She just looked away from him, but he grabbed her chin and forced her to look back.
“You never looked at me,” he said. “You know I’m half alpha? I’m still worth looking at, but you never spared me a glance.”
She jerked out of his reach, and he let her go this time, laughing coldly. He stood and began to pace.
“I thought Carter was going to ruin everything. But then he went back to work as usual, the idiot. He probably has no idea what’s happening now.”
He was probably right. Carter might be moping at the moment, but he wouldn’t know what was happening to her.
Trent looked at her again. “Anyway, I thought you might want to know I was the one who killed your parents.”
She looked up at him in shock, cold moving through her.
“The chief’s my uncle, you know? He came to the scene. He scented me and covered it up. Not that I would have cared. By that time, my parents had already sent me away and changed my name. But I came back when I could. I knew you were working at the precinct. I wanted to see who you had become.”
She couldn’t understand what he was saying. “What does this have to do with me?”
“You remember the match your parents had set up before they died? They were going to break it off that night. They knew you didn’t want it. They wanted you to be able to choose. That match was me, and my parents were going to let them call it off. I came down to argue. When they met me, they scented me. Your dad said if they’d known I was only half alpha, then they never would have arranged it at all,” he spat out.
Her parents had been willing to break it off? A part of her warmed at that. But she couldn’t focus on that now. Not while she was locked with a madman she was trying to escape.
“I was so angry,” he said. “That anyone would treat me less than I was, just because of my blood. My birth. I followed them. They stopped for gas. I got in the back of their car when they went inside.” He grinned evilly. “I killed them. Then I drove the car into the lake. It was easy.”
She let out a long breath. “You done now? What do you want me to say? That you’re awesome? You got away with it?” She shook her head. “You’re pure, straight evil. They were right to break it off. I’d never mate someone like you.”
That got to him. Which was good. Then she could focus on working on her ropes while he was distracted.
But then he got right down in front of her, yanking her face to his. “You bitch,” he said. “You’ll mate me if I want you to.” Then he jerked her mouth onto his, and she tasted his sour breath. She grimaced and struggled, but his hand kept his grip, forcing her to endure the kiss.
It was nothing like kissing Carter. Kissing Carter was right and amazing, and this man being a wolf meant nothing.
She’d done to Carter what her parents had done to Trent. Seen him only for what he was, not who he was.
Though Trent was awful on both counts. She refused to give him everything, even as he tried to force her lips apart with his tongue. She worked into a position where she was about to hit him in the groin with her knee when suddenly the door to the basement slammed open.
Trent’s lips were still mashing hers, but she looked with her eyes to the door and saw Carter, swaying slightly as he stopped at the entrance to the room, looking down at them.
His green eyes narrowed in rage. “You fucker!” he jumped forward and grabbed Trent by the scruff of the neck, hauling him back so he could punch him hard through the face. Trent went spinning back and landed on the ground. He pushed himself up, rubbing his face, but Carter ignored him.
Instead, he went straight to Amy, undid the knots on her wrists, and pulled her to standing, supporting her.
She looked up at him in shock. “How did you find me?”
“The dragons,” he said. “They were interrogating the chief and found out he didn’t order the hit, Trent did.”
“Thank goodness you’re here,” she said, looking at Trent, who was getting to his feet.
An intimidating blond man stepped forward into the basement with them, casually facing Trent. “You want me to deal with him, bro?”
Carter shook his head as he gently rubbed a thumb over her bruised lip. “No, Kel. I got it.” He swayed slightly and she caught his arms.
“Carter, are you drunk?”
He shook his head, then hesitated. “Maybe. But I only need half my wits to deal with this asshole. I’m going to wipe the ground with him, and then I’ll be back to make you forget he ever existed.”
Her heart pounded in relief that he was here for her. Finally fighting for her. Literally.
“Carter,” she said as he turned to face Trent. “I want you. I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner. It doesn’t matter if you’re a tiger. You may not be an alpha wolf. But you’re my alpha.”
He gave her a slightly drunk grin. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
She’d been stupid for ever fighting things between them. She now knew for certain there would only be one man for her. One partner to live her life with.
It didn’t matter what her parents wanted, what her blood demanded, or what the world suggested.
She’d found her mate. And now she’d watch him beat down her attacker.
Kel came to stand next to her, and she sighed. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out in his hand. Then he held one out toward her. “Pistachio?” he asked as Carter and Trent circled in the basement.
But she shook her head. She couldn’t breathe, eat, or think until this was over.
Until she and her mate were safe.
* * *
Carter faced down the man who had dared to touch his mate. Trent was bleeding at the mouth and wiped it away with one hand.
“You idiot, you aren’t even close to what she needs,” Trent said.
“Oh, and a serial killing half alpha wolf is?” Carter asked sardonically. “I don’t think so.” He stepped forward with a light jab, and Trent moved back. Carter had expected that, as well as the hard right hook Trent threw after. Carter ducked to the side, enjoying the game of cat and mouse as Trent heaved with exertion.
