as soon as possible,” Rev said.
As soon as he was out of Sam’s sight, Rev shifted back into a tiger, knowing he’d be able to traverse the land much faster on four paws instead of two feet.
Rev grew anxious by scanning the bayou, listening for any sounds, and sniffing the air. Now that the jaguars had shifted into men and had taken Hallie by boat, there wouldn’t be tracks or a scent trail. Rev knew the odds of finding Hallie had dropped significantly. His only hope would be to cover as much territory as possible and locate Sam’s boat.
The best way to find a boat is in the water.
Slipping into the bayou, he swam cautiously and carefully looked for any sign. His determination to find her was more than enough to keep him from tiring. But it was more than determination. It was a realization. A realization that Hallie meant everything to him, that she was destined to be the one who made him whole. She was his mate. And to hell with his fears that their meeting was some prearranged setup and the fact that his family wouldn’t accept her as his mate. If they wanted to be a part of his life, they would deal with his human mate.
But a human mate? Is that even possible? Would it matter? Maybe it would matter for her, especially after being traumatized by jaguar shifters. How would she see me? As another monster?
Fear crept into him as he acknowledged he’d have to find her alive first.
I will find her! And when I do, I will make each of those jaguars pay with their worthless fucking lives.
Reenergized, he hunted with a fury.
There!
He spotted Sam’s boat tied up to a rickety wooden dock along with two other boats. The presence of multiple boats meant there were likely numerous jaguars living someplace nearby. He slowly swam toward a shadowy area about a hundred yards from the dock. He crept onto the shore with the utmost stealth and moved into the dark woods.
Finally, picking up traces of different scents, he learned at least six different jaguars had been active in the area. Once he located a well-used trail, he picked up Hallie’s scent. A fresh dose of adrenaline pumped through his body, but his tiger’s instincts managed to keep him focused on the hunt.
With this many jaguars, it must mean they have a settlement of some kind back here. Now I need to find it before they spot me.
In the distance, he picked up faint voices. Crouching, he moved away from the trail and crept forward under the cover of the brush until he saw a clearing. There were five cabins which weren’t much more than dilapidated shacks. Two jaguars paced the perimeter, standing guard. All the others appeared to be in human form.
Concentrating on the various crosstalk, he successfully isolated Hallie’s voice. He didn’t know what she was saying, but her tone was strong and defiant. That is a good sign.
All he needed was a plan and a few prayers that he could get her out of there in one piece.
