The Jaguar Prince

This was it. The end. What did she have to show for her life here on Earth? She hadn’t even gotten the job she’d worked so hard for.

Or to tell Rogar she loved him.

She loved him. She did. With all her heart.

Callie tried to raise her hand, to hit at Zerod, but she didn’t have the strength.

Suddenly, she felt a great weight push her against the bars of the cage. She fell to the ground, oxygen filled her lungs. She took great gulps as the fog cleared from her brain.

Zerod screamed. She opened her eyes. Sheba, not Balam, had attacked him. How had she gotten out? Callie shook her head to clear it, but when she looked again, she saw that Zerod was changing into his animal guide with a swiftness that could only come with age. He would kill Sheba. The jaguar wouldn’t be able to fight his experience.

Anger swelled inside her fast and furious. Fire burned deep in her belly as a familiar ache grew and fog moved over her. She stretched, welcoming whatever help she could give.

This time the shapeshifting felt different. She felt different.

She groaned. Then blinked.

Together we will conquer him, the voice inside her spoke.

Katun?

We meet at last my friend.

Callie blinked, and knew she was seeing through the eyes of her jaguar guide. And yes, she knew she was jaguar. Callie didn’t need a mirror this time.

She could feel Katun’s power, her strength, as she joined forces with Sheba.

Zerod’s animal guide was no match for the two of them. They continued pressing forward, attacking from both sides, until they had him backed into Sheba’s cage. Sheba rammed her head against it and the door clicked shut.

Zerod’s injuries were many. He growled one last time, then dropped to the straw bed, waiting for his injuries to heal. But for now, he was out of commission, and they were safe.

Thank you, Katun.

You are welcome, my sister.

Callie smiled, liking the idea that they were sisters. Then just as suddenly, she collapsed to the ground. What was happening? Had she been injured? She closed her eyes as she began to shift back to her human side.

So much had happened.

I’m not ready to say good-bye, Katun.

You have other things to attend to that I cannot help you do.

What other things?

But Katun was already gone and fog was rolling in. Rogar hadn’t mentioned other things that Callie needed to do when she changed into her animal guide for the first time. Maybe there was a procedure that she was supposed to follow, or a ceremony.

She blinked several times until her vision cleared. Callie knew she had shifted back to her human form. She looked around. There was a woman kneeling beside her. A very beautiful woman, with long dark hair. And she wore a gentle smile.

“Hello, Callie.” Her voice was like soft music.

There was something familiar about her, but Callie couldn’t put her finger on what it was. “Who are you?”

“I am Recina.”

“Do I know you?” She looked at the other woman, and noticed Recina wore her shirt. Nothing else, just her shirt, but it reached the top of her thighs.

“You know me as Sheba.”

She quickly sat up and glanced around. Sheba was gone. Her gaze went back to Recina. “You’re Symtarian?”

Recina nodded. “Yes.”

“Did someone send you to watch over me all these years?” It didn’t make sense. Sheba had been at the zoo almost as long as Callie. Too long for someone to live in a cage just to watch over her.

“Once I found you, and it took many years, I knew I had to stay close although it meant I would lose some of my freedom. I also knew that Zerod would detect my Symtarian scent, but not so much my animal guide’s scent, especially when I was surrounded by other animals.”

Callie could feel her heart begin to pound as tears pooled in her eyes. “But why would you do that?”

“That’s what mothers do, Callie. They love their children more than anything else.” And just so Callie would truly understand. “I’m your mother.”

Chapter 30

“You’re my mother?” Callie said, but she knew Recina spoke the truth. Now Callie knew why she felt such a connection here; it was Sheba. She’d felt that bond between them.

“I am,” Recina told her.

Callie threw her arms around Recina and hugged her tight. “I’ve missed having you in my life. Please don’t ever leave me again. I’ve felt so lost and alone without you.”

“I won’t, my child.” She held Callie just as tight. “I’ve wanted to hold you close so many times, but I was afraid to take the chance of shifting.”

There was a groan behind them. She looked over her shoulder and saw the fog.

“Rogar is shifting.” Then Callie realized there was going to be a lot of naked people in the zoo. Not good if a guard happened by. Poor old Ben would have a heart attack. “I’ll get his clothes.” She jumped up, but at the last minute, turned back. “Don’t leave.”

“I won’t.”

Callie hurried back to where she and Rogar had made love, and grabbed his shirt off the ground. “Great way to meet your mom, buck naked.” She shook her head as she slipped Rogar’s shirt on, which fit her more like a short dress.

This is what I needed to finish, wasn’t it, Katun?

Yes, my sister.

Have you always known about Sheba?

Only recently did I begin to suspect.

You’re a jaguar. She smiled, liking that her guide was an animal she dearly loved.

Yes.

I’m glad.

She hurried to finish buttoning her shirt, then grabbed up Rogar’s other clothes, and hurried back.

Balam had shifted back to Rogar while she was gone. He was sitting up, but he still looked groggy. He glanced up when he heard her approach.

“Tell Ben that if he shoots Balam again, the jaguar will eat him.”

She smiled. His gaze swept over her.

“You’re okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “And you?”

He shrugged. “Groggy.”

“This is my mother.”

“I know. We’ve been talking.”

“And I met my animal guide.”

“Katun?”