“Galen, we would like for you to stay with us if you have no other commitments. The future is uncertain, and to have a healer here would be beneficial.” Tabitha looked down at Bethany. “Well, two healers. We can provide you with a guest cabin.”
“Thank you. As I told you before, I’m at your service. I’ll stay as long as I’m needed.”
“Very well. Felix, could you have one of the guards show Galen to a guest cabin?” Ty looked to another guard, who stood near the door. “Korbin, we’d like to speak with you in our quarters about what you heard here. Raja, we’ll be back in thirty minutes for the memorial service, and we can all go together.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Bethany curled up beside him, and they watched the lights from the aurora borealis through the large floor to ceiling windows. The blue and greens swirled in the sky, dancing around the night.
“It wasn’t all a dream—I’m really a healer?” Bethany rested her head on his shoulder.
“It would seem so. Galen has offered to work with you to bring your ability out, if you’re willing.”
“I want to learn. It will be a great asset for your people.”
“For our people. You’re a leader of this clan too.” He stroked his fingers through her hair, soothing himself with her nearness. “You should get some rest. Galen said you would be tired from all your body’s gone through during the healing, not including the stress of everything else.”
“Soon.” She stared out the window. Something weighed on her mind, but Raja didn’t want to press her after all she’d been through.
“Bethany.” Using his finger, he gently guided her head so she could look at him. “Are you okay?”
She gave him a halfhearted smile. “If I…”
“What love?”
“If I had been there…maybe…I could have healed them.”
He was painfully aware she meant her family. “He would have killed you as well.”
“If I could have…”
“Say you came in after it happened, after he was gone…there still would’ve been nothing you could have done. You didn’t even know you had this ability. Without training you wouldn’t have been able to call it forth and heal them.” He ran his thumb over the dimple in her chin. “Bethany, listen to me. There’s nothing you could have done to change this outcome. If you were there, it would have meant one more life lost at Pierce’s hands.”
She sat silent for a few minutes, processing his words. “The memorial service was beautiful. Now that I’m back on my feet, could we have Tora and Marcus to dinner to thank them? I’ll cook. Tomorrow if you could arrange it. She put together a wonderful service for people she didn’t even know.”
“I’ll call her in the morning if you’re still up for it.” He kissed the top of her head. He could never repay Tora for putting together the service; it had given Bethany the chance she needed for closure. A dinner could never be thanks enough, but if Bethany wanted it, she would have it.
“Bethany, there’s a place on the edge of our compound lot. It’s a small sitting area, beautiful views…my parents are buried there. I thought after the ashes of your parents came back we could bury them there with your sister.”
“I would like that.” She looked up at him. “I love you, Raja.” She kissed him.
She kissed him with fervor and his passion roused. She slipped on top of him, straddling his lap. She pushed her fingers through his hair and tugged the leather strap he used to tie it back with free. “I love your hair when it’s loose. I want to run my hands through it while you’re inside me. I need you now.”
He slid his hands under the loose nightshirt, delighted to find her naked beneath.
“Surprise,” she whispered softly against his ear. She grazed his earlobe with her teeth, the lightest of tugs, then traced a path of kisses down his neck.
“It would appear someone planned to seduce me,” he teased, helping to pull her shirt over her head. Her dusty pink nipples called to him, and he indulged himself, drawing one into his mouth and licking the tip with his tongue. Her back arched and she clung to him, nails digging into his shoulders.
She slipped a hand between them to unbutton his jeans and the zipper glided downward loudly. He sighed in anticipation, grazing the pebbled tip of her nipple with his teeth.
“I want you in me.” She stroked his shaft, her warm hands a gentle demand.
“Someone is impatient tonight.” He rubbed his head in the crook of her shoulder, marking her. You’re mine. You’ll always be mine.
“You have been so cautious with me, with my injured knee. Tonight I want all of you. I don’t want you to hold back.”
He kept his mouth shut. He wanted to tell her he would always have to hold back to a degree. Without a tight leash, his strength could hurt her, but he angled between her thighs and eased inside, the slow friction a delicious torture for them both.
As his shaft slid firmly into her, he paused to let them both regain their breath, before he placed his hands on her hips and helped them find the rhythm they needed. She writhed against him, encouraging him with sweet little gasps, her muscles tightening around him. Every stroke added to the tension coiling at the base of his spine. He slid the other between them and teased the tight bundle of nerves between her legs.
Her body clenched around him and she clawed at his back, marking him. The simple act reached his soul and he purred as she exploded around him. The heat lacing his spine turned molten and his climax followed seconds later. Throwing his head back, he roared.
They collapsed together, and he rolled so she sprawled across his chest. “I love you, Bethany.”
He reveled in the contentment, awareness flaring deep inside. Tension built with every passing moment. War loomed on the horizon, they’d already paid a steep cost in blood. But more was coming…and all he could do was brace for the storm.
Sometime between bouts of sex, they managed to find their way into bed and his phone vibrated twice in as many minutes.
“Don’t you think you should answer that? It might be important.” Sleep muddied Bethany’s voice.
