Read Online Terry Spear - [Shifter 02] by Jaguar Fever - Free Book Online Page B

loose, that was a much more terrifying prospect.
    Thompson was in a hell of a fix. He had no way to get to his truck and his rifle with the tranquilizer darts without the jaguar possibly seeing his movement or hearing him.
    Then the cat growled in a low, angry tone. The jaguar must have smelled Thompson or heard his out-of-control heartbeat or seen him move.
    Thompson waited, knowing that running would trigger the jaguar to chase him. He was very tempted to run. Jaguars didn’t often attack humans, but Thompson knew never to tempt fate when dealing with predators. No matter what, they weren’t supposed to be running loose in a nursery garden so close to Houston, Texas!
    The cat growled again, then again, but the sound was different—lower, angrier.
    Thompson stared at the area of the gardens where the growling was coming from.
    Two jaguars running free in the gardens? He was a dead man.
    ***
    David had fallen asleep on the couch, resting against the pillows. Sitting in one of the velour recliners, Maya had nearly drifted off when she heard big cats’ angry cries in the garden.
    She was sure that Everett had run into one of the men from the club who was also wearing his jaguar coat. Wade had been sitting in another recliner, but he’d already headed for the door, stripping off his clothes. Even though she was concerned for Everett, she couldn’t draw her eyes away from Wade as he shucked his jeans—no boxers—hot, hot, very firm ass and legs and back. Before she could close her gaping mouth and look away, he shifted.
    Everett roared. Huntley was yanking off his clothes to shift. David jerked awake and sat up too quickly, swayed a little, and groaned.
    “Does your head still hurt?” she asked, taking hold of his muscular arm and knowing she couldn’t deter him if he wanted to help the others.
    He couldn’t go out. Not the way he was feeling. He frowned at her.
    “Enough of them are going after him. Stay with me. What if he is just a diversionary force and someone else tries to come in the front way?”
    David didn’t object, but he stood slowly and walked toward the kitchen, which had a view of the backyard and gardens. He peered out the window.
    Wade was waiting at the back door, Huntley beside him, wearing a beautiful black jaguar coat with barely visible rosettes. He was clawing at the door to get out. When she opened it, Huntley rushed out to protect his brother. In his golden jaguar coat, Wade peered out, breathing in the air, testing it, and attempting to smell any sign of what was happening outside.
    “Did you want to go, Wade?” Maya asked. “Or stay here with us?”
    David snorted. “Wade’s not leaving you for a second.”
    “I can shift and I don’t have any qualms about fighting a male cat if he comes into the house,” Maya said. Not that a female against a male would be an even match. But David could shift if he had to.
    “He’s not leaving you behind,” David said, sure of his statement.
    It didn’t take long for one of the cats to cry out near the pottery barn. Another responded, then a third.
    Her heart thundering, Maya strained to watch for any sign of the cats but she couldn’t see anything because of the vegetation and stone wall surrounding
the gardens.
    A few minutes later, Everett poked his spotted orange head through the rose-covered arbor, as if telling her he was all right. Everything was fine now. Since he was still on guard duty, he turned, waving his long spotted tail in his wake, and went back to prowling. Huntley ran through the arbor and straight to the house to tell them what had happened. Once he was inside, Maya took a relieved breath and closed the back door.
    Huntley walked behind the couch to where he’d dropped his clothes and grabbed his boxers with his teeth, then headed for the bathroom. Wade shifted and grabbed his jeans. She turned her attention from how well-hung he was to his face. He winked, then headed into her bedroom to change. Not that he’d want to