Tiger's Strength

by Kimberly A Rogers

  I turned my snarl into a grimace since I could not completely vanquish it. “She has deserved far better treatment than she’s received so far.”

  “You are correct.” Roderick’s ready agreement did not do anything for my temper as he continued, “However, Venetia is not going to let go of the testing period easily. It is a tradition, after all, and one might say that you cheated in not bringing Raina to be tested before you married her.”

  I refused to comment on the matter. The testing period was an old tradition. One that had died out amongst most of the Clans except for Clan Felidae, and only the Tiger and Lion branches truly adhered to it much. Even that varied by the family. Testing my mate’s suitability after I had already been married to her for a year was foolishness. It was merely a flimsy excuse for Venetia’s poor treatment of her.

  The Tiger stirred, and I barely kept from snarling as the memories of how Venetia had gone out of her way to slight my mate rose to the fore. I needed to change the subject before it grated too much on my temper for me to remain calm and objective. I shifted in my seat as I looked out at the snowy woods. “What Shadowed Creatures have you had in the past?”

  ΘΘΘΘΘΘ

  Chapter Thirteen

  Raina

  I picked at the bandages around my hand as I listened to the Eastern Seaboard commanders arguing. Once again, Jason was getting his whiskers in a knot over territory and demanding everyone apply for permission to cross into D.C., and I suppressed a sigh along with the urge to make a comment about the Jackal’s ridiculous paranoia toward his fellow commanders. Saying anything at this point would only get me in trouble with Matahari, and I did not want to earn her wrath over the holiday season. Or any season for that matter. A glance at the wall clock attested to the fact that I had been trapped in phone calls all morning. My stomach growled. I wondered why the TDS wasn’t already making his way in with lunch. He would be almost as welcome as the food.

  I rolled my eyes as Matahari finally silenced the arguing. The Tigress’ business-like tone never varied as she addressed the conference call. “I am aware that this crisis has not fallen at a convenient time. A number of you are away from your territories. However, the commanders closest to the known site of disaster were either already there or cut their holiday short in order to respond. For which I wish to thank you. I know it is difficult to leave your families at such a time. Now for those of you who are unable to return to your commands, ensure your people are prepared should the clutch breach containment or, Creator forbid, another clutch be discovered.”

  The call finally concluded, but I still couldn’t escape for lunch. I had one more call of my own to make. As soon as the call went through, I started talking. “Omar, you are aware of the news announcement this morning?”

  “Yes, Commander. I was expecting you to pull up, not call.”

  I rolled my eyes. The Wolverine was never one to mince words when he had an opinion. “Well, I would but I’m in Maine, the practically Canada part of Maine to be exact. I’ve been in contact with Matahari. At the moment, the Eastern Seaboard Trackers are tasked with preparing for a containment breach. This takes priority over any and all other assignments or warrants. We, on the other hand, have the additional assignment of ensuring that we don’t have a vigilante problem cropping up because of everyone’s not so favorite senator. Stopping potential vigilantes and the Vampyre task force trump everything. I don’t have a private mez I can use to make the appropriate calls, so guess what?”

  Omar heaved a put upon sigh. “Can’t Lena do it? The Vulpine loves small talk.”

  Wolverines. They could be worse than Tigers when it came to being stubborn, which was why he was in my field office and not someone else’s. I kept my tone light as I countered, “I don’t need the small talk approach. I need the Omar approach.”

  There was a pause, then the Wolverine chuckled. “I understand, Commander. You want me to go after the usual favorites?”

  “Them. But, I also want you to add a couple new names. The ones I usually handle. This is too important to not check with them as well. You know where to find the list?”

  “Yes, Commander, in your desk. Under all the mess.”

  Another similarity Omar shared with my Tiger. Unnecessary complaints on my organized chaos method of record keeping. “Don’t bump anything this time. It took me a month to fix my system after the last time.”

  “Of course not, Commander.”

  A slight feeling of relief filled me. Maybe I could make it through this holiday unscathed after all. “Thanks for the help, Omar. Oh and happy Thanksgiving eve.”

