Trusting A Tiger (Alaskan Tigers) (14 page)

He
kissed across the line of her jaw until he found her earlobe. His teeth grazed
over it, pulling it gently until she shuddered beneath him. His hands gliding
down the length of her body, moving along the natural hourglass curves of her
body. “All mine, mate.” His voice was husky as he kissed down her body until he
could bring one of her nipples into his mouth. He sucked it gently until the
nipple stood at attention, not from the cold but with desire for him, then he
let it slip out, grazing his teeth over it.

“You
have too many clothes on. I thought I mentioned leaving them in the bag until I
could show you my love for you.” She tugged at his jeans, trying to unhook the
belt.

“All
in good time…now lay back while I get you naked.” His hands teased along the
wide curve of her hips until he could hook his fingers into the thin material
of her panties. With one quick motion, he tugged them, the stitches coming apart
without much effort, leaving her naked beneath him.

He
rose off her, kicking off his boots before he could strip his jeans and boxers
down his legs. His shaft sprang free from the material, freeing him from all
restraints. Looking down at her, the moonlight glistening off her naked body,
he still couldn’t believe she was his. They had a rough start, but tonight
marked the first night that the threat of Henry no longer hung over them, and
for once he didn’t see any lingering fears in her eyes. Even the scars that
marred her body didn’t tug at his guilt. It was like tonight was the first
night together, without the past interfering with everything between them.

“Why
are you looking at me like that?” She rose up from where she laid, covering
herself with the second blanket.

“Don’t.”
He stepped on the blanket so she couldn’t pull it closer to her. “Don’t cover
yourself. Harmony, you’re beautiful.” He lowered himself until his body was
hovering just above hers, his knees between her slightly spread legs.

“That
look isn’t just of desire, there’s a hunger to it.”

“A
hunger for you. It’s like I never truly saw you before, but now…now it’s only
us.” He dragged his tongue in lazy circles around her nipple, kissing across
the valley to the other and repeating the process. Meanwhile, he continued to
watch her intently.

“Take
me, Felix. I want to feel you inside of me. There will be plenty of other times
for slow, but tonight I just want you, all of you.” She ran her hand down his
arms, teasing along the grooves of his muscles.

He
slipped his hand between her legs, his fingers gliding between her lips before
moving to slide inside of her. “Oh, yes, my mate, you are ready.”

Coyly,
she bit her lip, trying to act innocently. “For you, always.”

Without
further hesitation, he spread her legs farther, giving him more access to slide
his shaft deep within her opening. The feel of her warm, wet core tore a growl
from deep within him. He went into her about half way before pulling out and then
thrusting the entire length of his manhood into her, filling her completely. She
cried out her pleasure.

Their
tempo increased with each stroke and her hips rose up to meet his, demanding
more. Their hips slammed together, driving the force with each pump. The
thrusts came deeper and faster, falling into a perfect rhythm. Their bodies
rocked back and forth, and tension strained his muscles as he fought to hold
back the release he longed for.

More
angry red scratches appeared down the length of his chest. “Oh, Felix! Don’t
stop,” she begged as her release found her, coursing through her as she threw
back her head.

It
only took a few more thrusts before his feral growl ripped through the night as
his release followed. He collapsed breathlessly beside her. He tucked one arm under
her, pulling her close and cradling her body tightly against his. He drew the
blanket over them both to keep the night chill away from their naked, sweaty
bodies.

“Harmony,
you’re amazing.” His fingers caressed her side in lazy strokes. He buried his
face in her hair, the sweet honey scent from her shampoo teasing along his senses.
He let his eyes drift shut and enjoyed the peaceful feeling that coursed
through him for the first time in—he couldn’t remember how long.

Completely
content, Harmony ran her fingers along the grooves of his abs, just enjoying
the quietness between them. With Henry eliminated, there were other missions
the clan would be focused on, bringing more danger to Felix and the people she
now considered her family. So, enjoying the quiet moments alone with her mate
made the whole thing worth it.

“What
are you thinking about?” Felix inquired, his eyes still closed, and his fingers
drawing lazy circles along her spine.

“The
future. When we go back to the clan, you will continue your duties, and I’ll
start working with Connor. I’m wondering if things will ever be this peaceful
between us again.” She snuggled her head into the crook of his shoulder, her
hand resting on his chest.

“We’ll
make time for it. With our jobs in the clan, we’ll be working closely together.
There’s nothing to worry about, love.” He kissed the top of her head.

She
didn’t want this time to end, but they both had things that needed to be done.
They couldn’t be selfish at the expense of the clan. The danger of Henry was no
longer hanging over their heads, but there was always something else looming.
“We should go back to the compound, shouldn’t we?”

“We
should, but…” He kissed her neck, drawing a moan from her, his hands sliding
down her body.

“It
pains me to say it, but not now. I should see what I could do to help Connor
and Lukas. They’ve barely been sleeping, it’s obvious that they need my help.
I’m sure you can find something to do while I’m working.” She teased, moving
back from him to grab her long sleeve shirt.

