“Brooklynn, I’m sure you have questions.” Tabitha took the pause to steer the conversation back to the job opportunity. “Carran can answer some of them and the rest we’ll sit down and answer in person. That is, if you’ll trust us enough to come back with the team in a few hours.”
She tipped her head to look up at Carran. His long hair was hiding part of his features from her, but just looking at him made her heart skip a beat. Denying the opportunity, or at least the chance to discover more, she’d in turn be closing a door between them. This was his life. He had obligations to them and from what she gathered, he had just received a promotion. In a few hours, he’d have no choice but to return to Alaska if he wanted to keep his position. If she didn’t go with them, that could be the last time she saw him. They made it clear she wasn’t safe in Pittsburgh, and Alaska was as far as she could go without leaving the country.
Realizing she was staring at him, Carran turned so they were facing each other, and took her hands into his. “You’ll be safe. You have my word on that.”
“I wasn’t worried about that.” She fingered the hem of the shirt she was wearing—his shirt. Trust him, Bumblebee. “Okay. I’ll come to Alaska. First, I need to go by my place and get some stuff.”
“We’ll make arrangements for her to gather what she needs and will give you a call when we’re leaving.” With a smile, Carran squeezed her hands.
“Make it quick and we’ll set aside time this evening to speak with both of you.” Ty leaned closer to the screen and added, “Welcome to the clan, Brooklynn.” With that, the call ended, sending the computer screen back to the main screen.
Please, don’t let me regret this…
Chapter Fifteen
With his Elders no longer on the screen, Carran pulled Brooklynn into his embrace. Her anxieties welled in his stomach like a thick ball of doubt, but she was trusting him. Her arms wrapped around his waist as she returned his embrace, and he never wanted the moment to end. When they arrived in Alaska, there was no doubt they’d be busy. She had a lot of training to accomplish before she was ready for missions—hell, before he was ready.
“What just happened?”
“You agreed to come to Alaska and discuss the job opportunity further.” He dragged his hand through her hair, applying enough pressure she tipped her head back to look up at him. “We’ll go from there.”
“No, I mean with you. There seemed to be something hidden behind Ty’s words, something I’m missing. Did you get a promotion?”
He tipped his head down, pressing his forehead against hers. “I sure as hell hope so.” Pressing his lips to hers, he reached down, took hold of her hips, and lifted her so she had no choice but to wrap her legs around his waist.
He wanted nothing more than to tear their clothes off them, press her against the wall, and bury his shaft deep within her. “Fuck, baby, I want you.”
“Are you trying to distract me?” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“No, but is it working?” Wanting his hands free, he walked around the dresser and pressed her back against the wall. With her pinned between him and the wall, he took hold of the hem of the shirt and raised an eyebrow. “You’re still wearing my shirt.”
“Your point? It looks better on me than you, anyway.”
His hands slid under the thin material. “I think you look better without it. I want you naked like you were last night.”
“I’ll have to think about that.” She arched into him as his hands slid under the material of her bra.
“What was that?” He tweaked the nipple, hardening the little bud in his fingers.
The floorboard in the hall creaked and the scent of Taber drifted toward Carran. He pulled his hand out from her bra and tugged down her shirt. “What, man?”
“We’ve got to get a move on it. The wolves lost their pup.”
“Fuck!” He helped her stand and stepped away from her. “How long ago?”
“Last time anyone saw him was an hour ago.”
“I want a couple people to check out Brooklynn’s place. Send Red and whoever else, but not you and Tad—you’re with us. We’ll head out in a few minutes.”
“That’s going to be the first place he’ll check,” Taber reasoned.
“I know. So make sure they check the apartment, building, and the area. She’s coming with us and needs to gather some of her belongings. We’re leaving in ten minutes. Make sure everyone is ready.” Heading for the door, he glanced back at her. “I’ve got to suit up. Grab whatever is yours and bring it to my room. You can toss it in my bag for now.”
“You think he’ll come after me, don’t you?” She didn’t move away from the wall, but he caught her glancing toward the nightstand where her gun sat.
“He might, but he won’t get anywhere near you. He’s angry, but I don’t think he’s stupid enough to try to go up against us. Youngsters might be cocky, but he’d be up against not only tigers, but bears, and a lion. He’s not that stupid.”
“A lion…you mean Ambrose.” She pushed her hair away from her face. “He’s got his daughter to protect, and you said he’s still not gained complete control over his lion yet. Maybe it would be better if he gets far away from me. I mean if people are coming after me, I don’t want to be the reason he loses everything.”
“He’s fine. Being back with Kyra has helped him reconnect with his lion. Now get ready.” He headed across the hall to his room. Taber was no longer in the hallway, off doing what Carran had asked.
The guards of the Alaskan Tigers all worked well together. Working as a team, they got more done. While there were leaders among them, everyone had a strong personality, so when one asked the others to do something, they didn’t argue. This might be Carran’s mission, but even if it wasn’t, it would have still been the same.
“That’s why we’re the right people to lead this movement and free shifters from the shadows,” he mumbled, more to himself than anyone else as he geared up.
