Tiger Betrayed

by Tressie Lockwood

Heath slid behind the wheel of the truck, but he didn’t turn over the engine. She fidgeted in her seat and suppressed a wince. As much as she needed medical attention to dig out the bullet in her hip, she wanted to get things straight with Heath. Even if he then went back to Tina, at least he would know the truth.

  “I never slept with Jake.”

  No reaction met her words.

  “Did you hear me?”

  “I heard.”

  She sighed. “Yes, I went to his place. Once. We kept in touch because I didn’t feel like it was fair that I lost my friend. I trusted Jake.”

  “Did you trust him in there?” Heath pointed his chin toward the school building, and she bit her lip. He glared at her. “Admit it. You doubted him, or he wouldn’t have needed to reassert to you as he lay dying that he didn’t work for Spiderweb.”

  This time she did wince and blinked away tears. “You’re right. My only excuse is that bastard Stovall insinuated Jake worked for him. He did it on purpose to cause contention between us. He got Jake to agree to lead you here so he could capture you. I know he did it for me.”

  “I don’t give a fuck what his reasoning was!”

  She jumped and stared at him.

  “I pieced together what happened. Jake was attacked by the same guys who got Carter, or they tried to get him. Like the snake he was, he got away, but not before he got a hold of that formula and possibly followed them back to learn where this place is. As far as I’m concerned, he should have put you above his own desires, and he definitely shouldn’t have added our children in the mix.”

  “That’s true.” She sat in silence.

  “I know I have no right to be angry, Deja, after what I put you through. Here I am mated to another woman.”

  “That’s my fault.” Her stomach stirred, and she tried swallowing to keep from getting sick. “I promise you, I had no romantic feelings for Jake. I went to his apartment once, and we just hung out. Not even that long because I was scared you would catch me. You worked so much, and I was trapped in the house with the girls so much. I’m sorry. I know you don’t believe me, but—”

  “I believe you.”

  They sat together, still not moving. Deja stared ahead out of the windshield and twisted her hands in her lap. No matter that they’d settled things as far as Jake. She was still alone, and he had Tina. Just the thought of that woman touching him brought bile to her throat and made her want to find Tina and kill her. She rubbed a hand over her eyes, figuring she looked a hot mess after everything that went on.

  “I haven’t had sex with her.”

  Deja started. “What?”

  “Tina.” He peered across at Deja. “I haven’t touched her. The first night, I was tempted because of my tiger, but she put me off. I’m not sure why. I think she might have been sore from your fight.”

  Deja rolled her eyes, trying to hide the joy bubbling inside at what he’d admitted. “Please, I was worse off than she was, and you and I made love.”

  She caught the flash of pleasure in his gaze before he turned his head. “Well, after that, I started resisting the bond constantly. I don’t care what my tiger wants, Deja. I want you. I love you.”

  She gasped. “Is that even possible?”

  “It must be.” He watched her and then raised his hand, palm up. Hesitant, she placed hers in his, and he lifted it higher to kiss. Love, pleasure, and pain burst through her system. He brushed his stubbly cheek over her skin and then lifted warm blue eyes to her. “The war continues inside me, but my mind is clear for the first time. If I have to fight my other side the rest of my life, that’s what I will do. You are my wife. You are my mate even if my tiger doesn’t agree. If I never shift again, so be it.”

  “Heath.” The lump in her throat kept her from speaking for a minute, but she forced the words out because she wanted him to know how she felt. “I love you too. More than anything or anyone. I know you think I have a choice, but this heart refuses to even consider another man. As far as our kids, I will not let Tina raise them. I don’t care if my tiger pushes me to submit. I won’t!”

  He grinned and caressed her cheek. “That’s my Deja.”

  “I will challenge her again if I have to.”

  “Hold on, now, honey. I don’t want you fighting anymore.”

  “Heath.”

  “We’re done. I’ll figure out something else, but the four of us will be a family one way or another and no matter who I have to take down. Is that clear?”

  She folded her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes at him, but then she laughed. “Fine. I’ll let you fight for me. I deserve it.”

