He certainly never wanted to see it again.
But then when he turned around and saw her face, he paused. Again, he’d let his emotion dictate his actions. Again, he’d acted without thinking it through.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” he said, his words coming out slowly and methodically. “I can go find it.”
She shook her head, the shocked look on her face fading to one of relief. “It’s better that it’s just gone and not at the bottom of my purse or in a drawer where it will haunt me every so often.” She wiped tears from her cheeks and took a deep breath. “I’m a mess, Tor. Even if you do want to be in my life, I’m probably not worth the trouble.”
A snarl tore from his chest before he could stop it.
She jerked in the bed, startled. “What was that?”
“Sorry, I just couldn’t imagine a world where I didn’t want you.”
That brought a tentative smile to her face. “That’s hard to believe but thank you for saying it.”
“This former husband of yours…he told you lies about yourself?” Tor closed the window and crawled back into the bed with Dawn. He settled on his back and pulled her close so that her head was cradled against his chest and his arm was wrapped around to her back.
“Yes, I suppose it started out that way. But if you hear something long enough, it becomes your truth. It took me a long time to get away from him and even longer to realize a lot of what he said was a lie. My mother was the same way, so I guess I went from one verbal abuser to another.”
“You were scared of me when I told you I was angry. I never want to see you scared of me again. Ever. Do you understand?”
“That’s asking a lot.”
He shook his head and squeezed her tighter. “You could hit be with a frying pan and I would never hurt you. You could stab me with a knife and I’d never hurt you.”
“You would yell.”
“No. I wouldn’t.”
“I don’t believe you. And I would never hit you.”
“And if you did, I would know there was a very good reason for it.”
“I wouldn’t,” she said again.
“Life throws us curveballs, Dawn,” he said, knowing quite well the time might come when she would truly fear him and possibly strike or hit him with something. Finding out the person you’re with is an enormous predatory cat isn’t the easiest thing to overcome for a human.
But one revelation was enough for one day. His would have to wait. Right now, he wanted to hold her and revel in the knowledge that she was his. That the magick hadn’t made a mistake. Her soul call was real. She was his shuarra.
“Will you kiss me again?”
Tor smiled up at the ceiling but didn’t move. “I will never stop kissing you, shuarra.”
“And you won’t think it’s a mistake?”
“It will never be a mistake again.”
She snuggled closer to his body and pulled a blanket up over her shoulder. “Can we just stay here a while?”
“I would like nothing more.”
Kann
Kann took another step closer to his prey and crouched in the undergrowth. He was huge in his lion form, but nobody was looking for a lion in the woods of Alaska and he blended perfectly in the summer growth. Winter was a problem for him, but summer provided all the cover he could want for his tawny hide.
“I want that bar. I want this town. It’s the only thing my dad cares about and I’m going to take it from him and then destroy it piece by piece. The great Hollister King is going to lose everything.”
“Serves him right for leaving you to rot in prison.”
Kann caught movement on the ridge opposite his position. Owen was watching from the other side of the clearing. They’d gotten to the scene right after Tor had gotten to Dawn. Seen Ryder leave and head back to town. Covered Tor’s back until he was safely to his cabin. Then they’d returned to the intruders.
Naomi had been concerned about them eliminating a man as well-known as Hollister King. She’d said people would notice. There would be investigations.
But this man wasn’t Hollister King.
This man was his son and his son was going to use Mystery to punish his dad.
Kann took another step forward. The men were talking again, but under their breath. He couldn’t make it out. He couldn’t kill them yet, not without Col’s order. And the more he could find out about their plans the better prepared they would be when the time came to get rid of them.
The men got out a cell phone and looked at it for a few minutes before starting off through the trees toward the main road.
Kann curled his lip and bit back a growl. He licked his canines and crouched lower. He could bide his time like a good predator. Hollister’s son had signed his death warrant when he’d threatened the Vraka’s home. Come onto Tribe territory. Threatened the town.
Col would burn anything that threatened his home and the dragon could follow through on that. Kann had seen it with his own eyes. He’d done it to save Penny and Kann would owe him a debt for life. Col would do it again for Tor’s mate. He would do it to save the town from this bastard too.
But they had to be strategic about it. Naomi had insisted on it and she was Mahadhri, answering only to the Vraka.
This was Alaska, but it wasn’t the wild west—whatever she’d meant by that, he wasn’t sure. Except that he wasn’t allowed to kill without a plan.
He let them go. He didn’t follow them.
He watched Owen stand then crouch again when he saw that they weren’t pursuing. The bear would be pissed, but the former alpha owed his life to Col and he would never dishonor that oath.
Kann shifted from his beast and waited for Owen to make his way back down the ridge to him. It didn’t take long, the big guy emerged at his right within two minutes, surprisingly silent for a lumbering bear.
“You let them leave,” Owen said.
“It’s not who everyone thinks it is. We need to talk to the Tribe again. And I have to take my mate to a doctor’s appointment.”
