A Twitch of Tail (13 page)

“Very,” she said.

By the time Melo was able to shift back into his human form, Tera had fallen asleep.  Tahlon picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.  Melo shifted and stretched.  He had enjoyed Tera feeling comfortable enough with him in his shifted form to fall asleep on top of him.  He felt closer to her now and was thankful he had been there for her.

Tossing his shredded clothes, he cleaned up the dinner dishes and joined his brother and their mate in bed.  Tahlon had stripped Tera and tucked her in, lying on his back with her head on his shoulder.  Melo stretched out next to Tera and put his hand on her waist, closing his eyes.  Tomorrow they would join together officially, but it was just a ceremony.  She was already their mate and they were hers.  Nothing on earth would destroy what they had between them, and he would spend the rest of his life keeping her safe and happy, because she was everything to him.

Chapter 10

Mari knocked on the front door at three Saturday afternoon, along with four other tigresses.  Melo and Tahlon had come home from work early and taken her to lunch and then disappeared to get ready for the party.

“Hi Mari!”  Tera held open the front door as Mari and the other tigresses came inside.

“Hi Tera.  You remember Kaya, and this is Gina, Lacey, and Paige.”

Tera greeted the tigresses as she shut the front door.

Mari said, “First things first, let’s go to your bedroom and get set up.”

Tera led them back to the guest bedroom.  Tahlon and Melo had told her that the master bedroom was off-limits until they returned from the ceremony.  They’d done something inside the room, but she didn’t have a clue what it was.  They’d locked the door and taken the little key with them.

The two spare bedrooms in the home shared a bathroom between them, and Tera walked into the one with a bed and sat down.  The other room held weight lifting equipment.

“Did you shower and wash your hair today?” Mari asked as she and the tigresses put down the things they’d been carrying on the bed.

“Yeah,” Tera said with a laugh.  “Do I smell bad?”

Mari chuckled, shaking her head.  “Not at all.  Part of preparing you for the ceremony involves you bathing in oil made from pressed flowers.  It’s hell on hair, so if you hadn’t showered yet, I would have recommended you do that first and wash your hair with your own shampoo.”

“Okay.”  Tera followed Mari into the bathroom and turned on the tub, closing the drain when the water was warm enough so that it began to fill.

Mari held a glass vial that was filled with orange-tinted liquid.  She pulled the cork stopper from it and held it under Tera’s nose for a moment so she could smell it.

“Oh, that’s nice.  What kind of flowers?”

She turned the vial over into the tub and said, “It’s said that were-tigers originated in Indonesia.  So when tigers join together, they want their mates to smell of their homeland.  This is oil made from the Moon Orchid.”

Mari urged Tera to take a long soak in the tub while she and the other women prepared her dress and accessories for her.  When the bathroom door shut, Tera stripped and tested the water with her toe, finding it comfortably warm.  Turning off the faucet, she stepped into the tub and settled down.  The small bathroom filled with steam and the delicious scent of orchids.  Pulling a washcloth from the rung, she wet it thoroughly and began to press it against her face and neck, making sure the oil-scented water covered her body.  When she was done, she placed the cloth on the back of the tub and lay against it so the cool tile didn’t chill her skin.

Just as she felt herself begin to doze off, Mari opened the door and said, “Tera, we’re ready for you.”

“Thanks, Mari.”  Tera pulled the plug and stood up, reaching for the towel folded on the toilet seat and patting her body dry.  As she wrapped the towel around her body, she moved into the bedroom.

The women stood by the bed.  A pale lavender gown had been laid on the surface.

Mari helped her step into the satin dress, which gathered at the shoulders and fell to her feet.  Kaya climbed up onto the bed and patted the space in front of her at the end.  Tera sat down, and Kaya began to brush her hair, pinning it up into a simple twist.  Paige knelt down with a pair of white sandals, slipping them onto Tera’s feet and buckling them.