  He tapped her nose. “You better believe it you do. Now, come here. I want to kiss your lips. It’s been too long, and I’m starving.”

  She moved to climb on his lap and then cried out in pain. Heath swore and pushed her back into her seat.

  “Damn it. What was I thinking? You’re hurt.” He leaned across and buckled her in. “We’re going back. The rest of them can clear up matters here.”

  As Heath drove toward home, she studied his face, the expression earnest. She never thought she would get him back. All hope had seemed lost, and to think he was over there sleeping with Tina had sickened her to the point of wanting to disappear. They were both recommitted now, and no one would interfere.

  She chewed her thumbnail. “Heath?”

  “Hm?” He glanced away from the road a second, and his expression softened when he met her gaze. Her heart seemed to skip a beat.

  “Did you drive all the way back to Siberia after you left? It doesn’t seem like that much time passed. How did you get the others to leave the town without Karl’s permission?”

  He didn’t answer right away.

  She touched his hand. “I thought we weren’t keeping anything from each other anymore.”

  “It’s not that.” He sighed and ran a hand over his neck. “I don’t know how I did it myself, really. I called them.”

  She stared. “Are you serious?”

  He nodded. “I felt them all, where they were, and I called them to me, asking for their help. I actually felt their response. Some were willing, and others weren’t. Something in me knew I could make them, but I didn’t.”

  “But…but…you’re not the alpha.”

  He shook his head. “No, I’m not.”

  She considered it. “Unless Karl’s dead?”

  “No, he’s alive.”

  “Damn.”

  He cast her a look of reproach and then smiled. “I felt him too.”

  “Oh, that can’t be good. That means he knew you were calling the others.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh hell.”

  “Exactly.”

  They continued on to Siberia, and as soon as they pulled in, Deja knew something was wrong. People milled around outside the bar Jake used to run, and at least two people lay on the ground, unmoving. No one seemed to pay them any mind as they all appeared terrified. When Heath stopped the truck, one of the men jogged over to his side, and Heath rolled down the window.

  “Heath, it’s Tina,” the man said.

  Heath frowned. “What about her?”

  “She’s in there.” He pointed to the bar. “With the killer.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Heath jumped from the truck, and Deja made to follow, but Sylvia pushed her shoulder back. “Not you.”

  “Wha— Where did you come from?” She spoke to the doctor but peered past her as Heath disappeared inside the bar. Her stomach hurt thinking of that wild tiger attacking him and hurting him after they had straightened things out between them. “I can’t sit here, Sylvia. Let me past. I need to help Heath.”

  Sylvia refused to be moved from her path. “Do you want the girls here in this chaos, and do you want to be useful to Heath if he needs you, or do you want to hinder him and get the two of you killed?”

  Deja slumped back in the passenger seat. “When you put it that way…”

  “Good. Now, let’s g
et over to my office. It’s not that far.”

  Deja had to admire the human when she jogged around to the other side and drove Heath’s truck to her office. The five-minute drive took a minute at the most with her foot slammed down on the gas pedal and no one around to protest her running lights and speeding. They slid to a stop, and Deja ignored her aches to check that the girls were no worse for the wear with the maniacal driving.

  Sylvia helped her into the clinic, and soon Deja had Maia and Neve resting on the couch in the doctor’s office while she lay on the examining table.

  “You have a bullet lodged in here.”

  Deja rolled her eyes, wincing. “No, shit. Ow, I need more drugs.”

  “Work with me, sweetie. Let’s get you to your husband. With the bullet out, you’ll heal much faster.”

  “Okay.” She shut her eyes, clenched her jaw, and bore it. “What happened out there?”

  Sylvia’s voice was tight as if she concentrated on the operation more than on the events that led to the madness in the town. “Two guards were found dead, and that lead to a massive hunt for the killer. Everyone was awakened, guards going around knocking on doors as if any of us would harbor that beast. Karl threatened death to anyone who knew something and wasn’t telling.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.”

  “He’s not worthy!”

  “I agree. Almost there. Take a deep breath for me.”