Owen’s face brightened. “Well, let’s get you back to the cabin then. You can’t miss that.”
14
Knox
Knox entered the community center from the back door and wandered through the kitchen until he heard voices. The knitting circle was in session and the elder women of the town were huddled together passing bits of gossip back and forth.
He smiled and stepped out into the large room where they were circled up, each with a basket of yarn at their feet and needles flying in their hands.
“Knox. You beautiful man, where have you been?” Ms. Sampson was the first to look up and see him. The other ladies added their complements and lifted their cheeks so he could kiss each and every one of them.
“It’s so good to see you. You don’t come by often enough,” Ms. Sampson continued.
He made his way around the circle kissing cheeks and giving out hugs. It was always good to be on the elder’s good side. Katherine had laughed when she’d seen the outright flirting. He’d thought she would scold the old ladies and tell them to keep their hands off her mate, but she’d just left him to the wolves. Pun intended.
Now they expected it every time they saw him. Not that he minded, but it did slow him down when he was looking for Katherine.
“Has anyone seen my Katherine?”
“She got a phone call,” one of the women answered. “I think she’s in the foyer.”
“Thank you,” he said, bending to give his last kiss on Ms. Sampson’s cheek. Then he left them all talking about how nice his butt looked in his jeans and how much they liked his long hair. He shook his head and walked a little faster.
Katherine’s voice filtered through the doors of the foyer. He pushed one open and closed it quietly behind him. Harrison was sitting on a bench at the other end of the room, his shotgun stretched across his lap.
Katherine paused her phone conversation just long enough to give him a quick kiss.
&
nbsp; Then he walked over and sat next to Harrison.
“Wha’dya learn?”
“The man in town is not Hollister King. It’s his son.”
“Fucking hell.” Harrison’s grip on the rifle tightened. “That boy’s a shit ton of trouble. He was in prison for murder.”
Knox wasn’t surprised. “He is likely planning to kill Dawn to get his hands on the bar. Though I’m not sure what he plans to do with the bar. The way he was talking, he wants to destroy the town, not just own it.”
“He will kill someone. He tried this before he went to prison. Killed Gilbert Kelly and his wife. They used to own a B&B up on the north side of town. Bastard burned it to the ground with them in it. The property went to Gilbert’s brother who couldn’t bring himself to ever rebuild it.”
“I assume he went to prison for their deaths?”
Harrison grunted. “Yep and a variety of other crimes in a variety of other places. The guy is deep into drugs and organized crime. If we don’t get him out of here quick, more and more of his people will start showing up here in town. It’ll be like what happened to Gilbert and his wife all over again.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“No, it’s not.” Katherine said, slipping her phone into her jean front pocket. The tribe is meeting tonight, as soon as Kann and Penny get back from Fairbanks.”
“What are they doing up there?” Harrison asked.
“Baby appointment.”
“We can’t go to a meeting with the Tribe,” Knox said, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. The dragon had made it perfectly clear what would happen to either he or Ryder if they crossed the river onto Tribe land.
“They are coming to us. The meeting will be at The Watering Hole. Late. We’re supposed to be there at midnight once it closes.”
“What about Liam. Does he know about—” Harrison waved his hand at the both of them. “The animal stuff?”
“No. And Col has not given us permission to tell him, so don’t you dare,” Katherine said, glaring at her stand-in-father.
Harrison shrugged. “He wouldn’t believe me anyway. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”
Katherine moved to stand next to Knox. He bent to give her a kiss and she smiled. “Missed you today.”
“Missed you too, but you know I can only take those grandmas for a few minutes,” Knox said, his tone teasing.
“Were they looking at your butt again?”
Knox sighed. “Pretty sure, yes.”
Katherine slid her hand down his back and patted his butt. He looked down at her, letting his eyes flash with his wolf. “Unless you want me returning the favor in front of your father, you shouldn’t do that, love.”
“Hey! None of that from either one of you. Geeez.” Harrison stood from his seat. “I’ll see you all tonight at the bar. You don’t leave our girl for a second.” The older man waved and left through the front doors.
“Wait, did he say he was coming to the meeting tonight?”
“Pretty sure he did,” Knox said.
“Shit.”
“He knows a lot about the guy we’re hunting. He probably should come.”
“You can’t just hunt people, Knox. That’s not how this world works.” She opened the doors and peeked in on the knitting circle. “Ladies, you’ve got about fifteen more minutes and then I’ve got to close up today.”
Knox waited until Katherine closed the doors back. “Pretty sure that’s the only thing that will stop this guy.”
“Well, I guess we’ll find out tonight.”
“Yep.”
Tor
Tor tensed for a half a second and then relaxed into the feel of his mate’s fingers tracing the patterns of his warrior tattoos. His dick was hard, but that was nothing new when he was around Dawn. But her lying next to him, half on him, with a leg thrown over his hip so that her knee rested squarely on top of his twitching dick.
That was new.
