Tiger Born (6 page)

She jumped at Heath’s voice right behind her and turned coughing. He pounded her back, but she shoved his hand away. “I hardly call one shot and a cosmo heavy drinking. Besides, what I do isn’t your business anymore, is it?”

“Deja.”

She held up a finger. “Don’t. So not in the mood.”

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. While she knew he wanted her physically, his facial expression showed none of the turmoil she suffered, which pissed her off. He was just fine waiting her out thinking she would come running back to him at any second. Well, he could keep on waiting. She wouldn’t go back to him unless he wanted to do some real talking and not give her orders like she was no more than some subordinate.

Joe arrived, and they all sat down at the dinner table. Deja rankled when Heath was assigned a seat next to her, but she didn’t make a fuss. The steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, roasted green beans, and rolls all looked so tasty and smelled wonderful. Large serving dishes meant plenty of food to feed hungry shifters. She decided not to hold the seating arrangements against her hosts as she filled her plate.

“Everything looks amazing, Coreen. You outdid yourself,” Deja commented.

Coreen blushed with pleasure. “Thanks. I do my best. Otherwise, I think these men would kill something in the woods and bring it in here for me to cook.”

Everyone laughed, and Deja shook her head. “Please, that’s if they don’t consume it out in the wild.”

“We are not that bad,” Ward grumbled with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Says the man with food on his plate piled to the ceiling.” Deja smirked at him, and he shrugged without shame.

“So, Deja,” Ward began, “how’s everything going? Are you happy with your position at the post office?”

This time her smile was forced. “It’s going good. I’ve pretty much learned the routine. I wanted to thank you again for putting a good word in for me.”

“You mean demanding Henry hire you,” Coreen corrected and smacked Ward’s hand. “He can be a bully, but I’m sure you’re the best person for the job.”

Doesn’t take much.

“I wanted to ask you about the shifter-human thing, Ward,” Deja said.

“How do you mean?”

She fidgeted in her chair and crossed her legs. Her thigh brushed Heath’s, and she jumped at both the sensation and the arrow of desire that zipped between her legs. Coughing to cover her reaction, she snatched up her napkin and wiped her mouth. “Well, I’m wondering just how many humans there are in Siberia and how often do the shifters bring in whoever they’re dating. I mean, how do you keep our existence a secret? If it’s just a matter of getting some, they should keep it in other towns.”

Joe’s face reddened, but Ward chuckled. “Yes, it’s pretty common knowledge that we have…uh…big appetites in more ways than one. I assure you, the rule is to bring a human into our midst only if the relationship is serious, when they are ready to make the human their mate. I set that back thirty years ago, and it’s kept our secret all this time.”

Deja tapped her lip with her fork. “Uh-huh, something tells me the newest generation isn’t respecting that rule.”

Joe frowned. “What makes you think people aren’t obeying Ward’s law?”

Before she could answer, Heath spoke up. “I’ve observed it myself. I think some of Siberia’s citizens are less selective.”

“It’s a problem,” Deja agreed, annoyed Heath seemed to back up her opinion. “I get the need. No one knows like I do.” Heath stirred in his chair, but she ignored him “I met some ladies in the grocery store the other day, and neither of them recognized me. I don’t think I’m a celebrity or anything, but from what I could tell, at least one of them was pretty new here. One didn’t have that high of an opinion of shifters, which made me wonder what the hell she was doing dating one. Her attitude was not the attitude of a woman in love, who was ready to commit to being with her shifter for life.”

“You would recognize that too, wouldn’t you, Deja?” Heath laid his own fork down and sat back in his chair.

She glared at him. “What are you trying to say?”

He didn’t respond.

She turned back to Ward. “I don’t pretend to have the answers, but I can see the tension. The shifters outnumber the humans here. It seems to me there’s also some type of hierarchy going on, and the humans feel it. They separate themselves even if, like you say, many of them are committed to their shifter partners. As for the shifters, they’re only too happy to let the humans stay to themselves. It isn’t right, and I think you should do something about it, Ward. Before it escalates.”

Ward studied his beer and then downed a few gulps. He set the bottle on the table and sighed. “You have a very intelligent mate, Son.”

She felt rather than saw Heath’s wince, which matched hers.

