Tiger Time

by Dobson, Marissa

She tried to remain calm, but her knees felt weak with worry. She took a seat as thoughts raced through her mind. Did he change his mind? If so, why couldn’t he have said so before I quit my job?

  “Remember the jolt you felt last night?” Without waiting for her to answer, he continued, “That’s what you feel when you find your lifemate.”

  She started to laugh. There was no way that was real.

  “Tabitha, I’m being serious. I know this is all new to you, but I want you to understand what that means. You’re my mate. If you accept me, then it is my job to protect you, to please you. You will be my world.”

  She stared at him, too amazed to form words. There was a whole other world than the one she’d grown up in. It seemed unreal. “But...I want to marry and have children.”

  “Oh, Tabby,” he said, pulling her into his embrace. “We can do all of that. But maybe we should take it slow. After all, you just found out you are a tiger shifter.”

  She relaxed in Ty’s arms. Feeling his arms tight around her gave her a comfort she’d never felt before. Everything was sinking in, but instead of being concerned about being a tiger shifter, the death of Alice, or finding the man that was supposed to be her lifemate, the shock that was forefront in her mind was that he’d called her Tabby. “You called me Tabby. I've never had a nickname before.”

  For a brief moment, a hurt look crossed his face. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. He looked as though she’d stabbed him in the chest. “Do you not like it?”

  “That's not it at all. I love it. I always believed nicknames mean you mattered.”

  “Tabby, you matter to me. I have watched over you since your parents died. You have always mattered to me, and you always will. You are my world. Come on, babe, you need to get some more sleep. You haven’t been getting enough, and I know you’re still tired. We’ll pack when you get up.” They hesitated, neither of them wanting the embrace to end, but sleep was the best.

  Between the long day and the last few weeks of very little sleep, Ty was right; she was tired. She wanted to curl up in bed and cuddle next to him. “What about Mike? He could have someone come after me.”

  She crawled into bed, and Ty pulled the blanket up from the bottom of the mattress and covered her. “Tabby, you’re my mate. I won't let anything happen to you. I’m going to make us flight reservations, and then I’ll lie with you. Is leaving tomorrow fine with you?”

  Tabitha nodded, snuggling deep in the blanket as she watched Ty move around her cramped apartment. Dodging the sofa, he moved into the kitchen, where a pad and pen lay on the counter. He tried to speak quietly as if trying not to disturb her, but she could still hear him making reservations for them to fly home to Alaska.

  Home? I have a place I can finally call home, with people who care. No matter how many times she told herself that, she couldn’t believe it.

  Growing up in foster care, all she’d wanted was people who cared about her and a place to call home. Now she wasn’t so sure. She’d been trained to be a loner, to not rely on anyone. Would that have to change now? Could she handle it?

  She lay lost in her own thoughts as Ty finished making reservations. She opened her eyes to find him standing next to the bed.

  “I thought you would be sleeping. You’ve had a difficult day.”

  “I missed you. Won’t you lay with me?”

  Without answering, he took off his dress shirt and crawled into bed next to her, cuddling his body close to hers. He felt warm, and their bodies fit side-by-side like they belonged together. Like two pieces of the same puzzle final joined. She couldn’t get enough of his warmth and the feeling of belonging that she found in his embrace.

  Ty slid his arm under her head. Her check rested on his bicep, and their gazes met. He rolled onto his side to face her. He reached for her cheek, drawing them together until their lips met.

  His lips on hers made her body tingle. It felt as if electricity was all around them, waiting to explode. It didn't hurt, just provided a strange pins and needles feeling. She didn't let her mind talk her out of it. She wanted this. Her heart knew this was what she needed, no matter what her head was saying.

  He was her mate.

  Gently pulling back just a little, Ty looked at her. “Tabby, I'm sorry. I don't want to rush you. The tiger in me wants to claim you as my mate now. Tigers are not very patient.” As he said that, a smile crept over her face.

  “You're not rushing me. I want this. I love feeling our bodies together. You’re like my other half, and I need you next to me.” She didn’t wait for him. Instead, she leaned back in to kiss him, craving his hands on her body.

  Ty started sliding up her black turtleneck sweater, when there was pounding on the door and someone yelling, “If you don't open this door now, I will break it down.”

  Ty jumped off the bed and grabbed the duffle bag at the end of it. In a blink of an eye, there was a gun in his hand. She opened her mouth to ask him what was going on, but he put his finger to his lips, motioning her to remain quiet.

  Quiet? Someone was screaming and pounding outside her door, and he wanted her to be quiet? He stepped back toward her, lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered, “This could get bloody. We should head down the fire exit. I don't want to put you in danger. I’ll come back and deal with them once I get you out of here.”

  She nodded. She turned to grab the picture of her parents from the bedside table. If she didn’t make it back to her apartment, she wanted to have the memento. Tossing it into her purse, she headed for the window. Ty already had his duffle bag slung across his chest, and he held his car keys out to her while motioning for her to go. She made no move to take the keys. “Not without you,” she whispered.

