“Will you let me wrap your wrist now to keep the swelling down?” Tad asked.
With the mention of her wrist, it began to throb again. The swelling was nearly as bad as the deep purple and yellow bruise forming. To once again make sure nothing was broken she rotated her wrist, sending pain shooting up her arm.
“Okay.”
“It’s a bad sprain and will take time to heal, but considering everything you’ve been through it’s minor compared to what it could have been.” He guided her back to the first aid kit in front of the roaring fire, and they sat on the soft velvety sofa.
“Double injury to it made things worse.” He gazed at her and the question was clear in his eyes.
“I hurt it in the blast when he bombed my house. It wasn’t too bad, but I must have made it worse with the car accident.”
“You shouldn’t have been out in weather like this, not with that little car.” Tad grabbed one of the wraps from the kit and sat down next to her.
“That’s all the rental place had and I had to get to Mom’s.” She laughed; the whole situation seemed ridiculous now. “Turns out Mom wasn’t even here. If you hadn’t come along I wouldn’t have been able to get in. My keys are somewhere in the crispy remains of my house in Texas. My house…” The tears she had put off for so long rolled down her face.
“It’s all right, houses can be rebuilt. The important thing is that you’re okay.” He wrapped her wrist with care.
“I lost everything. My beautiful house, my job…”
“You found us.” He clasped the wrap shut and gently took both of her hands in his.
She wasn’t sure what she would have said to Tad’s comment. Thankfully, Milo chose that moment to come back into the room and she didn’t have to worry about it.
Milo placed his cell phone on the coffee table before sitting down next to her. “Quinn is glad you’re in safe hands, and wants us to stay put until he can get here.”
Being between them again made her feel warm and safe. A feeling she hoped would last, at least until this whole threat was over. Once Quinn arrived, he’d probably rush her off to some safe house where she’d go stir crazy until the trial.
“Then what?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you both about.” Milo placed his hand on her leg. “Quinn knows what Tad and I are because he’s a shifter as well. He has to keep his second nature to himself or not only risk losing his job but also exposing our kind. It made it easier for me to explain things to him. I want to take you home to Fairbanks.”
“Home? With you?”
“With us. Tad has been helping my clan with…security. It’s the safest place for you, safer than any safe house they can put you in. It will be impossible for Jeffery to get to you once you’re at the compound.”
Tad gave a brief but deep laugh. “I think we should explain. She already thinks my family is a bunch of assassins, so that little comment about security only makes her question it more.”
“I…I don’t. Well, not any longer,” she insisted.
“That’s generous, but I’m sure you still have lingering doubts.” Tad drew his thumb over her knuckles. “Years ago when the Alaskan Tigers, Milo’s clan, came here, my family was having some issues with some rogue shifters. Ty, the Alaskan Tigers’ Alpha, helped clear things up, and since then my family and the Tigers have joined together for the common good. Even more so now that Tabitha, the Queen of the Tigers and Ty’s mate, has rejoined the clan. We have fought side by side to eliminate the threats to our kind and to humans.”
“That all sounds past tense,” Courtney noted.
“We just took down the former Alpha of the Texas Tigers, and have replaced the leader of the Texas clan with one of our own. However, with Tabitha declaring herself as the Queen of the Tigers, it is likely that things will begin to stir up more before they calm down. I’ve been spending more time at the compound than on my family’s island at the request of my brothers.”
“Brothers?”
“Taber and Thorben. They’re the oldest, and they’ve mated with one of the clan’s females, Kallie,” Tad explained. “They have made their home at the compound. Bears are bigger than tigers, we’re more impressive in our animal forms, and we use that to our benefits.”
Maybe not assassins, but still on the wrong side of the law. She had a brief moment to wonder what she’d gotten herself into before Tad spoke again.
He raised an eyebrow at her, but the corners of his lips were curved into a half smile. “I felt that thought.”
She swallowed, and tried not to show her worry. “You’re a mind reader now?”
“No, not a mind reader, but mates can feel what you feel. It gave me a hint as to what you were just thinking.”
“He’s right. Even I caught that, and it wasn’t directed at me.” Milo spoke for the first time since Tad started his story.
“Then what was I thinking?” Her stomach turned with apprehension. If he knew what she was thinking and feeling, how was she going to be able to keep anything a secret?
“That I was still on the wrong side of the law for your tastes,” Tad said. “That’s not completely true, after all there’s no law about shifters. We don’t kill humans. I’ve only killed shifters who are rogue. Rogues kill both of our kinds. To leave them alive is a threat to all of us.”
Milo cleared his throat. “We’re getting off topic here. Neither Tad, nor myself, or either of our clans are assassins. You could call us protectors if you like. I’d like you to come back to the compound because it’s the safest place for you, and because we will both have to return there.”
“If the compound is just outside of Fairbanks, why are you here?”
