Defended By A Jaguar

Copyright © 2023 by S.M. Merrill All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in, or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known, hereinafter invented, without express written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below. Typewriter Pub, an imprint of Blvnp Incorporated A Nevada Corporation 1887 Whitney Mesa DR #2002 Henderson, NV 89014 www.typewriterpub.com/[email protected] ISBN: 978-1-64434-276-3 DISCLAIMER This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. While references might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. DEFENDED BY A JAGUAR Mate Me Series BOOK FOUR S.M. MERRILL Table of Contents 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 Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Epilogue To all my readers who keep coming back. You’ve kept my creative spark alive. Trigger Warning: The following story contains profanities, depictions of violence, and sex. Reader discretion is advised. Chapter One Jordan pulled into the daycare parking lot, rubbing his face with his hands. God, he was tired. these long days were exhausting him. He had been called by the school about his niece, Daisy. She cried most of the day and wouldn’t nap. About two years ago, he gained custody of Daisy. Her mother died from breast cancer, and her grandparents were too old to care for her. His brother Scott was too drugged up to even be an option. No one had seen nor spoken to him in almost ten years. The only reason he knew about Daisy was that her mom had been a childhood friend of his. Daisy’s mom dated Scott on and off for years, moving wherever he lived at the moment to be with him. Jordan loved his niece, but lately, she had become very emotional and he did not know what to do. He decided to take Eloise up on having Daisy spend her school breaks with her. Maybe she needed more female attention? His attendance at a Mate Me event had been encouraged by Josie. He might find his mate. “Hello, Mr. Howard,” Mrs. Jodi, the director, called. It would not be good if she was waiting at the door for him. “Hello, Mrs. Jodi,” he began. “I’m here to pick up Daisy. Miss Hillary called to say she had been crying on and off all day.” “Before you get her, can we talk?” He nodded and followed her into the office “Have a seat,” she said, pointing to a chair in front of her desk. The room was small. It only had enough space for a desk, two chairs, and a bookshelf packed with child development books. He sat in one of the small office chairs. A creak could be heard under the weight of his massive frame. As a shifter, he was naturally larger than the average male. “Do you know why Daisy has been crying?” Jordan asked. He felt like a naughty child sent to the principal’s office. “For you, to be precise.” The answer took him by surprise. When he first became her guardian, she cried for her mom almost nonstop. “Me?” he asked, and she nodded. “You. I know being a single parent is hard. Might I suggest you cut back on your work hours? You drop Daisy off at seven and don’t pick her up until almost six. Eleven-hour days are hard on any child.” Jodi gave him a sad smile, and he knew she was right. Daisy had not gotten to spend much time with him lately. He was helping Eloise with her stalker case. William was finally getting a trial after over a year of appeals. For the past two weeks, Jordan had been working overtime to prepare for court. “Thank you, Mrs. Jodi. I think I’ll keep Daisy home for a few days.” He stood and strode down the hall to get his niece. Opening the door to her classroom, he saw her curled up in a small armchair. She looked miserable with her tearstained cheeks. Her long-sleeved pink unicorn shirt was soaked from her tears and one shoe was dangling off her foot. “Hello, Mr. Howard,” Miss Hillary purred. Jordan gave her a half-smile. Daisy’s teacher was another jaguar shifter with blonde hair and blue eyes. She hit on him every chance she got, and it made his skin crawl, not to mention awkward when he came to pick up Daisy. “Daisy,” he called softly. Her dark-blonde head popped up. The ponytail he’d put her curly hair in that morning was falling out. “Uncle Jordan!” she yelled and launched herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he instructed and her dark-green eyes watered. Many people assumed she was his daughter because they looked exactly alike. “I don’t like it here,” she told him. He gave her his best tell-me-everything stare. “Why?” he asked. Keeping her in his arms, he began collecting her things. “Because I miss you,” she admitted, and he paused. “Daisy, I miss you when I am at work too. How about we take a break from school and work?” he asked her. Her eyes