The future was unnerving at times, but the possibility of Tabitha’s prophecy world made every step they took worth it. He wanted future generations to be able to live without fear, without having to hide in the shadows so humans wouldn’t find them.
He grabbed his phone off the nightstand, unplugging it from the charging cord as he did so, and instantly Ivy’s proposal came up on screen. The words Shifter Peace Keepers—Shifters for a Better Tomorrow caught his attention. With Brooklynn leading it, Ivy’s dream would come to life. But was he ready to send his mate out into the world full of dangers and threats without him? He understood what Ty must feel with having Tabitha in the spotlight of this transition for their kind. She was the center of this, the one their enemies were after. Neither of them were alone in wanting to protect their mates. Some mates were easier to protect, especially if they stayed in the safety of the compound, but others were more difficult. He wouldn’t be able to be with her every minute of the day, or go on every mission with her, leaving him to trust those on her team. He’d be damn sure they understood what would happen if they allowed something to happen to her.
“You’re not going to threaten people to make sure they keep me safe.” She put the few things she had on the bed. “I’ve been a police officer for years and I’ve been fine. If I accept this job with your…”
“Elders.”
“Thank you. I wasn’t sure what you called them. If I accept this position with your Elders, I’ll be fine.”
“You think you know what I’m thinking, do you?” He strolled toward her and when he could reach her, he pulled her into his embrace.
“I stood in the doorway watching you for a moment and tried to accept this weird connection. Then it seemed to click. It’s strange, but yes, I know you were thinking about threatening my team to make sure I came back to you safe.”
Needing to feel as much of her as he could, his hands traveled up her back. “This connection between us works both ways and I’m better at it. It’s second nature to a shifter and
you know what that means?”
“What? That you’re a cocky bastard?”
His lips curled into a smile. “No. It lets me know you’re worried about going up against a shifter. And you should be, but Styx is the best there is. I trust him to teach you everything you need to survive out there.”
“He’s that good?”
“You’ll see.” He rested his hands on her hips, and looked her directly in the eye. “If you think you can stop me from putting a little fear into the shifters who go out on a mission with you, then you’re wrong. You’re mine, and I’ll make their lives a living Hell if they don’t keep you safe. Ty would do it to me and any of the other guards if anything happened to Tabitha. This is no different.”
“So you’re Tabitha’s guard? That’s your new promotion? You never told me when I asked you.”
“Nothing is official yet, but I hope when we get back to Alaska it will be.” He stepped back from her and continued to gather his things. “I’ve been a temporary guard and have been working for a permanent place on the team.”
“I’m sure you got it. He’d be stupid not to give it to you.” She plopped down on the mattress and rubbed her hand along the soft comforter.
“You’ve known me two days and you think you know me enough to believe I deserve this position? No wonder you’re my mate.” He smirked, shoving the last of his belongings into the bag before grabbing her stuff off the bed and adding it into the bag. “Shall we?”
“I guess. I’d rather spend the rest of the day in a different way, but we all have to do crappy stuff sometimes.”
He held out his hand to her and she took it. “We’ll be in Alaska in a few hours and we’ll make sure we can find some time to ourselves.” Rising from the bed, she didn’t look at him, instead continuing to stare at the floor, and he could feel the anxiety rising within her. “What’s wrong? Having second thoughts?”
“Last night…I didn’t really understand what I was getting into. What a night of intimacy with you actually meant. I’ve had one-night stands before and flings. I figured everything you said was just talk, not reality. One night with you and I could work you out of my system, then continue with my life. But that’s not the case, is it?”
“If that’s what you wanted, I’m sorry.” He slipped his arm around her waist and pressed the fronts of their bodies together. “You’re mine. I know this life is different for you, but I’ll be there with you every step of the way, and will do what I can to make the transition smooth for you. You won’t regret this.”
“I wonder how I’ll explain this to my mother and sister.” She tipped her head back and let out a deep laugh. “They never understood my life anyway, so why would I expect them to understand me moving across country for a job and a man? When shifters come out of the shadows, my mother is going to be livid, but I’m not going to tell her shit. Abagail would…never mind, let’s go.”
“She’d what? Say it, because whatever it was threw up a wall between us. You tried to shut me out. Instead of me digging to find out why, I want you to tell me.”
“She’d see shifters as a zoo exhibit and want to find out what made you tick. My sister has this undesirable trait of wanting to push people to their limits. I refuse to stand by while she does that and it will most likely put a flame to our nearly condemned bridge, burning any connection we have.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll find a way to smooth things over with your family when the time comes for them to find out about what I am.” He cupped the side of her face and dragged his thumb along the curve of her cheekbone. “Mate, I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy. Never doubt that.”
The fact that his mate was concerned about her family’s reaction to shifters made him wonder what his sister would have thought about Brooklynn. Would she have approved of his beautiful, hardheaded mate? Somehow, he suspected she would. They were two of the same breed—both stubborn. I miss you, Samar. I hope I’m making you proud.