When Trent turned to face him, Carter hit him hard, breaking his nose.
Trent recoiled, holding his nose.
“There,” Carter said. “I already broke your mouth so you can’t kiss her. Now I broke your nose so you can’t smell her.” His head was still slightly buzzing from the alcohol, but that didn’t matter. He might talk a bit more than he meant to, but the tiger in him would be sure to avenge his mate.
To leave no doubt in her mind that he would always be there for her.
Trent took a step forward and Carter hit him lightning fast, right in the eye. As Trent stumbled, Carter hit him again in the other, and Trent fell back onto his knees and then the ground.
Carter laughed, coming forward. It had always been business before. Criminals the dragons wanted or criminals the cops wanted. People he had to bring in for someone else to punish.
But this one was personal.
He looked over to Amy, watching him, and heated further. His mate. Watching him.
He’d protect her.
He grabbed Trent by the collar, and Trent looked at him dazedly, his head lolling.
“What else do I need to break on you?” Carter snarled. “For looking at her, for hurting her, for touching her!” He pulled back his fist and slammed it into Trent’s face again. “How dare you fucking touch her!” he yelled, knowing he was close to losing control.
But that was fine with him. If anyone deserved it, it was this douchebag for threatening his mate.
This tiger was tired of holding back, being proper, being honorable.
“You killed her parents, and I should kill you for that. But you wanted to mate her, to rape her…” Carter pulled his gun from its holster and aimed it right between Trent’s legs. “For that, I should do this first… I should let you bleed out slowly.”
He heard shells fall to the ground and then felt Kel’
s huge arm around his neck.
“Damn, when you get mad, you really lose it,” Kel said calmly. “Come on. Let’s let the dragons deal with it.”
Carter blinked twice, then snapped out of his bloodlust, breathing heavily. He’d wanted to take Trent apart, erase him from existence. It was still thrumming in his veins, the right of a tiger to protect his mate.
Suddenly, he remembered his nails tracing over Amy’s back as they came together. It was clear as a bolt of lightning. Without even knowing it, he’d mated her.
The thought was enough to distract him and let Kel pull him off of Trent, who was now unconscious from shock.
Carter took a deep breath and holstered his weapon, taking a step back from the man on the ground. Kel was right, doing more would be wrong.
He sat on the ground and felt Amy come over to him, putting her arms around him. It was more than he deserved, but he was going to take it. He pulled her into his lap and held her possessively, stroking through her hair.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said.
There was too much more to say, but right now, they should probably get out of there.
Kel reached out, holding his keys. “You two need to be alone. You can take my truck, and I’ll take him for a pick-up.” He gestured to Trent.
Carter nodded. “Okay. Thanks, bro.”
“No problem,” Kel said. “You need any help?”
Carter shook his head, standing with Amy in his arms.
“I can walk,” she said.
“I don’t want you to,” he retorted, heading for the stairs. All he wanted right now was her safe in his place. And for her to say the words he needed to hear.
That she loved him and would be his partner forever.
She was the woman who had made him break all his rules. From dating a partner to letting someone else be part of your life even when it wasn’t part of the plan to beating the pulp out of someone like Trent simply out of rage.
Perhaps for someone like him, to whom the rules had always meant everything, the fact that she’d always been able to make him forget them should have told him she was the one.
Perhaps his tiger had always known.
It wasn’t normal, a tiger mating a wolf. But as Perry had said, some of the rules didn’t apply to them.
He carried Amy to the car, holding her tight and planning what he was going to say when they were safe at home.
14
Amy watched Carter move around his apartment, doing everything possible to make her comfortable.
Despite his bold words in the basement about making her forget Trent had ever existed, he’d been quiet on the ride back. She could sense a lot was going on in his head, though.
“You okay?” she asked as he finally brought the first aid kit into the bedroom and sat on the bed with her.
“Sort of,” he said. “I’m still mad at myself for letting you go out with Trent.” He looked at her bruised lip. “I’m furious he got to touch you.”
“You came before he could do more.”
Carter’s expression tightened and his hand shook. “I can’t think about it. If I think about what he could have done, I’ll go back and decapitate him. And then the dragons might have something to say about it, and I don’t want to be on their bad side.”
She sighed. “I guess it’s good they texted you. They really came through for us.”
Carter nodded. “They aren’t as bad as they seem on first impression.”
She touched Carter’s hand as it came toward her mouth, holding an alcohol swab. He hesitated, his green eyes focused on hers. Then he reached forward, dabbing it slightly over the cut on her lip.
She hissed at the sting, and he pulled back.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Dammit, I’m sorry I even let you go to lunch with him. I should have thrown a screaming tantrum over it.”
She laughed and took the swab from him. “No, that wouldn’t have been you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you’d be surprised when it comes to you. I don’t know if there’s anything I won’t do.”
She grinned. “I saw that.”
