The Jaguar Prince

Chapter 20

Rogar stretched and yawned, then looked around. For a moment, he didn’t know where he was, then it all came back to him.

“Damn,” he muttered as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up.

You’ve been using that word a lot, Balam said. What does it mean?

I’m not exactly sure. It wasn’t in the database. It’s a curse of sorts, from what I gather.

You curse me? It’s certainly not my fault you get so…involved emotionally that you change form.

I’m not cursing you, he said as he came to his feet and went into the bathroom. He marched over to the tub. Empty. He walked out, looking around. Okay, where is she?

She left.

Rogar quickly pulled on his slacks, his heart thundering inside his chest.

Your heart is pounding rather fast. Are you all right, Rogar?

I’m fine. I just need to find Callie.

She means that much to you?

He raked his fingers through his hair. Yes, she does.

Could she be your lifemate?

It doesn’t matter if she is or not, if I can’t convince her to travel to New Symtaria, now does it? And if I keep changing form, she’ll be too scared to go anywhere with me.

They say some Symtarians go crazy if they don’t have their lifemate with them.

Thanks so much for reminding me.

This affects me as well as it does you. I certainly don’t want to end up like Zerod. You’ll have to convince her to stay with you.

He left the bedroom and started down the hall. And how do you propose I do that?

You have to introduce us.

Seriously?

I won’t eat her, sarcasm dripped from his words.

I don’t know. But it was an idea. If Callie met one on one with Balam, she wouldn’t be so terrified. She already loved the cats—as long as they were behind bars. I’ll think about it.

Rogar walked down the hall, and opened a door. It had a bed in it, but the room was empty. There was an open door inside the room that he assumed led to another bathroom. He could hear Callie mumbling, and breathed a sigh of relief. A few moments later, she walked out, not noticing he was in the room. She was trying to tie her shirt just below her breasts.

“This is scandalous. I can’t go around wearing this. I’d get arrested,” she mumbled. “I look like what’s-her-face from The Dukes of Hazzard. Verrry slutty.”

Rogar leaned against the door facing, crossing his arms. He liked what she was wearing. The undergarment she wore pushed her breasts up, and the top she had on was cut low enough that the curves were exposed. A great deal of her abdomen showed, too.

Then she faced away from him. The shorts were cut high, and exposed just a little of the cheeks of her butt, enough that he was starting to react.

She turned, and screamed.

He straightened. “I’m sorry, did I frighten you?”

“What do you think?” She planted her hands on her hips.

His gaze slowly roamed over her. “I think I want to scoop you into my arms and carry you back to bed so we can mate again.”

“I…uh…” She shook her head. “We cannot lie around and make love all the time.”

“Why not? Don’t you like mating with me?”

“Of course I do…Wait, we’ve already had this conversation before. I’m here to learn everything I can about New Symtaria, and my animal guide, so I can protect myself if I have to.”

“Then we will mate tonight, after we go to bed.”

“I…uh…need to get my own clothes. DeeDee’s are too revealing.”

She started to walk past, but he took her arm and pulled her against him, brushing the back of his hand over her breasts. She looked into his eyes, and for a moment, he saw passion flare.

But she was right, he needed to teach her everything he could, just in case she had to defend herself someday. There was one thing he did want.

“Don’t change. I’ll be the only one you see today.”

She swallowed hard, then nodded.

“Let’s get started.” He wondered why he’d asked her not to change. The temptation would be excruciating. But sweet just the same.

“Not in there,” she said as he started into the bedroom.

He smiled. “I can make love to you in any room, la seba. It does not have to be just in the bedroom.”

“La Seba?”

“Sex goddess.”

“Living room,” she choked out.

“Then I will join you in a moment,” he said before going into the bedroom.

Callie continued on to the living room, but after a few moments, she wondered what exactly he could be plotting now. She strode to the bedroom door. No Rogar. Could he disappear, as well?

When she moved across the room, she heard the shower running in the bathroom. For a moment, she pictured him standing beneath the spray, water cascading over his sinewy muscles.

A swirl of heat spiraled downward, settling between her legs. What would happen if she opened the bathroom door and walked inside, taking off her clothes as she went? She snorted. As if she didn’t know the answer to that one.

She clamped her legs together as a familiar ache began to build inside her. She jumped when the shower stopped and she hurried out of the room.

Her cell phone was on the counter ringing and vibrating all over the place like a really pissed-off bumble bee. She ran over and picked it up, flipping it open at the same time.

“Yes?”

“Callie, DeeDee. I just wanted to make sure you made it to the cabin okay.”

“Yes, no problem whatsoever.”

“You sound out of breath.”

Silence.

“I hope you’re staying in my parents’ room,” DeeDee said. “I really don’t want that visual.”

“So you told me,” Callie interrupted. Now might be a good time to change the subject. “And you? Did you join your mom and dad?”

“I’ll be there in about an hour. It was a boring plane ride, but I’m in a rented car now. How’d the cabin look?”

“Fine. The Cranes have already stopped by.”

“Bleh! Nosey snobs.”

Her feelings exactly. “I’m afraid Rogar took offense with their snobby attitude, and told them he was a prince. I just hope his admission doesn’t come back to haunt us.”

“I doubt it will. No one would ever find you there. If they do, then sic the Cranes on them.”

“That’s an idea.”