“Years ago I was hunting a rogue with my Lieutenant, when I was attacked from behind.” Milo’s eyes were downcast. “He sliced through nerve endings in my shoulder, and because I wasn’t able to shift right away they never healed properly. The fighting in Texas caused it to flare up. My Alpha ordered me to take a few days off to give my shoulder a break before I did more damage to it.” He looked back up at Courtney. “Tad mentioned he needed to check on the house and asked me if I wanted to tag along for a few days. Within the clan, I’m a guard for the Lieutenant’s mate, Bethany, and my days off are few and far between, so this sounded heavenly.” He rotated his shoulder, as if just mentioning it had sent a twinge of pain through him.
Chapter Four
After dinner, Courtney was still uneasy, the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight. Something was coming. Not something, Jeffery or one of his goons. Somewhere out in the dark, they were coming for her. Would they make it before the blizzard passed over the small sleepy town or was he already on her trail, about to corner her?
Without more evidence that Jeffery had orchestrated the attack on her home, he was still free on bail until the trial. Would she survive the next two months before the trial, or longer if his lawyers were able to get another continuance?
Tad came up next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder, massaging it gently. “You shouldn’t be sitting by the window. Why don’t you come over here with us?”
With us… Those two little words made her heart skip a beat.
Maybe it was a little strange being drawn to both of them, but after everything she had been through she was used to unusual occurrences. Maybe some amazing sex with these two was just what she needed to take her mind off the threat chasing her.
Down, girl. She scolded herself. She couldn’t believe she had just met them and she was already thinking about getting them naked and having a one-night stand. She had never been prude, but such a thing was out of the question.
“I should try to call my mother. I don’t want her to hear that I’m dead without knowing the truth.”
Tad unclipped his cell phone from his jeans and handed it to her. “Her number is in the contacts, and you won’t have to worry about the phone being traced. Milo and I will make some hot chocolate, and give you privacy.”
&nb
sp; “Thank you.” She took the phone, and watched how the jeans moved over his butt as he walked away. The need to touch him, to run her hands over him, moving up his chest to feel the well-defined muscles under her fingers before sliding down his biceps, almost forced her from the window seat. What was happening to her? She’d never felt this level of desire for any man before, let along one she’d just met.
She forced herself to look down at the cell phone, scrolling through the contacts until she found her mother’s name and pressed the call button. How was she going to explain the events that brought her to this position? Not wanting her mother to worry about her, or show up in Texas, she never said a word about what had happened, especially about Jeffery or the trial.
“How’s my house, Taddybear?” Her mother’s voice along with loud music came bursting through the speaker.
“Mom, it’s Courtney. Who’s Taddybear?” She couldn’t have been talking about that little brown stuffed bear she’d had as a kid.
“Tad, of course.” Her laughter died away. “What are you doing with Tad anyway? Are you at the house?”
She tried to picture how Tad reacted to being called Taddybear. “Yeah, I’m at your house. I needed a place to stay. Mom, could you step out of wherever you are? I really need to talk to you.”
“Okay, one minute.” She heard her mom say something to whomever she was with before the music faded. “Courtney, is everything okay?”
“No…oh, Mom. I’m just going to come out with it. You might want to sit down. A few months ago I witnessed a very powerful man murder two people…”
“What? Oh my God, did you go to the police? Why are you just telling me this?”
“You taught me well. Yes, I went to the police. The thing is, he has powerful connections, and even with my eyewitness testimony and the DNA evidence, he was able to get out on bail. Mom…he blew up my house, killing the U.S. Marshal who was there for my protection. I had nowhere else to go, so I came home.”
“Oh God, are you okay? Were you hurt? I’ll get a flight out right away. Until I get there, stay with Tad, he’ll protect you.” Her mother’s words ran together, not giving Courtney a second to answer.
“No, Mom. I’m fine, please stay there where you’re safe. This man might come after me, so I don’t want you anywhere near me.” She looked to the kitchen, catching a quick glance of the men busying themselves. “Tad and his friend Milo are here, they’ll stand in as my protectors until the blizzard passes and the new U.S. Marshal Quinn arrives. I wanted to tell you because they might think I was killed in the blast, and I wanted you to know the truth in case the police contact you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, girl, I’m coming home. I’ll be on the first flight as soon as they open the airport into Nome, but in the meantime I’ll start working my way west. I love you, sweetie. Please be safe.” There was a sharp intake of breath, as though her mother was suppressing a sob. “Could you put Taddybear on?”
Courtney stood from the window seat. “Mom.”
“Don’t Mom me, young lady. I want to talk to Tad now.”
Her mother still made her feel like she was eight years old, not twenty-eight. “One moment.” When she entered the kitchen, the men stopped whispering and turned to look at her. “She wants to speak with you.” She held out the phone to Tad, wondering what she had just interrupted.
“Perfect timing, why don’t you join me by the fire?” Milo held two of mugs, an easy smile on his face.
She nodded and followed him, making sure she was behind him to see how he compared to Tad. Milo’s jeans were low on his hips, right on the widest part of his hipbones. They were tight and hugged his ass just like Tad’s did, but the sway was more irresistible if that was possible. She reached out her fingers, nearly brushing against him before she caught herself. What was happening to her? She barely knew either of these men and she was letting her unbelievable desire for them take over. She was stronger than a little lust; there was no way she was going to let it control her.
