Tiger Betrayed

by Tressie Lockwood

  After searching the apartment a second time, he left and walked to the back of the property where trees lined it. One scent Jake’s and one a shifter’s. He worked his way farther in, and the trail went cold. Stooping, he eyed the foliage. A broken branch caught his attention, and he picked it up to examine and sniff closer. Definitely his guy, but from the looks of it, he’d doubled back, and he didn’t blame him. Jake’s trail went cold. Where the fuck was he?

  Heath returned to his truck and left the complex headed north. Three miles would lead him to his next location. He checked his watch. The sun hung low in the sky, giving way to the night. Another call, and he frowned, tossing the phone in the passenger seat. “Carter, why aren’t you picking up, damn it?”

  The last time he’d talked to the man had been a week after Carter chose to leave Siberia with his human girlfriend, a younger woman, who from Heath’s perspective didn’t even know if she wanted to be with a shifter. For Carter, the man had been deeply in love and wanted to make Melanie his mate. No one had stood in his way, but Carter knew the rule too. He would kill Melanie if she even looked like she’d reveal their existence to humans.

  Heath slammed a fist on the steering wheel and pressed harder on the gas pedal. He checked his rearview mirror in case the police or anyone else was on his tail. Traffic had lightened somewhat after rush hour, and the fact that he’d chosen a back road helped.

  A few minutes later, he pulled onto a small residential road and chose a random spot before turning the truck off. Carter lived another block away, but he needed to be careful. Scanning the area, he left the vehicle and walked in the opposite direction. Not until the sun had fallen completely did he double back to Carter’s. Something must have happened for the man not to answer his call or to report in about Deja’s visit. They had made the arrangements for Carter to be one to check in regularly on Jake, and Carter promised he would contact him should anything happen. Carter had phoned once to say Jake had moved to a new apartment, farther away but still within a short distance. He’d lost his job and needed cheaper rent apparently. At the time, Heath found no reason to look closer at his activities. With this knowledge though, how did Deja end up at his new place? He didn’t like to think his wife was unfaithful to him, and yet, he’d told her before she had a choice to be with him. He didn’t. He’d thought that meant only if he were out of the picture, as in dead.

  Crickets chirping from the darkness and in the distance highway traffic, he paused to listen more intently to the night. A deep breath brought him the scent of several humans, but since there were duplexes dotting the landscape, he had no way of knowing if any Spiderweb operatives were about. He had little choice but to go in.

  A dog barked as he entered the alley. Grateful that a six-foot fence extended along the side, blocking the street behind, he concentrated on the opposite houses. No one stirred. After counting doors, he located Carter’s and slipped into the small backyard. A light in the upstairs window flickered in and out.

  He made it to the back entrance and checked the knob. To his surprise, the lock hadn’t been put on, and he opened it. When nothing stirred, he stepped inside, and that’s when the stench hit him. Death. No, no, no! Not Carter.

  Glass crackled beneath his feet, and he stopped to assess the place. Even in darkness, he saw that Carter’s house lay in the same condition as Jake’s. The stairs leading to the second floor held more light, and he paused at the foot listening. After he ensured no one moved up there, he ascended, and that’s when he found them. Both Carter and Melanie dead in their bed. Again, Jake’s scent rose above the stench of two dead bodies. Heath stumbled back into the hall, coughing.

  “I swear I will kill you for this,” he whispered. “You will pay for daring to touch Deja and for killing one of my people.”

  He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, ready to report in to his dad. Ward wouldn’t like what he’d found any more than he did.

  The maniacal chuckle at the bottom of the stairs froze his movements, and then he took them two by two. The back door slammed, and he rushed toward it. A form zipped from the shadows, and something hard came crashing onto his head. Pain reverberated across his skull, and he went down. His cell phone skittered across the tiled floor and slammed against the base of a counter. Blood gushed from the wound on his head, and he put a hand up to stem it. The kick at his attacker missed, but no one was there.

