by T. K. Perry
Tiger hid a smirk and turned back to his cousin. “Right. She's a business partner. So, I can’t let you victimize her.”
“I’m not victimizing her. I’m just getting to know her.” Wes stepped closer to Lexi and ran two fingers up her sleeve. “Leave us alone.”
Tiger knocked his hand away and stood in between them. “Not a chance. Not this one.”
A little muscle pulsed in Wes’ jaw as he glared at Tiger. “She likes me. You’re just jealous.”
“L–Raven, Wes here would like you to join his harem of mates, and bear him some more illegitimate children; would you like that?” Tiger asked without turning to look at her.
Wes swore under his breath and took a threatening step towards Tiger. “You’ll pay for that.”
Tiger's frame was rigid as he glared at his cousin. “As long as she doesn’t.”
Wes snorted, then leaned around Tiger's forewing to look at Lexi. “Don’t believe him.”
Tiger stepped forward menacingly, effectively hiding Lexi from view.
"Now who's building a harem?" Wes mocked as he slowly backed out of the room. At the doorway he stopped. "Hey Raven," he called, then waited until she peered around Tiger's wing. “I’ll find you later,” he promised.
“No, you won’t,” Tiger snarled.
Wes grinned. “You can’t stop me,” he taunted, walking out without shutting the door. His cheerful whistle echoed down the corridor until Tiger slammed the door.
He stood there, tapping his fist to his forehead with a pained expression for a full minute before he turned to her. “You want to tell me why you’re here?”
Lexi took a deep breath, hoping to clear Wes’ heady scent from her mind, but the room was saturated with his floral musk. Feeling a little dizzy again, she sat down heavily on the only stool in the room. “Talan was the only one in season. Mother arranged the marriage, but Father helped me escape the night before the wedding.”
Tiger’s unruly dark brows were lifted high into his tan forehead, but he said nothing.
"Mother commanded Talan to follow me, even made Father sign a marriage certificate. Talan caught up to me in Shady Cove, and I didn’t escape him until yesterday. The Governor shut Talan up in the dungeon when he got here, and he wants me to marry Van West; do you remember him?”
“Yeah,” Tiger said, his voice incredulous.
“But he already has a mate, so...” Lexi trailed off shrugging.
“So you figured you’d let my cousin sire the next king?”
Lexi met his troubled eyes with a little grimace. “He just picked me up, and brought me here. I didn’t even say I would dance with him.”
“And you didn’t scream or kick him?”
Lexi stared at her hands and shook her head.
“What if I hadn’t been here?” Tiger demanded, his tone increasingly angry. “Do you even realize...” he trailed off with a muttered oath. “Lex, he’s gotten three girls pregnant, and he thinks it's funny. He lets them fly home sobbing and alone, then he laughs about how stupid they were to mate with him. You want to be one of them?”
Lexi shook her head again without looking up.
“What’s the matter with you?” Tiger demanded, walking over to lift her up by the arms. He shook her gently until she looked at him. “Your eyes are dilated,” he noted, his anger quickly fading to concern. He swore again. “I heard about this, but I didn’t think it was real.” He set her back down gently. “How do you feel?” He walked over and pried open the balcony doors, the rugs dragging along the floor beneath them. Frigid air and blowing rain burst into the room, pelting Lexi’s wings.
Jumping up, Lexi fled the splattering rain. “Why did you do that?”
Tiger gave her a small grin and grabbed her hand. “That sounds more like the Lex I know," he nodded, dragging her out onto the balcony.
“I just got dry! And I don’t have anything else to wear!” Lexi complained, fighting him.
Tiger’s grin widened. “So?”
“Let go of me, and shut these doors now!”
Tiger chuckled cheerfully. “Not yet. You’re pheromone drunk. You need some more air.”
“I’m what?” Lexi demanded, yanking her hand free.
“Wes’ pheromones mess with your head. A minute ago you were completely docile—not at all like yourself.” Tiger grinned as she scowled at him. “Here, I’ll show you.” Tiger shut the doors again and kicked the rugs into place, then walked to the nearest bed and lifted the pillow. “Inhale that,” he commanded.
