“I was…” Thorn shook his head, his anger deflating.
“When we arrived, I could sense no one else around but my instinct was to react, so that’s what I did.” He tossed the last of the bloody paper towels into the bag and turned to Thorn. “It was an accident and she’ll be fine, but I didn’t know that when I rushed in. We have a tigress that relieves her stress by cutting herself. She’s getting the help she needs, but it’s been a dangerous road with too many close calls. The scent of Carleen’s blood brought that to the forefront of my thoughts and I reacted.”
“It’s likely that Tex picked up on my emotions.” Rhett pulled out the bar stool and sank down onto it. “The tigress is my sister and as my tiger caught hold of the scent of blood, it was a reminder to the last time I smelled it. Images of her curled in a ball on the bathroom floor, her will gone…”
“We almost lost her.” Tex’s attention was on Rhett, but his words were directed at Thorn. “Carleen’s fear of blood and the helplessness to stop it mimicked the scent of our tigress’s fear of dying. I won’t apologize for barging in here or for helping her, but I will agree the move could be seen as an overreaction.”
“If you wouldn’t have thrown the beer bottle and then took off, none of this would have happened.” Carleen’s scent drifted toward Tex before he could see her, but a moment later, she was standing in the short hallway, watching them. “I’m fine now, so can we just drop it?”
“No.” Thorn crossed his arms over his chest. “There’s more to this then what you’re telling me.”
“Thorn…” There was a twinge of annoyance in her voice, forcing her to pause and take a deep breath. “It’s not like what happened with Lucy, so can you please give this a rest? Let Tex and Rhett do what they came here to do and then we can talk.”
“Sir.” Rhett held up his watch, letting him know they were running out of time.
“We’re going to have to continue this later. I have another meeting.” He glanced at Thorn and then back to her. “Carleen, I’d like you to join me for dinner. It will give us a chance to have our chat.”
“I’d like that.” She kept her attention on him, refusing to look at her brother, as if she expected him to be angry. “What time?”
“Give me an hour and I’ll come for you.” He tipped his head to Rhett, motioning for him to head toward the door, and came around the counter to stand in front of her. “You’ll be okay now?” He kept his voice low, hoping she understood the double meaning in his question, without alerting Thorn.
“Fine.” She brushed her hand along his forearm, careful to keep the touch hidden from her brother. She clearly didn’t want to upset him, but she couldn’t stop herself from touching Tex one last time. “I’ll see you then.”
After seeing the fear in her eyes earlier, he didn’t like leaving her alone, but there wasn’t much he could do right then. He had to meet with Ty, while Rhett needed to dig into their background further. Something wasn’t in the file that Ty had given them, and he needed to know what it was before any decisions could be made. If they were a danger to his clan, he couldn’t take them back to Texas, no matter the personal cost to him.
Standing next to her dresser as she prepared for dinner with Tex, Carleen could feel the silence hanging over her. Silence was something she normally treasured. In Mississippi, there never seemed to be enough of those quiet alone moments. Now she cursed it. She wanted Tex to return, giving her something else to focus on. She was tired of thinking about the situation with her brother.
The tension between her and Thorn had never been as bad as it had been the last several weeks. Until he arrived to find Tex between her legs while she sat on the counter, she wasn’t sure things could get worse between them. Now she realized they could. Convincing him that he was reading the situation wrong was impossible. He was angry, mostly with himself for messing up during the training session earlier, and now she was the one who had to deal with it. Thorn always had his moody times, but it wasn’t until the mess with Lucy that things became unbearable and he began to take his moods out on those around him, particularly her.
He was her best friend, the one person who would always have her back. Lately the relationship seemed one-sided. She was there for him, but when she needed his support, he had nothing for her. Thorn was the last person she could confide in when it came to the situation with Tex. She wasn’t sure how he would react, but if he got a position with the Texas Tigers, he’d never feel as though he’d done it himself. In his mind, it would always be his connection to her that secured him the position. It wouldn’t matter what the truth was, or that he was good enough to make the team without her influence.
“Damn you, Thorn.” Sliding the tube of lip gloss over her lips as she stood before the mirror, she cursed him for throwing the beer bottle. If she hadn’t been cleaning up after him, she wouldn’t have cut herself. Maybe one slight change in their brief encounter would have been enough to hold off discovering they were mates for just a bit longer, allowing Thorn to be chosen for one of the positions on his own.
She tugged her hair from the ponytail she’d pulled it into earlier and let the strands fall around her shoulders. The deep red color looked like spun rubies and had always been one of her favorite features about herself. The way it shined brought out her eyes, though lately all it seemed to do was bring attention to her pale skin, making her look worse than before. Running her hands through her hair, she tried to fluff it the best she could.
Since Thorn left for the celebration with the other guards who had auditioned, she had spent the time changing from one outfit to another, trying to find something perfect. On some level, her tigress wanted to impress Tex because he was her mate, yet she barely even knew him. Would their mating be like her parents, unhappy and bitter, or would it be something special like she always dreamed it would be?
