Alaskan Tigers Box Set 1

by Marissa Dobson

  “Come on, sweetie. That’s it.”

  “Where am I?” Her voice was rough, scratchy. She struggled to take in her surroundings.

  “You’re somewhere safe. That’s what matters.”

  All at once, she seemed to realize what he’d said. Her face scrunched up, betraying indignation. “How dare you call me sweetie. I’m no one’s sweetie, certainly not yours.”

  “We’ll see about that.” He kept his voice low so she wouldn’t hear him.

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing. You need to sleep.” He tucked the covers around her.

  “This isn’t a hospital.” There was terror in her eyes again. Her hair spread over the pillow, and he wanted to lean in close to sniff the citrus encircling her.

  “Bethany, trust me. You’re safe. You had surgery and shouldn’t overdo it. Rest. I promise I’ll be here by your side when you wake up. Nothing will happen to you.”

  “You expect me to rest? How do I know you’re not teamed with the guy who took me hostage? Maybe you wanted me all to yourself, that’s why—”

  “I killed him? That’s ludicrous. I killed him to save your life, and brought you here. Doc performed surgery on your knee, and you’ll walk again. Why would I risk my ass to save you, only to kill you myself? Why would we waste the time and effort for the surgery if we were going to kill you? If that’s what we were going to do, then why not leave you where you were?”

  She seemed flabbergasted by the questions.

  “I want to help you. I swear you’re someplace safe,” Raja reiterated.

  “I asked you to take me to a hospital.”

  “Did you not hear him say he was hired by someone? Whoever it was probably knows you escaped and may be looking for you. It wouldn’t take long to find you in a hospital bed with a busted knee. You would be helpless there, drugged, unable to escape. Is that how you want to die?” Raja knew he was being harsh, but if she didn’t see the truth soon she could cause problems. If she tried to leave, she could get herself killed, and he would be damned if he was going to let that happen.

  “I don’t want to die.” Lonely fear laced every word.

  “Let me protect you, at least until you’re back on your feet. You have to know you’re helpless in your condition.” Until you’re back on your feet, my ass. It will give me enough time to convince you that you’re mine. Then you won’t want to be anywhere but in my arms. At least I hope.

  She watched him, her terror giving way to something inscrutable. He couldn’t tell if she was angry he wanted to protect her—or that she was helpless in the first place. Maybe both.

  “Bethany, you need help. Let me help you.” He reached for her hand, and she didn’t pull away.

  She nodded, still fighting to keep her eyes open. “I don’t seem to have much choice.”

  “Rest. I’ll be here keeping you safe. I won’t leave your side.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand in small circles.

  A sizzle of electricity passed from his hand into hers, making her eyes fly open.

  “What was that?”

  “Sorry, I think I shocked you.” Finally, a sign she’s truly my mate.

  “It felt like I put my hand in an electric socket.” Her voice dulled, heavy with sleep, and her eyes closed again.

  “It just startled you, that’s all.” The jolt of electricity was what he needed. She’s mine.

  Chapter Nine

  “How is she doing?” Tabitha asked from the doorway. Her mate stood behind her, his hand resting gently on her hip.

  “Better. At least I think I convinced her I’m not going to kill her.” It had been too long since he’d had a restful night’s sleep, and it had taken a toll on Raja.

  “I can sit with her a while if you want to lie down.” Tabitha stepped into the room.

  “Thank you, but I’d rather sleep in the chair. I promised her I wouldn’t leave and lying to your mate probably isn’t a good way to start.” He tried to smile, making light of the whole thing but Tabitha didn’t buy it.

  “I understand, but you won’t be any good to her or us if you’re worn out. You know where I am if you change your mind, send me a text and I’ll be down in minutes.”

  She was right but leaving his mate when she needed him the most felt like betrayal.

  “Ty, if I could stay with her until she’s awake, I’ll get another guard to watch over her so I can deal with my duties.”

  Ty held up his hand. “It’s fine. Your mate needs you. If things change with the Pierce situation, you might need another guard to watch her. For now stay with your mate, and get some rest. I need you at your best if there’s an attack.”

  “Thank you, sir.” His Alpha’s concern and understanding touched him.

  “The sister is arriving tomorrow afternoon. I’ll want you in on the meeting. Tabitha and her guards can watch over Bethany then. I’m sure some female bonding time will be good for her.”

  Raja nodded. He had to be at the meeting. Pierce’s sister might provide information they needed. He couldn’t let finding his mate jeopardize the clan, taking Pierce down was imperative.

  “I did bring you this. I know sitting around waiting for someone to wake up isn’t the best part.” Tabitha handed him a bag he hadn’t realized she held. “I thought you might want to be able to work. It might help keep your mind off things and bring us one step closer to Pierce.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it. I was starting to climb the walls.” He placed the bag on the bedside table, knowing he would find his laptop and notes in it. Tabitha was always well-attuned with the needs and desires of others.

  “Lukas’s brother sent another transmission. You’ll find it in your email. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t in time to stop Bethany’s abduction.”

  A growl escaped before he could get hold of it. “Did he mention her by name?”

