by E A Price
His fingers dug into the armrests as Gertie complained about the new bag boy at the local grocery store.
“And he put my eggs at the bottom of the bag,” she complained.
“That’s not right at all,” chipped in Geraldine. “Everyone knows eggs go on top. You do your own shopping? I have my housekeeper do mine.”
“I was there with Rosita - she always claims things are out of stock, but I think she lies, so she doesn't have to cook them. What's so hard about clams? Anyway, when I recited the correct order for bagging groceries, he just gave me a blank look. So I complained to the manager.”
“As you should…”
The tiger glowered from behind Carrick’s eyes. He should shift, snarl at them, get them to shut up… nope, can’t do that to family apparently. He should shift and make a run for it…
His tension ebbed slightly as Lauren sashayed back into the room with some nachos and dips. There was room on the couch, next to his sisters, but Lauren perched on the arm of his chair, laying a hand on his shoulder and swinging her leg - her long, shapely leg.
He could grab her and make a run for it – much more preferable to leaving alone. In five minutes they could be naked, and he could be buried in her pliant, perfect body.
She looked down and smiled at him as if she could read his thoughts.
He’d give anything for her to say those three words again. Fuck me hard. She’d ducked her eyes from him; her cheeks turned pink and she squirmed beneath him – embarrassed and unused to any kind of dirty talk. But damn, those three words from her made him hard as steel.
Should he be so surprised that she wanted him? She told him she loved him. When she thought they were about to die… His tiger snarled. She couldn’t take it back – she wasn’t allowed. She was his, loving him meant that she would always be his. No take backs.
Gertie and Geraldine had begun boasting about their children. Damian was a junior partner at a law firm. Sheldon was pre-med. Katherine had a scholarship to study English Lit. Nora had an internship with a senator. George had a research grant to teach underprivileged gorillas in Africa. That last one wasn’t quite right, but Carrick had the gist. His sisters’ kids were fucking perfect, blah, blah, blah. They were also apathetic, snooty little shits. If he weren’t so sure it would upset Lauren, he’d give them all cuffs around the ears. When he and Lauren had cubs… he stopped. That wasn’t something he was thinking about, even if it interested his tiger.
“So, Lauren, what do you do?” asked Gertie, giving his mate a smile a shark would envy. Yes, he hadn’t failed to notice the coolness when his mother introduced his sisters to Lauren. He was sure Lauren did too, but she was too polite to say anything.
Lauren smiled. “I work for the pride.”
“Lauren might be going to community college,” Carrick said gruffly.
Geraldine sniffed. “Of course, well, you do have the rest of your life ahead of you.”
Carrick stiffened, and Lauren edged a little closer to him. They thought she was too young for him. Something he also agreed with, but he didn’t like anyone else saying it. Was it wrong that his tiger wanted to claw his own sister?
“Yeah, we don’t have any definite plans,” said Lauren, ignoring Geraldine’s comment. “But I was considering becoming a dental hygienist. Hopefully I could get work in town at Dr. Fenton’s office.”
Carrick grumbled, and Lauren let out a musical laugh. She rubbed his shoulder. “They don’t get on.”
“He pulled my fucking tooth out,” snarled Carrick. It wasn’t something he would have admitted, but after they ran into Dr. Fenton on the street and Fenton virtually peed his pants, Lauren probed him until he admitted the truth. Fenton pulled his tooth out and Carrick might have overreacted just a little…
A few of his family members flinched at his tone but his mother murmured language, and Lauren laughed harder, in spite of his narrowed gaze.
The timer dinged. “Time for the vegetables.” Lauren disappeared into the kitchen after she gave him a sympathetic look.
Carrick glared as his oldest nephews, and his sisters’ mates watched her leave – or in particular they watched her ass leave. They looked away in fright on seeing his murderous expression.
Gertie and Geraldine ordered their two teenage daughters to go and help; they did with very little grace and a lot of complaining.