With the kindness in his touch and the way he took care of her wound, she wanted to believe it would be different than what she had witnessed her whole life. Still, she couldn’t get her hopes up. She needed to be prepared for whatever the future held. More than that, she’d have to put on a show just as her mother had all those years. If the mating with Tex became an unhappy union, she wouldn’t just have to convince Thorn that things were fine, but the whole clan. They had to believe she was happy or not only her life, but also Tex’s would be in danger. Am I up for that task?
A light rap on the front door forced her to stop messing with her hair and take one final look in the mirror. Staring at her reflection, she second-guessed her decision to wear the black slacks and emerald green sweater. Maybe she should have kept it relaxed with jeans. Did she appear as if she was trying too hard?
As the knocking grew louder, she forced herself to forget about her appearance and go to the door. This connection between them wasn’t based on looks or even personality. He was an attractive man and she found herself drawn to him in the gym. Maybe on some level, her tigress already recognized him and it was pushing them together. She wasn’t sure, but she had to remember that what was happening was based on their beasts, nothing more.
In the living room, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She needed to stay friendly and keep an open mind. Worrying she’d end up in an unhappy mating would do nothing to stop the inevitable; it would just cause her undue stress. She pulled open the door to find Tex standing on the porch looking better than he did an hour ago. Like her, he had also changed. He was still in jeans but his t-shirt had been replaced with a V-neck sweater, allowing her the briefest glimpse of his toned chest. The tanned skin of his chest and the curves of his muscles under the sweater made her want to see more of him naked.
“Ready?”
“Yeah, sure. Where are we going?” She glanced past him, expecting to see Rhett, but no one was around.
“My cabin.” He pointed a few buildings over. “It will give us more privacy, and I managed to snag dinner from the ladies.”
“Which ladies?” She stepped onto t
he porch and pulled the door shut behind her. “You know, I could have cooked.”
“Kallie’s mates, Taber and Thorben, smoked the fresh salmon they caught this morning. While Milo, Jayden, and Drew manned the grill with steaks and burgers. Kallie, Robin, Harmony, and some of the other clan females brought a ton of different side dishes. Tabitha assured me there was a little of everything waiting for us at the cabin.” He led the way toward his cabin.
“You should be there.” Sidestepping to avoid a slick pile of snow, her shoulder brushed along his, sending currents tingling through her.
He reached out to take hold of her arm under the pretense of making sure she was steady on her feet, but from the way his gray eyes sparkled, it was clear there was more to the touch. Had he wanted to touch her ever since she opened the door?
“I’d rather be with you, but if you’d like to go…”
“No.” Her answer was too quick, causing his eyebrows to arch together as his gaze narrowed down on her. “I mean…Thorn said you were only here for a couple days. Don’t you want to spend time with your friends?”
“There will be other times.” With his hand on the small of her back, he led her inside his temporary living quarters. “I expected Thorn to still be pissed off when I returned.”
“He’s out with the other guards, having a celebration. With all the time they’ve spent together, they’ve grown close and after tomorrow, they’ll be separated. For them, tonight is about letting off some steam. Plus, to be honest, I needed the break from him as much as he needed to go out with the guys. He’s in such a…” She let her words trail off as they stepped inside. She felt comfortable enough around him to discuss the situation, but talking about Thorn like that might cost him an opportunity. She couldn’t risk it.
“Thorn’s temperament is not lost on me, so there’s no reason to censor yourself.” He closed the door and turned back to her. “Are you afraid of him?”
“What? No.” She stared at him in disbelief. “Why would you say that?”
“Your eyes.” His hand slipped over hers, interlocking their fingers so his palm was against the back of her hand. “When you looked at Thorn earlier, there was fear in your eyes. I wanted to pull you aside and find out why.”
“I wondered why you were asking me if I’d be fine. I knew you didn’t mean about the blood since I was healed, but I wasn’t sure why you were concerned.” She closed her hand, cupping his fingers to her palm. “Thorn would never hurt me. He’s my best friend and my protector. He’s become a little more protective lately, but after what happened with Lucy, I understand.”
“I’m going to need to know what happened. The whole story, not the two short notes that are in his file.” He brought his free hand up to her face and let his index finger trail down the curve of her jaw before bringing it to her lips. “You smell like peaches.”
“Peaches, huh? Do you like peaches?”
“My favorite when they’re fresh, but even then, they have nothing on you.” He ran his finger over her lips, teasing lightly along the bottom before going over the top. “Do you know how bad I want to fucking kiss you?”
The heat of his breath tingled along her skin, enticing her tigress. “Go ahead.” She wasn’t sure if it was the moment, or her beast urging her forward, but she was ready to go with the flow because she wanted it, too.
He guided her backward until her back was pressed against the wall and his chest brushed against hers. Leaning his head down toward her, she thought he was going to do it. Excitement and nervousness rushed through her, heightening her senses. His lips hovered over hers and she debated closing the distance.
“Tempting.”
“Huh?” She wasn’t sure what he meant by that. He acted like he was going to kiss her, so why didn’t he?
“You.” He leaned back just enough that he wasn’t pressed against her. “You’re tempting, but we need to talk first. Otherwise, we’ll never get to that part.”