  Ty shook his head. “But it implies she’s the first of many.”

  “With a little luck, having to find another to do his dirty work will slow him down. The man who kidnapped Bethany won’t be any use. He’s dead.”

  Neither Tabitha nor Ty said another word. Ty nodded, and the two of them left.

  Killing was only done when necessary—and they all knew Bethany’s captor had to die.

  It was after eleven o’clock at night when Bethany woke and found Raja asleep on the chair next to the bed. His neck canted at an uncomfortable angle, his hand still wrapped around hers, a laptop on his lap.

  He didn’t leave. If he wanted to harm me, would he really be sitting here passed out in the chair, holding my hand? Something was different about him, he hadn’t been entirely straightforward. Earlier, his face held such concern for her. She wondered why he would care about her.

  She caught a glimpse of her cell phone on the nightstand. If I can only reach it without waking him, I can call home. Angling slightly, careful not to jar the bed, she reached out.

  Her fingers closed around the phone when a throat cleared behind her. She almost dropped it in her haste to move away.

  “Planning to call someone?” Raja watched her as if she was under a microscope.

  “Umm…” She swallowed and tried to look at something other than his eyes. His gaze seemed to peer right into her soul. Why was she drawn to him when she should be scared of him? After all, he had brought her here against her wishes.

  “You’re not a prisoner, Bethany. You can call someone without sneaking around.”

  “Well, then…” She unlocked the phone and pulled up her contact list.

  “How about you wait? If you’re calling your family, it’s past four in the morning there.”

  Her hands dropped in defeat.

  “What are you going to tell them anyway?”

  “Umm…” She hadn’t thought of that. Shit, what am I going to tell them?

  “Wow, you have it all planned out, don’t you?”

  She glared at him, irritated. “I’m going to ask my father to come get me. He can fly out here
and help me get home.” Proud she was able to come up with something so quickly, even if she wasn’t quite sure it was true. Would she be able to tell her mother she’d been right, that she needed to be saved? She’d be hearing about it until the end of time.

  “Are you going to tell them you were kidnapped? How your knee got busted?”

  “What do you care what I tell my parents?” Frustration filled her. Damn it, I just want to go home.

  “I care because I killed the man who did this to you, remember?”

  “If you’re worried I’m going to turn you in, don’t. You helped me when I couldn’t have done it myself. I’m trying to rid you of the problem. I’ll tell them it was a snowboarding accident.”

  “I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried about you. You leave here and you’ll have a bull’s-eye on your back.”

  “I don’t see how it matters whether I’m here or back with my family. This asshole will still want me. At least back home I have the upper hand. I know the lay of the land and have people who will protect me.” She leaned back against the pillow.

  “No one can protect you like I can. Plus, we’re already on the trail to finding this bastard.”

  “Oh, a macho man who thinks he’s the only one good enough for the job.” She let a puff of air out, blowing the hair away from her face. “Just what I need.”

  “I don’t think so. I know.” He growled at her.

  She sank back into the bed, wishing it would swallow her whole. Anything to get away from him.

  “I’m sorry,” he added quickly. “I don’t want to see you hurt worse or possibly killed.”

  “Oh, and you think I do?”

  “You’re sure acting like you don’t value your life very much.” He set the laptop on the stand and stood. “If you would just trust me, we’ll deal with the situation while you’re recovering, and then you can do what you want.”

  She’d met him at the worst possible point in her life. How was she supposed to trust him when her whole sense of trust had just been thrown out the window? “Who is we?”

  “There are a group of us that live here together. I don’t know how you got dragged into this, but the man behind your kidnapping is someone we’ve been hunting for a while. He’s dangerous and has killed before. He wouldn’t lose a night’s sleep over taking anyone’s life—yours included.”

  “What did you do to him?”

  “It wasn’t what we did to him. It was more like what he did to us. It’s a long story.”

  Anger twined with pain in his voice. She wondered what’d happened that made him hurt like this. “Tell me.”

  “Another time.” He reached up and tied his hair back with a leather strap. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?” She understood his need to change the topic, and for now she let it slide. She didn’t have the strength to fight him.

  “Not real pain. I feel drunk more than anything.”

  “It’s the pain medication. It will make you think you can fly if you let it.” He smiled down at her for the first time.

  “You have a beautiful smile,” she noted; it could’ve lit up the darkest room. “You should use it more often.”

  “You’re starting to sound like Tora.”

  I can’t believe my luck, he’s married. She glanced at his left hand, but saw no wedding band. Not every man wears his ring. I should know that better than anyone.

  As if he’d caught her looking, he added, “Tora’s my sister.”

  “Your sister?” She couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.

  “Yes. She’s married to Marcus, and they have a beautiful daughter named Scarlet.”

  Happiness and love filled his voice. His whole being seemed to come alive when he spoke of them. “You seem close to them. How old is Scarlet?”

  “I am. Tora and I have been through a lot together over the years. Scarlet’s fourteen months, and she has her Uncle Raja wrapped tightly around her little finger.”