Lacey attached two golden cuffs to Tera’s upper arms.  They were etched with symbols Tera didn’t recognize.  Lacey explained, “These are passed down to the females in this ambush from the last mated female to the next.  I was mated last, just a few weeks ago, in fact, and it’s my honor to give them to you.  You’ll give these cuffs to the next female to mate in the ambush.  They’re inscribed with symbols that wish you a long and happy life with your mates.”

Gina handed Tera a bouquet of orchids tied with white ribbon.  “The color of the orchids represents our hope for your mating.  Blue for peace.  White for honesty.  Pink for happiness.  And purple for passion.”

Mari snorted good-naturedly.  “With two mates, passion will always be in supply in this home.”

Gina fanned herself in exaggeration.  “You’ll melt from the inside out, Tera.”

Tera blushed and laughed.  She stood and went to the full-length mirror that hung on the inside of the bathroom door.

The gown clung to her curves.  Her skin glowed, and even the cub collar looked rosier, like a nature-made necklace to celebrate their new life.  She placed a hand across her stomach where her cub lay safe.  “I’m going to go marry your daddies, sweetie,” she whispered.

The women called for her.  She looked in the mirror once more, brushed away a happy tear, and joined her new friends.

Midas stood on the front porch wearing a dress shirt and slacks.  “It’s my honor to escort you to where your mates are waiting, Tera.”

The women said goodbye.  They hurried ahead to where two vehicles were waiting, and climbed into one of the vehicles.

“Thank you, Midas,” she said, smiling up at him.

He opened the door to the remaining vehicle, and Tera sat in the backseat.  In the driver’s seat sat Ren, Kaya’s mate.  He nodded at Tera in the rearview mirror as Midas sat down in the front seat and the car pulled away from the house, heading towards Midas’ home.

When the car parked on the street in front of Midas’ home, Midas opened her door and helped her out, and then he escorted her into the house.  He stopped in the kitchen.  “I’m going to join your mates.  When it’s time for you to come outside, Ren will open the back door and help you down the steps.  It will only be a few minutes.”

She nodded.  When she was alone, she took a few deep breaths to calm her shaking nerves.  Excitement coursed through her.  In a few hours, they would be heading home for their first night as an officially mated group.

The back door slid open, and she walked to it, accepting Ren’s hand as she stepped over the threshold and onto the back porch.  He helped her down the two steps onto the stone pathway, and she lifted her eyes and saw Midas standing between Melo and Tahlon as they waited at the end of the path, underneath an arbor filled with ivy and dotted with tiny orchids.

The ambush was seated in short rows on either side of the pathway, and the moment she took her first step towards her mates, they rose from their chairs and turned to her.  She kept her eyes on her mates as she closed the distance to them.  To her surprise, they wore only dark trousers, their upper bodies left bare.  Around their left biceps was a golden cuff similar to the ones she wore.  They were smiling at her, in the special way that they both did; Melo, with his full lips spread wide and inviting, his blue eyes alight with happiness; Tahlon, with the subtle curve of one side of mouth, his blue eyes darkening with desire.

She stopped, facing Midas, with Melo on her right and Tahlon on her left.  Midas took the bouquet from her and handed it to Mari, and then Melo and Tahlon each took one of her hands.

Midas cleared his throat and called for the ambush to sit down.  “When two male tigers find a mate to share, it’s an event to be celebrated.  The mate, whether she be tiger, human, Wiccan, or any other supernatural being, is to be cherished and protected, by not only her mates, but also by the ambush.  We join together today to celebrate the mating of Melo and Tahlon Thorne to Wysteria Brannick.”

Midas looked at Melo.  “Melo, do you swear on your life that you will protect Tera and the cubs she bears for you with your life?  Do you swear to honor her in all ways and love her until time has reached its end and even into the afterlife?”

Melo met Tera’s eyes as he spoke, “I do.”

Tears pricked at her eyes as Midas turned to Tahlon and repeated the same questions.

Tahlon’s hand squeezed hers tightly as he spoke, “I do.”

