Claiming More (Tiger Nip)

by Walker, Brandy

  “Thanks,” MJ said dryly.

  Corrine snorted. “You know what I mean. Sam is serious about you being his mate and being in love with you. I don’t know why you want to deny what you both know in your hearts.”

  “I’m not denying anything. I’m protecting him from future disappointment. Devon had a mate and lost her. I see how much that damaged him. I don’t want to tie Sam to me and watch him slowly come to resent his decision when I can’t fulfill the dreams he has. With Devon, he only wants me to help raise his kids, be there when he gets home from work, and have dinner ready and on the table. He’s looking for a companion not a mate. The man does not and will not ever love me. He’s said it to my face. I can handle that. What I can’t handle is being in love with Sam as he realizes what a mistake he made by claiming me.”

  “Fuck that, MJ. You deserve so much more than what Devon is promising. Sam loves you and will never regret being with you,” her friend demanded.

  “What about when Sam wants to have kids? There’s a good chance I can’t because I’m a hybrid. Or, what happens if I decide I don’t want to have kids? With my genes, there’s no way to guarantee they won’t have health, mental, or physical problems. What if the shifting gene isn’t triggered in them and they end up outcasts, like me? Can you imagine what life for Sam would be like then? He would hate me.”

  The women stood there in silence glaring at each other. MJ saw when Corrine’s anger melted away and watched as pity set in. It was the one thing she never wanted to see from her friend.

  “Sam would still love you and he would love his kids. They would be yours created together and that is all that would matter to him. They would be gorgeous by the way, just like you, and they would definitely get more of your characteristics than Sam’s. Well, I would hope. I’m mean, sure we’re twins and all, but he didn’t get the pretty genes.”

  “Of course you would think that.” MJ couldn’t help the little chuckled that came out.

  Corrine laughed with her, and then quickly sobered. “I don’t understand why you would give up on your dreams because you’re scared. There are tests that can be done.”

  “I’m not giving them up. I’m just modifying them. Besides, you’re forgetting one very important thing. I would need a mate. As you’ve been able to see, guys aren’t lining up to court me. Devon is the only one who’s ever given me a second thought.”

  “He’s not the only one.”

  “You’re right. And Sam. But Sam is under the false impression that we’re mates, and he can’t go on thinking that. I will not let him live without his true mate. He doesn’t get to settle for me.”

  “You aren’t listening. God, I never knew you were this stubborn. You are Sam’s true mate.”

  “Then why didn’t he fight harder to keep me around?”

  “Probably because he knows you too well. Once you get an idea in your head, you don’t let it go. It takes a lot to convince you otherwise. Which I thought he’d done. But from the way you’re acting, apparently he didn’t. It’s just so strange to me, one day you were cursing Devon’s name, along with your parents’; the next, you’re calling me up telling me you have to leave. You said you were giving the guy a shot, but what you really meant was that you’d decided to roll over and play dead for the man. That is not the Mary Jane I know.”

  “I didn’t roll over and play dead,” she whispered, the hurt of hearing those words lancing through her heart.

  “Yeah, right. Anytime he’s around you turn into someone else. You’re so submissive it’s scary. You won’t look at people. You stare at the ground like you’re hoping it will open up and suck you in. You let him lead you around, tugging on your arm when he’s ready to move on. You let him dictate everything. You’re acting just like you did when you first moved to Garden.”

  A buzzing started in MJ’s ears. Her head felt dizzy and her cheeks burned. She knew what Corrine was saying was true, but it didn’t matter. This is how she needed to be in order to have an inkling of what Corrine had. In all her twenty-five years, Devon was the first person to want her for whom and what she was—a lonely female Liger.

  That’s not true, the little voice in her head whispered. Sam thought he wanted her. Said he wanted her for his mate. But there was no way he meant it. No way she could be his mate.

  “Just forget it, Corrine. You aren’t going to change my mind about this. If you can’t come to terms with it, then I guess we can’t be friends.”

