Karis

by Grace Brennan

  “Arya, sweetheart, we didn’t use anything to prevent pregnancy. We should have, and I’m so sorry I didn’t think of it. I’m a fucking idiot.”

  Her beautiful blue eyes widened as a startled expression crossed her face. “I can’t believe I didn’t think about that,” she said with a disbelieving laugh.

  “We were both caught up in the moment, but I’m the one with experience. I should have thought if it. Hell, I don’t even have condoms because I rarely need them. I’ll get some tomorrow—”

  Putting her fingers on his mouth, she shook her head, eyes twinkling. “Stop apologizing. It’s not a big deal. I’m on birth control.”

  “You are? But you were a virgin.” His eyes narrowed. “Was there someone you had your eye on before your tiger said I’m you mate? You were anticipating needing it, maybe?”

  “What? Jeez, no. Heck, there’s only been one guy I’ve had a crush on in my entire life.” She let out a laugh, but he was busy trying to figure out how to hurt the guy she’d wanted before him. Sobering, she sighed. “My parents had me put on it when I was thirteen. They know how the mentality of the tribe’s males is. They take what they want, without care for anyone else but themselves. It was a layer of protection, just in case.”

  His heart clenched at her words. Of course he’d known how bad the tribe had gotten, the lows some of the worst of them had sunk to. How powerless the women were. But hearing her speak so matter-of-factly about taking precautions like that, and why—it made him ashamed to be a member of this tribe. Thank God the old alpha finally died so Kian could step up. The people here, the women especially, had suffered for far too long.

  She was still leaning over him, and he pushed her onto her back, reversing their positions. Brushing her hair from her cheek, he looked into her eyes, willing her to really hear his words. “Things are changing. I mean, you know that, obviously. So many of the tribe don’t, though. Men and women alike. And you’re leading the way to the women realizing that yes, they have a say in their lives now. They can do whatever they want, and no one can force them to do anything. The very first day the changes went into effect, you were out in public wearing pants, and you moved into your own house. And now you’re one of the warriors. Hell, you’re ranked second. It won’t take them long to come around, not with you leading the way and showing them that it can be done.”

  Her breathing hitched and her eyes glistened for a moment. “I never thought of myself as a leader, but I want that. I want the women here to come into their own, to be their own people, to be happy. It means the world to me that you support that.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of doing anything else. It’s important. And you’re an amazing woman. You’re fierce and fearless. The second you were able to, you went running full out for your dreams, for who you want to be. I’m proud of you, and so fucking proud you’re my mate.”

  She craned her head up and he met her halfway, kissing her deeply and pouring everything he was feeling into the kiss. Most of what he was feeling, he didn’t even understand, let alone know how to name. But he wanted her to feel it all, to know how important she was to him.

  Not just to him, but to the whole damn tribe, as well.

  When he eased away, they were both breathing heavily. Laying down, he pulled her back into his arms, with her head on his chest, close to his heart. Where he’d keep her always, if he had anything to say about it.

  “So,” he said casually. “Who was it? Your crush, I mean.”

  Glancing up at him, she giggled. “You gonna go beat him up?”

  “Nah, just curious and making conversation.”

  “Ha! You’ll never fool me with that. But I’d love to watch you try to beat yourself up.”

  It took a moment for what she said to click. “Your crush was me?”

  She nodded. “Yep. I was fourteen the first time I noticed how gorgeous you are. And I thought you being head warrior was so swoon-worthy. I crushed on you until I was about twenty, I think. I let it go then because I knew it would never happen, and then last year I thought you decided you didn’t like me at all. And now here we are, mated. Something my teenage self dreamed about, but that I never imagined would happen. So you see, being mated to you really is me realizing another dream, Kare. It’s not holding me back from absolutely anything.”

  Fuck, what her words did to him, making his heart swell and race. It was definitely not anything a head warrior would admit to, but hell if he didn’t feel it. He pressed a kiss to her head as she bit back a yawn.

  “Thank you for those words, Arya. They mean the world to me. Now go to sleep. It’s been a long ass day, for both of us.”