He
eased up behind her, wrapping his arms around her torso before she could get
the shirt over her head, his fingers teasing her nipples until they were hard. Her
head fell back onto his shoulder, and a moan escaped her lips. “All I want to
do is please my mate.”

“We’ve
done that. Now we must focus. After some work, we can revisit how you can
please me.” Grabbing her clothes, she moved out of his reach.

“I
thought tigresses were known for then insatiable sex drive.” He sat sulking
while she dressed.

“We
are, but we are reasonable when there’s work to be done. Plus, it’s damn chilly
out here in the cold.” Her body shivered as she pulled up her jeans as if to
confirm her point. “Snow is going to be returning soon.”

“Returning?
In Alaska I’m not sure if it ever truly leaves. It might give us a small break,
but there are still places on the compound where there’s still snow lingering
on the ground.” Now that she was dressed, it brought the fact he wasn’t getting
any more of her body, so he dressed as well.

She
leaned against the SUV while Felix secured his weapons back in place. The
assault rifle still lay on the corner of the blanket where he placed it, but
his pistol and knives were back in their original places. “While you were gone,
Doc’s test results came back, Daisy and I are cousins.”

“I’m
not sure if I should say congratulations or apologize.”

“Me
either. It’s weird to have family that I’ve never know.” She crossed her arms
over her chest. “How are we supposed to move past the fact that Pierce
kidnapped her because of J.J.’s memory of me?”

He
grabbed the unopened bottle of wine and two glasses before picking up his rifle
and the blankets. “We’ll save this for later when we have something to celebrate,”
he explained, slipping it back into the bag before answering her question. “I
don’t know. It might not be possible to move past it. Only time will say.”

“Are
you always full of such good news?”

“Naw,
sometimes I’m quite dismal.” He tossed everything except the rifle into the
back of the SUV. “What do you want me to say? That it will all work out…that
there’s nothing to worry about? I can lie to you and tell you those things, but
you’ll taste the lie so it would be pointless. Only time will tell how things
will work out between you two. Either way, you have me, and I’ll make up for
any cousin you could have had.”

“You
have a very big picture of yourself, don’t you, mate?”

His
face lit up with a smirk a mile wide. “For obvious reasons. Now come on. Let’s
get our duties out of the way because I want you naked beneath me before the
sun comes up.”

“Beneath
you? Maybe I want to be on top this time.”

“If
you’re tigress enough, be my guest.” Without further teasing, he strolled
around the side of the SUV and opened her door.

“What
a gentleman?” She teased climbing in.

“Full
service, mate. You wouldn’t expect anything less.”

No she
couldn’t have expected anything less from him. He was everything she wanted
wrapped into one large package. One she pictured spending the rest of her life
with, having a few cubs, and hopefully living a semi-peaceful life among his—no
their
—clan.

* * *

The
pristine work station Connor set up for Harmony seemed out of place in the
obviously lived-in room. The new laptop laid waiting for her in the center of
the desk with a note.
Welcome to the team.
She was taken aback and
completely in awe of it. Never before had she felt the sweet welcome of
friends, or maybe it was family, as she did just now.

Connor
wandered up beside her. “Don’t feel like you’re confined to this place. Take
your laptop and work where you will. I’ve ordered another desktop with two
monitors and a printer that you can take to Felix’s cabin to use with the
laptop. Everything should be here in a few days.”

Not
knowing what to say about the welcoming, she nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re
welcome. It’s good to have you on board.”

She
rubbed her hands together. “What do you want me to do?”

“Actually,
nothing at the moment. I’ve already set up the laptop to save time, you can do the
custom stuff later, but for now, grab it. We’re meeting with the Elders in
fifteen minutes.” Connor left, grabbing his own laptop before he headed out the
door, leaving her alone to let everything sink in. “Ty’s quarters.”

She
ran her fingers over the shiny silver machine that laid there calling to her. Never
before had she had something new that she didn’t have to trade away a piece of
herself or work her fingers to the bone to get. There were going to be so many changes
in her life in the coming weeks as she became used to living a true clan life.

“Mate,”
Felix called from behind her, pulling her attention from her new workstation.

She
spun around to see him standing in the doorway, her hair flaring out around her
in curly waves. “What are you doing here?”

“I
thought I could accompany you to the Elder’s meeting.” He held out his arm in
offering to her.

“Ahh,
to be on the arm of the best looking tiger of the clan—that is an honor I cannot
pass over.” She scooped the laptop and notebook into her arm and strolled
towards him. Her tigress paced within her, eager to push him against the table
and have her way with him.
All in good time
, she promised her beast.

The
short trip from where the geeks made their home to Ty’s quarters was quick. She
barely had time to get a good snuggle in with him before they arrived at Ty’s
doorstep. The sooner they got the meeting over with, the sooner they’d be able
to get some sleep…or for her to have her way with him again.

