by Celia Kyle
One with a knife.
One with a gun, his free hand yanking on Claire’s tail.
He would die, but not first. For now, Ares would incapacitate him and force him to release Claire.
Which was why he spun away from the male holding the twelve-inch blade and zeroed in on the idiot who dared to touch his sister. He opened his jaws widely, saliva dripping from his elongated fangs.
Before the human sensed his intent, Ares struck, clamping his teeth on the stranger’s forearm. His teeth easily slipped into his flesh, parting the skin and muscle like a hot knife in butter. The initial wave of blood was a splash of sweet turned sour, the fear staining the delicate notes of the blood.
The male’s scream rivaled a female’s—high-pitched and eardrum-shattering. The stranger released Claire, but Ares held onto him a moment longer, grinding his teeth together harder. He wanted the male to suffer greatly before Ares finally ended him.
Another pop from a gun, then two. One struck the tree truck, sending bark and wood raining down on him while the other slammed into his shoulder.
Agony ripped through him, snatching his very breath, but the tiger pushed the hurt from his mind. They’d freed Claire momentarily, but their adversaries lingered.
He spun to face the approaching group. Or rather, duo.
But it would not be a duo for long, not when his mate crouched low behind the trailing attacker. Bloodlust filled her eyes, and she licked her red-stained muzzle as her body prepared to leap and take down one of the men who’d threatened their pride.
So much pride consumed him, and anticipation drowned out any lingering pain. The cat roared its approval at what was to come, excited at the prospect of defending their pride.
Then his connection to his tigers reverberated, the strands that connected them all strummed like a guitar string, announcing… something. He reached for the others, his strongest males, and found them near.
Braden, Hawke, and Flynn raced over the ground, running nearer and nearer. How far had they traveled? How close were they?
The answer came in a blur of orange and black, a massive body pouncing from the bush and tackling Ares’s target in a single leap. Braden rolled across the ground with his prey, and Flynn did the same with Zoe’s intended victim, snatching the joy of another kill from beneath her claws.
His mate even pouted.
He would find her something to kill later.
Ares sought out Hawke, knowing he’d seen the male, to find him beside a whimpering Claire, his sister cowering and curling into his body. Ares looked within himself and sought the objection to any male being close to Claire, but his cat was actually pleased with Hawke’s actions. The male comforted one of his pride mates.
While also snapping at the human who sought to get away.
Ares surveyed the area, glancing at the other two tigers and their prey. He tilted his head, listening to the sounds around them and identified each one with ease. The only echoes missing were the sound of two heartbeats.
Dead then. Which left them with Claire’s mate only. Dammit, he wished he would have killed him before he managed to get ahold of his sister.
Ares padded toward the couple and called his human shape forward, demanding the cat relent and give power to his two-legged half. He needed a normal mouth, lips, and tongue. The tiger growled within his mind and finally released that iron control, allowing the change to roll through him like a gentle breeze. It was quick—it always had been, since he was an alpha—and he soon found himself on two legs, striding toward the couple.
Warm, damp fur stroked his leg, and then the scent—her scent—caressed him. It smoothed the rough edge of his anger and the tiger’s hunger, leaving a calculating, fierce male behind.
He soon reached his cowering sister and protective Hawke. He crouched, easing himself into Claire’s line of sight. “Are you okay?”
She whimpered and wrapped her tail around herself, tip flicking in agitation, and he sensed her rising distress.
“Okay, shhh… Okay.” He turned his head and caught Braden’s eye then Flynn’s. Both males abandoned their prey and came to him, their attention fixated on their alpha. “Take Claire back to the house. Guard her. Have the guards drop back and bring a few near the den. No one leaves. No one comes in.”
Or I will kill them.
Braden gave him a questioning trill.
Ares stood and toed the cowering male now whimpering and cradling his injured arm. “I’ll haul this one back with me. We can question him and then call the authorities. I want to know how this happened, so we can secure the vulnerability before others know of it and try to take advantage.”
