“I will. Go on. I’ll be fine.”
She watched as he walked away, finally glancing around to see if there was anything she could do to help. She hated doing nothing when it felt like there was so much to do. Her eyes fell on Georgie and Damara, and she watched as Dmitri called for his sister. Damara looked torn, but Tarun caught her eye and nodded, beginning to walk toward them. She could sit with Georgie as well as anyone else could.
Her steps were slow and measured as she walked over. She wanted to be kind, but her experiences with Georgie hadn’t exactly been pleasant since she arrived. In fact, at that same time the morning before, she’d been jealous and resentful of the other woman, and she would have sworn she hated her.
Yet she felt none of that as she walked over. Yeah, Georgie had been doing what she could to get Luke’s attention, but it hadn’t worked. He was with Tarun, not her, and surprisingly, she almost felt bad for the pretty waitress.
Tarun, more than most, knew how it felt to want Luke. And she knew how it felt to think someone else had him.
Nodding to her as she came to a stop, she smiled, hoping it came off as friendly. “How are you doing?”
Georgie laughed, the sound bitter and devoid of humor. “Oh, you mean other than the fact that I was attacked two nights ago, twisted my ankle tonight as I was trying to flee a fire, and then watched the man I’ve wanted for years turn into a massive lion? Just peachy.”
Despite hearing her confirm that she wanted Luke, Tarun still felt compassion wash over her at the other woman’s words. “I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with so much.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Georgie shook her head as she exhaled. “No, I’m sorry. None of this was your fault, and I don’t mean to take any of it out on you. Besides, it’s basically on par for my life.”
She moved to the bench and took a seat next to Georgie. “I’m sorry to hear that. I wish there was a magic wand I could wave to make things right for you, but there isn’t one. I’m here to listen if you need someone to talk to, though.”
Georgie looked at her, her green eyes bright in her soot stained face as she cocked her head. “You mean that, don’t you? Why are you being nice to me? I’ve been nothing but a bitch to you since you got here, and I tried to make you think there was more between me and Luke than there actually is. I wouldn’t be nice, if I was in your position.”
“I think you would. Despite our rather unfortunate interactions, I can tell you’re not a bad person. Besides,” she said with a teasing smile as she looked at her, “you might have tried to stop me and Luke from being together, but you didn’t succeed. I have no reason to hold a grudge.”
“He’s never wanted me. Not like that. Not even before you got here.” Georgie went silent for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought. “I’m not even sure I truly wanted him like that.”
She glanced at her in surprise. “What?”
Georgie sighed, looking toward Luke as she shrugged. “Luke was the first person I met after I moved here. He was really nice to me, and I haven’t known a lot of that in my life. I think I clung to him because of that. It wasn’t because I was truly attracted to him, much less in love with him. I used to try to force it, but I’m beginning to accept how things are. Besides, it’s probably a good thing I’m not really in love with him. I don’t think I could handle the whole lion thing. It doesn’t bother you?”
Arching an eyebrow, Tarun looked at her with a smile. “Nope. It’s nothing new to me.”
Sucking in a breath, Georgie stared at her with shock. “Oh, God, you’re one of them, aren’t you? A l-lion?”
“I’m a shifter, yes. But I’m not a lion. There are a lot of different species of us out there.”
“And just what are you?” she asked slowly.
“I’m a tiger.”
Georgie slumped down, covering her eyes with her hand. “Jesus. That’s not any better than a lion.”
“We’re really not much different than you. There’s nothing to be afraid of, Georgie.”
She snorted. “Nothing to be afraid of. Sure. Going by Luke’s size, chances are you turn into a huge animal of prey with paws the size of my head. But you’re just like me.”
Tarun laughed as the other woman rolled her eyes. “I mean yes, there are the obvious differences. But we’re still people with thoughts and feelings. And when we shift, we’re still us. We’re present, right there in the moment with our animal. We’re really not much different.”
“I’ll take your word for it. No offense, but for my sanity, I think I’ll just pretend y’all are nothing more than humans. As far as I’m concerned, shifters don’t exist.”
They fell quiet, an easy silence between them as the sun peaked over the horizon. And despite everything that happened, Tarun felt contentment settle into her being. She really liked this place. She even liked Georgie, now that she wasn’t trying to steal Luke away.
As for him… well, she really, really liked Luke. More than she’d expected she would. Maybe some of that was because they slept together—more than that, because she lost her virginity to him.
Either way, she wanted to stay and see where it led.
It’s not just because you slept with him, her tiger said, speaking inside her for the first time in a few hours. It’s because he’s our mate.
Tarun’s mouth popped open and she felt her eyes widen. Luke was her mate?
Well. Now all of it made sense.
Luke ran a weary hand through his hair, grimacing at the grimy feel of it, as he followed Blake and Noah around the side of the building. He and Noah had been talking when Blake asked him to come in the front door of the bar, so there they all were, trudging around the clubhouse.