  Nodding, she laid her head back on his chest. He caressed the silky skin on her back as she twirled her fingers in his chest hair again. His eyes were getting heavy when she spoke again.

  “I meant to ask you earlier. It was Shiloh who shot the arrow at us, wasn’t it? We’re not in danger anymore?”

  He frowned. “I’m not sure. I called Luke to have him ask Shiloh, but it went to voicemail. I left a message, and hopefully he’ll get back to me in the morning. I’ll let you know as soon as I do. Now sleep. I’ve got you and I’ll keep you safe.”

  She nodded, her fingers slowly stilling. He knew she could take care of herself. She more than proved that when she took Shiloh on and defeated him so easily. But he’d never stop trying to be her protector. It was his job now.

  And he already knew, deep in his bones, that it was the best, and most important, job he’d ever have.

  Okay. I take back what I said about you being a dumbass, his tiger said sleepily. Well, I take one of them back. The rest were deserved.

  Damn cat. A shining moment, and then that. It was okay, though. His animal could say whatever he wanted. He’d given him Arya, and Karis thought he could forgive just about anything for that.

  Chapter Eleven

  Arya listened hard for any sound like they weren’t alone, and then looked back at Kelly and Jessica. They were waiting expectantly for details about Operation Seduction. Arya wasn’t going to tell everyone, but she wanted to tell them. They were her best friends, and she knew they could keep a secret. Well, mostly.

  “You guys can’t tell anyone,” she said low, looking at Kelly as she spoke.

  “I’m so offended that you stared at me as you said that and didn’t look at Jess at all.” Kelly cocked an eyebrow, but she couldn’t hold the expression, almost immediately laughing. “Okay, okay. I know I have a tendency to blurt shit, but I promise I can keep a secret.”

  Taking a breath, she looked around once more just in case, and then pulled the neckline of her loose top to the side, showing her mark. Claiming marks were the only thing a shifter’s animal wouldn’t heal, because they were too important to the animal, so she’d always have a scar where Karis bit her.

  Where Karis claimed her. She still couldn’t believe it. She’d thought there would be a long, uphill battle to get him to come around to the idea, even once his tiger told him the truth. Instead, he claimed her within an hour of showing up at her house. How in the world did she ever get so lucky?

  Kelly squealed under her breath, bringing Arya back to the present. “Oh my God, he claimed you?” she whisper-screamed.

  Unable to hold back her grin, she nodded happily. “We claimed each other last night. His tiger told him I’m his mate at the ranking ceremony yesterday, and a few hours later he was at my door.”

  Kelly whistled low. “Damn, that was fast. And there you were, thinking you were going to have to fight him on it. Operation Seduction was a rousing success.”

  “Operation Seduction?” Jessica asked quietly with a smile.

  Arya shrugged. “We were attracted to each other from the moment I asked him to train me. Well, longer than that really, but that’s when it became intense. But he was running from it. And then my tiger said he was our mate, and I knew I had to do something to make him stop running. So I asked Kelly for tips on how to seduce someone.”

/>   “That’s amazing,” Jessica replied, voice soft, something Arya wasn’t sure she understood flashing across her face. “I couldn’t even ask for tips, much less put them to use.”

  Arya studied Jess closely, trying to figure what had been on her expressive face and in her voice when she spoke just then. Jessica was a submissive tiger, a rarity for their kind. Soft spoken and shy, she hadn’t made many friends in the years she’d been here.

  She was of noble blood, but she wasn’t from their tribe. Her parents brought her here from a different tribe on the East Coast when she was ten, and then they disappeared again. As far as she knew, no one had heard from them since. Jess was allowed to stay and given rooms in the palace because of her blood, but she wasn’t a true part of the War Cats’ royalty.

  But there’d been something there just now that made Arya wonder if there was more to Jessica than met the eye. She didn’t talk about herself much at all, but she had a story she was holding in, Arya was almost certain.