Raja
answered Ty’s door before Felix could even raise his hand to knock. “Ty will
join us shortly. There’s been a call from Korbin and Jinx concerning the Ohio
clan.” As they entered, Raja turned back to the room. “Tad and Carran, now that
everyone is here, if you could take your position at the door…”

“Come in,
make yourself at home. There’s coffee and cookies on the table.” Tabitha called
to them, setting another plate of cookies on the coffee table where everyone
gathered. “Ty should be done shortly, and we can get started.”

“Harmony.”
Robin rose from the couch coming to Harmony with her arms open. “Welcome to the
clan, sister. I was thrilled when I felt you commit yourself to Ty and the
clan.” She wrapped her arms around Harmony, careful not to break the connection
between mates.

“Thank
you. It feels wonderful to be a part of a family, especially one that Felix
thinks so highly of. I’m beginning to actually understand why.” Easing out of
Robin’s embrace, she snuggled back against Felix, his touch easing her nerves.
What also helped was the fact that Connor was sitting on the opposite side of
the room, and he was counting on her.

Felix led
her to the bar area where Connor had already set up. “This will be the best
place for you to work. I’ll be nearby.” He pressed a quick kiss to lips.

She
wanted to lean into him, forcing a deeper kiss between them, but in that
instant, Ty came out of his office and the room quieted.

“If we
could all take a seat, I have some news from Korbin and Jinx concerning the
Ohio Tigers.” He crossed the room in three quick strides, coming to stand
beside his mate and taking her hand in his. Once everyone settled down, Ty
continued. “Korbin seems to have things under control for the most part. He’s
asked if Adam would bring Robin down to help with some of the clan members who
have suffered under the former Alpha the most.”

“I
told you before I’d go. Just let me know when, and Adam and I will be there.”
Robin ran her hand over Adam’s knee, soothing the fact she just agreed for him.

Adam
placed his hand over hers, interlocking their fingers. “Maybe Taber or Thorben
could be spared to fly us? It would take less time than if I take the
helicopter.”

Ty
nodded. “We can make those arrangements later, but that’s a good idea since
Jinx will be returning then as well. Since Korbin is being accepted, there’s no
reason for Jinx to stay on. However, a few of the West Virginia Tigers are
staying as guards for Korbin, and if things change, Jinx could be there within
a few hours. In the meantime, we need him here to make our foundation solid with
Tabitha coming out, and within the coming weeks, we will have to send a team to
deal with Avery. He is not meeting our demands, and his tactics are still over
the top. We cannot allow what he did to Tex to continue happening to the other
clan members.”

Raja
nodded in agreement. “Avery is threatening to send a team to collect Tex from
us next week, so that might force our hand sooner.”

“But
that’s not why we’re gathered here tonight. We’re here to discuss Randolph.
Harmony, we believe you might know where to find him?” Ty’s gaze moved over to
where Harmony sat taking notes on her laptop.

“I
what? I don’t believe I even know a Randolph.”

“Randolph
is a lone tiger. He’s been preaching the need to kill Tabitha before she can
bring all the tigers together. He’s gathering the rogues as we speak to
continue where Pierce left off. When Henry…died, he said you would know where
he was. He visited with Henry often, so you might have seen him when you were
in Ohio. Adam?” Ty nodded to Adam who turned his laptop to Harmony, the picture
of Randolph on screen.

“I
know him…” Her hand flew to cover her mouth, her breath caught in her throat. She
took a moment to gather herself. “Henry, never called him by his name, but I
saw him there while Henry held me captive.” She shot a quick glance to Felix to
see how he was handling them talking about his brother. She felt his pain, but
his face held no traces of it. He seemed relaxed, interested, but not
emotionally involved. Her Felix had a hard outer shell that kept his feelings
hidden, at least from everyone except her.

Memories
of the times Randolph visited with Henry played through her. Those times were
some of the only relaxed evenings she ever spent under Henry’s control.
Randolph brought homemade liquor, and the men sat in Henry’s small study
drinking until the hour grew late. Harmony was never included once the liquor
was brought out, only expected to fetch whatever they required, yet it was a
reprieve from the abuse Henry forced on her each night.

Felix
eased off the wall, coming toward her. “What happened on those visits? Do you
remember what they talked about?”

“I
wasn’t included once they brought out the hard liquor, only expected to bring
them ice, food, or whatever they needed. In the winter I was also expected to
tend the fire, nothing more. I don’t think I can be of any help finding him.
Why would I know where he is?” The laptop before her beeped, she ran her
fingers over the mouse pad to wake it.

“I’ve
sent you a map that I’ve been able to pinpoint Henry’s location at in the last
few months. See if anything looks familiar. That may be where Randolph is
hiding.” Connor explained the beep of the computer not only to her but to everyone
else.

Felix’s
hand caressed her shoulder as she looked over the map. It took her moment to realize
what she was looking at. There in the center of all the red dots was the main
compound of the Ohio Tigers. Other dots surrounded the area where… “Oh my,
that’s my house. Before I was given to Henry, I had a little place just off the
compound grounds, giving me privacy and keeping me out of the mix of the clan
politics.”