Georgie suggested her other grandchildren play in the garden. This was met with a lot of complaints, but they did it anyway. Georgie looked at her daughters with a razor-sharp glare. “Isn’t Lauren lovely?”
Gertie pouted. “Yes, she’s certainly… young.”
Georgie growled softly, but her daughters ignored her and focused their interest on Carrick.
“Have you seen Emily since you came back.”
Carrick gave her a surprised look. “No.” Emily was still a little fuzzy to him, but he wasn’t aware his sisters knew her.
“You do remember her, don’t you?” asked Geraldine.
“She’s such a sweet woman,” put in Gertie.
“You two were so in love.”
“What happened was such a shame.”
Geraldine dabbed at her eyes. “I don’t think she got over you.”
Carrick snarled, and they hushed. He’d hardly call what happened a shame. Fucking infuriating. Bloody horrifying. Fuck, his sisters were always idiots, but to call what happened a shame was fucking ridiculous. Emily got a broken heart? Boo fucking hoo! He lost years of his life, was forced to kill, spent hours…
He saw the wide eyes of his family, the wariness of his brothers-in-law. When had he jumped to his feet? When had his claws come out? The tiger snapped his jaws as fur bristled up and down his arms.
Carrick pulled himself back and muttered something about getting a drink. He stomped out the room, ready to storm right on out of the house and tear something or someone apart. But a glorious sight stopped him. His mate bending over the oven, her heart shaped ass straining at her jeans. That brought him up short. Anger was quickly replaced by lust and sanity returned.
The only thing keeping him on an even keel tossed him a smile over her shoulder and everything was right with the world.
But for how long? How long would he have her? She was a beautiful young woman with years ahead of her. And he was a broken old tiger. So why the hell would she want to stay?
*
Lauren tried not to snap at the two young tigresses but really, they were next to useless. How freaking hard was it to peel a carrot? God knows she learned how when she was six. And no, she didn’t want to hear about how their housekeeper usually did this. Spoiled princesses huffed her tiger.
They chatted about some reality show or something, but Lauren didn’t care to listen.
Katherine and Nora were both about her age. Nora was actually a few months older than Lauren, but she felt a gulf of difference between them.
They’d grown up with everything they wanted, parents who doted on them, nice new clothes, new cell phones, fancy vacations. A stark contrast to Lauren. A year ago, Lauren would have been green with envy over these girls and their designer clothes.
But, strangely, she didn’t feel that way anymore. Maybe because these girls were so useless they couldn’t even manage to peel a goddamn carrot!
She glanced over her shoulder to find Carrick in the doorway. Her insides flipped. Or maybe she just felt happy.
Katherine and Nora quieted, uneasy in his presence. She didn’t feel too annoyed at them; it wasn’t that long ago that she felt the same. Now? Now he was just a big pussycat. My pussycat purred her beast.
She sensed a flash of fury from him, although thankfully that seemed to be abating and changing to something else. She gave her butt a little wriggle and yep, that was lust.
“Hey,” she cooed.
Carrick grunted. “You need some help?”
“Oh, I’m not sure I can stand anymore help.”
She flicked her eyes at the nieces.
“You wan
t a drink?” Lauren pulled a soda out the fridge and passed it to him.
He rumbled thanks and leaned against the counter. Lauren bustled past him, her body brushing against him just a bit more than necessary. “Am I in the way?”
Lauren twinkled at him. “Of course not, stay. This is where all the cool people are.”
Katherine and Nora snickered. Carrick scowled, but Lauren ignored them. She’d dealt with world-class mean girls - these two were nothing.
“Go away,” Carrick growled at them.
Nora pouted. “Mom said we had to help.”
“I’ll tell both your moms you did,” said Lauren.
They didn’t need to be told twice. They left the table in a mess and flounced away without a second glance. Carrick huffed, and Lauren flicked him with a cloth.
“They’re no worse than some pride females back home.”
“That’s not a good thing.”
“They’re just young.”
“So are you,” he muttered.
