Claiming More (Tiger Nip)

by Walker, Brandy

  Sam swallowed a groan when MJ nibbled on her bottom lip. She looked at him again, a spark of curiosity sparkling in her eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Okay, Sam. If it means that much to you.”

  It meant the world to him, but this wasn’t about him anymore. She needed to know that. “I don’t want you to do it for me. You need to find out things about who you are, what you are. Dr. Greene will be able to help you fill in the voids I know you have been feeling.”

  He couldn’t resist leaning in and capturing her lips again. It wasn’t one of those heart pounding, sexually filled kisses that usually rode him hard when he was near her. No. This one was a kiss filled with the love and tenderness he felt for her. It was a promise of what he would always feel for her.

  “One more thing, MJ. Please don’t commit to Devon before you talk to Dr. Greene. If that’s what he’s planning tonight, find a way to hold him off.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  MJ slid into the seat next to Devon. He smiled his patent doctor’s grin, reminding her of the card slipped into her bra.

  “Is everything okay?” Devon pushed a glass of water toward her. She grabbed it up taking a large gulp.

  Was everything okay? She really didn’t know. She thought Sam was going to take her away and beg her, okay maybe not beg, but at least ask her to go away with him.

  Her heart had been racing and a trickle of excitement skittered through her stomach when he pulled her to the alcove.

  Instead, he told her again that they were mates and shoved a business card at her. A very intriguing card, but still just a card. The kicker was the kiss he left dancing on her lips. Soft, intimate and the stuff dreams were made of. It spoke of promises and love, and she honestly didn’t know if she could handle it. She would have to exam that later when she was alone in her room.

  “Everything is fine.” She wondered if he would ask for more information. She certainly would if she was him and another guy took off with the woman he planned on committing to.

  All he said though was good.

  MJ watched Devon out of the corner of her eye as they ate their meal. He was pleasant to everyone that came up to him to chat about work or what was going on in town. He never introduced her as anything other than his friend Mary Jane.

  When she wasn’t surreptitiously watching Devon, she was keeping a look out for Sam, who never came into the dining hall. MJ did catch Corrine’s eye during what she hoped was one of her casual perusals looking for Sam. Corrine smiled, mouthed ‘sorry’ and made a heart with her hands. MJ mimicked the motions and blew her friend a kiss.

  Dessert was being passed around when Jett’s dad, Ray, stood and let his Blood Legacy flow through the room. The fast heart pounding, maddening heat and pain that typically accompanied the power wasn’t there. It was more of a slow rolling warm caress, just enough to grab the attention of everyone in the room.

  “Good evening everyone. As you all know, tonight is the first night to state mating intentions and for newly mated couples to present themselves. I want to start this year’s Gathering with newly mated couples, one couple in particular, Jett Montgomery-Murphy and his new wife and mate, Corrine Montgomery-Murphy nee Hart.” Ray’s face lit up with a smile as Jett and Corrine stood. They walked to the head table, presented themselves to the heads of the founding families in attendance, before making a loop through the room and back to their seats.

  Five more couples were presented and MJ knew she was running out of time to talk to Devon. The second she put her hand on his knee beneath the table, Devon stiffened and his eyes widened. He turned his head slightly to look at her.

  “Devon,” she whispered insistently. She didn’t want anyone around them to hear what she was about to say. No one needed to hear her asking him to wait, but she needed him not to announce his intentions. Not tonight.

  “Mary Jane?” He looked at her quizzically.

  Before she could say what was on her mind, however, his cell phone went off in his pocket. She could feel the vibrations skitter down the leg of his pants.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled and pulled his hand away to grab the phone out. Glancing at the screen, he cursed under his breath. “I have to go. There’s an emergency at the hospital.”

  He stood abruptly, silently walking to where his father sat. The two men talked quietly for a few minutes before Devon came back to her. She started to get out of her chair, but he stopped her with a hand to her shoulder. Leaning down, he spoke into her ear. “You’ll be okay on your own.” He wasn’t asking, he was telling her. A part of her prickled at being told, which was ridiculous. She had been letting him tell her for the past two weeks what she would be doing.

  “Of course,” she said haughtily. She settled back in her seat and smoothed her napkin across her lap. Relief came swift and hard, as she realized Devon wasn’t going to be able to say anything tonight about the two of them.

  Letting out a breath, she looked around the room. No one was standing to express intent. She waited to see what Mr. Murphy would say next. When he looked toward her, he raised an eyebrow in question. She shrugged and shook her head side to side. She sure as hell wasn’t standing up to say anything. She was just given a free pass and she was going to take comfort in that.

  Picking up her fork, she took a bite of the cheesecake sitting in front of her, taking the moment to savor the sweet treat. It melted in her mouth and she hummed in delight. It was the best thing she had eaten in two weeks. It didn’t take her long to finish the slice.

  Sitting quietly, she wondered if anyone would notice if she got up and left. She had the overwhelming desire to run off to the room she had moved into at the Meadows and be on her own, something that didn’t happen that often lately. Unfortunately, her mother took that moment to snag her attention. Yep, she would definitely notice if MJ left. Her mom was probably hoping Devon would be back any moment, and MJ didn’t have the heart to tell her differently. Not that she knew how long he would be, but from the furrowed brow on his face when he read the message, it didn’t look good.

