The Tiger's Pregnant Bride

by Bonnie Burrows

  “There have been hundreds of calls, but this one sounds pretty promising.”

  Gary pushed play and the recording came over the ear piece.

  “Yes, hello. I seen the people on the news. But it’s not three, there’s only two and the lady has brown hair now. They was in Colorado Springs this morning, eating at Mama Clair’s Diner. They headed east on seventy and I lost them in traffic.”

  Laskin cringed. The man’s butchering of the English language grated on his nerves. But he was the first to call stating that it was just the two of them. Which meant that this sighting was probably the only valid one.

  “Get me his number and I’ll call that man back. They came from the east to get to Colorado, so I doubt they were really heading east when he chased him. I’m sure they made him and went east to throw him off the trail. I need to ask him a few questions, but I think this is a valid sighting. Good work, Gary.”

  Laskin hung up, thinking to himself that maybe he’d keep Gary around as a servant and call in the anonymous tip on another member of the brotherhood. Gary had proven himself useful to say the least. Keeping him around might not be a bad idea.

  He returned to the meeting and quietly took his seat in the back of the room to take notes. The three councilmen were almost done trying to figure out how to deal with this mess and save their own asses in the process. Aldrich stopped talking and looked at Laskin, his eyes hopeful.

  “Anything?”

  “No sir.”

  Aldrich nodded. Addressing the others he said, “Has anyone checked Olivia’s friend Grace? There’s a chance, however slim, that she can help us locate Olivia.” He turned his attention to Laskin, “Laskin, will you go to her home and find out what she knows?”

  “Yes sir.” Laskin groaned inwardly. How hard was it for Aldrich to question the woman himself? Laskin had things to attend to, and that didn’t include chasing down information when he already had what he needed.

  “Go now, please. We have no time for dawdling.”

  Laskin left quickly, his fists clenched and the anger bubbling beneath the surface. The old fool had let Sable walk in the middle of the night, yet he was still going to treat Laskin like he was an imbecile? Laskin had plans for that old man, once he caught and killed Sable and Olivia, and they weren’t pretty. Aldrich would suffer greatly for every time he humiliated Laskin.

  Letting the door slam behind him, he walked briskly to his car and drove to Grace’s house. He doubted she had anything of value to tell him, but he would enjoy roughing her up a little in the process.

  **

  Olivia stirred in her sleep as the car slowed and then stopped. She blinked several times. Looking around in the dark, she saw precisely nothing; no cars, no houses, no sign of life anywhere.

  “Is it my turn to drive again?” Olivia was exhausted. After nearly twenty hours in the car, she didn’t know if she could handle another minute stuck in the car.

  “No, we’re here. Well, sort of. We’ve got a ways to go, but this is as far as the car is taking us.”

  “Where are we?”

  “The Okanagan Forest. We’re close to Canada.”

  “Canada? Why are we going to Canada?”

  “We’re hoping we don’t have to, but it’s an option if things go badly.”

  Olivia didn’t even have to ask. It was only a matter of time before they were found, though they hoped they would have enough time to come up with a plan before they had to face the council.

  Egan unloaded the car, packing everything tightly into the large backpack. He placed it on the ground in front of her.

  “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

  Before she could answer, he hopped in the car and drove down the narrow drive towards an old abandoned barn in the distance. He opened the large door and drove the car into the dilapidated barn. Closing the door tightly, he stood in the shadows for a moment. Satisfied that there wasn’t anyone lurking in the darkness, he shifted, willing his body to hurry so they could disappear into the dense forest.

  On his hands and knees, he watched his hand stretch and curve into a paw, the orange coat beginning to cover his body. He groaned as the pain ripped through him, his muscles protesting after going so long without shifting. He stretched each shifted limb as his human body faded away. Finally shifted, he shook his large head and took off at a fast clip toward Olivia.

  He stopped just short of her, laying down at her feet as she pulled the heavy pack onto her back and climbed on. She laid down on his back, her swollen belly pushing against his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on.

  “I’m ready,” she whispered in his ear.

  Egan walked along the dense forest line until he came to a small break in the trees. He shouldered his way through the brush, careful not to rub Olivia off his back. The trail opened up and Egan broke into a smooth lope. Olivia burrowed deeper into Egan’s back as he ran, falling into an easy rhythm with his long strides.

  He kept his eyes on the trail, his keen vision revealing everything in the moon-washed night. His breath quickened and his padded feet ate up the distance as he raced towards the abandoned cabin from his childhood.

  Olivia turned her head against the wind, holding on to Egan as he ducked and turned down the path. Her grip was tight, her heart in her throat as she struggled to calm her racing heart. The occasional low hanging branch brushed her back, and there were a few times she was pretty sure they were running at full speed down a narrow path with a sheer drop on one side. Her eyes remained tightly shut, even though she was quite sure she couldn’t see much in the dark.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Egan finally slowed to a walk, and Olivia breathed a sigh of relief. Her muscles ached from holding on while he ran. She sat up tentatively, fingers maintaining their death grip on his hide.

