Glad his brothers were there, he signaled to Austin.
"This is search party two. We're less than fifty yards from a big mound-looking thing almost two hours from Reya's jeep's position. Can't make it out. Anybody have a clue what it is?" Austin whispered into a wired headset. One of the rangers searching another part of the reserve called back.
"There are some new dig sites, recently discovered archaeological finds in your sector, search party two. It's probably the Mayflower archaeological mound. Right behind it are some stone structures that were just excavated."
A vicious roar sounded just ahead. Sounded like it came from the dig site.
"Search party two, this is search party one, do you need assistance? We hear cats in your area."
One of those cats could be Reya. Aaron knew he had to protect her and her secret at all costs.
"No, we're fine. Stay clear and just continue searching your areas. We'll radio back if there's anything to report," Aaron answered quickly, clicked off the radio and signaled silence at his brothers' raised brows.
Removing his headset, he whispered a simple "trust me" and pulled his weapons from their borrowed holsters-a lethal pistol in one hand and a tranquilizer pistol in the other.
His whole body stiffened, not from the new roar reverberating in the air but the sound of Reya's screams echoing through the bush. The first scream had been rage and frustration. The second was pure terror and pain.
Like a burst of compressed air, all three of them took off into the darkness of the jungle, legs pumping furiously, tearing through the thorny branches toward the dig site. Ignoring the scratches and tears on their faces, arms and clothing, they flew through the thankfully cleared trails and into a dense mass of vines and ferns.
There was no trail here, just a huge mound rising up out of the ground, covered with brush and vegetation. Making their way around, Aaron signaled Anthony and Austin to go to the left while he flew off to the right. If their luck held, they'd meet up together at the rear of the structure.
Adrenaline sent his heart up into his throat as it pounded from a combination of fear and hope. If anything happened to Reya he couldn't even wrap his head around what he'd do. The only thing he could see in his mind's eye was a curtain of pulsing red rage and black fear. Please, God, let him get to her in time.
The next scream froze the blood from his brain all the way down to the middle of his chest as it faded into nothing.
Just as he hoped, his brothers pushed aside the overgrown vines and thorns at the same time he did right in front of a low stone ledge that led into a newly uncovered structure of some sort. Thankfully, there was a string of dim electric torches lining the walls, obviously part of the excavation effort. Raising their night-vision goggles, Aaron again motioned for silence as they moved cautiously into the building and down a narrow earth and stone hallway to the sounds of scrapes, growls and snarls.
Toward the rear of the building, the hallway curved then opened up into a wide room. Three pairs of eyes widened at the sight of two muscular jaguars fighting to the death. Aaron recognized both cats.
"No!" he bellowed, jumping in front of his brothers as they raised their guns to fire. "Don't shoot!"
"What the hell?" Anthony yelled. "Move out of the way, Aaron!"
"No, don't shoot the black one! Oh shit!" he yelled as Reya was bowled over by the male rogue. Damn it, she'd been distracted by their arrival. The sneaky male took complete advantage of the situation, ran head on at her and plowed her into a stone wall. Stunned and disoriented, his woman lay on her side, trying desperately to make it to her feet.
Aaron ran toward her, shaking off the groping hands of his family who were trying to protect him. He understood his brothers' fear and need to keep him safe. But right now, he needed to save Reya and nothing else mattered.
"Aaron, what the hell are you doing?" Austin bellowed, trying again to grab hold of him as he ran toward the big cats.
"No! Get away!" Aaron screamed wildly, waving both guns like the crazed male he was. But the damned cat was too close to Reya. He couldn't shoot for risk of hitting her by mistake. And they'd already been down that road.
Trying desperately to hold onto consciousness, Reya turned her head enough to bare a set of wicked, long fangs, but to no avail. The rogue pounced on her, covering her semiconscious form with a fully erect jaguar cock prepared to take her.
