by E A Price
Her father was now apoplectic. “Is there someone else? You’ve been whoring yourself for someone else?”
“No!” Lauren turned bright red as her brothers smirked at her.
“Who is it?”
“No one!”
“I knew it was a mistake letting you do what you wanted. Greg Marshal never lets his daughter go anywhere without a chaperone.”
“Would you just listen to me?” she yelled.
“Don’t raise your voice at me!” Her father roared and raised his hand.
Lauren braced herself and Lois burst into tears, but the sting never came.
Her mother stopped him. “Don’t, Carrick won’t want her with bruises.”
Her father bared his fangs before scowling. “Go to your room, you ungrateful whore.”
She didn’t need to be told twice.
Her tiger panted in relief. That went better than expected, but it hadn’t done anything to change her mind. She still didn’t think she should mate Carrick.
Twelve
A week passed since she rejected Carrick and she hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him. Sometimes she caught a flash of dark orange in the trees beyond their garden, but she put it down to her imagination. If Carrick did want to mate her, he’d be beating down her door, or at least, he’d complain to the alpha who would come and put pressure on her to mate him.
The fact that he hadn’t come near her could only mean one thing – he didn’t care.
That thought should elate her. It didn’t. Her tiger was sulking, and Lauren didn’t know what to do. No other male had tried to claim her either, only throwing fuel onto her parents’ raging fires. Meanwhile, Nita was thrilled. She could not hide her glee whenever they crossed paths. She knew that Lauren had rejected the claim, but she naturally assumed that Lauren had done something wrong.
It was time for the pride’s monthly hunt. Tigers weren’t tied to the moon like wolves, but the alpha insisted the tigers attend the hunt once a month. Not letting their beasts out would be disastrous, so they were forced to. The only tiger who wasn’t made to attend was Carrick – probably because he hunted several times a week on his own, and likely because no one could force him to do anything he didn’t want.
Of course, he was in attendance on this hunt. Almost as many people were avoiding him as they were her. Simone, the mate of the alpha’s youngest son, Parker had tried to talk to her before the beta pulled her away. Simone left with a half-scowl, half-sympathetic look on her face.
Lauren, never used to having many friends, just ignored the radioactive circle around her and pretended like it was fine. As Lois would say, you’re a social piranha now. Yep, her six-year-old sister really was her best friend, and since she was too young to shift, she was at home.
Her tiger chuffed at her, and she felt guilty. She was letting everyone down – Carrick, her parents… Who was she going to mate now?
Sure Carrick was quiet and scary but… That was it - he was quiet and scary. She had no idea what else to expect from him, other than long silences interspersed with strange conversations. She rubbed her neck and thought of the way Carrick had touched it. The tender touches were actually something she could get used to.
The alpha walked among the males, exchanging greetings, and she noticed warily that he exchanged more than a few words with her father. That didn’t bode well.
Her eyes darted to where Carrick stood, huge arms folded and starting straight ahead, purposely not looking in her direction. He hated her, and she couldn’t blame him. The beta caught her gaze and licked his lips. It was perhaps the most horrifying thing she’d ever seen – and she had been her mother’s birthing partner when Lois was born.
Damn. She needed to find someone else to claim her and fast.
Lauren tried to catch Clay’s eye, but he was too busy talking to his friends. Why couldn’t Clay claim her? Then everything would be okay.
Finally, Clay saw her, and he smiled at her, she smiled back; then he went back to talking to his friends. They were laughing and smirking at Millie, who was practically performing a striptease for the interested males. Undoubtedly, like Lauren she was a virgin, but Lauren considered Millie wasn’t quite as innocent.
Her tiger sighed, and she hazarded another glance at Carrick. He was looking at Millie, too.
She couldn’t blame him. Perhaps Carrick had realized that Millie was due to turn nineteen a few months after her. She guessed Clay was holding out for her, perhaps now Carrick would, too.
*
Carrick was the first into the woods, his massive paws pounding on the ground, blood hammering in his ears.
He didn’t hang around with the rest of the pride. Lauren had started undressing, and he left before he did anything embarrassing – like watch her open-mouthed while drool trickled down his chin.
It had been one hell of a long week. His tiger had been near uncontainable – as bad as he was back when he was in the cage. The tiger wanted to see Lauren. The tiger wanted to claim Lauren. The tiger wanted control.
Like. Hell.
He wanted to make the mate-claim again, but why would she accept it this time when she didn’t last time? He’d been trying to figure out how to approach her, while also trying to sort out his new memory. Every night it returned to him, a little less hazy and a little more troubling. He’d even reached out to Juliet to tell her about it. The vampire was sympathetic but nothing he told her about the place or people hurting him helped.
Maybe it was too late anyway. After thirteen years, why would the people who kept him captive hang around?
No other male had made a mate-claim on Lauren yet. If they had, he would know, and perhaps the male would no longer be breathing or perhaps he’d just be in traction – either way.
She’d certainly been casting longing glances at Clay, though. Damn cub, his tiger snarled. Didn’t Lauren notice the way Clay was leering at that Millie while she put on that brazen show? He was half tempted to stomp over and discipline her for riling up the males, but at least if Clay was lusting after her, he wasn’t paying attention to Lauren.
