The Jaguar Star (Tales of the Were: Jaguar Island Book 4)

  Tales of the Were ~ Jaguar Island

  The Jaguar Star

  by

  Bianca D’Arc

  Copyright © 2021 Bianca D’Arc

  Hawk Publishing, LLC

  New York

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any or by any means, or stored in a database retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the Author.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  www.biancadarc.com

  OFFICIAL BIANCA D’ARC NEWSLETTER

  A tempestuous fling on a tropical island with a secretive movie star or love that will last a lifetime?

  Ren is a jaguar shifter whose inner cat is very close to the surface. All the human world knows is he’s got stunning green eyes and a killer physique. The man can also portray just about any part put before him and he’s turned his killer instinct into an international career as an actor in big budget blockbusters. When his Alpha asks him to take on a project in order to raise the profile of a new director he agrees, but only because he’d do just about anything for his Alpha and his people.

  Katrina gave up on acting after a few years of trying her best and went back to work at her family’s restaurant. When the director sees her there and asks her to come in for a screen test, she doesn’t want to believe she might finally be getting her big break. Cast opposite one of the brightest stars in the world, Katrina can hardly believe her luck. The film may be low budget, but it has star power and Ren is both kind to her and every bit as gorgeous in person. More so, in fact.

  When danger threatens, Ren is the first to act, and when he declares his serious interest in her, she almost can’t believe it. Only…she’s feeling it, too. An undeniable attraction that goes more than skin deep. Does she dare trust this man who could have anyone? Dare she believe him when he says he’s given her his heart for all time? How far must he go to prove his love is real?

  Don’t miss the previous books in this series:

  The Jaguar Tycoon

  The Jaguar Bodyguard

  The Jaguar’s Secret Baby

  Dedication

  Thank you to my wonderful editor, Jess Bimberg, who did a great job with this book, and so many others of mine, over the years. Thanks also to my family, for their love and support. And, special thanks to my readers for sticking with me all these years. Love you guys!

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Prologue

  “I got the part? Seriously? You’re not pulling my leg, are you? I really got the part?” Katrina could hardly believe what she’d just heard.

  Mel Lazarus, her new agent, laughed on the other end of the phone. “You really got the part, kid,” he told her again. “They want you on set next week.”

  “Next week?” She couldn’t help the way her voice squeaked with excitement. “Where?”

  “They’re filming in a little town in Virginia. They got some kind of sweetheart deal to do the majority of the set work there, though they’ll fly you to England for some of the location shots later.”

  “England!” She could hardly wait.

  Her passport hadn’t been stamped since she was a little girl, traveling with her family to meet relatives in the old country. She’d kept it current, just in case, and now, it looked like she’d finally get to use it again. All expenses paid.

  Katrina Valiando had never thought she’d be paid to act in a movie. She’d given up on her thespian dreams years ago, but a chance meeting in the trattoria owned by her family had given her the chance of a lifetime, to star in a movie—albeit a low-budget one—opposite one of her favorite actors.

  Rendall Smith had starred in a television crime drama when Katrina was a teenager, and most of the girls her age had immediately fallen in love with his good looks and tough guy image. He’d enjoyed the fame and fortune that had come with it, by all accounts, but then had become something of a recluse. He only showed his face for promotion of his film projects these days, and each one was met with a great deal of media hoopla.

  The fact that he was starring in this low-budget movie was a bit of a coup for the female director, and rumors abounded as to why a star of Rendall Smith’s caliber would deign to participate in such a production. However, none of that mattered to Katrina. She was both intimidated by the idea of playing Maid Marian to Rendall’s Robin Hood and stunned that she had been given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

  It was that director. Sonia Melisande was her name. She was an up-and-comer in the film world, and she’d dined at Katrina’s family’s restaurant a few weeks ago with a party of friends. The woman had spent a good portion of the meal glancing toward Katrina, who stood at her usual spot by the door, running the hostess station.

  Katrina had noticed the other woman’s interest, when she had time to spare. It had been a busy night, and Katrina had been run off her feet. She did occasionally get stares from patrons of the restaurant, but usually, they were male. When Sonia had approached Katrina after the meal, she’d been floored to be handed a plain white business card and invited to do a screen test.

  Not one to let an opportunity pass, though she’d been a bit leery not knowing all the particulars, Katrina had gone to the test and read for the part of Maid Marian. To her surprise, she’d received a call from Mel Lazarus, the well-known theatrical agent, a few days later. He’d offered to represent her, which was a little backwards from the way things normally occurred, but Katrina knew of his reputation in the industry, having once had dreams about being a professional actor. Mel Lazarus was a top-tier agent, and he didn’t represent just anybody. Katrina had agreed to meet him, and then, after talking with him for a bit, she’d signed on to let him represent her in any negotiations relating to her recent screen test. She hadn’t been too surprised to learn it had been the director who had given him Katrina’s number.

