One guard moved in front of her to keep her out of the way as the other one took her arm, trying to drag her away from the scene. She wanted to help Ty, but she couldn’t shift yet.
“I won’t leave him!” she cried out, watching as Ty and Raja became tigers, their clothes torn to shreds.
“There’s nothing you can do.” Felix placed his hand on her shoulder, as he moved her back. “You need to be somewhere safe.”
She shook her head, and Felix didn’t fight her. He stood in front of her, ready to protect her if the fight shifted their way.
She stood there, utterly helpless as the action unfolded before her. Claws ripped through flesh, sending blood splattering across the stage. Hunter was powerless to fight off two shifted tigers. Ty had Raja helping him, but her heart was in her throat. As they took Hunter to the ground, he went after Ty’s neck, leaving him no choice but to end it.
Hunter went limp, and they changed back. Ty quickly scanned the room until he found her next to Felix. His shoulders relaxed, his relief obvious.
Knowing she was safe he turned to the clan. “Don’t make Hunter’s mistake. I have never put up with this kind of behavior, and I will not start now. Behavior like that is showing no respect for your Elders. Now we will retire to our quarters, and we’ll see you tonight at the party.”
Neither man seemed bothered by their nudity as they crossed the room toward her.
Coming to stand in front of her, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. “Are you all right?” he whispered.
She nodded, not trusting her voice. She held on to him as though he were the last life raft in a turbulent sea.
“Felix, I would like to see you in my quarters in twenty minutes.” Ty stepped past them, leading her down the hall to their quarters. Raja followed behind, waiting until they were away from the other members before speaking. “If it’s all right with you, I would like to shower and put on some clothes.”
“That’s fine. I would like you to join us before Felix arrives, if possible.”
Raja nodded, and she followed Ty down a side hall.
As the door closed, he wrapped his arms around her again, squeezing her so tightly she could barely breathe. “Ty…”
“I’m sorry, Tabby. I needed to feel you in my arms.” He lessened his grip slightly. “These emotions that come with having a mate are all new to me. I wanted to make sure you were safe, but I had to take care of Hunter before he hurt someone else. My emotions were torn, but I had to do what was right for us and the clan. You didn’t get hurt, did you?” He held her at arm’s length for a moment, looking her up and down.
“No, I’m fine. Felix and the other guards tried to get me out of there, but I didn’t want to leave you.”
“Next time, promise me when there’s danger, you’ll let the guards defend you or get you out of there. Don’t be hard-headed.”
“I was in no danger. You and Raja had Hunter under control.”
He took a step back from her, allowing her to see his face and his grave expression. “I’m serious. Things could have gotten out of control today. You’re the Queen of all Tigers and the only true bloodline left. You need to be protected.”
“I might still be human, but I’m not helpless. I know when to get out of the way. Stop worrying about me so much,” she huffed.
Still he refused to back down. “You don’t know how valuable you are to the clan and to me. You’re irreplaceable. You don’t understand what lengths people like Pierce will go to, to kill you.”
“I do understand. I know if I’m killed, the tiger shifters will die. Trust me, that scares me. I have never been responsible for something so big. I might not have gone through the change yet, but I’m not a normal human either.” She heaved a sigh, raking her fingers through her hair. Then she slipped her hand around his. “Come on, you need a shower before they arrive.”
“Won’t you join me?” Ty kissed her neck.
“Oh, what the heck.”
Chapter Fifteen
When Tabitha and Ty entered the room, Raja was sitting on a chair speaking to someone on the phone. Cutting off whoever was on the other end, he said, “I’ll call you back.” He stood, slipping the cell phone in his pocket. “I apologize. There was a problem with Hunter’s sister.”
Ty lowered himself to the chair and brought Tabitha to his side. “Do you need to go deal with her?”
“Thomas is taking care of it. She’s distraught over what happened to her brother and is in a state of grief. They were very close. After he was arrested, she confided in me that Hunter had changed. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was something different about him. They were growing apart. She wanted me to help her brother. I explained to her it would be up to you and most likely, he would get the help he needed. She thinks I betrayed her.”
“I expected her to be upset, but Hunter left us no choice. You don’t attack your Alpha and get away with it. The punishment for attacking your Alpha and losing is death. There’s no way around that.”
Raja nodded. “Everyone knows this, and if she were thinking clearly, she would understand, but grief does strange things to people. I had Doc give her something to calm her. She needs to rest. I’ll speak with her soon, but this is not why we’re here.”
“Very well. I asked you here because after today’s incident, I’ve decided to assign around-the-clock guards. I have chosen is Felix to be promoted to Captain of Tabitha’s Guards. He’s done a great job as one of my guards, and I trust him to keep her safe.” He gently squeezed her hand. “Today he came from the back of the conference room, where he was stationed, to get her out of the way. He understands she must be kept safe. Even though she’s a stubborn, hard-headed woman and refused to leave,” he paused, giving her a pointed look, “he kept her out of danger and was ready to protect her if needed.”
“I think he would be perfect for the job. Felix is one of the few I would trust with my life. Who else do you have in mind?”
