Tiger Striped

by Jennifer Ashley

  “She’ll pick her own,” Carly said. “But no rush.”

  Walker slid into the driver’s seat and shut the door, fitting his key into the ignition.

  “Is this yours?” Carly asked in surprise. “I’ve never seen you drive it before.”

  “I use it for some ops,” Walker answered as he adjusted the rearview mirror.

  “How did you even know where to find us?” Carly continued. “Though I’m really glad you did.”

  Dylan, who’d approached Walker’s window, answered her. “I have a GPS tracker on my truck. For when Connor decides to borrow it without asking.”

  Connor didn’t look abashed. “Good thing, huh?”

  The soldiers who’d guarded the tiger-girl were starting down the hill. They stayed behind Walker’s men for now, but Carly bounced on her seat, worried.

  “Can we get going, Walker, honey?” she asked.

  Tiger-girl raised her head, catching Carly’s anxiousness. She saw the men coming, and her eyes widened with fear. “Apúrate!” she shouted and then sent a string of words Carly didn’t know at Walker.

  “Well, shite,” Connor said, his jaw slack. “She can talk.”

  The tiger-girl waved her hand at Walker, becoming more and more agitated as words came out of her mouth.

  “Spanish,” Carly said as Walker unhurriedly pulled out and headed back to the paved road. “Duh. Why were we thinking she’d only speak English?”

  Tiger shrugged. “Because I do?”

  “Makes sense though.” Carly buckled her seatbelt. She contemplated explaining seat belts to the tiger-girl but gave up as the young woman sank into Tiger and closed her eyes. “Someone must have been feeding her and looking after her. If those people spoke Spanish, she’d have picked it up from them. All kids learn languages from listening to adults. If her caretakers had spoken Norwegian, she’d have learned Norwegian.”

  Carly felt rather proud of herself for the deduction. Connor beamed at her then swung around in his seat as Walker drove down the hill.

  They passed Tyson’s DPS car in which he’d driven Carly, then Dylan’s truck not far behind it. Carly hoped Kirk would look after Tyson and that he wouldn’t get into too much trouble. He was a nice guy.

  Tiger began murmuring to the tiger-girl in Spanish. Carly spoke only a few words of that language, but Tiger adapted to languages faster than fast. If the young woman had spoken Icelandic, he’d even now be telling her everything would be all right in Icelandic.

  The tiger-girl relaxed against him, and Carly started to relax as well, Tiger’s voice soothing.

  The long night, Carly’s worry, shock, and fear, and the amazement and emotion of finding the tiger-girl crashed into her all at once. She still wasn’t sure who all the soldiers had been or how they’d be taken care of, but she’d let Dylan and Sons fix all that. It was what they did. Right now, Walker was taking her, Tiger, Connor and the tiger-girl home.

  Home—to Seth and the place Carly was happy.

  To her mate’s voice and presence and the SUV’s smooth movement on the winding roads, Carly fell asleep.

  Chapter Ten

  When Carly woke it was daybreak. She pulled herself up from where she’d slumped against Tiger to see that they’d slowed to drive through Austin’s roads.

  Tiger was dressed, wearing sweat pants and a T-shirt. Carly had no memory of him pulling on clothes, but she’d slept pretty hard, dreaming of tigers and cubs.

  Tiger’s daughter sat beside him, staring out at the passing city in both trepidation and curiosity.

  The smell in the SUV wasn’t good. The tiger-girl hadn’t bathed since who the hell knew when, and the rest of them were getting rank as well. Carly tried to breathe through her mouth and anticipated a nice long bath with all her scented salts dumped in.

  She’d show tiger-girl—they really needed to find out her name—what a great thing a sweet-smelling shower gel was, as well as lots of shampoo, conditioner, and maybe some restoring hair oils. That is, if they didn’t have to cut her hair off and start again. Carly wondered how tiger-girl was going to feel about that.

