Trusting A Tiger (Alaskan Tigers) (4 page)

Felix nearly
ran to Harmony’s studio, his tiger on edge all day with eagerness to be with
his mate. There was a tingling sensation that something wasn’t right, but he
couldn’t figure out what it was. Without the mating being complete he couldn’t
feel her emotions completely. He knew without a doubt that she was still on the
compound grounds and was in no immediate danger.

For
some mates, it was easy for them to feel each other’s feelings before the
mating had been complete, but since she had no connection to his clan, it was
adding to the strain. He was only left with bits and pieces of her emotions.
When the mate was a human, it allowed things to be free flowing, and the
shifter would feel everything from the moment the mate was found.

Jogging
across the compound, he took a moment to enjoy the crisp summer air. Summer in
this part of Alaska rarely got above sixty degrees and always reminded him more
of fall in the lower forty-eight. Either way, he enjoyed living here with the
coolness and picturesque surroundings. He could never picture himself leaving
Alaska—it was his home now.

A cool
breeze slid through him—Henry was on the move. There was a tingle of happiness
in Henry…and eagerness. Was it eagerness to find Harmony? Felix still wasn’t
sure where Henry was. All he could feel was that Henry was nearing them, still
not in Alaska but definitely closer than he was before. If he continued to move
at the pace he was, he’d be in Alaska within two days.
Shit!

They
needed to locate him before he could get near the compound. He didn’t want to
put Harmony or any of the other clan at risk. Deciding not to mention it to
Harmony now—after all, there was no reason to worry her more when there was
still nothing that could be done—he gave a quick knock, and when he received no
answer, he pushed her door open. He could sense her but didn’t see her immediately,
and in a studio apartment the size of a master bedroom in most houses, that
sent the alarm bells ringing. “Harmony?”

Shutting
the door he stepped around the other side of the bed, planning to check that
bathroom before heading down to the creek where he found her yesterday. There
she was curled into a ball, her legs pulled tight against her chest and her
face buried in the tops of her knees.

He
dropped to his knees in front of her. “What is it? What has happened?”

She
didn’t look up, only sobbed louder. He cursed not being able to feel her
emotions completely. He laid his hand on her leg, and when she didn’t pull away,
he moved closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She fit against his
body as if she should have always been there. Warm and snug the other half of
him. “Shhh, Harmony. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it.”

She
snuggled her head against his chest, clinging to him. What had happened to
cause her such distress? When he bumped into Robin earlier, she mentioned the
progress Harmony was making and had even agreed to lunch at Kallie’s the next
day. That was a huge step forward for Harmony, but this seemed to be a step in
the opposite direction. He held her, letting her cry, knowing that when she was
ready to tell him what happened, she would. Forcing her would only delay things
further.

He
wasn’t sure how long they sat there with his arm around her, until she finally
looked up at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was tearstained, making
him angry that someone or something had upset his mate.

“Henry
called.” Her voice was raw from crying.

“What?
How?” His angry level rose like a thermometer on a blistering hot day.

“He found
the number of the cell phone I purchased when I ran from Ohio.”

He ran
his hand down the length of her arm. “What did he say?”

Shaking
her head, the tears began to flow again.

“I
need to know what he said. Something in it might give us a clue to where he
is.” As much as she might not want to think about it, he had to know. It could
mean finding Henry before he arrived at the compound.

“He
said nothing about his location, but he knows I’m here. He believes I knew you
were his brother before I arrived and sought you out for your help.” She
stretched her legs out before her, her body still pressed against his.

“There
had to be something else to make you this upset. Harmony, I need to know.”

“He
knew I was to be your mate. It’s why all this happened, and that’s why he’s
coming after me.” She wriggled free from his embrace and stood. “He said that
you’ve had everything in life while he’s been left on the sidelines, and he
won’t let you have your mate—that I’m to be his.”

He stood
and reached out to her. “I’m not going to let him get to you again. I’ll
protect you.”

