Growl for Her

by Jane Jamison

  Darion knew his shrug wouldn’t fool David. He didn’t want the kid to get into trouble, either. Yet aside from locking him in a cage—the last thing a weretiger would ever do to another weretiger—what could they do?

  “Boyd’s always been a bad kid. Remember? He was only five when he bit Gordon Larramie’s little girl and changed her. Hell, Darion, he should’ve been kicked to the curb then.”

  “He was five. Kids sometimes bite. You bit me enough times.” Not that he and a whole lot of other people didn’t agree with his brother.

  “Brothers wrestle and bite each other. It’s a totally different situation.”

  “Yeah. I know.” The pride had gotten lucky with the Larramie girl. Her step-father was a weretiger who’d taken a human woman and her child as his mate. If both parents had been human, the story could’ve gotten out and exposed others to the existence of shifters. As it was, Gordon had helped his step-daughter transition once she’d entered puberty.

  “Maybe we should tie him down and restrain him until Kristal finally gives up trying to find the tiger in the video.”

  He’d thought of that, too. Caging Boyd would’ve been bad, but tying him up still sucked. “We can’t keep him tied up forever. She won’t give up. It’ll delay her going back to Dallas before we can get her to commit to us, but it won’t stop her.”

  “I’m good with delaying her.” David dumped a bucket of feed into the trough in Buddy’s stall. “She’s leaning toward staying more each day. You know she is. If she could get past her stubbornness, she’d already be committed to us. Then we could tell her the truth without worrying about her exposing us to the outside world.”

  They were determined to keep her with them for as long as they could. The connection grew stronger the longer she stayed. They could feel it and, although she wouldn’t admit it, they knew she felt it, too.

  David tossed the bucket aside. “I don’t get it. She’s a reporter. Why doesn’t she believe the evidence she has? Why can’t she understand that the connection is real?”

  They’d been through this part of the problem as well. “Like I said before, she’s a realist. She wants cold, hard facts. She wants to see things with her own eyes. Believing in an invisible link between us is tough for her.”

  “She’d get it if we shifted and showed her what we are. She’d have to believe then.”

  “It’s too soon. She’d believe, all right, but we could also send her running. I’m not ready to take the risk, are you?”

  “Naw. You’re right.”

  Darion dumped another bucket of feed into the next stall. Ryder, one of David’s favorite horses, bumped his muzzle against his arm, trying to get him to move out of the way. The horse chomped happily on the food. “Are we tailing her again today?”

  “I figured we would.”

  Kristal had gone back to the site of the video the past two afternoons, staying well into the night. They’d insisted on coming along, but she’d nixed the idea saying she couldn’t concentrate on getting the job done with them around. They’d finally given in, not wanting to give her any reason to go back to Lena’s, or worse, leave town. And, although they doubted Boyd would hurt her even if he did run into her, they’d given her a rifle and shown her how to use it.

  Not going along with her, however, didn’t mean they couldn’t watch over her. So far, she hadn’t caught them hiding behind the bushes.

  David let out a groan of frustration. “Instead of shadowing her, it’d be easier to stick with Boyd. At least then we wouldn’t be sneaking around.”

  Darion leaned against the barn wall and gazed at the house. Kristal didn’t wake up as early as they did, but he didn’t mind. She missed their breakfast time, but she was usually the one cooking a big lunch for them to enjoy. “Easier, but not as safe. Besides, the kid’s fast. He could give us the slip. As for the sneaking around part, it can’t be helped.”

  “What do you mean about it not being safe?” asked David.

  “I want to be there not only to keep Boyd away from her, but to keep other predators away. Both natural ones as well as other shifters.”

  “Damn. I hadn’t thought about that. I’d hate for her to run into a cougar. Or worse, a werewolf.”

  “She’s got a gun and knows how to use it, but shooting a few cans in target practice is a lot different than shooting at a wild animal. Especially one that’s about to tear her throat out.”

  “Fuck. It’d kill me if she got hurt.”

  “We won’t let it happen.”

  David came to the front and joined him in gazing at their bedroom window. Soon enough, his knitted brow eased, giving way to a smile. A satisfied smile said his brother was thinking the same thing he was.

  “Waking up next to her is better than I imagined.”

  Darion’s grin widened. “Too bad we don’t wake her up more often.”

  They’d brought her wide awake one morning, with Darion’s face between her legs and David sucking on her nipple. She’d gone straight from snoring to moaning in under a minute. She hadn’t complained, but judging from her yawns the rest of the day, she needed her sleep. As hard as it was for them to resist, most of the time they’d slide out of bed and pad away as quietly as they could.

  David slapped Darion’s chest. “Let’s get the chores done. Then we can spend the rest of the day with her.”

  He nodded and took one last look toward the bedroom window. “Good idea.”

  * * * *

  Kristal had to consider the fact that maybe she was wrong. Maybe the video was a fake. She glanced around her and lifted her binoculars. Either that or the tiger had moved on and she was wasting her time hanging around. Once more she scanned the horizon checking for any sign of the tiger. And, once again, she came up empty.

