Healing the Clan: Alaskan Tigers: Book Ten (7 page)

This information sat in her stomach like a lead brick. If she had stayed, she’d have been even more of a prisoner. She’d have also put her family in danger. Had Frank killed them and made it look like they had left? It would have been the perfect way to get back at her. If David had found her and dragged her back, Frank could have used it against her, that he’d killed her family because she tried to escape.

“Catnip,” Styx called from the open door by Theodore. “The rooms are ready.”

Mira nodded and stood. “Victoria, for what it’s worth, I’m glad your back. I knew you’d return and make things right here. My brother needs someone like you by his side.”

She wasn’t sure what to say, but David stepped through the door beside him and suddenly she didn’t care about the past or even the future. All she cared about was the man strolling toward her. Some said that being in love wasn’t the same thing as mating. What flowed through her at the moment seemed so much more than just her body reacting to a mating match. She couldn’t say she was in love with him, but the feelings of love and desire were there. She wanted to be with him, and it wasn’t just the tigress within her that wanted that.

“David…” His name came out like a whisper as she pushed her chair back with such force it toppled over. She made her way around the table and closed the remaining distance between them. His arms wrapped around her, and he drew her close until she was pressed up against his body. This had been the first truly intimate touch they’d shared since she arrived. Before now, it had been a little hand holding or a brush along the arm. This hug brought them closer than they had ever been before. “I need you.”

“I know.” His lips pressed against the top of her head. “We have an hour before the clan has dinner, but after that, I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean? Surely you’re not going to start the training tonight? Everyone’s exhausted. The training has been nonstop for days.”

“I’ve called the clan together. I’ve got to address the situation with Styx. The rest of the announcements and business I had planned to deal with in the morning will also be dealt with tonight. There’s no reason to gather everyone back together in the morning as well. So…”

“What are you waiting for? You said we had an hour. Let’s go.” She took his hand into hers and dragged him toward the door.

“My eager tigress,” he teased, but kept pace with her.

Eager was an understatement for what was going through her. Since finding out she was his mate, the desire level grew stronger with each passing hour. Today, though, it had begun to throb. Now she’d claim her mate and they could continue working to rebuild their clan. Her life was changing, and she was glad that she could be a part of everything that was happening here.

The door clicked shut behind them, leaving them alone in their quarters, and nerves sank in. “I…I want you.”

“I assumed that from the high speed dash up here.” He stalked toward her. “I want you naked.” His voice changed into more of a growl.

She took hold of the hem of her shirt, slowly pulling it up until a small part of her stomach showed. “Just because we’re short on time doesn’t mean I’m just going to hop into bed with you. Maybe I should make you work for it.”

He stepped in front of her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing her against his body and forced her against the wall. With her back pressed against the wall and his body flush with hers, he lowered his head to the curve of her neck. He nipped and licked along her skin, working his way toward her ear, gently purring. His body vibrated against hers, and his shaft pulsed against her thigh.

She couldn’t stop herself from touching him. She reached out and caressed the arch of his hips, teasing along the curve and up his sides. Desire poured through her, and she wasn’t sure how long she could hold out before she begged him to take her.

“Sweet, but there’s a hint of spice to your taste.” He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, his teeth grazing around her earring, his hand sliding down her body, following her curves.

By the time he got to her hips, she was practically panting. She needed him, and she couldn’t hold it off any longer. “Naked, now.” She reached up for him, her fingers closing around the buttons of his jeans.

“But I thought you weren’t planning to strip naked and hop into my bed?” he teased.

She worked her way past his button and continued on the path to what she wanted. “Just get naked.”

He pulled off his shirt, tossing it to the floor.

She tugged down his zipper and slipped her hand inside the rough material. Her fingers wrapped around his shaft, tearing a growl from deep within him. “Take these off.” She slid his jeans down his hips.

Instead of doing what she asked, his fingers twisted around the material of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head.

Her beast was growing tired of waiting, wanting his body pressed against her. “David!” His name emerged as more of a groan than she had planned, but he had slipped her bra off and his lips had found her nipples. While the first time they made love shouldn’t be rushed, she could no longer suppress her need.

Taking matters into her own hands, she slid her hand between them and unbuttoned her jeans before wiggling them down her legs. The apprehension and nervousness that had been there when they entered were gone. The mating desire rolled within her unwilling to be denied. She just hoped it didn’t return with a vengeance later.