Another inquiring sound, the male probably wondering how Ares would watch his back, his mate, and get the stranger to the den.
“Less than an hour old, and your alpha fem killed that one over there.” He gestured toward the dead male with his throat ripped out, gratified when his men were impressed with her actions.
Seeming to be satisfied with Ares’s explanation, the group herded Claire away, sticking close as they followed her home.
Which left him with a bleeding male begging to be left alone and a shifted mate who… looked like she’d like to eat the whimpering male just to shut him up.
Ares sighed. “As much as I would enjoy making him a late-night snack, we do need him to answer questions.”
His mate raised a single brow, and her voice drifted into his mind. What about after you’ve asked your questions?
“The answer will still be no. Your human half would hate me if I let you eat him.”
Zoe huffed and gave him her back, nose in the air. Nothing said I’m annoyed better than ignoring someone.
“I’m not gonna change my mind just because you give me the cold shoulder.”
She turned even farther away and flicked her tail.
Maybe he would change his mind.
Later anyway. Because at that moment, their remaining attacker wiggled and crawled, trying to get away. “Oh no you don’t. I have plans for you.” Ares growled and stepped to the man. Rather than gut him, as he desired, he fisted the front of the male’s shirt to hold him steady and then let his fist fly. Ares’s curled fingers struck the man’s chin at the perfect angle, and then it was lights out. The male’s body went lax as consciousness left him.
“That’ll make carrying him back easier,” he murmured and then focused on his mate. “You ready?” She still had her back to him, but she nodded.
He’d take what he could get until they were naked and he had her clit between his teeth. She couldn’t stay mad if he was making her come. It was a scientific certainty.
Maybe.
Ares bent at the waist, grabbed the male, and easily flung him over his shoulder. The stranger’s arm still wept blood, but it wasn’t life-threatening at the moment.
“All right, let’s go then.” He had a cell with this guy’s name on it.
Chapter Seventeen
Zoe twirled her cell phone in her fingers—her work cell phone. It’d been the source of the tiger prides’ downfall and now it’d be their savior. Or at least a positive media spin.
“What are you doing out here?” Ares’s low murmur reached her a bare moment before his arms slipped around her waist. He stepped close, his front to her back, his large body blanketing her with his warmth.
“Thinking.”
Worrying.
God, she’d never been so scared in her life. Once the adrenaline fled and the cat relinquished control, the fear smacked her in the face. Regret was nowhere to be found, though. The tiger wouldn’t allow her to feel an ounce of remorse. They’d saved their mate and a member of their pride. Actions of a true alpha fem.
Another thing bothered her. She felt bad about not feeling bad for what she’d done.
“About what?” His voice was low, a deep rumble that vibrated through her.
Nothing. Everything.
Instead, she shrugged and let the quiet of the night envelop them.
The guards lingered in the woods, brought close at Ares’s orders. Let the humans trudge through their land and invade their territory for the night. Their first responsibility was to the members of the pride. Ares would—they both would—keep them safe until morning. Then the consequences of their activities would come to light.
God. Consequences. She let her mind drift to Claire. She opened her senses, the tigress coming forward and increasing her ability to hear. She dug through the sounds and found Claire in the house. Or rather, huddled and whimpering in the basement, unwilling to be near anyone and anxious to hide in the safe room if anyone got too close. She’d only allowed a handful of people down the steps—females and the occasional mated male.
Hawke lingered at the top of the stairs, back on two legs and dressed in jeans, just leaning against the wall outside the door. His pain was palpable, a living thing that enveloped the lower level. What they’d all worried over from the moment the story broke had finally happened.
A tiger was mated against their will.
But…
Zoe turned in his arms, not breaking the hold but simply adjusting her stance until they faced one another. “Why is Claire mated with just that pull when you bit me to claim me as your mate?”