  MJ heard Corrine’s gasp as she marched to the door, not knowing if she was throwing Corrine out or running away herself. Refusing to turn around and soothe her friend’s hurt; she, instead, flung the door open only to be met with Devon’s handsome face. He stood there like a statue, not one emotion flickering beneath his brown skin. It was the look she would have to get used to since it was the only one she had ever seen on his face.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Devon stood in the open door completely immobile, staring at the woman he’d chosen to be his companion. There was a flush high on her cheeks. Her full lips were turned down at the corners and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

  He looked beyond her into the room, expecting to find Sampson Hart. The man was still sniffing around Mary Jane, and it gave him cause to worry. While not one to get between true mates, Mary Jane assured him she didn’t feel the mating pull toward the man. He thought the entire episode with the man was resolved.

  He was a little surprised when Sampson’s sister, Corrine, came up next to Mary Jane and whispered in her ear. Mary Jane smiled slightly and nodded her head. Corrine slipped out the door without saying a word to him, but squeezed his arm in what he thought was reassurance.

  He studied Mary Jane as her head dropped slightly. “Mary Jane. Everything alright?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. While she was a lovely woman, he found he had a difficult time relaxing around her. He constantly felt uptight and on alert. Like he was waiting for the moment when she decided she just couldn’t go through with settling for a man who would never love her. He wouldn’t blame her either.

  When he first approached her parents after hearing them fret about their daughter’s ability to find a mate, he thought he’d found the perfect solution to his problems. He didn’t want another mate. He just needed someone kind and loving to help him raise his kids. Someone who would be there to run the household and make sure everyone was fed, happy, healthy and clean.

  Mary Jane’s parents assured him she would be perfect, but upon meeting her, he wasn’t so sure. She had been argumentative and feisty. She stood up for herself to her parents and demanded they let her make her own choices and find her own mate. She was the exact opposite of his true mate.

  After that first meeting, he’d gone home to his kids and his empty bed. He spent the entire night awake, thinking about how different Mary Jane was from his dead mate Sasha and came to the conclusion she would be perfect. He would never fall in love with her, but he could come to like and respect her strong will and zest for life.

  He focused back on her head, still lowered in submission. He felt a frown form on his lips. She wasn’t acting like the woman he first met. Using his index finger, he touched the underneath of her chin, tilting her face up toward him.

  She seemed surprised by the move but quickly masked the emotion. “Everything is fine, Devon. Just working something out with Corrine.”

  “Anything I need to worry about?” He didn’t want to make an enemy of Corrine and her mate Jett. He thought they were getting along just fine. Founding families tended to stick together more than the regular Tiger population. They had more functions to attend and being on bad terms would cause unrest throughout the community. But if it came down to it, he would pick MJ’s happiness over all else. Unless it dealt with his children.

  “No. It’s going to be fine. She just misunderstood something. Are you ready to head to dinner?”

  She tilted her head to the right, sending a cascade of blond locks to rest on her brea
st. Without meaning to, his eyes traveled down the silky strands, landing on the creamy white swells rising above the neckline of her sweater. He stood there mesmerized, tongue glued to the roof of his mouth.

  MJ cleared her throat. “Devon?”

  He looked up into her face. Her brows were furrowed with worry. “Let’s go,” he growled. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room. The door closed and he heard MJ curse behind him.

  “What is it?” He grunted.

  “My purse and key to the room are still in there.”

  “We’ll stop by the front desk and get you another key.”

  He didn’t apologize for his actions. Not sure of what to say. He was pretty sure ‘sorry I was staring at your breasts’ wasn’t going to make things less awkward between them.

  That was the first time he noticed her as a woman with a beautiful body, not his usual type but nice nonetheless. Every other time they were together, he saw her as the woman that would care for his family, fill in the void; now was not the time to start thinking of her in any other terms.