“You just want my story so you can figure out what to do about Thorn. Otherwise you wouldn’t have stopped.” She pulled her hand from his and slipped out from between him and the wall. Moments ago, she wanted to put distance between them, to get her thoughts together and stop the mating desire from influencing her. Now that they were no longer touching, she missed it. The inner struggle between her human side and her beast never seemed as strong as it did at that moment.
Her beast wanted to jump his bones while the human side of her wanted to know the man she was about to sleep with. The alternative to denying a mate was going rogue. To most, that was a choice worse than death. To her, it might be a lesser evil. She needed to know him before she committed her body and soul to him. Yet, when he was near, those thoughts disappeared and her tigress gained control. It had only been a few hours since they discovered they were mates and already she was losing the battle against her beast’s natural instincts. How bad would it get before she had no choice but to give in to him?
“Sure, I need to know about Lucy and Thorn’s moodiness, but I really want to know you. Just as I’m sure there are things you want to know about me.” He strolled past her and headed toward the kitchen. “Let’s eat. We don’t have to rush this.”
Rush? Was that what they were doing? It felt natural, but she was taken aback by his words. Maybe her tigress was taking more control when it came to the connection between them. Even though she had promised to fight it until she knew more about him, she was failing. Even knowing that, she was disappointed it had ended so quickly. She wanted to feel his lips on hers, even if it was only a light touch. Soon…
Chapter Five
The tension in the air between them made dinner an uneasy event. Tex had tried to make small talk but he found himself drifting into his own thoughts. The scent of her next to him, yet out of reach, made him want to pull her close. Temptation to touch her was there but he denied himself that pleasure. She was hiding something and he needed to know what it was before they could move forward. Mating might solidify things between them, giving him a clear insight, but he would prefer to learn more from her directly—to discover the truth before they went down the road of no return.
“I guess the time has come.” She dried the last dish and set it in the counter before turning back to him. “Where do you want me to start?”
“I’ve been trying to think of a way to put you at ease and slowly work the conversation to it, but there’s no easy way.” He set his beer bottle aside and came to stand in front of her. “Every time Lucy’s name is mentioned, your muscles go stiff and you shut down, blocking me out.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Really?” He brought his hands up to her shoulders, gently rubbing small circles along her tight muscles. “Relax. Nothing you tell me is going to have me running out the door. We can face whatever it is together.”
Together. That sounded better than he expected it to. All his life, he had been alone and now he had a mate to spend the rest of his days with. It was a change and would take time to adjust to. Still, there was something exciting about it, too. He just wasn’t sure if she felt the same way. What did she think of this whole mating business? There were times she seemed open to it while the next second, she closed him out.
“Just because you don’t run, doesn’t mean you’re actually here. Someone can be physically present without being there mentally or emotionally.”
“I’m here for you, Carleen, always and in every way.” He stopped rubbing her shoulders and drew her close. Hugging her to him, he ran his hands down her back. The way she spoke of someone mentally checking out made him wonder if he was wrong about Lucy being dead. Maybe she wasn’t physically dead, but rather a shell of her former self. “This secret is tearing you apart and there’s no reason to carry this burden by yourself.”
“It’s a weight Thorn carries, too. He blames himself. It was his job to protect her and he failed, but he doesn’t know I’m just as responsible.” She let out a sigh and leaned against his chest. “Lucy…w
e left her…”
“Who’s Lucy?”
“My sister…our sister…Lee’s mate.” Her body shook with unshed tears.
“Shit!” He squeezed her tighter to him. “Carleen—”
“I knew it would change things. Thorn knew it would cost us a place in another clan. He wanted to forget, pretend Lucy wasn’t our sister, but I can’t and now I cost Thorn his chance.” She pulled back from him but with the counter behind her, there was nowhere for her to go.
“Bullshit.” He dropped his arms away from her but didn’t move, instead leaning back enough to look down at her. “This didn’t cost you or him anything, nor did it change things.”
“But—”
“Listen for a minute.” The urge to hold her again was there but he kept his arms at his side, giving her space. “Lee’s the Alpha of the Mississippi Tigers and while we don’t believe he’s as bad as some other Alphas, he’s still an issue. One that we’ll have to deal with in the future, which puts your sister at risk. My comment wasn’t out of anger, just concern for Lucy.”
“Thorn says she’s already dead, that she’s not our sister anymore.” Tears swam in her eyes. “She’s not the same but she’s still my sister. I knew what he was like and I still…”
“Still what?” He pressed her when she fell silent.
“Encouraged her to embrace her mate.” She slipped past him and walked toward the window in the living room. “My parents’ mating was anything but happy. There was no romance or love. They hated each other. To him, Mom was too weak and Dad acted like an asshole more often than not, making it clear he hated being stuck in the mating. They could barely say two civil words to each other. Every time one of them spoke, it always ended up in a fight. They accepted the mating because it was better than the alternative.”
He made his way into the living room and came to stand a few feet behind her. She appeared to be staring out the window, yet he didn’t believe she was seeing anything out there. Her vision was filled with memories of her parents. How did this tie in with Lucy and Lee? He wasn’t sure, but he’d let her tell the story at her own pace.
Tiger Trouble (Alaskan Tigers Book 12) Page 4
