“Having Rhett listening is so much better.” She rolled her eyes. “I think you’re going to be stuck waiting until we’re back in Texas.”
“I’ll kick him out.” He rolled her onto her back and hovered above her. “He can stay here with Thorn. Hell, I don’t care where he stays as long as we’re alone together.”
Kissing along her collarbone, he worked his way up her neck as her fingers trailed along the sides of his chest. “I like the sound of that.”
“Me too, sweetie.” His cell phone rang, making him dip his head in defeat. “Shit.”
“Get it. I understand.”
“No, you don’t.” He reached over the side of the bed and snatched his jeans off the floorboard. As he pulled the cell phone out of his pocket, he caught sight of the number, recognizing it immediately. He cursed his luck. Just as he expected. “You didn’t have a secure cell phone, so I told Mason to give him this number.”
“Who?”
“Your father.” He held the phone out to her. “I knew you’d want to talk to him, so Mason gave him this number and told him to call you when he had things under control. Jack has his hands full and unless we wanted to make things more complicated for him, it was best to leave the ball in his court. Plus, I didn’t want you getting hurt.”
“I don’t know what to say to him.”
“You both lost someone you loved. You’re feeling guilty because you encouraged Lucy to accept the mating, but imagine what Jack is going through. Lucy took her own life to save his. The guilt he’s carrying will be with him for the rest of his life. The two of you need each other now. You can ease each other’s pain, but more than that, you’re his only living daughter. He’ll want to reestablish that connection with you.” He pressed the phone into her hand. “Talk to him. The words will come when you need them and I’ll be here.”
Putting off the call with her father would only make Carleen more apprehensive of the whole conversation. Even though she wasn’t in Mississippi, she still felt guilty about what had happened. How bad had things gotten once she and Thorn left? What torment had Lee put Lucy and her father through because they’d abandoned the clan? Accepting the call might give her answers she wasn’t sure she was ready for. Dragging her bottom lip between her teeth, she pressed a button and brought the phone to her ear. “Dad?”
“Zoom, it’s so good to hear your voice.” There was a heaviness in his tone that she’d never heard before. She couldn’t remember a time where he showed any sign of emotion other than anger.
“You too, Dad. I’ve missed you.” She leaned back on the pillows and let her eyelids close to hide the tears welling in her eyes.
Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how much she missed her father. Their relationship had been rough for so many years, but when her mother passed away he seemed to become a different man. They formed a bond and she clung to the new relationship because she knew their time together would be short. One day she’d mate, and he hoped the mating would force her to leave the clan, giving her a freedom she didn’t have there. Against both of their wishes the bond grew stronger, bringing them closer than she was with Uncle Ethan.
“When Mason gave me the number, he didn’t tell me much except this was the Alpha of the Texas Tiger’s cell phone and the best way to reach you. Last I heard from my contact, you and Thorn were in Alaska. Imagine my surprise to learn you’re in Texas. Is Thorn with you? Have you committed to this Alpha?” Concern laced his voice as the questions rushed at her. She wondered if he was concerned their conversation might be cut short, or that she could be in danger.
“Everything’s fine.” Without opening her eyes, she reached forward, quickly finding Tex’s hand. “We’re still in Alaska, but tomorrow we’re going to Texas.”
“Are you sure about that? You can come home. It’s safe now.”
“I’ll come visit.” Opening her eyes, she found Tex nodding. “Thorn will come with me, too. But we can’t come back…well, I can’t.”
“What do you mean, you can’t? Zoom, are you in some kind of trouble? Is someone forcing you to go to Texas?”
“Tell him,” Tex urged.
“Who’s that?” her father demanded before she could say anything. “Answer me. Who’s there with you?”
“Everything is fine. The Alpha of the Texas Tigers, Tex, is here. He’s…umm…” Her breath caught in her throat. “My mate.”
“Oh, Carleen.” A roar resonated through the phone, quickly followed by a loud bang as if something had crashed to the floor.
“Dad, it’s not like that. Tex is a good man. You’d approve of him.”
“Where’s Thorn? I want to speak with him.”
“He’s not here now, but I can have him call you later. Thorn is going through another training session before we leave tomorrow. Tex wants to make sure he’s ready for his new role.” She didn’t expand on Thorn’s new position mostly because Thorn didn’t even know Tex planned to have him as the Captain of her Guards. If her brother decided not to accept the position, she wasn’t even sure he’d stay. For all she knew, he’d end up going back to Mississippi. He could be a great ally to their father, but for her own selfish reasons she wanted him with her. He had always watched out for her and the idea of going to Texas without him was unnerving.
“He’s supposed to be keeping you safe.”
“He has. Trust me, he wasn’t happy about this mating either, but it’s my destiny—”
“We saw what destiny had in store for Lucy. Shit, Zoom, I wanted better for you.”
“Even if you had the opportunity to hand-select my mate from all the men on the planet, I don’t think you could have picked anyone better for me.” She squeezed Tex’s hand. Not out of sympathy but to remind him of their solidarity. They were in this together and she wouldn’t change it. “We’ll visit soon and you’ll see. This is different from Lucy’s mating.”
