Tiger Time (17 page)

“That’s the whole point.”

He slipped his hand under her shirt, ready to tear it off, when his cell buzzed. “Damn it!” He reached for the phone, growling. “This better be good.” He snarled. “Okay. Stand by until they make their move. Don’t let them escape.” He hit a button and was silent for a moment. “Raja, they’re approaching. Get Felix. I want you both over here.”

“Ready for this?” Ty slid the phone back into his pocket.

“Not in the least bit, but what choice do we have?”

“Have you ever handled one of these?” he asked, pulling out a 9MM Glock.

“I’ve never shot a gun before.”

Ty had just finished showing her how to work the gun when she heard someone open their door. Ty had instructed everyone earlier to leave the lights off, giving the impression they were asleep.

“It’s just Raja and Felix,” he whispered. “You’re going to be fine. Just remember to stay behind us, and if Felix tells you it’s time to move, you move, no questions asked. I don’t care what’s happening to me, you go with him. I’ll find you when it’s safe.” He leaned down until their foreheads were touching. “I love you.” He kissed her.

“Felix, if anything happens to her....” Ty growled.

“She will be safe. I’ll protect her with my life.”

The bedroom door opened, and everyone braced for action. There was a good chance whoever was on the other side of the door wasn’t friendly.

“It’s Thomas,” came a whisper as the door inched open.

“What the hell are you doing, Thomas?”

“I saw Lance leave his post, and I wanted to check it out.”

“Shut the door. I’ll deal with Lance later. Where’s Marcus?”

“He’s still on watch. They were heading this way.” Thomas closed the door behind him.

“Then we better be ready,” Ty said, eyeing Felix, who nodded.

Something tumbled to the floor in the living room. Everyone’s body went stiff as they readied for what was coming. Ty and Felix moved to stand in front of Tabitha, blocking her view of the door, while Raja stood at Ty’s side and Thomas next to Felix.

If the time comes, will I be willing to shoot to kill and save myself?
She wasn’t sure of the answer, but still, she held the gun to her side, while the men had theirs aimed at the door.

The door splintered as the intruders kicked it in. So much for picking the lock.

“Stop right there,” Ty hollered when shadowy figures entered the room.

The faint light coming in the window allowed Tabitha a glimpse of the face of the youngest man in the back of the group before he turned as if to run but found Marcus and another guard blocking the door.

Ty let out a deep growl as the two other intruders went for their weapons . “Raise those guns and you will die.”

“Either way, we will die. It is better at your hands than at our Alpha’s.” The two men in the front weren’t going to go down without a fight, while the last one looked terrified.

Tabitha couldn’t take her gaze off the last guy. There was something about him. Almost as if he weren’t there willingly. Before she could question it further, all hell broke loose.

In a split second, she heard Felix turn the safety off his gun as two of the intruders shifted. The third one stood there, apparently not knowing what to do. Felix pushed her back against the wall as Raja and Thomas shifted to be on equal ground as the others.

Ty braced himself, ready to protect her if they got past Raja and Thomas. Marcus already had the other man detained, cuffed and on the ground outside the bedroom. He left the other guard to keep watch over the prisoner and came to assist with the others.

Growls echoed around the small space, and hair flew through the air as they attacked each other. It was hard to know which shifter was who. She recognized Raja. There was a different energy around him that she was able to distinguish from the others.

Her heart skipped a beat as one of the tigers was thrown against the wall to land in a heap on the floor, where he didn’t move. She could see the tiger’s chest rise and fall with shallow breaths, but if he was not moving, he had to be seriously injured.
Don’t let that be Thomas!

The fighting went on for what seemed like hours, but could have only been minutes. Tabitha’s heart was in her throat as she watched people fight for her, knowing that if it wasn’t for her, this wouldn’t be happening.

A second tiger fell to the ground, his throat ripped open. As he died, he shifted back to human form. With one dead and one severely injured, Raja and Thomas shifted back, allowing Tabitha to breathe easy.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Finish him,” Raja ordered, handing Thomas a gun before slipping on one of the pairs of shorts that Ty grabbed for him and the others.