“I’m going to look into what you’ve said, Deja. And think about ways to improve the situation. Does that meet with your satisfaction?”

The fact that he acted as if he was pacifying her pissed her off. If he were so interested in balance among his people, he should have seen the situation already. Then again, she wondered if he already had. Ward didn’t share everything with Coreen from what the woman told her. He wouldn’t likely tell Deja any more. She already knew Heath kept some of the details of work to himself. “Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks.”

Joe leaned forward on the opposite side of the table. “What are the names of the two women you were talking about—from the store?”

“I didn’t catch their names.” Since one of them was Melanie, she would not say anymore. Let them investigate on their own.

After dinner, Deja helped Coreen clear the table and wash the dishes. She leaned against the kitchen counter drying her hands and listened to the loud voices from the men in the other room as they discussed some type of sporting event.

Coreen smiled. “Let’s get some dessert in to calm them down.”

Deja laughed. “Won’t the sugar just rile them up more?”

“One can only hope it will burn up fast and have them knocked out within the hour.”

“I like the way you think.” Deja set out small bowls to dish ice cream while Coreen cut the homemade chocolate cake. “I don’t know why I didn’t think to ask where the boys are tonight.”

“That’s okay. They should be walking in any moment. They went to McAllen to a soccer game with friends.”

Coreen might as well be a shifter because no sooner had she spoken the words, Deja picked up Aaron’s and Abel’s scents. Seconds later, a vehicle pulled into the drive, and a car door slammed. Deja heard the boys greeting their dad, their brother, and Joe.

“Better set out two more bowls,” Coreen told her.

“They might have eaten dessert out.”

Coreen raised her brows, and Deja laughed. “Yeah, I guess I better.”

This time in the living room, Deja found the spot farthest away from Heath and not in his direct line of sight. She welcomed the addition of his little brothers since they commanded a lot of attention being loud and offering a play by play of the game they’d watched that afternoon. Deja contemplated whether now was a good time to escape when the bell rang. She just kept herself from rolling her eyes. Even before Coreen led the woman into the living room, Deja knew who it was, and she pressed her lips together while holding her bowl of ice cream in a death grip.

“Hello, everyone,” came the sultry voice, “I’m sorry for interrupting your family time.”

No one corrected her about the fact that Joe wasn’t family. He was unmated and without a steady girlfriend as far as she knew, and his immediate interest in the new arrival was like a blinking neon sign above his head. Deja tried not to gag.

“Tina, what are you doing out alone this time of night?” Ward snapped. Deja blinked from the alpha to the woman and back again. So Ward didn’t approve of the bimbo.

Full lips—Deja would have liked to put down to the work of collagen—poked out in a pout as Tina ran nervous hands over her thighs. The movement brought focus to her curvy hips encased in tight slacks. The blouse she wore plunged deep and showed off an unnecessary amount of cleavage.

“Please have a seat, Tina,” Coreen offered. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, ma’am. Thanks.” Of course the nearest empty spot turned out to be next to Heath. Deja resisted checking out his reaction to the blonde beauty, preferring instead the puppy worship from his brothers. They each practically sniffed the woman, and Ward stood up, his face a mask of fury.

“Out!” he roared. Both Aaron and Abel scurried from the room. Ward turned back to Tina waiting. She fidgeted with the end of her blouse. Deja wasn’t fooled with the frightened damsel in distress act, even if she did know most of the people in Siberia feared Ward.

“I didn’t want to have to bring my problem to you, Ward, but I couldn’t turn to anyone else, and we have to have your permission to leave Siberia for an extended period.” Tina didn’t look at Ward but instead peered through her lashes at Heath. There was the evidence right there. The bitch
was
interested in Heath, just as the rumors said.

Heath stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. He strolled toward the window and turned to face her. When Ward didn’t speak right away, he did. “Why would you need to leave Siberia?”

“It’s my cousin.” A real look of pain and fear came over her features. “He’s no older than one of your little brothers, and he lives with foster parents. I had planned to take him before…I was captured…” Her chin dropped to her chest, and Coreen rushed over to join her on the couch, wrapping an arm about her shoulders. Deja felt a tightening in the pit of her stomach. She had no family other than her stepmother, who she couldn’t stand, but if she did, she knew it would kill her to fear Spiderweb had gotten their hands on them. She also knew any rule Ward set up wouldn’t have held her here one second longer than it took for her to get her stuff together. Tina continued, “I got a letter from John a couple days ago. I keep calling, but it goes straight to voice mail. Now, I’m not getting an answer at all. The message says his phone is either turned off or out of range. I called the house phone, and there’s no answer on that one either.”

