The Jaguar's Beach Bride: BBW Jaguar Shifter Paranormal Romance (Shifters of Coral Beach Book 1) (10 page)

Brennan’s phone rang later that afternoon, and to his surprise, Jude’s name flashed across the screen.

“Hey, what’s up?” Brennan answered.

“Do you know where Mina is?” Jude asked without preamble. “She’s not answering my texts or calls.”

Ice filled Brennan’s veins. Now hyper-focused, he closed his laptop before replying, “I thought she was meeting with the insurance agents and then probably going to the store.”

“That’s the thing, I thought so too. I called the insurance guys and they said they met with her but she left around one o'clock. Her phone is ringing, so the battery isn’t dead. So either she’s left her phone somewhere or something is seriously wrong.”

Brennan couldn’t take the chance that the latter suggestion wasn’t true, and given the circumstances, he had a feeling that Mina was in danger. “Look, I’ll call you back. I think I know where she might be.”

He hung up on his friend and grabbed his keys, almost running to his car.

Roger had Mina. Brennan just knew it. It was an almost instinctual kind of knowing, and he barely kept himself from shifting as he drove to the brewery.

His jaguar paced relentlessly, growling and hissing and saying over and over again,
We have to save our mate! Save her, protect her, she’s our mate.

Brennan gritted his teeth, his body trembling with the need to stay in his human form, at least until he reached the brewery, and then he could shift and let the wildness free. He didn’t even care if every last human being saw him transform into a jaguar. This was about saving Mina, the woman he loved.

Yes, loved, and Brennan almost laid his head down on steering wheel at the thought. He loved her like he’d loved no other woman. He’d known she was his mate, but that didn’t equate to the human kind of love necessarily. Not always. But Brennan loved her as a man and as a jaguar. He realized that with a painful type of clarity, a clarity that was jagged because he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to tell her how he felt.

I’m an idiot and I don’t deserve her
, he thought.

But he drove as fast as he could regardless, and as he began driving up a path into the hills, he could scent both Roger and Mina. The two scents mixed together sent his mind into a tailspin, and he swerved off the side of the road and just parked the car before leaping out and shifting. His jaguar form growled, fur standing on end, teeth flashing in the bright sun.

Try to stay alive, Mina. I need you.

Brennan hid as much in the underbrush as he could, not wanting to reveal his presence to any humans that may be around. Thankfully, his spotted coat provided excellent camouflage, and even if a crowd of people had been walking along the path, they would never have noticed him. He ran on silent feet, his movement making no more than a breath of sound as he proceeded through the dry grass. The scents of Roger and Mina got stronger and stronger, coupled with the scent of fear emanating from his mate. Anger rushed through Brennan, and he ran faster.

Coming upon the brewery, he inhaled the scent and almost sneezed, it was so pungent. But Brennan ignored the smell of yeast—a heady combination, even for pathetic human noses—and focused instead on the other scents. He crouched low, slowly making his way toward what looked like a trailer not far from the brewery itself. Brennan’s ears perked at the sound of human voices, and as he rounded a corner and could finally get a full view, he watched as two men took hold of Mina as Roger watched.

“We both know your promises mean nothing,” Roger said as the men took Mina captive.

Seeing Mina manhandled like that—there was no time to wait or plan. Anger and the need to protect her took over every other feeling he possessed.

He came speeding out from the underbrush, attacking Roger like he would his prey. Brennan caught the man by the throat as he threw him to the ground, teeth almost piercing the delicate flesh below his jugular. Roger screamed to wake the dead. Beginning to tremble, he blubbered and begged.

“Help me! God, help me!” Roger yelled.

Brennan growled and bit down until blood was drawn, and Roger whimpered, finally quieting. Brennan heard the door of the trailer open, and the two men came down the steps.

Turning toward them, he growled in warning.

Come near me and you’re dead, too
, he thought.

Although the two men couldn’t understand him in his jaguar form, they weren’t stupid enough to try to take on a huge wild cat.

Brennan was debating whether or not he should kill Roger right then and there, but to his shock, Roger had more gumption in him than he expected. The man flailed and kicked, landing a solid punch to Brennan’s ribs before scrambling away from him. A knife flashed, and Roger held it in front of him like a beacon.