  MJ spent the rest of the night watching people socialize and dance. When it finally hit midnight Devon’s father, Russell, came over. He tapped her on the shoulder and she jerked in surprise.

  “You can go if you’d like, Mary Jane. I doubt Devon would expect you to sit here all night waiting for him to come back.”

  “Oh, okay. Thank you, but I really wasn’t waiting for him.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Really? Then why are you still here, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  MJ knew she made a mistake by not thinking before she spoke. “What I meant was I didn’t expect him to come back. Whatever the text was, it seemed bad by the look on his face.”

  “You can tell a lot by the way that boy expresses his emotions.”

  I wouldn’t say that, she thought. She decided to go the non-committed route with her response and made an agreeing noise.

  “I’m actually waiting for my parents to leave.” She pointed to one of the few couples remaining on the dance floor.

  Russell tipped his head back and laughed. “You’ll be waiting for quite a while then my dear. Your mom loves to dance and your father obliges.”

  The way he seemed so familiar with her mom had her wondering. “How would you know that?”

  “I’ve known your mom a long time. We grew up together. I have to say, I was brokenhearted when she mated with your father. But I understood. We weren’t meant to be. Once they moved to Garden, it took some time for her to come out of her shell again. Now she is the town’s Social Director. She sets up the monthly dances held here. At first there were just a few couples, but it’s become quite the thing lately. It’s a great event where we can all get out, relax and enjoy our friends. I expect I’ll be seeing you and Devon there when he isn’t attending things at the hospital.”

  He smiled down at her and she felt bad. The Andersen family had been nothing but nice to her family since they moved to Garden. She didn�
�t know Devon or their younger son, Dallas, whom she had just met, back then. MJ’s parents tended to let her hide away at home or with Corrine once they met her, when they went out. She really hated to disappoint both of the families, but she was having second thoughts.

  Ever since Devon left, she couldn’t stop thinking about the card in her bra. There were so many questions flying through her head. She spent so much time with Tigers, and doing her damndest to forget her time with the Pride that now she couldn’t help but wonder if she was more Lion? Shouldn’t she know about that half of her DNA? Maybe all this time the way she felt, the way her body responded to potential mates, and even the way she thought was more like a Lion shifter. Hell, maybe her mate was a full blood Lion. Now that was something to think about. Would this doctor be able to answer her questions? There was only one way to find out because she knew her parents never would. Damn Sam for sparking her curiosity and damn him for knowing her better than she thought.

  The next morning when MJ woke, she took the time to really examine what she was feeling. She sipped her coffee out on the patio listening to the birds chirp and flit by. A light cool breeze whispered over her skin creating goose bumps along her arms. Tingles slowly spread, flowing from the top of her head down to her fingers.

  It felt like a new day, a new beginning to her.

  Picking up the card on the patio table, she glided a finger over the raised lettering while reading it again. It was more out of habit now than a necessity. She had memorized every word on it during the previous night’s dinner while waiting for her parents to call it a night.

  She knew what she needed to do. She had to set aside the wants and needs of the people around her: her parents, Devon, Sam, and even Corrine. Concentrate only on what she wanted. What she felt and needed in her life.

  She picked up her cell phone and shot a quick text to Devon.

  I have something I need to do today. I won’t be around until tonight. I hope the emergency wasn’t too bad and you got home at a reasonable hour. ~ MJ

  After hitting the send button, she brought up her contacts and found the number for Jessie. She dialed and waited for the other woman to pick up.

  “Hello,” she mumbled on the other end.

  MJ pulled the phone away from her face and checked the time. Crap, it was early. “Sorry Jessie, I didn’t realize it was only seven.”

  Jessie grunted. “Who is this?”

  MJ groaned. Great, not only did she wake the woman up, but Jessie didn’t even remember who she was. “It’s Mary Jane Poppy. We met at your brother’s wedding a few months back. I was the Maid of Honor. You gave me your number in case I ever wanted to talk.”

  There was a rustling of fabric on the other end of the line, most likely sheets being rearranged. A squeal and frantic whisper followed by a man’s deep chuckle brought about the realization that Jessie wasn’t alone.

  “Hold on a sec, MJ.”

  There was more noise, muted this time; however, MJ could make out Jessie telling whoever was there to give her the sheet back. A few seconds of silence later and Jessie was back on the line. MJ guessed she gave up on the fight for the bedding.

  “Sorry about that, MJ. I know who you are, I just wasn’t awake enough yet.”

  The man rumbled something out and Jessie huffed out a breath. MJ chose to ignore whatever was happening on the other end of the line. It really wasn’t any of her business. Though she admitted, she was curious whom the tall brunette had hooked up with.

  “I probably should have checked the time before I called. I was just anxious to talk to you about something.”

  MJ should have known Jessie would quickly figure out what she wanted. Jett or Sam probably warned her a call might be coming. “You want to talk to Carolline and you’d like to know if I think it’s a good idea.”

