“So we’re drinking ‘cause Jason got the girl you wanted?” Paul asked.
Kyle hung his head and sighed. “No. I’m…” he thought about it for a moment, “happy for the two of them. Tay and I…she wasn’t going to let it go anywhere. Now she’s happy and having his kid.”
“Then why are you getting lit?” Paul started at him, waiting.
“It’s…I’m nearly five years older than Jason.” Kyle ran a frustrated hand back through his hair.
“Uh huh?”
“He’s always had luck with women, but I still always thought I would…you know…find someone to spend my life with first, that I’d have children first,” Kyle sighed and laid his head on the bar as he realized another thing Jason was going to do before him. “Shit, he’s even going to finish college before me.” Kyle picked his head up and let it fall to the counter, sending a sting of sensation across his forehead.
“You know there’s a good reason he’s doing all this stuff first,” Paul told him.
“Oh, really?” Kyle asked sarcastically. If there was a good reason he’d love to here it.
“Jason has better luck with women because he tries every skirt in the place. He’s not as picky as you are.”
“Thanks a lot.”
Paul chuckled. “That also means that he’s looked harder for his Soul—someone, so of course he found her first. The kid. Once he found his one, why wouldn’t they want a kid or four?”
Kyle could feel himself smiling even though he disliked the idea of Jason putting Tay through four pregnancies.
“And school, Christ, Kyle you’re maybe a year from finishing everything…including your dissertation from what you’ve said. When he graduates he’ll only have a B.A,” Paul went on. “You’ll have a doctorate. Think about it.”
Kyle rolled his head to look up at him. “Quit making sense. I don’t want logic I want booze.”
Paul smirked. “This is your last one,” he said and started to pour. “Then I’m cutting you off and calling a cab for ya.”
Kyle took the shot glass and raised it to his lips. The liquid didn’t even have the grace to burn on the way down this time. “Don’t need a cab,” he told Paul and pushed off the stool. The world moved and he used the bar to steady himself. He hadn’t had that much, had he?
“University or city police pull ya over on that bike of yours, you gonna wish I had,” Paul reminded him.
Kyle shook his head cussing as everything shifted again. “I walked, no bike tonight.”
Paul stared at him as he grabbed up his backpack from the floor and slung it over his shoulder. “You walked thirty blocks…for a drink? I’m touched.”
“It’s twenty-seven blocks to the house, but no, Paul, I didn’t come all the way over here just to see you. I was over at the gym trying to run some energy off and get this…mood out of my system,” Kyle told him.
“I’d feel better if you took a cab. There’s a three-drink limit here and you’ve had seven. Anything happened to ya on the walk I’d be responsible.” Kyle ignored the worried look on his face.
“Paul, I’m good. I need to walk and if I do I should be sobering up by the time I get home,” he explained. He received a skeptical look for his effort, but he ignored as well.
Finally, Paul sighed in defeat. “Well, go on then and get outta here. Just…stay to the sidewalks, for my sake, huh?”
Kyle gave a snorting laugh and headed for the door.
“I’ma call Jason after a minute, see if you made it home,” Paul warned.
He smiled and raised his hand in a wave, acknowledging the words as he pushed the door open. “No point he’s not home,” he told Paul and walked back out into the chilled night air. At least this time his hair wasn’t wet. Sighing, he headed down the streets towards his house. As he walked, Kyle thought back to the smell in the air and the effects it held on him. He shook his head; it didn’t matter now. She’d be long gone.
Chapter 9
The restaurant proved to be a haven against her pursuers, that or they hadn’t been following her to begin with. Abby only picked at her food when they waitress brought it to her. Even though she hadn’t eaten anything in the past twenty-four hours, she didn’t feel hungry, the needs her Heat brought on had nothing to do with food. The urge to leave, to run to a male and mate sat heavy in her stomach and between her legs. But she stayed in the restaurant for the better part of an hour, giving the two males time to go on their way and her to regain some of the energy she’d lost trying to Call her mate so often.
