Guarding His Heart Read online

  Table of Contents

  Guarding His Heart

  Guarding His Heart Copyright © 2015, Serena Pettus

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Want to read more Southern Pride?

  Dear Readers,

  Also Available from Resplendence Publishing

  ResplendencePublishing.com - Gems of Romantic Fiction -

  Guarding His Heart

  A Southern Pride Story

  By Serena Pettus

  Resplendence Publishing

  R·>♦<·P

  www.resplendencepublishing.com

  Gems of Romantic Fiction

  Guarding His Heart

  Copyright © 2015, Serena Pettus

  Edited by Michele Paulin and Liza Green

  Cover Art by Kris Norris

  Published by Resplendence Publishing, LLC

  1093 A1A Beach Blvd, #146

  St. Augustine, FL 32080

  Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-849-7

  Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Electronic Release: January 2015

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

  Welcome to Pride, Texas, the home of cowboys, roughnecks, southern charm…and shifters.

  After being charged with Lynn Edwards’ protection, along with that of the future Prima, Jag found himself in a difficult situation. His inner jaguar recognizes Lynn as their mate, but he isn’t entirely sure how to approach her.

  A rogue shifter provides him yet another chance to protect her, but a few overheard words leaves her hurt and unwilling to so much as look at him. How can he possibly mend things if she won’t even allow him near her?

  Lynn is still adjusting to a life amongst shifters and considers herself to be handling things well, especially since she’s fallen for one. Now, she’s landed on the radar of another set of rogues, hell-bent on “cleansing” the shifter nation of any who would sully their lines by mating with humans.

  The question is can she forgive Jag and allow him to guard her as he longs to do? Or will the rogues finally succeed in destroying them both?

  This story is dedicated to the readers and friends who have supported me as I strive to make this hobby into a full-time career. I’m hoping to make that dream a reality in the next few years, and then I can bring even more stories to life for you guys to enjoy. For now, enjoy these crazy shifters!

  Thank you!!

  Chapter One

  Who knew a trip to Vegas would change her whole life? Keyed up from an attack by rogue shifters, Lynn Edwards tried to relax. She’d been given a room at the new shifter-only resort after the ordeal, but her brain wouldn’t stop going over everything that had happened recently. It had been an insane few months, that was for sure, and it all started when Lynn and her best friend, Samantha, had taken an impulsive trip to Las Vegas.

  As it turned out, that excursion had ended with them being plunged into a whole new reality. Now, she suddenly knew people who could transform into lions, jaguars, cougars—hell just about any predator! There was also the group of rogue shifters who had a real hate-on for humans.

  Suffice it to say, her head spun with it all. Just the previous night—amidst a rogue attack—Samantha had given birth to her son, Eli, the child she’d conceived with her mate, Dylan, while in Las Vegas. Eli would grow up to be a powerful lion shifter. With Dylan being the Prime of the lion shifter Pride, Samantha was now considered the Prima, despite her humanity.

  The shifters Dylan ruled had a wonderful community tucked away from humans. How they’d managed to keep it hidden she’d never know. The new, massive resort, where they’d given her a room tonight, would surely draw some major attention, but with it being a private affair, Dylan didn’t seem too worried.

  Sitting on her bed, Lynn rubbed her tired eyes with her palms and noted the smell of gunpowder still clung to her hands. She’d unloaded two clips during the standoff with the rogues this evening. The cheating bastards had brought guns of their own, so in her opinion, it was only fair that she even things up. However, once the dust had settled and they were making a dash back to the clinic with a laboring Samantha, another rogue had slammed into their truck and one of Dylan’s men, Jag, had leapt out, fighting off the mountain lion shifter and ensuring their escape.

  That had been the last time she’d seen Jag. The images of the snarling cats rolling around in a fight to the death haunted her and would likely plague her dreams for many nights to come.

  Jag had been the man charged of Samantha and Lynn’s safety over the past weeks, the one who’d spirited them away to his home tonight in order to protect them when the other shifters had stormed Samantha’s house. His icy blue eyes had followed her more often than not whenever they were in a room together. Already an attraction had grown between them—at least, on her end.

  He’d been through a lot according to Dylan and his smart-assed brother, Liam, but none of that mattered to Lynn. To her he was a strong, capable man. The fact that he was hot as hell didn’t hurt matters either. His distrusting, often cold looks had put her off at first, but over the weeks they’d spent together, he’d grown on her and she on him.

  Where things could have gone might remain a mystery. With him being off who-knew-where, Lynn wasn’t sure if they’d ever get the chance to find out.

  Relaxing back against the fluffy pillows on her bed, she managed to doze a little, but when she’d finally reached a level of exhaustion that would allow her to rest, despite her worry, someone started banging the hell out of her door.

  After flinging away the covers, she stomped over to the door then yanked it open to find a panting Liam just outside. His sandy hair was a tangled mess and his eyes were a bit wild, almost as if he were near to panicking.

  Shit, we’re not under attack again, are we?