Carrick didn’t usually attend the pride hunts, preferring to go his own way. But it had been a week since he saw Lauren – not through her bedroom window that is – so he had allowed it. Surrounded by the rest of the pride, he doubted he’d do something crazy. Doubted it, but it was never a sure thing.
The alpha had hinted about the rejected mate-claim, and whether Carrick wanted him to do anything about it. Carrick said no. The last thing he wanted was the alpha threatening her into mating him. He needed to find a way to persuade her on his own.
The tiger sniffed, catching the scent of a bunny. Perfect.
*
Lauren stumbled, almost dropping her enormous load of laundry. Strong, sure hands caught the basket.
“Thank…” She blinked up at Carrick’s stern face. “You.” She gulped. “Hello.”
“Hello.”
Her tiger inhaled his strong, fresh, bracing scent and she fluttered. His scent had always been somewhat bland to her before now, but in the last few weeks, it seemed to be changing. It was more appealing, more… intriguing. Like a fresh mountain lodge… she imagined. She’d never been to one – but she’d smelled Nita’s washing powder and one time a Yankee Candle in a store, and they were divine.
Two days had passed since the pride hunt. Two days since she came home from her run to find a dead rabbit on her porch, steeped in Carrick’s scent. Lauren had been shocked. Her father had been thrilled. At first, she thought it was some kind of threat. Her dad thought it showed he was still interested in spite of her ungrateful, selfish whorish rejection of him – his words. The last two days had been spent in nervous anticipation.
Lauren tried to rearrange her load, but Carrick took it from her.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Millie’s house,” she squeaked.
His lips turned down in disapproval. “You are doing other unmated females’ laundry?”<
br />
Lauren shrugged wearily. “Her machine’s broken.”
In truth, Nita had been throwing as much work at Lauren was she could muster, and Lauren couldn’t say no to Nita. To do so would be to insult the alpha, and that could potentially jeopardize the little pride funds her large family was permitted.
“Then she can use one of her friends’ machines,” he grumbled. “I will…”
Lauren bit her lip. “Please don’t say anything.”
“They are taking advantage of you.”
“If you say something it may get worse.”
“You should stand up for yourself.”
“Easy for you to say.” Her tiger bowed her head. She was submissive through and through.
Carrick barked out an unexpected laugh. “You had no problem standing up to me.”
Lauren’s mouth dropped open. “I would hardly say that was easy.”
He arched an eyebrow, and almost gave her a look of amusement.
“I am sorry about that,” she mumbled looking at her feet.
“Are you?”
“Well… yes and not just because my parents told me to say that. They told me I should beg you to take me back.”
Carrick started walking, and Lauren jogged to keep up, trying not to pant too much. She really needed to do more exercise.
“You don’t seem to be doing much begging,” he commented.
“No.”
“You have not had any other mate-claims,” he stated.
It wasn’t a question. He was sure of it. Whether that was because news spread like wildfire in the pride, or because he was confident that no other male would want her, she wasn’t sure.
“No,” she agreed, flushing and not just from the effort of jogging.
“I suppose that unless you change your mind, the alpha will hold a mating challenge for you.”
Lauren stopped dead in her tracks. “You want me to change my mind?”
Carrick stopped and turned to her. “Yes.”
“But… but, aren’t you angry at me?” she spluttered. Just when she kind of thought she had a fix on what he was thinking.
He considered the question for a few beats. “No, not angry.”
“But…”
“I’m not an easy male to be around, but I would not intentionally hurt you. I will make a better mate than others in the pride.”
“So, is this you making another mate-claim?” she asked slowly.
“Yes.”
“The dead rabbit… was that also you trying to make a mate-claim?”
He shrugged. “That was my tiger. He and I have different ideas about what women want.”
Her tiger rumbled happily, but Lauren was too dumbstruck even to react. Carrick watched her warily as if expecting her to reject it immediately. She didn’t and he relaxed marginally.
The silence stretched between them and Lauren blurted, “Why do dragons sleep during the day?”
His eyebrows rose.
“So they can fight knights,” she finished.
“Another joke from Lois?”
“Yes.”
“I like it.” His lips twitched into a slight smile before he grimaced. “I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“Sorry, that ultimately you won’t have a choice in who you mate.”
Lauren frowned, and Carrick pinned her with a hard look. Her legs trembled slightly.
“If you don’t accept my mate-claim, ultimately, I will win any mating challenge the alpha throws down. Even if you don’t want it, you will be my mate.”
Thirteen
You will be my mate.
Words that echoed through her mind, night and day. Part of her couldn’t help the perverse thrill she got from him saying those words. Something to do with her animal enjoying the dominance over her. The tiger practically purred as she played them over and over again in her head. The other part of her felt helpless - like she was drowning.
Unsurprisingly, news of Carrick’s renewed claim spread through the pride, and no other male had even attempted to talk to her. She wasn’t certain, but she could have sworn she saw Clay running away from her the other day.