Should I try again? She thought. It hadn’t done her any good yet. Abby shook her head and headed for the door. She had to try again. This was her best chance at drawing her mate’s attention.
As she neared the entrance she stilled. Two tall, lean, black haired males walked in. Panic seized her as the older one turned toward her, frowning. The younger one openly scented the air before joining the older in staring at her. Holding her breath, Abby took a few cautious steps toward the door.
The older one’s eyes fluttered shut while the younger gave a soft moan. They knew she was in Heat. Abby’s heart hammered in her chest, most likely causing more of her scent to pour into the air, drawing more attention from them. She made it to the entryway and ducked her head; she would make it outside before they tried to stop her, she would. Just before she made it past them, the older grabbed her upper arm. His hold wasn’t tight but the potential was there. She stopped even as her tiger screamed in her head that he wasn’t the one it wanted to be touched by.
“Don’t,” she whispered. She needed to get away before something happened.
“I’m not going to hurt you, princess,” he whispered back. His hold eased even further.
Abby looked up at him and watched the hint of gold in his eyes reverted to a completely human blue. A pure-breed shifter.
“Where’s your male this night? He’s neglecting you,” the older one asked. Abby looked away from him. “It’s dangerous to be walking around town in the state you’re in. If your male isn’t available, my son,” he gestured to the younger male beside him, “or I would be…more than willing to make ourselves available for your…needs.”
Pheromones poured from her at the offer. Her body was more than ready to mate. Any male would do for her Heat, but she wanted her mate. Her tiger only wanted her mate. Her tall, lean, dark…haired…
She raised her head, tilting it in curiosity as she looked the two males over. The younger of the two…the build, the height, the hair color, all matched the male from her dream. Was this him? Now that he was in front of her, in the light where she could actually see his face; he seemed familiar. Had she met him, met her mate before? Was it even possible?
A memory flashed through her mind, one of a friend of Taylor’s. Vague images of a male that looked surprisingly like the younger male standing before her. She tried to image what the male from her memories would look like now, seven years later, but it was hard to think about him looking any other way then she remembered him and Abby had only met him the one time.
Abby closed her eyes and gathered the magic around her, readying for another Call. She felt it leave her in a rush; the words that accompanied the flow of magic were different from before. Find me, just didn’t seem to work if he was standing right in front of her.
Kiss me, instead of a plea to be found left her. She opened her eyes focusing on the young male, watching for a reaction. Any reaction to let her know, but the male didn’t react, didn’t seem to hear. He just continued stare at her with those jade green eyes, waiting for her to answer his father. Sad, she forced herself to smile up at the father.
“No, thank you,” she told him. Both looked surprised at her answer, she couldn’t blame them for that. As a female in Heat, most every thought should’ve been about relieving the needs it created.
“Princess,” the father said. “I promise; we’ll be far kinder in bed than some roaming male you find on the street this night.” He was frowning at her now tr
ying to make her see reason.
“That might be true,” she told him. “But I’m not looking for just any male to mate with…I’m looking for my mate.”
“Ah.” The father smiled and backed away a step, his hand falling away from her arm completely. “He’s out there?” He nodded to the door.
“I’m hoping he’s close enough, I’ve been dreaming about him for a while.”
The father nodded and smiled. “If you need us…for anything we’ll be here for an hour and we’re staying at the Holiday Inn. Just ask for one of us at the front desk.” He backed away another step to let her by. “I’m Nathan Ellis,” he touched his chest. “And this,” he pointed over his shoulder to his son, “is Nico.”
Nico raised his hand in a half hearted wave.
Oh, she could hear the disappointment in her own head. This wasn’t her mate and that wasn’t the name of Tay’s friend either. How had she gotten both guesses wrong?
She nodded to them. “Abigail Winter,” she offered her name. “Thank you again for…understanding my, uh…reason for turning you down.”
