A Summer in Paradise Page 10

  “Don’t count on it, slut.” Glenn laughed. It was a strange maniacal sound that she’d never hear him utter before. It caused her skin to crawl. “I left them a nice little note that will undoubtedly make them hate you.”

  The slap he delivered to her face almost brought her to her knees. It probably would have knocked her to the floor a few weeks ago, but not today.

  Pearl wiped the blood from her mouth and glared at him. “No one calls me that and gets away with it. Not anymore.”

  “You’re a slut. That’s all you’ve ever been and I’ll prove it to you.” Glenn grabbed the neck of her gown and ripped it down the front. “Look at how easy your nightgown is to remove. Only a whore would wear one so easy for a man to peel off her body.”

  Pearl refused to cower in front of this animal. She was through taking his or anyone else’s abuse. The gift her mates gave her was precious. It was the gift of her jaguar and a bucket full of self-confidence.

  Shrugging the gown off her shoulders, Pearl was thankful that she didn’t have to pull it over her head. It would have made her vulnerable. She moved, uncaring that she was naked. It wasn’t like Glenn had never seen it before and she was grateful to be free of the gown’s restraints.

  “Face it, Pearl, you’re a whore. You’ve always been a whore and you will always be one. What normal woman fucks two men at the same time?”

  “I’ve had quite enough of you.” Pearl said with a low snarl as her beast burst free. She actually felt the fur sprouting along her extremities. Her face widened, growing broader to accommodate the wider set of her jaw and the large panthera teeth. Even her vision changed to that of her jaguar, incorporating the temperature of the warm summer night and Glenn’s body heat.

  Pearl wanted to laugh when Glenn could only stand and stare at her, his mouth opening and closing like that of a fish out of water.

  “That’s—that’s impossible! You aren’t…you can’t—”

  No, you idiot, I wasn’t and I couldn’t, but I sure as hell can now.

  With a snarl, Pearl lunged for Glenn, who turned to run. The idiot even tried shifting into his animal form, but all that did was slow him down when his legs got tangled in his clothing.

  I always thought you were a pig, Glenn. I’m just glad to see my suspicions were accurate.

  I’ll be back, Pearl. You can count on it.

  “Like hell you will,” Duncan and Jarrod said at the same time. They both tore their clothes off and went after Glenn who took off at the first sight of her males. Pearl sat back on her haunches and watched as her men mauled Glenn until he lay panting in the grass, blood pouring from his wounds.

  Matt and Merrick exited the lodge through the back door, shook their heads and approached the wounded boar. “Leave him be. We’ll take care of him. This is your wedding night,” Merrick said as he bent to check Glenn’s injuries.”

  Both jaguars shimmered for a few seconds, their bodies changing quickly to their human forms. Duncan toed the injured boar. “You know, Pearl kept telling us you were a bore, but I just thought it was a figure of speech.”

  He turned to look at her then smiled, Jarrod doing the same. “How about we all go take a shower together and get started on this wedding night?”

  Pearl shivered with anticipation, stood and flicked her tail as she turned toward the door. Butterflies flew around her tummy and her womb clenched with anticipation.

  What are you two waiting for?

  About the Author

  Tianna Xander is the author of over fifty published paranormal, time-travel and science fiction works. She loves reading everything from romance novels, murder mysteries and encyclopedias, to handbooks on solar energy. Tianna is the first to admit she spends far too much time surfing the internet and chatting with her online friends and critique groups.

  Having written several novels and working on at least one more at any given time — Tianna still finds time for her family, friends and her many pets. She currently lives in Michigan with her husband, two children, four cats, one big dog and one occasionally terrorized Netherland Dwarf bunny that loves raisins. Her life is anything but boring.