“Are you going to tell me what you were talking about?”
“What if I said no?” He sat on the sofa and nodded to her to come join him.
“No?” She took the mug from him and sat down. The scent of real hot chocolate drifted to her, along with the memories of the last time she’d had the real stuff. Strangely enough, it was the last time she was home visiting her mother.
“It will only worry you more.”
“Like that’s possible.” She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.
“We were going over the possibilities that you were followed.” He wrapped his arm her shoulders. “Told you it would make you worry more. I promise we will keep you safe.”
“He’s killed three people that I know of, do you really think he’ll stop when he’s gotten away with it so far?”
“We’re going to see that he stops and that you’re safe. Now let us do the worrying.” He took a drink of his hot chocolate before nodding to the television. “There’s no cable, but Lisa has plenty of DVDs, or we can use Tad’s laptop and see if we can pick up the Internet through the storm and find something online to watch if you want.”
“I don’t really care. It’s been so long since I’ve even turned my own television on.” Mentioning her mom made her glance toward the kitchen.
“He’s reassuring Lisa that you’re safe.”
“You can hear him?” Her gaze shifted away from Tad to Milo.
“Shifters have exceptional hearing, among other things. Your mom is worried about you and Tad’s trying to calm her, not to mention trying to get her to stay in Florida at least until the blizzard passes. She is a stubborn woman.”
“Tell me about it. All through my teenage years we bumped heads. It caused a gap as large as Texas between us. Now we barely talk. I didn’t even know she was away. Oh God, if Jeffery goes after her…” The thought of her mom being in jeopardy because she did the right thing terrified Courtney.
“We already have that covered. Tad is going to place a call to the Alpha of the West Virginia Tiger clan, Jinx. We’ll have someone accompany Lisa here, or to our compound if you agree to go with us. She’ll be safe.”
“How does Jinx and his clan play into your clan?” She set the mug aside and turned slightly to look at him, pulling her leg up under her.
“There are a number of clans who have partnered with my clan to form a stronger group against any resistance. The West Virginia clan was the first one, and Jinx has been with the clan almost since Tabitha joined us. He’s been spending a lot of his time in Alaska helping to keep Tabitha and the compound safe. Now that he has mated, he still divides his time between Alaska and West Virginia but has for the first time appointed a Lieutenant for his clan to keep control while he’s in Alaska.”
“What do you mean for the first time? You mentioned your clan has a Lieutenant, so why wouldn’t his have already have one?”
“Smaller clans normally only have the Alpha. The West Virginia clan is small, so there was no need for two in the position of power. Jinx isn’t willing to give up his control of the clan. He’s a strong man and wouldn’t do well being under anyone. Plus, the clan is mostly made up of family, and it is his responsibility to be the Alpha. Once he found his mate, he promoted his brother, Lukas, to the position of Lieutenant.” He teased his fingers up her leg.
“Your world is so different from mine.” She wasn’t sure how she would ever fit into it.
“Not that different. We have strong structure, rules, and punishments, but other than that we aren’t very different. My clan is like a family, we all look out for one another. If you give it a chance and come with us, I’m sure you won’t regret it. Lisa has been there, mostly before we gained healers within the clan. Her medical training helped when there was a bystander injured. Her and Doc work well together.”
“How did she get drawn into the shifter world?”
“Lisa was having problems with wolves and put up traps around her land. She heard the howls of what
she thought was a wolf, instead it was the neighbor Tate. He’s a wolf shifter. When she went to the trap she found him freeing himself, naked in human form. He explained what he was and that’s when Devon, Tad’s father, was visiting. He brought your mother into our confidence, hearts, and home.”
The fire cracked, sending sparks up the chimney. Her mom was always willing to help someone in needed. She was the kindest woman Courtney knew, a woman who would go out of her way for a complete stranger or an animal, let alone someone she knew and cared for. It was part of the driving wedge between them. How could her mother be there for everyone else, but when she needed something her mom was always too busy to be bothered? The thought of her mother manning the small farm by herself made her feel selfish. Did she do the right thing when she accepted the job in Texas? It was everything she’d worked for, but at what expense? The choices she’d made to get the job ended up leading her to losing her home and career all because of her values. Would she lose something more precious before it was over?
Sometime while she was deep in thought, Tad returned, and she didn’t notice him until he sat down on the other side of her, his hand rubbing over the small of her back.
“I spoke with Ty. He’ll have Taber standing by with the airplane for when the storm lets up. He also has a team going to Lisa’s location to keep her safe.”
She twisted just enough that she could look back at Tad. “I’m sorry for my mother. She shouldn’t have forced you to protect me.”
“She did nothing of the kind. I protect you because you’re my mate. She’s only worried about you and wanted to make sure you were safe. How about we take your mind off all of this?”
“What do you have in mind, Taddybear?” She couldn’t help but use the nickname her mom called him.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised Lisa mentioned the nickname.” Tad rolled his eyes, and Milo chuckled. “Did she tell you why she calls me that? She only told me that in bear form I remind her of something. She says someday I’ll find out the whole story.”
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