Blurb
Missouri Hess doesn’t like to be called witch, though she can heal with her touch and pull truth from a liar every time. Her gifts are a curse. She can’t choose who she helps and after a healing, she radiates pheromones and burns with sexual energy.
Missouri Hess doesn’t like to be called witch, though she can heal with her touch and pull truth from a liar every time. Her gifts are a curse. She can’t choose who she helps and after a healing, she radiates pheromones and burns with sexual energy.
Thomas Hunter is a government agent and a member of Special Forces, emphasis on the word “special”. In human form, Thomas is a mouth-watering hunk of muscle wrapped in dark chocolate. As a golden-furred jaguar he prowls the woods wearing fangs and claws. He’s been sent to Bitter Creek Holler to investigate the local werewolves.
When Miz rescues the big cat from a silver-coated conibear trap, he bites her. Claiming her as his mate, the jaguar leaves his man to work out the details. Now Thomas has to convince the bewitching healer that she needs a familiar by her side.
Excerpt
The sound of the Harley’s motor throbbed in the otherwise still night when Miz rounded the curve toward the store. It was a full moon, so her lights were almost unnecessary. She inhaled the fresh air and… Dammit—no.
When the gift that cursed her kicked in, her opinion didn’t count. She was already slowing, listening to the silent cry of misery calling to her.
She wanted to gnash her teeth and snarl, which was a pathetic attitude for a healer. She didn’t go willingly, but by damn she went. She parked, climbed down the sloping drainage ditch that separated the road from the trees and entered the forest. The light of the moon was blotted out by the hovering branches and she shuddered, switching on her flashlight.
“Oh goddesses of moonlight, healing, crop growing, fish swimming, trees, air, sky, earth and any other frigging thing you want to claim—hear me. If my ass gets eaten by a goddamned bear out here, you’ll be sorry.”
Her stupid threat had Miz hoping the deities up there were asleep. Damn this shit. It better be the fucking president of the United States I’m saving. The flashlight she gripped in her hand now pointed like a divining rod that had just sensed an underground stream.
Oh for God’s sake. Miz looked down at the animal tucked deeply in shadows. Had the light from her flashlight not reflected off a glint of metal, she might have missed the big cat that lay suffering.
His fierce gaze threatened death to her if she came closer. “Well as to that, boyo, it’s not me who needs help.” She talked softly, at the same time walking around the animal caught in a conibear trap. She squatted on her heels and touched the huge back paw. The cat flinched under her touch, flexing its claws, retracting them then spreading them again.
She studied the beast. It was a big male of an indeterminate species. Not something she would have thought to find in West Virginia. On the other hand, what did she know? The fact was, unless she freed the animal soon, the lethal jaws clamping him in a body grip were going to squeeze the life from him. “Nope, can’t let that happen.”
The beast’s chest heaved, fighting for air. She ripped the strings from her boots and squatted next to the trap spring.
“Got your ass caught tonight, didn’t you?” She laid her hand on his hip and talked shit in a soothing voice.
“I just want it understood after I rescue your sorry hide, you’ll leave me alone.” She met his gaze. He seemed intelligent. “You look smart enough. I’m surprised you—” A low rumble interrupted her nervous chatter.
She used her boot strings to tie off the top spring, pulled the string through the bottom spring loop and stood, hauling up on the shoestring until the spring was compressed and both sides met. The cat’s ribs were released from pressure. He grunted and twitched his tail angrily as he tried to stand. But he collapsed weakly to the ground, staring in misery at her.
“Well, mister. Misery’s my specialty. Let me have a look.” She murmured reassurances as she squatted over him, pressing her hands against his chest. Whoa. Gray streaks of death swirled through the cat’s lungs, continuing to block his breathing.
“What the fuck is that? Some sonovabitch poisoned you too?” What she was seeing inside the cat didn’t make a lot of sense. “Doesn’t matter. Whoever did it needs to have his ass kicked from here to Sunday.”
She spread heat through his body, her magic clearing the dark streaks from his lungs and healing the bruised muscles and ribs. Without warning, the cat heaved himself to his feet, staggered for a moment and then sat down facing her. They stared at each other. The flashlight illuminated him clearly. He was magnificently beautiful, his golden pelt dotted with black rosettes. She frowned and said, “You sure ain’t from these parts, sunny.”
He chuffed and stared at her from amber eyes tinged with red.
“Just keep in mind, we had an agreement.” She rather desperately needed to puke. She hated an audience, but it was a cat. He didn’t seem inclined to stop her when she staggered to her feet, stumbled to a pine tree and leaned against it, vomiting for the second time that day.
Beads of sweat made her body shiver and her teeth chattered as if it were a cold night instead of hot and humid. She slid down the trunk and sat with her back against it and her knees up, looking at the animal. “That was some nasty shit you had in you,” she told him. Then she closed her eyes. “Go away.”
He was so quiet she didn’t feel his presence until his breath brushed hot against her cheek. She opened her eyes in time to see his big maw come at her. She’d always heard you saw your life pass by when you faced death, but all she could think was, Oh shit.
He nudged her head to the side, almost gently. She thought he was going to nuzzle her like a house cat. Go figure. He bit her. Dammit. It hurt. She reacted without thinking and punched the cat in the nose with her fist.
He made a chuffing sound then pushed at her as though telling her to get up. “Fine,” she groaned, grabbing the flashlight that still pointed at them from where she’d tossed it.
She wanted to run like hell through the woods, but wobbled along instead. The cat kept to the shadows but she knew he was there. It took her a while to reach her bike. When she did, he stepped from the tree line into the moonlight and she could see he’d recovered quite well. Nice to know he felt fine. She felt like shit.
“Thanks for nothing,” she snarled at him. He snorted, curled his lip at her and disappeared. She returned home without the coffee creamer that had been her reason for the trip. It was just another crazy adventure to add to the insanity in her life.
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