Lexi stared at him irritably a moment, wiping the rain from her face and clothing. Then she took the pillow and put it near her nose, inhaling Wes’ distinctive scent. “It’s Wes’,” she said, tossing it back onto his bed.
“Do you still feel feisty?” Tiger asked.
Lexi shrugged, and wiped the rain off the stool before sitting down.
Tiger chuckled, then frowned. “That’s really bad, Lex.”
“This whole room smells like him,” Lexi commented, a faint smile tickling her lips.
Tiger inhaled, his frown deepening. “Let’s get you out of here, then. Where’s your room?”
“Beneath this one.” Lexi replied, letting him pull her off the stool and out the door.
“Somebody is going to have to guard you all the time,” Tiger decided as he towed her along by the arm.
Halfway down the hall she pulled away from him. “That hurts. I have a big bruise there from when Talan pulled me off of Raven.”
Tiger stopped walking to stare at her. “He did what?!”
“I was galloping bareback in your old clothes and he thought I was a servant, so he flew after me and pulled me off.”
Tiger chuckled without amusement. “I’m going to kill him.”
“No, you’re not. He’ll just break your nose again,” Lexi argued, her eyes drawn to the crooked bridge of Tiger's nose.
“I was a lot smaller two years ago, and his brother was holding my arms,” he reminded her, stopping when he realized she was staring at him. “What?”
Lexi shook her head with a little frown.
“It’s a little late to start keeping secrets from each other, Lex. Out with it.”
Lexi pursed her lips for a moment, then began walking again. “You have the same eyes and wings,” she murmured. “Even your mouths are very similar.”
Tiger grimaced as he followed her down the stairs. “Our fathers were identical twins.”
“Why did he turn out like...that?” she asked, waiting at the bottom of the stairs until he joined her.
Tiger shrugged. “I don’t know. My other cousin is a nice guy.”
“Is he here, too?” Lexi asked, walking alongside him down the hallway.
Tiger shook his head. “He got married a week after I got here.”
“Are you...” Lexi hesitated, a blush creeping up her neck and seeping into her cheeks, “...getting married soon? Wes said you had a girlfriend.”
Tiger laughed. “Since when do you blush?”
Lexi stopped in front of the door to her room and wiped her cheeks with her hands as if to rub away her embarrassment. “That’s not an answer.”
“You’re right, it’s not,” Tiger grinned, then chuckled warmly as he slipped a hand under her chin and lifted it. “Missed you, Lex.”
Lexi met his eyes for a moment, then pulled away as a heavy blush suffused her face and her heart began to pound. She turned quickly and opened the door.
Psyche growled, one wing folded back to glare at them.
“Sorry,” Lexi apologized, and immediately shut the door. “Now where?”
“Does the Governor know you're here? He needs to assign you a guard.”
Lexi frowned.
“Lex, Wes is going to find you. I’m not sure he cares if you say no.”
Lexi’s frown deepened and a little pucker appeared between her brows. “I already have a guard. But...I sent him to watch someone else.”
Tiger laughed. “And who else needed
guarding?”
“A friend who wanted to beat up Van and follow me around.”
Tiger instantly sobered. “You gave away your guard to a man?”
“He wouldn’t go to sleep! And I didn’t want him fighting.”
“Is he four years old?” Tiger asked, his eyes wide in mocking incredulity.
“No,” Lexi said frowning. “He’s our age.”
“So why are you treating him like a child? And why is he letting you? Does he know who you are?”
“Yes, he knows,” Lexi said wearily. “And I don’t know the answers to your other two questions.”
“Well, Your Majesty, let me know when you figure it out.”
Lexi gave him a light shove. “You promised not to call me names like that. You know I hate it.”
“Lex, you’re acting like your mother.”
“I am not!” Lexi yelled at him, her eyes flashing fury. “Don’t you ever say that to me!”
“Is that an order?”
“As if you would obey one of my orders,” Lexi retorted.
“What? I've been a faithful servant—mostly,” he conceded with a grin.
Lexi shook her head, the faintest smile playing about her lips. “Not to me.”
