Malik reached up, grasped her face between his hands and stared deep into her eyes as they all came. Carmen screamed and her mates growled just before they each bit her on the shoulder, Malik on her left and Gable on her right.
Her cat screamed for her mates. It took over, the instinct too strong to resist. Her gums ached, her incisors lengthening. Leaning down, she bit Malik’s chest just above his heart then, using the flexible spine of her cat, she spun around to do the same to Gable—each of them carrying her mark, just as she now carried theirs.
It was done.
The leopard receded, taking its energy with her and Carmen collapsed onto Malik’s chest, exhausted. She didn’t even have the energy to complain when Gable scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom, setting her into the tepid water of a bath he must have drawn long before.
“It’s cold.”
“The better to wake you, then.” He chuckled when she batted at his hands as he washed her. Malik stood beside the tub, a towel in his hands when Gabe finally pulled her out.
Her mates dried her off and then Malik carried her back to the bed. “Your uncles said that they would like to see you married in the human sense. Do you object?”
“No.” She shook her head, her eyes closed. “In fact, I kind of expected that of them.” Opening her eyes, she looked at each of them in turn. “What about your enemies?”
“They have decided that continuing their pursuit of us or our loved ones would be detrimental to their health, now that they have learned of Kitrick’s disappearance.”
“Oh.” It was strange how she knew the man was dead, but she didn’t want anyone to confirm it. Did that mean she was too soft?
“No, malysh,” Gabe said, obviously reading her mind.
She knew mates could do that, but it still caught her off guard.
He kissed her forehead. “It means that you have a heart and we would be honored if you gave us a place within it. Though I know that you still question your feelings, I love you.” Gabe met her gaze, his green eyes filled with emotion.
“And I love you,” Malik added. “Our most fervent hope is that you will find it in your heart to love us, one day.”
“You already have a place in my heart. I thought you knew that.” Tears filled her eyes at the thought that she had unintentionally caused them pain. “I don’t sleep with just anyone, you know, and I definitely don’t swap blood samples during sex with every guy I meet.” She gave them each a slow kiss. “I love you both. I thought you knew the mating heat never lies.”
“But you said you no longer felt the heat.” Malik brushed her hair from her face. “Many times you told us this. And we’ve been told that not all females of different species feel it. Our males have had to rely on their instincts alone.”
“I’m pretty sure I felt the heat. I think I just didn’t realize that was what it was.” She lifted her lips in a one-sided grin. “All this time I’d been feeling the mating heat and I just thought I was uber horny for two of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Malik turned the covers back and Gable set her on the bed. She patted the mattress on either side of her. “Okay, now...” Smiling, she raised a brow. “When’s the wedding?”
About the Author
Dear Reader:
If you’re reading this, I hope it means that you’ve just enjoyed reading one of my books. Always a romantic, I started weaving little fantasies for my friends at the tender age of fifteen.
After complaining to my husband that my favorite authors didn’t write fast enough, he asked a fateful question. “Why don’t you write one of your own while you’re waiting?”
Once I started, he couldn’t stop me. I write in the morning, before work, and during my breaks at the day job, and I write at night when I should be relaxing. I’ve even been known to write in my sleep. Sometimes it even makes sense!
I grew up in Southwest Florida where I met and married the love of my life. My husband was in the Navy for twenty years, so if you wonder where I have gotten some of my ideas, I blame him. I suggest you do the same. He’s always saying he has wide shoulders. Let’s load them up, shall we?
Currently, I live in Michigan, seven miles from the nearest grocery store. I love living in the country. It gives me the peace and quiet I need to continue to write these stories for you. It also shows me a lot of natural beauty that I try to share with you in my books. While my titles may be dedicated to certain individuals who have touched my life in differing ways, please remember, every one of them is written for you.
My most recent dream is to continue what I do—to share more stories with anyone willing to read them. My new dream is to be able to pursue both my writing and my husband fulltime. Do you think he’ll run?
More of Tianna’s Books:
Gate To Fate series
The Paradise series:
Brianna’s Prophecy
Dragon Bound series:
The DARE series
The Endowed Series
The Chosen Series
Hidden Breeds Series
Highland Bears Series
Caspian Cascade Series
Where to find Tianna:
www.tiannaxander.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TiannaXander/
http://twitter.com/#!/TiannaXander
http://www.myspace.com/tianna_xander
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=635929605
Taming The Tigers Page 9