“I haven’t decided on anyone else yet. I wanted her to meet the rest of the clan. We’ll see who fits well with her, who seems like they would be a good match. I would like four guards assigned to her, at least two at any given time. Most of the time, I’ll be around her, but if something happens like it just did and I have to take care of it, I want to know she’ll be safe. I won’t have her put in danger. I want the guards to protect her when I can’t.”
She didn’t bother to hide her annoyance as she leaned away from Ty to look at him. “Don’t I get a say in this?”
He rubbed the top of her hand that was resting on his leg. “I’m doing this to protect you. You can have some say on who will protect you. But you are my mate, and I would rather risk you being mad at me for who I choose than have you in harm’s way.”
“I’m safe. I don’t need or want guards protecting me. I’ll be fine.” I’m not a possession, she wanted to add, but she said nothing. Instead she crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lip.
He looked away from her, toward Raja. “Could you excuse us for a moment?” He grabbed her hand and stood, pulling her along with him. He led them into a room off the living room that appeared to be an office, with deep burgundy walls and the same hardwood floors as the rest of the quarters. A large L-shaped desk, as neat as the rest of the house, dominated the center of the space.
“Tabby, I know you don’t want this—you’ve made it clear—but it’s something you need. I will not have you in danger, and there will be times I won’t be able to protect you like I want to. You need this, and it’s normal for the Elders to have guards. Even I have them. Stop being stubborn and accept it.”
“I don’t want people following me around all the time,” she snapped, not caring if she appeared petulant.
“They won’t be. While we’re in our quarters together, they’ll either be off on their own or outside the door if the threat level is high. If you come into our quarters alone, they’ll have to do a walk-through to make sure no one is h
ere, but they won’t stay here unless you’re in immediate danger. They will only be with you when you’re outside our quarters. If we need to, we can set up more boundaries later, after you go through the change. I want to ensure we have have the guards in place when we need them.”
“Okay, you win on this one for now.” She frowned, glaring at him. “But once I go through the change, we’ll discuss it again.”
“Thank you.” He leaned down to kiss her. “Now let’s finish this.”
When they walked out of Ty’s office, Felix had joined them.
“Felix, thank you for coming.” After they took their seats again, Felix and Raja also sat.
“Tabitha and I have decided we would like you to be the Captain of her Guards. Are you interested in this promotion?”
“That’s such an honor.” Felix’s mouth twitched up into a handsome smile. “Thank you both. I would be honored to accept.”
“Thank you. We’ll let you know soon who the other guards will be. We haven’t finalized those yet. Until then, you’ll be protecting her along with Thomas, from my guards. Before I assigned any long-term guards, I wanted her to meet the clan. Within the next few days, you’ll know and can start training them. You can explain the new changes to Thomas, and I want both of you to meet us here at six o’clock tonight to attend the party.”
“Yes, sir.” Felix rose and appeared to be awaiting dismissal.
“That’s all for now.” When the door firmly closed behind Felix, Ty turned his attention back to Raja. “Until she goes through the change, I want you and the rest of the guards on call twenty-four hours a day. I want the compound security on alert. If anyone comes on the grounds, I want to know, and if that person is not permitted to be here, then I’ll hold whoever is on guard at fault. I won’t have her at risk, no matter how small. Things are dangerous now.”
“I’ll inform the clan. If there is anything you need, please let me know.” Raja rose, understanding the conversation was over.
“I still don’t think I need guards. I can protect myself.”
When they were alone once again, Ty growled. “I have never felt this way about anyone before. I want you safe, even if that means you’re mad at me. You mean everything to me.”
“You’re the first person who has ever really cared about me. I—” Her voice broke, all the blood rushing to her head. “I love you.” She couldn’t believe she’d said it, but she meant it. She was giving her heart to him. “If you want guards for me, then that’s what I’ll have. I was just upset you didn’t talk to me about it first. Please understand, I should have a say in this kind of stuff.”
He leaned down, put one arm behind her legs and one behind her back, lifted her easily from where she stood, and carried her to the bedroom. He kissed her neck as he walked. “You’re my mate. It’s my job to protect you.”
“I’m not a china doll. I don’t want to be protected.” She let out a frustrated sigh.
“I want you safe.”
Tired of fighting, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m not used to someone wanting to protect me. I’ll try, but I’m not some little school girl who can’t stand up for herself. I might not have the physical strength and speed you have, but I’m not a dainty human either.”
He laid her gently on the bed. With her arms still around his neck, she leaned up into his body, kissing him deeply, drinking from his lips, as she gently pulled him onto the bed. Gliding her hands down his tight, toned chest, she stopped for a moment to feel his biceps, and she was glad to have him all to herself—at least for a little while.
He tugged off her shirt before slipping his hand behind her back to unhook her bra as she explored his chest and arms. Tossing the discarded clothes to the floor, he kissed her neck and made his way down her chest. He gently took each nipple into his mouth one at a time and sucked ever so softly, then released it and rolled his tongue over it. He looked up at her with so much devotion in his eyes, her heart fluttered.