  “That’s not a real thing,” came the gruff mutter before he hung up on me without so much as a goodbye.

  I smiled as I lowered the phone. What the Wolverine lacked in manners, he more than made up for when it came to making some of our informants talk. Omar’s tenacity certainly did a credit to Wolverines everywhere. Loved my people . . . well, except maybe the new kid because I was still hoping to send him to a different commander. Maybe Jason. Wouldn’t that Jackal just love having a Jaguar on his team?

  For a brief moment, I imagined the conniption Jason would have if I sent the new kid to him. Almost immediately I shook my head. Nah, that was a little too evil. Even for the tin soldier who somehow fell in with the Trackers. Dismissing the idea, I turned to go find my Tiger only to stop in my tracks. All amusement fled as the Leopard in me tried to bare her fangs in a warning hiss. But, I kept my cool as I met the interloper’s golden gaze. “Celeste, did you get lost?”

  The Tigress actually had the audacity to peer down her nose at me like I was the intruder. “No, but I was wondering where Baran has gone. I would ask you if you knew, but it is clear that the two of you only exchange information when dictated.” She made a show of looking around the room and then added with a saccharine smile that never reached her eyes, “You are not packed.”

  I spread my hands wide. “Imagine that.”

  The Tigress peeked out at me, turning golden eyes predatory, as she purred, “You are not wanted and you spent so much time hiding, I thought you were perhaps summoned away as well. That should have been a reason to pack your bags, if the one were not enough.”

  “I work with competent people, babysitting isn’t required.” I flashed an insincere smile at her. “Of course, you know what that means. Baran and I can stay the holiday just as we planned. Wonderful, isn’t it?”

  She didn’t even do me the courtesy of looking in my general direction as she stalked over to the dresser and picked up my perfume bottle. I resisted listening to the Leopard’s instinct that we should take some good sized bites out of her pelt to prove we weren’t to be dismissed. Baran needed me to be better than a petty catfight. No matter how much temporary satisfaction it would bring to knock the Tigress off her high horse. Celeste spritzed my perfume into the air, releasing the scent of cinnamon and vanilla, and gave a delicate sneeze. Oh, please.

  Still I kept my expression pleasant instead of rolling my eyes or snarling as she waved her hand through the air. She wasn’t nearly as courteous as she wrinkled her nose. “Cinnamon is such a strong spice; I can hardly imagine how anyone around you tolerates it. Of course, such strength must no doubt be required to conceal the stench of your blood.”

  Again with the blood insults. Ugh. I would ask her for a little more originality, but it would probably be too much of a strain. I smiled at her. “Baran likes it just fine. He’s allergic to most of the stronger flower scents . . . such as orchids. Something you already know of course. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have switched from orchid to apple blossoms.” I showed her my teeth as I added, “Although I don’t think apple blossoms really suit you. Moly might help, though.”

  The Tigress’ pale skin flushed and her Beast ghosted over her face. I pretended not to notice her reaction. After all, moly was used in wards for a reason. To repel. I walked toward her to carefully herd her toward the door. “Now, I wouldn’t want to keep you from anything important. Ho
wever, I would caution you against hunting those who have already been claimed.”

  Celeste sniffed, her ruffled composure smoothing before my eyes, as she reached up to touch her dyed platinum blonde hair. When she finally deigned to look at me, her lips barely turned up. “Mmm, one should remember that men claimed through their sense of duty rarely tolerate the net for long before they find a way to slip free. I would have thought that last night’s encounter more than sufficiently proved that fact to even one as young and inexperienced as you.”

  I ignored the jab. “Like I said, wouldn’t want you to miss anything important. I hear that keeping to a routine can help with the feelings of desperation.”

  What can I say? I said I was going to ignore her jab, never said I wouldn’t make one of my own. Certain Therians required the sharper side of the tongue to get the message.

  And, based on the way she glared at me, Celeste understood that side of my tongue just fine. She flounced through the door, which I resisted slamming in her wake. Instead, I calmly and gently closed it behind me as I went in search of lunch. And, my Tiger.