“If it’s important they would have used the ear communication when I didn’t answer the first time.” Raja lay still, ignoring the phone.
Whoever called hung up and placed the call again. The cell phone neared the end of the nightstand, teetering, about to fall off.
She yawned. “I don’t think they’ll give up.”
He growled as he reached to grab it. Pressing the talk button, he snarled, “What?”
Connor needed to see him. He’d found something. Dammit. “Connor’s on his way. He wants you to look at something. That boy has the worst timing.” Irritated by the interruption, he also understood it. They were at war. Hadn’t he just been appreciating those fleeting moments of passion and peace? He growled.
Raja dressed in jeans and armed himself. The battle hardened habits so ingrained he didn’t have to think about it. In the bathroom, he splashed cold water on his face. The musk of their couplings still heavy in the air soothed the agitated tiger inside. Bethany followed in a pair of gray cotton lounge pants and a pink and gray tank top, beautiful, feminine, and utterly flimsy in their colder climate.
“You need more clothes. I know you only had a few things with you. Order whatever you’d like online and we’ll have it shipped.”
“I’m fine. I’m sure I can get someone to ship my things from Virginia.” She pulled her hair into a ponytail.
“No, that won’t be possible.”
“What do you mean?”
“Most of the stuff inside the house was destroyed, particularly your things.” He tried to keep his tone light, but it was another sign of Pierce’s madness. Destroying her home—her family—her things. Pierce wanted to erase Bethany from existence.
“Everything?” She locked gazes with him, her voice small.
“Anything that can be salvaged, pictures, mementos, valuables, Jinx has a team there waiting to gather them once
the police are done with the scene. With clothes and things like that it would be best to get you new ones. If there’s anything particular that you would like them to check for I can get them the information.”
“Jamie had a music box she loved. I’d like it. Mom’s jewelry. After a fire when I was a kid, she kept it in a fire-safe box under her bed. Pictures. There are photo albums that line the bookcase in the living room. Dad always loved taking pictures.” She sank to the bed. “I thought I was coming to grips with this…”
“It will take time, love.” He knelt in front of her. “It’s hard to lose your parents no matter how old you are. Even worse to lose a sister, to lose your family the way you’ve lost yours. I remember the pain when my parents died. I bottled it up inside me. I couldn’t grieve, not when I had my sister to care for and the clan. Eventually it happened, and it was worse than if I would have dealt with it when it did happen. Don’t put on a brave face. I love you no matter what. We’ll get through this.”
A knock interrupted and he sighed.
Bethany gave him a weak, watery smile, but beneath her ghost white expression he saw the strength in her. “Go and let Connor in. Give me a minute and I’ll be out. I want to wash my face and pull myself together.”
“Don’t be long. You need some sleep before you pass out on your feet.” He kissed her. She’ll get through this. No one can replace her family, but hopefully Tora and the clan can help ease her pain.
He opened the door to find not only Connor, but Lukas as well. “Come in. Bethany will be out in a moment.” He held the door wide, eyeing Lukas.
“After Jinx spoke with you and Ty, I offered my services to Connor. Computers have always been my passion, finding people is new to me. My skills are in hacking,” Lukas explained.
“He’s brilliant when it comes to hacking. It’s how we were able to find the information as quickly as we did.” Connor followed behind, carrying a laptop and a folder with what looked like printed papers hanging out of it.
“If either of you ever betray us, we could be in serious danger.” Raja shook his head, not seriously considering either of them would do such a thing. Connor might be a wolf shifter, but he had found a place among the Alaskan Tigers, and Lukas’s devotion to the tigers was pure.
“Never.” They swore in unison.
“Then let’s hope they don’t have anyone as talented as you two on their side. Please have a seat.”
“About that, I’m sorry to bother you at this unthinkable hour.” Connor looked at Raja nervously. “But if we don’t have the right people, it would be wasted time going after the wrong lead. A quick confirmation from her and we can be out of your hair.”
Connor had a rocky past with shifters, first from his own kind and then with Pierce, making his apprehension understandable. “No worries. We’d rather be disturbed than have you waste hours looking into the wrong people.”
A calmer Bethany entered the room, but her voice was heavy with grief when she said, “Whatever I can do to help.”
Raja held out his hand and she crossed to take her place at his side. The ease and the comfort he took in her presence was profound. He couldn’t imagine being without her.
“I believe we might have found Robin. I have two pictures for you to look at. One is of Robert ‘Bobby’ Zimmer and the other is of Robin. I need to know if you believe these are the people you knew in school,” Connor explained.
“Okay. Bobby was a year ahead of me in school and we were acquaintances, if that.”
“Did you know Robin?” Lukas asked, setting up the laptop.
“No. She was three or four years younger and was coming into the high school as I left. I never did understand how they became a couple, especially in high school. She was so young, a freshman in high school, while he was already in his second year of college.”
“Bethany, that’s Lukas,” Raja said. “He’s Jinx’s younger brother. I’m sure you heard from either Tabitha or Tora. He’s the tiger who appeared injured during Tabitha’s homecoming party.” Raja gently pulled Bethany toward the sofa. Tiredness weighed heavily on her.