“Don't come any closer or I’ll kill you.” The knife trembled in Roger’s hold, but Brennan knew that terrified men were capable of inflicting a lot of damage if you didn’t pay attention.

He then heard the click of a gun, and he raced toward Roger right as the first shot was fired. The dirt exploded where the bullet hit, blinding Brennan for a moment, but he could smell and hear Roger from a mile away. He tackled him, knocking Roger’s head into the hard dirt; the knife went skittering across the dirt. This time, he wouldn’t stop himself from killing him. He’d pierce his jugular like he would any animal and drain all the blood from his body.

It was the least he deserved for hurting Mina.

But right as Brennan was about to sink his teeth into Roger’s flesh, he heard the trailer door open again, and the scent of Mina overcame everything around him.

“Oh my God,” he heard her cry out. “Is that a—it’s going to kill him!”

Brennan heard her come closer despite the protestations of the two men, one of whom was still holding the gun that went off. “Lady, it’ll kill you, too. Get back inside!”

Growling, Brennan latched onto Roger’s throat and shook him like a rag doll. Blood seeped from his neck until Roger fainted dead away. Mina, though, continued to come closer, and then she was standing in front of Brennan, her eyes wide with fear.

Brennan looked up at her, trying to convey that she needed to run. Get away from this place and never look back.

I don’t want you to see this, Mina. Run!

Mina, though, was just staring at him, and as his green eyes met hers, she gasped.

“It’s you. Isn’t it? It’s you.” Her voice was barely a whisper, so low that only Brennan could hear it. “I would know those eyes anywhere.”

He could smell blood and fear and sweat until it became a dizzying concoction. He wanted to drink it in until he burst with it, and his teeth sank deeper into Roger’s neck. The blood tasted metallic on his tongue.

“I don’t know if you can understand me, but it’s not worth killing him. You know it’s not. Let him go, Brennan.” Mina’s soft voice pierced through the deep need to kill this man.

We have to protect her, protect her, we protect her by killing this threat
, his jaguar insisted.

Brennan agreed. Roger had to die.

Blood rushed onto his tongue. Excitement spiked through his veins.

And then Mina said with a simplicity that struck him right through the heart, “I love you, Brennan. Don’t do this.”

He saw tears falling from her eyes; that did it. He backed away from the prone figure of Roger. He and Mina stared at each other then, and no one said a word—not even the two men, who were so shocked by the tableau before them that later on they would convince themselves it had all been a bad dream—and then he approached Mina and nudged her hand with his head. She stroked his forehead, and Brennan saw the edges of a smile appear on her beautiful face.

“Let’s go home.” Mina beckoned to Brennan, and he followed her on silent feet, growling at the two men in warning.

No one followed them. And when they reached his car, he shifted back into human form.

Mina gasped at the transformation before blushing slightly at his nudity. “I thought, I thought it was you, but to see it in person…”

He quickly dressed, wiping the blood from his face. She noticed it, and she grimaced. What must she think of him now? A predator and almost a killer, a man who could shift into a wild animal? What kind of man was that for someone like her?

“Let’s go,” was all Brennan could manage.

Mina seemed to hesitate, like she wanted to say more, but she eventually got into the passenger seat without protest.

When Brennan stopped in front of Mina’s house, he could sense she was starting to break down. Shivers wracked her small form, and he reached out to touch her. He was afraid she’d flinch away, reject him. How could he expect her to accept something so monumental as his ability to shift into a wild animal?

But she needed to get inside. Getting out of the car, he opened the passenger door and lifted her into his arms, carrying her into her house. He didn’t set her down until he reached the couch in her living room, and then he wrapped her in a blanket in hopes that it would stop the shivering. She still hadn’t said a word—was she too much in shock? was she afraid of him?—and he was about to get up to get her something to drink when she whispered his name.

“What, Mina?” he asked gently.

“Please, don’t go. Please.”