  Maybe when things settled down after the claiming and they got into the rhythm of life, they could talk about expanding into intimate relations. They were both going to have sexual needs that needed satisfying. There was no reason they couldn’t fulfill those needs with each other. It would be the most practical solution and keep scandal away from the family.

  With a plan in place, one more worry was crossed off the list. Now if only he could really relax around her, but he didn’t think that would happen until after he stated his intentions in front of The Guild Council. Once it was done, it would take a special concession from the ruling powers to break what was set in motion.

  Devon glanced back at Mary Jane. Her head wasn’t lowered as much, but her gaze was focused on the ground. He was going to have to talk to her about that. He picked her because he didn’t want a carbon copy of his dead mate. He wanted someone completely different, so there was no chance he would develop stronger feelings.

  Sam stood outside the dining hall doors waiting for Mary Jane and Devon to appear. He’d run into his sister earlier. She informed him she had left MJ in Devon’s care no more than fifteen minutes ago.

  Impatiently, he stood there in black slacks and Kelly green polo shirt itching to rip them off and run. He didn’t have a plan, he only knew he needed to get her away from Devon. He had something to give her before Devon made his announcement. He hoped it was enough to spark her curiosity and make her tell Devon to wait.

  That was one thing about MJ; her curiosity was stronger than her stubbornness. He needed that to kick in to pull off a miracle. It was his last shot to get her to listen to what he knew her heart and body were telling her.

  Why he didn’t cater to her mind first, he didn’t know. Arrogance and the knowledge that she had a crush on him from the time they first met was the only answer he came up with. He had thought he could win her over with a little attention and hot sex.

  The past couple of months anytime he got near her, he wanted to toss her down and mount her. Nothing new for him when it came to women he was attracted to, but with Mary Jane it was different.

  He wanted to kiss and lick every inch of her body. Make love to her on every available surface they were near, then rub all over her body marking her with his scent. His greatest wish was to bite her neck while bringing her to orgasm so many times she forgot about all other men. Until she realized no other man could satisfy her like he could.

  He wanted to declare to the world that she was his true mate. But he couldn’t. Not until he handed her the card burning a hole in his pocket and begged her to go see the woman listed on it before it was too late.

  After talking to Dr. Greene, he had a better understanding of hybrids. Of Mary Jane and Ligers. They weren’t just different physically; they were different mentally. Their thought process was one based on self-defense and preservation. They were taught nothing about their own kind and were forced to conform to what was considered normal and pure.

  His deepest wish was for MJ to at least know what he did and make an informed decision about the direction of her life.

  Sam was so caught up in his thoughts, he automatically moved out of the way when a large group went by. Not paying attention until the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Mary Jane.

  She swept past him without a glance. Jerking from his stupor, he fell in behind her, taking in the sway of her hips, the scent that was wholly his Mary Jane.

  He couldn’t deny being near her made his heart skip a beat. He needed to talk to her before she walked through the doors.

  “Mary Jane,” he called out.

  She and Devon turned around. Surprise was written on her face while Devon only seemed curious. “Sam. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be? Tonight is the first big dinner. Newly mated couples present themselves to The Guild. While others announce their mating intentions. Everyone is required to attend.”

  “I guess that was a silly question.” The blush creeping across Mary Jane’s creamy skin drew his eyes down. He snapped them back up to her face. He didn’t want to give her a reason to stomp off in irritation.

  “I need to talk to you, MJ. It’s important. ”

  Her gaze skittered to Devon, who was standing close listening to everything. His face was completely devoid of emotion.

  “In private, please. You don’t mind me talking to MJ, do you Devon?”

  Devon shot a calculated look his way, and then looked at the woman they were both counting on for their futures. “She’s free to talk to you if she wants.”

  Surprise lit her face. Sam had no idea what she expected Devon to say, but it certainly wasn’t that. Sam didn’t want to give her a chance to think about it or a chance for Devon to change his mind.

  “Thanks man.” Reaching out, he grabbed MJ’s hand and gently tugged her.