  “Yes.” There was no reason to beat around the bush. Most people probably knew her situation regardless of her silence on the subject. Just being seen with Devon was enough for people to talk. Spend two weeks with him and, up until now, every moment of the Gathering together, and people came up with their own conclusions. “Sam gave me her card and said she could help me. I wanted to know your opinion. There are things I need to know before I do something I might regret.”

  “I think it’s a great idea. I’ve talked to Carolline and she is really knowledgeable about hybrids. As a matter of fact, I think you two will have a lot in common.”

  “Really? Why do you say that?”

  “I want you to find out for yourself. You need this, MJ. I know you didn’t ask and my opinion probably isn’t wanted, but I think picking Devon is the wrong decision. I’ve seen you with Sam and I’ve seen you with Devon. You light up when you’re with Sam. Your entire body glows and happiness radiates off you. When you’re with Devon, it makes me want to cry for you. No one should be that unhappy being with him. He’s a nice man with a good job, beautiful kids, and let’s be real, he’s hot as hell. When I see you two together, you both look absolutely miserable.”

  MJ was stunned into silence. It was one thing to hear she should be with Sam from friends that knew her so well, but it was entirely different hearing it from a woman she had met only once; a psychologist who was trained in observing and evaluating people’s behavior.

  “Did I overstep my bounds, MJ? I would say I’m sorry but I’m not. I couldn’t help but watch you with him since you’ve been back. The relationship you have with him isn’t healthy. Go talk to Carolline. Find out more about you and I think you’ll see I’m right.”

  “Okay,” MJ murmured, still in a bit of shock. She didn’t know that was how she looked to people when she was with Devon. “Would you mind going with me?”

  “Sure thing, sweetie. I know she doesn’t have anything going on this morning and will be in her office around nine. We all kind of cleared our calendars because of the Gathering. No need to be there when we can network and see everyone milling about in town or on the Meadows. We can meet up after breakfast, maybe around eight forty-five?”

  “Sounds like a plan. Thanks Jessie. Sorry I woke you and your guest. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  Jessie made a choking sound on the other end before she eeked out, “No problem.”

  MJ hung up and felt a weight lifted off her shoulders. Closing her eyes she soaked in the rays of the rising sun and, for the first time in quite a while, felt like her life wasn’t spinning out of control.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Carolline rose from her chair and greeted Jessie and another woman with a friendly smile. She expected the visit thanks to a phone call from her office neighbor earlier. Out of habit, she subtly took a sniff when Jessie opened the door. Her familiar light citrus fragrance floated on the air mixed with a heavier vanilla musk.

  A Liger. Interesting.

  “Hi Jessie, it’s good to see you again.”

  “Hey Carolline. This is Mary Jane. She’s my brother’s wife’s best friend. The one I mentioned on the phone this morning.”

  “Ah yes, it’s nice to meet you, Mary Jane.”

  “It’s nice to meet you too and please, call me MJ.”

  She stuck her hand out and Carolline took it. “You’re the one whose name has been dropped in my ear a few times over the last few weeks,” she stated.

  MJ looked between Jessie and Carolline “What?”

  “You’re the talk of the town. Plus, Jessie mentioned you this morning on the phone and a handsome man, Sampson Hart, came to see me not too long ago. He was full of questions about his Liger mate, MJ.”

  MJ blushed and Carolline knew her hunch was right. This was the woman Sam felt the mating pull toward. The one who said she didn’t feel the pull back toward him.

  “We aren’t mates. At least I don’t think we are. That’s actually why I came to talk to you. Sam gave me your card yesterday, still insisting we’re mates and told me you would be able to point me in the right direction. And that you would be able to help me see what he says is so clearly in front of my fac
e.”

  “There is a good chance you are mates, MJ. There are a lot of differences between full bloods and hybrids, like our scents for example. I’m sure you know there is a difference in scents for the various species of feline in general, but what you may not realize is that it is more so for hybrids. With hybrids the scent tends to be sweeter and a lot stronger than the average shifter. There is always a musky undertone to it too. More earthly in nature but not unpleasant.”

  “Wow, I never knew.”

  Carolline smiled at the look of wonder on MJ’s face. It never ceased to amaze her that children of mixed parents weren’t that knowledgeable about both sides of their lineage. Their education and upbringing always leaned toward one side or the other, based on which colony, town or community they were living in.

  “Please, have a seat.” She motioned to the two chairs sitting in front of her desk.

  “Actually, I need to get back to my place. I, uh, sorta left some unfinished business there. I only wanted to make sure MJ found you and introduce the two of you.” Jessie hugged MJ. “Call me later if you need to talk some more.”

  “Something unfinished, huh? Would that something have anything to do with the man I heard on the phone this morning?”

  A pink blush bloomed across Jessie’s sun-kissed cheeks. “Behave, woman!”

  “I always behave and maybe that’s been the problem.”

  Jessie laughed. “You’re in good hands. Carolline will be able to get you to see the light.”

  “Thanks,” MJ chuckled, slipping into a chair. “Have fun with your business. I hope sorting it out doesn’t take too long. Or maybe that’s what you would like.” She crossed her legs and folded her hands on her lap as she looked around the office. The innocent look on her face didn’t fool Carolline.