  But what about the other? Having a tiger wandering the Texas landscape was one thing. Having it change into a man was flat out impossible. That part of the video had to be a fake. And if that part wasn’t real, maybe none of it was.

  Did she really believe she’d ever find the tiger? Or had she turned what might have been a story about a wild tiger free in Texas into a reason to stay in Twisted? A reason to stay with Darion and David?

  But her gut told her the tiger was real. The problem was, would she ever prove it?

  She couldn’t stay much longer. Hanging out at the site every afternoon and into the late hours was making her miss valuable time with the Conroy men. Valuable and ever-dwindling time.

  Come on, tiger. Where are you?

  She had no clue if tigers were territorial. Would a tiger return to the same spot? Or would he search out a new location every night? Her hand fell to the rifle on the ground beside her. At least she had some protection. In her haste to see the animal, she hadn’t thought about the danger.

  I wonder what they’re doing right now.

  She could picture the men, lounging in the living room, trying to watch a sporting event. But she knew better. The way their gazes jumped to hers when she walked through the door told her they’d been thinking about her, waiting until she returned home.

  Home.

  Thinking of the ranch as her home was a dangerous thing. Yet how could she not when they kept insisting that it was her home for as long as she liked? They kept asking her questions about the furnishings and the décor. Did she want a new couch? Was the kitchen workable until they could build the bigger house?

  They did their best to make her feel at home and, damn, if she didn’t. She’d even let them convince her to look over the blueprint for the new house, asking her opinion, and making notes of her suggested changes.

  What would it be like to call the Nine Lives Ranch her home? Waking up next to her men whenever they stayed in bed long enough was a pleasure she’d only dreamed of. Then, once they’d completed their chores and she’d finished doing research for the tiger story, they’d come together and spend the evening sharing stories about their lives before running off to bed.

  Once in bed, they’d share t
heir bodies.

  She sighed, remembering how their hands felt caressing her skin. Remembering how great they were in bed. Often, they’d make sure she had an orgasm before they had theirs. She’d returned the favors, bringing them to roaring climaxes with only her mouth and hands.

  And she’d seen their eyes take on the strange amber flecks. She’d asked about the color several times, but they’d always sidestepped her questions. More than once, they’d made her forget her curiosity with a long, lingering swipe of their tongue or the slip of a finger into her pussy.

  Hell, she’d even started asking them so they’d make her forget.

  “I’m going to get an answer tonight,” she promised herself. Her voice sounded strange in the vastness of the Texas landscape.

  Not for the first time, she asked herself the most important question of all.

  Could I leave my work, my friends, my life to live with them?

  When she’d asked herself the first time, she’d answered with a resolute no. Yet the more times she asked, the less sure she became of her answer. Until now, when the final answer, the one she knew she was leaning toward, came out.

  Yes. I’d leave everything behind for them.

  She’d seen it coming, but still the realization had her mind reeling. She was ready to become their woman full time. No going back to Dallas.

  It would mean quitting her job. Thinking about leaving the station and leaving her friends behind no longer hurt as it once had. In fact, she’d been thinking of alternative ways to stay in her profession. Freelance journalism was booming due to the growth of work-from-home jobs. If she had to, she could always drive into Dallas to put her stories together. She wouldn’t be on the newscast any longer, but she wouldn’t miss being front of the camera. She’d never liked that part of her job much anyway. No, she wouldn’t miss her current job. Not when she’d still be a reporter. And not when she’d be gaining so much more.

  Suddenly, nothing else mattered. Not her job and not the elusive tiger. She had to tell Darion and David her decision.

  Excitement bubbled inside her as she started gathering her water bottle and snacks to shove them back into her duffel bag. The growl caught her by surprise. Fear surged through her, ridding her of the ability to do anything except lift her gaze. Amber eyes blazed from the face of a young, forcefully-built young man. Unlike the Conroy men’s eyes, his were completely filled with amber.

  For almost a minute, they stayed motionless and simply stared at each other. He seemed familiar and yet she was sure she’d never met him. What was he doing out there? Was he searching for the tiger, too? And why the hell was he naked?

  Stay calm. Be friendly, but not too friendly.

  She lifted her hand to greet him. When he didn’t return the gesture, a chill rushed through her. Something about him—not only the fact that he was nude—made her body tremble and her throat dry up. She stared at him harder, getting a gut feeling she should stand her ground.

  What’s going on?

  She blinked then rubbed her eyes. Was she seeing things? Was he changing?

  His body grew fuzzier as though someone had dropped a gauzy cloth around him. She squinted, trying to make out a distinct form, but couldn’t.

  Was that him? Did he moan? Were those awful noises coming from him?

  Another agonized sound came and she was certain. The young man moaned again. Was he in trouble? In pain? She took a step toward him and then stopped.

  The fuzziness had gone, but what she saw didn’t make sense.

  The amber eyes had changed their shape but not their intensity. Everything else, however, was gone.

  In the place of the handsome young man stood a huge white tiger.

  This is impossible. I’m seeing things. Hallucinating.

  She took a step back. If she believed her eyes, she could believe the tiger’s mouth had turned up on the sides as though he was smiling at her.