They stripped out of their remaining clothes, and he lifted her up, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist as he carried her toward the bed. “Ready or not, you’re about to be claimed as my mate.”

“Oh, I’m ready.” She purred as her nails dragged along his back.

He laid her down on the bed and in one quick movement, he was on top of her. His hands slid down her body as his lips circled her nipple, grazing his teeth over it until her back arched into him.

“David, please,” she moaned.

He tore his lips away from her breast, leaning up to look at her. “Please what? I know you like it. I can feel your tigress vibrating just under the surface, begging for more.” Watching her, he waited for an answer.

She lost all train of thought as he slipped a hand between her legs. The gentle caress as his fingers slip between her folds sent her mind reeling. A moan tore from between her lips. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and she arched into him, wanting him to explore deeper within her. His finger slipped into her as his thumb teased along her clit, exciting the bundle of nerves.

“Watch those nails, or I might have to return the favor.” He gave a gentle squeeze to her most sensitive spot that had her arching toward him.

“I need…” She grabbed hold of his arm to stop herself from clawing down his body.

“What is it that you need, my sweet mate?” He slid his hand away and brought it to her hips.

“You.” Her tigress growled.

“I had planned to take this slow, to enjoy every second of it. No rushing.”

“Time is limited,” she reminded him. “Even if it wasn’t, I need you now. There’s time for slow, but with this mating desire…that time isn’t now.”

He leaned over her, pressing his lips to hers for a soft kiss. When he pulled back, he let his lips hover just above hers. “Just remember that you gave me permission to take my time later. You might regret that because there will be no begging me to speed it up then. You will be mine.” Before she could reply, he kissed her again, this time deeper, more passionately, stealing the breath from her.

He pulled his mouth from hers and kissed a path down her neck. His breath was cool against her skin, sending goosebumps down her body as he nipped and kissed along her shoulder. She had wanted to say that she looked forward to that, but the words were stuck in her throat as she fought to keep the screams of desire from springing from her. Sensations collided and threatened to overwhelm her, but she pushed her beast away, trying to savor the moment.

“You’re mine, and I’ll protect you with my dying breath.” He kissed down her chest until he reached her breasts, dragging his tongue in lazy circles around her nipples. The intensity of her desire shot through the roof. Teasing her nipples gently, pulling them between his teeth until they stood at attention, he rested his weight on an elbow and used the other hand to explore the length of her body. His fingers teased along every curve until it felt like fire sparked between them, growing stronger and hotter with each touch. It wouldn’t be long before the mating desire was too much and he wouldn’t be able to keep up the foreplay. Not that she minded. Right now, foreplay could wait as long as she had him buried deep within her.

He blazed a hot, wet trail of kisses across her stomach, stroking her thighs with his fingertips. With every touch, she arched her hips into him, demanding more. Yearning coursing through her; she could wait no longer for him to claim her. Her mind was in a sexual haze, and her beast was just below the surface, speeding the pace, clawing at her insides, demanding to be set free to mingle with his.

Lifting her hips off the bed, he spread her legs farther, giving him the access he needed. Their gazes met for a moment as she watched the battle within his eyes. He fought his beast to stay in control, to draw this out enough to include foreplay.

“Now, David.” In that moment, she needed him more than she needed her next breath. It wouldn’t have mattered if she wasn’t wet enough to allow him to slide within her folds. Not that it would be a problem. But it wouldn’t have mattered. All that mattered was joining the two of them together in a bond stronger than anything else on this planet.

Without waiting a moment longer, he slid his shaft into her warm, wet core, his manhood filling her completely. Her tigress leapt forward to meet him. With every thrust, his pace sped and their beasts mingled together like an invisible blanket surrounding them. Stroke after stroke, the tempo between them intensified until his hips where slamming off hers, a driving force with each pump of his hips. The thrusts became deeper and faster, falling into a perfect rhythm. Their bodies rocked back and forth and she arched into him, holding onto his lower back to bring them closer together. The tension strained through their muscles as she fought for the release she longed for.

She wanted to roll him over and ride his shaft, seeking her own speed and watching his eyes as she brought him closer and closer to the climax they both longed for. That would have to wait until next time. Right then, all her beast wanted to do was cement the mating, and for that, they both needed to climax.

As he pushed into her, she arched up to meet him. Faster and deeper, they met each other’s thrusts. They climbed the mountain, both seeking the apex. Their moans mixed with purrs and growls, and she had a brief thought to be thankful they weren’t doing this in a hotel or somewhere where humans could see them. That thought and everything else fell away as the tsunami of ecstasy flooded toward her.