She’d fallen back asleep. Hard. For a little over an hour. He’d laid there like the perfect gentleman and soaked up the knowledge that she was his. Would be his. Wasn’t married. She was free to be claimed. Free to be loved.
“Do these mean anything?”
“They were honors earned in my unit,” he said carefully, trying to use the appropriate earth terminology. He wasn’t ready to tell her he was a tiger shifter from another world and his tattoos were honors and rank in his warrior clan. Most all the men in the Tribe had them, different variations, but they were similar enough that the women compared them.
“What would you say if I asked you to kiss me again?”
Nothing. Tor rolled Dawn to her back and put both his hands to either side of her face, cradling her head, and then just kissed her. He prodded and poked and stroked until her lips parted, allowing him access to her mouth. She tasted like desire and home all wrapped into one tantalizing gift he didn’t deserve but would never let go.
He broke contact with her lips, skimming his mouth and along her chin and then down her neck. Her breaths were coming out in short pants. Her pulse was racing in her neck. Her body was heating beneath his and he could smell her arousal. He wanted nothing more than to taste her everywhere.
She whimpered again, sending a shock through him like liquid energy. His fangs pressed hard inside his mouth, but he held back the cat. This was not about claiming. This time was just about making her feel good.
So good she would be calling his name at night in pleasure instead of her ex’s in fear.
“Let me touch you?” He whispered against the skin above her breasts.
“You are touching me.” Her words were soft and husky and did things to his body no woman’s voice had ever done before.
He tugged at the hem of her shirt and made eye contact with her, waiting for the permission he needed before he went any further.
“Your eyes are so beautiful. They are blue and gold and it’s like it’s moving.” She raised her arms up, answering his question.
He raised up on his knees and pulled his sweatshirt and t-shirt off of her with a gentle tug, baring her beautiful glowing skin. Full round breasts with rose-colored nipples just begging for a taste.
How could he resist. He bent down and took one nipple into his mouth and tugged gently until she was writhing beneath him making the most beautiful noises. Noises that made his dick jump to attention. Noise that made his blood burn with desire.
She tasted like the sweetest berries and sex and female. There was nothing better in the world, except the parts of her he’d yet to taste. Those would be even better.
Her hands came forward, grabbing his shoulders, clawing at his back. The magick was pulling her to him as well. He wasn’t alone in his overwhelming desire and attraction.
Her need and urgency was palpable. She clung to him as if she could fall if she didn’t hang on. He felt the same.
Tor pulled back a moment to revel in the sight of her pink flushed body, glowing with magick that sang to his soul. Her swollen lips, red from his kisses.
He skimmed his hands along the curves of her breasts and took them both, cupping them. He used his thumbs to tease her nipples into hard peaks.
She turned her head into his pillow and moaned.
His cock throbbed in response.
Tor released her breasts, pleased with the complaining whine that slipped between her lips. He rolled her to her belly and sat down beside her, his back on his headboard.
“What are you—”
He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her into his lap, sitting her soft ass right down on his hard cock. Her back was to his chest and her breast were easily within reach along with everything else he wanted to play with.
“Oh,” she said, her voice breathy. She wiggled her bottom and he groaned.
“Evil woman,” he said, his voice almost a growl.
“You can’t have all the fun.”
He loved the teasing. She was relaxed. She wanted this. Ne
eded it. Her body was warm and flushed and he could almost taste her arousal in the air like cream and peaches.
Tor slipped his hand into the front waistband of the sweatpants and found her sex slicked and ready. She arched against his hand and her breathing turned to ragged panting.
“I’m going to make you come, shuarra.”
He slipped a finger between her folds and found her aching swollen bit right above her entrance.
She pushed her head back into his chest and hummed and thrashed and moaned her agreement. “I like that name you keep calling me. What does it mean?”
“Soul mate,” Tor said, sliding his finger across her swollen folds again, relishing the way she moaned and clutched at his arms. She pushed and clawed and pulled, unable to decide if more or less was better.
“I used to believe in that. I want to believe in it again,” she whispered.
“I will help you,” Tor answered. “But first you have to come for me.” He slipped a finger inside her slick channel and used his thumb to work her throbbing little nubbin.
The effect was immediate. She jerked in the cage of his arms and cried out, hitting the bed with balled up fist. She was almost there. So close. He could feel the tension like a band ready to snap. He worked her tighter and tighter and higher. The sounds coming from her were higher pitched now. More desperate.
Her pleas for more fed his desire. He wanted to give her everything. All of him.
Not this time.
He nipped at her ear and kissed down the side of her neck all the while thrusting his fingers into her and circling her clit. She bucked against him and then came with a symphony of cries, ending with his name on her lips in a way that sang to the deepest depths of his soul.
He stroked and coaxed every last bit of her orgasm from her until she was a puddle of sweet contented woman reclining in his lap.
“I—you—I’ve never.” Dawn tried to speak, but nothing came out in complete sentences.
All's Were That Ends Were: Soulmate Shifters World (Soulmate Shifters in Mystery, Alaska Book 6) Page 11