The Jaguar’s Arranged Mate

“Geez, you really thought of everything.”

“I had to. Miera’s smart. She was never easy to trick. Playing pranks on each other was something we always did growing up. That one was my prized one.” Matthias beamed.

“So she plays jokes and is smart. What else?”

“If she trusts you, she’ll do anything for you, but if you break that trust, you’re screwed. That girl can hold a grudge forever.”

“She doesn’t have one against you,” Beric pointed out.

“Only because we’re siblings. Otherwise, she would’ve killed me for half the pranks I’ve pulled.” Matthias’s features turned suddenly serious. “Man, whatever you do, don’t make her have a grudge against you. She’ll make your life a living hell.”

“For however long that life might be,” Beric said bitterly.

“It’s a long shot, this union. It might only give us a month or two longer to live than if we remained separate. Or we might be able to make a strong enough stand that they move on to weaker prey. It’s hard to say how the Brutal Claws will react.” Matthias shrugged.

Beric doubted the Brutal Claws would be willing to just move on. “You worried?”

“Am I afraid to die?” His future brother-in-law shrugged again. “I don’t know. Don’t want to find out though. I’ll rather the Brutal Claws bother someone else.”

“They’ll never pick on a pack large enough to challenge them, so we’ll just have to do it ourselves.”

“Outnumbered three to one? You want to take them on?” Matthias stared at him as if Beric had three heads. “That’s insane. Does Miera know what you’re planning?”

“I’m not planning anything. It was just something I’m considering. Something I haven’t even talked to my father about.”

“It will have to be brought forward to the council, too.”

“I know that.” Beric took a deep breath. Convincing the alphas, and Miera, might not be easy as it was. Add in the other council members—just how many were there?—would make it that much harder. “Who all is in the council?”

Before Matthias could answer, Beric held up his hand. Something didn’t seem right. The air was too still. The birds that had been chirping as they were walking and talking had stopped. They hadn’t reached far enough away from the Teal Warriors’ compound for them to be worried about being near any potential enemy scouts. The nearest one had been uncovered another mile out yet.

Matthias was nodding to Beric. He sensed it, too. There was nothing to hear or see. Beric inhaled deeply. Faintly, beneath the scents of the forest and the woodland animals, he could smell musk and body odor, a dusty almost sooty smell that made Beric always think of cats.

Or a jaguar.

The animal or a were? And if a were, a friendly or a foe?

*

It had been a long time since Miera had least seen Beric, and while the wedding plans were going well—her best friend was a tremendous help with everything—she was feeling overwhelmed. The Brutal Claws were slinking around too much for comfort, and they would only hold back for so long. Had they done this with other packs? Sit and wait and watch? Maybe they only offered to include packs into their fold if they saw something in them. Well, they won’t see anything overtly violent from us… unless they start the battle first.

Plus, she wanted to get to know Beric more. Yes, they talked on the phone a few times, but that wasn’t the way to form a real relationship.

A real relationship. Was that what she wanted? What about Beric? What did he want? She had never really thought about marriage. Yes, she knew she would have to marry and that she most likely wouldn’t have a choice in who her mate would be, considering she would one day be alpha of the Blood Roses, but her father had never pressed her about it, even though she was going to be twenty-five in a few months.

On impulse, she drove to the Teal Warriors’ compound. The guard there, the same one she had spoken to the first time she arrived, stopped her at the gate. “If you’re here for Beric, he just left on a scouting expedition.”

“By himself?” She climbed out of her car, annoyed he hadn’t opened the gate wide enough for her to drive through.

“Ah…” Like he had the first time they had met, the guard seemed embarrassed. “With your brother actually.”

Her lips pursed. Why had Beric sought out her brother instead of her? She shouldn’t feel slighted. It was good that Beric formed friends with her pack. But she did feel hurt, distraught even, that they hadn’t thought to include her.

“Where did they leave from?” she demanded.

“From this vantage point. They headed in that direction.” He pointed. “Would you like for someone to accompany you?”

“How much of a head start do they have on me?”

“About ten minutes.”

She shook her head. “It shouldn’t take me long to catch up to them. I’ll be fine.”

“If you think that’s wise…” His uneasy tone clearly suggested he thought the opposite.

She didn’t care what he thought.

“Don’t worry about me.” In less than ten seconds, she held a gun pointed to his chest and a knife to his throat. She might not prefer to use guns or blades, but that didn’t meant she left them at home.

He blinked. “All right then.” The guard grinned. “Remind me not to upset you.”

She laughed and thought about tucking away her weapons but refrained. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

“Worse,” he muttered.

The guard was a wimp if he thought she was intimidating. That just wasn’t the Blood Roses’ way. They tried for diplomacy first, but as far as the Brutal Claws went, there was no point in even starting negotiations. They would slaughter everyone who showed up to the meeting. That had actually happened once, with the now defunct Stars and Moons pack.

She left her car parked outside the compound, not wanting to waste more time driving it inside. Beric and Matthias hadn’t even bothered to cover their tracks. Well, they didn’t really need to. The Brutal Claws knew how to reach the compound. The location had never been a secret. Still, it bothered her that she could so easily find them.

Which she did. She moved quickly, obviously faster than them as she crested a tall, forested hill to see Beric at the base.

Surrounded by two were-jaguars in their animal form.

A battle already underway.

Two… no, three, were-jaguars were already on the ground, not moving, either injured or dead.

And there… just a little to the right was her brother. Also not moving.

Miera gave a wild cry and pulled out her gun. Before she fired a shot, though, she realized the were-jaguars were wearing armor. She had never seen the likes of that before. The sight made her shudder. These weren’t merely spies then. These were warriors, killing machines.

She shifted easily into her were-jaguar and darted toward the nearest enemy. By this time, Beric had also changed form, and they worked together to bring down the first and then the second were-jaguar. Cooperating made the task easier, but she wouldn’t want to face one by herself. As it was, both she and Beric had wounds to show for their battle.

Once she was sure they were both dead, she rushed to her brother’s side. She nudged his head and whined.

Her brother didn’t move. Not at all. His chest didn’t rise or fall.

She threw back her head and roared with grief, anger, sadness, and fury. The Brutal Claws had killed him. They would pay dearly for that.