“I can understand that.” Korbin’s mind drifted back to Alaska. At one time, he thought he had made a home there, but it wasn’t the same as what he had here. It took him a little while to figure it out but this was where he was meant to be. “So then, what’s on your mind?”
“I’ve got time until they touch down. What can I do to help? I could look into the sheriff’s past or call Jinx for manpower. What would be most helpful to you?”
“You could do something for me.” He pulled open the top drawer in the desk and grabbed the manila folder sitting on top. “We don’t need to worry about exposing ourselves to the sheriff. He has a secret of his own.”
Flipping back the cover, he tossed the folder onto his desk. Pictures of the sheriff scattered over the smooth wood surface. In each of the pictures it wasn’t just the man, but also his family in their second skin.
“Cougars?” Larry leaned closer to get a better look at the images. “Sparks and Rachel didn’t mention that.”
“His parents. Mr. and Mrs. Hillbrand.” Korbin nodded. “He was adopted when he was six. They have a child of their own about the same age, and he’s a shifter. They took Sheriff Lawrence in after his biological parents died. The boys were close until their teens.”
“When the boy started to go through the transition,” Larry said.
Korbin nodded. “The son, Ted Hillbrand, has been around since I took over. I spoke with him the other day about a position with the security team for the new resort. If we’re going to be open for any shifter breed, we need to have a diverse staff.”
“Have you decided on a name yet?”
“No, but I assured your Lieutenant Lukas that I’d have the name for him and Eric by tomorrow. Eric is ready to begin working on the website but he’s waiting on me.” There was a short list of possibilities but none of them fit perfectly for describing what he was creating here. He had been holding off on picking one with the hopes something better would come to mind. It had been weeks since he started thinking about a name and still nothing.
There was a light knock on the door, warning Korbin seconds before Zaz opened it and returned with Merrie and Sparks behind him. “Sir—” Whatever he was about to say was cut off when Merrie rushed past him.
Larry shot out of his chair and turned toward the distraught tigress, blocking her access to Korbin.
“Why? What did I do for you to send me away?” she screamed.
“Merrie, if you calm down, we can talk about this reasonably. Otherwise, I’ll have Zaz escort you back to your house until you change your attitude.” He rose from behind the desk, his tiger reacting to how close to the surface Merrie’s beast was. “I understand you’re upset but I won’t have your anger risking the lives of those around you.”
“You mean that human.” She tipped her head back and sniffed the air. “She’s here.”
“That’s none of your business.” Zaz came up to her side. “Merrie, we’ve already discussed this. You’re going to keep your anger under control as you hear your Alpha out.”
“He’s sending me away!” Tears streamed from her eyes as she glanced at Zaz.
“Listen to him, Merrie.” Sparks encouraged. “Trust that our Alpha knows what’s best for you, for all of us. Trust him as I do.”
“Merrie, you were never supposed to find out like this. I was coming to speak with you before things came up to distract me.” Korbin nodded behind her toward the living area. “Let’s have a seat on the sofa and I’ll explain.”
“Explain why you’re sending me away…what does it matter now? I can’t change your mind.” Merrie didn’t move until Sparks put his arm around her shoulder and led her toward the sofa.
Korbin waited until she sat on the sofa. Sparks stepped back so he was still near if needed but far enough to give them space. Zaz and Larry stood on either side of Korbin, a step back, acting as his guards and reminding him once more that he needed guards of his own before the resort opened. Another thing to add to his list of things to do. Not wanting to think about it right now, he dropped down onto the solid wood coffee table and reached forward to take Merrie’s hand in his.
“Harmony went through Hell under your former Alpha. She failed him and as punishment she was given to Henry. He tortured her and his reasons for it are his own. Even after everything she went through, she’s come out ahead. She’s happily mated and a valuable member of the Alaskan Tigers.” He squeezed her hand, reassuring her. “I’m not sending you away; I’m sending you to get help. This decision came quickly and was made in your best interest.”
