Heart of the Jaguar. Katie Reus

      Chapter 1

      Cindy Shahi gently nudged her best friend Israel as his sister and her new mate said their “I do’s” in front of the crowd of about one hundred shifters and humans. Technically Gabriela and Owen, Alpha of the local wolf pack, were already mated but they’d decided to get married too. “How does it feel to have your sister married?” Cindy whispered, already guessing from the scowl on his face.

      Israel just snarled under his breath and she bit back a grin. Considering Israel had recently mated with Owen’s younger sister, he didn’t have much of a reason to get angry. Still, it was his prerogative as an older brother, she supposed. They’d been best friends since college and even though Cindy didn’t belong to his family’s jaguar pride, they’d treated her like family from the moment she’d moved to Bear Mountain, Montana.

      Ignoring her friend’s additional grunt of annoyance as the couple turned and looked at the crowd, smiles on their faces, Cindy couldn’t contain her own smile. They looked so perfect together, and she was glad they’d both found such evident happiness. She didn’t know Owen well, but he’d always seemed so reserved, as if he was holding part of himself back from the world. Even his own pack. But not anymore. Not with a new mate by his side.

      The wedding ceremony had been very informal and had been held under the stars on Owen’s pack’s land. Twinkle lights and lanterns were strung up above them between the trees, creating an extra bit of sparkle. Everyone was dressed casually, some more than others. May in Montana was still pretty cold so it was mid-fifties at the moment, but with her shifter blood she’d worn only a loose sweater over her long, flapper-inspired vintage dress.

      There was a portable dance floor set up, a full bar and a section of rounded tables that most people wouldn’t be sitting at. She knew how the wolves were and they liked to party given the chance. Even now as the newly mated couple greeted their guests, the music had started and shifters and humans alike were moving onto the dance floor or heading toward the bar.

      “When can I expect you to settle down and give me cubs?” Patricia, Israel’s mother and basically a second mother to Cindy, appeared out of nowhere and threw an arm around Cindy’s shoulders.

      “Ah...” She looked to her friend for help, but Israel just smirked and headed off toward his sister and Owen. Glancing up at Patricia, who was half a foot taller than she was, she forced a smile. She loved the woman, but she was tired of questions about when she’d be settling down. She loved her job and quiet life and wasn’t looking for anything serious. “I could go for a glass of wine. How about you?”

      Patricia’s eyes narrowed at the clear deflection, but before she could respond, her husband was there, whisking her away onto the dance floor and saving Cindy. Just as quickly Axel, Israel’s twenty-four-year-old brother, grabbed Cindy’s hand.

      “Come on. Let me push you around the dance floor. We’ll show these wolves that jaguars have better moves.” Axel looked so much like his sister with the same honey-brown hair and dark eyes, there was no doubt they were related. He was much easier going though, with a quick smile for everyone.

      Falling into his loose embrace, she let him pull her onto the wooden platform under a cluster of white lights. Normally she needed a glass of wine or two before she loosened up enough to dance, but the energy in the air was exhilarating. Everyone was in a good mood tonight. Israel’s new mate had just given birth and now there was this new mating, basically joining the small jaguar pride and big wolf pack in Bear Mountain. After the string of attacks months ago that had pitted the two groups against one another, all this harmony was a beautiful thing.

      She danced with Axel for a few songs, and before she could think about grabbing a drink or resting her feet, one of the wolves pulled her in for another dance. At least all this dancing would keep Patricia off her back about settling down.

      Because that was the last thing on her mind. Now, sex was another thing entirely. It had been two long years since she’d been with anyone, and she was about to lose her mind. She’d had plenty of offers from humans in town and even some wolf shifters, but wolves tended to get territorial and that wasn’t something she wanted to deal with. She wished she could meet someone just passing through and have hours and hours of hot, sweaty sex. She wasn’t in heat, but she desperately missed the physical pleasure of sex. As part jaguar, she was animalistic in nature and she’d been denying that part of herself for far too long. Unfortunately she knew meeting someone who wasn’t part of Owen’s pack or the town wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon.

      * * *

      Elias took a sip of his beer, watching the humans, jaguar shifters and his own kind—wolves—move across the dance floor, everyone clearly having a good time. Leaning against a big oak tree that was just starting to get back some of its leaves in time for a late spring, he felt more than heard the approach from behind.

      “Why aren’t you out there?” Owen asked, his voice quiet as he came to stand next to him.

      Elias snorted. “I should be asking you that.”

      With a beer of his own, the tall Alpha shrugged. “Gabriela’s dancing with her father and I don’t dance.”

      “You’ll be dancing soon.” It was clear Owen would do any damn thing his new mate wanted.

      Owen chuckled softly. “You’re probably right. So...you staying?”

      Elias understood that he didn’t mean for the night or even the week. Owen wanted to know if he’d be sticking around on a permanent basis. They’d been in the army together years ago, but Owen had gotten out and taken over his pack when his father died. Elias had stayed in another four years until he blew his knee out. Well, shattered it, and it hadn’t healed properly. For a shifter to sustain that kind of damage was rare. But he’d jumped out of a low-flying plane and his chute hadn’t opened up when it was supposed to. If he’d been human, he’d have died from the brutal impact. And because he’d been with a team of humans, he hadn’t been able to shift to his wolf form. If he had been,