How
Henry find out she was to be his mate, he didn’t know, but other things became
clearer. Henry forced himself on Harmony with the hope that he could take over
the mating, stealing his mate. Even though twins shared the same DNA, it didn’t
work like that for tigers. Twin bear shifters could mate with the same person as
Taber and Thorben did with Kallie, but it didn’t work the same way with tigers.
Tiger shifters would never share a mate because they were too possessive.

Sex
with someone other than your mate was uncomfortable before the mating commenced,
even painful for some, but would be excruciating after the mating was started.
If Henry got his hands on Harmony now, there was no doubt that she’d wished she
were dead from the agonizing pain. He couldn’t let her fall back into Henry’s
paws, no matter the cost.

“How
did he know I was here? That I was your mate?” Questions flowed without giving
him time to answer.

“If
your number is listed, it wouldn’t be too hard for someone to find it. I doubt
Henry did—his insanity wouldn’t have let him—but maybe Randolph. Once he had
the number, he could have tracked the phone.” He wrapped his arm around her,
turning her to face him. “I don’t know how he found out we were to be mated. Maybe
he could feel a dull connection to you. Maybe there was a Seer who told him. I
don’t know, but we’ll find out.”

“Randolph
found my number.” She shook her head. “I don’t care any longer, I just want it
to be over.”

He
pulled her into his body, wrapping his arms around her and hugged her to him.
“It will be soon, I promise.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, clinging
to him.

He’d
see Henry dead for causing his mate so much pain and heartache. No longer would
he stand by and let their blood bond or sympathy stand in the way of what
needed to be done. His parents already resented him for his stance on Henry and
most likely it would get worse when he killed Henry, but he wouldn’t let that
stand in his way either. He never understood his parents, leaving the country
to put as much distance as they could between them and Henry while refusing to
take action to prevent Henry from hurting others. No longer, Felix would handle
the situation if his parents wanted to live in denial. His mate was more
important than any blood bond he had.

* * *

With
Felix meeting with the Elders, Harmony slid into the blistering hot tub. She
needed something to wash away the memories of her past and relax her strained
muscles before she had to meet with the Elders as well. The hot water worked
the tension away from her, she slid deep into the garden tub, resting her head
against the top. The bubbles teased around her neck, sending the sweet lavender
scent in each breath, relaxing her from the inside out.

It had
only been twenty-four hours since she found out that Felix was her mate, and
already her tigress paced within her for his touch. Her beast forced her to
begin working through the issues that had been a solid wall between Felix and
her. The walls were beginning to crumble away, and the proof of that was in the
way she clung to him seeking his comfort. She wanted his arms around her, to
feel his caresses. No longer did she turn from him because of what he reminded
her of.

She
was beginning to see him as his own person and not an extension of Henry. Was
she ready for their mating? Not yet, but she was getting there. Good thing since
she wasn’t sure how much longer her beast would wait before forcing the issue.

Worries
still lingered within her. What if Felix and Henry were working together?
Sliding under the water and wetting her hair, she realized how absorbed that
was. If she really wanted to know, to make sure Felix was on her side, there
was one way to guarantee it.
Mating.
After mating, whatever commitment
he had to Henry would be gone because of the mating bond. If Felix was working
with his brother, he wouldn’t be able to betray her to Henry.

Shaking
her head, she knew he wasn’t working with Henry. Even that tingle of doubt was
just her fear working overtime. She’d make sure before she mated with him. After
all, she didn’t want to be mated to someone who would have betrayed her given
half the chance.

Felix’s
vow to protect her played out in her mind again. He would never bring trouble
to his clan. He was committed to them and to her. The bath water was growing
cold, but at least it served to help her work through any lingering doubt she
had when it came to Felix. He was her mate, he wouldn’t risk her, and he was
too responsible and caring to work with Henry. He’d have never stood for
Henry’s behavior if he had known.