  “I’ll see you inside, Devon,” she said as she followed behind him.

  Sam took her to the alcove seating near the woods. He waited for her to take a seat before sitting next to her.

  Sam folded her hands into his. He didn’t want to let go, needed the skin on skin contact. It soothed him so much; he was astonished he didn’t purr. He sat in silence, soaking up the feel of her. Apparently it made her nervous.

  “What was it you needed to talk to me about, Sam?” She seemed to search his face

  “I’ve missed you, MJ.”

  A smile tipped up the corners of her lips. “I like it when you call me MJ.”

  “Well, you asked me to but honestly I prefer calling you Mary Jane.”

  “Of course you do,” she said drolly.

  “Why do you think I’ve always called you Mary Jane?” he queried.

  “To annoy me, of course.” Her reply came quickly.

  He snorted. “Nope.”

  “Yeah right. You knew it bothered me. Drove me nuts that you wouldn’t stop using my full name.”

  One of MJ’s long blonde hairs blew into her face. Before she could brush it away, he reached up and pushed it behind her ear. Letting his fingers linger, he caressed her face, mesmerized by the feel of her soft skin. MJ slid her hand over his, stopping the motion. He cupped her check and she sighed. He studied her face to see what she was thinking. Her eyes were closed, features relaxed. His heart beat faster seeing the bliss on her face.

  Leaning in he placed a kiss as light as a feather on her lips, then pulled back. He dropped his hand back into his lap. He couldn’t get distracted. There were things he needed to say. “I’m sure at first I did it to annoy you. That’s what boys did to girls they thought were cute.” He couldn’t help but tap her on the tip of her nose with his finger.

  Her eyes popped open. “You did not!”

  “I did not what? Think you were cute when we were younger?”

  “Yes, that! You have never once indicated you wanted me.”

  “I beg to differ. I recall a certain birthday where
I showed you exactly how attracted I was to you. I even told you how much I wanted to be with you. What I don’t get is why you aren’t feeling the same. I have been dying without you Mary Jane Poppy and I need you back in my life.”

  “You were talking mates, Sam.” She squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking from each one. “I,” she stumbled over the word. “I don’t feel the mating pull.”

  In his head, he knew to expect her to say those words but hearing them tore through his gut.

  When MJ first ran away, and that’s what it was, he was angry. He wallowed in what-if and could-have-been, along with a bit too much beer. When he finally pulled his head out of his ass, he contacted Carolline Greene. Come to find out, she was an expert in dealing with Ligers and other feline mixes. It was time for MJ to contact her too.

  Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled a business card out. He stared at it for a few minutes before clutching it in his hands. Mary Jane quietly sat there, perhaps knowing he needed to gather his thoughts.

  “I want you to listen to me. No interruptions or trying to tell me I’m wrong. Do you promise?”

  MJ nodded and squeezed the hand she still had a grip on.

  “You, Mary Jane Poppy, are my mate. I know it in my heart and in my soul. My Tiger wants your Liger and has since the first time he saw you. You soothe the beast in me, human and otherwise.”

  MJ’s grip on his hand tightened as he spoke.

  “But…I need you to do something. Not for me but for you.” He handed over the business card. She took it with shaky fingers.

  “What’s this?” she asked.

  “I want you to go see her. I think she’ll be able to help you with some of those questions you’ve had throughout the years. Maybe help you see what I’m telling you is true.”

  She looked at the card in her hand. “Dr. Carolline Greene, Hybrid Development and Studies. What is this?”

  “Talk to her. There is a lot I want to tell you, but I have a feeling it won’t mean much coming from me. Please MJ. Just email her or call her up. She lives here in town and works at the hospital. Jessie, Jett’s sister, will go with you if you don’t want to go alone. She actually has the office right next to the doctor’s. It can’t hurt to make an appointment and see what Carolline is all about. I think things will make more sense, and I’m hoping you’ll change your mind about Devon and about me.”