The Tiger's Pregnant Bride

by Bonnie Burrows

  Olivia rummaged in the bag and pulled out a clean set of clothes for him. When he finally shifted, he stood beside her.The pale moonlight caressed his skin, begging Olivia to touch its smoothness. She ran her finger down his chest and over his abdomen before he grabbed her hand and stopped her.

  “Not now, woman.”

  Olivia sighed and handed him his clothes. He was right, now wasn’t the time.

  “After riding you for more than an hour like that, can you really blame a girl for trying?”

  He pulled his shirt over his head and leaned in to kiss her passionately. “I don’t blame you, but I don’t think you want Derek over there watching us.”

  Olivia looked behind her, startled to see a dark figure emerging from the other side of the sloping hill in the distance. Sable hurried to get dressed as the man emerged from the shadows.

  “Never imagined I’d catch you with your pants down around a woman, Sable.” The man laughed and clapped him on the back.

  “Derek, I’d like you to meet Olivia, Olivia this is an old friend of mine, Derek.”

  “I’d like to say I’ve heard so much about you but Sable called me out of the blue this afternoon after not hearing from him for five years.”

  Olivia smiled at him, realizing too late he probably couldn’t see the expression in the dark.

  “Thank you so much for meeting us. You have no idea how grateful we are.”

  Derek nodded, scooping the ruck sack up and tossing it over his shoulder. Sable started to protest but Derek cut him off. “Even in the dark, you look like hell. I have a feeling you’re in for a rough ride, let me carry the damn pack.”

  “Thank you, Derek. For everything.”

  Sable grabbed Olivia’s hand and walked beside her and Derek. When they reached the top of the hill, Olivia was surprised to see a small plane, rather than a car. She paused briefly, subconsciously tugging on Sable’s hand when she did.

  The plane was tiny, even in the near dark. It sat silently at the edge of the field, and Olivia realized Derek meant for them to get in the thing.

  “Don’t worry, honey. The Corvallis is a big plane in a little body, it’ll get you were you need to be.” Derek chuckled, walking quickly towards the plane, leaving the pair to follow him or be left behind.

  “Sable, I can’t get on that thing. That’s not a plane, it’s a toy.”

  “I heard that,” Derek hollered over his shoulder, his light-hearted laugh echoing in the empty field.

  “It’s going to be okay. Derek is an excellent pilot and a good friend. He’ll get us to Vegas in one piece, then we can get on a commercial liner.”

  “How far is Vegas?”

  “Just under 1,100 miles.”

  “And how fast does that thing go?”

  “It’s going to be about four hours, but they’ll fly by, I promise.” He tugged Olivia’s hand and started walking towards the plane. “I can’t run forever, and we can’t leave get on a commercial flight from here. We’ll be too easy to track.”

  Olivia sighed and gave up the fight. It was only four hours, what could possibly go wrong?

  **

  Egan tossed and turned in the bed, his naked body glistening with sweat as he fought his dreams. He knew he was dreaming yet he couldn’t break away from the images that ran through his head.

  Egan stood outside, laying on the ground and peering into the basement window. The young woman sat at the table, playing solitaire lazily while sitting in front of a bolted door. He watched her for a while as she absently wound her hair around her delicate finger.

  The scene melted away, and the gorgeous brunette writhed beneath him as they climaxed as one. She screamed his name and buried her face in his shoulder, her arms tightening around his neck as she desperately clung to him. Exhausted and spent, Egan rolled off her and pulled her into his arms.

  She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart pound against his ribcage. Egan stroked her should-length, chocolate hair. The straight, thick strands pulled on his fingers as he caressed her. She drifted into a deep sleep, melting into him and leading him into the next scene in his dream.

  He was running through the halls in a house he didn’t recognize, searching frantically for her as gunfire erupted behind him. He was screaming her name, but he remained silent. He found her, huddled in a fireplace, trembling with fear. He reached for her, begging her to hurry as the fire fight moved closer to them. She looked at him, the fear in her eyes growing. She shook her head no, pushing him away with tiny fists and kicking at him.

