A Jaguar's Mate Ch. 01

This was meant to be my first submission but as it was being edited and I did not want to insult my editor by posting the raw version whilst she was working on it I posted Trusting Love. I am sorry for anyone who was expecting a second chapter to trusting love but I will try to post that in two days time.

Thank you to Sexybabybunz who edited this chapter and did a wonderful job on it. I credit her on the uninterrupted flow of the story from one paragraph to another and the much improved tense and grammar. thank you again.

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With the stillness of a statue he stood, immobile as if petrified. His eyes, though scarcely blinking, the only sign he was not a wax model. The intensity in their depths was inhuman, frightening, searing into anything foolish enough to gaze into them. He was in the shadows, his eyes eerily visible like those of a night predator. The shadows caressed his body, delineating the raw power of its muscular planes, sculpturing an exceptional beauty, one too unnatural that it was content with the night. Somehow he was clear to any who passed him; hollowed cheeks gave an impression of sternness which was accented by the cast of his firm full lips, despite their sensual aspect. His forehead was high and intelligent looking; his brows dark and slashed across it, a testament to decisiveness. A hard square jaw and aquiline nose completed a face of pure symmetry that only an artistic genius could fashion.

Anger radiated from him, raw, untamable rage pouring from every part of him. The clenched hands and jaw, the intent focus of his eyes that nevertheless saw nothing, a warning of danger any creature could recognize.

Thankfully, few passed through this late in the day, as this part of the park was now too dark. Upon seeing him, they scurried away, chilled by a touch of something beyond what they knew. Even the women who gave him an appreciative once over still hurried away.

He barely noticed, concentrating on the intoxicating scent that was the single thread to his sanity. It was a warm blanket upon the chaotic devastation his mind had long decayed into, the one tenuous grip shielding the innocent from the agonizing death he would deal. Violence churned in his soul, needing only the smallest of triggers to set it off. Everything annoyed him, the changes a few decades had wrought chaffed his corroded sensibilities, evoked wrath like the world had never seen. All he had left was the thought of her, the knowledge that she was out there in the world waiting for him to find her.

She passed here frequently, her scent stronger than anywhere else -- as fresh as that morning -- he noted. He would wait for her to come by, too weak to chase her down but unable to concentrate on anything else. This had to be the route she used to and from work and soon she would be coming by. His blood churned; need throbbing through him at the thought of burying himself inside her, claiming her after decades of being denied even her presence, sweet heat soothing the anguished memories whilst he repeatedly drove into her. A groan sounded low in his throat, more a growl, as his already hard body hardened even more.

Years without any warm human touch enflamed his desire beyond even the call her body held for him. With unsatisfactory images of her upon a screen he had had to suffice, a silhouette of her ambrosial body, charcoal gray eyes, luscious full lips, waist length hair -- he had a weakness for long hair -- and that smooth creamed coffee skin. The things he had imagined doing to her over the years!

Knowing his debilitating need for her, his captors had gone as far as to take a sweater that was soaked in her blood to his torture chamber. The man who had brought it casually announced her death as if she were no more than a dog. He had gone mad; complete insanity, raging and yanking against his chains, uncaring as they bit into his flesh.

For days he raged, until he remembered the scent of ice in the blood. They had collected it over the years just to break him. They had almost succeeded. That was when he had broken loose. He knew he was close to his breaking point and that he could not allow. Her life would be hell without him and that could never be allowed. Pretending anguish, he savored her scent, drawing strength as he let it wrap around his being to alleviate his broken spirit; until they saw through his ruse to his growing strength.

He would hurt her, regrettable but inevitable. The madness they had awakened in him he could barely suppress. A taste of her would bring him back to himself that was paramount; although he could not allow himself to hurt the innocent. Her scent was like wildflowers under the summer sun, with a feminine undertone that was unique to her.

She was near and alone. Anger rose in him at her idiocy even as it suited him. His kind were not the only predators in the night. Humans were much more dangerous in places like these, hunting for no other reason than immediate gratification. His kind did not hunt unless it was necessary and even then, they caused only minimum harm. She would never make that mistake again after he was done with her.

* * * * *

Fatigue cloaked her, aching her joints and back. She needed rest; a day of doing nothing more than preparing her meals or better yet ordering take-out. Thank goodness tomorrow was her day off and she could do just that.

She loved her new job, and would not trade it for anything but it could be very tiring. A pleasant kind of tiring though, causing a sweet ache to her muscles and filling her heart with the knowledge she had done a good job. Moving had been a good idea, she had to remember to thank Kev for talking her into it. A new start was exactly what she had needed and from the get go it had been utopic. Her co-workers were great to work with and as she had not replaced nor was in competition with anyone so there was no tension to make things difficult. She had fit in as if they had worked together for years and in the six months she had been there, her clientèle had steadily increased as word of her magic hands spread. She had a nice apartment at a bargain rental and had already saved more than she had ever thought. She was a far cry from the shell she had been when she moved here.

Speaking of Kev, he would not be happy with her walking the park at this time of night. No doubt he had already called a half dozen times and was now camped at her doorstep or coming to intercept her. It was comforting how protective he was, though he tended to be extreme at times.

Looking around at the dark tree lined part of the walkway she was now on, Aage suddenly wished she had called him. As a rule, she did not leave work so late but an important client had come in, the kind that would generate more up market clients, there had been no choice. Kev wouldn't have minded and she wouldn't have to face the danger she was certain she was in.

The hair at the back of her neck rose, a primal reaction to danger she always headed. Her instincts screamed for her to run despite that she knew it was futile. An inexplicable part of her recognized something in the air, a scent musky, dark and erotic, danger.