  “Son of a b—” He stumbled to his feet and staggered. He’d been berating Carter in his head about not sensing an intruder, and he’d blundered into an attack. A sound outside caught his attention. He paused instead of going for his phone. Someone circled the house. No, more than one someone. He cursed again in silence. And then his phone rang. Damn it all to hell!

  Outnumbered and surrounded, Heath crouched in Carter’s kitchen. He glanced over to the two men he’d killed already, who’d been dumb enough to storm into the house. Before the fray, he had managed to turn off his phone. That was about all he could do. The cracked screen allowed calls but didn’t let him answer. He didn’t like being pinned down without backup. Now he wished he hadn’t been so arrogant as to tell Scott he didn’t need him. Then again, Scott might have been lying on the floor.

  He peeked over the counter once again and then heard a rustle at the front. Damn, they were going to storm in. Then it happened, shouts of pain, running, and shooting. When a growl rent the night air, he couldn’t believe it. The killer had tracked him here, or maybe the bastard killed whoever stood in his path—human or shifter.

  A scream let him know the neighbors were awake. There was no hiding this. He had to lead the shifter away. Fuck! For all I care he can rip all those Spiderweb bastards to pieces.

  Clenching his jaw, he wrenched the front door open. The operatives were too busy trying to save their own hides to worry about him. He knew the tiger would scent and hear his movement, and hopefully follow. Shifting, he ran down the darkened street, hoping to come across a wooded area soon. One tiger on the news would be bad, two nothing they could recover from.

  Just as he expected, the tiger left the humans alone and tore off after him. Heath ran faster, jumping onto the hood of cars and darting into alleys. His enemy closed the distance between them, and right when he spotted a grove of trees that appeared promising, he made the mistake of looking over his shoulder. The other tiger leaped into the air—for a moment seeming larger than life until Heath suppressed his fear—and came down on him. Heath crashed face first into the soil but didn’t stay down. He rolled to his back and slashed out with sharp claws. The other tiger howled, but Heath didn’t allow him to recover. He lunged at the tiger’s throat and bit down. Liquid metallic flavor filled his mouth, and he let it run out the sides in disgust. This time he would win the fight or die trying.

  Like the first time he’d fought the scentless cat, the beast flew into a rage, one that boosted his strength and allowed him to break free of Heath’s hold. Heath thudded against the compact dirt and winced when a rock gouged into his cheek. The bite from above came at him, but he raised a leg to protect his neck. Pain ripped through his being, but he ignored it to bring up another paw. The blow tore the animal’s ear to shreds, but it didn’t seem to notice. Clamping powerful jaws around Heath’s arm, it chewed. Heath beat and beat it. He kicked and thrust with all his strength. I won’t die like this! Not here without my family!

  On a risk, he shifted to his human form and raised the tiger up above his head. He threw him as hard as he could toward a thick tree trunk. The resounding crack of bone twisted his insides, and the tiger landed in a heap on the ground. A shot rang out, and heat burned its way into Heath’s side. He stumbled down to one knee and rested a fist in the dirt while holding the injured side. All around, nothing stirred. He tried focusing into the darkness but couldn’t clear his vision. Blood clogged his nose so much, he couldn’t scent who might be near.

  He glanced over at the tiger, which lay unmoving. Hoping for death at last wasn’t enough. He had to go over and
check. An inch of progress landed him on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. He shook his head to clear it, but the action didn’t work. A twig snapped feet away. Shit.

  “What the hell we got here?” The Southern twang thick on the man’s tongue held amusement. The rifle perched on his shoulder did not evoke the same emotion in Heath. “A naked man and a tiger. You out here doing some freaky sex stuff?”

  Heath glared at him.

  The man chuckled. “The boys’ll never believe this one unless I show ’em.” He fumbled in his pocket. Heath coiled for attack. If the bastard intended to finish him off, he would have a fight on his hands. Despite the pain from his extended injuries, he managed to stagger to his feet, but fell against a tree. He sucked in a deep breath and blew it out, then started forward. The tiger leaped from his prone position to the man’s chest and ripped his throat to ribbons. When the man fell down dead, the tiger disappeared into the trees, and Heath sank to the earth unmoving.