  “Okay, so tell me why this is a secret. You two have claimed each other. Why are we whispering about it and sworn to secrecy?” Kelly asked with a frown.

  “Karis wants to keep it to ourselves for a bit. It’s so new, and he wants us to have time to enjoy it first before we have the tribe in our business.”

  “Oh, kind of like a honeymoon of sorts,” Kelly said with a dreamy sigh. “That’s sweet.”

  Jessica nodded in agreement, but she had an uncertain look on her face, like she wasn’t quite sure what to think of it. To be honest, Arya wasn’t, either. His voice had been honest when he explained why, but she couldn’t help feeling that there was something more to it. He wasn’t ashamed of their mating—his voice had been truthful then, as well. Whatever it was, it was a mystery, one she was determined to get to the bottom of.

  All she knew was she was happier than she could have ever imagined. This week had been like a dream, everything she ever wanted coming true. It made all the years of holding back, of biting her tongue and following the rules, worth it. And waking up this morning, snuggled up to him, her back to his front, had been everything. She had a true mate, and it was Karis. She still couldn’t believe it.

  Spotting him walking down the lane to Kelly and Zane’s house, she couldn’t help her cheesy smile, breath catching at the bolt of desire that streaked through her. She’d still been a little sore between her thighs this morning, and he insisted she take a day to recover from that, as well as the fight yesterday, before they started her hand to hand combat training.

  He still hadn’t heard back from Luke when he left, and he didn’t want her alone yet. He had business to attend to at the warrior lodge, and some training instructions to hand out to Jameson, the head trainer. She wanted badly to finally see the inside of the lodge, but he thought it was a good idea to give the warriors a chance to come around to her position among them, rather than immediately thrusting her in their faces. And he wanted her fully trained beforehand, just in case one of the warriors couldn’t control himself and took exception physically.

  So he walked her here this morning, with a promise to fetch her as soon as he was done. She hated feeling like she needed a man to protect her. She didn’t, not really. She could take care of herself, and she thought she proved that yesterday. But she saw no need in worrying Karis more, so she was doing as he requested. It was a small thing to do to give him peace of mind.

  “Karis must be on his way,” Kelly said, laughter in her voice. “You’re staring out the window like you’re torn between swooning and jumping his bones.”

  Jessica let out a soft giggle and Arya laughed as she rolled her eyes. But Kelly wasn’t wrong. “You speak truth with that. He wants to wait before we have fun like that though because he thinks I’m too sore. Like my tiger hasn’t already healed me,” she said, shaking her head.

  Although, come to think of it, it was weird that she hadn’t been one hundred percent healed this morning. She shouldn’t have been sore at all, although to be honest, she’d enjoyed the pleasant ache.

  I wanted you to enjoy it. To remember where our mate’s been. It’s something you’ve been waiting on for a very long time. Why not enjoy it, her tiger said.

  Thank you, she replied. Her cat was the best, and so right. It was something she waited on forever, and she was glad her animal let her enjoy the reminder before healing her.

  Karis was nearing the door, so she jumped up. “I’ll see you guys later,” she said, barely slowing for their replies before she headed toward the door. The remodel on the first floor was finally done, and it was beautiful. Much warmer, and far more inviting than the cold, museum-like quality it had before.

  Opening the door, she grabbed a handful of Karis’ shirt and yanked him inside, going up on her tiptoes to kiss him. It was just supposed to be a kiss of greeting, but he wrapped his arms around her and tugged her closer as it turned passionate.

  Growling deep in his chest, he pulled back, both of them already fighting for breath. “We’re supposed to be discreet right now.”

  “That’s why I pulled you inside before I kissed you. And you’re the one who turned it from chaste to borderline NC-17.”

  Chuckling, he studied her face, brow twitching. Touching his fingers gently to her chin, he looked up with lightened gray eyes. “My stubble is chafing your delicate skin. I should shave.”

  “What? No!” Reaching up, she ran her fingers over his expertly defined stubble. “I love this. It’s totally fine. Please keep it.”