  Frantic and frustrated, he grabbed her ankle and yanked her out of the fireplace. She fought him still, making it hard to hold onto her. He threw her over his shoulder and ran out the back of the house, running into the woods as the entire structure exploded. He was knocked to the ground. She fell and struck her head on a rock, knocking her out. Egan shook her, yelling at her to wake up, even though he couldn’t hear his own voice over the ringing in his ears. He picked her up and carried her further into the woods, her body limp as he ran with her held close to his chest.

  Egan sat up in bed, covered in sweat. He swept the pillows off his bed angrily and jumped out of bed. He was so tired of this dream. He couldn’t see where they were, and he never heard her name. How was he supposed to find his fated mate if he didn’t know where to look? Even then, what could he do? They were supposed to be in hiding, not that it had mattered at all to Sable and Olivia when they needed to leave to save a friend.

  Egan was frustrated, to say the least. He understood why they needed to split up, and he knew that being with Morgan was the smartest thing to do. But when they got back, would they help him find his mate? He doubted it. The pull he felt was overwhelming. The need to be with her now was setting his soul on fire. He felt hot all the time, like a feverish man on the verge of death. He felt her soul, calling to him.

  He moved to the shower, desperate to wash the dream away and tamp down the fire within him. The cold spray was a welcomed relief, though he knew it would be short-lived. Every day he fought fate, it got harder and harder to win. He’d been hiding this from his brother for almost a year. He couldn’t take it any more, and the relief he felt in the moment wouldn’t hold him over long. He had to find her. More than ever, he knew he could no longer wait. And he was certain she was in Florida.

  Turning off the water and grabbing a towel, he couldn’t put off the inevitable. He wrapped the towel around his waist and turned on his tablet. Without pausing to think about it, he opened the multi-airline search engine, looking for a flight leaving first thing in the morning. The only one he could find didn’t leave until a little later in the morning, with a long layover in Calgary.

  By the time they got to Montreal, they would have to stay overnight before heading to Florida. Egan grumbled under his breath, booking the flight with his card and closing the site. Tomorrow evening would have to be good enough. They’d arrive in Florida in the early afternoon the following day. If things went as planned, Egan would have his girl and be on the next plane out that night with Sable and Olivia none the wiser.

  Satisfied he was finally getting something done, he slipped between the sheets and closed his eyes. The image of her sweet face floated in the blackness, as clear as a photograph. If only he could see her name, and hear her sweet voice, maybe his soul wouldn’t be so tortured. Images from his dreams flashed before him, prodding Egan to decrypt their meaning. Why was she in front of a door that was bolted from the inside?

  If she wasn’t a prisoner than who was she? He knew without a doubt he was going to save her. From what, he didn’t understand. For what seemed like the millionth time over the last year, he wished for a sage to help him divine the meaning of his jumbled visions.

  He had dreamed so many different scenarios; it was hard to keep them straight. And none of his dreams remained sequential. He was certain this latest dream was their initial encounter, followed by a scene from years later, and ending once again in their fi
rst day together. Egan couldn’t be sure, but he felt like getting her away from the danger was going to be the easy part.

  He pushed aside thoughts of the woman, mentally ticking off what he had to do tomorrow before they headed out. Sable hadn’t been gone but a few hours, and this time tomorrow, Egan and Morgan would be on their way home. Egan couldn’t wait to show Morgan a glimpse of the city Egan and Sable had grown up in. They wouldn’t stay long, but just the thought of Morgan seeing the clear blue waters of the Atlantic as they landed was enough to excite Egan. He’d missed home more than he ever imagined he would.

  Logically, he knew it was a shadow of the home he remembered, with all the unrest in the area. But he would forever remember the thrill of driving to the beach house for the summer, and of that first run into the welcoming water when they arrived. These things Morgan should know. When things settled down and they could return home again, Egan would take his sweet Nephew to see it all.

