“Luiz. One rarely sees you anymore.”
That sounded like an accusation to Sarika. She immediately had the feeling that Percy didn’t care for Luiz—or was leery of him. That wouldn’t sit well with a man like Percy. She had been around so many men in the jungle and had learned to read body language. Percy was a man with supreme confidence. It was possible he had every reason to be confident.
Several times his gaze slid from Luiz to Sarika as if he couldn’t help himself. Each time it happened, she had a visceral reaction to that almost greedy, hungry stare. Her stomach dropped, and she wanted to flee.
Each time it happened, as if he knew how uncomfortable she was,Luiz shifted his body slightly—the tiniest of movements, but it instantly drew Percy’s attention back to him.
“I have been around, Percy. I often choose not to be seen.”
Sarika had gotten used to her cousin’s voice, so mild as to be nearly gentle, yet he managed to convey a threat. And there was a threat to Percy. The animosity between the two men was palpable. She didn’t fully understand why Luiz would dislike Percy so much. He put her on edge because she could feel his interest was totally sexual. She feared he would have taken advantage of her being alone in the forest, just as Luiz had warned could happen.
“I see you are claiming the one female shifter available,” Percy said, a snarl in his tone.
Luiz lifted an eyebrow. “I have not claimed her. I believe a woman has choices.”
He was being deceptive. He didn’t believe that way at all. Sarika didn’t know how she was aware of her cousin’s viewpoint, but she was absolutely certain he was deceiving Percy and misleading her. She took a second step back, still keeping her cousin’s solid body between her and the male jaguar shifter.
Something stirred in her brain. A strange fluttering, a buzzing, faint at first, and then she felt Luiz pouring into her mind. If she thought he’d felt powerful and dangerous before, feeling him in her mind allowed her to know for certain how lethal he truly was.
Don’t move. I’ll give you all the answers you need when you are safe within the walls of my home. Have no fears, you are safe from Percy, but I wouldn’t want to kill him in front of you. You’re already afraid of me.
She wanted to deny she feared him, but she did. She wanted to like him. To be close to him—her only living relative—but she didn’t get the feeling that connection meant anything to him.
What she should be doing was questioning how he could talk to her telepathically; instead, she tried to relax, to remain calm. If he was in her head and could read her, shouldn’t she be able to read him? Shemight get a real understanding of him as a person. If she was going to trust him with her safety, she had to know he would look out for her. Know it. Not just want it because she had a fantasy about having a family.
Percy chose to ignore the threat emanating from Luiz, which in Sarika’s estimation made him arrogant and a little ignorant. Maybe he had a death wish. As fast as Luiz had moved to prove his point that she wasn’t safe just minutes earlier, she didn’t feel as if Percy had too much of a chance in an all-out fight with her cousin.
“I am Percy Rios,” he introduced himself, once more looking past Luiz’s stocky build to settle on her. “You are?”
“My cousin,” Luiz answered for her. “My family. Under my protection.”
That was as clear a warning as could be possible. Luiz hadn’t withdrawn from her mind, and she felt the utter resolve to keep her safe. The terrible tension in her began to ease.
Percy didn’t look at Luiz; he continued staring at her with that focused, hungry gaze. He was so locked onto her she feared he would ignore Luiz’s presence and attack her. In that moment, she felt sorry for all the female shifters the males had done this to, especially if they had no protection. Percy was driving Luiz’s point home to her.
“Your name?” Percy persisted. “What harm is there for me to know your name? I’m merely attempting to be friends with you.”
Luiz’s movement was subtle, but it was enough to bring Percy’s attention back to him. Those vivid green eyes flecked with gold locked onto his opponent instantly. Sarika’s stomach knotted.
“Why would you want to be friends with my cousin, Percy? I hadn’t noticed you were attempting friendship with me,” Luiz said. “Or is it simply because she’s a woman and you thought it would be easy to acquire her?”
Percy shrugged. “You aren’t the kind of man one has as a friend. Backup in a fight, but not as a friend.”
Sarika had to admit the man wasn’t backing down. She thoughthim a little crazy to challenge Luiz—or maybe he was desperate. Desperation could make people behave in ways that were totally out of character. She knew the shifter race was dwindling at an alarming rate. Luiz had just revealed to her that the jaguar males had followed their leader and contributed to the downfall of their race.
Percy switched his attention back to Sarika. “Since Luiz is your cousin and admittedly has no claim on you, I would very much like a chance to get to know you.”
Before she could reply, Luiz did. “I’m very old-fashioned, Percy. My cousin is under my protection and will not be getting to know anyone without my consent.”
“You would stop her from finding a mate?”
Sarika winced at his choice of words. She identified more as human than shifter. She didn’t like the wordmate.Partnerwas much more to her liking. She was giving Percy the wrong impression. She wasn’t submissive, and she certainly didn’t allow others to make decisions for her. If he was basing their compatibility on her silence, she needed to put a stop to his false impressions.
Don’t speak to him yet,Luiz cautioned.I want you to see his true colors. He will attempt to come around when I am unavailable. I want you to know he is dangerous to you, not just take my word for it.
How do you know for certain?It was surprisingly easy to answer her cousin.
I can read his mind.