  She peered into the darkness, straining her eyes to make out the shadows cast by the moonlight. Directly in front of them was utter darkness, the shapes indiscernible in the pitch black. Egan walked on, his breath sending up plumes of steam on the crisp night air.

  The forest was quiet, eerily so. The wildlife was aware of Egan, seeming to hold its collective breath until he passed. From time to time, Olivia heard a quivering in the trees, as if some hidden animal was trembling in fear as the massive tiger passed frighteningly close to their hiding place.

  Egan stopped abruptly, his head cocked, listening to a rustle ahead of them, much louder than the wind moving through the leaves. Egan took a step back, ready to lunge, holding his breath as he watched the trees ahead of them. Olivia cursed her night-blindness and fought the urge to bury her head in Egan’s coat once more. Her legs trembled around him, her heart in her throat.

  Egan saw him first, inching out of a thick stand of trees to step out onto the path. He strode towards them with purpose, his broad shoulders set in determination as he advanced on them. Olivia sat on Egan’s back, voice caught in her throat in fear as the stranger moved in. The moonlight touched his face, and Olivia screamed in delight.

  “Sable! I thought I’d never see you again.”

  She slipped down off Egan’s back, dropping the heavy pack on the ground and moving down the path towards Sable. Sable closed the distance easily, reaching out to catch her as she stumbled on a rock in the dark.

  He pulled her into his arms, his mouth covering hers as he kissed her hungrily. Leaning into him, Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck, fighting back tears as he held her. The baby rolled and kicked against Sable.

  “I think someone feels squished.” He chuckled, running his large hand over her belly and kissing the top of her head. “I’ve missed you so much, Olivia. These last few days have been hell.”

  Hand-in-hand, they walked the few feet back to Egan. Sable shouldered the pack and lifted Olivia onto Egan’s back, kissing her one last time.

  “We have a ways to go, but I couldn’t wait a moment longer to see you.”

  Placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder, he gave Egan a heavy
pat of thanks.

  “Egan, we’re clear to the north, and the last news report has you guys headed west out of Colorado Springs, so we should be fine for a couple of days while we figure out our next move.”

  Egan nodded slightly, walking down the path beside his brother on silent paws, his breath finally quieting.

  “How did you even get here? Weren’t they following you?”

  “I slipped Aldrich something to help him sleep. It was pretty heavy stuff that would have caused him to wake up confused. There’s no telling what he thinks happened, but I was already on a plane to Toronto before anyone knew I was gone. Then, I took the train East to Quebec and took a plane from there to Vancouver. The cabin is almost on the Canadian border, and the woods stretch from Canada to Oregon. We’re only about ten miles from the Canadian border, and only another two miles from the cabin. With any luck, they’ll assume we’ve gone to Canada to escape their laws. If they find us, we’ll make a run for the border.”

  Olivia nodded, feeling like she was stuck in a crazy dream.

  “All this because I won’t marry you?”

  Sable shrugged, though Olivia couldn’t see the gesture in the dark.

  “All this because I won’t force you to marry me. Olivia, I want to marry you, but not if you’d rather die than be married to me. I love you, and I know that you love me. If that’s all you’re willing to give right now, that’s all I need.”

  Olivia sat in hushed silence on Egan’s back. His words hurt, but not because of what he said. He spoke with love, and his words were sincere. He was willing to risk his life to protect her, even if she needed protection from marrying him. He could have let the council come for her, waited until the penultimate moment, when the reality of her sentence was upon her, and swooped in and saved the day by convincing her to marry him to save herself. Instead, he had moved heaven and earth to protect her life and her freedom. Worse still, he’d put his little brother in danger for her life and her freedom.

  A single tear slid down Olivia’s cheek. The weight of his sacrifice was not lost on her, and she would never find the words to thank him. He had absolute power over her, and yet he chose to use that power to save her. And from what? The horrors of being married to a skilled lover, and a man who had stepped up and cared for his young brother when he’d been so young himself?

  Olivia shook her head, trying to clear away the doubt. The crisp mountain air stung her lungs as the silent tears flowed. Sable continued walking beside them in silence, his hand resting on her leg in the dark. If he could see her tears, he didn’t mention them.

  They passed the final mile in silence, both men picking their way over the terrain carefully, their progress much slower than the first few miles.

  “How far are we from the barn where we left the car?”

  “At least twenty miles, maybe closer to thirty.”

  Olivia was surprised, but Egan’s weariness made sense. He’d run at full speed for quite some time to get them this far, all the while carrying her and the heavy bag strapped to her back. Taking her nails and giving him a good scratch behind his shoulders, she thanked Egan for doing so much for her. He didn’t have to, but he did anyway. They treated her like family and she was so grateful.

  In the darkness, a deeper shadow appeared. Squinting, trying to adjust her human eyes, she could just make out the outline of the cabin. As they got closer, she could see that the forest had long ago reclaimed this land. The dense growth concealed much of the building as it snaked its way around.

  Egan stopped in front of the door, laying down to allow Olivia to slide off his back. Their breath was like plumes of thick smoke in the cool night air. Olivia shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. She was desperate to get inside the cabin to keep warm, and hopefully get some rest while they had some time before the council could catch up with them.