  He watched her park her car and hesitate before she got out. He’d give her five minutes before he would go out and get her. From here, he picked up her scent, and it intoxicated him. How he thanked his lucky stars Spiderweb made him what he was. To now have access to her, he would go through all the pain again. Sexy body, beautiful face, pouty lips. His cock hardened just looking at her. Just when he was ready to go out, she climbed from the vehicle. The hesitation in her step turned him on, so unlike all the other times he’d been with her. She always carried herself with confidence and strength. Today, he almost heard the whimper, and it set him on fire.

  He opened the door when she reached it, and she started, eyes widening. He raised an eyebrow. “Come in.”

  “I—I don’t…” she began and stopped.

  He reached out to grasp her arm and tug her forward. She stumbled over the entry but didn’t resist. When he shut the door, she faced him, and he watched as her shoulders squared and her chin rose. He grinned. Oh how he could guess what she intended to say, but he let her go through with the effort.

  “I don’t think I want to do this anymore. I mean… I can’t do it.”

  “Not do it anymore?” He touched her cheek and made a sound of protest. “We both agreed, didn’t we? We enjoyed ourselves, and all the other benefits.” The hand he trailed down between her breasts gave further rise to his shaft.

  “I said it’s over, okay?” Determination and fire in her eyes heated his blood.

  He circled around behind her and lifted her hair to kiss her nape and breathe in her scent. A small nip satisfied him for the moment. “He neglected you, didn’t look your way. I was there for you. I was always there for you, from the start.”

  “I know, and I appreciate that.”

  She began to turn to face him, but he stopped her, hands on her shoulders. What they did to him, he knew it messed with his mind. Even that he didn’t care about because it gave him strength more powerful than an alpha. None of them could beat him. He loved it that way…and he loved her.

  “We’ll continue,” he said and squeezed her breasts. A twitch in his pants made it clear he could wait no longer.

  “I said no!” She thrust his hand away.

  “And I said” —He turned her around and threw her on the bed, then climbed above her and ripped her blouse open— “we will never be done.”

  Tears flooded her eyes. “No, don’t do this, please. You’re not like this.”

  He laughed. “Oh but I am. They made me this way.” He shifted just enough to grow out his claws and used them to rip her clothing to strips of cloth. Then he thrust her legs apart and jerked his zipper down. Muffling her screams, he took what he wanted without mercy.

  Chapter Eight

  Heath woke burrowed beneath some brush, still naked and now dirty. When had he come to this spot? Flashes of memory told him he’d struggled a good way away from where he’d fought the tiger. A quick examination of his arm found it almost fully healed, and the spot where he’d been shot was also on the mend. That fact worried him because it meant several days had passed. Often the tiger went to heal in a private, safe place when injured, and he’d done just that. Somewhat rested, he needed to find clothing.

  After crawling out of his hiding spot, he retraced his steps to the area he’d fought the killer. No human body lay there, and judging by the scent, he guessed someone had covered their tracks—all of their tracks, his, the killer’s, and the human’s. No police tape sectioned off the spot, which probably meant they’d never been there. Since the killer likely didn’t do this, he guessed it was Spiderweb. They would not want the general population knowing of the shifters’ existence. Well, that was one worry off his back.

  He turned to trace his way through the trees, when a cold chill raced from his head to his feet. The world shifted as if on a spin and then righted itself. When he shut his eyes against the turmoil, Deja’s face popped up in his mind. She reached out to him, and a longing came over him so encompassing it took all the air from his lungs. He reached out toward her, both in his head and in real life, but her face began to fade. He strained to reach her, but she moved farther and farther away, until the light all around her dimmed and winked out.

  Heath opened his eyes, panting. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and he swiped an arm over his face to clear it. “What was that?”

  A new sensation rose inside, but finding it odd, he suppressed it. Whatever was going on, he needed to get home, and fast. Securing clothing turned out to be no problem at all. He snagged a pair of pants and a T-shirt from a clothesline. Who still used that method anyway? He didn’t care as it helped him out. Taking a long route, he circumvented Carter’s neighborhood to get to his truck. Good thing he knew not to take his keys or his wallet when he left. Everything waited for him there, and he could get shoes back in Siberia.

