The Tigers Shared Mate

by Bonnie Burrows

  “Too bad you don’t want to marry us, Lydia,” Jareth said, his voice light and teasing.

  “Why is that?”

  “Because in our world, dessert always comes first,” Carter offered.

  “I guess if I have to live somewhere for a while, I could have ended up somewhere worse.”

  Her face got dark and she thought of the place she’d been mere hours before.

  “Much worse.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  It didn’t take long for Lydia to get into the groove of life with Carter and Jareth. The two men worked full days, giving Lydia freedom to roam the vast property alone, and to enjoy her days without wondering where her next meal would come from. After two full weeks passed with no more visits from Gavin and his men, Lydia was starting to get used to her life in Jasper.

  It was a welcome change from her old life, though she was still itching to be on her way. The estate was gorgeous and comfortable, but this wasn’t home. She needed a place of her own, and a life that was of her own choosing. In an ideal world, her life now would be the culmination of a life-long daydream. But in this life, the only thing that she dreamed of was freedom. Too bad, too. Carter and Jareth were two of the most handsome men she’d ever met. When she factored in their kindness and the laughter they shared at dinner each night, Lydia couldn’t imagine anyone wanting something more than what she had right there in front of her.

  She was torn. On one hand, she needed to get away; needed to feel the miles grow between herself and her past. On the other, she wondered if she would ever be safer than she was here. The property was vast, encompassing more than one hundred acres. The entire perimeter was fenced and almost impermeable. Here, she could count on knowing the enemy was coming long before they reached the house.

  And then there was Carter and Jareth. They’d been outnumbered more than two to one. Yet they’d stood their ground in her defense, their commitment to her safety never waning. She knew without a doubt that she could trust them.

  It was something she struggled with each night, when she left the cozy warmth of the dining room for the guest room. Running had been the right thing to do before, but now that she was here, she was having second thoughts about continuing to flee.

  On one such night of inner turmoil, long after dinner had been served, Lydia unpacked her bag and hung the clothes Jareth had bought her neatly in the massive, walk-in closet. She was finally resigned to the fact that she was going to be in Jasper for at least a month, if not more, and had decided to quit living out of a suitcase. She left a change of clothes in the bag-just in case-and set it in the bottom of the closet.

  “I see you’re planning on sticking around for a bit.”

  She jumped and turned.

  “Jareth, you scared me.” She looked at the bag on the floor and back at him. “It’s not like I have an actual choice, right? I’ll stay here, we’ll go through the motions, and when it’s safe, I’ll leave.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  His voice was upbeat, but his expression didn’t match his tone.“What’s wrong, Jareth?”

  “It’s just never going to be the same here without you.”

  “You both survived before.”

  “Of course we did. But there’s something about you that’s so familiar and so comfortable. We both like having you around. A lot.”

  He didn’t move closer, though Lydia could tell that he wanted to.

  “I don’t know why, but I feel guilty leaving here.”

  “Guilty?”

  “Maybe guilty isn’t the right word. It just feels...wrong. For months, my only thought has been to run as far and as fast as I could. The men in Mill Creek kept me from that, but I was always planning. I was just waiting for the right time to escape.”

  “How long were you there?”

  “A little over a week, I think. But I don’t know. I was following the creek and they thought I was spying. At the time, I didn’t know what they were even talking about. But when you two showed up and you talked about your friends, I realized they thought I was spying for the shifters.”

  “Did you still want to run, then?”

  “I did, but not like before. I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s like I was holding a map and it suddenly changed when our paths crossed. Now the map is blank and I don’t know what to do next.”

  “Maybe you’re meant to stay here. You do believe in fate, right?”

  “Not really. I can’t imagine that I was fated to have the crappy teen years that I had. I guess it could have been worse, but still. I can’t go through my life believing that people are meant to be unhappy, you know?”

  “Are you happy now?”

  He moved further into the room and sat down on her bed. Lydia shrugged.

  “I don’t really know, to be honest. It’s been so long since I’ve been happy I don’t really remember what it felt like.”

  “How old are you now?”

  “Twenty-five. Well, not quite twenty-five. I’ll be twenty-five in a few weeks.”

  Jareth smiled, his hands clapping together.

  “I love parties.”

  “I probably do, too.”

  “You’ve never had one?”

  “No. Not that I can remember at least.”

  “Wait until you see the wedding ceremony. It’s over the top.”

  “I’ve been to one wedding.”

  “It’s nothing like a shifter wedding. This is pretty much non-stop partying for days.”

  “Will all your friends come? Won’t they wonder about me?”

  “Every tiger shifter in a hundred mile radius will be here.”

  “That’s insane. Why?”

  “Because it’s a big deal to us and something to be celebrated.”

  Lydia’s face fell.

  “I feel bad that it’s all fake just to save my life.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Carter and I are career bachelors. We really had no intention of ever settling down and marrying anyway.”