  Tiger’s daughter. Carly shivered, but in a good way. Since Carly was Tiger’s mate, the girl would be her stepdaughter. So what if she and the young woman were about the same age? Tiger was, strictly speaking, a lot older than Carly, as Shifters aged differently from humans. The tiger-girl would still be considered very young, a cub going through her Transition, the Shifter equivalent of puberty. Poor kid.

  Walker, who looked as fresh and alert as he had when he’d entered the tiger-girl’s prison, turned onto Shiftertown’s main street.

  The fact that all Shiftertowns were a hotbed of gossip was made clear by the fact that, despite the early hour, every Shifter was outside, on porches, in yards, and on sidewalks, to watch Walker drive by, followed by Dylan and his sons in his white pickup.

  The SUV’s windows were darkened, but that didn’t stop every Shifter and the few humans who lived here from trying to peer inside. Carly saw Ronan holding up the polar bear cub, Olaf, so he could see over everyone else’s head.

  The tiger-girl stared out the window, hand against the glass. Her expression moved from fear, to eagerness, to fear again.

  But she had courage. She’d been through hell, yet she’d decided to trust Tiger, and by extension Carly and Connor.

  When the SUV pulled into the driveway of Liam’s house, however, the tiger-girl’s panic returned. Riding in a vehicle was one thing—she must have done this before, though perhaps not without being caged or chained. It wasn’t the journey that had been bad for her, Carly realized, but the arrival at a new place, a new prison. She must be wondering what hellhole she’d be put into this time.

  Connor hopped to the ground, coming around to open the back door from the outside. He handed Carly down, and then Tiger began to lift his daughter out.

  Abruptly the tiger-girl shifted to her half-beast and fought him. Her keening pierced the fog in Carly’s head, and Connor clapped his hands over his ears.

  Walker simply got out of the SUV and stood next to it, hands in an at-ease position. No help at all.

  “It’s all right, sweetie,” Carly yelled over the noise. “Um… está bien.” She hoped that was right.

  The tiger-girl clung to Tiger, her shrieks not decreasing in spite of Tiger speaking rapidly to her in Spanish.

  Carly shook her head. “She’ll have to learn we won’t hurt her. Just don’t let any of the Shifters tell you she should be locked up for her own good or something dumb-ass like that.”

  Tiger shot her a look over his struggling daughter’s head. She saw in his eyes profound appreciation, gratitude for her understanding, and love.

  Carly warmed under his gaze. She knew Tiger would never be able to express all he wanted to in words, so she simply smiled at him. “That’s what mates are for, honey. Oh, it sounds like Seth is awake.”

  A cry came from the house, more of a bellow, really. Seth was a strong little boy, and he’d learned from day one how to use his lungs.

  He was no doubt pissed off that he’d been left behind while Carly and Tiger ran off to have exciting adventures. Seth was only four months old, but he already knew how to make his feelings known. His yellow-eyed glare said it all.

  He could also break into a huge smile and let out a baby squeal that pierced eardrums. Carly couldn’t be prouder.

  “Coming, my bundle of joy,” she called up to the front door Kim had opened. Kim stepped out, holding a squirming and howling Seth. Carly’s heart lightened as she dashed up the porch steps and swept her son into her arms.

  Seth immediately quieted, except for a little “Bah!” as Carly held him close. She kissed his downy black and orange hair, her eyes growing moist in gratitude for this little gift.

  She noticed it had gone silent behind her. The tiger-girl was standing beside Tiger, staring at Seth, no longer fighting. Her lips parted in wonder.

  Connor, on the other hand, had his gaze on the tiger-girl. No
one else was looking at him, so Carly caught him in an unguarded moment.

  Hmm, Carly thought in immediate interest. She’s just starting her Transition, and his isn’t far behind. Well, well. We shall see.

  Carly held up Seth so the tiger-girl could see him. “Come on over here, sweetie, and meet your brother. Your, uh, hermano.”

  The tiger-girl blinked at the word, her stunned gaze still fixed on Seth. After a moment, she moved forward, very slowly, Tiger beside her. Carly jounced Seth, letting the tiger-girl see him while still protecting him.

  The tiger-girl took the first step up the porch, then the next, and the next, halting when she reached Carly and Seth. The morning breeze swept away her raw scent, and her agitated breath was ragged in the stillness.

