by Terra Wolf
My heart almost beat out of my chest when I heard Tasha scream last night. I had run to her room as fast as I could. She tossed me out, but my bear was fighting against it. Part of protecting her meant making sure she was okay all the time. And something was definitely not okay.
I sat on the front steps of the cabin surveying the woods. Every snap of a twig, every drop of a limb by a squirrel suddenly had my full attention. I had to protect her at all costs I knew, and my bear knew it too.
“Good morning.” The front door opened, and Tasha emerged, holding a cup of coffee.
“Hey, how’d you sleep?” I asked, hoping she was able to fall asleep after that nightmare.
She pulled the mug to her lips, her eyes darting in another direction. Of course she wasn’t going to want to talk about the nightmare, but I did. I wanted to know what happened to her. What made a strong tiger like her scared?
“Better.” She took a seat next to me on the steps. “I was thinking, Gavin, that maybe being out here isn’t the best place for me. I appreciate what you and Harrison are trying to do, but this isn’t working.”
She had yet to lay her lavender eyes on me. “Not working? We just got here. And you’re safe here.”
“Safe? I don’t know how to define that anymore. I’m going to pack up my stuff and you can drop me back off in the city.”
I chuckled. “You’re not serious.”
Her head tilted, and I caught the glimmer of purple in the morning sun. Those eyes were intoxicating. “Extremely.”
“Sorry, not happening.”
The softness in her tone quickly snapped. “You can’t hold me here against my will.” She stood, slamming her boots against the hardwood.
I stood to face her. “I’m protecting you, Tasha. You’re not a prisoner.”
“And if I don’t want your protection?”
“You’re stuck with it until the hearing. It’s a federal case. We’re not taking any chances with your life.”
Her eyes formed thin slits. “You mean you aren’t taking any chances with the witness. You just want to nail Purest, Inc. You don’t give a damn about what I want.” She stormed toward the door.
I walked inside, following the trail of rage she blazed.
“That’s not true. Of course we don’t want anything to happen to you.” I couldn’t keep up with her; she was pacing through the kitchen and living room, like a caged lion.
“Prove it.”
“How?” I asked.
“Let me go. I promise I’ll be at the hearing when I’m called to testify.”
I stuffed my hands in my pockets and strolled toward her. She made tiny steps to back away. “I wish I could do that, but I can’t. You’re a federal witness under federal protection. This is how it works.”
She shook her head. “I made a decision last night that I wouldn’t just run away. I’d let you know first.”
“How considerate of you.” My brow furrowed.
“But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to get out of here. You can’t keep me in this god awful fishing cabin.”
“Hey, this place is awesome.” To her, it was a prison. To me, it was a slice of heaven. It was where I could get away from the precinct and unwind. It was where I could let my bear be free. To me it was the definition of freedom, but Tasha didn’t see it that way.
She moved in front of the fireplace in a rhythmic pattern. I could tell if I didn’t get her out of here, she was going to crawl out of her skin, but I wasn’t about to let go of her security detail. She was mine to protect, and there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d take my eyes off of her. It scared the shit out of me that she had thought about running away.
But I didn’t know which part of it scared me the most. The thought of fucking up my job or the idea of never seeing her again.
6
Tasha
The lights blinded my eyes. They were so bright I couldn’t see their faces, only hear their voices. Voices that would be ingrained in my memory forever.
“Quite odd that she’s the only one with purple eyes.” It was the voice from that bitch of a scientist, but she wasn’t alone.
Someone tugged on my upper lid, searing the pain into my temple. They were watering beyond control as one of the Purest scientists poked and prodded at my eye.
I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t protest. They had gagged me until I was almost choking.
I thrashed on the table, extending my claws, but they wouldn’t protrude. Something was wrong. The drugs they had pumped in my system had weakened me. I had never been so powerless in my life. But I didn’t stop fighting.
“Yes, why don’t we remove one of the eyes and compare it to the others? Maybe it has something to do with her abilities.”
I kicked, despite the braces on my legs. I bucked. I thrashed my head, breaking the brace locked on my forehead. It was enough to turn the table over, and I could rip the gag from my mouth. It would only be seconds before they would begin firing their tranquilizer guns, but maybe I had enough strength to make it to the door.
If I could get to the door, I had a chance. I may not be able to shift or use my claws, but I still had a human form that could fight. There had to be a way out of here. I shoved the metal table off my back and made a run for it.
As my hand clamped on the handle, I felt the spine-splitting pain as the darts needled into my back.
“No,” I screamed, turning the handle. “No.” I sank to the floor, clawing at my back, desperate to pull the darts out, but the liquid fire was already in my veins. “No,” I cried, knowing I’d never escape this hell.
“Tasha, Tasha. Wake up. Wake up.” I felt gentle hands rubbing my arms. “It’s a dream. A very bad dream. Look at me. You’re safe.”
I opened my eyes to see Gavin staring at me. His forehead creased between his brows. His eyes were burdened with worry. “Are you okay?”