“Oh, David!” Screaming his name, she arched her body into his as her release coursed through her, her nails digging into his chest and leaving deep welts and angry red scratches. He continued to pump into her, his tempo never missing as the waves tore through her until he drove into her one last time, tipped his head back and roared as his release followed.

With her eyes closed, she let her hands run over his chest, feeling the contours of his body, while her tigress purred within her. This had been what they needed and now the aches from the desire had diminished. Now all she wanted to do was roll over, cuddle against him, and sleep.

“Open your eyes.”

“Let me enjoy this bliss,” she moaned as he tweaked her nipple, sending a jolt of pain through her, causing her eyes to open in a flash. “Watch that.” She squeezed her inner core muscles around his shaft that was still buried deep within her. “Otherwise we’ll never make the meeting and Ryder will be left dealing with everyone.”

“I’d rather stay here with you.” He tipped his head to the curve of her shoulder and kissed her collarbone. “We could make love again, and then with your eyes glossed over in ecstasy and the afterglow filling your face, we could cuddle until we fell asleep.”

“Sounds amazing, but we have duties that must be attended to.” She hated to be so logical, but someone had to be practical, and at the moment, it was her. Now that the connection between them was fully alive, she understood him more than she had before. She realized that the clan meant so much to him, and that even though she had doubts about the Alaskan Tigers, and everything that Tabitha would accomplish, he didn’t. He believed in a future that would be bright for all of them, a safe place for future generations to grow up in, and that gave her hope.

He slid out of her and rolled onto the bed beside her before pulling her against his body. As they snuggled together, his fingers caressing her side in lazy strokes, she continued to explore the depths within him that he tried to keep concealed from everyone but could no longer hide from her.

M
orning came long
before David was ready for it. No matter how much coffee he consumed, it didn’t seem to make a dent in his exhaustion. Even though the meeting with the clan had gone okay, it didn’t eliminate his anxiety about having Mira and Styx in the compound. The members were still concerned with Styx, and nothing he said would diminish the fear Frank had instilled in them. He could only hope that the fear of Styx would keep his sister safe.

“Are you still worrying?” Victoria strolled toward him with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body.

If his thoughts hadn’t been so jumbled, he’d have tugged the corner of the towel and let it fall away so he could enjoy the views of her body. Instead he sat there wondering how quickly he could push through the training and get them all back on the helicopter and out of danger.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She shook her head and removed a mug from the rack to pour her own coffee. “Things are going to be fine. There’s only a handful who are upset about his presence.”

“A handful?” He shook his head and tried not to laugh. “We’ve only got a handful of members.”

“You know what I mean.” She brought her coffee around to the other side of the bar where he was sitting. “What, three members? One is too scared to do anything. So that leaves two who could be threats, but I doubt it.”

“Why?”

“If you weren’t so full of anxiety over your sister being here and your father missing, you’d feel it too. The members trust you. There’s some who are scared, but they trust that you’re going to pull them through all of this.”

“We lost another one sometime yesterday. Bob. He was a follower of my dad’s, and now he’s left.”

“Good. One less person against us and what you’re trying to do here.” She set the mug down and placed her hand over his. “It also leads me to believe that your father is alive and out there because he wants to be. He most likely got word to Bob, and they’ll either start their own clan or join with someone against Tabitha. While I know you’d rather your father here, this might be a good thing.”

“I’m not sure I’d want him here. He’s family, but he’s against everything I stand for. I couldn’t stand by and let him continue with his disapproving comments. The longer I let that go on, the higher the chance he could turn some of the clan against me.” He took a long drink and set his mug aside. “This way, I can start fresh with people who actually want to be here and who want to see the changes I’m making.”

“Having people who want to be here is why we’re going to be able to get back on track quickly. There’s no need to convince people why your way is a better way. The guards you’ve chosen are ones who want to protect you, the clan, and everything the future stands for. But if we’re going to survive, we need more members, more mated members, because as long as we’re a small clan others will see us as prey.”

“I’ve already spoken to Ty and Tabitha about that.” He pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. “We’re going to welcome members into our clan who are escaping Alphas like Frank. They’ll commit themselves to us, and that will grow our numbers. We’re also going to have some of the single members from other clans visiting.”

“Why?”

“Matchmaking.” He smirked. “We have been denied the right to travel for so long that I highly doubt many are going to be willing to rush off and venture out into this new world. This will allow them to possibly meet their mates.”