“I don’t want to leave the clan. Not now, not after it finally has a bright future to look forward to. The opening of the resort.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked up at him.
“You’re not leaving the clan. You’re still a member here. I want you to go to Alaska to talk to Harmony. After everything that happened, her mate doesn’t want her to come back and spark the memories she’s put behind her. You’ll understand more of his reasons for staying in Alaska when you get there.” He didn’t want to tell her that Harmony’s mate, Felix, was Henry’s twin brother. Having Felix here would likely spark fear in the other members. Many of them remember Henry’s crazy ways, because unlike what Felix had been told they weren’t treating his brother well. They were torturing him, hoping to bring his tiger out. Instead of it working, he went mad from suffering at the hands of the worst of the clan—they’d created a monster.
“Can I come back?” She tucked a strand of her white blonde hair behind her ear and let her gaze settle on him.
“Yes, whenever you’re ready.” He glanced up at the clock on the wall before looking back at her. Seven minutes before the plane was due to land. “The Lieutenant of the Alaskan Tigers, Raja, will be here soon along with his mate, Bethany, and some of the guards. This happened quickly because they were already on this side of the country visiting Jinx in West Virginia. Harmony suggested they pick you up on their way back and after getting permission from Ty, I made arrangements. I never planned to keep you out of this but you had just fallen asleep. I figured it could wait until you woke.”
“This is because of my…” She tipped her head, hiding her face from view.
“Your meltdown yesterday is when I went to Korbin.” Sparks sat down on the sofa next to her. “I’ve known you all my life. You grew up with Rachel and I couldn’t stand to see you in so much pain. I had to do something.” He reached over and brushed his hand along her arm.
“I don’t know what happened. It was like everything came crashing down and I couldn’t take it any longer. Everywhere I looked, I could see the horrors of our past.” The tears stopped falling as she faced Sparks. “Rachel can put it all behind her, so why can I?”
“Rachel has her brother for support; you have no one.” The soft purr of an engine echoed through the space. Raja and the others were close. Korbin glanced back to Larry. “Go meet them. We’ll wait here for them.” He didn’t like that he wasn’t meeting them at the airstrip but in that moment, Merrie needed his full attention.
“Merrie.” Larry took a step closer, coming to Korbin’s side. “Since I’ve come here, I watched you. You’ve tried hard to overcome the past by yourself but it’s too strong, the nightmares are plaguing your every dream.”
“How do you know that?”
“When I see you around the grounds in the morning, you’re as white as snow. Throughout the day, the color comes back to your cheeks and the fear in your eyes is gone. Korbin has your best interest at heart. He wants to help you but what you need is beyond him and he’s doing the only thing he can to help you get past it. It slices into an Alpha to not be able to help someone under his wing.” Larry crouched down so he was eye level with her. “I’ve spent time in Alaska and I know Harmony. She can help you if you allow her to. Ty, Tabitha, and the whole clan are amazing. They can help you move past what’s happened here.”
“I don’t want to leave.” The whine in her voice had Korbin’s tiger wan
ting to snap that she didn’t have a choice. Her Alpha had decided and she had to follow through with her orders unless she wanted to leave the clan. He couldn’t have her there full of terror, allowing her emotions to affect the whole clan.
“Maybe leaving for a short time is the best thing for you,” Larry spoke before Korbin could allow his tiger the freedom to speak the words he wanted. He grabbed a pad from his back pocket and quickly jotted down something before tearing off the sheet. “Here, this is my number. If you need anything, you can call me. I’ll be in Alaska in two weeks with Jinx and his mate, Summer. If you’re still there and want to come back, I’ll work things out with Jinx and Korbin. Give this a chance. Harmony might be able to help. While you’ll never forget what happened, you have to find something to move past it.”
“Thank you.” She took the piece of paper from him and clutched it in her hand as she would a lifeline.
“I’ll be back,” he announced, rising and heading for the door.