  She stared down at Seth for a long time, then she reached out a careful finger and brushed a lock of his tiger-striped hair.

  “Hermano?” she whispered.

  “Yep,” Carly said, her voice quiet. “Brother.”

  Seth reached both tiny hands to the tiger-girl, burst into a big grin, and said, “Wheeezzthp!”

  Tiger-girl’s voice went even softer. “Hermana,” she said to Seth. Then her face screwed up, and she burst into tears.

  After dark that night, Tiger gazed down at his daughter where she slept in the bedroom that had been Sean Morrissey’s once up on a time.

  She was clean, bathed by Carly in a ceremony that had seemed to last a very long time and consisted of splashing, shrieks, laughter, crying, and more laughter. Carly hadn’t let Tiger into the bathroom, so he’d hovered worriedly outside it, joined by Connor, who looked equally as concerned.

  When the two women had emerged, both had been soaked, but the tiger-girl had been dressed in a thick robe, her hair clean if not completely untangled. Tiger remembered how awful his own hair had been after his captivity—Liam had handed him a full bottle of shampoo and told him to use all of it.

  Carly had been very wet, but her look was one of triumph and pride. Tiger’s daughter had valiantly stayed awake to be dressed in clothes borrowed from Sean’s mate Andrea, who was about the same size, and then they’d gone downstairs to eat. Tiger-girl had grabbed everything with her hands and stuffed it into her mouth, eating whatever she could reach. Kim and Liam looked worried, but Carly had only smiled and said they needed patience.

  The tiger-girl had fallen asleep once she’d finished eating, climbing out of the chair they’d had to show her how to use, and lying down on the floor. Tiger had lifted her and carried her to bed.

  “My cub,” he whispered.

  All those years ago, he’d thought he’d lost her. The pain of that had been unbearable.

  Now she was here, in his house, well out of reach of the soldiers and researchers who’d held her captive. She’d told him bits and pieces on the way home, but while she could speak, the number of words she knew was limited and she didn’t know how to explain things. Plus, as Tiger remembered from his own long captivity, it was likely she didn’t know who the people who’d held her were and what all they’d done to her.

  Tiger would find out. He’d hunt down her captors her and explain a few things to them.

  Walker had already told him some of it. The soldiers guarding his daughter had been tasked with keeping her hidden at all costs, especially from Tiger. Tiger needed to ferret out the details, but apparently the researchers who had taken his cub from the Area 51 compound so many years ago had been studying her and trying to decide how to make a weapon of her ever since.

  A few soldiers had been watching Shiftertown since Tiger had come here, keeping an eye on him. Their watchfulness had increased as soon as the tiger-girl had gone into her Transition. The watchers had seen Tiger leaving Shiftertown and had followed, calling ahead to the men already at the compound, and putting backup on standby.

  Walker thought they might be a secret branch of Shifter Bureau—kind of a dark ops troop, but he wasn’t sure. He and Dylan were digging to find out.

  Dylan’s trackers had alerted him that something was going on when they saw Tiger followed from the outskirts of Shiftertown. Dylan turned on the tracker for his pickup and called Walker, saying Tiger was going to need backup. It had taken Walker an hour or so to put together a rescue mission, and they’d headed out after Tiger.

  Tiger was sure that his daughter’s budding Transition had triggered the search-and-rescue instinct in his brain. He’d never felt a pull so strongly before, one it would have killed him to ignore.

  The compulsion made sense now. His cub had been calling out to her father, and the father in Tiger had responded.

  He’d deal with those who’d kept her from him. Meanwhile, he’d make his daughter part of the family, teach her, raise her, help her through her Transition. For now, she was here, and safe, and that was enough.

  He sensed Carly approach before she slid her hand into his. “She’s beautiful, Tiger.”

  She was. Tiger had a son and now a daughter, and the mate of his heart stood by his side. No one in the world could be as lucky.

  “We’ll take care of her,” Carly said.

