On The Prowl Read Online Free PDF

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    It was the last she heard. Daniel’s words were cut off by the growls and snarls of the jaguars that appeared, as if by magic, to surround them in the passage.
    “Daniel!” She turned back, desperate to be next to him, but a large black jaguar stood between them. Two more advanced behind Daniel, and she feared they’d attack him. But they stopped behind him, crouched and snarling.
    “Stand still, Addison. Don’t move.” Daniel stood, relaxed but alert, the machete held loosely in one hand. “Don’t run.”
    “You will turn and face me.”
    The voice behind her was deep and regal, almost melodious. And tinged with contempt. Addison turned to meet the man who’d spoken.
    “It’s you.” Her voice was just above a whisper, barely audible above the sound of the jaguars, and the rain.
    The man from the ledge stood before her, arms folded across his muscular chest, face in shadow, backlit in an open doorway. He wore nothing but a loincloth and cape, both made of brightly patterned cloth. She tried not to stare, but it was as if she’d been transported back in time, to stand before an Incan ruler. But something flickered in his proud eyes, and she sensed a moment of confusion within the man. Then, as soon as it appeared, it vanished, and he was once again a proud, if contemptuous-looking, Incan.
    “I am Griffin. And you are trespassing on sacred ground. You realize the penalty is death?”
    Behind her Daniel started to speak. The jaguars’ growls overrode his voice, the sound echoing eerily off the stone walls.
    Griffin held up his hand, glaring at Daniel. “I’m not interested in what you have to say. But you …” He pointed to Addison and she resisted taking a step back. “Why are you here?”
    “I’ve come to find a flower, an orchid. It’s to cure my sister. It’s the orchid the Incas used to cure their own people.”
    Griffin’s gaze flickered again with that strange uncertainty again. “How do you know about this orchid?”
    “It’s my job, my profession, to learn about flowers, and how they were used to treat illness. My sister—my twin—cannot be cured with modern medicine. I believe only medicine made from the orchid will cure her.”
    “So you’re here for family. To save what you have.”
    She nodded, not sure if she should say anything else. He seemed satisfied with her answer. Then, to her bewilderment, a subtle change came over Griffin. The imperious attitude remained, but there seemed to be a softening, something giving way inside. His eyes lost a fraction of the hardness. When he spoke, his voice was slightly less harsh.
    “Family is all we have, the clan we’re born into, or the clan that takes us in and accepts us as their own.”
    Addison took a step forward. Daniel made a noise, but she ignored him. Griffin’s eyes never left hers.
    “Will you help me find the orchid? You know where it is.”
    “I do. But what will you do for me, if I help you?”
    “What… anything…what do you want?”
    He stepped forward, the light catching his face. Addison saw the scar running along the edge of his eye, and then saw his brilliant green eyes. Her eyes widened, everything she’d seen coming together.
    “You…the jaguar on the path, and the ledge. It was you, all along. How…”
    The smile that crossed his face was less friendly than tolerant. “For being so educated, you know very little.”
    She bristled. Jaguar, or Inca, or not, he’d hit a nerve. “I know enough. I know I need that orchid.” What she had to say next took all her resolve. “And I know I need your help.” Admitting that was harder than anything she’d ever done.
    “You may not know everything, but at least you’re honest.” He took another step forward, eyes traveling over her. She felt she was being evaluated for something.
    “I have a proposition. Accept, and I will help you find your orchid. Reject, and, if I’m feeling generous, you will be escorted out of our territory. If I’m not