“He’s right.” Korbin tipped his head toward Larry as he shut the door. “If you don’t find a way to move beyond what happened, you’ll never be able to truly live. Give this a try and see if it can help. Right now, your tigress is too close to the surface. If you can’t control it, you’re going to go rogue. You’re important to me…” His mate’s scent drifted toward him and he turned. Even in the dark hallway, he spotted her without issue. “Layla.”
Layla opened her eyes and scanned the area. The soft bed and royal blue comforter covering her wasn’t familiar. Shit, Donald will be back. Bolting upright, she didn’t bother to take in her surroundings any longer. She needed to get out of there before Donald found her. With the movement, pain shot through her stomach. Sucking in a deep breath, she fought to regain her composure. Her stomach heaved from the onslaught of agony. As her fingers brushed against the bandage, everything came back to her. She could feel the wetness from the blood still seeping from her wound. It had slowed but she needed to seal the wound soon.
Korbin. She needed to get out of there before Donald caused problems for him. He didn’t deserve the shit that followed her. Fighting against the pain and her heaving stomach, she got out of bed and headed for the door. She crept down the hallway, hoping to get out of there without anyone spotting her.
As she neared the living room, Korbin’s voice stopped her in her tracks. “You’re important to me…”
“Layla.”
“I’m sorry…I…” She spun on her heels and ran back to the bedroom. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment but the feeling did nothing to subdue the emotions rising within her.
In the bedroom, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. You’re important to me? Who was she? Jealousy rushed through her, making her want to go back out there and tell the other woman to back off.
Who was she to lay down her claim on him? Korbin didn’t belong to her. Hell, she didn’t even know him. Even if her body reacted to him, she was already promised to someone else. She couldn’t change that. Not that she was keen to honor such a promise out of a sense of responsibility, but she wouldn’t put anybody she loved in danger, especially her sister and these people. After losing her father, she couldn’t bear to see anyone suffer or die on account of her selfishness. So her destiny had been laid out; she didn’t get to change it because some man sparked her interest. Showing any interest in Korbin would only get him hurt. She needed to remember who she was messing with. Donald’s reach went a lot farther than those around her. He could ruin not just her but anyone associated with her.
“Layla.”
She opened her eyes to find Korbin standing next to her, reaching toward her. He slipped a hand down her arm and instantly, the jealousy subsided. His touch put her at ease. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have interrupted. I know better.”
“Shh, baby. You didn’t interrupt a thing and even if you did, I wouldn’t have minded.” He pulled her into his embrace.
“Who is she?” The words were out before she could stop them. To be suspicious of someone had never been her way. She knew better than to question Donald, but with Korbin it was different. Emotions she never experienced before burst through her and she was left unable to control them.
“That’s Merrie. You saw her before in her tigress form.”
“No.” She pulled back from his embrace so she could look at him. “Who is she to you? Your girlfriend? How can you be back here with your arms around me while your girlfriend is out there in the other room? What is this place? Some weird polygamous community?”
“Baby, there’s so much I have to fill you in on but trust me, we’re not a polygamous community. We mate for life and there’s no sharing outside of the mating bond.” He ran his hand down her back. “Trust me for just a little bit longer. Once you’re healed and I get Merrie on the plane to Alaska, I’ll explain everything. An hour, two at most. Please, Layla.”
“Are you getting rid of her because someone else sparked your interest?”
“I’m nothing more than a friend to him,” Merrie called from the hallway. “I’m sorry sir, Sparks tried to stop me, but I couldn’t allow her to be angry with you because of me. We’ve lost so much already. We can’t afford to lose your mate as well.”
“Mate?” Layla’s mouth dropped open as she stared up at Korbin.
“Enough, Merrie. Go sit back down,” Zaz ordered. “Korbin, they’re on their way here now.”
“I’ll be out in a minute,” he told Zaz, his gaze still on Layla.