Tina Patel, Deja recalled. She had handled a letter addressed to the woman a few days ago. Remembering wasn’t so hard given that she’d sorted and delivered no more than a dozen. A tear slipped down Tina’s cheek, and she stood up, moving from Coreen’s embrace. “I wouldn’t want to burden you to help me with this, Ward. I know you have so much going on already. If you could loan me Heath and let us go over to North Carolina, I can let go of this stress and worry about John. I’d know for myself if he’s okay. And I know he’s human, but maybe because he’s family you could make an exception and let him live here.” She approached Heath and laid a hand on his arm, turning watery frightened eyes up to him. “Please, Heath, won’t you help me?”

Deja surged to her feet. She took two steps in the woman’s direction when Coreen appeared before her and grabbed her hand. “Come on, honey. Let’s get some fresh coffee so they can discuss the details of this rescue.”

Deja hesitated, but Ward muttered, “Go on.”

She scowled at him. Heath hadn’t looked up from gazing past Tina’s head. Nor did he shake her hold off. Deja spun on her heel and stomped out of the room. As soon as they hit the kitchen, she rounded on Coreen. “Why did you drag me in here? I was two seconds away from removing her head from her neck.”

“Exactly.” Coreen banged through cabinets for coffee supplies while Deja paced. “You don’t have to worry about her, Deja. You’re mated to Heath. That settles it for the both of you. No other woman could exist for him.”

“Says you.” She no longer believed in that mating crap. If she and Heath were so solid, why did he let her move out? Why did she want to? Nothing in their relationship was perfect or even close to being right. “My insides feel like they’re on fire with dislike every time that woman comes around. Explain that.”

Coreen laid her hands on either side of Deja’s face and kissed her forehead. “Because you and Heath are walking out of sync. Everything feels worse, but it’s not forever. The two of you will figure it out. I promise.”

“Somehow I’m not convinced.”

Back in the living room, Deja caught the tail end of Ward and Heath’s conversation with Tina. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine,” Ward assured her. “I’ll get together a team to go out there and investigate. If Spiderweb does have its hand in this, I will make sure they’re crushed just like I’ve done every time they crawled out from under whatever rock they’re holed up beneath.”

Deja didn’t miss the fire in Ward’s eyes. He looked like he wished an operative were in his living room at that moment so he could burn the man alive or rip him limb from limb. Heath’s expression held the same emotion, and she didn’t blame them. The pain that corporation put them through would never fade, and even sometimes at night in bed she woke soaked in sweat because she’d heard her own screams tormenting her mind. She didn’t want to remember but was sure she would never forget.

“Thank you so much, Ward. This means a lot to me.” Tina now sat next to Ward and squeezed his hand in earnest. Deja glanced at Coreen. The woman’s face held concern for Tina but no anger or annoyance. Deja wished her emotions didn’t bandy her about like a ragdoll.

“I’ll send Heath as lead and a few of my men. That way there’s an alpha should the need arise for one.”

Tina pounced on this like the cat she was. “I’ll go too. If John’s hurt or scared, he’ll need someone he trusts there.”

Ward agreed.

“Then I’m going too.”

Every head turned in her direction. Heath’s brows furrowed, and his nostrils flared. “No, you’re not. It’s too dangerous. You’ve had all the interaction with Spiderweb you’re going to ever have.”

Deja raked him from head to foot with as scathing a look as she could. “You’re under the impression you have say in my life. You don’t. I’m going. If you don’t like it, kiss my ass.”

She was pretty sure she heard a snort from Joe, and his eyes twinkled. Tina’s hands lay in her lap balled into fists, but she managed to keep the frightened poor-me facial expression in place. How she could on one hand be worried about her cousin and on the other manipulate some alone time with Heath, Deja didn’t know, but the skank would not get away with it. Deja ignored the voice in her head that said she had rejected Heath herself but was throwing a fit about anyone else having him. Well, c’est la vie. She’d deal with the aftermath later.