“Leaving here for the first time can be scary.” She shivered, probably remembering when she’d ran away in the middle of the night. “But there are so many wonderful things out there waiting to be explored. They don’t need cross-country trips, but you should encourage them to leave the compound and venture into town. They need to open themselves up to everything life has to offer. How else will they meet possible human mates?”

“One step at a time. We will do that, and maybe even plan outings to movies or something around town. We’ll figure it out, but there need to be some safeguards in place.”

“Shopping trips for the women. Frank’s rule of women always in dresses is sexist and outdated.”

He smirked at his mate as images of pulling a dress over her head quickly filled his thoughts. “I agree, but dresses have their benefits.”

“Huh?” Her eyebrows knotted together.

“Easy access, my sweet mate. Easier for me to pull off your panties and lift up your dress. Then I can have my way with you without all the fuss of undressing.”

“Horny tiger, but I’ll keep that in mind.” She glanced down at the towel and then back at him. “This towel would do the same, except you wouldn’t think of making the clan women wear it.’

“Back up. I said dresses had their benefits, not that everyone should be forced to wear them. I believe women should have the same rights, and that includes what they wear.”

“Nice save.” She dragged her hand up his chest. “Because of that, if you’re good, I might just pull out this tight-fitting dress that hugs all the right places and wear it for you sometime soon.”

“I look forward to it, almost as much as I look forward to pulling it up and having my way with you.” He polished off the last of his coffee. “For now, I must dash. My first training session with Styx is in ten minutes. Then he’ll work with the guards while I meet with Carran and Larry about the building plans. What’re your plans for today?”

“Heidi, Mira, and I are going to meet with some of the other women. Leah is really having a hard time and we’re going to try to talk to her. Maybe a girls’ day for the four of us with a movie and shopping would help her.”

“Not without guards,” he reminded her. “I’ll discuss it with Ryder and Styx and see what we can come up with to make it happen before they leave.”

“Thank you.”

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. “Anything I can do to make my mate happy.” He never completely understood mating before now, but ever since she’d come into his life, there were no longer any doubts. He was falling for her, and he’d spend the rest of his life doing whatever her could to make sure she was happy and safe. She was his world for now and always.

W
ith her mate
busy making sure the guards were trained, Victoria had taken it upon herself to make sure the women and children were adjusting to their new life, new freedom, and new Alpha. Frank had a tendency to overlook them. Maybe it was because, to him, women were always lesser beings, just slightly higher than humans. But she wasn’t about to let that happen with David in charge, not that he seemed like he would allow such a thing.

Leah was the only one Victoria was really concerned about. The young tigress had lost her parents and sister in the fight that eliminated Frank. Now she was alone for the first time, and terrified. It didn’t help that everyone was trying to pull her in different directions, doing what they thought was best for her. Victoria could feel the damage it was doing, and Leah didn’t know where to turn. The girl needed a break but she wasn’t sure how to give her one. She tossed around ideas in her mind, but each one she threw out. The hardest thing about being the Alpha’s mate was she couldn’t show favoritism, or it would come back to bite her in the ass. She’d have to continue to wrack her brain because she couldn’t stand by and not do something for Leah.

Ryder stepped around the building and came to stand before her. “Victoria, David is waiting in your quarters.”

“I’m a little busy.” She nodded to Mira and Heidi who were sitting across from her in the cafeteria.

“It can’t wait.”

“Go on,” Mira urged. “We’ll continue tossing around ideas about how to help Leah, and if we think of anything, we’ll let you know.”

There was nothing she could do here, and if Ryder said it couldn’t wait, then it must have been important. She pushed her chair back from the table and stood. Mira’s current guard, Theodore the bear shifter, was standing a few feet behind them but wouldn’t meet her gaze.

She brushed it off and turned to Ryder. “Any insight on what he’s waiting on me for?”

“You’ll have to ask him about that.” Without another word, he headed for the door.

Interested, she caught up to him, falling into stride next to him. She glanced at his face, looking for some clue. The somber lines around his eyes and the sadness that pulled the corners of his mouth down slightly warned her it wasn’t good news. Was there a new threat? Had the Washington D.C. Tigers decided to attack? Did they have some information on Tim? Question after question flooded her thoughts, and Ryder’s mood shift was making her uneasy. Something was off and he was acting guarded around her.