“Maybe we’ll see each other again someday,” Nico said. She could hear a touch of hope in his voice.
“Maybe.” Abby scooted past them and hurried out the door. She sighed as she stepped on to the sidewalk.
Her mate should have found her by now. He couldn’t have been that far away since she’d been dreaming about him. Was he avoiding her on purpose? Why would he? Finding a destined mate, a Soul-bonded mate, like Taylor and Jason, was something all tigers, all shifters, were brought up to crave. So why wasn’t her mate mating her yet?
She stopped on the street corner. Maybe he was close, but couldn’t leave where he was. Deathly sick parent, sibling or child, she cringed at the thought of her mate already having a kid. He could be in jail, house arrest, or maybe he’d tried to get to her but something happened to him. Abby shook her head she had to keep trying, at least for another hour or so.
If she remembered correctly there were some houses a block or two away, she could start again with the Call there. As long as she got close enough, he should at least come outside to meet her…if he was in the area.
Abby looked down the street and stepped off the curb. She’d barely made it across when she started to smell something, she couldn’t tell what it was, but it was getting stronger as she moved. It smelled a bit like tiger, yet something was off about it. Curiosity took over and she turned down a side street, heading toward the scent.
“Hello, lover.”
Abby jumped as the words were whispered inches from her ear. Arms wrapped around her lifting her off her feet. She gasped at the feel of the strong arms around her and then the scent, or rather the scents, became clear. Two male Bengals, but it was off, something about them was different and neither was her mate. Her tiger hissed in her head at the undesired touch.
The blonde from before the restaurant came into view as he spun her around to face him. He smiled down at her.
“Such a pretty thing to be roaming the streets,” the blonde said, grabbing hold of her jaw and forcing her to look up at him. “But since you’re in Heat like this and looking for cock.”
Abby frowned at him. The lust her pheromones induced had caused his eyes to change to their tiger form, becoming reflective, but they weren’t gold. They were red. That’s why their scents are odd, they’re half-breeds.
“Came on little brother, let’s have some fun.” The blonde unzipped her jacket and his grin widening as he got a look at how little she was wearing under it.
Abby opened her mouth to scream. The fingers on her jaw loosened a second before pain lit her cheek.
“Oh, no love. You’re going to be good for us. There’s no screaming during fun time.”
Chapter 10
Jason dug his phone out of his pocket as he pushed open the front door. Frowning, he slid his thumb across the screen.
“Hello?” he asked, shutting the door behind him.
“Hey Jason, it’s Paul,” a male voice answered.
“Oh hey, what’s up?” Jason stilled in the living room. If Paul was calling, it was about Kyle. It seemed to be a theme for the night. Paul was one of the few male tiger shifters in the area and he’d taking a liking to Kyle years before Jason had told Paul the truth about him.
“Kyle was in the bar tonight,” Paul told him.
“Yeah?” Jason asked. He really didn’t care. At the moment he wasn’t Kyle’s biggest fan. He was still fuming over Tay not telling him about their time together and he was just as mad at his brother for not saying anything.
“Yeah, he wasn’t in the best of moods and I…might have given him a little too much to drink,” Paul told him.
“Kyle was drinking? At the bar?” Jason frowned harder. His brother wasn’t a saint, but Kyle only drank at home, said it was safer for everyone.
“Seven or so shots of Crown,” Paul answered.
He cursed. “How long ago did his cab leave?” Jason asked checking the time on his phone. If he’d just gotten in a cab it would be ten minutes before he made it home. This was the last thing he needed after the night he’d had. It was a good thing Kyle wasn’t a mean drunk or a fighter.
“That’s the thing,” Paul paused. “He wouldn’t let me call one for him.”
“You let him leave on his motorcycle after seven shots? Paul, are you insane?” Panic edged into his blood and his magic swirled around him threatening to pull him into a change from the stress.
“Crazy, maybe, stupid no. Kyle said he walked and that he’d walk back. I’m calling ya just as a heads up.”
