The Billionaire Jaguar's Curvy Journalist: BBW Panther Shifter Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant Read Free Book Online Page A

here so fast, you know? And the river’s high this year.”
    It sure was, and it was moving fast. She turned to look at Paul—
    Paul was gone.
     

8
     
    Paul ran.
    He could hear the boy, clearer than any non-shifter could. He was panicking. Panicking could kill him.
    He pulled his shirt over his head and ran faster, harder. This was a risk, a big risk. Mostly shifters stayed quiet. People didn’t trust them. But he couldn’t let a boy die for the sake of his career. There was enough vegetation around that, with luck, he would be hidden by cover for most of his run. He unbuckled his pants, and almost tripped kicking his shoes off.
    He didn’t bother taking off his shorts. They’d slide off on their own.
    He was about a hundred yards from the boy when he hit the water.
    The water was high, cold, and the current was strong. No wonder the boy was so scared. But Paul was a strong swimmer even as a human, and the cat was twice as powerful. He let the current take him until he was close to the boy, then grabbed the back of his shirt with his teeth.
    Gentle, gentle, he reminded himself. This is a child .
    The boy screamed, startled.
    Paul couldn’t speak or do anything else to calm him. All he could do was pull the boy to shore, doing his best to keep his head above water.
    The screaming seemed even louder in jaguar form. His ears hurt, and the struggling boy made swimming against the current twice as hard. His heart was pounding. This stuff always seemed easier before you actually dove into the water.
    Man, you’d think this kid would be out of breath by now.
    Not that he could blame him: if Paul was the one who’d fallen into the river and then, after almost drowning, was being dragged to the bank by a jaguar, he’d be pretty freaked out too. Hell, Paul could still remember the first time he’d transformed, and that had been terrifying.
    The boy struck wildly at his back. How old was he, nine or ten? Damn, just a kid.
    It felt like forever before he got to the riverbank. He dragged the kid onto the shore. The boy was coughing and sputtering. Coughing meant breathing. Breathing meant alive.
    There were people running in their direction. He had to go. Now. He didn’t want to answer any of those questions.
    He had the presence of mind to remember that his keys and wallet were in his pants, and he grabbed them with his jaws before he ran into the underbrush. The advantage of a jaguar’s coat was that it blended into just about anywhere, and it was doubly hard to see in the rain.
    He got under cover quickly and found a tree to climb. There was a mist rising from the rain.
    All he had to do was wait it out.
    But what was he going to do about Abby?
    She’s your mate, you idiot! And you just left her there!
    If she’s my mate, she’ll understand. I had to save that boy!
    The ambulance had just showed up, the lights flashing. It would’ve taken a while for them to get ready, and by then who knew where the boy would have been along the river?
    I had no choice. She’ll understand that.
    Once you tell her you’re a jaguar. How do you think that’s going to work out?
    He huddled into the foliage. The rain felt like needles driving into his fur. How had it cooled off so quickly?
    He was in the Northeast. It wasn’t like where he’d grown up. Sometimes he missed California, the warmth and sunlight. It was easier for him to do business, easier to get away from his family memories, but he was never going to get used to the rapid changes in weather.
    He watched as the rescue workers tended to the boy. He stirred, which was a good sign, probably.
    Well, whatever happened, I saved a life.
    Lost your mate, but saved a life.
    Would you really have me choose differently?
    No. But I wish that it wasn’t so wet.
    He couldn’t shift back now. Not for a while. He adjusted his pants under his paws to keep them in place—
    The branch was too wet. They slithered down, before his claws could catch them. Damn it.
    Up a tree with no