I shuddered at the memory of the dream. I’d had at least one every night. I couldn’t shake them.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” My spine still felt the tingles from the imaginary darts.
This was the part where he was supposed to stand and leave for his room, but instead, he climbed in next to me.
“Scoot,” he ordered.
“What?” I moved over, feeling the warmth radiating off his broad chest. He was built like a wall. A beautiful wall carved out of marble.
He put an arm around my shoulder. “I already know you aren’t going to tell me about the dream,” he said. “So I won’t ask.”
I nodded. “You’re right. I’m not.” I didn’t know why I was leaning into him. I couldn’t help it. He was warm and strong. He was everything the dream wasn’t.
“But if you want to talk about it, I’ll listen.”
“I think I’ll pass.” I couldn’t imagine telling anyone about what they did to me in those labs. Every day they found a new way to weaken me. A new way to try to separate the tiger from the woman in me.
“You’re not a very trusting person, are you?” He had arranged himself so that he was taking up most of the bed, and I was in the crook of his arm.
“I learned not to trust anyone,” I whispered.
“Because of what happened at Purest?”
That was part of it. I didn’t exactly grow up with the picture of a loving family. “You know I’m a Marconi, don’t you? I grew up with the mob. No one trusts anyone. Rule number one.”
“Harrison might have mentioned it.” He didn’t seem fazed by my confession. “Sounds a little lonely, though, going through life not being able to trust.”
“I call it survival.”
“Tasha, I know you’re a strong shifter. You don’t have to prove that to me or anyone else. But sometimes the strongest thing you can do is to trust another person.”
“You mean, you.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t say that. But it would help our situation, wouldn’t it? I’m here to protect you. I’m not here to hurt you.”
I closed my eyes. I wanted t
hat to be true. I wanted this warm, sexy bear who was holding me close to his skin to mean that. But letting my guard down didn’t come naturally to me. I didn’t even know where to start taking the first brick off the wall. I was afraid if I made even the smallest dent in it, it would crash down around me and I’d trust the wrong person.
“You can go back to your room now, you know,” I whispered. But neither one of us moved. My hand rested over his beating heart, feeling the certain thumps against my palm.
He closed his eyes. “I think I’ll just stay here. I’m kind of comfortable.”
And for once, I didn’t argue with him.
7
Gavin
The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed. Tasha wasn’t in the bedroom. I jumped up, panicked she had actually fled this time. She had threatened it so many times maybe she had actually done it.
“Tasha?” I called down the hall.
“Yeah?”
I breathed when I saw her in the kitchen flipping an omelet on the stove. “Breakfast?” she asked, enticing me with a gleam in her eye.
“Yeah. Smells good.”
I sat at the table and noticed she had also started a pot of coffee. The cabin felt different with a woman here. There was a softness to it I had never experienced. I liked watching her cook at the stove. Her curvy hips poured into her shorts, almost making my mouth water as much as the omelet.
She spun around and caught me staring at her ass. Her eyebrows rose.
“Uh, I think I’ll get some coffee.” I hopped from the table and poured a large mug full.
I hadn’t meant to spend the night in her bed last night. It was never the plan, but once I saw the pain in her eyes, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. She was shaking and screaming by the time I got to her. She couldn’t send me away even if she wanted to.
I slept next to her, inhaling her scent. Feeling her soft curves pressed against me. Going wild as her breasts rose and fell with each breath she took. I definitely wasn’t doing that again. She was getting in my head, and getting to my bear.
She handed a plate to me and sat at the table. “So, I was thinking about heading back to Seattle today.”
I groaned. “No. We’re staying put until we get the call. We’ve been over it. This is the safest place for you.”
She took a bite of the omelet, her eyes blazing. “I’m ready to leave. It’s too cramped here.”
She didn’t mean the cabin was too small. She was talking about last night. I should have given her her space.
“Look, I’m sorry if I overstayed my welcome last night. I thought you needed a friend.”
She shook her head, also shaking some of her hard exterior. “No, not that. Actually, thank you for staying.”
“Really? Because I thought you were mad.” I didn’t know where this was headed.
“No. Not mad.” She stood from the table, pacing the room. “It’s just I feel trapped in here. I can’t go anywhere. I need to get out. Go back to the city. Something. Anything.”
Part of it was probably her tiger nature, and part of her was probably on edge anticipating the grand jury hearing.
“The city’s not safe. We both know that. But, I have an idea. Why don’t we go for a hike?” I suggested. “Let’s get out of here.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s your big suggestion?”
I leaned against the wall. Damn, she didn’t make anything easy. “It’ll take your mind off of being here. Fresh air will do us both some good. We’ll get out of the cabin for the day. The woods will be our walls.”
She still looked skeptical, but at least she wasn’t trying to run. I wasn’t sure how we would match up, but I had a feeling a tiger could outrun me.
“All right. I’ll go.”
I grinned, feeling some sort of victory. “I’ll show you the creek and the pond.”