  Ty didn't take his attention from the door. “I’ll be right behind you. You’re my mate, I won’t leave you. Now go.”

  As they ran down the fire escape, the sound of her apartment door slamming to the floor followed them. It slowed her for a moment. “No, Tabby, come on.”

  As they reached Ty's car, which was right by the steps, someone leaned out the window and yelled, “You can't protect her forever. We’ll find you!”

  Adrenaline coupled with fright caused all the blood to rush to her head. Her breath caught in her throat.

  Ty said nothing, just got into the car and sped away. Once they were out of immediate danger and Ty was driving outside of the city, she turned in her seat. “Ty, who were those men? What did they want?” She placed a hand over her still rapidly beating heart.

  He didn’t take his eyes off the road. She wasn’t sure if that was because of the speed they were traveling or because he couldn’t look at her. “That was Pierce and his gang. Pierce is the were-tiger who killed your parents.”

  “What? You mean that's him? He looks to be only in his twenties.”

  Ty briefly looked away from the road and raised an eyebrow at her. “I tell you he’s the one who killed your parents, and all you can think about is how old he looks? Most people would want to go back and kill him themself.”

  “Well, trust me, it’s not like I wouldn’t like to, but I don't think I could do much harm to him. After all, he killed my parents. I haven't even gone through the change yet, so I’m still basically human. But he looks young; he couldn't have been around when my father was alive.” She shook her head in confusion.

  He reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips. “I’m glad you have some common sense and you don't let your emotions get in the way. Pierce isn't as young as he looks. Shifters age a lot slower than humans. Pierce is really in his forties. Just so you know, the clan has been after Pierce since he killed your father. The clan has the right to demand Pierce’s death for killing one of our kind. Pierce knows we want him dead for it, and he’s been in hiding. I was on the original team sent to find him. We were on his trail for a while, only a day or two behind him, but he went into hiding. We have sent men out every time we get a hit, but this is the first real proof we’ve had that he is alive. I pro
mise he’ll pay for what he did to your father, but it was not worth it today. I couldn’t put your life in danger to settle a debt.”

  “Ty, once I go through the change, I want to go after him.”

  He gave her a look that let her know he wasn’t for that idea. “We’ll see after the change is complete.” His tone told her he would fight her on the subject later.

  There was nothing she could do at that moment to change his mind, and it didn’t really matter now. They had more important issues to deal with. She let it go and moved onto another subject. “How old are you?”

  He left out a slight laugh before answering. “The better question is how old do you think I am? How old do I look?”

  “Ty, don't play games. Just tell me.” Tabitha crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

  He rubbed her hand. “Come on, babe. I want to know what you think. I promise to answer after you tell me how old you think I am.”

  “Okay fine.” She looked him over, trying to guess the right age. He said tiger shifters looked younger, but she didn't want to guess too old. “Umm...Twenty-four?”

  “So you’re saying I look twenty-four, or that's how old you think I am?”

  She turned even farther in her seat, rested her back on the car door, and propped her left leg on the seat, giving her a better view of him. Also, in turn, allowing him a clear view of the nasty look she was giving him. “I think you look younger than twenty-four, but you knew my father. I’m just now going through the change at nineteen. I would guess you went through the change when you were my age, which means you’re a lot older than that, but if I guessed too high, it would be an insult. So please just tell me.”

  “Did anyone ever tell you you’re cute when you’re frustrated? Because you are.” He grinned and briefly glanced back at the road. “I was one of the few people that went through the change at a very young age. Normally, the change happens in your early to mid-twenties. I went through it when I was nine. I believe the youngest person ever to go through the change and live was eight. That person was your father. I don't believe anyone has beat that record since. Therefore, I am twenty-eight. Does that bother you?”

  Relief flooded her. “No, not at all. I was worried you would have said ninety or something.” She settled back into the car seat. “Where are we going?” The yellow line in the middle of the road sped by, giving no indication of their whereabouts or destination.

  “I thought it would be a good idea to get you out of here. I know this little place about an hour outside of the city. Once we are somewhere safe, I need to call Raja. I think it might be best for us to find a quiet place to stay until your change, before returning to Alaska.”

  She stared out the window as the guilt ate away at her. She didn't want to mess up Ty's life because people were after her. Plus, didn't the clan need their Alpha? “Ty, I would understand if you wanted someone else to stay with me until I go through the transition so you can go back to your clan. I’m sure you have someone you trust that can keep me safe. The clan needs their Alpha.”

  Ty pulled the car to the side of the road and after putting the vehicle in park, turned his body to face her. The look on his face wasn't friendly. “First of all, no one can keep you as safe as I can. I’m one of the best. Second, you’re my mate, and it’s my number one priority to keep you safe. The clan has Raja, and just because I’m not there in person at the moment doesn't mean they don't have their Alpha. I will be in direct contact with Raja at all times, and if I’m needed, we can be there in a matter of hours. The clan will understand.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. She’d never had someone care for her like he did, so much that they were willing to change their life for her. “I'm sorry. This is all new to me. I feel bad you’re changing things in your life for me. I’m no one special.”