  It wasn’t hard to imagine him as the doting uncle. She loved children and hoped to have some of her own one day. “I can tell how much you adore Scarlet. Any children of your own?”

  “Not yet.” He laughed. “Someday I’d like a few dozen.”

  “Dozen?” Shock rippled through her at the multiplication of her thought.

  “Yeah, why not?”

  She let out a heartfelt laugh. “You better find a few very understanding women to give you that many. I doubt one woman would want to go through a dozen pregnancies.”

  “I guess when I find the right woman, I’ll take as many munchkins as she’ll give me.”

  Uncomfortable, she tried to readjust, and pain shot through her.

  Raja closed his hand over hers and the pain subsided.

  “What just happened?” A fresh wave of surprise pulsed through her.

  “You’re not due for a pain pill for another hour, but if you’re in that much pain I’ll get Doc. Surely there’s something he can do for you.”

  “Raja, you ignored my question. You know what I’m talking about. Answer me.”

  “It’s nothing.” He sat back in the chair he’d recently vacated.

  “Don’t tell me it’s nothing. It’s something and you don’t want to tell me.” She wanted him to touch her again and make the pain disappear. She didn’t know how it worked, but it felt wonderful.

  “Can’t we talk about something else?”

  The pained look in his eye made her think he might be right, it wasn’t time for her to know. A sensation passed over her that she couldn’t deny. Something odd was going on here.

  When she said nothing, he asked, “What do you do back home?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing too exciting, just a secretary at a local office.”

  Chuckling, he rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin. “That doesn’t sound too bad. Sometimes I wish my life weren’t so exciting, but I guess we all have our own issues we have to deal with.”

  “I guess we all want our lives to be different than they are. I always wanted something more exciting. The daily routine of office work is boring. I wanted an escape, so when I thought I won this trip I jumped at the chance.”

  “Excitement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

  “I see that.” She nodded to her leg. “This may sound crazy, but even with what I went through here, it still beats another day in the office, behind a desk.”

  “If you’re so unhappy there, why don’t you do something else?”

  “Like what? It’s a small town, there’s not much to do. Plus, I never enjoyed school, so I’d rather not go through the whole college route.”

  “There’s got to be something you enjoy that you could make a living at.”

  “I enjoy baking.”

  “See, you could open up your own bakery. Or at the very least, work in one.”

  She chuckled. “What are you, a career counselor? Opening a bakery takes money I don’t have.” She shook her head. “I’m not even sure that’s what I want to do. Maybe I want something different than what my mother had. She grew up in the same small town my family lives in now, and worked at a doctor’s office until she married Dad. I don’t need anything glamorous, but I do want something more exciting.”

  “I’ll see what I can do about excitement. For now, it’s time for you to rest.” Like a true gentleman, he lifted her hand and kissed it softly.

  Before he walked away, he eyed her as if there was something he wanted to say. He was hiding something from her, she was certain. She had a sinking feeling that when she found out what it was, she’d be floored. There was no doubt there were some heavy secrets around this place.

  This one was sure to be a doozy.

  Chapter Ten

  How am I supposed to tell a human who knows nothing about shifters that I’m her mate and can help take away her pain? This is insane. It could expose us all. Tabitha is in enough danger, she doesn’t need more. Raja rose and paced around the small room.

  “What’s your pro
blem, why won’t you be straight with me?” Irritation laced Bethany’s voice, mirroring the agitation he could feel building within.

  “Bethany…” Raja growled and stopped, reining in his temper. “You don’t understand what you’re asking. This involves more than just me.”

  “If you’re not going to be straight with me, I’d like you to leave.”

  “Everyone wants something, but babe, you don’t have a chance in Hell of getting that. So get some rest and we’ll deal with the rest of this crap tomorrow.” Raja stopped at the foot of the bed, glaring down at her.

  “I don’t want to sleep.” But her body betrayed her. Her eyelids drooped and she tried, but failed, to stifle a yawn.

  “It’s the best thing for you. The faster you heal, the quicker you’ll get back on your feet.” Her eyes closed heavily. “Sleep, my sweet Bethany,” he whispered as she drifted off.

  I wanted a mate with spirit. He just hadn’t expected her to be fragile or broken or so determined to assert her own authority when he met her. A full human to boot. How am I supposed to handle this?

  The hair on the back of Raja’s neck stood up. Glancing behind him at the doorway, he found Shadow standing just beyond the frame. Shadow may have barely turned twenty, but her life had been hard before she came to their clan. She spent much of it on the street, working odd jobs to keep food in her stomach, and had only jointed them recently. Yet, she still possessed a childlike innocence to her. She tried to find the good in everyone, but to get on her bad side was dangerous. She could be as vicious as any male shifter in a heartbeat.

  “Shadow, what are you doing here so late?”

  “Doc asked me to look in on the patient. He mentioned she was human and wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything going on inside her that his tests wouldn’t show.” In her oversized University of Alaska sweatshirt and leggings, she looked more like a college student than one of their best guards.

  Doc didn’t mean medical. Shadow wouldn’t have been useful in a medical emergency. Her abilities lay in the psyche.

  “So the rumors I heard are true?”