Jason rushed to the garage and opened the door. He leaned heavily against the door, relieved. Kyle’s bike was still there. He hadn’t lied.
“His bike’s still here,” Jason informed Paul.
“Good, was hoping that boy didn’t lie about something that dangerous,” Paul sighed. “There’s something else too, when Kyle ducked in here…there was the scent of a female in Heat that filtered in with him. Jason, I think he came in here to avoid it. I don’t know if he knew what is was, but it was affecting him.”
Jason stilled again and thought about everything Shannon had told him and Tay earlier. “Paul…” He started, ready to dismiss it. But two people now said they were seeing the change. “Are you sure?”
He scoffed. “I’ve been working a bar since I was twenty. I know on sight when a man’s avoiding a female. I’ve been mated for thirty years. I know the scent of a Heat. I raised six sons, I know when they’re trying to hide something going on in their jeans. All of which I saw in him tonight.”
Jason shook his head at the image of his brother walking into Cole’s Bar and Grill sporting a hard on.
“I’m worried ‘bout him,” Paul said, he voice quieter.
“Don’t, he should be home in a bit.” Jason closed the door to the garage and sat down in the couch in the living room.
“That’s not why I’m worried.”
“Hm?”
“It was hard to tell because of the scent of Heat that came in with him, but I thought, for a moment, that he smelled of tiger. If I can smell it, so can other males. Males looking to mate this female roaming around tonight. Males that can and will attack him if he happens to be near the female when they find her.”
Jason’s heart raced again. Kyle wasn’t a fighter. He used his height to intimidate when he had to, which worked on most human males, but that wouldn’t work on a male shifter with an in Heat female around. “What do you suggest?”
“Wait, watch, listen and scent the air. If he’s not home in two hours go looking for him,” Paul answered. It wasn’t really the answer Jason wanted.
“Okay…thanks for the call.”
“No problem…oh, there was one other thing.” Paul let out a slow breath over the phone. “I thought you said you were Siberian Bengal mixed.”
“I am.” Mixings weren’t all that common, mated pairs tended to be of the same subspecies, Siberian with Sib
erian, Bengal with Bengal, but Jason and his sisters’ parents hadn’t been.
There was a pause on the line. “You’re sure on that?”
“Very.”
Another pause. “Then you’re only half-brothers with Kyle.”
“What? No. You have to be mistaken.” Jason denied it, but then he thought…their mother and her family were all blonde, a trait of their white Siberian tiger form. Their father and his family were blonde, redheaded, or somewhere in between; a Bengal train. But Kyle…Kyle’s hair had always been blue-black a color he didn’t know of any tiger breed having.
“Jason, I’ve seen and smelled a lot and I know that if that scent was Kyle, he’s a Siberian South China mix,” Paul told him. The kind tone barely registered. The words were too harsh for him.
“Kyle has a different sire.” The words weren’t much more than a whisper, but he spoke them. That meant…Jason shook his head. “Paul—I got to go. I’ll let you know how everything works out tomorrow.” He hung up before Paul could say anything else.
For a long moment he started at his phone and braced himself for the call he was about to make and dialed.
“Hello?” a young female voice answered.
“Hey Kelly. How’s my little sis?”
“Okay I guess. Got a test tomorrow I’m studying for,” Kelly answered.
Jason smiled Kelly and Kyle should have been twins they were so much alike. “So is Aunt Rachael around?”
“Sure. Here.” Some movement.
“Hello?”
“Aunt Rachael,” he said in greeting.
“Jason, Sweetheart, what are you doing calling so late?” She asked sweetly. “Did something happen with you and Taylor?”
“No…yes,” Jason shook his head. “I’ll tell you about that later right now I…” He took in a deep breath. “I need to talk to you about something involving Kyle.”
“Oh,” disappointment and disapproval edged her voice. “Okay dear. What is it?”
Jason braced himself and said the words. “I need you to tell me who Kyle’s biological father is.”
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