The Tribe Boxed Set: A Shapeshifter Paranormal Romance

by Terra Wolf

  I picked up the phone. I scrolled through my contacts and tapped the screen when I saw his name. It rang a few times before he picked up.

  “Donovan, you have something for me?” Case answered.

  “I do.”

  “I’m listening.”

  Caroline was in the shower. I had to talk fast. “There’s a jag shifter who showed up yesterday.” I kept my voice low.

  “And?”

  “I don’t know his cat line yet, but we’re going to have a problem with him. I thought I should let you know.”

  “Did he mention the territory?”

  “He showed up looking for his mate, but yes, he referred to the Maddox line. He knows something about what’s going on.”

  Case paused. “There are she-panthers in Charleston?”

  “No. Well, there’s one. She was here on vacation.”

  “Shit. I can tell I’m not going to like where this story is going.” Case’s voice was even.

  I shook my head. I could have texted this and saved myself the royal lecture I was going to get.

  “Probably not.”

  “Who is the guy? Who is the girl?” he asked.

  “His name is Bennett. Her name is Caroline Addison. And she’s on his mate list.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  I took a deep breath. “The problem is I took her as my mate before he got here.”

  “You seized another shifter’s mate?”

  “Yes, your majesty.” It didn’t hurt to suck up a little at times like this. If the Tribe was going to back me it was going to start with Case.

  He laughed. “I’ve heard of it happening, but shit, Donovan, I can’t believe you did it.”

  “I thought she might be on my list. I was positive she was on my list. Since I haven’t seen it. And she was looking for her mate. We both were a little assumptive. That’s the short version.”

  “That’s enough for me to know.”

  I waited for the lecture. I waited for the yelling. I waited for the king to exile me from the Tribe.

  “Tell me what you need,” he stated.

  “Excuse me?”

  His voice was quiet. “I sent you to Charleston because there is a shifter war. I sent you to an apartment building that was expecting a beautiful she-panther that wasn’t betrothed in our line.”

  I tried to put together what he was saying. “You planned this?”

  “I wouldn’t say plan as much as prepared for the possibility.”

  I didn’t know whether to feel manipulated or relieved. Case had my back, but I was a pawn in a bigger war I didn’t know much about.

  “I think it’s time you tell me what’s going on.” I paused. “Your majesty.” I swallowed my pride and begged for the information. If it would save Caroline I’d do whatever it took.

  Case’s voice was so low I almost couldn’t make out the words. “It’s a war. The Council. The shifter lines. All of it.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Part of me wanted to grab Caroline and drive out of town. Take her as far away from here as I could go, then hop on a plane and fly even farther. But my need to protect her was at odds with the orders given to me, and the fact that my curiosity was eating me alive. What kind of war was brewing?

  “I can’t go into this on the phone. There are too many ears. But hold your ground.”

  “You’re saying I should fight for her?”

  There was silence on the other end.

  “Case?”

  “Yes. Fight for her. Challenge him. Seize her at whatever cost.”

  “Whatever cost?” I wasn’t sure what my orders included, but the line went dead and I looked at my phone. Whatever cost?

  I couldn’t hear the shower water any longer. I walked into the bedroom to see Caroline walking out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her chest. The water glistened on her skin. I kissed her shoulder.

  “You’re so damn beautiful.”

  She smiled. “And you have news.” She eyed me.

  “How can you tell?”

  “Mates, remember?”

  I didn’t know if I believed in all of that stuff before. Mates were supposed to have an open connection to each other. They could sense things about the other that no one else could. I thought it was a bunch of shit the elders concocted to get the she-panthers to go along with their duties. Or a way parents convinced their teenage shifters that all the struggle would be worth it on the other side.

  But there were things that were undeniable between Caroline and me. I wanted to protect her and keep her safe. My instincts were running higher than they ever had when she was near. And yes, I felt her thoughts several times, but I didn’t read into it until now.

  “It’s good news, actually.” I sat on the edge of the bed to watch her get dressed.

  “Good news?”

  I nodded. My eyes drank her in as she dropped the towel.

  “I talked to the king.”

  “And he has a solution?”

  “You could call it that.” I wanted to tell her everything, but the protector in me didn’t want to scare her. She was already freaked out about Bennett. He hadn’t returned yet, but I was expecting him to show up on our doorstep again.

  She slipped a bra and panties on and turned to look at me. “Just tell me, Donovan. What’s the plan?”

  “We have his full support. And the support of the Tribe.”

  “Really?”

  “And I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep you as my mate. There’s no bargaining. No deals. No wife swap. You’re mine, baby.”

  She lowered herself onto my lap, wrapping her arms around me. “He said all of that?”

  I brushed my lips over hers. “Yes.”

  I’d never get enough of her. Her lips were like honey. I kissed her, drinking in the taste of my mate.

  “Donovan?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Did the king say anything about the shifter lines or the Council?”

  I stopped my pursuit of her skin. God, her ability to read my mind and emotions was incredible.

  “Maybe.”

  “If there’s more to this, I have a right to know. There is a jaguar in this city who is here to marry me. You can’t keep secrets from me. Not now. Not ever.”