"Apologies, Your Highness," Tiger gave her another mocking bow, breaking into laughter when she yanked one of his coarse sandy locks hanging over his ear. “Now you must pay,” he threatened with an enormous grin.
Lexi shrieked and flew backwards, but he caught her around the waist and shook his rain-wet hair in her face. Laughing, Lexi shoved his head away, and kicked lightly at his legs.
“You put her down!” Clodi thundered as she swooped towards them. Tiger turned to look behind him, his arms closing protectively around Lexi. “I know all about you! You can just go seduce somebody else! That’s my roommate!” Clodi landed next to them with a thud, and reached for Tiger’s nearest wing.
“Clodi, don’t!” Lexi wriggled out of Tiger’s grasp and stood between them.
“Nireus says he’s a...” Clodi lowered her voice to an indiscreet whisper, “a seducer! Get away from him, Raven! His intentions aren’t honorable!”
Lexi laid a hand on Clodi’s arm and carefully suppressed the giggles that rose in her throat like hiccups. “It was his cousin that you saw me dancing with. Remember he had dark hair? This is a good friend of mine: Tiger.”
Clodi’s suspicious scowl relaxed minutely. “Oh.” Motioning Lexi closer, she whispered, “Are you sure he isn’t like the other one?”
Lexi allowed herself a slight smile as she glanced back at Tiger. “I’m sure.”
Clodi let out a great sigh as her shoulders sagged. “Thank goodness! Nireus was so angry when he saw you dancing with...the other one. He said you were as good as lost when he saw you flying out the doors, and he wouldn’t help me find you.” Clodi’s tone of distress changed to embarrassment as her rosy cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. “I got lost looking; I’m sorry.”
Lexi patted Clodi’s arm. “It was very thoughtful of you; thank you for warning me.”
“Did he,” Clodi grudgingly motioned to Tiger, “save you?”
A look of discomfort twitched across Lexi’s face before she replaced it with a tight smile. “Yes, he did.”
“Then thank you,” Clodi told Tiger earnestly. “I’m sorry I almost broke your wing.”
“It’s all right.” Tiger nodded with a smile. “It’s about time somebody thanked me.”
Lexi’s nose wrinkled slightly with the urge to smack him, but instead she turned to him with a gracious smile. “Thank you.” She wanted to mean it, but was piqued by the mocking amusement in his eyes.
“You’re so wet,” Clodi commented, eyeing their spattered clothing and damp hair. “Did you have to fly outside to get away from him?”
“Perhaps I can tell you the story later,” Lexi suggested. “Would you mind if I finished catching up with Tiger?”
Clodi’s unconscious pout made it clear that she did mind, very much. “Oh sure, that’s okay,” she answered vaguely.
“I will come back for our tour,” Lexi promised with a guilty pang.
Clodi gave a despondent nod and opened the bedroom door. “See you later,” she sighed, then shut the door behind her.
Tiger shook his head in mock disapproval. “Heartless.”
Lexi glared at him, then began walking away.
“And so fake. Am I the only one who really knows what you’re like?” Tiger asked, laughing as he followed her.
Lexi answered him with a scowl over her shoulder.
“You don’t have to go all princess up here. You can be yourself. After all, you’re a horse now,” Tiger said, his laughter redoubling as she spun to smack his chest.
“Will you stop it? I’m not being fake! I’m just being controlled and considerate,” she explained, choosing her words carefully.
“And fake,” Tiger added, grinning. He caught her wrists easily at she came at him again, and laughed as she struggled.
“Where’s the muck pile when I need it?” Lexi threatened.
“As if you could still toss me in it,” he taunted. “Your last victory was seven years ago.”
Lexi gave up with a growl and resumed walking. “Curse your brute strength,” she muttered.
“Speaking of brutes, who is this Nireus guy who abandoned you to Wes?”
Lexi shrugged uneasily. “Some guy I met on the stairs.”
“Wandering alone?”
“I was on my way to find you,” Lexi said defensively. “I got your room number from the clerk.”
“Is that why you were letting Wes take you inside?”
Lexi shook her head. “I didn’t even know where we were. He flew me backwards, and I was already dizzy. I didn’t even notice the door number.”