“I’m mated, it’s different.” Plus she didn’t think she’d ever been that young.
Carrick’s face tightened, but he didn’t say anything.
Lauren felt a flutter of trepidation. She stopped what she was doing and came to stand in front of him. She placed her hands on his chest and leaned up to rub her cheek against his chin. He sighed and slid an arm around her waist.
“I love you,” she murmured.
Carrick pulled back with a startled look on his face. He watched her for a few seconds, perhaps waiting for her to take it back. But she wouldn’t. Couldn’t. She smiled up at his grim face, hardened from the years of abuse and unhappiness. But to her, he was handsome. Handsomest male in the world preened her beast, perhaps a little biasedly.
Finally, he cupped her head, and she was sure he was about to say it back when his damn sisters erupted into the kitchen, twittering and gossiping over nothing. Carrick didn’t have a chance to growl in frustration; she got there first.
Thirty-Four
Carrick’s sisters were quiet through lunch. Lauren tried not to enjoy it too much; soon they’d be gossiping and making snide comments about her again. Her tiger huffed, but Lauren didn’t care. Puh-lease – these women were amateurs compared to Nita.
She had a brief flash of the pride and wondered how everyone was. She’d called home a couple of times and spoken to her brothers and Lois, but they didn’t really know what was going on. Lois claimed she saw a unicorn the other day, so Lauren doubted she was a reliable source.
Georgie was in fine spirit, mostly complaining about how everyone takes her for granted. Lauren could see where her daughters got their whininess from. Carrick was nearly silent, but that was no shock.
Instead, Lauren chatted quite amiably to the sisters’ mates, who, in spite of Carrick’s glowers, were actually pretty personable. She was surprised to learn that their matings were arranged too. She didn’t think it happened outside of prides, but apparently, tiger elders didn’t need prides to be pushy and bossy. Evidently, Carrick’s father had insisted on the arranged matings and had given both his daughters large dowries. Carrick wasn’t so different to his sisters after all. But Lauren couldn’t help the feeling that she was a lot luckier in her mating than either of the two males. They barely even looked at their mates, and the sisters shot the males withering glances as often as they could.
Carrick’s hand never left her thigh, anchoring her to him and soothing her at the same time. She was amazed at how easily he ate one-handed. Though she guessed the other guests wished he had used a fork instead of his actual hand to pick up his food. Lauren wasn’t going to tell him off because she loved him, and no one else dared.
Maybe it was her imagination, but Gertie and Geraldine actually seemed a little jumpy. Lauren dismissed it; she didn’t know the females well, this could be normal for them. But her tiger still seemed a little uneasy.
After lunch, Lauren started clearing the table, eschewing the proffered help from all the males at the table. The sisters didn’t bother offering, and none of their cubs did either, in spite of some pointed prods from their fathers. Georgie then complained about young cubs and how lazy they were, which was a bit rich considering that Lauren was younger than four of her grand cubs.
She was just putting the apple pie in the oven to warm when the doorbell went.
“I’ll get it,” she called. Which would have been the likely outcome anyway. Carrick would rather the person at the door just go away than have to talk to them.
Lauren pulled it open to find a tall, blonde female grimacing at her. Her tiger wrinkled her nose as she scented lion shifter. The woman was in her thirties, slim and perfectly made up. She was so striking and beautiful; she looked like she could still enter and win the Ms. Los Lobos Shifter Pageant even if she were fifteen years older than the other contestants. Her mom used to like to watch it on TV, while casually reminding Lauren that she was far too fat and ugly to be in a beauty pageant. Lauren shook her head as she realized her mother’s remembered words didn’t even sting anymore. She was over caring about what her parents thought. All she had to do was think of the lust in Carrick’s eyes, and that made her feel sexy… and horny. Oh so horny. When the hell were their guests leaving anyway?!
“Can I help you?” asked Lauren brightly, trying not to be too dazzled by the vision of a female before her.