  My thumbs pressed into the small of her back. Her skin was still damp from the shower.

  “My love, I don’t know all the answers.”

  “But you do know more than what you’re telling me.” Her eyes darted back and forth.

  “Barely anything.” I sighed. “There is a shifter war. But I don’t know who or why. I know Case sent me here to hold this territory for him. And he somehow knew you were coming here. He also knew you didn’t belong to our line. You aren’t betrothed to any of the Maddox jaguars.”

  “But you weren’t always a Maddox jaguar,” she reminded me.

  “No, I wasn’t. But that was a long time ago. I’m sure the Council has made sure to update my list.”

  I sat forward, almost knocking Caroline to the floor.

  “What is it?”

  “My list.” I don’t know why I hadn’t put it together until now. “Case has it.”

  “What?”

  I deposited her next to me and began to make a circle around the room. “He’s had it this whole time. I’m not the only member of the Tribe not to get a list. I’m the only one he hasn’t given it to.” My eyes hardened.

  “And you’re mad about this?” She stood next to me.

  That was the question. Was I mad? Had Case stolen something from me or given me the best gift I could have hoped for? I loved Caroline. I loved her with every part of my soul. I didn’t want another panther. I didn’t want anyone on that list. But I still felt the betrayal. The con that Case used to get me down here. He was an evil genius, and my feelings for Caroline had played perfectly into his plan.

  “No. No, I’m not mad I don’t have the list. I’m mad he lied to me.” I planted a kiss on he
r forehead.

  She didn’t look completely convinced.

  “What if you had it?” she asked.

  “I wouldn’t do anything with it. I’ve already said that.”

  She pulled a sundress on over her nearly naked body. My intuition wasn’t as sharp as hers, but I could feel her pulling away. I could feel her slipping from me.

  “Caroline, look at me.” I stopped her from rushing to the bathroom to do her hair and makeup.

  Her green eyes were on fire.

  “I can’t get enough of you. I’m so in love with you I was willing to leave the Tribe. I’m willing to die to seize you from this other shifter line. I don’t know what else I can say to prove that you’re it for me. The only mate. I don’t want the list. I’m glad I never got the list.”

  I saw her eyes glisten with tears. They welled at the corners until her lashes were wet.

  “I’m so in love with you too.” She reached up to kiss me.

  “I love that you’re jealous though,” I teased.

  “Jealous? I don’t see any panthers lined up outside the door.”

  “Oh, that’s how you want to play it?”

  I scooped her in my arms and she screamed. “Put me down.” She kicked her legs.

  “Not happening.”

  I laid her in the center of the bed. I tickled her sides and slid her dress up over the curves of her hips. The fire in my chest had been lit. I wasn’t letting her out of my arms.

  She purred, locking her arms around my neck. “I love it when you take me,” she whispered.

  “Then you’re going to love this.”

  14

  Caroline

  I should have been scared out of my mind. My true fated mate. The one betrothed to me at birth. The one I had spent years waiting for was here to marry me. And he had challenged Donovan. But I wasn’t scared. I was calm. I felt Donovan’s protection encase me. He was strong and powerful. Brave. And I knew a lot of his strength came from being royalty. It didn’t matter that his title had been stripped. It was in his blood. He was a leader. A ruler. He would protect me. Keep me safe from Bennett.

  We were in the car driving on the outskirts of Charleston.

  “There has to be somewhere we can meet,” Donovan mumbled.

  “I can’t believe we’re doing this.” We had been driving for over an hour looking for a place he could challenge Bennett.

  We knew it wasn’t safe in the city.

  “The sooner we can find a secluded location, the sooner I can lure him there and enact the Seize Order.”

  “So I know that’s supposed to sound great, but it makes me feel like a piece of evidence in a court case.”

  He gripped my knee. “Sorry, baby. It’s the old term. We can call it something else.”

  I smiled at him. “No, seize away. I want to be yours without anyone in the shadows. I don’t want to spend our lives looking over our shoulders for Bennett or someone in his family coming after us.”

  “And we won’t.” I could hear the confidence in his voice. “I’ll end this.”

  I pointed to a warehouse near the bridge. “What about over there?”

  “Let’s check it out.”

  Donovan steered us into the parking lot. It looked like an abandoned refinery. The doors were rusted and there weren’t any cars.

  “Should we go inside?” I asked.

  He nodded. “I want to make sure we can settle this. We can’t do it if we can be caught. We need total seclusion.”

  I agreed. Secrecy was as important as the meeting itself. We couldn’t chance word getting out that there were giant cats in town.

  Donovan shoved the door open. It creaked as we stepped inside.

  We looked around. There were large metal chains hanging from the ceiling and equipment that looked as if it hadn’t been touched in years.

  “I think this is the place.” He looked at the ceiling.

  I felt a shiver course through me. “I don’t know whether to be relieved or terrified.”

  His eyes glowered. “It ends here.”

  I rubbed the contour of his bicep. His entire body was rigid. “Hey, have I lost you?” I almost didn’t recognize him.