  “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you both putting yourselves out like this when we’re practically strangers.”

  “I’m just glad you didn’t take off and make matters worse.”

  “I thought about it.”

  “I saw you. Which is why I came to sit with you in the hallway. I wanted to make sure you didn’t complicate things by running.”

  “Do I look like a runner?”

  “I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t shocked to see you here each morning. I half expect you to just be gone.”

  She looked at her closet and at the small, but noticeable personal touches she’d put on the room.

  “I’ll leave. Someday. But I won’t leave without at least a note. It’s not like I’m going to get far on foot. And with the highway so far away, I can’t really hitchhike. So I guess I’ll have to ask one of you for a ride into town at the very least.”

  “About that. Carter and I have been talking, and now that I know your birthday is soon, it seems like the perfect timing.”

  “For what?”

  “Well, we decided that, if you’re going to be our wife-”

  “On paper.”

  “On paper or otherwise,” he corrected. “We don’t want you hitchhiking or running on foot like you were. So we decided we are going to buy you a car.”

  “I can’t accept that.”

  “Sure you can. It doesn’t have to be a new car, though it can be if you want it to be. But ten thousand dollars or fifty, it’s really a drop in the bucket for us.”

  “Jareth, that’s sweet, but really.”

  “We’re not willing to take no for an answer, and it’s customary to give a dowry for the bride. Since you’re the only family you have, the gift will be given to you.”

  Lydia sighed.

  “You’re really not going to let this go, are you?”

  “Nope.” His eyes twinkled merrily. “You’re lucky it’s not already in the driveway. Carter was going to just buy y
ou one, but I thought that it might make you happier if you got to choose.”

  “Thank you.” She sat down on the bed beside him. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

  His hand eased out, his fingers sliding into hers and giving her a squeeze.

  “I thought it might. We both want you to be happy. The longer you’re here, the more we’re both thinking that this could be your happy place. But if it’s not, we’re willing to do what it takes to make you happy.”

  He squeezed her hand again, his side pressed against hers. Lydia let her head fall to the side and onto his shoulder. She closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of him. They both had that manly scent that reminded her of the forest after a warm rain. Soft and pleasant with a touch of something earthy. But that’s where the similarities ended. Jareth favored a different brand of soaps than Carter, and Lydia could tell the difference.

  Jareth, who was slightly more whimsical and light-hearted than Carter, favored citrus and sage. The effect was manly without being brutish, and Lydia found that she enjoyed the scent of him. Carter, on the other hand, seemed to stick to the more traditional scents. He smelled of mint and tea tree oil. The scent of him brought back fond memories of hunting for the perfect tree at Christmas time as a child.

  “You must be accustomed to being alone.”

  Lydia had almost forgotten that he was in the room, even though she rested her head on him and took comfort in the solid feel of him beside her.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “You get lost in your thoughts and just disappear from time to time. It’s like you don’t even notice it.”

  “I guess I don’t.”

  He slipped his hand out of hers, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close.

  “Life is going to be different for you. We’ll see to that.”

  “Starting with a car I can’t drive?”

  “You can’t drive?”

  “Nope.”

  “That’s going to be fun for Carter.”

  “Why wouldn’t you teach me?”

  “You don’t want me to teach you. Trust me. I may be nice and funny, but I have a quick temper. I cool down fast, too, but I’m not someone you want teaching you to drive.”

  “I see.”

  “So, we’ll wake you up in the morning and we can go into the next town and go car shopping.”

  “That sounds exhausting.”

  “It should be fun. Start thinking about what you might like tonight and hopefully we can narrow it down on the drive in.”

  He stopped, his body slightly tense as he weighed his next words.

  “There’s also the matter of getting you fitted for your dress and shoes for the wedding.”

  Lydia let out a long sigh. “I was kind of hoping that the wedding could happen without me. I’m not really comfortable with being the center of attention.”

  “You’re going to have to get over that really quick.”

  Lydia didn’t respond. She just sat there on the bed, head resting against Jareth’s shoulder, his arm holding her tight. She didn’t know what to do. The wedding was looming and she’d done her level best to avoid all involvement in the wedding planning. As a result, the last two weeks, both men had spent most of the hours between work and dinner going over the details of a wedding none of them had asked for.

  “You did it again.”

  “Did what?”

  “Went off into your own land as if I wasn’t here.”

  Jareth kissed her lightly on the head and Lydia shivered.

  “Cold?”

  Sure. That was it, she thought. But the truth was that the tender gesture had affected her more than she’d anticipated. Jareth suddenly felt too close, and she was ready to climb between the sheets and hide from this feeling in the pit of her stomach. Jareth was much too handsome for his own good, with his golden brown hair and dark brown eyes that bore through her soul.

  “I’m just so tired.”

  “Here,” he said, standing up and tugging back the covers. “I’ll tuck you in.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Of course I don’t, but I want to.”

  She gave in, too tired and overwhelmed by his seemingly innocent kiss to argue with him.