“I thought she might have given you problems.” David stood at the top of the stairs, outside of the door to their quarters, watching.

“Now I’m nervous.” She paused at the bottom of the steps. “This must be serious, or you’d have used the time waiting for us to do some work.” When her mate didn’t have some snappy comeback or anything to put her mind at ease, she glanced between him and Ryder. “I’ve never seen you two so subdued. What’s wrong?”

“Come up here.” A soft voice drifted from the room behind him.

“Who’s there?” With the knowledge weighing on her shoulders that she didn’t want to know whatever she was about to find out, she climbed the steps.

He came around the railing, down the last few steps, and held out his hand to her. “Come here.”

“David…what’s going on?” She nearly choked on the words.

“Go inside and all will be revealed,” Ryder commented from a step behind her.

With them both being so secretive, she wanted to run. Whatever they were about to tell her, she didn’t want to know. She could live without the information. Instead of running and letting her feet carry her in the opposite direction, she let David lead her toward the doorway. With every step, the lump in her throat grew and her heart rate escalated.

She stepped through the door, and everything looked the same. She wasn’t sure why she had expected something to be different about their room but she had. It seemed their mood had made her jump from one thing to another. The only idea that held any weight was that the threat from the Washington D.C. Tigers had grown. Yet, neither David nor Ryder were armed with anything other than a side arm and they would have been if something had happened.

“I heard a voice before.” She glanced around the room, but there was no one there.

“I left the communication open when I sent Ryder after you.” David dragged his fingers through his hair. “It was Turi you heard, one of the Kodiak Bears.”

She slipped her hand from his and faced him. “Just tell me what’s going on.”

“Turi’s been searching for your parents, and he found something.”

“Something?” Her legs went weak, and she stumbled backward to lean against the back of the recliner. “But not them.”

“I’m sorry.” David stepped toward her, but she shook her head.

She didn’t want his comfort because, in the safety of his arms, she’d fall apart. “They’re dead…” Silently she begged for him to deny it while cursing herself for what she had done. If she had only stayed, maybe they’d still be alive.
He planned to hide you away upstairs and kill your parents. He’d make it look like your parents left.
Mira’s words tore her heart out just a little more now. No matter what she chose, her parents had been destined to die because of her actions.

“I told you they left while I was looking for you, but I didn’t know all the details.”

“Mira said he would kill them and make it look like they left.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “He wanted to get them out of the way in case I was brought back. He had plans…”

“To have you as a mate.” He touched her shoulder, and she shivered. “But he’s dead now and he can’t hurt you. I only wish I could bring him back and make him pay again for what he did to you and your family.”

She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his chest. The desire to curl against his body was strong, but she forced herself to deny it a little bit longer. “What did he find?”

“Some correspondence to the former Alpha of the Ohio Tigers…bragging about what he had done and ways he planned on making you pay when you were returned to him. They shared some…gory letters.”

“Now with both of them dead, they can’t carry out their plans,” Ryder added from his spot near the door.

“Alphas like that can influence their members. Then they grow up, and we end up with new vindictive shifters. It’s a never-ending cycle.” She thought back to what David had told her of Frank’s final fight. Most of the clan members who died were those who’d been Frank’s biggest supporters. They weren’t the only ones, but the majority. The others had been killed trying to protect someone they loved. Had Frank’s supporters realized what was happening and seized the opportunity to kill the others who they saw as threats? If she had to answer it, she’d have said yes, but she wasn’t there.

“Your tight muscles can only mean one thing. You’re thinking too hard.” David ran a hand down her arm.

“It’s nothing.” She brushed it off. “Turi.”

“I’m here.” His voice came through the laptop speakers. “All of us are very sorry for your loss.”

She forced herself out of David’s embrace and went to the computer screen so she could see him. “Thank you. I need to see whatever you found.”

“Victoria.” David laid a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t think this will help anything.”

“I want to know what he did to them.”

“Listen to your mate,” Turi urged. “You don’t need those visions. They’re not going to give you closure or bring your parents back. There’s no need to go down this road.”

The hidey hole.
Frank thought she’d be brought back to him and he’d lock her away there. He’d have left something there, something that proved he had killed her parents. He wouldn’t have only done it because he was an asshole but because he’d want to make her suffer. Physical torture, sex with someone who wasn’t a mate, none of that would have been enough for Frank. No, he’d want to tear her heart from her chest. Since he couldn’t do that without killing her, the next best way to do that was with the knowledge that she was responsible for her parents’ demise.