  His eyes drifted toward me. “Never. But right now I need to be a warrior. You have to understand that, Caroline. All of this is for you.”

  I nodded. “You know you aren’t alone. You have a pretty powerful sidekick.” I grinned.

  “Who, you?” He looked startled.

  “I’m a panther. I’ve protected my own territory. I’ve guarded my town for years. I’m trained. I can help you. It’s two against one this way.”

  His chest puffed forward. “This is a jaguar fight.”

  “Please don’t tell me this is some kind of testosterone pissing contest. Let me help you. I’m just as lethal as you are.” I glared at him.

  “Call it what you want. But you’re not fighting him. I am.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “You can’t tell me that. He’s my mate.” My mouth snapped shut as soon as I said it. “I didn’t mean that. He’s not… shit.” I stared at the floor.

  “I know what you meant.” Donovan walked past me. “Doesn’t matter. You’re not fighting. It’s not a seize if you’re a part of it. I don’t want you anywhere near here tonight.”

  “Tonight? This is happening tonight?” I ran after him trying to catch up. “You didn’t say it would be tonight. It’s too soon. We’re not ready.”

  “It has to be now.” He turned in the sunlight. “I know you’re a strong panther. I know you’re a badass, Caroline. You’re gorgeous and sexy and you’re everything to me. My entire world. But tonight is between Bennett and me. It’s about you, but it’s about me too. I have to put an end to his line having any claim on you. I need to prove this to myself. For my family and for you. I need to show Case what I’m capable of. This has to be done my way. Can you understand that?”

  Suddenly I realized this fight was about more than keeping us together. Donovan was trying to heal the wounds from his past. Wounds his father had created when he lost to the Maddox line. When he won, he would show the king that he was a prince hidden in a warrior’s body.

  I nodded. “I do. I get it.”

  He sighed. “All right. Now I have to deliver the message.”

  I sat in the car as Donovan drove us home. It wouldn’t be long before I knew the outcome and I wasn’t sure whether to let time drag on, or rush it.

  The mate I had chosen was preparing to kill the mate chosen for me. My heart ached and I knew it was for both of them.

  15

  Donovan

  It wasn’t as hard to find Bennett as I thought. In a town without shifters, picking up his scent happened pretty quickly. He was staying at a hotel on the boardwalk. I knocked on the door and waited for him to answer.

  The door whipped open.

  “You again. You have a message for me?”

  I smirked. “Sure do.”

  “What did she say?”

  “First, she said you can kiss her ass. And second, she said to meet here tonight.” I shoved a piece of paper in his hand with the address of the abandoned warehouse.

  He glared at me. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

  I smiled. “Oh, I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m declaring it tonight. You better be there.”

  He didn’t know Caroline like I did. To him she was only a name on a list given to him by the Council. He didn’t know how she liked her coffee, or how she loved to take thirty-minute hot showers. He didn’t know she made cute little purring sounds in her sleep or no matter how many times she saw the ocean, she smiled every morning when she opened the blinds. No, he didn’t know shit about her. He’d never touched her. Never kissed her. Never loved her.

  But I had. And it gave me the fire I needed to fight for her. He had a name on a list. I had her heart.

  “You realize you’re pitting our lines against each other.”

  I folded my arms. “No, I’m takin
g what’s rightfully mine. And after tonight, there won’t be any arguments about it.” I walked backward. “See you there.”

  Bennett slammed the door and I could hear him growl on the other side of the paneling.

  I slid my sunglasses over my eyes and climbed behind the wheel of my Jeep. I grinned.

  He didn’t have a chance.

  The warehouse was dark and I could hear a leak coming from the roof. I looked at my phone. I still had ten more minutes until Bennett was supposed to show. I wasn’t nervous. I wasn’t scared. I had confidence running through my veins.

  I was meant for this. I had the backing of the king. I had the love of my mate. And I had the blood of royalty coursing through my body. I was going to kill this jaguar and finally claim my own future.

  I looked through the broken windows, keeping an eye out for his headlights. I kept checking my clock. Where in the hell was he?

  16

  Caroline

  It was the hardest promise I ever had to make, but I swore to Donovan I wouldn’t go to the warehouse. When he kissed me before he left I wanted him to feel my strength, my belief in him, not the fear I had that something terrible could happen.

  I kissed him as if I’d see him in an hour, not as if it was our last kiss on this earth. The more I thought about it, the more I regretted it. I should have breathed him in. I should have let him taste my tears. I should have held him with all the force in my panther body. But I didn’t.

  I let him walk out the door with a smile on my face.

  I had paced for twenty minutes then finally collapsed on the couch. I picked up the remote and started flipping through channels. It was a wasted effort, but maybe I could find something to distract me for five minutes. Okay, maybe thirty seconds.

  I raced up and down the channels and heard a knock on the door.

  I should have checked. I should have looked in the damn peephole, but I was on edge and just pulled the handle.

  He had a smile as wide as the beach. “Well, aren’t you beautiful?”

  My chest tightened. My eyes slanted. I knew exactly who he was without proper introductions.