“He flew you? You weren’t flying with him?”
Lexi shook her head. “I stopped flying when he left the dance hall. I didn’t want to leave.”
Tiger frowned. “You need that guard now...maybe two.”
Lexi put a hand on Tiger’s chest to stop him just outside the clerk’s office. “I’m working on it. Stay here.”
Tiger snorted and followed her, receiving her glare with a grin.
“Eros, could you tell me which room Cam is in? I’m sorry, I don’t know his last name, but he did arrive today.”
Eros gave them a piercing glance, then consulting the pages before him. “Cam Crescent is in Room 217, Miss Fritillary. Do you need directions?”
“Nope,” Tiger answered for her. “Come, Miss Fritillary.” Laughter danced in Tiger's eyes as he offered her his arm. “Allow me to escort you.”
Lexi turned to face him and stuck out her tongue before taking his arm. “Thank you,” she said, her tone sounding gracious while her expression was sour. Tiger led her out of the clerk's office before his chuckles burst through.
“Fritillary? You don’t look like a Fritillary! Who’s going to be dumb enough to believe that?”
“Shhh!” Lexi hushed him irritably as she glanced around the empty entry. “There wasn’t another choice.”
“You should have said you were a Viceroy,” he said, looking at her wings. “That’s believable.”
“I couldn’t. Limen has,” she paused uncomfortably, then continued quietly, “illegitimate male relatives here. They would know I was lying when they could smell me.”
“Oh. Guess the Governor is carrying on a family tradition, then.”
“What do you mean?”
Tiger’s shoulders shifted uncomfortably. “He cheats on Mona, Lex...a lot, if the rumors are true.”
Lexi stopped walking, her eyes filling up with tears. “Are you sure?” she asked without looking at him.
“Pretty sure. I’ve heard some of the girls complain about him coming on to them.” Tiger patted her arm. “Sorry Lex. Have you been to see him already?”
Lexi nodded, and dropped her head as a tear ran down her cheek.
“He didn’t come o
n to you, did he?”
Lexi shook her head uncertainly and wiped her tears. “Talan thought he was.”
“Aah, the dungeon sentence makes more sense now,” Tiger commented, scratching at his scalp absently. “I’m sorry. Thought it might be better coming from me.”
“It is,” Lexi sighed, covering her face. “Poor Mona.” Dropping her hands she met his gaze. “Is Van the same? I heard...”
Tiger stared down at his boot as he worried some disintegrating grout in the stone floor. “Yeah, I heard that, too.”
“Rotten noblemen,” Lexi cursed, dashing away the last of her tears angrily.
“Who you going to marry now, Lex?”
“I didn’t come here to marry Van; I didn’t even know he was here until we stopped at their estate on the way,” she explained, her tone defensive. “I came to find someone I loved.”
“A peasant?” Tiger asked, giving the word mocking emphasis.
“Yes,” she retorted, jutting out her chin.
Tiger shook his head. “So you’re not going home again, Lex? Just going to give all that up?”
Lexi shrugged stiffly, her eyes drifting away from his face.
“You’ll miss it.”
“You know I hate being a princess,” she declared vehemently.
“I know you think you do.”
Lexi stamped her foot. “I do! I’ll miss my father, your mom, Raven, and...and you,” she admitted, “but not the rest of it!”
Tiger laughed gently as he swept a strand of hair out of her face. “Lex, you’re ill-equipped to be an ordinary wife and mother. You don’t even know how to do your own hair.”
She leapt away from his hand as if he had struck her. “Worst thing you’ve said to me...ever,” she whispered.
“I’m not trying to hurt you, Lex; you’re just not being realistic.”
Lexi shook her head, trying to stop the tears that threatened, then leapt into flight as they began to fall.
Tiger caught up to her easily. “Lex, land before you crash into something.”
She shook her head, refusing to look at him.
Sighing, he flew in front of her and caught her, landing neatly as she struggled. “Promise you won’t fly again, and I’ll let go.”
“No!” she shouted, fighting to get away from him.
“If you were safe alone, I’d let you go, but you’re not, so walk with me until we find your guard and then I’ll go away. Okay?”