Chapter Four
"I'm glad you decide to join me for dinner." Jaguar smiled at Danica when she entered the room.
"Eric told me you cooked. I didn't want to disappoint my master." She cocked her head to the side, trying to read the expression on Jaguar's face. She couldn't tell if it was amusement or annoyance.
"You didn't take this from the magic room." He walked over to her side of the table and pulled the chair out for her. She sat gracefully. He reached around her and dangled a silver key from a delicate chain. "You need it to get in. I keep unwanted people away from there."
Danica flinched when he brushed her hair from her neck and leaned down to secure the chain around her neck. He pressed his lips lightly to her throat. I won't bite you, Dani. Not unless you want me too.
Danica took a deep breath and formed her thoughts carefully. Please don't. I came for dinner. Not to be dinner. To her relief, Jaguar just laughed as he returned to his chair, opposite of her.
"I like that about you. You speak your mind." He gestured for Eric to bring out the plates of food. Eric gave Danica a smile as he set the plate of lasagna down in front of her. "You can go, Eric. And you're welcome to some of the lasagna in the kitchen."
"Is that why you like me? Because I speak my mind? Because I'm too strong to be broken? Or is it because I remind you of Audra?" Jaguar shot her an amused glance. I could break you in an instant, Danica. Don't forget who I am. And don't forget what I am.
"You're avoiding my question." Danica glared at him. "And stay out of my mind. It's not open to you."
"But it is." Jaguar looked at her while he ate. "You opened your mind to me the moment you stepped into my office and you know it. And yes, you remind me of Audra. She had the same strong will you have. And the same stupidity when it came to asking questions. She was blunt with me."
"So you like me because I'm your Audra?" Jaguar sighed.
"Just finish eating, Danica. Stop asking me questions." Dani didn't answer, but only reached for her wine glass.
"One more?" Danica looked at Jaguar from under her long, black lashes. He sighed again.
"Go ahead. It's not like I can stop you."
"The room. The clothes. The books. All my size, all my tastes, all my favorites. Did you know I was coming?" Jaguar played with his food for a few seconds while Danica waited in silence.
"Yes." He finally answered, catching her eyes. She closed her eyes and glanced down at her plate.
"How long had you know?"
"Long enough for me to find you, slip into your mind, find out what you currently liked and didn't liked."
"Is that why I was so comfortable with you in my mind? Because you've been there before?"
"Yes." Jaguar sighed for a third time. "I didn't want to invade your privacy, but you intrigued me. I knew your father was going to sell you off. He had you on the lists from the time you were born. I wanted to warn you, but I couldn't. How would you have felt if I walked up to you and told you that your father was going to sell you?"
"I don't know." Danica answered truthfully.
"So I did the only thing I could think of. I bought you. To keep you safe. I paid for you when you were twelve. I only had to wait until you were old enough to take. I had to wait. I wanted to wait longer, but Kestral got impatient. He wouldn't wait any longer. When you were sixteen, he wanted to take you then. But when I found out what he had done, I wouldn't let him." Tears flowed down Dani's face as she realized the truth.
"Kestral. He killed my mother? Because my father sold me into slavery?" Jaguar nodded, coming to her side. She stood and allowed him to take her into his arms.
"I'm sorry, Danica. If I had known he was going to do that, I would have stopped him. But I had to buy you. If I didn't, one of the others would have. And they would have broken you. I couldn't let them break and tame you. Not my wild cat."
"Why? Why did I catch your eyes in the first place?"
"You reminded me of someone I knew. His father sold him into slavery too, even though he was a shape-shifter. I knew how it felt. So I didn't want you to have to endure it. It made Audra so mad that I was so busy trying to keep you safe. She hated it."
"I-can I just go to bed? Please?" Danica bit back all her tears, not wanting to lose face in front of the vampire.
"I'll walk you." Jaguar took her hand and led her from the dining room. They walked in silence, broken only by the little sobs coming from Dani. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked when they stopped outside the Amethyst Room. She nodded her head in answer.
Jaguar pulled Danica close for a hug and kissed her softly on the top of her head. Good night, Sweet Danica. I'm sorry for all of this.
Dani didn't answer him, but only tilted her head up to kiss him on the lips before disappearing into her room.
