A Jaguar's Kiss

Owen Wright, alpha of his wolf pack, hasn’t seen jaguar

shifter Gabriela Segura in nearly ten years. She was his

first love—until he did something to drive her away just as

their relationship was heating up. Now Gabriela has

returned to Montana, and his craving for her is stronger than

ever….

But a recent string of brutal attacks on humans have the

wolves suspicious of the jaguars, threatening the tenuous

peace between the packs. Before he can claim Gabriela

as his mate, they must join forces to prove her family’s

innocence and track down the true predator.

A Jaguar’s Kiss

Katie Reus

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Nocturne Cravings BPA

Copyright

Gabriela Segura slowed her rental truck as she drove down

Main Street in Bear Mountain, Montana. A faint smile

touched her lips at the name of the town she’d grown up in.

Wolf and jaguar shifters lived in a town named after a bear.

Unfortunately the man who’d broken her heart also lived

here. That thought made her smile wane as a familiar

heaviness settled inside her. She mental y shook herself,

trying to banish thoughts of the past.

Even though it was five o’clock in the morning, she

spotted the bright blue neon OPEN sign at Lucky’s Diner.

She mental y sighed in appreciation and found a spot about

a block down from the restaurant. After traveling for nearly

forty-eight hours straight and living off airport food, she

wanted real coffee and a home-cooked meal. And God

bless her mother; the woman just couldn’t cook so before

she made it home, Lucky’s was cal ing her name.

The icy-cold wind whipped against her face the moment

she opened the truck door, but with her jaguar blood it

didn’t bother her much. She scented a wolf shifter nearby

but didn’t look around. The Wright pack made their home in

Bear Mountain and Gabriela would be fine if she never saw

any of them again. Especial y Owen Wright, son of the

pack’s Alpha. If she hadn’t desperately needed a break

from her job and the loss she’d recently experienced, she

wouldn’t even be here.

As she opened the front door to the diner, the bel jingled

loudly above her head. For a brief moment the place

quieted and the dozen or so men in flannel shirts and

cowboy hats looked at her with curiosity. She hadn’t been

home in almost four years and she knew this place didn’t

get many strangers. To many in this town, she would be just

that.

Just as quickly the noise resumed, so she hurried to the

counter and ordered a coffee before looking at the menu

the harried waitress placed in front of her.

“Wel , wel , wel , if it isn’t Gabby Segura. Couldn’t even

cal to let me know you’d be in town this morning.” A

teasing, familiar female voice made her turn.

Her high school best friend, Sharon Damico, slid onto the

swivel stool next to her. She talked to Sharon fairly often

and her friend had even offered Gabriela a job should she

ever want it—she shoved that thought from her mind. A

twinge of guilt settled inside her for not cal ing to tel Sharon

she’d caught an earlier flight but seeing her friend in

uniform made her giggle.

Gabriela shook her head as she looked her friend up and

down, taking in the brown-and-tan polyester uniform that

proclaimed Sharon the sheriff of the town. “Nice digs.”

A half grin quirked Sharon’s mouth. “I wouldn’t talk if I

were you.”

Gabriela ran a hand through her hair and laughed under

her breath. After traveling for so many hours straight, she’d

been wearing her now rumpled dark jeans and black

sweater for longer than she cared to admit. She might need

a shower and a bed but she needed good food more. “I

won’t argue with you there.”

Sharon continued grinning and started to say more when

the bel jingled again. At the scent of a wolf shifter, Gabriela

tensed as she glanced over her shoulder. She inwardly

cursed. It was Ethan Wright, brother of the one man on the

planet she had no desire to see.
Ever.

Gritting her teeth, Gabriela turned back to face Sharon,

who had gone quiet. Sharon had no clue about shifters, but

she did know about Gabriela’s former relationship with

Owen. Gabriela fished out a bil and dropped it on the

counter to pay for her coffee. She’d rather eat her mom’s

cooking than deal with Ethan. For al she knew, Owen

wasn’t far behind him. Seeing him now when she hadn’t

showered in days and looked like a freaking hobo? No,

thanks. “Mind if I cal you later?” she murmured, hating that

Ethan could probably hear her anyway, thanks to his

oversensitive ears.