  Fast forward to the present, and Mel was calling to tell her she’d gotten the part. It was like a dream. Katrina felt like she was walking on air. No way could this really be happening.

  She was going to star opposite one of her favorite actors? She was going to be paid to act? She was going to make money while traveling to Europe? She was going to get paid to kiss Rendall Smith?

  Holy To
ledo! It all seemed just too unreal. And, yet, it wasn’t. She had been chosen, and she would darned well do her best to be the most amazing Maid Marian the world had ever seen.

  Sonia put down the telephone after speaking with Mel Lazarus. Katrina had accepted the part. Sonia had set things in motion. She wasn’t entirely sure where this would all lead, but she had a good feeling about it. And, if her suspicions were right—and her visions—then she’d just taken a very important step for the jaguar people as a whole.

  Not that she was a jaguar. Far from it. But she had a special place in her ancient heart for them and their recent troubles. Plus, she owed the Alpha jaguar a few favors. Helping some of his Clansmen was a good place to start. Sonia couldn’t say for certain, but she sensed that the jaguars would be important in the trials to come. She would do all in her power to help them recover their numbers while they helped her establish herself in this new world of man.

  “And, so, it begins.”

  Chapter One

  “I hope you know what you’re doing, Sonia,” Ren chided the director of his new film as they walked down the hall toward her hotel suite. “Plucking an unknown from obscurity may seem romantic, but will she have the chops to deal with me…with all of us?”

  “I have a good feeling about her,” Sonia insisted. “The moment I saw her, something clicked. I knew she had to be here. To be part of this.”

  “But to make her the leading lady?” Ren wasn’t convinced that Sonia, an immortal fey returned from that magical realm only a few years ago, knew what she was doing in the world of man. She hadn’t been around this part of the multiverse in centuries. A lot had changed in the interim.

  “Just wait ‘til you see her wide-eyed innocence. She’s absolutely perfect for Maid Marian. Her acting skills may be a little rusty from disuse, but she’s really a natural fit for this part. As long as you give her a little encouragement, she should be perfect,” Sonia reminded him of the promise she had extracted from him when he’d agreed to do this movie to help establish her credentials as a director. He’d promised to help Sonia in any way she asked, and what she’d asked had been his indulgence of the human actress Sonia had chosen to play his leading lady.

  “I should’ve been more specific when I promised to help you. You have no idea how little encouragement it takes with some human females to make them clingy and annoying.” He made a face. “I can only promise to help her with her lines and acting. I won’t encourage her to like me,” he grumbled.

  “With an attitude like that, don’t worry. She won’t like you at all,” Sonia scoffed, laughing.

  Sonia opened the door to her suite to find most of the cast already there. Since most of them were relatives or Clanmates, Ren went right in and said hello. Sonia hung back. Ren liked the way the ancient fey gave the shifters a chance to greet each other before entering. Ren knew Sonia was also effectively guarding the door to give the shifters warning when the humans arrived for the table read.

  There were only a handful of humans in this cast. Maid Marian’s part was the biggest role filled by a non-magical actor, though there were some bit parts that had gone to older folks and a few extras had been locally sourced. The cast couldn’t all be six-foot-tall, athletic jaguar shifters, after all.

  Ren heard Sonia’s musical voice when she greeted the woman playing Maid Marian in the hall. He took that as his cue to sit, as did the others. They had to cool it in front of the human, as they all understood. The shifter secret was sacrosanct.

  When the door opened wider and Sonia ushered in the small human woman, Ren had to catch his breath. She was… She was more than he had expected.

  Small. Petite was a good word, though it probably wouldn’t apply if he hadn’t been a shifter. Compared to his people, she definitely was petite. Short, even.

  Luxurious brown hair and sparkling brown eyes that tended toward a light tan or even gold at the centers. She was exceptional. Sonia was right. This human girl had an unmistakable air of innocence about her that made her seem almost fragile, though not in a physical way. It was more a…sort of…spiritual thing. He couldn’t find a better word for it, but she wore her innocence like a mantle.

  In a sea full of sharks, she was an angel fish. Ren was surprised at his own whimsical thoughts. In reality, in a room full of magical folk, she was the lone human innocent, who seemed to know nothing of their kind.

  Everybody stilled and looked toward the newcomers, following Ren’s lead. Sonia put her arm around the girl’s shoulders and brought her forward, into the room.