  Take it easy. Breathe. Someone will wake me up soon. All I have to do is get out of this nightmare.

  Yet as much as she prayed she was dreaming, she knew the truth. What she was seeing was real. Every part of the video was real.

  That’s why he looks so familiar.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  The tiger was too far away to pounce on her. At least, she hoped so. But it was still staring directly at her. She couldn’t hide. If she ran, it would catch her before she’d gotten a few yards.

  Oh, God. What do I do?

  Without taking her attention off him, she squatted and dropped her hand to the rifle beside her. The other hand let the binoculars fall then moved to grasp the video camera she’d check out from the station. A hysterical giggle gurgled in her throat, threatening to break free.

  Which should I do first? Shoot the gun or shoot the video?

  She took her hand off the gun and picked up the camera, certain she’d gone insane. “Hey, big kitty. I’m not here to hurt you. See? I only want to take your picture. Okay?”

  As if it would talk back to her.

  Her hands shook as she adjusted the settings to accommodate the fading sunlight. She peered through the viewfinder and zoomed in.

  The eyes were even scarier closer up. She swallowed hard, but kept on shooting. Was he coming toward her?

  She lowered the camera to check and saw she was right. He’d gotten several feet closer. Worse, his ears were laid back and his tail hung low between his back legs. A snarl drew his mouth back and massive fangs, shining against the black of his gums, were exposed. It growled and lowered its head as it crept toward her.

  Oh, shit. He’s going to attack me.

  The idea that she was insane struck her again as she kept on videotaping the approaching wild beast.

  Get the gun!

  And still she kept the camera.

  If I get this, I’ll have a great story. Then I can stay with the men.

  If it doesn’t kill me.

  The tiger came closer. He was beautiful, a killing machine wrapped in a luxurious fur coat.

  I wish the men were here to see it.

  Another low grumbling snarl floated toward her. Saliva dripped from the tips of his razorlike fangs. Long, curved claws dug into the dry Texas dirt.

  He was only a few yards from her. Close enough to crouch low then use his powerful muscles to throw his body on top of hers.

  At last, she set the camera on the ground. Without taking her attention off the predator, she lowered her hand and searched for the gun.

  Could she shoot it?

  The idea of taking the life of such a magnificent animal pained her, but she’d have no choice if it attacked.

  Please. Stay back. I don’t want to hurt you.

  Her hand curled around the stock of the gun. Slowly, hoping she wouldn’t have to use it, she brought the gun to her shoulder.

  The tiger crouched closer to the ground. His jaws drew back, showing even more treacherous teeth.

  Oh, shit. No.

  In the moment her plea came and went, the tiger pushed off and leapt into the air. She gasped and fumbled with the gun.

  Chapter Seven

  Darion hunkered down next to his brother. Hiding behind small bushes wasn’t an easy thing to do at their size, but they managed. Their inner weretigers were adept at hiding in plain sight.

  Kristal sat cross-legged several yards away. The rifle they’d given her was at her right side while the video camera, a pair of binoculars, and a duffel bag were on her left. She continued to scan the area and search for the wild cat.

  “Is it just me or has she gotten even hotter since this morning?”

  Normally, David would’ve snorted and made fun of him. Weretigers weren’t known for their flowery language.

  “She’s hotter, all right. I don’t know how she does it, but it’s true.”

  It said a lot that David had taken his words to heart. “And she’ll look even better tomorrow.”

  He wished they could get closer. But if they did, the powerful attraction betwee
n them would sizzle and draw her attention their way. They’d have time later to take her to bed. Or on the couch. Or in the kitchen again. He’d try and think of more places they could have sex. In the end, they’d claim her, transforming her into a weretiger.

  Provided, of course, she wanted them to change her. Some women decided to remain human even after accepting weretigers as their mates. Others jumped at the chance to change their bodies, to run under the stars, and to possess super-sensitive senses.

  “We need to tell her what we are soon,” he whispered. There was no hard and fast rule. Weretigers could decide when and where to let their intended mate know they were supernatural creatures. A few even waited until after the woman had already become their mate.

  He and David had discussed it long before Kristal’s arrival in Twisted. They’d agreed one of them wouldn’t legally marry her, much less claim and change her until she knew exactly what she was getting into. To keep any secret, especially their secret, wouldn’t be fair.

  Darion felt David tense beside him. Boyd, in his tiger body, had come out of nowhere. Either that or they’d been too lost in their own thoughts to realize he was there until it was too late.

  Darion shifted along with his brother, barely noticing the pain of his breaking bones or the fur racing over his skin to replace his human flesh. Teeth reshaped from his human ones as his eyesight filled with amber. The transformation came swiftly, but not swiftly enough.

  A gunshot rang out a second before Boyd landed on top of Kristal. Rage burned through him. Roaring, he burst out from behind the bushes, raced toward them, and threw his body at the young weretiger. David’s growls echoed his own, but his focus was on Boyd, ready to tear him apart.

  He hit the tiger full force, driving his body off Kristal. They rolled together as Darion slashed out, his fangs sinking into the tiger’s neck. Consumed with fury, he jerked the body underneath him.