Then, when she had been brought to Tarok and had learned her nieces were alive, well, and happy, Awai’s joy had been immense. Yet there still remained that tiny bit of uncertainty—she only knew what Ty had told her. Even though she trusted him with all her heart, she had to see for herself, and had to hold each one of her family members in her arms.
“Tigress,” came Ty’s low rumble behind her. “It is time.”
Awai turned and gave her king a tremulous smile. “I’m scared, Ty. I’m happy, but I’m scared, too.”
He reached for her faster than she could catch her breath and brought her close to his chest. “There is nothing to fear, my sweet. Only joy will your heart know this day.”
She hugged him, letting his strength feed her, drinking in the smell of him, the feel of him in her arms. She tilted her head back and this time her smile was confident. “I love you.”
He hooked his finger under her chin and returned her smile. “I know.”
She laughed and he kept his arm possessively around her shoulders as they walked to the front of the palace. It was an impressive entrance rarely used, as they tended to prefer the back entrance leading to the cherry grove.
At the front entrance, green granite steps marched down to a circular driveway that looped around a fountain of two enormous marble white-and-black striped tigers in battle. Flowers in every shade of the rainbow spilled down the sides of the steps and surrounded the driveway. The air smelled fresh and clean from the recent rains mixed with the intoxicating perfume of all the flowers. Birds sang and water splashed in the fountain, echoing in that moment of near silence.
Then in the distance she heard the sound of horses’ hooves—or rather jul, the name for the horse-like beasts the people of Tarok often used for transportation. Carriages creaked and happy voices carried on the warm spring air.
Awai clenched her hands into fists, her nails biting into her palms as she bounced up and down on the balls of her bare feet. She was so nervous and so anxious that she nearly broke into a run just to reach her nieces as quickly as possible.
They rounded the corner. First a sleek white coach with a red heart symbol on its side, drawn by four jul that were the color of liquid silver. Following behind was a beautiful black coach with a gold spade on each of the doors, and the coach was drawn by four black jul. Lastly came a dark red coach with a gold filigree diamond symbol on its door and the jul that drew it were golden.
The moment the coaches came to a stop, each of the doors burst open and out tumbled a small pack of young tigers, followed by three women and three men, and a calico cat with a regal bearing. For what seemed like an eternity, Awai just stared at Annie, Alexi, and Alice, who looked so different, yet were the women she loved more than anything. She was vaguely aware of tears streaming down her cheeks and Ty’s protective arm around her shoulders.
The next thing she knew she was swallowed up in a swirl of laughter and tears and joy unlike anything she had ever known. She cried and kissed and hugged them each so much that she was lost in a sea of emotion and couldn’t see through her blur of tears.
When they finally separated long enough for Awai to catch her breath, she wiped the tears from her eyes with the sleeves of her robe and looked helplessly at her nieces. “God, I missed you all so much. I thought I’d never see you again.”
Alice threw her arms around Awai again. “Three years, Awai. I can’t believe it’s been so very long.” She pulled away and held Awai’s hands. Alice’s turquoise eyes were wide, tears sparkling on her lashes. “I’m so happy I could just burst.”
Awai drank in the sight of Alice, who was wearing a sparkling yet practically sheer robe that barely concealed her nipples and her mound. Her white-blond hair gleamed in the sunlight and her eyes sparkled. At her throat was a wide diamond collar with hearts made of red rubies. But more than anything else, the change in Alice’s bearing was what surprised Awai the most. She had an air of happiness, of confidence in herself and those around her.
“I can hardly speak.” Awai tried to swallow the lump in her throat. “Do you have any idea how long three years is?”
“Makes you want to kick someone's ass, doesn’t it?” came Alexi’s voice.
Awai grinned as she faced her take-no-prisoners niece who had been a powerful San Francisco sexual harassment lawyer. Alexi gave a teasing grin and hugged Awai.