  “Cast and crew, I’d like you to meet your Maid Marian, Kat Valiant.” Sonia went around the table, introducing each person by name and their position in the production. Kat smiled and nodded politely, though her eyes seemed to stray, every once in a while, to Ren.

  Damn. Kat seemed nervous when Sonia got to him. “And Ren needs no introduction, I’m sure. Rendall Smith, your leading lady for the next few weeks, Katrina.”

  “Katrina?” he repeated, surprised.

  “Sorry. That’s my given name. My agent shortened it to Kat,” she explained, her voice low and musical to his senses. Not in the same way as Sonia’s lilting soprano. The fey had a tinkling tone, not unlike soft chimes. Kat’s voice was more like a haunting melody…and once again, he was thinking whimsical thoughts. Ren tugged his mind back on track. He couldn’t afford too much whimsy. Not with a vulnerable human to protect.

  That thought stopped him. Since when had he become her protector? Ren didn’t know when the change from nuisance to fragile-human-needing-protection had occurred, but he knew it had. Drat.

  It was her innocence. If she didn’t need someone to look out for her in this room full of overwhelmingly magical personalities, he’d eat his hat. Ren still didn’t want the complication of a human woman going gaga and following him around like a lovesick sheep. It had happened too many times in the past to be at all appealing. But he also didn’t want anyone to dim the bright, fragile spirit of the woman he’d just met. Et voila—somehow, he’d just become her knight errant. Her protector. Robin Hood to her Maid Marian.

  Maybe it was just the role getting to him. That had happened, on rare occasions. Or, maybe, Sonia was much better at casting than he’d given her credit for.

  “I’m a great admirer of your work, Mr. Smith,” Kat said, her words caressing his senses. Sonia had to have noticed the musicality of Kat’s voice. Perhaps that was the deciding factor in her casting choice.

  “Please, call me Ren,” he told Kat. “Won’t you sit here?” He graciously indicated the seat next to him that had been held for her.

  “Thank you.”

  He held the chair out for her as she sat in a show of gallantry that wasn’t completely at odds with his usual behavior but definitely raised some eyebrows among those who knew him best. His sister, for one, shot him a questioning look as the human woman sat, but Ren just shook his head. Now was not the time for questions he would have a hard time answering, even to himself. He retook his seat, next to her, and Sonia brought the meeting to order.

  “Our purpose today is just to get a feel for the script,” Sonia told everybody as she took her own seat. “I’ll set the scene, and then, I want you all to just run the lines. We’ll stop for notes, every once in a while, when I have something to explain or describe. Sound good?” Nods all around. “Great. Then, let’s begin.” Sonia went on to describe the opening shot of the film, as she intended it to be.

  Ren had to admit, he liked Sonia’s vision. Then again, the fey had always earned great renown as artists of all kinds. Sonia’s specialty had always been the visual arts, she claimed, and though motion pictures were new since her last time in the mortal realm, she’d taken to movies like the proverbial duck to water.

  The reading began as many others he had participated in over the years. He did his best to put his co-star out of his mind. It was difficult, since she was sitting right next to him, and her delicate scent wafted to his sensitive nose every time she shifted in
her seat or turned a page.

  The first few scenes were all his. The script sought to establish his back story first, explaining how a nobleman’s son had turned to a life of crime. It went through his meetings with each of the Merry Men who were featured in this retelling of the famous tale.

  Ren had to admit the story really came to life, the way Sonia had written it. In addition to directing, she was also the screenwriter for this project. Ren liked the way she had taken a well-known legend and given it a fresh spin. There was plenty of action, a lot of adventure and, later in the script, plenty of romance and intrigue.

  He had liked it from the first time he’d read it. Now, hearing the voices of the actors who would bring it to life, he sensed something he had felt only a few times before in his career. He sensed that this movie would be a phenomenal hit. Not only that, it would likely stand the test of time. He very much began to believe that this movie would become, in time, a classic.

  Katrina could hardly believe that she was sitting next to Rendall Smith. Not only that, but they were reading lines. Together. If she closed her eyes, she could almost see the action as the actors around her read through the introductory scenes that were full of adventure and a few battles.

  Rendall—he’d asked her to call him Ren—had a powerful voice. It had always affected her when she’d seen his movies or heard him speak in interviews. Classically trained, she had no doubt, he knew how to use his voice to full advantage. She dared not close her eyes while she was supposed to be working, but she wanted to. She wanted to let the sound of his voice wash over her. She wanted to drink in the rich tones that felt like a caress. So much better in person than they were in recording.

  Like a living purr. A low-thrumming growl when he was displeased. A full-throated yowl when he was fighting and a seductive rumble when he was calm. Damn. Just the man’s voice touched places deep down inside her that she had been barely aware of until now.