  Leaning down, he gave her another gentle kiss, trying to keep his facial hair from touching her. But he didn’t need to. Sure, it was scratchy when they kissed, but she loved the way it felt. It was like another reminder that they belonged to each other.

  “You ready to head back to your house?”

  “Yep. Let’s go.”

  Holding the door open, he gestured her through. They walked some of the distance in silence, and Arya was consumed by the need to hold his hand. It was an important part of their culture, an emotional bonding, and she longed to do so with him. But until he got over whatever it was that was holding him back from letting them go public, she couldn’t. She needed to dig deeper, figure out whatever it was he wasn’t telling her, so they could get past it.

  “Did you have a nice time with Kelly and Jessica?”

  “I always do. I wish I could have gone with you, though. How was it at the lodge?”

  Blowing out a breath, he shrugged. “Like I expected. Tense, hostile. A lot of pissed-off warriors. It’s a good thing you didn’t go today.”

  “You’re sure it wouldn’t be better to face it head on, right off the bat? Things have changed, and it might be worse if we let it fester before getting me in the thick of things.”

  He shook his head as he rubbed a hand over his hair, tousling the black strands. “I honestly don’t know what the better approach is. But I do think we need to get you trained in hand to hand combat before you go in there. You’re the best archer, and you’re a beast when your tiger fights. But I want you armed with as many defenses as possible before you face them.”

  “I could always strap a knife to my thigh,” she teased.

  He nodded seriously. “That’s not a half bad idea, actually. I heard from Luke after I left you,” he continued grimly. “He questioned Shiloh thoroughly, and it wasn’t him who shot the arrow. Whoever it was is still running around.”

  Stopping in her tracks, she stared at her front door. “Yeah. I figured.”

  “What?” he asked, cursing as he followed her gaze.

  They both approached hesitantly, Karis scanning the surroundings while Arya stared at her door. Pinned to the door with an arrow was a note that read Learn Your Place, Bitch. There was something red dripping from the bottom, and she thought it was blood until she noticed the pile of noodles in front of the door. She inhaled deeply to be sure, and yep. It was spaghetti. What the hell? Her tiger was on high alert inside her, tense as she opened all her senses.

&n
bsp; Karis tensed beside her as he read the note. “Is that blood?” he gritted out, held so stiff she thought he’d break.

  “No, it’s spaghetti sauce. See the noodles on the porch?”

  “What the fuck? The note, I can understand, as much as I wish I didn’t. But spaghetti makes no sense.”

  Uneasiness skated through her body. “Do you think whoever left this was spying on us? The night we had dinner. That’s the only explanation I can think of.”

  His face darkened. “Motherfucker will die for that. I’m gonna see if they went inside.”

  “I’m going with you. Don’t give me that look. I can help if something happens. Besides, I’m surprised you’d be okay with leaving me out here alone.”

  “Fine. But stick close.”

  Nodding, she handed him the keys and he unlocked the door. Stepping over the mess on the porch, they went inside, looking through each room thoroughly. But whoever left the note didn’t seem to have come inside.

  Karis led her back to her bedroom. “Pack your things. I want you to stay at my house.”

  “What? Why?”

  “No one got in here today, but there’s nothing to say they wouldn’t at some other point. My house is more secure. You don’t even have locks on your windows up here.”

  Frowning, she walked to the window, surprised to see that was true. She hadn’t even noticed that, and likely never would have. Nodding at Karis, she went to pack her bag. As much as she wanted to protest that she could take care of herself, it wasn’t like staying with Karis was a hardship. Besides, they were mated. They’d be living together soon, once he got over his hang up.

  “I should clean up the mess on the porch,” she said as she put her toiletries in her bag and zipped it up.

  “I’ll get it after we go to my house. Come on. Something about this house is making my tiger antsy as hell, and I don’t like it.”

  Nodding, she went to grab her bag, but he beat her to it. Leading the way down the stairs, he opened the door and she stepped over the mess, turning to watch as he locked her house back up. They walked the short distance to his, and he unlocked it and gestured her in. Curious, she stepped inside, realizing she’d never been in his house before.