  “We need you back at the clinic, now. They’re bringing Jag in, but he’s hurt and there’s no way he’ll let Dr. Lewis near him.”

  “Why not? It’s not like I know enough about you guys to be of much help,” Lynn pointed out. Her mind whirled with questions. How badly was he hurt? Where had be been all this time?

  “No time to worry about it now. I’m pretty sure you’re the only one he won’t try to kill right now.”

  “Kill?” Lynn shrieked. Just what the hell was going on?

  “Listen, when we’re hurt, if it’s bad enough, the animal inside takes over, shielding us from the worst of the pain. From the reports I’m getting, it’s bad.”

  Lynn had heard enough. Shoving Liam out of the way, she took off down the hall, grateful her room was on the first floor. She burst through the front doors, sprinting down the street on her bare feet, heading straight for the clinic.

  She heard the snarls and crashes as soon as she opened the door. Liam was right on her heels. “He’s back here,” he said, sliding past her and leading the way.

  She watched as he pulled a gun from the back of his pants, and Lynn froze, an icy fury rising within her. “You are not going to shoot him,” she gr
owled.

  “Relax, it’s a tranquilizer gun, and yes, I will knock his ass out if I think he might hurt you. Don’t worry, I won’t let him see it, so he shouldn’t freak out from it. I have a hunch he likes you, a lot. I’m counting on that to help calm him down enough for you to patch him up.”

  “Uh, okay. If you say so.” Sure, she knew how to put stitches in, but with her being an OB/GYN, she was usually putting in sutures under much calmer circumstances. With the way Jag stared at her, Lynn wasn’t certain if it was because he liked her or because she was human.

  Liam just gave her a nod then turned to continue down the hall. Another loud crash and the combination of a roar and a hiss had Liam kicking the door in. They found Jag, still in his jaguar form, on one side of the table with Dr. Lewis on the other holding a wicked-looking needle in his hand.

  “Jag, come on, man,” Liam coaxed. “I’ve got Lynn here.”

  At Liam’s mention of her name, Jag’s big head swung around, his icy eyes pinning her to the spot.

  “Hi, Jag.” Lame, but she couldn’t think of anything else at the moment. “Um, why don’t you come over here and let me take a look at you?”

  Inching into the room, Lynn spotted another big cat on an examining table against a wall. Its fur was matted with blood, but it looked as if it was a mountain lion or possibly a puma. Yeah, if Jag had done that much damage, she was completely okay with Liam’s tranq gun.

  With Jag’s attention focused on Lynn, Dr. Lewis crept toward him, obviously intent on injecting whatever was in that syringe of his.

  “I wouldn’t—”

  Too late. Jag swung around, his rear flank bumping into her and pushing as he backed up. Did he think he was protecting her from the doctor? Christ, he did!

  It all made sense now. With him having been trapped inside of a zoo for so many years after being captured in his shifted form of course his inner animal would freak out. And if his jaguar had taken over as Liam had said, Jag would probably view anybody in a lab coat as an enemy. To him, she wasn’t a threat in her pajama pants and tank.

  Once he had Lynn neatly cornered, he paced, his tail dragging over her breasts in a most distracting manner, the tip grazing them with every swipe. It was almost like a housecat rubbing itself against someone’s leg, only Jag was so damned big his body was against her stomach.

  “What are you doing?” She didn’t expect him to answer, with him being a cat and all, but when Liam explained, her knees almost buckled.

  “He’s scent marking you.” Liam’s eyes locked with hers. “It’s his way of telling others that you’re his.”

  “Oh, shit,” she whispered.

  “Pretty much. I didn’t expect this. I just figured since he was used to you, he’d let you help him.”

  She saw the worry in Liam’s eyes, but when she glanced down at the large black feline before her, Lynn noted the blood now smeared all over her shirt and pants. Jag was hurt, but while there was a threat in the room, he wasn’t likely to allow her to treat him. “He’s bleeding pretty freely. Dr. Lewis, please lay out what I’ll need to get him sutured then I need you all to leave.”

  “But he’s dangerous,” the doctor argued, stepping forward again, only to stop when Jag crouched. “See? He’s ready to attack me already and I’m a shifter. I can’t leave a human alone with him in this condition. He could kill you!”

  Lynn knew this. She wasn’t stupid though. Obviously, he was more interested in protecting her than attacking. “I’ll be fine,” she replied, looking to Liam and hoping he saw the plea in her eyes.

  “We won’t go far,” Liam promised. “You call out, and we’ll be here in a heartbeat.”

  “Thank you.”

  Both men backed from the room, clearly not wanting to give Jag an opening to spring on them. The door closed, and she and Jag were alone now. She edged forward slowly so as not to spook him in any way. To her surprise, he allowed it and even followed by her side when she came to the empty examining table. He kept his attention divided between her and the shifter on the gurney, but the other cat appeared to be out cold at the moment.

  “Jag?” He looked up at her then, no hint of aggression present in his expression. She was relieved. “Can you please change back? You’re hurt, and I want to help you, but I don’t think I can do that with you as a cat.”