He could not let this happen. Damn it, he had to distract it long enough …
Mere feet away from Reya, the male jag turned on him and attacked. With two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle and bone behind the blow, the impact sent Aaron's tranquilizer gun flying across the room and scuttling across the floor. But his pistol was pinned under his body as the jag's teeth sank into the vulnerable space between his neck and shoulder.
"Get clear, Aaron, damn it!" Anthony called frantically. Aaron knew there was no chance in hell of getting a clear shot with the jaguar right on top of him. His only chance was to get his weapon from where it was pressed into his stomach.
The crunch of teeth against bone echoed in Aaron's ears, but all he registered was the sight of Reya, lying much too still against the wall.
The male had hurt her. A rage beyond comprehension or control filled him with new strength, new heart, new determination to avenge his woman.
Anthony and Austin were on either side of him now, deftly avoiding the sharp claws of the big cat on his back. Suddenly he was free, turning to see the huge male bearing down on him again, the razor-sharp maw headed straight for his skull.
No match for the strong jaws, primal instinct kicked in, erasing any hint of fear. He raised his gun. The jag batted it away and it joined the tranq gun across the room. Raising a fist, he shoved it down the jag's throat, effectively choking him. Now the tables were turned as the rogue struggled to get free.
Scooting back, Aaron rolled clear just as the loud pop of two handguns echoed in the ancient chamber they were in. He looked back to see the jag lying still, his head and chest oozing blood.
A low, tired groan caught his attention. Reya.
On unsteady feet, Aaron eased around the dead jag's body to Reya's side just as she stood up. Even in the dim light of the torch-lit shelter, she was beautiful. Scratches, wobbly furred legs and all.
"Uh, Aaron," Austin queried, gun still raised. "That's a fucking jaguar. Step away, little brother."
"Real slow … " Anthony finished the sentence.
"It's okay. She's a friendly jaguar. Saved my ass more than once from this cat you just shot." Aaron sank to his knees and buried his face into the neck of the most beautiful creature any of them had ever seen this close up. In pain, but apparently all right, she licked his hand as he ruffled the thick hair behind her ears.
"Oh god, Reya. I was so afraid I'd lost you this time. I love you so much, I don't know what I would have done. This is the last time you're out of my sight, I swear," he whispered fervently into her ear.
So unique, even if she weren't a shifter. Beautiful, strong, capable and fearless. What more could a man want? Well, actually he did want something more. And now was as good a time as any to try to get it.
For her ears only, Aaron said, "You never gave me an answer to my question. Will you marry me, sweetheart?"
Ducking her head under his hand, astonished gasps sounded from the amazed men standing near the entrance as she purred loudly. He would take that as a yes.
Looking up, laughter bubbled up out of his chest at Anthony and Austin's astonished expressions. What a Kodak moment! Pretty sure he'd never seen that look on either of their faces in his entire life, Aaron chuckled then winced as the punctures in his neck pulsed. He'd forgotten all about the bite from the dead cat. But he'd worry about that later. Right now was for family.
"Can your new brothers pet you, sweetheart?"
The large black jaguar flopped to the ground, laid her head in Aaron's lap and licked her paws. Nobody moved. After a moment, her large gray eyes turned on the two James brothers, standing with their mouths hanging clear down to their knees. With a muted roar and a little encouragement from Aaron, they too kneeled on the dirt-packed floor to touch the silky fur of a regal black jaguar.
While his brothers dragged the lifeless body of the rogue male out to the main trail, Aaron sent Reya home under the noses of Anthony, Austin and the search parties. An hour later, a radio transmission flashed through from the ranger station. Reya had been found. She'd been attacked by a rogue jaguar but managed to make it back to the station.
Way to go, sweetheart, he thought, impressed with her ability to sneak past a whole pack of humans walking around in the pitch black of the jungle with night-vision goggles. And she must have hauled ass to make it back so fast. Hell, he wouldn't mind being a shifter!