She pulled at his arm, and he instantly sat down on the couch with her, enveloping her in his arms. He rested his chin on top of her head, and eventually the shivers racking her body calmed down. They sat together in silence for a while, simply enjoying being close to one another.

Brennan placed a kiss on her temple, hoping against hope that this wouldn’t be the last time he could hold her close.

Chapter Thirteen

Mina didn’t know how to process what had happened, but she did know one thing: Brennan had saved her life. And for that, she was infinitely grateful. He could’ve gotten himself killed going after her like that, but he hadn’t shown an ounce of fear. He’d been completely focused on saving her. Her heart twisted with a mixture of residual fear and tentative joy.

“I’m sorry—for everything,” she said, looking up at him.

When he didn’t respond, she caught her gaze with his. He seemed surprised, perhaps even taken aback.

He finally replied, “
You’re
sorry?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. For being so stupid as to go after Roger alone. For getting you involved. For everything.” Tears sprung to her eyes. What if her own stupidity had gotten Brennan killed?

He stared at her, his green eyes piercing. “It doesn’t matter. I would protect you wherever you went. And it’s not your fault that Roger used you for his own gains. But I am sorry you had to find out about my jaguar like that. It had to have been terrifying.”

There it was: the bombshell. And although Mina had expected it to cause a shockwave inside of her, now it was more of a feeling of awe. She’d come to terms with Brennan as a jaguar shifter quickly, understanding that it was much a part of him as his easy smile or his kindness.

“You’re wrong,” she said.

A raised eyebrow. “Wrong?”

“I’m not terrified of you, or your jaguar. I never would be. I’m ashamed of how stupid I was and I hate that I got you involved, but you? I’d never be afraid of you.” She looked away, overwhelmed by the emotions swirling in his eyes. If she were terrified of anything, it was that he’d try to push her away.

Then: “God, Wilhelmina. Look at me.”

She did. His green eyes glittered.

“I love you,” he said in that voice of his, that voice she adored. “I love you. I know it’s probably too soon, but I don’t care. I knew it the moment I saw you in your store. There’s a connection between us.”

He hugged her tighter, and he said solemnly, “You’re my mate, Mina.”

She started crying, and she buried her face in his chest. “I was so afraid I’d lose you today. You could’ve been killed saving me.” She cried harder. “Forgive me?”

Brennan tipped her face up and cupped her face in his hands, smoothing the tears away. “There’s nothing to forgive. And I love you.”

“I love you, too. Oh God, I do, I love you—” But before she could say it like a litany, Brennan kissed her and Mina didn’t care about saying the words.

This was love incarnate, this kiss right here, and she poured everything she had into this kiss, as did Brennan.

He kissed her until she fell backward onto the couch. He kept kissing her and kissing her, and they barely gasped for breath before continuing to kiss. It was so beautiful and perfect that she couldn’t stop the tears.

Eventually, though, the initial euphoria simmered into a quiet kind of joy, and they lay on the couch facing each other and smiling. Touching each other and amazed that they’d found each other in the first place.

That’s when Mina started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” He caressed her cheek.

“I was just thinking about when you were so nice to me after I stepped on that sea urchin. I had such a huge crush on you after that. And look at me now!” She laughed again.

“Well, I can you tell you that I now have a huge crush on the woman next to me, so it all evens out in the end.”

Smiling widely, she wrapped her arms around him. “And I’ll always have a crush on you, Brennan Dawson. You’re
my
jaguar.” Pausing, she bit her lower lip before asking, “So, can you tell me all about being a jaguar now? You’re not going to start purring on me, are you?”

Now it was Brennan’s turn to laugh. “No, no purring. If anyone’s going to be purring, it’s you.”

Lifting her into his arms, he promptly took her to the bedroom and showed her exactly what he meant.

Chapter Fourteen

After some renovations and a new business approach, Mina reopened Mina’s Marine Market six months after the events with Roger. She’d still serve the tourists and the townsfolk like she always had, with the usual beach-related items for sale, but she also purchased bicycles for tourists to rent. When she’d suggested the idea to Brennan, he’d thought it was a perfect idea, and he’d told her as much. She’d blushed, prompting him to kiss her for the thousandth time that day.