Page 36 of The Jaguar's Flower

The jaguar growled at the nickname. Unfortunately, the unknown man was right. When Violet tried to pull away, Mac reached for her again. He moved his arm to feel her talons. The jaguar refrained from showing his expression when he felt the stinging pain. The surrounding images started to fade and crumble. “Violet.” When her black eye caught him, the jaguar nodded. “Do it. Let’s wake up.”

Tears leaked from her eyes, but she couldn’t fight it. As much as she hated the idea of hurting him, the bird ignored her demands. Everyone around him didn’t care about the pain inflicted on the jaguar except Violet. She rested her forehead against his. When her talons raked across his forearm, she released an ear-splitting screech.

“I trust you!” Mac shouted as the pain in his arm traced up to his neck.Hope.He clenched his jaw as he noticed the final crumbles of the dream. “You won’t ever take my last hope away, you fucking evil place,” the jaguar whispered as he reached for Violet again.

As soon as the dreams faded, Asmodeus rushed to them. “Mac, when you wake up, you might wanna move.” Violet flapped her wings as Mac held onto her. “Sarus, hurry up. Do something out there,” he muttered to himself.

When Mac reached Violet, he cupped her face. Her talons dug into his arm again. “I trust you,” he whispered against her feathers. “I won’t ever let go.” The jaguar shut his eyes.

Her wings flapped as she struggled with the new form. As soon as she felt Mac’s breath against her feathers, a rush went through her. Then she noticed they weren’t in the dream. She nuzzled her head against his cheek until she felt another presence.

A loud squawk escaped her beak as she spread her wings. Each time she hopped against Mac, a fresh wave of the scent of his blood greeted her, and a new pain ripped through her. She needed to protect him from whatever hurt him.

Sarus immediately pulled the two apart. When Violet reacted violently, the primordial shifted her back to her human form. He hissed low when he felt a set of claws inside him. “Calm down, little one. Please.”

Mac growled. “Let go of her.” Before the jaguar could move around to grab Violet, the other man pulled him back. “Let go of me!”

“When you two calm down, okay?” Asmodeus frowned at Sarus. “We won’t hurt you, guys. You’re family!”

“Asmodeus!” Sarus growled as he used his powers to help calm his daughter. “Not right now.” When he focused his attention on Violet, the primordial hummed a soft melody. “Calm down, little one. If you don’t. You will hurt him more because of the matebond.”

She struggled against the man until his words penetrated the pain and anger within her. “Hurt him?” Her head turned until she could see Mac. “I never want to hurt you.”

As she noticed the blood on his arms, her legs gave out. “I did that.” A hiccup pulled from her throat. “I didn’t mean to. I wanted to protect him.” Her entire body sagged as she watched Mac. “I’m just as terrible as the ones that hurt you.”

“You didn’t hurt me.” Mac voiced.

“Yes, but it could have been worse.” Sarus rubbed his daughter’s head as she cried. “You had to bring him out of the dreams. You did that. You saved him.” When she pointed at the blood on Mac’s arms, the primordial gently rocked her as he explained. “You were trapped in your mind, boy. If it weren’t for her raven coming out, you would have trapped her with you forever.”

Mac lowered his gaze to the ground. “I didn’t mean to.”

“No, your memories did.” Asmodeus eyed Sarus. “But you two are here now and awake. Sar-Sar won’t ever be placing either of you two in a sleep trance. You.” The man stared at Mac. “Are damaged. But that’s okay because Vivi loves you. See, Sar, I told you the matebond would save them both.”

“What’s going on? Who are you people?” She struggled until she broke free and went to Mac. “I’m sorry.” Her arms wrapped around him. “I’d have stayed wherever you were.” She buried her face against his chest. “I never wanted to hurt you. Ever. You’re bleeding because of me.”

When Mac lifted his arm up for Violet, his wounds began to heal. “But I’m a shifter. We heal quickly.” He held her against him as they sat in the grass. The jaguar glanced at the other men until he caught Sarus’ eyes. “Who are you? And I want an answer.”

Sarus eyed Asmodeus before he brought his attention back to the couple. “I’m Creation, and Violet is my daughter.” He finally answered them. “This is my realm, and you are a primordial raven.”

“The last of your kind, Vivi.” Asmodeus smiled.

“No, I’m human.” Her fingers traced over the healing wounds on Mac’s arm before she met the primordial’s eyes. “Human. Raised by human parents. Doesn’t matter what happened in the dream.”

She bit her bottom lip as she remembered the injection from Renfield. “Somehow, that quack made something that changes humans.” It almost killed her. “You’re lying.”

Mac held Violet against him. He sniffed their scents, but it made no sense. His little doctor, the precious flower, was human. All the lab work she showed him was proof that nothing was different between the two of them. “This is a trick.”

Before Sarus argued further, he used his powers to show them the truth. “Violet, you were adopted. Asmodeus took you to the family, and we used what little magic we had to protect you.”

The primordial waved his hand in front of him to allow the brief memory to play out. “You’re my daughter, and whatever Renfield did to you is what broke the spell.”

“But the genetic tests.” Violet met Mac’s eyes. “They were the same for both of us.” Science couldn’t be manipulated by magic, could it? She didn’t know the truth, but she couldn’t argue with the images in front of her.

A vision of her mom appeared, but she was much younger. She cried as she called for Violet’s dad. They didn’t hesitate to bring her in when they stared at the woven basket with the baby inside. Violet never had siblings. “Why didn’t they tell me?”

Asmodeus stepped forward. When he sat beside the couple, he gave her a sad smile. “Because we needed to make sure you were safe, Vivi.”

Sarus nodded. “And you were.” He barely smiled. “As for your genetic makeup. You’re right. Science doesn’t lie. The answer has always been in front of you, Violet.”

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