  “I know this is all new to you. Just let me care for you. You’re someone special to me and the whole clan. Not only are you my mate, but you’re Queen of the Tiger Clan. You are our Alpha female. After you have changed, you will take your rightful place beside me. They will respect you and love you the same as I do. Okay, maybe less than I do since I’m your mate. I don't want to hear you say you’re no one special again.” He leaned over the seat to kiss her. “You’re going to be fine. I promise.”

  Chapter Seven

  The rest of the car ride was quiet. Tabitha was lost in her thoughts, and Ty was giving her the time she needed to understand everything that had happened. Before long, she noticed they were driving in the middle of nowhere. On both sides of the car, all she saw were trees, trees and more trees. No houses as far as the eye could see. “Where are we going?”

  “Not much farther. We’re going to a cabin Raja owns up in Wind Ridge, Pennsylvania. Raja kept it because of the great location. It’s right on the other side of Ryerson Station National Park, so when he changes, he has a lot of free area to run and not draw attention to himself. He loves to come back here whenever he gets a chance. He gave me a key before I left, in case I needed it.”

  “Why are they trying to kill me?” Could Alice’s murder tie into this too? There’s no way. How could it? She tried to shake the thoughts but they refused to go. They stayed in the back of her mind, nagging her.

  Ty never flinched as if he were waiting for her to ask. “It's a long story, Tabby, but in short, your father's line of tigers have been given special gifts. No one knows why, but some say your father's line was among the first tigers, and you were royalty. You’re the last tiger from any of the lines of royalty. You have to be protected at all cost.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hands. “Without trying to be too insensitive, you must carry on the line. We are unsure what will happen if you don't. Some believe the tiger shifters will die off, never being able to have more children, and others believe that if you do not carry on the line, we will all drop dead with you. Most tigers will do anything to protect you. Pierce is not one of them. He wants to kill all tigers.”

  Thinking the whole tiger population depended on her was just too much to bear right then. She put it in the back of her mind to think on later. “You said he was a tiger shifter. If what you say is true, then why would he want to kill me? He would die if I die.”

  “Even if the tigers didn't die off with your death, he would be killed. I would not take it lightly that he killed my mate. Second, Pierce is not a born tiger like you and me. He was bitten. He cannot fully become a tiger. He can only change on the night of the full moon, and then he is a cross between a man and tiger. It is against everything we believe to bite a human; however, once in a while, we have a rogue shifter that will bite a human. That’s what happened to Pierce.”

  “You said Pierce becomes a cross between a man and a tiger. What happens to us when we change?”

  “You, my dear, will most likely be one of the rarest tigers alive. He looked at her with amazement in his eyes. “You father's line was Golden Tabby tigers, also known as the Strawberry tigers. Seeing your beautiful strawberry-blonde hair makes me think you will be a beautiful tiger. When you change, you will take the body of a tiger completely.”

  Tabitha had never seen a tiger in real life, just pictures. It would be amazing to see what she looked like when she was a tiger. “You said I would be a Golden Tabby, but what do you look like? Are you also a Golden Tabby?” Trying to picture Ty as any type of tiger was hard; he was such a handsome man with black hair and bright blue eyes.

  “No, I’m not a Tabby. I change into a Bengal tiger. I was a born tiger like you, so I change into the full tiger.”

  She leaned back into the car seat, picturing Ty as a Bengal tiger. It made her wonder. “Can we only change during the full moon?”

  “Since we are born-tigers, once we go through the change, we can change forms anytime. However, most less dominate shifters have to stay in their animal form for a number of hours before they can shift back and once they shift back, they sleep for ten to twelve hours.” Ty took his eyes away from the road to look at her. “You’re t
aking this very well. When your father told me what was going on, I freaked. I thought he was crazy and wanted nothing to do with him. I thought he’d escaped the loony bin.”

  Tabitha looked down at her hands, because she was scared to ask but wanted to know what it was like. “Ty, I hate to ask but . . .” She paused but figured it was worth a shot, “will you shift for me?”

  Ty eyes budged slightly with shock. “I don't know, Tabby. If you get freaked out about what you see, it could scare you and make your shift harder. If you fight the change, it will hurt. You need to just go with it and let the tiger take over your body.”

  “But I need to see it. I need to know what's going to happen to my body. Will I still be me inside of a tiger body or will the tiger take over and make me uncontrollable? You’re the only one I can ask. Please, Ty.” She reached a hand out and laid it on his well-muscled arm.

  As Tabitha waited for him to answer her, they pulled into what looked like a small, hidden side road. He sighed. “Okay. Please remember it might look scary, but really it’s not as bad as it looks. Tomorrow night I will, okay?”