  Deja did as instructed and gasped at the last sharp pain. As soon as the foreign object left her body, she felt the healing begin. The tiger, who’d seemed dormant, rose up and used her abilities to make them stronger. Thanks, girl. We might have a fight on our hands, whether Heath likes it or not. The tiger seemed to be in accord, which was a relief after her decision to stay with Heath and not submit. Then she realized her tiger had never truly given up seeing Heath as her mate. She’d simply bowed to the wills that were stronger than her own. Deja almost chuckled out loud thinking about it. That’s where a human’s determination came into play, and she had a lot.

  “Done,” Sylvia announced after she straightened and removed her gloves. “Be careful. You need time and rest, but I know you’re not going to get either with Heath in danger.”

  “You got it.” Deja slid with ginger movements from the table. Even though she hadn’t healed all the way yet, the pain had lessened considerably. “The girls?”

  “I’ve got them. Don’t worry.”

  “Thanks so much.” Deja hugged her and rushed out the door.

  At the bar, the crowd hadn’t dispersed. If anything it had grown because the people they had left back at the Spiderweb lab returned. Deja fought her way through the crowd, and when she met Scott at the door, he nodded and stepped aside without questioning her. From his happy expression, she had the feeling he believed things were going to change after this fight. She hoped so too, and that the love of her life would be fine.

  Either he will be, or we go down together.

  Tables were overturned, chairs splintered. Glass littered the floor in several spots, and Tina cowered in a corner with the homicidal tiger pacing in front of her. Heath and Karl lurked at the other end of the room with a few others. She didn’t understand why they didn’t all jump the beast until Heath tried approaching, and the tiger leaped over to Tina and opened a wide jaw to sink sharp teeth into her already bleeding leg. She screamed, tears running down her cheeks, and Heath backed off. Deja felt sorry for the woman. The tiger played with them all, apparently loving the attention. He could have ended this before now, even jumping through the back window and escaping.

  “Okay, we get it,” Heath growled. “Let her go. This is between you and me.”

  Karl glared at Heath, but he said nothing. Pathetic. A tinge of jealousy at Heath’s obvious worry over Tina made her step forward. “Look, we’re all here. This is your party, right? You wanted the attention. Now you’ve got it.”

  Heath spun in her direction as if he hadn’t noticed her arrive. “Deja, get out of here. It’s dangerous.”

  “No. You stay. I stay.”

  Karl threw up his hands. “This day has gone to hell!”

  “Well, if you were a better alpha…” Deja snarked.

  His nostrils flared. “It seems a lot of people have gotten above themselves. When this is over—”

  “Save it,” Heath interrupted. “Now is not the time for us to be fighting among ourselves. This needs to end tonight.”

  The door behind them opened, and Joe came in. He scanned the scene just as Deja had done and then headed straight to Heath. “Boss, it’s just like you thought.”

  “Boss?” Karl snapped. “Why is he calling you boss, Hunter?”

  “Oh for fuck’s sake,” Heath snapped, his patience with the leader at an end, “I’m the sheriff or had you forgotten? Joe works for the sheriff’s department. Hence, he called me boss. Now, does your ego need more stroking, or can we get on with the business at hand?”

  Karl glared. “Carry on.”

  Heath eyed the tiger but spoke to Joe. “You confirmed it’s him?”

  Joe nodded. “It’s him all right. It’s Frank.”

  At the name, several gasps went up around the room, including Deja’s. She recalled the man from the time Ward and Heath had been called down to the lake because Carter was fighting with someone, a shifter who had betrayed his people and been found in possible cahoots with Spiderweb. Frank and a human involved in the incident had been taken away, but she’d never heard another word about Frank or seen him until now.

  “He’s been kept in a cell since Ward didn’t want to kill our own,” Heath said in answer to her unspoken question.

  “Weak,” Karl muttered.

  Joe more than anyone seemed pissed off at Karl’s criticism of Ward, but he didn’t voice his opinion. Heath took a tentative step in the tiger’s direction and stopped when he swung his big head toward Tina.