  She watched as he looked around the room again, his eyes lingering on the unconscious feline before he shook his head. The next thing she knew, he was on the ground, the sounds of bones snapping overly loud in the otherwise quiet room. Within moments, he was back in human form, and Lynn got her first look at the damage he’d sustained.

  “Oh, damn,” she gasped.

  Long, angry gashes crossed his stomach where it appeared the other shifter had tried to gut him. More slashes marred his back, and there were deep punctures to his left leg where he’d been bitten.

  She’d seen how quickly these guys could heal, so she could only imagine what these wounds must have looked like hours ago. The thought was chilling.

  He lay there with his eyes closed, his breathing heavy and fists clenched. She was sure he was awake but gave him a minute to compose himself, knowing the level of pain he experienced was something she’d never want to feel.

  When his eyes opened, he looked her then struggled to his feet, using the gurney for support. He faced her again. “Please tell me I didn’t hurt you.”

  Confused, Lynn looked down. “This is your blood. You kept rubbing up against me when I first came in,” she explained. His eyes widened, and she hurried to fill him in, since it looked as though he didn’t remember much. “You freaked out when Dr. Lewis tried to give you a shot to calm you down.”

  “The last I remember, I was holding the rogue down while the doc sedated him,” he explained, nodding toward the feline across the room. “The doc came toward me with another syringe, and my jaguar took over from there.” Jag shook his head as if trying to clear it. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”

  “It’s fine. I didn’t know what to expect coming in here. Liam just told me you were hurt and in trouble. I ran straight over here to help.” She gestured to the side table. “Can I get you cleaned up and bandaged now? I’d hate for you to scar because they weren’t properly closed.”

  When he shrugged and hopped up onto the table, she took that as a “yes”. Doctor Lewis had left out some sutures, butterfly strips and enough gauze to wrap Jag like a mummy. Seeing the syringe he’d also left on the counter, Lynn slipped it into her pocket, lest Jag see it and panic. She didn’t have any fear of him attacking her, therefore she had no intention of sedating him, ever.

  “Let me get some Lidocaine to numb around the worst of these so I can stitch them up. I think he keeps it in the cabinet over there.”

  She’d only gone halfway when Jag snarled behind her. Spinning to see what was the matter, she came face-to-face with the massive cat that had somehow come to and managed to launch itself at her.

  Lynn hit the floor with a painful thwack. Her head bounced off the linoleum, as stars burst behind her lids. An immense pressure on her chest had her forcing her eyes open, and she found the bloody feline had her pinned down with his giant paw.

  Jag was still in his human form, a scalpel in his hand as he growled. The shifter above her began to change, his paw shrinking down to a hand that slid up to grip her throat, even as his gaze stayed on the weapon held by the man who was her only hope of survival.

  “You don’t want to be doing that, Jag,” the man sneered. “It would be a pity if I were to accidentally snap the neck of your weak human mate.”

  “She’s not my mate.”

  “Please! She’s covered in your scent.”

  “She was tending to my wounds, you idiot. That’s my blood all over her.”

  “Sorry, I’m not buying it. I think this little lady is about to be my ticket out of here,” he said, jerking her up and onto her shaky legs.

  The sudden movement blurred her vision, and the throbbing in he
r head doubled. Her hand bumped her side, and she felt the syringe. It was a long shot but a chance she was willing to take to avoid being kidnapped by this psychopath.

  He’d wrapped his hand around the upper part of her left arm, leaving her right free. I guess he’s not worried about the little human hurting him, she thought. Well, let’s see what he thinks about this.

  Flicking the cap of with her thumb, Lynn spun forward, putting her body right in front of his as she plunged the needle into his chest, depressing the plunger with one sharp thrust of her thumb.

  Enraged, the man screamed as he grabbed both her arms and threw her into the wall. The impact drove the air from her lungs, and Lynn sank to the floor in a heap, her vision dimming. Just before she lost consciousness, Jag approached the now tranquilized shifter and snapped his neck then came over to her.

  “Lynn?” He cradled her to him, seeming to forget his own wounds, and she couldn’t remember ever feeling so safe. It was the only reason she went willingly into the darkness that offered a reprieve from the pain.

  * * * *

  Lynn was so still, her breathing shallow and her pulse erratic. Jag felt completely helpless. When the door behind him burst open, he snapped his head around to find Liam and the doctor gaping at the scene before them.

  “Help her,” he barked, and Dr. Lewis quickly came to his side.

  “Are you in control?”

  Jag barely tolerated the arrogant man, but he was the only one around that could possibly help Lynn, otherwise, in his current state, Jag may have torn out the doctor’s throat. “As much as I can be.”

  Liam cautiously approached, his steps slow and measured. “So what happened in here? We went to the doc’s office down the hall to call Dylan and inform him you’re back and fill him in on the new prisoner. It doesn’t look like we’ll be getting much information out of him now.”