Ares eased his grip, sliding his arms free and then snaring one of her hands. He drew her to a nearby deck chair, settling on it before pulling her into his lap. He forced her to straddle him, getting comfy for their talk.
His fingers brushed over her mating mark, digits caressing the now-healed flesh. Had to love being a shifter.
“This bite is physical. It tells everyone you’re claimed. It also ties us together biologically.” He leaned forward, urging her to bend toward him, and then pressed a kiss to the exposed, twisted flesh. “It soothes my cat to have something permanent and easily identifiable that says you’re mine.”
As he hardened beneath her, his cock firming, it told her exactly how his cat felt about it. “And the tails?”
“That’s more spiritual. Emotional. Soulful. It’s the essence of the cat’s spirit.” He pressed a kiss to her neck, nuzzled her once more as he breathed deeply, and then sat back. “When a tiger couple is prepared to mate, the first step is the tail tugging. The human halves can love each other all they want, but if the tigers can’t come to an agreement, the claiming bites can be slow to come, if ever.” He smiled ruefully. “The cat has to cooperate and shift your teeth when making love. If he’s not content with the human’s choice, he won’t come out.”
Zoe raised her eyebrows. “We didn’t tug tails.”
His smile turned wicked. “The tiger must have sensed something in you that my human half didn’t. He needed to mark you. Period. As for the tails… we’ll shift and take care of that just as soon as things get settled tomorrow. The tiger can’t wait to fight you for that pull.”
“Fight?” She jerked back.
Ares shrugged. “Our animals are just that—animals. A tiger’s tail is one of our weaknesses, vulnerability.” He frowned for a moment before continuing. “A tiger doesn’t want to mate another who is a lot weaker than them, nor does the partner want to mate someone a lot stronger than them. So they have a mating battle.
“The two tigers enter the ring and fight. When the couple is pitted against each other, a dramatic difference in strength is easily seen. One of them will give up right away. If that doesn’t happen, they fight until each can tug the other’s tail. The longer the fight, the better matched they are, the stronger the couple will be. In times past…” He shook his head. “In generations past, the fight would happen when a male challenged for the right to mate a female. She fought to either stay unclaimed or to prove her worth to her proposed mate.”
She gasped. “You mean the whole thing is to force—”
“No.” His denial was immediate. “Generations ago. Today it’s more symbolic, though it has a very deep connection to the heart of the tiger. That doesn’t change the fact that when he pulled on Claire’s tail, her cat recognized that human as her mate. Grudgingly, but it couldn’t help acknowledging it. Now Claire’s human half is dealing with what she sees as her tiger’s betrayal. The tiger is pining for the male.”
“Are we any less mated because… I mean, could someone…” Pull his tail and take him from her?
“Just because we did it backward doesn’t mean we are any less mated,” he murmured, his gold gaze intent on her. “It bothers the cat that we haven’t done that, but I am a very fast, very strong tiger. No one has tugged my tail before, and they will not have a chance before you get your fangs on me.”
“Fangs?”
“We’re both gonna be shifted, baby. What else would you use?”
Zoe raised her eyebrows. “So, what you’re saying is, we’re fighting to see who can bite the other’s ass first?”
He glared at her. “It has a deep, soulful—”
She giggled. Giggled! And once she started, she couldn’t stop. The soft chuckles turned into snorts and belly laughs and she couldn’t hold a single sound in. After days of stress and drama, she’d finally cracked. The next laugh was more like a cackle. “We fight to see who can bite a butt first.”
Ares’s growl was the only warning she got before he was on her, hands stroking her body, mouth capturing hers in a deep kiss. He gripped her hips, forcing her to settle more snuggly on his cloth-covered cock. That’s when her laugh transformed into a moan, and Zoe slid her hands across his shoulders and twined them behind his neck. She followed his lead, rocking her hips and adding friction, driving them both wild with the added pressure. She delved into the kiss, unable to get enough of her mate. Their tongues tangled, and all the while his hands moved over her body.