  ΘΘΘΘΘΘ

  Chapter Fourteen

  Baran

  The reeves were stationed on the border of Allagash. A nondescript building that was no doubt reinforced with thick plates of steel between the walls as security measures against Therians, in particular. Roderick and I were met at the door by a nervous smelling Jackal. He ran a thin hand over his shaved head as we walked down the hall. “Thank you for coming, Magistrate.” Golden eyes flicked to me and then he added, “I didn’t know you were bringing a visitor.”

  “This is General Baran from the Shenandoah outpost. My step-son. He agreed to accompany me after you called.” Roderick nodded to the Jackal. “So tell me, Paul. Why did you call me down here?”

  A whining cackle escaped the man. Nervousness rolled off him in a cloud that nearly made me choke. I growled softly. “You’re not answering. What did you find? Wendigo? Victim of a Wendigo? Or did you call us down here as part of some ploy?”

  “What? No!” The man rubbed the back of his neck even as he edged away from me, hiding behind Roderick. “No, it is not a ploy. It is merely . . .” He trailed off, shaking his head. “This body is . . . It is wrong.”

  I exchanged a look with Roderick. A sense of dread settled over me. Roderick seemed to feel the same as he took the Jackal by the upper arm and propelled him forward. “Show us. Now.”

  We walked down three flights of stairs before emerging into a hall that led to a sealed room. The air was cooler in that room, and I could smell sterile medical equipment, cleansers, and the lingering stench of death. The coroner, a nervous looking Tigress, was standing back from the only covered table. The only one with a body. She only moved toward the table when Roderick demanded once more to see the body. She reached out with trembling hands to pull down the sheet.

  I almost stepped back at the sight before me. The body was desiccated. A Therian in partial half-form, his head that of a cougar but the rest of him human. His mouth was open in a snarl. I had not known it was even possible for Therians to be killed in such a way that their other forms were preserved over the natural mortal form. The only time I witnessed such a freezing was in February when the failed assassin was taken through the veil around Isamnion. Never before or since that time, and never outside of the protection of Elfhome.

  I cleared my throat. “Who is he?”

  “We do not know,” Paul said quietly. “We believe he is a loner. There are no missing men from the local area, none matching his description at least.”

  I realized something was missing from the assorted scents in the room. But that should have been impossible unless . . . I stepped up to the table and leaned over the body, inhaling carefully. I snarled instinctively at the abnormal lack of scent. I had heard of it, read about it in the histories, stories that one’s scent could be stolen. It didn’t seem likely that a loner had easy access to the herbal mix the Fringe had gained access to that vanished a person’s scent or changed a Therian’s scent into that of a human. It was too far and too random to believe. However, the stories attested to one other possibility. “Did you find bite marks?”

  “At his neck and wrists,” the coroner answered softly. “I had to contact my mentor to confirm, but this attack can only have been committed by one creature. A Vampyre.”

  “When did you find him? Where?”

  “Four hours past,” Paul answered. He turned to Roderick and added, “It took nearly two hours to get the body out of the isolated patch of wilderness where my man found him and to bring it here without gaining any unwanted attention.”

  I suppressed a growl. Depending on the dump site’s location, the Vampyre could still be hiding near Allagash or . . . closing in on Frost family territory. “Show us where the body was found.”

  ΘΘΘΘΘΘ

  Raina

  The TDS had disappeared on me. Again. Since Roderick was also gone along with a vehicle, I was torn between hoping the two were together and really really hoping that Baran wasn’t doing anything . . . mean. Because it actually hadn’t escaped my notice that Baran seemed torn between ignoring Roderick’s existence and a lot of simmering resentment mixed with disapproval. Of course, the TDS would argue that he would never do anything mean because it wasn’t in keeping with the Therian Way.

