Read NocC 004 - The Ancients 03 - Bonnie Vanak - Hunted by the Jaguar - Harlequin 2011-12 for Free Online Page A

one, gently thumbing the nipple. Jarrett swept a hand down her body, beneath her rear and lifted her to his straining erection. Pleasure sang in her veins, a natural erotic response to the dominating pressure, the pleasure promised in his kiss.
    Yet beneath the surface burned no fire, no emotion like the kisses she’d shared with Daimon. Her body reacted, but her spirit did not. Only pity hummed deep inside.
    Jarrett broke the kiss, his dark eyes narrowing.
    Sighing, she reached up and touched his face. Lines creased his mouth. Ariana suddenly knew he was young but had lived a hard life. Her angelic half surged, filling her with white light. A vision shimmered in the distance.
    “She’s all right now. There is no more pain, no more suffering. She’s with your unborn child, and they await you on the other side, when your time comes. But you must not grieve anymore. You have work here yet to do. Her love for you will never die, Jarrett. She will always be with you, in your heart.”
    He blinked furiously, his body losing the tension. Moisture shimmered in his eyes as he stared in stricken confusion.
    “Chloe,” he whispered.
    Anguish radiated in every syllable. A single tear leaked from the corner of his eye. Jarrett brushed it away. “How do you know about her?”
    The spell broken, she blinked. “Her?”
    “Dammit. Those powers of yours, get her back.” His voice quavered. “Please.”
    The broken voice shattered her heart. Ariana shook her head. “I’m sorry, Jarrett. I can’t.”
    He closed his eyes, his jaw taut. Then they opened and narrowed with angry purpose.
    “So what? The past is gone. You’re all that matters now, Ariana. You and your demon half. What’s inside you will be released and then I’ll have enough power to defeat Daimon and kill every one of those jaguars.”
    Tears clogged her throat. Beneath the arrogant statement lurked a heart so shattered she wondered if it would ever mend. Her gentle spirit ached to ease his pain.
    Ariana cupped his face tenderly, soothing with her touch. Jarrett blinked and confusion settled over his face. For a moment, she saw hope there as well.
    But the moment ended when she heard the sound of the metal door being torn off its hinges. As the door was tossed aside, Ariana peeked over Jarrett’s shoulder. Daimon’s emerald eyes narrowed in pure rage.
    He threw Lawson out using his powers. The werewolf landed on hard ground with a surprised “umph!”
    Daimon reached inside, grabbed her hand. He gave no time to think or act as he helped her out of the truck. With a loud snap, her restraints fell off.
    “The car’s parked on the main road. Run and don’t look back.”
    The baritone pitch of his voice became lower, threatening as he watched Jarrett stand. Beneath his dark brows, Daimon’s eyes glittered with rage and then narrowed. The werewolf uttered a snarl that made the tiny hairs on her nape salute the air.
    This was going to get very ugly very fast.
    “He didn’t hurt me,” she told him.
    “You know better than to sniff around another woman, Lawson. My woman.”
    Jarrett sniffed the air. “She’s not yours. Yet.” The werewolf swayed on his feet as if caught in a terrible windstorm. Or a transformation.
    “I’m not a damn toy you can fight over,” she protested. Ariana bunched her fists, feeling the demon rise. She wanted to toss both of them on their behinds.
    She wanted to run far away and never look back.
    But the torment swirling in Daimon’s eyes caught and held her like a fly in a spider’s silky web. Something greater was at stake, and the white light inside her urged her to discover the truth.
    A painful truth both these men hid.
    A warning growl rumbled from Daimon’s deep chest. “Don’t force me to draw more blood, Jarrett.”
    Something flickered in the other’s gaze. “What does it matter anymore, cat? I’ve already lost everything that matters most to me. You know we’ll keep at this until one of us lies dead on the