"I'm glad you decide to join me for dinner." Jaguar smiled at Danica when she entered the room.
"Eric told me you cooked. I didn't want to disappoint my master." She cocked her head to the side, trying to read the expression on Jaguar's face. She couldn't tell if it was amusement or annoyance.
"You didn't take this from the magic room." He walked over to her side of the table and pulled the chair out for her. She sat gracefully. He reached around her and dangled a silver key from a delicate chain. "You need it to get in. I keep unwanted people away from there."
Danica flinched when he brushed her hair from her neck and leaned down to secure the chain around her neck. He pressed his lips lightly to her throat. I won't bite you, Dani. Not unless you want me too.
Danica took a deep breath and formed her thoughts carefully. Please don't. I came for dinner. Not to be dinner. To her relief, Jaguar just laughed as he returned to his chair, opposite of her.
"I like that about you. You speak your mind." He gestured for Eric to bring out the plates of food. Eric gave Danica a smile as he set the plate of lasagna down in front of her. "You can go, Eric. And you're welcome to some of the lasagna in the kitchen."
"Is that why you like me? Because I speak my mind? Because I'm too strong to be broken? Or is it because I remind you of Audra?" Jaguar shot her an amused glance. I could break you in an instant, Danica. Don't forget who I am. And don't forget what I am.
"You're avoiding my question." Danica glared at him. "And stay out of my mind. It's not open to you."
"But it is." Jaguar looked at her while he ate. "You opened your mind to me the moment you stepped into my office and you know it. And yes, you remind me of Audra. She had the same strong will you have. And the same stupidity when it came to asking questions. She was blunt with me."
"So you like me because I'm your Audra?" Jaguar sighed.
"Just finish eating, Danica. Stop asking me questions." Dani didn't answer, but only reached for her wine glass.
"One more?" Danica looked at Jaguar from under her long, black lashes. He sighed again.
"Go ahead. It's not like I can stop you."
"The room. The clothes. The books. All my size, all my tastes, all my favorites. Did you know I was coming?" Jaguar played with his food for a few seconds while Danica waited in silence.
"Yes." He finally answered, catching her eyes. She closed her eyes and glanced down at her plate.
"How long had you know?"
"Long enough for me to find you, slip into your mind, find out what you currently liked and didn't liked."
"Is that why I was so comfortable with you in my mind? Because you've been there before?"
"Yes." Jaguar sighed for a third time. "I didn't want to invade your privacy, but you intrigued me. I knew your father was going to sell you off. He had you on the lists from the time you were born. I wanted to warn you, but I couldn't. How would you have felt if I walked up to you and told you that your father was going to sell you?"
"I don't know." Danica answered truthfully.
"So I did the only thing I could think of. I bought you. To keep you safe. I paid for you when you were twelve. I only had to wait until you were old enough to take. I had to wait. I wanted to wait longer, but Kestral got impatient. He wouldn't wait any longer. When you were sixteen, he wanted to take you then. But when I found out what he had done, I wouldn't let him." Tears flowed down Dani's face as she realized the truth.
"Kestral. He killed my mother? Because my father sold me into slavery?" Jaguar nodded, coming to her side. She stood and allowed him to take her into his arms.
"I'm sorry, Danica. If I had known he was going to do that, I would have stopped him. But I had to buy you. If I didn't, one of the others would have. And they would have broken you. I couldn't let them break and tame you. Not my wild cat."
"Why? Why did I catch your eyes in the first place?"
"You reminded me of someone I knew. His father sold him into slavery too, even though he was a shape-shifter. I knew how it felt. So I didn't want you to have to endure it. It made Audra so mad that I was so busy trying to keep you safe. She hated it."
"I-can I just go to bed? Please?" Danica bit back all her tears, not wanting to lose face in front of the vampire.
"I'll walk you." Jaguar took her hand and led her from the dining room. They walked in silence, broken only by the little sobs coming from Dani. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked when they stopped outside the Amethyst Room. She nodded her head in answer.
Jaguar pulled Danica close for a hug and kissed her softly on the top of her head. Good night, Sweet Danica. I'm sorry for all of this.
Dani didn't answer him, but only tilted her head up to kiss him on the lips before disappearing into her room.