  Home loomed on the horizon, and after two hours of driving, he arrived. The place seemed normal enough and yet, he sensed a change. Driving in, he slowed the truck at sight of a couple guards at the side of the road. He frowned and pulled to a stop.

  “Ted, who set you two here?”

  The man who had served him since his first day as sheriff smirked. “The new alpha. No one is to come in or out of Siberia without his express permission.”

  “New alpha?” Heath narrowed his eyes. “Explain yourself. Now.”

  The smirk never left the man’s face, giving Heath an impulse to plant his fist there. He resisted since he needed answers.

  “Ward’s not the alpha anymore, which means you’re not the second. Who knows, you might get to keep your job, but I’ve put in for it.”

  The other guard touched Ted’s shoulder. “Show some respect, fool.”

  Ted shook him off. “Anyway, Karl wants to see you before you go home.”

  “My wife comes first,” Heath bit out. “I’m guessing Karl is the fucker who took over?”

  “You’re going to pay for disrespecting the alpha. I promise you.”

  Heath ignored the threat and threw his truck into gear. Both men’s guns pointed at his head, the second man’s apologetic gaze did not make him feel any better.

  “I’ll escort you,” Ted offered.

  Heath sighed. The sooner he got this straightened out the better. Then he could go see Deja. She would answer to him about why she’d been with Jake. The odd sensation in the pit of his stomach remained, giving him both a desire to see her and a repulsion. He needed to figure that out too. So far, nothing made sense, and the visions he kept getting added to the madness.

  Heath drove toward city hall at Ted’s instruction and parked out front. He glanced over to the annex building to see the sheriff’s office light on, but he didn’t head that way. Instead he walked into the main entrance and headed back toward his father’s office. Make that Karl’s. He gritted his teeth thinking about it but would keep his thoughts to himself until he talked to his dad. No way would Ward allow another man to run the town he built without a good fight.

  Karl Jennings had alread
y changed the office. A steer head with jutting horns adorned the wall behind his desk, and all the books his father had lined the shelves with were missing. In their places were wood carved pieces—poorly constructed, making Heath think Karl had done them himself. The man leaned back in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk and hands behind his head. His Stetson covered his eyes, and he didn’t move when Heath and Ted strode in, although he had to know they’d arrived.

  Beside Heath, Ted dropped to one knee, bowed his head, and touched the knuckles of one hand to the floor. “Sir, I’ve brought Heath just like you asked.”

  When Karl didn’t move right away, Heath let his gaze slide from the new alpha to the other men occupying the room. Many had acted as advisors to Ward. Some were guards. Heath recognized Scott behind Karl’s chair standing at attention. He caught Heath’s gaze, and a flash of apology lay in the deputy’s eyes. Everyone hadn’t turned their backs.

  At last Karl sat forward and placed his hat on the table. “You’ve come home. No one has been able to contact you. I guess you don’t care about this town or your family.”

  A muscle twitched in Heath’s jaw, but he managed to reply with calmness. “I was attacked, and in the scuffle my phone was broken. I can show it to you if you like.”

  “What I’d like,” Karl grunted, “is for you to show me the respect your alpha deserves.”

  Heath blinked at him.

  “On your knees, son!”

  “That’s never been—”

  “I’m the new law.”

  “When did this become the old west?” Heath could have bitten his tongue off. He didn’t want to antagonize this man. Not before he was ready.

  Rage danced in Karl’s eyes, and he stepped around the desk. Even before he reached Heath, the wave of energy washed over him. Heath would not bow unless he chose to, but he felt the push. Something told him Karl kept it reined tight, so only he knew Karl had unleashed it. He had to give the man credit for the control. Often Ward had let his emotions rule him so that others were caught up with him. Still, that emotion was what made his dad a better leader than this cold-hearted bastard, only interested in power and having others scrape before him. Early on after arriving Heath had his number, but he’d never seen Karl as a serious threat. He should have known better.