  “Alright.”

  She stood and let him pull back the rest of the covers before slipping between the sheets in her clothes. Jareth scowled at her attire and shook his head.

  “How did I miss this? I didn’t buy you a single pair of pajamas. Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

  “I don’t know. I usually just sleep in my shirt and underwear.”

  Jareth raised an eyebrow. “Good to know.”

  His grin was wicked and Lydia’s belly flip flopped inside her. Did he know how handsome he was?

  “While we’re out tomorrow, we’ll be sure to buy you some more clothes and anything else you might need.”

  “You’re too generous. I can’t.”

  “Someday, you’ll learn to quit arguing.” He pulled the blankets up to her chin, tucking them around her and giving her shoulders an affectionate squeeze. “When it comes to taking care of you, we’re really not taking no for an answer.”

  “And if I buy too much to take with me when I go?”

  “We’ll just buy you a bigger car.”

  He leaned down and kissed her quickly, his lips barely brushing against hers and gone in an instant. He lingered at the door for a moment and then closed the door, leaving the dim lights on for her.

  He hurried down the stairs to the large design office the two shared.

  “Is she asleep?”

  “Almost. She was unpacking her bag and hanging the clothes.”

  “Well, that’s a good sign.”

  “She still wants to leave, but I think she’s having second thoughts.”

  “What did she say about the car?”

  “She agreed, eventually.”

  “I hoped she would.”

  “She’s going to need some more clothes, too.”

  “I’m sure there’s plenty she needs that we’ve missed. We can take care of that tomorrow.”

  “She’s still sleeping with the lights on, but just the dim ones.”

  “That’s progress, right?”

  “It is. I just hate that she’s scared. I wish she would tell us what she’s running from. Maybe if she did, we could fight her demons for her.”

  “You can’t force something like that, Jareth. She has to be ready.”

  “I know. She’s just so sweet and I feel this tremendous need to protect her. I can’t fight an enemy that I can’t see.”

  “Then don’t. We’ll focus on what we can fix, and hope that’s enough.”

  Carter looked down at the paper laying on the massive blueprint desk before he spoke again.

  “Did you tell her?” He motioned to the paper that was lying in the middle of the desk, not that Jareth needed to be reminded of the decree they’d received from Gavin the night before.

  “I didn’t have the heart to tell her. For the first time since we found her, she looks at ease and she feels safe. I don’t want to take that away from her. At least not yet.”

  Carter nodded. He understood where Jareth was coming from. He didn’t want to tell her, either.

  “I’m sure she’s already overwhelmed with the wedding coming up so soon. Maybe it’s best if we wait,” Carter said.

  “You should have seen her face when I mentioned that everyone would be there,” Jareth chuckled. “She’s not really interested in being the center of attention.”

  “She’ll have to get over that.” Carter’s smile was broad and warm.

  “I told her as much. She really isn’t used to having things go easily.”

  “Then we’ll have to do our best to show her how good life can be. Maybe she’ll change her mind about leaving and save us the trouble of dealing with the decree.”

  “Does that fix anything? There’s still the matter of-” Carter held u
p his hand and cut Jareth short.

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, we’ll go through the motions and prepare her for what we can. The rest will have to come in its own time. She’s finally starting to settle in and I’m not about to let Gavin throw a wrench into our plans. He can bellow and moan all he wants. My only goal in this is to protect Lydia and to see to it that she’s happy.”

  “Me, too.”

  “As long as she’s under our care, Gavin is going to have to force his will on someone else.”

  “You don’t think he’ll enforce the decree?”

  “I think he’ll try, but we can find a way around it. It’s just matter of making him believe it’s real.”

  “And what about you? Don’t you find yourself wishing it was true?”

  Carter sighed. He didn’t want to answer the question, but they both knew the truth. Avoiding it wouldn’t change anything.

  “I do. I don’t know what it is about her, but I feel so drawn to her.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  Carter shook his head.

  “But it doesn’t matter how we feel. I’ll move heaven and earth, even die a broken man if that means she’s happy. Even if her happiness means that we never see her again.”

  Jareth stood rigid, hands on the drafting table in front of him.

  “Maybe you can, but I don’t know if I can let her go. No matter how happy it makes her.”

  Jareth’s declaration hung in the air, falling into the silence and leaving them both lost in thought. Jareth might be the one that said it, but Carter couldn’t deny he was feeling the same way. Could he really just let her walk away? A part of him wanted to believe that he could, just to make her happy. But he knew better.

  He might not be willing to admit it right now, but he was pretty certain that letting Lydia walk away was going to be more than he could handle.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Lydia was awake and showered long before Jareth dragged himself out of bed the next morning. She was excited in spite of herself. She’d never had a new car before, and it had been years since the last time she’d gone shopping just for the joy of it.

  She took the stairs two at a time, loving the feel of her running shoes and how they conformed to her foot. She felt like she was walking on air.