Junglecat Honeymoon: Manhattan Ten, Book 3.5 Read Online Free PDF Page A

the ground, neither gaining advantage.
    I have to end this.
    There.
    The broken spear.
    I grabbed it mid-motion. As we rolled again, I brought the obsidian tip to Quan’s jugular.
    “Yield.” He met my gaze. “I yield.”
    All I could do was stare at his pulse. That delicious, throbbing pulse.
    Moving. His heart beating.
    It would be so easy…
    A drop of blood glided down the spear tip.
    “Ivory!”
    That voice stole my attention. It always would.
    Panther sprinted from the temple. I dropped the spear and he only had to cover half the distance between us.
    I was already on my way to him.
    We crashed together, arms twining each other’s bodies. His heart raced and perspiration slicked his dark skin.
    “I am so sorry,” he whispered against my neck.
    I relaxed into his warmth, letting his presence seep all the way to my soul. “You’re here now.” The adrenaline pumping through my body began to subside as I drank him in.
    Panther pressed me so close I could hardly breathe, but I wouldn’t dare ask him to pull back. He pressed his forehead to mine. “What exactly did they do to you?”
    “Took away my ice and forced me into a panther gauntlet.” It seemed not to matter now that he was here. “Are you all right?”
    “I’m fine. All I got were the knock-out drugs.” His hands ran over me. “God, you’re warm. Are you sure you’re okay? You’re bleeding. Why are you bleeding?”
    “Shh.” I pressed into him, hiding my wounds. “Apparently I’m an easy target when I don’t have my powers.”
    Pan snorted. “I can guess how that went.”
    “They tried.” Not very successfully .
    He kissed me in a lingering press of lips, but pulled away too soon. “Let me handle some business here?”
    “Please.”
    He kissed my forehead and turned to his brother, muscles cording as his fists bunched. “I’m going to fucking kill you, Quan.”
    “Can you?” Quan cracked his knuckles as a smile spread across his face. “Or would you rather fight me for her?”
    A feral roar ripped from Pan’s throat. In a breath, his form shifted to four paws and he lunged for Quan.
    Quan reacted just as quickly. They collided in a pile of big cat, all tearing claws and fangs and rippling black muscles.
    Somehow, I was content. They would settle this body-to-body, and Panther wouldn’t lose.
    “It was beautiful.” Poya clasped me in a hug, not bothered that I would have killed her son. “You are welcome in our family.”
    She even sounded sincere. What strange people these panthers were.
    I patted her shoulders, trying to be less awkward than I felt after her sudden change in attitude. “Next time you want to test me, please ask. I would have respected your customs.”
    “No. I have seen your warrior’s spirit and you are proven.” She released me and beamed. “All I require now are grandchildren.”
    I cringed. “Perhaps in a few years…” I had never thought of children before; why should I when the mothers kept trying to kill me? Pan and I would have to decide that later. Decades later. Neither of us aged much.
    “At least four.” Poya gazed fondly at her sons, who still clawed and yowled, fighting for advantage. “And you must help me find a good woman for Tequani. He is too old to be alone, and too picky.”
    I doubted Quan had any trouble finding women on his own, but I might know someone… “Wait. Don’t I own him now?”
    Poya nodded. “Although you cannot keep both as husbands. We’ll name you a Jaguar Warrior, if you wish to stay with us…?”
    It was amazing how quickly I’d gone from unworthy to child-breeding member of their warrior family. “We’re both committed in Manhattan.” More than committed, we were happy there.
    “You must visit for the New Year at least.”
    “I’ll ask Balam.” It might be nice to have a place to let loose. Manhattan had so many more buildings and people to break.
    A pack of panthers strode through the trees, all warriors I’d defeated. “Do I have claim on