Page 35 of The Jaguar's Flower

Look at the ring. Look at his final moments before you took his life.The jaguar gritted his teeth as he opened his eyes to stare into Violet’s. She appeared blurry until he realized tears soaked his eyes and cheeks.Watch him die, monster.

Mac couldn’t. Not until he heard the unforgettable gasp from the crowd. When he turned his attention to the ring, he witnessed his younger self over Mica’s body. His lifeless gray eyes stared back at him. Every scar imprinted on his mind. “012-1 Wins. Body removal.” The jaguar almost stepped forward until he felt Violet’s arms around him.

“I killed my brother.”

“They didn’t give you a choice.” Violet threw her arms around his neck and clung to him. “They’re the monsters. The ones that made you kill your brother. They turned you into this.”

She pulled back to look into his eyes. “You’ve never been a monster, Mac. You did the best you could with how you were treated.” When she kissed him, she felt her tears slide down her cheeks. “If I ever considered you a monster, do you think we would have shared all that time together in my lab?”

Mac swallowed before he shook his head. “I also didn’t tell you. I kept that side of me buried. The facility told us about our animalistic behaviors. What human would kill their own brother?” Even as he said it, only a small part believed those words.

Her touch calmed him. The beast inside wanted to purr instead of growl. The jaguar accepted her words as truth, but his mind disagreed. “How do I ever forgive myself?”

“Mac.” Her heart ached as she held his face. “In the human world, brothers kill their siblings. Fathers and mothers kill their children.” Her lips brushed over his as she tried to comfort him. “You shouldn’t feel guilty. You granted him mercy.”

She chewed on her lip and tried to figure out what Renfield had in mind. “If you both lived, that guilt he felt would have been used against him. They would have twisted and manipulated it until the brother you knew was no more.”

She brushed her lips over his cheeks and sighed. “He knew you were strong enough to handle it without breaking, so he asked you to do the unthinkable. You call it killing when you saved him from worse.”

“I almost broke. Several times, I almost ruined everything.” Mac held her close as the memory faded. He caught a hint of her floral scent, but not enough to latch on to. He felt they weren’t close to finishing, but the jaguar had seen enough. “We need to get out of here.”

“Yes, we do.” She took his hands. “It’s a dream, so you have to wake up at some point.” As she glanced around, she tried to remember her psychology classes. They were a requirement, but she hated them. Suddenly, she wished she had paid more attention.

“Your subconscious is trying to tell you something. There are unresolved issues with your brother.” She felt like she stated the obvious. “What else, Mac?” She met his stormy eyes. “What are you hiding? What hurts you the most?” She squeezed his hand. “I’m not leaving your side. We’ll face whatever it is together.”

Another nightmarish hell? Mac couldn’t remember a single thing that trumped the death of his brother. When the scenery began to shift, Mac grabbed Violet’s hand. “I may not have resolved the issues with Mica, but I know the other nightmares will not help us escape this place.” Before the jaguar could lead them down the other hallway, everything shifted until they appeared in a dark examination room.

Mac froze when he heard his name called. He shook his head as he gripped his flower’s hand. As long as he stayed connected to Violet, nothing could harm him. He needed to hold on to that single ounce of hope that nothing in his mind would win.It doesn’t erase who you truly are.The jaguar ignored his thoughts. “We need to hurry and escape. I need to find a way to wake myself up.”

“Pain,” she squeaked when something grabbed her from behind. Searing pain flooded her veins as she gripped her neck. “Mac.” His name was barely a whisper as she fell to her knees. Her pale skin drew darker until it almost shone blue in the dim light. Black feathers scattered at her feet as she stared at him with wide eyes. “Mac,” she gasped and reached for him.

“What’s happening?” Fear consumed Mac as he dropped to her side. He noticed the black feathers, but none of it made sense. Even as her skin turned blue, the jaguar assumed the worst. “I’m right here, Violet. I’m not leaving you.”

“Good,” a voice called out. “Don’t let her go. That would be bad. Very bad.”

“Who the fuck are you?” Mac glanced at the stranger before he returned his focus to Violet. As long as he held her hands, the feathers calmed.

Chapter twenty-four

“Asmodeus,”themananswered.He stood slightly shorter than Mac, with long black hair. His dark hazel eyes watched the couple briefly. “And if you let her go too soon, then we are never getting out of your head, mister.” The corner of his lip curved into a thin smirk, revealing a soft dimple.

A scream wrenched from Violet’s throat as her hands shifted into talons. “Renfield injected me.” She whimpered and tried to pull the talons from Mac’s hands before she hurt him. “Please, Mac. I don’t want to hurt you.” She whimpered as the pain grew more intense. It felt like she burned from the inside out. “Mac.”

“We thought this would happen.”

“What?” Mac couldn’t focus on the man. As Violet changed in front of the jaguar’s eyes, he pulled her against his chest. “It’s alright, Violet. I got you. I will protect you.” He swallowed as another scream ripped from her. It broke his heart.

Asmodeus appeared beside him. “V, I’m gonna need you to listen. Mac is awake in here. He knows it’s a dream. Your raven is trying to tell you something. Listen to your raven, Vivi.”

“Go away.” Mac snarled.

“Down, Betsy. I am here to help your asses, or Big Papa is gonna throw a fit.” When Violet swatted at him with her talons, Asmodeus phased back. “Good! Now use them talons and cut Mac’s arm!”

Tears filled her eyes at the suggestion as anger caused the pain to increase. “No. I won’t hurt him.” Her eyes locked onto Mac. “Everyone else hurts you. I can’t. I won’t.” Feathers sprouted along her body as she felt her femur snap, then her tibia. When she threw her head back, her face disappeared behind the feathers, and a large beak appeared.

“Violet!” Mac felt her feathers wrap around him. He tried to hold her again, but her talons gripped his arms. When her claws dug into his flesh, he hissed. Violet screeched, but Mac noticed a glimpse outside of the dreams.

“You saw it?” When Mac nodded, Asmodeus sighed with relief. “That’s what will wake you up. You’re mates. You won’t hurt each other without consequences. If you inflict slight pain, Violet, you will both wake up. Tell her, Maccy!”

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