  CHAPTER 14

  Olivia woke up to Sable shaking her. She looked around, startled to see they were still in the tiny Cessna. “Time to wake up.” Sable smiled down at her.

  Stretching, she looked around at the bright lights streaming by as they taxied down the runway. “We’re here already?”

  “And in one piece, no less.” Derek smiled at her from the pilot’s seat.

  Olivia nodded at him, smiling back at the man. “Thank you, Derek. You’re an excellent pilot.”

  “I’ll have to remember that next time someone screams through the entire take off.”

  Olivia had to laugh at herself. Once they’d reached cruising altitude, she’d been overcome with exhaustion. She had laid her head down on Sable’s chest and fallen asleep almost immediately. All the fear had been pointless and she was slightly embarrassed by her behavior.

  Sable gathered their sack, pulling out a large stack of cash to hand to Derek. Derek waved it away. “Consider us even for all the times you bailed me out of trouble in the past.” He picked up a box on the seat beside him, pulling out a thick, yellow envelope. “Leave any ID you brought with you here. Inside, you’ll find driver’s licenses for Wyoming, credit cards and insurance cards under your assumed names. They’ll pass a quick background check, enough to get you on a commercial flight and rent a car without issue. There are also four burner cells in there, all bought with cash at different stores.”

  Sable nodded. “We didn’t bring any identification with us, in case we were caught before we got to you. At least let me pay you for the identities.”

  “No. I’ve made up my mind. You have a flight booked in two hours to Atlanta, where I’ve reserved you a rental car to pick up from the airport. You’ll be untraceable.” Derek looked at his friend, a smile tugging at his lips. “I have no idea what you’re doing, my friend, and you don’t need to tell me. But I know you’re going into it for all the right reasons. Good luck, my friend. It’s crazy there right now. If no one knows you’re a shifter, you’ll be better off.”

  The men shook hands and Derek cut the engine. He opened the door and helped Olivia down the stairs. Olivia hugged Derek, planting a kiss on his cheek before walking away with Sable.

  “You left money in his plane, didn’t you?”

  “You know it.”

  Olivia smiled at Sable. He was nothing if not predictable. They walked hand in hand into the terminal, looking for a place to grab a quick dinner before they boarded their next flight.

  Five hours later, they drove out of the airport and headed south down the dark highway. Olivia drove while Sable made a few phone calls. The conversations were short and curt, giving nothing away to Olivia as she tried to eavesdrop. It was frustrating, but she knew he would share when he was done getting in touch with people.

  He hung up and before he could start another call she asked, “Where are we headed?”

  He looked around, realizing that there were only a few miles before Olivia had to choose an off-ramp or head to the Keys. He smiled, thinking that the Keys sounded positively delightful right now.

  “Head towards my old house. From the sounds of it, it’s been acquired by an old friend. I’m calling him next to make sure he expects us.”

  Nodding without moving her eyes from the road, Olivia maneuvered the car onto the next exit. By the time they crossed into the area of Florida that was under strict curfew, the sun would be rising, the curfew lifted for the day. They’d be heading into town during rush hour, making it unlikely anyone would see them before they got to safety.

  “Does anyone know who we are? I mean, are there wanted posters somewhere with our pictures on them?”

  Sable laughed. “Of course not. There are a few who know us by name only, but only Laskin knows what we look like. And maybe a few of his followers.”

  Without taking her eyes off the road, she reached for his hand and gave it a tender squeeze. “You still think Laskin is alive?”

  “Come on, Liv, of course I do. His body was gone, and I didn’t see any drag marks. Plus, the elders dying so mysteriously like that? He has to be involved. With all of this. I know that in some way, this entire anti-shifter movement is being spurred on by him. He’s somewhere, lying low. He’s just waiting for the right time to come back and take over.” Sable looked off into space, lost in thought over Laskin. He knew in his gut that the man was still around, but he couldn’t prove it, at least not yet.