Chapter Sixteen
The time change was throwing Brooklynn off her game. Her body seemed to think it was late evening, but in Alaska they were having dinner. A five-hour time difference was more than she could comprehend at the moment and her nerves had her on edge enough that she wanted to get back on the plane and fly anywhere else. Carran squeezed her hand, reassuring her, as they disembarked from the plane. In the crowd, she spotted Ty and Tabitha, quickly recognizing them from the video conference.
“Mates and Elders. That’s all,” he assured her. “I swear you’re safe here.”
“Sorry, so many new faces.” She leaned against him and chuckled. “Guess I should get used to that.”
“Trust me, they won’t be strangers for long. We’re family here.”
“I don’t think just here.” She glanced up at him. “I saw how you were with Red and the other West Virginia Tiger.”
“Hugo,” he said.
“They belonged to another clan, but they were still family. The Brown brothers are bears, but you still accept them as one of your own. It’s not just because Taber and Tad are mated to tigers belonging here. Theodore isn’t mated, yet he’s part of the group. They’re your allies, but it’s more than that. There’s a friendship and bond woven into that mix. Ambrose is a lion, and he’s not a member here, has no connection to your clan, yet you welcomed him with open arms.”
“He still makes you uneasy.”
“A little, yes, but that’s the cop in me. He caught me in a weak moment, and now my guard is up so it doesn’t happen again.” She caught a glimpse of Ambrose over Carran’s shoulder as he disembarked the plane, carrying his sleeping daughter in his arms. “I can see how much he cares for Kyra and it changes my original beliefs about him.”
“I’m glad to hear that, because he’s going to be staying here for now.” Ty wandered up to them, with others following close behind, and Tabitha at his side. “You’ve had a long journey, but there are matters we must attend to with Carran. We can discuss your situation later if you’d prefer.”
“I’d like to show her to my room before—”
“She can come and then you can both go to your new cabin,” Tabitha said. “We’ve already moved your belongings so you can get settled in quickly. I’ll have one of the guards take Brooklynn’s bags there, as well.” She gave Brooklynn a bright smile. “I know you are overwhelmed at the moment, especially since Carran and the others filled you in on our lifestyle during the flight, so we won’t take too much of your time.”
“I understand. Debriefing is standard procedure for police, but I’m not needed for this. I’m sure someone else can show me where I should be and I can get out of everyone’s hair.”
“Come with us. This will affect you and will give another view into our lives here in Alaska,” Ty said.
“It shouldn’t take long, and I want you there,” Carran assured her.
Knowing that his promotion would likely be confirmed in this meeting, she nodded. If she was going to be with him and be a part of his world, she should be there for his moment. This was something he’d worked hard for and from what she could tell, it was something he wanted badly. Though she didn’t understand completely what the new promotion would mean, she was happy for him.
A few minutes later, they were in a conference room and Carran held out a chair for her at the long mahogany table. Ty and Tabitha stood at the head of the table, while two others sat on the opposite side. The others who’d followed behind them along the way were in the hallway.
“Before we start, Brooklynn, this is my Lieutenant, Raja, and his mate Bethany.” Ty quickly introduced the two sitting across the table before continuing. “The others in the hall, you’ll meet later. They’re Elder Guards. We didn’t want to waste time and further overwhelm you by introducing them. Carran can handle that tomorrow once you’ve had some sleep and have settled in.”
“Carran, we’re glad to have you back and congratulations on finding your mate.”
“What my mate is tryin
g to say…” Bethany began, lightly slapping Raja’s hand. “Is welcome to the family, Brooklynn. It wasn’t that long ago that I was in your position, a human among a group of unknown shifters. While they’re big and intimidating, I promise their bark is worse than their bite.”
“As long as you’re on our side,” Tabitha chimed in. “Otherwise, watch out.”
“Let’s get to the point of dragging them in here. Then you ladies can sit around and gossip about us until the sun comes up, for all I care.”
Tabitha took Ty’s hand into hers and smiled. “You’d care, but let’s get on with it because Bethany and I promised Tora we’d stop by this evening.”
“Well, now that I have your permission. Felix,” Ty called out, and the door opened.
The man who entered had short brown hair and carried himself in a way that screamed he was deadly. Brooklynn’s heart sped up, just as it had earlier when she saw him on the landing strip. He took everything in, watched everyone as if they were dangerous. If he could look at his own clan like that, what did he think of her presence?
“It’s okay,” Carran assured her. “Felix is the Captain of Tabitha’s Guards.”
“And your new leader,” Ty announced. “Over the last several months, you have been working for this and have proven yourself worthy, and this mission quelled any doubts we might have had. You led the team, saved Brooklynn, smoothed the way to create a new ally with the Donovick Wolves, and have brought new information to light about the leopard leap living in Pittsburgh. You’ve earned an official spot as one of Tabitha’s guards.”
“As long as nothing comes up, I’ve scheduled for you to have the next three days off to tend to your mate’s needs.” Felix eyed Carran for a long moment before continuing. “Ty assures me he’s spoken with you enough to determine your mating will not affect your abilities to protect Tabitha. Ty entrusts me with the protection of his mate and while I’m inclined to agree with him, you’ll team with Adam and myself on the first rotation so we can be sure. If no problems arise, that will be the extent of your probation period and you’ll be thrown into the rotation immediately.”
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