Midas said, “Tera, as a cherished mate, do you promise to honor your mates in word and deed, and to love them with your whole heart for the span of your life, even into eternity?”

“I do.”

Midas spoke loudly, “As it is spoken here today, let it remain forever.”

Melo leaned down and kissed Tera, a happy purr in his throat.  When he pulled away, he whispered, “I love you, sweetheart.”

Before she could answer, Tahlon cupped her face and turned her towards him with a possessive growl before he pressed a soft kiss to her mouth.  “I love you, kitta,” he spoke quietly.

“I love you both, too,” she promised, as Tahlon wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb.

Melo tugged her over to the side as Tahlon faced Midas and went to one knee.  Tahlon pledged an oath to Midas and to the ambush, promising to protect and help those who needed it.

“Are there any here who can show just cause why this male cannot become a member of the ambush?  Speak now or remain silent forever,” Midas said to the crowd.

When no one spoke for several moments, Midas smiled.  “Let us welcome our new brother.”  The ambush cheered and clapped, and Tera could tell from the look on Tahlon’s face that he was genuinely happy.

Midas motioned for her and Melo, and they joined Tahlon and Midas. Tahlon and Melo put their arms around her, sandwiching her between them as Midas raised his hands for quiet and then spoke, “It’s an occasion to celebrate when mates come together and when a new tiger joins the ambush.  But today we celebrate a third occasion.  Tera is pregnant with a cub, due in the spring.  Lift your voices and join me in celebrating this wonderful blessing.”

The ambush cheered even louder and Tahlon and Melo both kissed her cheeks.  When the people quieted, Midas dismissed everyone to the banquet.

Picnic tables had been set up nearby, along with tables filled with food.  Melo and Tahlon led her to the head table and encouraged her to sit while they got food for her.  While she waited, the ambush came up to congratulate her, the tigresses hugging and kissing her cheeks, and the males nodding at her with smiles and sweet sentiments.  Mari sat down and hugged her.  “I didn’t notice the cub collar until you were getting dressed, and I thought it was just a flush from the bath.  How exciting for you!  I can’t wait to have a cub of my own, too.”

Melo and Tahlon returned, placing two plates and drinks in front of her.  Her eyes widened at the amount of food they’d picked for her, but her stomach grumbled in approval, and she had a feeling she was going to be eating every bit.  They disappeared again to get their own plates, joining her a few minutes later.  Midas sat on the other side of the table, along with Mari and Manny.  Midas stood up and raised his glass for a toast.

“To new friends, new mates, and cubs…cheers!”

The ambush raised their glasses and toasted them.

After eating her fill of roasted pork, fried chicken, potato salad, and cornbread, she leaned against Melo’s shoulder with a contented sigh.

“Is our cub finally full?” he teased, kissing the top of her head.

“For now.”

“Is his mother happy?” Tahlon asked.

Tera turned her head to look at him.  “Happier than she’s ever been in her life.”

“Good,” Tahlon nodded, smiling.

* * * * *

Although the celebration was going to last into the night, Melo excused them from the remainder of the evening, escorting her home in his car.

They stood on the front porch, and Melo looked down at her.  For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still, and then he lowered his head and kissed her.  In one quick movement, he swept her up into his arms as Tahlon opened the front door, and Melo carried her over the threshold.  Their mouths parted, and he nipped her bottom lip.  “Welcome home, sweetheart.”

Melo carried her down the hallway towards the bedroom and put her down, kissing her once more before stepping away.  Tahlon stepped in front of her, sealing his mouth over hers and kissing her dizzy.  He lifted her into his arms and stepped through the unlocked bedroom door.

Tahlon broke the kiss with a groan and set her on her feet, turning her to face the bed.  Electric candles flickered on every flat surface in the bedroom, filling the room with amber light.  Vines made from ivy and orchids were draped around the room.  Crystal vases filled with different kinds of orchids sat on the nightstands and dresser, filling the room with their sweet, sultry scent.  She knew that they’d done this for her, and it was why she hadn’t been allowed into the room all day.  It was such a sweet surprise.