“Damn it, but I missed you.” Alexi tossed her auburn hair over her shoulder and raised one brow at Ty, who had stepped away from the flurry of hugging and crying women.
“Do not worry, Queen Alexi,” he said with a soft chuckle. “I fear for my manhood too much to cross you.”
Alexi’s collar of white diamonds with black diamond spades glittered as she put her hands on her leather-clad hips and gave him a mock frown. “Just see that you remain in line, mister.”
With a laugh, Awai turned to the quietest of her nieces, Annie, who was holding her calico cat, Abra. They enveloped each other in a fierce hug and Abra gave an irritated yerowll and slipped from between them.
Awai kept her hold on Annie and whispered, “When I came back the next day and you and Abra were gone, I couldn’t forgive myself for leaving you alone that night.” Annie leaned back and brushed a tear from Awai’s face. “I’m sorry this has been so hard on you, more than on any of us. But I can’t tell you how happy we all are, and how wonderful it is to have you here.”
Awai couldn’t help but notice how radiant Annie was and how vibrant. She, too, had a collar of diamonds, but with red rubies in the shape of diamonds around it. She wore a crimson dress that reached mid-thigh. Her dark hair flowed around her shoulders and her gold-framed glasses glinted in the sunlight.
“This world is almost too perfect.” Awai looked to each niece and to the powerful men standing behind them.
“It’s far from perfect.” Annie took Awai’s hands in hers. “This world has much to strive for and many dangers to overcome. But it’s the love that we feel for our mates, our children, and each other that makes it even more special.”
At the thought of children, Awai glanced to the eleven tiger cubs pouncing on their uncles who were now sitting on the palace steps. Ty and the other kings had joined the fray and were playing with the children who frequently shifted from tiger to child and back again. They giggled, mewled, shouted, and growled, and Awai felt that lump rise in her throat again at the incredible joy of the moment.
“I can’t believe you’re all mothers.” Awai looked to each of her nieces who beamed with pride at their children. “Mothers.”
Alice laughed and put her arm around Awai and squeezed her. “Just wait until you have cubs of your own.”
Alexi nodded. “I didn’t think I wanted to have children, but I wouldn’t change a single thing about my life. I love them so much, I can’t imagine life without my sons and daughter.”
Awai gave a half smile but remained silent as she watched Ty laughing and playing with the cubs like a big kid himself. She remembered how much fun he had picking out gifts for his nieces and nephews and how he spoke of them with such pride. He would make such a wonderful father.
She had never planned on having children, but so much had changed. Could she give Ty what he obviously wanted—a family of his own?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
AWAI LAUGHED, AS SHE AND SOME OF THE CUBS PLAYED hide-and-seek in the cherry trees surrounding the clearing. Her family had been at the palace for a week now, and she had come to love romping through the palace grounds with the children. She had even grown comfortable in her aunt’s role to eleven children, and almost felt like she could manage the little buggers all on her own.
Everyone had gone into the village, but Awai had offered to stay and play with the cubs. Probably to prove to herself that she could handle them. Besides, the kingdom was well guarded.
Ty had told her the best place for the children to play was in the clearing, near the secret passageway into the palace. The children knew to go to it, if any need arose,
and the rock door would slide open for them. Ty had also stationed guards within the trees to protect Awai and the eleven precious children. Awai still had a hard time thinking of children as cubs, unless they were in tiger form.
Even though she and the children were in one of the safest locations in the kingdom, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of dread after all the dreams she’d been having since she arrived in Tarok. She felt like it was her duty, somehow, to stay with the children.
Ty had stayed, too, but had been called inside the palace on urgent business with Kir and Rafe. Ty had kissed her and promised to “rescue” her from all the children as soon as possible. Awai dearly loved all of her great nephews and nieces, but regularly they fought, argued, pouted, and threw temper tantrums. They were just like any other children, so it was always good to have adult reinforcements around. Especially since there were so many of the little monsters—er, darlings.