Sharon shook her head as she frowned in Ethan’s

direction, but smiled softly at Gabriela. “No prob.”

“I promise I’l cal as soon as I’ve settled in. We can grab

a drink the next time you have a night off.” Gabriela gave

her a quick hug before sliding off the stool. Barely glancing

in Ethan’s direction, even though she could feel his eyes on

her, she skirted past him and was out the door in seconds.

Thankful for the fresh air, she sucked in a deep breath. With

his blue-black hair, Ethan resembled his brother so much it

was difficult to even look at him.

Her flat boots were quiet against the sidewalk. So were

the man’s behind her, but she could scent him, anyway. Out

of al the shifter breeds, she could smel wolves the

strongest. Probably because of that whole cats and dogs

thing.

“Gabriela.” Ethan fel in step with her. He was about four

years younger so she didn’t know him as wel as she’d

known Owen, but he had that same confident swagger now

that he’d grown up.

She gave him a quick glance. “That would be my name.”

“What are you doing here?” He sounded genuinely

confused.

She hadn’t been gone
that
long. Okay, wel four—actual y

almost five—years was stretching it. “Uh, my family
lives

here.”

“I know that. But what…are you here because of the

attacks?” Now his voice hardened and when she looked at

him again, those blue eyes of his were stony and angry.

She had no idea what he was talking about and she

didn’t plan to waste time chatting with him. The last few

months at work had been hel . Some dear friends had died

and right now she didn’t need any crappy reminders from

her past literal y staring her in the face and acting al hostile.

Remaining silent, she pressed the key fob to the truck

she’d rented. As she reached the driver-side door, she

turned to look over her shoulder and tel Ethan to get lost.

That’s when she noticed the weapon in his hand. Maybe

it was the lack of sleep the past few days, but she blinked

once as she stared at the barrel of the gun pointed right at

once as she stared at the barrel of the gun pointed right at

her.

“Step back,” he said quietly, his voice a sharpened

blade.

“Are you
seriously
pointing a gun at me?” she asked,

staring at the SIG, surprised her voice didn’t shake.

Considering the “retrieval” work she did for the CIA, she

dealt with al sorts of guns, but to have one held on her by a

semiacquaintance

in

the

middle

of

her

smal

hometown....She shook her head, certain that this was a

mistake. “What—”

“I don’t know why you’re here but if you think you can help

your family cover up the attacks, think again,” he growled

softly.

“Uh, attacks?” Gabriela hadn’t shifted in days and her

reflexes were dul ed. Not to mention she was in the

beginning stages of heat and was extremely edgy.

Something she definitely didn’t want to think about right

now. For a moment she contemplated trying to take the

weapon from him, but he read her expression.

Ethan shook his head and slid into her front seat,

keeping his weapon trained on her. “I’m moving over to the

passenger seat and you’re getting in the driver’s seat. Try

anything stupid and I’l pump you ful of silver.”

She paused, trying to determine if she could shift to her

feline form quick enough to escape. It was possible. He

might clip her with a bul et, but she doubted he’d want to

make a huge scene in the middle of downtown. Then again,

he’d pul ed a freaking
gun
on her. This was way too

disturbing and she couldn’t get a read on what he was

thinking or if he was even serious. Sure, she and Owen

hadn’t parted on the best terms, but there had never been

any hostility between her family and his pack. Ethan’s

actions were…crazy.

When she spotted two men and Sharon—al humans—

walking down the sidewalk, she realized she didn’t have a

choice but to go with Ethan.

Most humans didn’t know about the existence of her kind.

Her entire family went to great lengths to keep not only their

shifter abilities a secret but the fact that jaguars roamed

this area. If she decided to turn into a giant jaguar in the

middle of Main Street…yeah, that would go over real y wel .

And she couldn’t risk Ethan harming anyone innocent.

She got into the front seat and started the engine. Rage

surged through her-potent and strong-and completely

drowned out her fear. Though it didn’t smother her common

sense. She might be angry but she wasn’t stupid enough to

lunge for the weapon. When her claws unsheathed, ripping

into the pseudo-leather of the steering wheel, she had to

take a deep breath and get her jaguar under control. “Drive