“I don’t want to see you miserable like she was.”
“This is different.” Not knowing how to convince him of that, she stated the same thing again as she interlaced her fingers with Tex’s. “Lucy knew Lee wasn’t different, but I wouldn’t listen to her. Maybe if I kept my mouth shut, she wouldn’t have lived through torment the last few years. Dad, she’s finally free. Please take my word for it. Tex isn’t like Lee.”
“You can’t be sure. Lucy wasn’t.”
“She was. She just hid it from all of us until it was too late. She didn’t want us to know. She was scared of what you and Thorn would do.” Her sister had always been more concerned about everyone else around her. Even after Lee claimed her, she tried to protect them from what was happening behind closed doors, except she couldn’t hide the bruises or her shaved head.
“I should have killed Lee years ago,” he snapped. “She’d still be alive if I’d done it when I should have.”
“You don’t know that. None of us know what life would be like if we’d taken a different split in the road. We don’t get to go back and make a change to the path we’ve chosen. All we can do is make the best of the choices we’ve made.” In her mind, she could see her father standing there in their small house, surrounded by all the memories of the life they lived. For the first time, it dawned on her that he was alone. She needed to talk to Thorn and find out what he wanted to do. Maybe instead of going to Texas, he wanted to return home. It would change Tex’s plan for her protection, but then her father would have help. Tex could promote someone else as the Captain of her Guards.
“The choices we think are right at the time often turn out to be the ones that cost us the most.” He let out a deep breath, groaning. “After I ordered Thorn to get you out of there, Lucy had a spark in her eye that I hadn’t seen in years. She was happy knowing you were somewhere safe and out of Lee’s reach. When she came to me about eliminating Lee, we went over the possibilities. We knew the risks we were taking and I realized I might lose her, but it’s what she wanted. She wanted to be free from him, even if that meant only in death.”
<
br /> “I think she always knew her only way of escaping Lee was through death. She’s at peace and the clan is free. That’s what she wanted.”
“You don’t understand. I failed her.” The pain in his voice had her fingers tightening around the comforter. The guilt would plague him for the rest of his life, just as her own did.
“I know what happened.” Mason’s words flooded back to her, painting the picture before her eyes again. “She did what she had to. She saved your life, and she saved everyone. Dad, you didn’t fail anyone. Lee was cheating and she knew what it would mean if he survived. I have no doubt she was prepared to die from the moment she opened the door for you. If she could have survived Lee’s death, facing life without her mate would have been one thing but continuing without you and knowing what torture awaited her…she couldn’t face that. You were the clan’s one shot and she wasn’t going to allow that to pass them by.”
“Someone stronger should have taken it then. Someone younger,” her father snapped.
“You were the clan’s best shot at defeating him and you know it. This isn’t about your age or strength. Lee was cheating,” she reminded him again. “What matters now if that you turn the clan into what Lucy wanted. Turn things around and don’t let her death be a waste. Make sure she lives on within the clan.”
“Jack, we’re ready,” a deep voice called, but she couldn’t make out who it was.
“Zoom, Ethan’s here. I need to go. We’re meeting to get our guard rotations up and running.”
“Give Uncle Ethan my love. I’m proud of you both. I know you two can turn the clan back into something amazing.” Part of her wished she could be there to see the changes, but she was happy with what was happening between her and Tex.
Within twenty-four hours, they’d be in Texas and she’d have her work cut out for her as she got the clan to accept her as Alpha Female. The near future would hold a visit to Mississippi, but until then, they both had things requiring their attention. In a couple of months, she was sure her father would have the clan on the path to success just as Tex had done with the Texas Tigers.
Chapter Thirteen
After the phone call ended, Tex slipped into bed. Lying next to Carleen, he wrapped his arms around her. Her emotions were bouncing from sorrow, to relief, to joy, and instead of pressing her he waited. She’d confide in him when she was ready. Until then, he was content having her body cuddled against his.
“Thank you.” She tipped her head up from his chest. “For knowing I needed to talk to him and for encouraging me to take the call. He needed to hear from me as much as I needed it.”
“Even before we were mated, the relationship you have with Jack vibrated along the edge of our connection. I don’t want to come between that, but you need to realize it’s going to take time before you can go to Mississippi.” He watched her for a moment, expecting her to question him. Instead, she remained quiet. “From what Mason told me, I don’t except an uproar from the members. They all seem relieved to be rid of Lee. My concern is with outsiders seeing the clan as an easy target. We need to give it a few weeks before visiting. It will allow Jack to stand on his own paws and show others he’s not weak. That will eliminate a lot of the threat to them and it will also mean it’s safe for you.”
“What if he needs help?”
“Then we’ll help. He’s not alone, but his rule must be his own. Other clans can’t come to his aid to ward off those who challenge his position. He’ll have to do that himself. If there’s a threat to the clan, we can help. Ty and Tabitha aren’t going to allow an ally clan to be attacked and slaughtered.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “You should already know I would send whoever I can to help Jack if he needs it. He’s family.”
“You say family as if you know what it’s like, but the only similar connection you have is the one with Ben. Before he became your Lieutenant, he was your closest friend, an ally. Some shifters don’t have family connections out of choice, but yours wasn’t by choice.”