Once she picked up his rhythm, his touch shifted, slipping higher along her sides to her ribs and then behind her. He traced her spine, fingers dancing over her hidden flesh.
When he reached the waist of her shorts, he tugged her shirt free and burrowed beneath the cloth. Now it was skin on skin, fingers caressing her directly. His new touch added heat to her growing desire, each stroke sending a spiral of pleasure along her nerves.
He slipped higher, reaching her bra, and a quick snap had the clasp released. Her aching breasts bounced with the loss of tension. The ease of confinement allowed her hardened nipples to rub against the lacy fabric and she trembled with that added bit of ecstasy.
Zoe’s pussy was hot and wet, aching for Ares. For his tongue, his fingers, his cock. She wanted to be filled by him, consumed by him. They’d mated hours ago, but she wanted more of him, wanted to bite him. Yes, that’s what the tiger craved. It wanted to sink her teeth into his flesh and then run through the forest, fight to tug his tail. The cat felt mated, but the soul-deep knowledge there was more that could be done prodded her.
She rolled her body, pussy grinding against Ares’s cock. Her clit throbbed, heat tightening and silently begging to be filled over and over again. To be fucked. To be claimed. To… be his. Entirely. Completely.
She yanked at her shirt, anxious to feel his hands everywhere, his mouth on her body, and then she could do the same to him. Taste him. Bite him. She shuddered, a bolt of animalistic need overtaking her, clit pulsing and pussy heating with her thoughts. Claim him.
Mine. Mine. Mine. The tigress pushed her, urged her to take what she wanted. Her fingernails burned, pain adding to the pleasure that consumed her, and she dug her fingers into Ares’s back. The sweet coppery scent of his blood reached her nose and instead of disgust at hurting him, the cat purred. That was what it wanted.
She sucked on his tongue, desire clouding her thoughts until her focus was on Ares. On coming and making him come.
Then claiming.
She scratched his back, shirt shredding beneath her sharpened nails, and she swallowed his moan. He arched against her, hips rising off the seat to press against her more firmly. They mimicked what they both wanted. Sex. Steamy, rough, fucking.
Flat out, they wanted each other. And they’d get what t
hey wanted in about—
A low cough filtered into her mind, but she brushed the sound off. She could kill whoever was dumb enough to interrupt them. They were inconsequential. She—
Another cough followed by, “Ahem.”
She would rip the person’s throat out just as soon as she—
“A. Fucking. Hem.” That time the voice was firm and… feminine?
Zoe ripped her mouth from Ares’s with a snarl, her cat’s fangs descending in an instant as she bared them at the woman.
Ronnie was unimpressed. “Chill, cat-girl. We’ve got things to deal with. Things like, your captive is awake, though he won’t stay alive long if someone doesn’t stop Hawke from tearing him into tiny pieces.”
She groaned and pulled her hands from Ares’s back. A glance showed the fingertips were stained with his blood—she’d apparently more than pricked his flesh. The red liquid was stark against her pale skin, and her mouth watered. She wanted a tiny taste…
Then large, scarred hands enveloped hers and she whimpered, raising her gaze to Ares. “We gotta take care of our pride, baby. We can finish this later.”
She whined, duty and desire warring. “And the butt biting?”
She felt his sexy smirk all the way to her toes. Unfortunately, Ronnie had to ruin it. “Butt biting? And you bitch about wolves sniffing asses? Y’all got some fucked up ideas.”
With that, Ronnie spun and retreated, leaving them alone on the porch once more.
Alone, horny, and effectively cock-blocked.
Chapter Eighteen
Ares wiped the human blood from his hands, the cat disgusted by the liquid touching his skin. Any other time, he’d be overjoyed at harming anyone who threatened the pack, but this male was his sister’s mate. So, even if he detested everything about the human, and he ached to rip his throat out, he had to leave him alive.
Fucking laws.
He’d have to wait for the human to finish his transition to tiger and then he could challenge the idiot.