Refreshing
the water with heat, she knew that her mating would be complete soon, making it
more dangerous if Henry got his hands on her but worth the connection to Felix.
She wanted her mate in every way that she was meant to have him.

Felix
stood in Ty’s quarters, updating Ty to the latest on Henry. There had to be
something they could do to find him before he arrived. Felix didn’t want Henry
to get close enough to the compound to cause any trouble.

“I
want her cell phone destroyed. You can give her one of the secure ones we have
on hand. Can you recognize the location where Henry is at all?” Ty looked up
from his laptop.

“Not
really. It’s deserted, there are mountains in the distance, and it’s warm. I
think he’s somewhere in the West, possibly Wyoming.” Felix detested that he was
the only lead, and he was blind to his own twin. “We’ve got to take him out
before he gets here. He’s not as dangerous as a rogue, but he’s still a threat—not
only to Harmony but also to the clan.”

“We
might have bigger issues then Henry. The Texas clan sent us a message this
morning, they want Tex returned within forty-eight hours or they will come to
fetch him.”

Felix
moved around the sofa to sit across from Ty. “I thought Tex explained he didn’t
wish to return and that he wanted to stay here in Alaska. It’s his right to change
clans, especially with the abuse he suffered under the Alpha.”

“Normally,
yes, but according to Avery, Tex gave up that right when he became a member of
the guard.”

“What?
I’ve never heard of that before. Can he do that? Can he force Tex back to Texas?”

Ty
dragged his hand through his shoulder-length black hair. “Clans years ago used
to do it, to protect their secrets. But to answer your question, no, we won’t
force Tex to go back. I’ve sent Robin to question him about it, and Raja is
with her.”

“Where’s
Tabitha?”

“Adam
took her to visit Bethany. The women are online shopping.” Ty visibly shivered
as if shaken by the idea. “If I never have to go shopping with them again, it
will be a blessing. Women take forever to pick out what they need. Men just go
in, grab what we came for, and go.”

Felix
couldn’t help but sympathize with that. He watched Tabitha and Bethany shop
online together, and he could only imagine what it was like taking them out
shopping where they could try everything on. It would have been a nightmare,
especially with the constant threats to Tabitha’s safety.

“Back
to Henry, we believe he will come after Harmony alone, so for now we are going
to wait until we know where he is before we plan any kind of attack. With
Avery’s newest threat, we can’t spread the guards out dealing with multiple
threats, especially not this close to Tabitha’s announcement.”

“Announcement?”
Felix raised an eyebrow.

“The
book alerted Tabitha that she’s nearing the announcement and we should make
some final preparations. We’re waiting for something to happen before she comes
out to all clans, but I believe it will be happening soon.”

The
book Ty spoke of was the one that was handed down Tabitha’s line of tigers, and
it would help her take her position as Queen of the Tigers. It had guided her
to form a core group that had originally included only him, Marcus, and Thomas,
but now had grown to include Adam, Shadow, and Styx.

“With
both Adam and myself mated, and Korbin in Ohio as the Captain of Tabitha’s
guards, I’d like to promote a new member to the team.”

Ty ran
his hands over the thighs of his jeans and leaned forward. “Who?”

“Carran.”
The only black tiger of the clan, he had been proving himself as an amazing
guard both in practice drills and on missions. He’s young but would be a
perfect fit for the team.

“I’ve
heard our little black tiger is making a name for himself.” Ty nodded. “With
the increased threat, I’ve asked Taber to contact his brothers to see if one of
them would come to guard Tabitha. A big bear by her side with you and Adam will
scare some attack right from the start.
Thaddeus has agreed.”

Tad
was the next oldest after Taber and Thorben and had been traveling between the
compound and his family’s island just off of Nome. He was nearly as good a
guard as his older twin brothers, and he would be another great addition to
Tabitha’s guards. “It will be great to have Tad as part of the team. When does
he arrive?”