“I think it’s time for you to explain yourself. Mate? Who’s on their way? What is going on?” All her life she had been kept in the dark and her patience had run out. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. Whatever Korbin was hiding, she was tired of it. If he didn’t give her the truth, she was out of there. She tried to convince herself she wouldn’t even care if Donald raided the place, hauling them all off to jail, but she did care.
“I’ll start with your last question and work back as I can. The Lieutenant to the Alaskan Tigers, Raja, his mate, Bethany, and their guards are on their way. They’re taking Merrie back to Alaska so she can speak with someone who can help her deal with some personal things. With them is Galen, the healer I spoke to you about earlier. He’s going to heal your gunshot wound. That will have to do for now because they’re here. After they leave, I’ll explain everything else.”
“Arrived? How do you—” Her question was cut off at the sound of new voices in the living room.
“I heard the door open.”
Considering he could shift into a tiger, she didn’t bother to comment on his hearing. It must have been part of his animal side. Either way, she had a more important question on her mind. “Wait, one more question. What did she mean by mate? Who?”
“Think, baby.” He pulled her against his body, keeping his arm loose around her. “You feel the sizzle of electricity between us. The way your body reacts without you thinking about it, like now.”
At his statement, she realized her hands were sliding over the curves of his hips, her fingers teasing along the arc of his butt. “I…”
“Don’t overthink it. What we have is natural.”
“But Donald—”
“Don’t, baby.” He pressed his finger to her lips. “I’ll handle Donald. What matters is you’re safe here and you’re not going to have to deal with him again.”
Leaning forward, she pressed her head against his shoulder and tried not to allow worry to overtake her. She wanted things to work out, for Donald to be a thing of the past, but she couldn’t see how that would happen. If she didn’t go through with the wedding, Donald would see both her and Mella dead. She couldn’t allow that to happen.
I just want to wake up from this nightmare.
Chapter Six
Holding his mate against his chest, Korbin took another few minutes to cherish the moment. Was it the best thing to do as an Alpha? No. He should have been out there greeting his guests. Zaz had it under control but it was his duty. If it had
been anyone else but the Alaskan Tigers, he would have forced himself to step away from her and carry on with his responsibilities. There was an additional benefit in knowing the clan Elders—Raja and Bethany—would understand his need to comfort his mate.
“Excuse me.” Galen’s voice was hushed as he came toward them. “Zaz mentioned your mate was injured. Can I take a look? Or would you like me to come back?”
“Now’s fine.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “Layla, this is Galen. He’s going to take care of your injuries. I should go welcome our guests but if you want me to stay, I will.” Hell, he wanted to stay with her. Balancing duty with mating was harder than he expected.
“Go. I’ll be fine.” She pulled her hands back from his waist and instantly, he missed her touch. “When you come back, I expect you to finish answering my questions.”
“Anything for you.” He shot her a cocky grin before stepping back from her and looking at Galen. “Take good care of my girl.”
“You know I will.” Galen gave him a quick smile before shifting his attention to Layla. “If you’d like to sit on the bed and get comfortable, I’ll look over your injuries and explain the process.”
Heading out of the master bedroom and back to the living room where everyone was gathered, his thoughts stayed with Layla. The fear drifting off his sweet mate was overwhelming but there didn’t seem to be an ounce of it directed at him or the clan. She was scared for him but not of him—a weight off his mind, which allowed him to focus on Merrie, if only for a short bit.
“There he is.” Bethany shot up off the sofa and came to him. “It’s been so long. How is everything going here?”
“It’s going.” He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her in for a quick hug. She was family to him—the whole Alaskan Tigers clan was. Seeing her and Raja reminded him of how much he missed them. “Thanks to all the help sent from Alaska and the West Virginia Tigers, we’re a couple of weeks from moving into our new building, which will be such a relief. I never thought a roof over my head mattered so much, but living here I realized how much it impacts us. If any place could feel evil, it has to be this one.”
Alaskan Tigers Box Set 3 Page 32