“You take care, and if you need anything at all, I’m only a phone call away.”

“DeeDee?”

“Yeah, sweetie?”

“Thanks. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’ll be eternally grateful.”

“Ahh, Callie, someday you’re going to realize that I needed you just as much as you needed me. You’re the one friend I know who treats me like a real person.” There was a distinct sniffle. “You just make that big alien take care of you.”

“I will.” She slowly closed the phone, then looked up. Sensing he was in the room. He had a presence about him that called everyone’s attention.

He’d changed clothes and wore a pair of dark brown slacks, and a casual hunter green top. He looked so delicious she could eat him up. Now that was a thought.

“If you keep looking at me like that, we might be in trouble.”

She cleared her throat. “Do you want something to drink?” She hurried behind the bar, and opened the refrigerator. She got out a soda.

“That sounds good.”

She set a couple of them on the counter. When she covertly glanced his way, she saw he was still watching her. If he kept this up, she’d be the one jumping his bones. She turned her back to him, and began to rummage in the cabinets. A sigh of relief escaped. This was exactly what she was looking for—junk food. The cure-all for not having sex.

She loaded her arms down with tortilla chips, bean dip, salsa, and chocolate cream-filled cookies, then managed to carry it all to the table without dropping anything. He brought the sodas. They each pulled out a chair.

But they couldn’t live on junk food alone. Not and keep up their strength so before she took her seat, she grudgingly cooked them each a grilled cheese sandwich.

“Okay, tell me when you first knew about your animal guide,” she said, after she set their plates on the table. She ripped open the bag of chips, then removed the lids from the dips. He followed her example and opened the cookies, but when he reached for one, she took it away. “Sandwich first. Chips and dip. Then cookies.”

“Why? These look better.”

“I cook a mean grilled cheese, I’ll have you know. Besides, the bean dip has protein, and the salsa has veggies…” She held a chip up and studied it. “And the chips have corn.”

He pointed toward the cookies. “And those?”

“Sugar and chocolate. They’re for after a meal.”

He nodded, followed her lead, and dipped a chip into the bean dip. He took a bite, then slowly chewed. “I like it.”

Great, she was getting him hooked on junk food. “Do you have stuff like this on New Symtaria?”

“We have better, but this will do.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course.” Bet they didn’t have chocolate. They ate in silence for a few minutes.

She moved a chip around on her plate. “Were you scared when you found out you shared your body with an animal?” she finally asked.

“I knew about my guide from the instructions that we are taught. It did take me a while to distinguish between my own thoughts and that of my guide. It was as though we hadn’t formed the separation that was needed.”

“How old were you?”

“Ten years.”

“I was eight when I started hearing the voice. What did you do?”

“I listened. I asked questions. At some point we began to make the distinction between our personalities.”

She slid the chip through the dip, but didn’t take a bite. “What’s your guide like? I mean, you say he has his own personality.”

Rogar leaned back in his chair, his forehead wrinkling in thought. “Balam? He’s aggressive, like most animal guides.”

“Unless you’re a rabbit,” she said with more than a touch of sarcasm.

“True.”

Great, he didn’t tell her that the rabbit might not be her guide, but then again, which would she rather be? A rabbit or a rhino? She thought the rabbit would be better.

“Balam has also been a good friend and protector.”

“Balam,” she repeated. “I like his name. Can you feel him inside you? Does he understand what I’m saying?”

“Everything.”

Heat flooded her face. “What about when we…uh…” This was so embarrassing.

“When we make love?”

She nodded.

“Balam is like a shadow when we are in human form. You would not be embarrassed with thoughts in your head,” he said, guessing her dilemma.

Since he put it that way, she guessed it wouldn’t be the same, but there was still a lingering feeling that she was in the middle of a ménage à trios.

“He wants to meet you.”

Her head jerked up. “Meet me?”

“Yes.”

“Me? In the same room with a jaguar. I mean, you said you both had distinct personalities. What if he decides to eat me?”

“He won’t.”

“You’re sure.”

“I’m almost positive.”

She leaned back, crossing her arms in front of her. “Almost is not the same as positive.”

“I trust him.” He sighed. “I thought you wanted to work with the big cats?”

She jumped up, and walked to the window. “I do, but my training taught me that even if you love something, even if it’s a beautiful animal, that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous.” She turned from the window and met his gaze. “Leaning on the side of caution is always a wise choice.”

But how many times had she yearned to reach out and pet Sheba. There was something about the cat that made her want to get closer. It could be her Symtarian side that felt such an affinity for all animals.

And then again, maybe she should just stay in the petting zoo. The animals there were harmless, and she could cuddle most of them.

“Another time then,” Rogar said, breaking into her thoughts.

She didn’t want to tell him by the time their relationship got to that point, it would probably be time for him to leave, and it wouldn’t matter anymore. But she didn’t want to think about that. It hurt too much.

So, she squared her shoulders and faced him. “How do I find my guide? You said there were ceremonies?”

He reached in his pocket and brought out his database. “Let me see what I can find out about them.”

She sat down again, watching as he typed in letters. She’d come to the realization his database was just like a minicomputer, and stored just about as much information, except she was positive Rogar would tell her that his system was better.

“Here it is.”

She watched the different expressions on his face. When he finally looked up, she was almost certain she didn’t want to go through any changing ceremony.