“The
youngest of the Kodiak Bears brothers, Theodore, will be delivering some
additional custom furniture tomorrow, and Tad will fly in with him. Theodore
has offered to stay on once he finishes his deliveries, if we could provide him
a workshop. He’ll join us next week if we still need him. The other Brown
twins, Turi and Trey, will stay in Nome to protect their homeland with their
father, but they will be available if we need them.”

“Very
well. Having Tad will allow us to have someone with Carran without Adam and me working
overtime to train him. Tad knows what is expected, and I’m just down the hall
in a guest room if anything comes up.”

Ty
leaned back against the sofa. “I know you’ve found your mate now, but that
doesn’t change that I want you in the building.” Ty had a connection with each
dedicated member of his clan, letting him know what was happening with each of
them. Not to mention that he could smell the subtle changes in Felix’s scent
now that he found Harmony.

Felix
nodded, he had already suspected that Harmony would have to join him in his one-room
guest bedroom. While it was larger than her studio apartment, it would still be
cramped for two people. “I understand.”

“Raja
and I were speaking of this very issue this morning. We’ve decided to get Ryan
and his construction crew to add on to the main building. Plans are being drawn
up now, and we’re going to add a second floor. Tabitha and my quarters as well
as Raja and Bethany’s quarters will be in the middle with yours on the side of ours
and Shadow’s on the other side of Raja’s. This will allow us all more privacy
while keeping the mates safe. We’ll have a private entry to the second floor so
it will be out of bounds for anyone without permission. It will allow us all
more room to grow, with mates and cubs as they come.” Ty explained.

Felix
nodded, excited about the possibility of moving out of the small room in the
future. “It sounds like a logical plan and will allow the Captains of the Guards
to be closer if anything should happen. What about yours and Raja’s quarters
now?”

“Adam
and Styx will take them over. Having the seconds for each guard team close at
hand will be additional protection. There’s enough room for them to grow into
it as well. So we won’t have to worry about things for a while. We’re also
planning to turn one of the guest rooms down here into a living room so Raja
and I could meet with the clan in a more homely setting without having them
upstairs endangering the mates.” Ty reached forward, grabbing his vibrating
cell phone from the coffee table before looking back up at Felix. “Ryan and his
men will work quickly and the bears have agreed to help. They should be able to
finish the addition within three months, hopefully sooner. I’d prefer to have
it done before Tabitha’s announcement, but I’m not sure that will be possible.”

“Tabitha
will be safe either way. We’ll see to that.” It was stupid to tell his Alpha
that, but he felt he had to. He wanted to make it clear that mating with
Harmony wouldn’t change his duty to protect Tabitha.

“I
know we will. Now what about your mate? You said she wished to speak with me.
Why don’t we go find her and see what I can do for our newest tigress?” Ty rose
from the sofa.

Felix
followed his lead, tingling with anticipation to get back to his mate. He
wasn’t used to having someone he felt so connected to, the need to be with her
so strong it was almost overpowering. The beast within him growing impatient to
claim her as his, clawing at his insides and demanding to take over.

* * *

Harmony
was bent over blow-drying her hair, her fingers combing through the red strands
of wet hair, when Felix returned. Looking up, she found Ty standing beside him.
She looked down at herself, thankful that she dressed in jeans and a tank top
after stepping out of the shower instead of just keeping the towel around her
until her hair was dry.

She
shut off the blow dryer and laid it on the dresser. “I didn’t expect you to
come here, I thought…” She ran her fingers through her still-damp hair hoping
to make herself somewhat presentable.

“Felix
and I finished, and it just made more sense for us to come to you instead of him
coming back to escort you to us.” Ty stood there, his thumbs hooked through the
belt loops of his jeans.

So
we’re back to me being escorted from place to place, a prisoner again.
Before she could complain, Ty added, “I see the concern in your eyes. I only
meant you haven’t been to my quarters so you’d need help finding it. Now, how
about we sit, and you tell me what you wanted to see me about.” Ty motioned to
the small seating area.

