Page 29 of The Jaguar's Flower

Draven?Mac lifted his chin to check the intercom. They never used intercoms before, so why did Draven? His voice repeated the same mantra as the rest of the noises. Something felt wrong. More commotion filled the empty spaces as the jaguar raced to the training area. He froze when he heard the next message on the intercom.

“She has always shown us kindness. Gave us a choice! He ripped her away from us!”

Mac pressed against the wall to catch himself from falling. His heart dropped as he listened to his brother repeat the same words.Violet. No, Violet can’t be gone.The jaguar struggled to keep himself upright. When he finally gave in, the shifter slammed his knee against the floor.

Dread filled him as Mac tried to piece together what happened since last night. They were careful with their meetings. Even if it angered Draven, they didn’t find a single fault in their time together. Instead, the universe dangled hope in front of him, only to snatch it away. He felt his jaguar crawl under his skin.

Before realization hit him, the jaguar rose to his feet. He walked over into the fighting area and noticed groups of shifters rallying together. If only Mac stayed with her, then none of this would have happened. The jaguar inside him begged to be released, but he feared it.

The alarms became white noise for Mac as he reached the weapons cabinet. He helped the other shifters load up with ammunition and protective gear. As the jaguar pulled on his Kevlar vest, he felt a nudge on his shoulder. He caught the vibrant, glowing green eyes of the other shifter. “Are we shooting to kill?”

“Have you not paid attention, 009? They attacked Dr. Morris. We are done with their cruelty. This is our revolution.” Mac explained. When the soldier didn’t budge, the jaguar gripped his shoulder. “Kill them, and don’t hold back.”

009 nodded. “See you on the other side of this, Mac.”

When the shifter left, Mac caught his brother’s scent. He turned around to find Draven and Avel. He felt rage in his heart.Why didn’t Draven protect her?

Before he could say anything, Draven stepped in front of Mac. Draven pointed to the monitors behind them. The jaguar clenched his jaw as he watched Renfield inject Violet before a grotesque, demonic creature took her away.

“Renfield attacked Dr. Morris. We’re going to help her.” Draven’s tone held a growl. “Ready?”

Avel grabbed a side arm and an assault rifle. He glanced at Mac. The jaguar knew his brother felt his rage. “If she has any chance to survive, we must do this.”

It took a moment for Mac to realize Avel spoke to him. Without wasting another minute, Mac prepared his weapon.None of this would have happened if I didn’t leave her.The jaguar felt like a failure as his heart shredded. He couldn’t watch the monitors again. “I’m coming with you,” Mac told his brother as he followed Draven.

Sounds of guns firing were heard in the distance. The humans screamed while the metallic scent of blood surrounded him. The soldiers held their assault rifles. They prepared to shoot any human who came across them. As a unit, they stalked the corridors while the sounds became a dull roar. Mac held back as Draven rounded a corner while Avel aimed down the opposite of the hallway.

Mac checked his six. Two human soldiers rushed from around the corner. The jaguar took aim and pulled the trigger. As soon as they fell, he yelled, “Clear!” Avel and Draven shouted clearance as well before Mac joined them.

They reached the research lab. Mac’s heart clenched as he caught Violet’s fragrance mixed with her blood in the air. The monster broke through a wall, but neither of the soldiers was close enough to stop him. The jaguar felt his skin itch to shift. He needed to go after Violet.

“Someone needs to go after him while another goes for Renfield. Who’s taking what?” Draven called.

Two other staff members appeared down the hallway, but Avel silenced them with his rifle. “Mac!” The jaguar turned to his brother.

“I’m going after-”

“You are going after Morris! You can fight me after you save her, but she needs you. We both know it.”

I already decided on that.Mac swallowed. As much as he would love to see the end of Renfield, the jaguar couldn’t leave Violet alone. Especially when the creature ran off with her. Before Mac’s answer, a noise caught their attention as more human soldiers headed their way. The brothers held up their rifles and shot them down.

Mac glanced at Avel and nodded.

“I’ll be here, I promise,” Avel shouted. “Perfectus miles sumus.Don’t forget it. Now, go! Save Morris!”

Mac wasted no time as he headed for the hole in the wall. He heard his brother’s voice one last time but couldn’t make out the words. His focus narrowed in on the floral fragrance. The jaguar tracked them outside the facility. A roaring mechanical noise caught his attention, but the shifter was too late. The creature rode away with Violet.

Before he chased them, he dodged a bullet from a human soldier.Fuck this.The jaguar shot down the human and others that rushed outside. When no one else came out of the facility, Mac ran toward the vehicle.I’m coming, Violet.

Chapter twenty

Thesorrowofdeathcalled to Whisper as much as the scent. Whisper knew each reaper felt something different when they went to collect souls. Sorrow filled all deaths, but the anger called to him.

A vague part of his mind wondered if it was based on how he died before becoming a reaper. It didn’t matter, so he wouldn’t waste time pondering the thoughts. Each pantheon collected souls, but it was Hades Reapers’ job to reach the souls of the dead first.

Whisper’s gaze landed on the soul of a shifter. The male seemed confused, but it was not Whisper’s job to explain anything. He was there to collect the soul, then return to his home. He would be free of his contract in less than six months.

What little sanity he clung to sifted through his fingers with each day that drew him closer to his last service date. He didn’t know what happened after he served his time, but he hoped not to remain on the human plane. If that were to happen, then there was no telling the damage he would do without the same rules that governed reapers.

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