  “You don’t want to do this, Frank. Let it go,” Heath cajoled him. Frank’s tiger eyes rolled in his head, and Deja cringed, creeped out. He was out of his mind. She decided to fill them all in so they knew what they were dealing with.

  “Jonas Stovall told me the tigers raised in captivity go crazy eventually.”

  Heath spared her a glance. “Spiderweb?”

  She nodded. “He said Frank—although I didn’t realize he was talking about Frank at the time—was made into a child shifter and raised in the facility. He got loose. I’m guessing he held it together for the time he was with us in Siberia.”

  “Now he attacks anyone, including operatives of Spiderweb,” Heath filled in. “I saw that with my own eyes. He has no loyalties at all.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  Deja and everyone else blinked at Tina, who’d been the one to apologize. She reached up to wipe her eyes, but the tears tracked dirty rivulets down her cheeks and onto the soiled nightie she wore.

  “I never meant it to go this far,” she admitted. “I knew Frank hated everyone and that he was unhinged, but I didn’t know how deep it went.”

  Deja stepped closer, hands clenched at her sides. “How the hell you not know he was homicidal, Tina?” When Heath held up his hand, she fell silent.

  “I was having an affair with him. I was the one who let him out of the cell. I had an extra key. We only meant to—”

  In that instant, Frank shifted to his human form and rounded on her. “You lying whore! You knew I planted that human Jake’s scent when I killed those people.”

  “How would I know that?” Tina railed back at him.

  Deja didn’t know which of them to believe, but she wasn’t ready to trust Tina’s innocence.

  Frank’s anger dissipated as fast as it surfaced. His words were almost a whine. “It was us together. It was always us together. I loved you. I wanted you to be my mate.”

  Deja stood there with her mouth hanging open.

  “You fucked him?” Karl ground out. “While you shared my bed? I could put up with your obsession
with Heath until I established myself, but not that lowborn maniac!”

  Deja slapped a hand over her mouth. Of course she’d known about Karl and Tina. The one time she left Siberia to visit Jake, she had run across Karl and Tina together. They’d been coming from a restaurant. Tina hadn’t spotted her, but Karl had. She’d kept his secret because, well, Tina was whore, and Karl wasn’t a prospect for alpha at the time. Still, the fact that Karl had seen her and the way she’d felt lying to Heath meant she would never visit Jake again.

  Joe, the most emotionless person she’d ever met, leaned against the wall and doubled over laughing. Heath put a fist through the wall, and Karl ran over to drag Tina up from the floor and shook her by the shoulders until her head flopped back and forth.

  “Stop. You’re going to kill her,” Deja shouted at him, but he went on, ignoring her. Frank shifted to his tiger form and charged at Karl. He pounced on Karl’s back and sent him careening into the wall, but the alpha was made of sterner stuff. He threw Frank off, and the tiger skittered across the floor. He poised to attack again, but Heath roared, “Enough!”

  To Deja’s surprise, both Karl and Frank froze. Karl’s downturned mouth and burning eyes said if he could get away with it at that moment, he’d murder Heath in cold blood. That man could not remain alpha, as far as Deja was concerned, or she couldn’t live in Siberia.

  “Why would you ever think that Tina would be with you if she’d fought to be with me?” Heath questioned him.

  Deja put her hands on her hips. “That’s what you’re concerned about?”

  He glanced at her, a look that said don’t worry. She was still on his mind. The look didn’t appease her. She was sick to death of Tina ever being a factor in their lives.

  “We…” Tina whispered, slumped on the floor again. Her head hung to the side, and it didn’t appear that she saw anything from the glazed eyes. “We were lovers too. I’m sorry, so sorry.”

  Deja’s emotions got the better of her. “Could you be any more of a whore? Once you’ve had Heath, you don’t need anyone else.” Embarrassment at her public admission had her glancing around to see the others’ reactions. Amusement still colored Joe’s expression although he had stopped laughing. Karl seemed irritated, and maybe she imagined it, but it looked like Heath’s chest swelled. She rolled her eyes.