The four youngest toddlers played not too far from the closed passageway entrance. Three of them rolled around, play-fighting as young tiger cubs, while Johanna sat off to herself as a little girl, snapping Awai’s whip the best she could with her small hands. Johanna had latched onto the whip from the moment she’d arrived at the castle. She’d refused to let anyone take it away from her, although she would let Awai play with her and the whip sometimes.
Blossoms and grass felt soft beneath Awai’s bare feet as she quietly searched for each of the seven older children hiding in the trees. Sunlight dappled the orchard around the clearing, leaves waving and rustling in a balmy breeze. Her silk robe swirled around her ankles and her hair lifted from her face as she quietly made her way over the cherry blossom carpet to where she spied a small twitching tiger tail peeking out from around a ch’tok tree.
Very slowly she crept up on the child and then pounced on the tail. It was Jennifer, and the cub shifted into a young girl and shrieked with laughter. “You found me, Auntie Awai.”
Awai kissed the two-year-old on the cheek and sent her to play with the other little ones in the middle of the orchard. It amazed Awai how much faster these children grew in comparison to Earth children.
Gradually Awai tracked down each child until there were only the two oldest, Lexi and Lance. The rest of the children played tag in the clearing. Sounds of laughter, giggles, and shrieks filled the afternoon air. Johanna still sat off to the side, quietly snapping Awai’s whip and swirling it around like a snake in the grass. Awai grinned at the thought of Johanna growing up to turn this male-dominated society on its ear by becoming a Domme.
Awai eased between a pair of cherry trees when she spotted a white tiger’s tail. Surely it was Lexi or Lance, although she’d never realized that one of them had a tail that was so white instead of striped.
A twig snapped under Awai’s bare foot just as she was reaching for the tail. Then, so fast, before she knew what was happening, the tiger whirled.
It wasn’t one of the children. It was a huge pure white tiger.
The one from my dreams.
The full-grown beast pounced on Awai, slamming her flat on her back and knocking the breath from her lungs. A slash of hair from one side of the beast’s face was missing, a jagged scar. Its eyes were wild and glowed a fearsome red.
Terror flooded Awai as she stared up at the menacing tiger whose fangs were bared. Awai’s fear was not for herself but for the children. The tiger pinned Awai by her shoulders and the big cat’s rear paws kept her from moving her legs.
Awai didn’t want to die, but it was more important that the children were safe. She did the only thing she could think of.
“Run,” she screamed. “Run to the passageway as fast as you can!”
The tiger raised its head to look at the children, who screamed and shifted to tigers. They scattered as a pack of enormous white tigers with black stripes appeared, blocking the way to the secret passageway.
Terror ripped through Awai. Had any of the children made it to the entrance before the tigers surrounded them? She couldn’t tell, but prayed at least some of the children had made it to safety.
Everything had happened so fast.
Awai’s voice trembled as she looked up at the white beast with the fiercely glowing red eyes. “Please let the children go. Kill me if you have to, but let the children go. Please.”
“So easy.” Awai heard in her head—a feminine voice. “With the force of my mind-spells it was so easy to break through the palace borders. Did my brothers think they could keep me out?”
The words entered Awai’s mind, just like Ty communicated with her when he was in tiger form. The white tiger raised her head and looked to the children. From her prone position, Awai could see that at least some of them had been herded into a small group by the larger tigers. Awai’s entire body throbbed with fear for the little ones.
The female backed away, freeing Awai, but standing close enough that with a single swipe of her paw she could rip out Awai’s throat.
“I slipped through their nets so easily,” the tiger said in Awai’s mind. “I have powers none of you can comprehend. Nothing can stop me.”
“You’re Mikaela.” Awai swallowed and pushed herself up to a sitting position. “Your brothers thought you died when you fell from the cliff.”
In the next moment the tiger shifted into a woman with dark blond hair, a black leather jumpsuit, and a whip clutched in her hand. Unlike the oil painting Awai had seen of Mikaela, this woman had a jagged scar running from her temple to her chin. It was dark pink against her fair skin, the only mar on an otherwise beautiful face.