She was once again daughter of the year to her parents. That just upset her even further. Though if they had to criticize her - which they always had to in some way, it was because she wasn’t inviting Carrick round for dinner and that she hadn’t accepted the claim yet.
Lauren sighed and tried to focus on the movie she was watching. It was amazing how much free time she had now that the mated tigresses weren’t tasking her to clean their houses and do their laundry. Honestly, she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with herself. Taking it easy wasn’t actually as easy as everyone made it look!
Her oldest brother tried to reach for the remote, and her mother slapped his hand.
“No! Lauren’s watching the movie.”
“I don’t mind,” she sighed.
“She said she doesn’t mind!” he complained, trying to snatch at it again.
“Go play outside,” growled their mother. “All you boys, outside now and let Lauren have some peace.”
He scowled at their mother, before dragging their protesting brothers with him. All of them flung resentful looks at Lauren.
Usually, the situation was the other way round. Her brothers had their way while she had to make do. She should be enjoying it, but she couldn’t help but a feel a little guilty about it.
There was a knock at the door, and Lauren actually found herself praying that someone wanted her to do their laundry.
No such luck. Her tiger twitched uneasily as her father led the alpha into the house. He grinned like the Cheshire cat.
Nodding at her mother, he focused on Lauren, yellow eyes practically sparkling. “I apologize for the intrusion…”
Her parents were quick to reassure him it was no intrusion until he silenced them.
“I was hoping to talk to Lauren.”
Her parents left like the room was on fire, ushering little Lois with them, leaving her to the mercy of the alpha.
“Alpha,” she gulped as her tiger lowered her head in submission.
The large male slid onto the couch next to her – too closely. His body brushed against hers, and rather the warm tingles that Carrick gave her when he did it, Locke left her cold. She supposed he was a handsome male, even given that he was nearly fifty, but he was also cruel, and good looks couldn’t excuse everything.
He eyed her speculatively. “I hear Carrick has made another mate-claim.”
She lowered her eyes. “Yes, Alpha.”
She’d half-expected a visit from him after the first mate-claim. It was a great relief to her tiger when it never happened. Now, though, she was considering escape routes.
“You have your eyes on another male?” he asked.
Briefly, she thought of Clay, but even she was giving him up as a lost cause. “No, Alpha.”
“So you will accept Carrick’s claim?”
Lauren hesitated. Carrick himself had made it clear that whether she did or not, he would fight for her, and he was certain that he would beat any male who tried to fight back.
The alpha put a large hand on her leg. She froze under the touch, while her tiger uncharacteristically growled. Submission was one thing; unnecessary touching was another.
“Accept the claim,” he urged.
“How does me accepting the claim benefit you?” she asked defiantly, and in leave of her senses.
He stilled, not quite in the same way that Carrick could – he could resemble a statue – but it was a good effort. Plus, the snarl and the tightening of his fingers on her leg certainly didn’t lead her to believe he was a tiger she should mess with.
Lauren pursed her lips to stop herself from yelping in pain. “I meant no offense, Alpha.”
The pressure on her leg eased, and he started massaging her skin, which was somehow worse. Her tiger prowled uneasily.
“Carrick is a good and loyal tiger. He deserves
a good and loyal mate.”
The words certainly sounded sincere, but there had to be something behind them. Something more. The alpha wouldn’t do anything unless it benefitted himself.
“Accept the claim. For the good of everyone.” He placed a claw under her chin and raised her face to look at him. He was smiling, but there was no warmth in it. “Think about little Lois.”
Lauren snapped to attention, and even her beast yowled protectively. “What about her?”
“Think about her future. If your family is higher ranked, think about what that will mean for her. But if your family is lower ranked, and if you are no longer here to protect her… Just remember what your life has been like. For Lois, it could be much better, but then again, it could be much worse.”
Lauren opened her mouth to object, to tell him he was an evil, slimy toad, but she caught herself in time. The pain in her leg was nothing to what he could do to an insubordinate tigress. At worst, he could hand her over to the beta for re-education…
“Think about it,” he murmured before patting her leg, heaving himself to his feet and sauntering out the door.
What was there to think about?
*
Carrick almost missed the soft tapping on his door. He switched off the TV, which he was only vaguely watching, and padded to the door.
His beast perked up, at once hungry and happy as he propelled Carrick along. He sniffed the familiar sweet scent and groaned. No wonder he thought.
He opened the door to find Lauren standing there, trembling slightly.
“I accept.”
“What?”
She squirmed. “I accept your mate-claim.”
He stared at her in surprise.
“That is what you wanted, right?” Now, she looked uncertain.
“Yes,” he mumbled, feeling like an inexperienced cub. He just hadn’t expected her to agree. He’d expected it to get all the way to a mating challenge. His tiger had almost been relishing the thought of it. Showing the other males how much stronger and dominant he was to them. Showing them that Lauren belonged to him…
Her eyes wandered over his bare chest, fixating on his myriad of scars. He didn’t bother with clothes much when he was on his own, so she found him shirtless. She was just lucky he was wearing pants.