Without hesitation, Thomas took the gun, walking toward the injured tiger. Tabitha tried to make herself call out, to tell Thomas not to do it, but she couldn’t. The tiger in her knew this had to be done.

A shot pierced the night, and her breath caught in her throat. Tonight, as she’d embraced her tiger, she realized part of her human beliefs had died.

“It had to be done. He was here to kill you. There is no way we could have trusted him after that.” Ty put his arms around her, drawing her close.

She nodded, resting her head on his chest, breathing in his smell.

“I want to speak with the prisoner.”

“Tabby, I think that can wait until morning.”

“No, I need to do it now.”

He nodded. “Raja, allow him to sit. She can talk to him before he is taken to a cell.”

Before Raja could react, his cell phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he answered it. “Yeah?”

“I’ll deal with the prisoner,” Marcus said as Raja moved way from everyone to take the phone call.

“The grounds secured? No other intruders on the premises?” There were a few moments of silence as the person on the other end answered. “Good. Send out a search party. Follow his scent. I want to be notified if you find anything.” Raja ended the call.

“Thomas, help Marcus. Close the door behind you.” Raja slipped the phone back into his pocket.

When the bedroom door was firmly closed behind him and only the three remained, he explained, “There was someone down in the cells. Chris is gone, and the guard is dead.”

“Shit! I didn’t question him yet.”

Tabitha decided to share her knowledge. “I don’t think he would have been any help. But I think the one in the living room has information.” The men eyed her inquisitorially.

“What gives you that impression?” Raja spoke when Ty didn’t.

“I watched him. He knows something. He didn’t want to be here but had to be. If I can speak with him, I think I might be able to find out whatever he is hiding.”

“Raja, go ahead out there. We will be there in a moment. I want to speak with my mate first.”

* * *

Tabitha sat on the corner of the bed, with Ty kneeling before her. “Explain to me this feeling that you’re getting.”

“It’s hard to describe. There is like a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. Sometimes I can just tell something,” Tabitha tried to explain.

“I think you might be coming into another gift.”

“What do you mean?”

“As mates, we are able to feel each other’s feelings. You shouldn’t be able to pick up on others’. But I think you are. This is one of the abilities that some of the members in your line have.” Ty stood, raking his hands through his dark hair.

“But I already have my ability.”

“It’s possible to have more than one. Maybe you’ll have whatever ones you need to bring the tigers together.”

“We don’t have time to question this now. Let’s deal with the situation at hand, and then maybe we can consult the book. Maybe there is some kind of answer in it.” Tabitha took a deep breath before standing.

Chapter Twenty-Four

In the living room, the man slouched on the couch. His head hung, and tears glistened in his eyes. The guards standing beside and behind were ready to leap into action, if the situation called for it.

“I don’t think we need everyone here,” she whispered to Ty.

“Everyone except Raja, Felix and Marcus, resume your duties. We have this under control now.”

“Thank you,” she murmured to Ty. Marcus stood behind the couch, while Felix watched from the side, and Raja and Ty stood by her side.

For the first time, she was able to get a good look at the man before her. He was in his early twenties, young, and if her impression was right, he was a new shifter. But there was an odd smell to him. It wasn’t as if he’d just come from another clan, but as if he was entirely different.

“What is your name?” she questioned the man sitting before her.

“Connor, ma’am.”

“Why?” The sorrow poured off him, almost drowning her in it.

“Why what?”

“Let’s start with why are you here? What led you to this point? You didn’t act like the others.”

“I’m here because I was ordered.”

“Ordered by whom? If you were ordered, why didn’t you attack like the others?”

“You already know by whom. I didn’t attack because none of this is about me. I didn’t have anything to do with it and didn’t want to be a part of it. I have nothing against you and see no reason you should be killed. Yes, I know his reason for it, but then he should be doing the dirty work, not sending others out to do it.”

“If you don’t believe in the cause, then why are you out here fighting for him?”

“Because I have no choice.”

“Everyone has a choice.” She could feel his sorrow mix with anger.

“I didn’t.”

“Why not?”

“It’s a long story.”

“She is trying to save your life, and you don’t even have the decency to answer her questions. Answer her or the guards will escort you to your cell while we decide your fate,” Ty growled, his patience growing short.