“Yeah, I did threaten to shoot a man’s dick off, didn’t I?”
“Yup,” she said. “And thank heaven Kel intervened, because I don’t know that I ever could have gotten that out of my mind.”
Carter sighed. “You’ve always been able to make me do and think things no one else has. You made me consider a fling. You made me suspicious of the chief. You’re different from anyone in the world, you know that, Amy?”
He cupped her cheek tenderly, taking the cotton ball away from her and putting his lips gently over hers. He softly wiped away any trace of Trent, any trace of any other kiss, as her body melted against him, and she remembered just how good it could feel to be touched.
When he finally pulled back, she was holding his arms. Too aware that they were on the bed.
“I’m sorry I didn’t fight for you sooner,” he said. “I thought I was being noble, but I was really just protecting myself. I think with some time, I’d have snapped out of it. I wanted to kill Trent for going to lunch with you.”
“You nearly did,” she said amusedly.
He shook his head, his thumb lightly grazing her cheek as he continued to look into her eyes with that burning green gaze. “Yeah. I’d do anything for you. I love you.”
She nodded. “Me too.” She put her arms around him and felt his big shoulders relax against her. “PS: You’re funny when you’re drunk.”
“Only a little drunk,” he said.
“Yeah, only a little.”
He sat up and looked her over. “Can I see something? Can you take your shirt off?”
She looked at him in confusion. “Why?”
“I just need to see something.”
She folded her arms around her. “Trent didn’t touch me anywhere else. A moment more, and I’d have gotten him right in the groin and gotten out of my ropes.”
Carter grinned. “That’s my girl. But no, that’s not what I’m looking for. The other night, I think I might have done something.”
She narrowed her eyes but decided to trust him and pulled her shirt over her head, leaving only her bra.
Carter came gingerly behind her, looking just behind her neck and shoulders. He let out a little grunt, and she turned to face him.
“What is it?”
“I’m not sure exactly,” he said. “I need to make a phone call. I’ll be right back.” He left the room, and she pulled her shirt on, wondering what was going on.
A moment later, he was back. “I had to call Jace, my brother. He’s a mated tiger. You saw him at the mansion.”
Her heart began to pound slightly. “Why did you call him?”
“Because I think I mated you the other night,” he said. “At the dragon’s house. Accidentally.”
Her eyes went wide. “Show me.”
He took her hand and led her to the bathroom, turning her around and giving her a mirror so she could see.
In gentle cursive on her back were light pink letters just over her shoulders.
Forever.
“I know I wasn’t supposed to,” he said, taking her back to the bed to sit down. She was still in complete shock. Carter was so handsome next to her, his dark hair mussed, his hands bruised from the fight, his shirt undone at the collar.
He’d fought for her. Come to think of it, he’d been fighting for her from the first moment they’d met, whether at crime scenes or when he’d come to interrupt Trent at their first date at the bar.
She put her hand in his. “It’s okay. I like it. I guess your inner tiger was smarter than both of us. And I should have known. We wolves mate with unprotected sex. And even though I figured it didn’t count for other species like tigers, I didn’t try to stop it. I was too caught up in the moment.”
“And I guess I was too caught up in the thought of forever,” he said, reaching back to trace the letters on her
back with one finger, making her shiver. “Only shifters can see it,” he said. “So they know you’re mine.”
She shuddered at the thought. It was so possessive, so primitive. She loved it.
“I’m sorry I put you through that,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t have the courage to say what I wanted either. I hated that you let me go, but I didn’t try to fight for you either.”
“I said I didn’t have room in my life,” he said. “But that was a lie, because I’d move anything in my life to have you. I have no life without you.”
She laughed. “That’s true.”
He snorted. “That’s not what I mean. I mean life has no meaning.”
“I get it,” she said, teasing him as she settled into his lap, leaning into his chest as he rested against the headboard. “So we’re mated, and that’s that?”
“Yeah,” he said. “You okay with that?”
“Sure,” she said. “I can’t imagine a better partner.”
“I’m sorry I can’t give you wolves,” he said. “I honestly don’t know how it works. I did find out that tigers are part dragon, though. That’s what makes us different from other cat shifters.”
Her mouth dropped open as she looked at him. “Seriously? I guess that makes sense, but damn.”
He nodded, putting his arms around her. “So pretty much nothing on earth can take you away from me. I like the idea of that.” He chuckled to himself.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Oh, just something Perry said.”
“Tell me,” she growled, not liking any secrets between them.
“Well, he said that when dragons find treasure, they won’t let it go for anything. I guess that’s how I felt about you from the start, so I should have known.” He nipped her ear. “And that’s why I wrote ‘forever’ on your back. I’ll treasure you forever.”
“You’re so cheesy when you’re drunk,” she said.
“I told you I was a hopeless romantic when it came to the right woman,” he said, squeezing her tight. “And that’s you. I’m looking forward to a lot of years together. I’m looking forward to working together, where I can protect you.”
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