“Great.” The sarcasm dripped from her lips.
I held the door for her and walked outside. I checked my gun and secured it against my hip. I wasn’t taking any chances.
8
Tasha
There was something peaceful about the woods. I might have been able to enjoy it even if it hadn’t been for the fact that Gavin watched my every move, he had a gun on his chest, and the Purest goons were looking for me.
But Gavin was right, it did help with the caged feeling I had in the cabin. At least outside, I could breathe in fresh air and remind myself I wasn’t being held captive by that evil organization. No more experiments. No more needles.
Gavin held a branch to the side for me so I could pass under his arm. “So, are you from Seattle?”
I looked at him. “Small talk, really?”
“Just trying to get to know you.” He fell in line behind me as I scrambled over a cluster of rocks.
“Last time I played this game, I ended up in the back of a van. So I’ll pass on the questions.”
Gavin stopped walking. “I get it. You don’t trust me. You wouldn’t trust anyone after what happened to you.” He took a deep inhale. “Why don’t you ask me questions? For every three questions you ask me, I get one?”
I pinched my lips together. “Five.”
“Five? You’re a tough negotiator.”
“Take it or leave it.” I shrugged, but I was curious. Despite my skepticism, the chance to ask him anything I wanted was enough to make me smile. There were things I wanted to know about the bear.
“All right. Five questions to one. Shoot. Go ahead.”
We moved along the trail while I tried to think of my first question. “How long have you been a cop?”
“Ten years.”
I pressed my lips together, stepping over a fallen log covered in faded moss. He must be older than I realized. “Do you have family?”
“Yes, I have a sister. She lives near Portland with her husband and kids.”
“What about your parents?” I asked. There was something in his eyes that told me there was more to the story.
He shook his head, bits of the warmth leaving his eyes. “No, they died the same year I entered the academy. But at least they knew I made it in. They knew I was doing what I loved. I try to remember that.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
I wasn’t close with my family. Being a Marconi wasn’t easy. I could relate to the loss and the pain on a different level. I was the only shifter in the family. And I never felt like I belonged. Hell, they only wanted Harrison to save me so they could sell me to the highest bidder for my dowry. A tiger bride was something worth rescuing in my uncle’s eyes.
“Are you and your sister close?” I asked.
Finally, there was another smile on his face. “We are. I guess you could say that was the one good thing that came from our parents’ death. Haley and I couldn’t be closer. We talk almost every day.”
“Let me guess. You’re the older brother?”
“How could you tell?” He winked, and I felt the shiver from the fire in his eyes shoot down to my toes unexpectedly.
“You seem like the big brother type. Cocky. Arrogant. All those things,” I teased.
He maneuvered me onto a different trail when we came upon a split. “Cocky, huh?”
“And how would you describe yourself?” I was curious what he thought. He had been bossy and controlling since we had met.
“Disciplined. Strategic. And protective.” It was the last word that had the most effect. It was as if he had wrapped his big bear arms around me, promising me he wouldn’t let anything get to me again. I shook it off. That definitely wasn’t what he meant. This was his job. It wasn’t personal.
“My turn. That was six. I gave you a bonus.”
“You were counting?” I asked, annoyed.
Without warning, his hand stretched across my chest and he pressed me against a tree. His ears perked. “Shh,” he warned.
I saw the focus in his eyes as he scanned the tree line. His grip on me relaxed when we saw a deer emerge from the brush. His hand dropped from my body,
and I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“Sorry, I heard something,” he apologized.
“At least I know you’re on high alert.” I hadn’t moved from the tree yet. The split second of fear mixed with the way Gavin instantly tried to protect me had me frozen to the spot.
“Always.” His eyebrows rose. “I promised you I would keep you safe.”
Something in me told me to fight the instinct to trust him. The tiger in me told me I was better off alone. I could take care of myself. I peeled away from the tree and hiked forward.
“Hey, wait up, Tasha,” Gavin called. “It’s my turn for a question.”
9
Gavin
I only had one question. And it couldn’t be a question that would scare her. I couldn’t pry. As tough as she was, I knew she was in a delicate place. Last night’s nightmares proved that. She needed protection, and it wasn’t only from Purest. She needed someone to watch over her so she didn’t do something stupid, like run.
She batted her lavender eyes at me. They were lighter outside, swirling with hints of dark amethyst. They were the perfect shade of purple. A purple that was quickly becoming my favorite color.
“Come on, what’s your big question, Mr. Detective?” she taunted.
I could ask her a hundred things. I could ask where she lived or if she went to college. I could ask her what happened at Purest. I could ask her what she was going to say at the hearing. I could ask about her family, or about looking for her pack.
“Are you seeing anyone?”
Her purple eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“That’s my question. You have to answer.” I leaned toward her, feeling the bear within me aching to protect her. Aching to wrap her up in my arms. Feeling the pain of not kissing her pouty lips right here and now.
It was the first time I saw her blush. “No.” She turned one hundred eighty degrees and headed back where we started.