The woman forced herself to smile, and even if it was forced, it was still radiant. “Is Gertie or Geraldine here?”
“Yes, actually they…”
“Or Gilligan?”
Lauren froze with her mouth open, and her tiger snapped her jaws warningly.
“Gilligan?” she repeated.
“Yes, Gertie told me he was here, and I need to see him. I’m Emily by the way.”
Her tiger let out a roar. “Ah…”
Carrick appeared at her shoulder, his face hard as stone crumpled into shock. “Emily?”
*
Lauren puttered around the kitchen, tidying up and trying not to think about what was happening.
Most of the family was still in the dining room, eating the apple pie. Georgie had taken both of her daughters into the living room, which meant Carrick and Emily were out on the back porch… talking, she assumed. She could open the window and listen to them – in fact, her tiger very much wanted her to do that – but she didn’t. It was probably private, and none of her business…
Her hands were shaking, and she could feel wretched, defeated tears welling in her eyes. She knew he was going to see Emily again. Hell, she was the one who hung onto her contact details. But she thought she would have a little time to prepare before the goddess of a lioness appeared at the door.
Carrick was going to remember he was still in love with Emily. She was probably his first love – the love of his life. He was only with Lauren because he couldn’t remember his real love. The kitchen suddenly felt hot and unbearable. She had to get out of there.
Lauren strode into the hall, overhearing the loud voices from the living room.
“You had no right to call her,” snarled Georgie, angrier than Lauren had ever heard her.
“We have every right,” objected Gertie. “He’s our brother.”
“Absolutely,” put in Geraldine. “He was always in love with Emily – he deserves a chance with her.”
“That’s up to him!” snapped Georgie.
“Emily was the love of his life. He can’t seriously want to stay mated to that… that…”
Lauren growled internally, not at all wanting to hear the rest of that sentence. She pushed the door open to the living room, and the two sisters immediately reddened.
“I’m going out for a walk,” she said calmly to Georgie.
Georgie looked at her sympathetically. “Okay, dear.”
Lauren turned on her heel and strode outside. It was hot – it always seemed to be hot in Los Lobos. But it was easier to breathe than being in that damn house.
Her tiger scowled
at her, wanting her to go back, to remind Carrick of how happy they were together. But she just needed some air and some time to think.
*
Carrick prowled the porch; his tiger yowled, snapped, snarled – anything he could to show his distress at the situation. The sweetness of Emily’s scent tickled his nose; it was familiar, but he didn’t know whether he liked it.
Emily’s eyes couldn’t help but wander over his scars. Let her stare huffed his beast. Let her think he’s a monster.
“You look… well,” she murmured.
“Gertie told you what happened.”
She bit her lip anxiously. “Yes. I had no idea Hunter did that… When you disappeared, I didn’t think anything of it. You always disappeared now and then. When you didn’t come back, I figured you’d met someone else, and I married Hunter. I’m sorry. If I had known…”
“I don’t remember everything yet,” he said gruffly.
She nodded. “We were high school sweethearts,” she said ruefully. “Or at least we were sweethearts whenever you were there – you didn’t get along with your dad, and you’d often take off for a couple of months at a time. When we were eighteen, you had a huge fight with your dad, and you left. I had no idea if you were coming back, and then I met Hunter…
Emily gave him a look of anguish. “He was so attentive, and he pursued me until I agreed to marry him. I know I didn’t love him, and he was twenty years older than me, but he said he’d take care of me, and my home life was pretty terrible back then…”
Carrick and his beast stirred uneasily, not liking how much that sounded like his situation with Lauren at all.
“Then you came back.” Emily looked away. “I tried to tell you to stay away, but not very hard. I guess I wasn’t as good at hiding our relationship as I thought. Hunter must have found out and… well, you know the rest better than me.” She started fiddling with the large engagement ring on her finger. “We weren’t together long. He soon found my replacement – another nineteen-year-old girl with no sense. He divorced me, gave me a huge settlement, and I was glad to be rid of him.
