Carpathian 14 - Dark Hunger

into the darkened interior. Using the jaguar's highly acute sense of smell they found Jasmine's trail immediately and hurried after her. They took to the overhead highway, the tangle of branches high up in the canopy that allowed them to travel fast and in secret.
    Birds took to the air, shrieked warnings at their passing, but neither jaguar paid any attention, and after a moment the birds settled back into the tops of the trees, ignoring them.
    The forest had stirred to life, insects humming, frogs croaking and deer barking to warn of the larger predators.
    Juliette knew the exact moment when Riordan succumbed to the climbing sun and his heart stopped beating. The breath went out of her lungs, her heart stuttered in reaction, and she was suddenly and utterly alone—bereaved, grief-stricken. The jaguar stumbled, nearly tumbling from the branches. Claws dug into bark, scattering leaves and twigs and sending the birds once more shrieking. Solange turned sharply to growl a warning for stealth. They did not want to alert any of the males that might be guarding the back-trail.
    The heavy canopy protected her from the sun, but Juliette still felt the rays piercing her skin through the thick fur. Her eyes wept continually, burning in the light. None of it mattered—not her grief, not her discomfort. Not the separation from her other half. She focused on her beloved sister. Jasmine was all that mattered. Juliette followed Solange.
    The trail grew warmer in early afternoon. The pungent odor of the jaguar males was easier to follow. They were taking turns, hurrying through the forest, four in jaguar form and one in human form carrying Jasmine.
    In spite of her determination, Juliette found she was having trouble keeping up with Solange. Her body, even in the form of the jaguar, demanded she sleep and worse, wanted to shift back into her human form. She'd always had trouble holding her animal shape for long periods of time. She had never gone from early dawn to early afternoon and it was nearly impossible to continue.
    Solange stopped abruptly, her animal form suddenly stiffening. Juliette caught the scent of fear, of violence, of sexual predation. She lost her jaguar self, gagging, choking, catching the branch of the tree for support to keep from falling. Solange shifted into her human shape, holding Juliette as she was violently ill.
    For a few minutes, Juliette's head roared with protest, with rage. She pounded at the bark of the trees until her fists were bruised and bleeding, weeping uncontrollably. "She fought them. She fought them, and I wasn't here. How could they do such a thing to her?"
    Solange wept silently, the anger in her deep and firm and enduring. "We will get her back, Juliette. Be strong. You have to be strong for her. We can't let this slow us down.
    They wanted her docile and shocked. This was to show domination. This was to strip her of dignity and hope. But she knows we'll come. She knows we'll never stop until we have her back or we're dead." Solange brushed the hair from Juliette's eyes. "I see the sun is hurting you, that your body needs rest, but you haven't given in to it. You haven't stopped no matter what the cost to you. Jasmine knows what we're like. She will count on that and she will endure."

    Juliette allowed her cousin to hold her, to comfort her for a brief moment. "We have to hurry, Solange. They can't do this to her a second time."
    Neither woman wanted to think about their mothers, but it was inevitable. "Can you hold the jaguar form?" Solange asked.
    Juliette nodded. "I don't know how long, but I'll do my best. Do you have any weapons stashed in this area?"
    "About a mile from here. I think we're close to one of our caches. Clothes, food, drinking water, meds and knives. They have to stop soon. They're big males and they'll want to rest."
    Juliette reached for her other form. It was easier not to think about Jasmine and what the males had done to her. She didn't want to see the smears of blood on the ground and the signs of struggle. It only weakened her. Her fury needed to burn bright and strong, and vengeful.
    She struggled through the next couple of hours, pushing her body when it desperately needed sleep. Her eyes streamed every step of the way. but this time she was uncertain if it was the affects of the sun, or the grief raging in her. She knew by the way Solange carried her body that she felt the same intense emotions, a mixture of rage and sorrow that might never go away. She