“The clan is my family. It’s all I’ve known.”
“What about the tigress who raised you?” Teasing her finger down his abs before slowly working her way back, she watched him.
“She was a good woman and I’ll always be thankful for her taking me in, but she wasn’t family. There was a wall between us, dividing any bond I might have wanted. She did it to protect herself because Avery had his eye on me. Developing too much of a link would have given Avery something else to hold over us. Instead, she kept me at arm’s length and that distance only grew when I was a teenager and he had me working as a guard.”
“She cared enough to make sure you received the education Avery tried to deprive you of.”
“Out of duty.” He dragged his hand through her hair, watching the silky strands slide through his fingers. “That’s not fair to her. She did it so I had a chance. If I had the education she could give me and the training as a guard, I had a chance. Without it, what did I have to offer an Elder or even my mate?”
“You have a lot to offer.” She snuggled closer, draping her leg over his. “I don’t know what kind of person you’d have been without her kindness. Maybe you’d have been harder or filled with hatred. I witnessed the torment you went through and all that shit made you stronger. I love having you as my mate and I’m looking forward to our future together.”
“What a change in a matter of days.” He let out a light chuckle, vibrating his chest.
“I know I wasn’t as welcoming to the idea of having an Alpha as a mate, but you surprised me. I was scared of what being mated to an Alpha meant. I didn’t want to have the same horrible relationship my parents had or be stuck in a situation like Lucy was.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” he teased. “That is unless you’re hiding some hatred for me. So, tell me, why does he call you Zoom?”
“Zoom.” A smile curled up the corners of her lips. “Lucy was close with Mom, making me feel left out. All our lives, Thorn and I were close but he also had his own thing. Dad was alone, so I tried to have that same relationship with him. Our relationship was rocky most of my life, but there were moments when they were wonderful. One of those special times is when the nickname started and kind of stuck. No one ever asked about it and unless Dad told someone else, it was just between us.”
“Go on,” he encouraged.
“Dad worked construction most of my life and until Lee stopped allowing people to leave for work every day, he owned his own business. It was a small company, but he was proud of it. Sometimes he’d allow me to tag along with him when he was going to check on projects his crew was assigned to. That day he had his crews spread out on a couple projects, so it was going to be a long day driving from one job site to another. I still wanted to go. It was a break from the clan and a few hours of freedom. I don’t remember what he yelled at me for, but to make up for it he pulled me into his lap and let me drive.” Grinning ear to ear, she chuckled.
“How old were you?”
“Seven, I think. It was just a dirt road leading back to a new housing development, so there wasn’t any oncoming traffic or anything. Now I realize he had his hand resting gently on the bottom of the wheel, making sure we stayed on the road, but at that time I thought I was doing it myself. It felt amazing. The sensation of freedom was overwhelming. I wanted to just drive away and forget about all the crap that was starting within the clan. He seemed so happy and I didn’t want to go back. The man he was when we were out checking on the job sites was so different from the one I lived with.” She tugged the blanket up over her shoulder and returned her hand to his chest. “While I was pretending to drive, I kept making these zooming noises. He teased me about it and I guess the nickname just kind of stuck.”
“Memories like that are what allowed you to build a relationship with him. They helped you let go of the hatred you witnessed between him and your mother. As the clan remembers their own moments like that, they’ll find it easier to put Lee’s torme
nt behind them and rebuild their lives.” He squeezed her a little tighter against his side. “Now, as much as I’d love to stay cuddled in here with your naked body pressed against me, I think we should get up.”
“Why?” She snuggled against him, working the blanket farther up toward her chin. “The bed is so warm and outside…well, you know what it is. It’s Alaska, freezing and snowy. Let’s just stay here and kick Thorn out.”
“Sorry, peaches, but my cabin is set up for visiting Elders. There’s a communication device in the bedroom so I know what’s happening. In the unlikeliness that the cabin was breached, there’s even a secret escape. It’s a precaution, but that’s where we need to be tonight.” He pulled back the covers, revealing her naked body and all thoughts of getting out of bed nearly vanished. “But that’s not why I suggested we get up.”
“Then why did you?” She shivered against him and her nipples hardened, making him want to roll her over and suck them into his mouth.
“You should know, you’re connected to the clan now. Focus on Rhett.” He forced himself to move to the edge of the bed and gather his clothes. Before any of them could sleep, he needed a few minutes with Thorn to discuss the guard position and he wanted to be dressed for that conversation. Thorn wanted to protect his sister, and he was starting to accept Carleen and Tex being mates. Still, the last thing he needed was to find them naked in bed together.
“Oh shit!” She hopped out of bed. “I wasn’t paying attention and I barely noticed Rhett’s emotions. I didn’t even realize they were on their way back.”
“You still have a lot going on to keep your thoughts entertained, and it’s not surprising you have strong walls within your mind to keep the clan from overwhelming you. Tomorrow will be the test to see if they can withstand it.” He tugged on his jeans. “Unless you want your brother to know how we’ve spent the time together, you might want to get dressed.”
Tiger Trouble (Alaskan Tigers Book 12) Page 12