The fire between their bodies was like a sweltering summer night. Their hearts threatened to pound out of their chests, their palms were sweating. He caressed every inch of her body, forcing a moan of ecstasy from her. He was tender as he memorized every curve with his hands and mouth. He took his time tasting every inch of her, sending shivers throughout her body.
He gently and lovingly kissed down her stomach as he stroked her thighs. With every touch, her body cried out for more. She couldn’t get enough of him. His hands sought out the central core of her body, while the heat and wetness drove her crazy.
He took his time caressing and kissing her, she could feel their beasts calling to each other, urging her to hurry, while the human part of her wanted to take this slow and cherish every moment.
His fingers delved inside her, and her body moved with the motion. He kissed the inside of her thighs. The passion drove the fire through her, fire like she’d never felt before. He made his way to her core, licking lightly over her sweet spot, flicking over and over, nearly driving her to the edge. She ran her hands through his hair and moaned with intense pleasure.
She rolled him over, laying him on his back. She placed another deep kiss on his lips while she caressed his chest, taking care to feel every chiseled muscle, licking and kissing as he writhed in pleasure beneath her.
She knelt on the bed in front of him, wanting to show him the love she felt for him. As she stroked him, she stoked the fire inside him. She licked the length of him and slowly took him into her mouth, making him throw his head back in pleasure.
She enjoyed the feel of his hands running through her hair.
“Come here.” He tugged the strands in his fingers, pulling her up.
Moving up the bed, she angled herself to allow him access. As he entered, she cried out with pleasure. His thrusts were deeper and faster, but not too fast. Their bodies rocked back and forth until they exploded together in unison.
Breathless, they laid there hot and sweaty, cuddling, not wanting to move, their legs still entwined.
He lifted his head enough to kiss her. “I love you, Tabby.”
“I love you, Ty.”
Chapter Sixteen
Tabitha was in the middle of the custom-made bed that dominated the bedroom, snuggled deep beneath the warm comforter, still trying to wake up. She wanted nothing more than to stay cuddled with Ty until they were ready for more sex.
“I didn’t think we would sleep that long. We should get ready for the party.” He tossed back the covers before slipping out of bed. He turned around to find she hadn’t moved. “Come on, you can’t be late for your own party.” He smiled down at her.
With a moan, she scooted to the edge of the bed. The floor was littered with red, black, and silver throw pillows they’d tossed off earlier. Grabbing one, she threw it at the back of his head. “If it’s my party, they can’t start without me.”
“Love, you don’t know these tigers. They love to party.”
“Are you sure everything will be fine tonight? Maybe with what happened today, we should postpone it.” She bent to pick up the pillows.
“This is something the clan has been preparing for since I told them I was going to try to bring you home. We cannot deprive them of something they worked so hard on. This means a lot to them.” As he spoke, he walked around the bed to where she was and took her hands. “Everything will be fine. I promise.”
“I know. I just worry they won’t like me.”
“How could they not like you? You’re amazing in every way.” He tilted her head up with his large hands and before she could respond, he kissed her.
Standing in front of the mirror, Tabitha admired the dress they’d bought in Pennsylvania. She pulled her hair into a French twist, allowing a few curls to escape and hang down. She was adjusting the black and red beaded belt when she heard Ty talking to Raja and the other guards in the living room.
I never had a reason to dress up before. I feel like a princess…I guess that should be a Queen instead. She c
huckled as she glanced at herself once more before stepping out of the bedroom.
As she came into view, everyone quieted. She could have sworn she could hear the air sizzle with shifter magic. The men were dressed in black tuxedos and looked as if they could be on the cover of a magazine. No one moved for a moment, then Ty came forward. “My mate, you look marvelous, absolutely mind-blowing. Let me introduce you to our guards for tonight.”
They walked over to the men standing in the front entryway. Three of the men where kneeling, while the other two, Raja and Felix, stood a step behind. “This is Thomas, Leo, and Korbin. They are our guards for this evening.”
Our guards? Or did he really mean my guards? I’m leaning toward mine. Quick catch of the tongue there, mate.
He gave her a slight nod, letting her know she was to smell each of their necks. They smelled the same way Felix had when she’d first met him, but it wasn’t as overwhelming anymore, because the smell was all around her now that she was in Alaska.
Weird, but now that I think of it, my body isn’t sore, and I have felt fine since arriving. Ty mentioned I would feel better once I was around my own kind, but he didn’t mention it would just go away.
“Welcome home, my Queen,” each of the men said as she kissed their necks before they stood. Inside their tailored jackets, she could see the butt of the guns they wore. The shock must have showed on her face, because Raja stepped in front of the other men, took her hand in his, and kissed it.
“If I may, my Queen, you look stunning.”
“Thank you, Raja. You look pretty good yourself.”
“Men, she’s to be protected at all costs,” Ty announced. “If anything goes wrong, get her out of there and somewhere safe. Felix, I’m placing you in charge of keeping her safe. If anything happens to her, I will hold you personally responsible. I don’t care if it is so much as a paper cut, your ass is mine.” He laid a hand on the small of her back, directing his attention at her. “I want you to listen to them. If they feel the area is unsafe, go with them.”
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