  The front of the cabin was completely dark, save for the sliver of an outline around the door. If not for the gentle glow that seeped out from around the edges, Olivia wouldn’t have known where to enter. Sable pulled on the handle, opening the door for Olivia and guiding her over the decaying steps into the main house.

  A small fire burned in the fire place, though the smoke had been invisible from the outside. The cabin was cozy, though she wouldn’t describe it as warm so much as warmer than the dank cold of outside.

  Egan, already shifted to human form, slipped by them and headed for the back room.

  “I need to sleep. I’ll wake up in a few hours and make rounds. Olivia can take this room with the fireplace so she can keep warm.”

  Without another word, Egan shut the door quietly. Within minutes, all signs of movement from the other side of the door ceased. Egan had pushed himself passed the breaking point hours before, yet he was still going. Olivia thought he could probably sleep for weeks if it was safe to.

  Sable walked around the room, closing doors that hung on rusted hinges to keep the warmth in the main room. Some of the doors were missing half their boards, but within minutes the room became warmer. Olivia began shivering as the bone-deep cold was chased from her body.

  A pile of thick furs lay on the floor, the only thing in the cabin that didn’t look a hundred years old.

  “I was hoping we could stay here for a bit, so I brought those for you.” He pulled her to the fur and sat down, helping her maneuver to the ground without falling. She was exhausted, her eyes sporting dark circles.

  “Sleep, sweet Olivia. I’ll keep watch over you until you wake.”

  Snuggled into his strong arms, she didn’t have to be told twice. The tiny fire crackled softly, heating her wind-chilled face gently as Sable’s warmth enveloped her. She had never been so exhausted, but before she could think about how good it was to be in Sable’s arms once more, she was asleep.

  Sable watched her face as she slowly relaxed. Mountains of fear and stress melted away, revealing the sweet, care-free face he realized that he had always loved. He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, chuckling when her brow furrowed momentarily. He moved his hand down to rest on her belly, wishing for the millionth time that the thought of marrying her didn’t send her running for the hills. Olivia looked good with his baby inside her, and he planned on making this a common thing.

  The fire dwindled until it was reduced to red-hot embers scattered around the bottom of the fireplace. Sable watched the embers pulsate with the flow of air, glowing and fading rhythmically, as if they had their own heartbeat. He was thinking that he should head outside to collect more wood when his eyes started drooping. No longer riding the adrenaline high of the past few days, Sable drifted off to sleep beside Olivia, his arms still wrapped protectively around her and his unborn child.

  **

  Egan gently shook Sable awake.

  “I’m going to make rounds now. I’ll be gone for a while.”

  Sable looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. All at once he remembered where he was, and why. Relieved that Olivia was still lying safely in his arms, he nodded to Egan.

  Olivia stirred in his arms as Egan walked out the door. She blinked several times, an endearing look of confusion on her face while she processed the scene.

  “Go back to sleep, Beautiful. The sun isn’t up yet.”

  She reached up and touched his face, her delicate finger trailing along his strong jawline.

  “I’ve missed you so. I thought I’d never see you again.” A single tear slid down her cheek. The last week had been too much, and Olivia was starting to realize that her stubbornness had a lot to do with that.

  Sable leaned down and kissed her gently, his mouth covering hers and derailing her train of thought. His kisses were tender and tentative. He broke away often to look into her eyes, smiling at her before leaning back in for another round of sweet kisses.

  Olivia pulled away, her breath becoming heavy as the heat within her grew.

  “Sable, I want you. I don’t want to talk, I don’t want to think. I just want to feel yo
u.”

  She moved to lie on her back, pulling him on top of her as she kissed him deeply. Unable to deny her, or himself, he returned her kisses hungrily. His hand ran down her body and under her shirt, reaching up to cup one swollen breast in his large hand. He kneaded her supple flesh as they kissed, his mouth covering Olivia’s as she let out tiny little moans of pleasure.

  Pulling his shirt over his head, Olivia stroked his broad chest and shoulders. His skin was hot and smooth, deliciously bronzed by hours spent outdoors. Biting her lip and working her hands downward, she grabbed his jeans and worked the zipper down.

  She reached her hand into his underwear, pulling out his swelling member and stroking it slowly. Sable used his free hand to push his pants down, freeing himself for her touch. She eagerly grasped him, stroking ever faster, working her fingers across his skin with that magic touch that brought him to the edge.

  He pushed her hand away, gently, trying to form coherent thoughts as she continued to stroke him.

  “Olivia, wait. I want to go slow.”

  Olivia released him, though her face registered her disappointment. She loved nothing more than to drive Sable wild, and she knew exactly what to do. But she couldn’t deny him his sweet request. Desperate as she was to quench the overwhelming ache inside of her, she knew that they wouldn’t have many opportunities to take it slow until this mess was over.

  Shifting into a lower gear, Sable slowed his movements down, torturing Olivia with his patience. His fingers teased her flesh as he slowly undressed her. He hovered naked above her, exposed for her hungry eyes, his muscled body tantalizing and torturous while she struggled to hold herself together. She wanted to shove him back. To climb on him and ride him hard until they were both satisfied.