Page 40 of The Jaguar's Flower

“I’m not sure.” She pressed closer to his warmth as she raised her head and met his lips. “But I know it’s time to find food, which means leaving this bed.” Her hand stroked over his chest as she smiled into his eyes. “Still no regrets.”

“No regrets.” Mac’s lips curled into a grin. She could break his facade easily. He loved it. “We do need clothes. I may have been raised in the facility, but I don’t like dirty clothes.” His eyes spotted his bite mark on her shoulder. When he caressed over it, she trembled beside him. The same sensation he felt whenever she touched the marks on his chest. “I’m against us leaving here naked. I might kill someone who looks at you.”

Her lips brushed against the scratch marks on his chest until she heard his purr. “I agree, and I don’t want to be violent even if the urge is there.” When she sat up, the sheets pooled around her waist. “I think there were robes in the bathroom. They’ll cover us enough until we can find clothes. It’s not like we were prepared when we came here.”

She stole a quick kiss before she slipped from the bed. “Not that I’m complaining. I’d rather have you out of that facility.” Her steps faltered before she turned to catch Mac’s eyes. “Draven and your brother. They’re still inside.”

“The last thing I remember was the riot.” Mac’s smokey gaze remained on her. “We will need to make sure they are still alive.” When he slid off the bed, he made his way over to her. The jaguar cupped her cheek before he nodded. “Let’s get dressed. We both need food and answers.”

“They’re still alive.” She squeezed his hand in need of that reassurance as she pushed the bathroom door open and pulled the two robes off the wall. “Right? They’re good at protecting themselves?” When she met his eyes again, she wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t want to break my promise and promised to free all of you.”

Mac nodded. When he placed the robe on, the jaguar hugged her back. “They will be free.” He glanced at Violet. “We will make sure of it.”

He inhaled deeply. Mac wanted to believe his words. Truthfully, he wasn’t so sure after he left the facility to save Violet. He hoped Avel and Draven survived. But what of the others? Every shifter in the facility knew of each other. Even in their darkest moments, they did their best to protect one another. “Come. If that man is powerful, he might help us.”

“We’ll find him.” After she slipped into her robe, she tied the belt at Mac’s waist. “Or have him send us back to help Avel and Draven.” She gripped Mac’s hand and took a breath. It hurt to think anything happened to Draven or Avel. When she thought of Draven, she considered him her first real friend. That might not be true, but he was there for her. “Let’s go find Creation.”

After they left the room, Mac’s vision tunneled as he thought of his brother. The jaguar’s stomach growled when they reached a larger room with a long table in the center. The aroma of food broke him from his thoughts as his mouth watered. “Why is there food readily available?”

“To eat, silly.” A small woman appeared beside Violet. Her lush, vibrant purple hair swayed with her movements. When her wings lifted her off the ground, she stared at both of them with her purple eyes. “I’m Rin. Mr. Sarus said you guys will be hungries. We made all this foods for you guys. Come on.” She flitted away.

“Wait.” Violet raised her hand, but Rin disappeared from view before she could ask where Sarus was. “I guess we eat first?” She shrugged as she tugged Mac over to two of the empty chairs. “Maybe this is one luxury of not being human?” As she scanned over the massive amount of food, her stomach growled. “I hope we’re not expected to eat all of this by ourselves.”

Mac nodded. “Or it could be for everyone else.” As they sat down, Mac pulled her legs over his lap. He needed the comfort of her close to him. “What exactly was that thing?”

“A fairy.” Rin poked her head up from the other side of the table. “Not thingy. We like collecting thingies, but I’m not a thingy.” She flitted up, then around the table to plop a chubby fairy in the chair beside Violet. “His name is Thingy. He likes to eat with Sarus, but Sarus is not here right now, and we can’t have him eat alone, and he doesn’t really like the other fairies ‘cause they don’t let him eat like he wants.” She inhaled.

“What?” Mac blinked before gazing over at Violet. “What did she say?”

“She’s a fairy.” Violet blinked. “He’s Thingy? Something about he doesn’t eat with others?” Her head shook. “I thought I talked fast. I’m not really sure what all she said.” As she turned to look at the other fairy, she leaned into Mac. She gained comfort from his touch as she tried to figure out how things worked in this place. “Fairies are real? How is that possible? Where’s Sarus? He said we’d speak after we rested.”

Thingy reached for a plate of food. Rin frowned as she found an empty chair and pulled her knees to her chest. “Fairies exist only in Sarus’ realm. Earth almost killed all of us ‘cause we fairies.”

“I’m very confused.” Mac blinked. “Where is Sarus?”

Rin squirmed. “He’s in the garden. Not time to meet him yet, but soon. Sar likes to take time alone in the garden. Thingy used to go into the garden until he tried to eat the flowers. Eatings the flowers is bad. They hurt Thingy’s tummy.”

“And when will we be able to talk to him?” Mac pulled Violet closer as he eyed the plump fairy with a large plate of a wiggling pink substance on a plate. When he smashed his face into the plate, Mac’s eyes widened. “Can you let Sarus know we are awake and ready to talk?”

Violet slid into Mac’s lap when Thingy’s food splattered on her. “Please? I really would like to talk to him soon.” She smiled at Rin. “I’m Violet, and this is Mac. We should have introduced ourselves sooner.” The longer she watched Thingy, the more concerned she grew. “Is he alright? I’m not sure he should eat like that.”

Rin side-eyed the plump fairy. “He’s not. But if we don’t let him, then he cries, and then Sarus gets mad ‘cause the baby is crying, and we don’t let babies cry here.” She sighed.

“That is a baby?” Mac pointed at Thingy, who seemed to drown himself in the gelatin platter. “What is he eating?”

“Dammit.” Asmodeus’ voice reached Mac’s ears. “Rin, you know better than to let him eat like this.” Mac watched as Asmodeus pulled the plate away and waved both of his hands over the ball of a fairy. The pink substance vanished from sight. “Hey guys, you sleep well? How’d it go? Rin, go get Sarus.” He lifted the small fairy into his arms.

“I think that’s a baby?” Violet watched the other strange man from the day before. “You’re the one that helped us out of the dream trance.” She cuddled into Mac’s chest. “Other than during my residency, I’ve never really been around small children except when I was small.” She laughed as she pulled a plate closer to them. “Why isn’t Sarus eating with the baby? Rin said he usually eats with Thingy.”

“Rin.” Asmodeus stared at the fairy. She eventually pouted before flitting away. When he sat down, he helped feed the small fairy. “It’s not time for him to eat. Fairies call him Thingy, but his name is Tulip. He’s not technically a baby, either. Babies eventually grow up.”

“Then what is he?” Mac asked.

Asmodeus frowned. “Earth has hunters. They also enjoyed cruel experiments, and they regularly fried this little plump until I saved him. Sarus, your pops saved them from extinction. As for where the man is, he’ll be here shortly. It’s not really his time to eat yet. Rin, she tires of watching him all the time. Sorry about that.” He smiled at the couple. “So, shifter and primordial raven. Marked and beautiful.” He winked. “Did you guys enjoy your time alone last night? A lot happened, and I know if I was one of you, I would let out so much stress. Hmm.”

A bright blush crawled up Violet’s cheeks as they were asked about their night. She laid her head against Mac’s chest and looked up at him. “There was nothing stressful about last night.” Her hand slipped inside the jaguar’s robe to press her palm over his heart. “What do you mean by cruel experiments?” She watched the man with Thingy and chewed on her lip. “Was it like what Mac went through?”

“Are there more facilities out there that torture shifters?” Mac swallowed. “Was he part of a facility that made him into that?”

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