The woman brought up her free hand and traced the scar. “This is what they have done to me.”
“Karn tried to save you.” Awai rose slowly to her feet, hoping the woman wouldn’t shift back into a tiger and attack. A tiger scared the shit out of her, but a woman was something she could battle. “Annie told me he lunged for you, but you slipped and fell to the rocks below. They thought you’d been swept out to the sea.”
“They were right. I was swept out to sea.” Mikaela began running the length of the whip through her hands, slowly, surely, as if testing its strength, preparing to use it. From her own extensive knowledge, Awai knew a whip like that could flay a person’s flesh if used intentionally to injure.
“Please don’t do this.” Awai clenched her hands into fists. “Your brothers loved you so much. They still do. They want the sister back they’ve always known and cared for. I’ve heard it from them myself.”
The red in the woman’s eyes seemed to fade and Awai could almost see blue as Mikaela said, “That was long ago.”
Awai chanced a step forward. “It’s never too late.”
Mikaela’s eyes flashed and glowed an even brighter red. “He—I want all of Tarok as my own.”
Children whimpered and Awai tore her gaze from Mikaela’s. Now that she was standing, she could clearly see that at least ten of the weretiger strangers had blocked in the children. Dear God, they hadn’t made it to the passageway.
Instinctively Awai counted the cubs. Eight? Her heart leapt with a fear so great it almost drove her to her knees. There should have been eleven. Johanna was missing and she didn’t see Lance and Lexi.
Maybe the three had been able to get to the passageway—maybe they had gone for help. But none of them had been near the entrance when Awai had screamed at them to run.
“So, three of the cubs are gone.” Mikaela narrowed her eyes, and at Awai’s small gasp, the woman added, “I read it in your thoughts.”
Mikaela raised her head and nodded to the nearest weretiger. “Three of the cubs are hiding.”
While Mikaela gave the order, Awai heard a soft sound behind her, and then hard leather pressed into her hand. The moment she gripped it, Awai knew it was her whip. Johanna had brought it to her.
Awai reached for the memory of her subspace experiences, the many times she had diverted her mind to delay orgasm. Maintaining a firm grip on the present, she let her mind go as blank as possible to keep
Mikaela from reading her thoughts and finding out that Johanna had brought the whip.
Awai gripped the handle tight behind her, hoping Mikaela and the other weretigers hadn’t noticed. “Please let the children go.”
Mikaela turned her red gaze back to Awai. “Don’t you understand? This is what we’ve been waiting for. A chance to end the Tarok way of life. To cut my brothers to the quick by destroying all that they hold dear. If we tear out their hearts, tearing off their heads won’t be far behind.”
Awai heard the words, but something wasn’t registering. Why was Mikaela talking? Why didn’t she attack? It was as if she was holding something back—struggling against a part of herself. And there was something more. Awai felt a distinctly male presence, yet Mikaela was clearly a woman, and she was Ty’s sister.
Her dreams of late merged with the moment, making everything seem so surreal. A white tiger cloaked in black. A white tiger at the end of a tunnel. A white tiger swept into an abyss.
The woman straightened, her red gaze focusing on Awai. “You are different from the other females,” Mikaela said. “Stronger. Perhaps you will be kept and taken to Malachad once everyone else has been destroyed.”
Awai clenched the handle of her whip tighter. “Why?”
“Because it pleases—” Mikaela faltered as if struggling to form her thoughts. “It pleases me.”
Mikaela turned toward the tigers guarding the children. Awai was tempted to use her whip to rip Mikaela’s own whip from her hand. But what if the other tigers attacked the children?
The woman’s voice grew deep, almost like a man’s. “Prepare to rid Tarok of its heirs.”
The tigers shifted into men and women, clothed in black and each unsheathing daggers that gleamed ominously in the sunshine.
The children huddled in the center of the orchard, their small faces full of fear.
Kept by Seduction Page 16