  Unnecessary words. Of course they’d take care of her. But Carly liked to spell everything out. She liked to talk, and Tiger enjoyed listening to her. Carly’s voice could take him out of the pain that had once surrounded him, giving him peace, happiness.

  “Come on to bed,” she said, her touch sending warmth through him. “I finally got Seth down. I know he’s probably too young to understand what’s going on, but I think he does anyway. You saw how he liked her right away. He doesn’t usually respond to people that quickly.”

  “He knows,” Tiger said, sure of it.

  Carly tugged at him. “Kim and Liam said they’d check on her. And Connor. Connor seems very taken with her.” She grinned as though delighted about something.

  Yes, Connor had been helpful, Tiger thought, turning away with Carly. And his daughter had responded to Connor, far more easily than she had to anyone else except him and Carly.

  Tiger halted, his eyes narrowing, and he let out a growl.

  Carly laughed, the sound quiet. “We can worry about that later. For now, let’s go sleep in a soft bed and cuddle up.”

  Tiger agreed. There’d be time, lots of time, if Tiger had anything to say about it.

  He kept hold of Carly’s hand and let her tow him up the stairs. They went to the bedroom they shared at the top of the house, moonlight filling the room. The door to the cubbyhole where Seth slept was closed, but Tiger knew his son was there and well, even without the baby monitor Carly kept on the dresser, knew every intake of his breath.

  Carly stretched and moved toward the bed, letting her robe fall as she went. She wore one of the very short, flimsy nighties she liked. They were so thin Tiger wondered why she bothered with them at all.

  Not that Tiger minded seeing her curved body pressing the wispy fabric. His heart beat faster, and he closed the door.

  “Carly,” he said.

  She turned. “Hmm?”

  “I love you.”

  Carly had been at his side every step of the way on this journey, had helped him find his cub, had helped save her. All without a word of complaint.

  More than that, she was simply Carly, the beautiful woman who’d made him whole again.

  Carly smiled. “I love you too, big guy. You know that.”

  Knowing and hearing her say it were two different things. Tiger loved how the words sounded as they came out of her mouth.

  In another moment he was kissing the lips that formed the words, his hands finding the warm flesh beneath the gauzy fabric. Carly laughed into his kiss, gathering him close as they went down on the bed.

  Tiger’s hands made short work of the nighty, and then he was coming down on her, Carly welcoming him.

  “Love you so much,” he said as he slid inside her, her face softening as she began to feel him.

  “Love you.” Carly’s words became a groan. She cupped his face and looked straight into his eye
s as he rocked into her for his first thrust. “Mate of my heart.”

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for reading! I originally wrote Tiger Striped to be included in a boxed set with about 30 other authors, but the set was cancelled right when I was ready to turn in the story. Oh well, I said, and sent it off for another proofread in preparation to release it myself.

  Events in Tiger Striped occur after Midnight Wolf, which is Book 11 of the full-length Shifters Unbound novels (or entry #20 if we count everything in the series).

  Shifters Unbound will continue! I am publishing the full-length books myself now, and they will be available in print (online and special order in bookstores), e-book (from all booksellers), and in audio (Audible and iTunes).

  I have more to say about this world, and many characters who need stories, including Ben; Peigi and Reid; the bear Shifters of Las Vegas and North Carolina (see Mate Bond); Connor of course; and many others, plus I’d like to do a full-length book about Dylan.

  You can stay up to date about the series by signing up for my newsletter (if you have not already), via my website:

  http://www.jenniferashley.com

  Enter your name and email address in the form at the top, and you’ll receive the email when books are ready for pre-order or have been released.

  Thank you for being a Shifters Unbound fan. We have more to do before we’re done!

  All my best,

  Jennifer Ashley

  Also by Jennifer Ashley

  Shifters Unbound

  (Paranormal Romance)

  Pride Mates

  Primal Bonds

  Bodyguard

  Wild Cat

  Hard Mated

  Mate Claimed

  “Perfect Mate” (novella)

  Lone Wolf

  Tiger Magic

  Feral Heat

  Wild Wolf

  Bear Attraction

  Mate Bond

  Lion Eyes