Jaguar's Judgment by Lia Davis Page A

a moment, noting how her face had filled out slightly with the pregnancy, and her maternal nature had put her jaguar on edge, wanting to protect. “You need to either leave the Pack or pursue your mate.” He opened his mouth, but she held up a hand. “I’m not hearing the garbage you feed yourself. You know Sable is trying to crawl out from under her father’s shit. You are the only one who can help her turn it all around.”
    He shook his head. The one thing he could never run from was the fact that Sable was his mate. Damn the Fates . Yet there he stood, his gaze pinned on the trail. He could almost smell her scent. Then again, he could have finally lost his mind.
    Jared set his jaw, and Cam hardened her stare, reminding him of their mother. A new pain rose, bringing the reminder of why he’d come to Ashwood. For Cam. But sometimes he wondered if the Fates had brought him there for another reason.
    The reason that sat in a one-room stone building.
    Damn it all to hell . “Why do you have to be right all the time?”
    Cam smiled sadly. “I have a big brother who taught me well.”
    Leaning in, he kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you.”
    “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get my hormones going. I’ll start crying.”
    He shook his head and made his escape. The last thing he wanted was to face Sable, but Cam was right. As her judge, he would have to either stand with Sable or against her when she faced the Council.
    The light dusting of snow crunched under his shoes as he made his way to the building that had been used for storage until a few weeks ago when Sable had turned herself in. She had fought with the Pack and helped Ana direct her power. Jared understood why. Sable had protected Ana since Felix stole her from her mother’s womb. They were sisters in every way but blood.
    The selfless act, knowing she would be taken into custody, added another crack to the wall around his heart.
    Jerking the door open, he entered the one-room building and froze mid-step as the floral scent of his mate slammed into him. Closing his eyes briefly, he slowed his breathing and pushed away the storm of desire brewing inside of him.
    When he opened his eyes, he scanned the small space. The room didn’t look like a cell. It was a damned apartment. An area rug covered the floor at the center of the room. A mini refrigerator sat in the corner with a microwave on a shelf over it. The only personal item, however, was the female’s duffle bag in the far corner. His gaze found Sable sitting in the middle of a futon with a tablet in hand. “They let you have Internet?”
    She didn’t look at him. “It’s bugged. They watch everything I do.”
    Her voice carried a hint of tiredness, along with annoyance. He bet the latter was due to his presence. Good. “Find anything interesting?”
    She didn’t answer. His cat growled and clawed at him. The man stood his ground in the doorway. The cold breeze helped to keep his mind clear.
    “Close the door or leave. Better yet, do both.” She picked up a cell phone and typed something before setting it back down on the cushion next to her.
    He tracked her movements, curious who she was texting and why. Without conscious thought, he drifted closer to her. Each step made it hard to maintain control over his need to touch her, yet he couldn’t stay away. Yes, he was an idiot.
    The door slammed shut, jarring him out of his thoughts. He snapped his gaze up and met her teal eyes, glaring back at him.
    “What do you want?”
    You, naked and panting . He shook his head. The lack of sexual release had made him insane. However, Sable was his mate. Enemy or not, he’d want her like no other and wouldn’t rest until he had her. Yep, he was fucked.
    “Have you talked to Nigel?” It was the only thing Jared could think of to say. Because “I want to fuck you senseless” just didn’t seem appropriate.
    Sable’s lip thinned. “Yes, I speak to him all the time. Like you, he has access to this shack.”
    He