  As much as Baran’s strict adherence to all the rules sometimes rubbed my fur the wrong way, I had to admit that knowing how he felt about the Way meant I could worry a little less about him getting into trouble. No, wait, I should take that back. I don’t worry about the trouble he lands in because he’s doing something wrong. I worry about the trouble he could land in because he expects everyone around him to strive to adhere to the Way just as much as he does. People who don’t meet his expectations and who aren’t Fringe don’t seem to compute well with Baran’s brain, which was part of the reason we had so much trouble getting along the right way in the beginning of our marriage.

  The whiff of Tiger mixed with perfumes drew me from my thoughts, and I grimaced. Celeste and Venetia. I didn’t wait for the Tigresses to notice me. Instead, I spun on my heel and hurried away as fast as I could without making a sound. Thank the Creator that Elf-born were even lighter on their feet than pureblood Therians . . . well, this Elf-born was anyway.

  Escaping outside, I blew out a white cloud and rubbed my arms. It was probably a good thing that Baran wasn’t here because he would have fussed at me for not grabbing a coat before going outside. Refusing to be forced back inside by something as silly as slightly cooler temperatures, I picked my way down the shoveled path leading to the garage. I heard metal clinking against metal as I peeked inside the slightly open door. Madoc was crouched next to a motorcycle, tinkering with it.

  I slipped into the garage and asked, “Trying to convert it into a snowmobile?”

  A soft chuckle answered. Madoc glanced over his shoulder and flashed a winning smile. “No need since we have those too, little Leopard. You know, for the times when we can’t or don’t want to wander through the woods in our Beast forms.” The smile turned into a smirk as he added, “Tigers aren’t exactly the local fauna for the forests of Maine, you know.”

  I grinned back at him, once more struck by the thought that Madoc and my brothers were very similar. Even if he was more reckless . . . I liked him in spite of himself. The Tiger stood up and then carefully covered the motorcycle back up before he strode to the far corner of the garage where a line of snowmobiles sat. He gestured to them with a careless flip of the wrist as he turned golden eyes on me. “So, sister, do you want to see something a little more interesting than this oversized chalet?”

  I hesitated only a moment before nodding. “All right. Let me grab my coat, and we can go see this fascinating whatever it is.”

  Madoc chuckled. “I’ll start the engine.”

  Sometimes the best way to figure out your enemy was to make friends with their friends. Not that I considered my mother
-in-law the enemy . . . not really. I was trying to win her over, after all, and making friends with Madoc would probably give me more of a fighting chance to win Venetia’s approval. Or at least make it where she didn’t completely hate me.

  Bundled in my good grey wool coat, I hurried back out of the lodge to find Madoc already sitting on a snowmobile, engine idling. He handed me a helmet with goggles. “Ready?”

  “Of course,” I chirped. “How far are we going?” I asked as I settled behind him.

  “I promise we won’t sneak across the border.”

  Madoc didn’t say anything else as we pulled away from the driveway. We left the road behind in favor of a smaller trail with a fresh layer of powdered snow dusting the packed down snow. After roughly twenty minutes, Madoc stopped the snowmobile. He turned off the engine and hopped off the machine. Yanking his helmet off, he grinned at me with a challenge gleaming in his eyes. “Keep up if you can, little Leopard.”

  I pulled off my helmet as my brother-in-law shifted into a Tiger. He wasn’t as large as Baran, definitely more along the size of a modern Bengal Tiger than Baran’s more ancient line produced. The tip of his tail twitched as his golden eyes gleamed up at her. “Well? Come on and try to keep up.”

  Definitely reminded me of my brothers. I laughed softly as I got off the snowmobile. My Leopard stirred at the challenge the Tiger issued. I took a step toward him intending to transform into my Beast mid-leap. Yes, I know showing off. Sometimes it was necessary to keep Tigers from carrying too high an opinion of themselves.

  Then a group of Therians in half-form broke through the brush not thirty yards from our position. Two Tigers along with several Cougars. The wind was blowing in the wrong direction for me to pick out their scents easily, but Madoc shifted back into his mortal form as soon as they appeared. He stood slightly in front of me, and I caught a hint of unease in his scent before it vanished as he spoke. “Charlie, Simon, what are you doing here? You’re in House Frost’s territory, you know.”