  Settling into the silence once more, Olivia left Sable to his thoughts as the car sped towards the place they once called home. They would be there soon enough. Sable pulled out his phone once more, dialing a number and waiting patiently for the man on the other line to pick up. After three rings, a familiar voice picked up.

  “Sable, I’ve been expecting you to call.” The man sounded genuinely happy to hear from him. Sable closed his eyes against the memories that came flooding back. The man who showed up at their house at all hours of the night, speaking in hushed tones with his parents at their kitchen table, his broad smile when Sable would sneak downstairs to listen to the grownups make plans for a peaceful revolution. He swallowed audibly, dragging his thoughts back to the present, and away from life before his parents were killed.

  “Terrence, I’m so relieved to hear your voice. Is it true?”

  “That I bought your old house and saved it from being razed? Absolutely. We’re running the resistance here now but there’s more than enough room for you here.”

  The two chatted for a few moments before Sable hung up. The stress that had lined his face since Olivia had first come home screaming his name the day before, melted from his face. Terrence was older, but he still had a lot of fight in him.

  With him on their side, the chances of finding and saving Grace greatly increased. For the first time, Sable was starting to feel like there was hope. And not just for Grace. With Terrence and others working to make changes in the world, Sable felt sure that all this ugliness would soon be behind them.

  At least by the time Morgan was old enough to fall in love and marry.

  **

  The sun’s rays were just kissing the horizon behind them as Olivia turned off the road and down the long, winding driveway to Sable’s old house. The gate opened as soon as they crested the hill, sliding closed behind them and latching tight. The driveway was familiar, yet Olivia and Sable both felt the oddest sense of disconnect as the rental car moved up the drive towards the house. They’d both left that part of themselves behind when they’d fled from Laskin and the council members. It was amazing how running for your life could change everything.

  A tall man stood on the steps, his smile broad and welcoming in the early morning light of dawn. He jogged down the steps and greeted Sable as he exited the vehicle. The two men hugged each other, each clapping the other heartily on the back. Terrence stepped back and looked at Olivia, his smile even wider than before, though it seemed impossible.

  “So that’s the face that started the war? Sable, I can’t say I blame you, man.”

  He opened his
arms for a hug. Olivia hesitated a moment before stepping into the man’s embrace. She choked back tears as the man’s arms moved around her. In all the years that they’d been on the run, and even the time before that, not one shifter had ever shown her any sign of welcome, aside from Sable and Egan.

  Until that moment, Olivia hadn’t realized how much of an outsider she’d felt like. Her own kind feared and hated her, and both sides blamed her for tearing down the fragile peace that had been built on decades of lies. Tears slid down her cheek and she swiped them away with her sleeve, angry that she’d let the tension of the last five years get to her like that. Terrence squeezed her shoulders and nodded, understanding evident on his face.

  Olivia and Sable walked hand in hand into the house. The great room was no longer the cozy sitting room Olivia so fondly remembered. The walls were plastered with tactical maps, blue prints and plans. Key players from both human and shifter sides were featured on the picture wall, a veritable who’s-who of the movement to separate humans and shifters, no matter the cost.

  There were several men gathered in the great room, many of them huddled over maps and conferring in quiet murmurs. When the three of them entered, everyone looked up to see who the new comers were. A few of the younger men looked confused, but more than one face broke out in a broad smile and rushed to greet Sable. Happy voices rose as the men welcomed Sable back home. A few men acknowledged Olivia with warm smiles, but otherwise, their focus was on Sable.

  Olivia decided that now, when the men were distracted by each other, was the perfect time to sneak off and make a phone call. She walked down the hall until she got to Sable’s old office, ducking through the open doorway and closing the door quietly behind her. Pulling out one of the burner phones, she dialed her home number. Five rings later, the answering machine picked up.