She
nodded, making her way to the sofa, hoping that Felix would sit next to her. Ty
took the chair across from her, and Felix hung back. “I asked to meet with you
for a couple reasons, but something was brought to my attention this morning
that I think needs to be approached first. Robin is sharing in my nightmares. She’s
seeing what happened before. Adam believes it’s because of the connection she
shares with me, and I wanted to speak with you. I thought it might be best if I
mentioned it first since it’s because of me. Is there anything you can do to
help her?”

Ty
leaned back against the chair, his hands crossed over his stomach looking
relaxed while his gaze on her was all business. “The connection for her is
going to be different since she’s human, but I will work with her and teach her
how to block them. However, it’s going to be a learning curve for all of us.
Your connection and loyalty to Robin is what you should have with an Alpha.
It’s never happened with a human before.”

“Would
it help if I was committed to an Alpha? To you?”

A hint
of amusement sparked in his eyes. “Are you committing to the clan? Is that what
you want?”

Damn
it, she knew he’d ask that. She wasn’t ready to make that commitment unless it
would help Robin. After everything Robin did to help her, Harmony couldn’t
leave her suffering. “If I’m going to be mated to Felix, I don’t have much
choice, do I? I also care about Robin, and I don’t want her to suffer because
of my shit.”

Ty
looked at her seriously. “We’d never force the clan on you. However, being
Felix’s mate and his position within the clan, yes, it would be better for
everyone involved if you were committed to the clan. We’re not sure how that
will affect the bond between Robin and you. I believe there will be little to
no change. However, if Robin were ever against what I’ve decided for the clan,
then you would suffer with the confliction. It could ease the affect it’s
having on Robin, but I doubt it. I believe you’ll still be more bound to Robin than
to me.”

She
had hoped that it would help Robin more, but it would at least make things
easier for Felix once they were mated. More for her to think about and weigh. She
wasn’t ready to commit tonight. Ty seemed like a good Alpha, but she been down
that path before—and it landed her in Henry’s claws. “I was hoping that if I
committed to you and the clan that it would ease things for Robin. I never
realized reaching out to her would cause this bond. She’s only human—it’s too
much for her.”

Ty
nodded. “If I had known the extent of the affect, I would have tried working
with her before. I’ll meet with her when I’m done here to see what can be done.
Her connection to the clan is strong, so I should be able to give her at least
some help. Her issue is that she’s human, when this happens with an Alpha, the
shifter is already designed to separate things so that feeling the clans
emotions doesn’t overwhelm you or divert your attention away from what needs to
be done. Back to you committing to the clan…is that something you’re planning
to do?”

Felix
shifted his weight from one leg to the other, drawing her attention. “Harmony,
don’t do this because of the mating. Devoting yourself to the clan is a bigger
decision than that. We’ll work things out whatever you decide.”

“I’ll
be honest: I’m not ready to make the commitment to the Alaskan Tigers or to any
clan for that matter. I don’t want to push myself back into the situation I was
in before in Ohio.” Ty cleared his throat as if he wanted to say something. “If
I could finish…with that being said, I respect the clan and will do nothing to
harm what you have here. I’m concerned that my presence is going to bring
trouble to your doorstep. I appreciate all that you and the clan are doing for
me, and I believe I will be ready to make the commitment if I can just have a
little more time.”

Ty
nodded and looked toward Felix before turning back to her. “We are nothing like
the Ohio clan. Actually, we found out another clan is abusing its members, and
we are taking action to stop it. However, I realize that you need to see it,
not be told that. I won’t force the clan on you, but you have to realize that
without your commitment, there’s going to be limitations to your presences
there. Such as what Felix can tell you about the clan’s activities.”

“I
know, but I also know that he won’t be able to tell me a lot of things,
anyways. His position in the clan will always be above mine. I’m not strong
enough to reach his position in the clan, even if I had centuries to do so.
Years ago I realized I’m a weak shifter, and nothing’s going to change that.”
She looked toward Felix, her lips curved down in a frown. “I’m sorry.”