“It’s nice to finally meet you.” Bethany’s smile was weak, but sincere.
“Here’s what we could find.” Connor turned the computer screen around and two pictures appeared side by side.
The woman looked no older than her late teens, early twenties if that. She had long dark brown hair, and the terror in her eyes pained Raja. The man in the second picture looked older. His face was harsh and weathered as if he had lived a hard life. His eyes were cold, an expression of hatred on his face.
“That’s them. What happened to them? He was an attractive guy when I knew him. He liked to drink and party, but look at him now. The loathing is apparent in his body language. She looks downright terrified.”
“Like you said, he liked to drink. He cared more for the bottle than anything else. Seems he got himself into quite a bit of trouble with both the law and loan sharks. He’s been in and out of jail for the last few years, until he ended up dead. From what we were able to find on the police reports, I believe Pierce ordered the hit.”
“What about Robin?” Bethany asked, still looking at the picture.
“Her cousin filed a missing persons report on her. According to the cousin, Robin was worried about someone that Bobby owned money to, and they were after her. That’s all we found so far. It’s possible Pierce and his gang have already found her.” Connor turned the screen around, closing the laptop.
“No, he doesn’t have her yet. He’s after her now,” Raja snapped. “We need to find Robin first. Get us a lead. Find out where she might have gone. Find any family she might have stayed with. In the meantime, get me what you have on the cousin. Check the financials, maybe the cousin gave her money so she could hide under the radar. Find me something.” They needed everything, anything they could get their hands on—they needed to catch a break. The tip about Victor was small, but the sooner they stopped Pierce the better for everyone involved.
“Yes, sir.” Lukas and Connor grabbed their stuff.
“You think she’s still alive?” Bethany asked Raja when they were alone.
“She has to be. The book wouldn’t send us on this search if she wasn’t. I believe once we find her, she’ll be able to help us. If not, then what’s the point of this?”
“Maybe the point is to save her.”
“We would have done it anyway. The book says she holds a key to finding Pierce. We need to find out whom Pierce has in his pocket, or as part of his clan, before we can move forward in uniting the tigers. If we don’t, it will only lead to more betrayal.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Tora’s on the line. She wants to know if they can bring anything.” Raja held the phone toward her.
“Tell her just bring themselves.” Bethany finished basting the chicken and slid the roaster back in the oven.
“You heard her. Don’t forget my beautiful niece.”
Tora cut him off. “Speaking of that. I’m going to have Daniella watch her. I want to get to know Bethany without having to watch Scarlet. Plus you know Scarlet goes to bed early. If I bring her she always wakes up on the way back to our cabin and it’s so hard getting her back to sleep.”
“Then bring Daniella along. She can take her back to your cabin for bed. I want to see my niece. James will be here as well tonight. See you soon.” He hung up before his sister could give him another excuse to leave Scarlet at home.
“She didn’t want to bring Scarlet?” Bethany peeled potatoes over the sink.
“Normally they put Scarlet to bed early when they have family dinners, as it allows the grownup time she craves. She planned to leave Scarlet at home with Daniella. I hope you don’t mind Daniella will be coming as well. She’ll be here to play with Scarlet and then take her home to bed.”
“No, that’s fine. If there’s anyone else you want to invite, feel free.”
“No, I don’t want any of them here. I want you all to myse
lf.” He came up behind her to wrap his arms around her and kiss her neck. “I have to admit I find this awfully sexy.”
“What, me in the kitchen? With flour on my shirt, my hair clipped back in this messy style to keep it off my neck because of the heat? This turns you on?”
“Umm-humm.” He traced the whorls of her ear with his tongue.
“If I knew you were that easy to turn on, I wouldn’t have gone to all this work,” she teased.
“This isn’t for my benefit. You’re doing this to repay Tora. Can I distract you?” He might as well have been a teenage boy discovering sex for the first time.
“No. You’ll have to wait. I’m going to put these potatoes on and then jump in the shower. Before you even ask, no, you can’t join me. You need to watch dinner.”
“You’re taking all the fun out of this mating,” he teased, nuzzling her neck.
“Tonight, I promise. Now go over to Tabitha’s, because she’s letting me borrow her cupcake rack. I was digging around in the cabinets trying to find something to display the cupcakes on when she stopped by earlier.”
“You made cupcakes?”
“I make a delicious devil’s food cupcake with butter-cream icing. I made them when you were discussing guard schedules with Shadow. I thought it would be a nice dessert after the roasted chicken, rosemary potatoes, and vegetables.” She seasoned the last of the potatoes before placing them in a baking dish and putting them in the oven. “Now, go get it so I can shower and get ready.”
Bethany iced the last cupcake and placed it on the rack. She licked the spoon clean of the remaining icing and looked around the room. Everything seems ready but I feel as if I’m forgetting something. She left the cupcake rack on the kitchen bar and grabbed the dishes to set the table.
“Bethy.” She turned to find her Uncle James.
“Uncle James, I’m glad you came.”
“I wouldn’t miss it. You look beautiful. What can I do?”
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