It triggered a wisp of memory that flittered away as if dismissed by her conscious mind back to her unconscious. Whatever she was about to meet aroused deep fears she had thought long gone. Fears darker than the recent ones she longed to escape, ones from a time when she had known only comfort and love, the ones her mind had suppressed to retain her sanity.

Unable to take another step, she stopped. Carefully so as not to court the danger she started to backtrack. That's when he appeared from behind the tree.

She froze. He was big, tall! At least six eight he towered over her five foot eleven. Muscles rippled on every plane of his body. Shoulders so broad that no burden could bow them flowed into an expansive chest which tapered into washboard abs, slender hips and ... oh!

He was completely naked!

An impressive, long, thick, erect shaft jutted out, so hard and ... and impressive! Her wide fearful eyes flew to his. She gasped.

It did not take a genius to figure out where this scene was headed. Her irreverent mind had the audacity to remind her of all the dumb heroines in horror movies who walked alone in the dark when people were being killed. She had always scoffed at them. Now she was the one caught in a stupid mistake and like them, unable to run. She had always wondered at that but now she knew; running was futile. Still, she would try.

His eyes were afire, all consuming, and steely with no hint that compassion had ever touched their depths. Like a python's scales they mesmerized her, the eyes of a ruthless predator who had found his prey!

Without giving her leave to obey her burning instincts, he was upon her, her intentions divined. His hand, strong tensile steel cut off her impulsive scream without utterance. Horrified she stared at the blood-covered manacle on his wrist, a thick chain falling from it. She felt the other one biting into her side where his immovable hand held her to him.

"Shhh Aage, I will not hurt you." He whispered a low inhuman growl that sent shivers down her spine.

Did he expect her to believe him? How did he know her name?

She kicked him.

He swore, savage and succinct. The arm around her waist tightened for an instant before her world spun and she lay in his arms, her legs dangling ineffectually. His arm locked her knees together preventing her from kicking out and the other held her upper body to his, her hands trapped to her sides.

Through her simple cotton blouse the heat from his masculine form seeped into her fright chilled body. He was like a furnace, his smooth skinned muscular strength declaring any of her efforts futile before she even attempted them.

Still, she did not intend to lie still whilst he kidnapped her. As his hand still covered her mouth her first effort was to bite him, but the strength of his hand made opening her mouth unfeasible. She attempted to kick out but her legs barely scissored; wiggling her middle did nothing to break his hold on her. She was helpless but had no intention of giving up, there was always a way out of even the most hopeless situation and hers was far from it. Sure she was alone in a dark park with a naked man bent on doing who knows what to her but she would be fine!

Okay, it looked bad!

With panicked vigor, she thrashed her body as much as she could; given the tight hold he had on her. She barely moved but she reasoned if she made it difficult for him to hold her she might have a chance. She refused to be raped!

"Aage calm down, I will not hurt you."

Yeah right, says the creepy naked guy manhandling her on an unlit part of a now deserted park. She might have been stupid enough to come through at this time of night but she had enough sense not to buy that.

Remembering what Kev had taught her about self-defense, she slumped against him trying to lure him into complacency while awaiting her chance to escape. Her heart hammered against her breast, fear churning through her veins, but she was not going to let it dictate the outcome. She knew that in situations like this fear often helped the aggressor and no way was she ever going to give someone else power over her again.

"Police freeze!" an authoritative voice ordered.

He froze, turned slightly to glance over his shoulder, affording her one too.

Two burly officers stood a few feet behind them guns drawn, their demeanor uncompromising. As brawny as they were, they were as nothing compared to the man who held her. Still they were armed and unless he was an android, he was unarmed. This was her chance, heart soaring she resumed her struggles with more strength, she shouted behind his hand though it did not carry far.

"Put her down!" the same cop ordered his voice inflexible.

They had guns, at last she was saved! Never again would she cut through the park, not even during the day and a car, she would deposit one first thing tomorrow regardless of the cost. No more stupid mistakes, life was too precious.

But her hope was premature. Instead of putting her down he ran.

Shots rang behind them. She screamed in her throat, and then sheltered against him.

Bullets whizzed past and she made herself smaller, curling against the body she had been attempting to get away from. He jerked as one of them found its mark. The tears she had been holding back flowed, her bravado of before cowered at the reality of death she faced. How could they shoot at a hostage? Was she not precious enough for consideration? What if his body had not been big enough to shield her?

Shaking uncontrollably, tears raining down her cheeks and chilled to the marrow of her soul, she curled into him.

Why was this happening to her? She was nothing special even with the fact she aged well. At fifty-eight she looked like she was in her early twenties but she had no explanation for it. She had been called a freak, experimented upon and coveted by different people. Could he be like the people she was running from? Was he going to kill her? She did not want to die; she had yet to live.

"Everything will be fine Aage." He soothed, his deep voice vibrating through her body. "I will not hurt you."

She looked up to him with pleading eyes; his were the gentlest aquamarine, inconsistent with the situation. He removed his hand from her mouth.

"Please," she sobbed, "Let me g-g-go."

"I'm sorry I cannot." He sounded sincere.

She cried in earnest, fearful gasps of anguish raking her body. With extreme tenderness he lifted her to lie on his shoulder, his hand cradling her head as if to keep her safe, ironic when he was the one threatening her.

Large, absolute trees surrounded them, monstrosities that had endured men for centuries. If she was to die, it was only fitting to be in the forest, the place that held untold horrors for her. With no other option, she lay still against him, aware of the tensile strength holding her close and the slight escape they afforded. Despite that his hold on her was not crushing, in fact it was almost gentle, another inconsistent detail in her kidnapping. Hope swelled her heart, it was possible he meant it when he said he intended her no harm.

Kidnappers rarely held their victim as if they were precious, or she could just be refusing to see the truth of her situation, instead seeing what was not there.