“The only room that’s a total loss is Luke’s,” Blake said as they walked to the front door. “But I think we should rebuild the bedrooms on either side, as well. There’s smoke and water damage in those, and they’re not fit to sleep in.”
Luke nodded as he followed the Enforcer leader inside. “Any idea yet how the fire was started?”
“We’re still looking into the how, but this might explain the why. I mean, we all suspected it, especially since your door was barred, but now we have confirmation.”
Frowning, he followed Blake’s gaze to the bar. The liquor bottles that were usually stacked in front of the mirrored wall were smashed all to hell, and red spray paint decorated the mirror.
We’re coming for Luke—and anyone who stands in our way is going down.
Dread washed over him as his lion hissed, pacing circles in his chest. “No one saw who did this?”
“No, and we’re not sure when it happened. I assume it was when the fire was set, but I don’t know for sure. I didn’t see it when I checked out the bar earlier, but it was dark, and I was looking for fire, not spray paint.”
Spinning away, Luke copied his lion and began pacing. “Fuck. Maybe I should leave. For a while, at least. Until the threat is gone. Get some distance so y’all aren’t in danger.”
Noah hooked his hands on his hips. “I don’t think you should leave, but if you do, I’m going with you. I’ve been watching your back for years. I won’t stop now.”
Before he could protest, Blake cut in. “No one is going anywhere. This is what we’re trained for, Luke. We hunt the bad guys and we bring them in. Now there’s one right here, in our backyard, knocking on our door, and you want to run? To what, spare us from danger? Our fucking job is to head right into danger. No. No one’s leaving. We stay right here, and we finish this. All of us.”
“There’s a difference between us leaving to hunt down the bad guys and one of them coming here to threaten all the Enforcers because he wants me.”
Blake looked at him steadily, showing no indication of backing down. “Does it really matter why he’s here? I don’t really think it does. He is, so let’s take care of him.”
Cursing, Luke scrubbed his hand down his face as he paced faster. He clearly wasn’t going to change Blake’s mind on the sub
ject, and knowing the other Enforcers, they’d agree. He fucking hated the thought of them being in danger because of him, though.
Going on a mission was one thing. Being hunted because of him was another.
His thoughts turned to Tarun and he skidded to a stop, the breath whooshing out of his body like he’d been slammed in the stomach by a two-by-four. He might have to stay and face the threat, but she didn’t. She fought him last time he asked her to leave, but surely she’d see the wisdom in it now.
“I hope you’re not thinking what I think you are,” Noah muttered, eyeing him speculatively.
“Look, I might have to stay here, but she doesn’t. I’m sure she’ll understand that now.”
Blake snorted. “And what makes you think that? She refused to leave before. I’m positive she’ll dig her heels in even more after last night.”
Fuck. He was right. Luke glanced at him, thinking through options. “You could make her.”
“Yeah, right. I’d be taking my life in my hands if I got between a tigress and her mate.”
“Big, bad Enforcer leader scared of a girl,” he muttered. Pausing, his head whipped back toward Blake. “Mate?”
“First, we’ve both spent time with the tribe she was raised in, and I’ve seen firsthand how fierce she is. Hell yeah, I’m scared of her, and you should be, too. She might not have trained with the warriors, but I’m sure she picked up a thing or two. Especially considering who her brother is. And yeah, mate. Don’t try to deny it.”
“I’m not. I know she’s my mate, and I’d shout it from the rooftops if I could. I don’t think she knows yet, though.”
“If she doesn’t, she’s close. A woman like Tarun doesn’t sleep with just anyone. She won’t leave willingly, and I’m not going to force her. We can protect her, and what’s more, I think she can protect herself.”
“She was right, you know,” Noah said quietly.
“What do you mean?”
“You know I can sense what gifts shifters have and use them for my own. I borrowed hers. The threat is all too real, which we know. But that sense she has that you could be lost if she’s not around is one hundred percent accurate. And it was proven last night.”
Luke frowned, running through the events of the night. “How so?”
“Think about it. If she hadn’t been here, where would you have slept last night?”
Realization dawned. “I would have been in my bedroom.”
Noah nodded. “Where the fire started. And you might not have been able to get out, since the door was barricaded. You needed her here to survive.”
“See? Another reason why I’m not going to force her to leave,” Blake said.
He shook his head. “Maybe that sense was specific to last night. She could probably go home and we’d all still be fine.”
Noah shook his head. “No. I wondered the same thing and borrowed her gift again about an hour ago. It’s still there.”
“She needs to stay,” Blake told him, his voice gentle, like he was trying not to spook a nervous horse.
“I don’t fucking like this,” Luke spat out. “You two are telling me that I should use her to keep myself safe. What the fuck about her, huh? It’s my job to keep her safe, and letting her stay goes against every instinct in my body.”
Blake exhaled, rubbing his hand over the stubble on his chin. “I’m sorry, Luke. But I won’t order her home. I think she’s just as vulnerable without you as you are without her. If you can talk her into leaving and she goes willingly, I won’t stop her. But I won’t make her, either.”
Frowning, he watched Blake turn and leave the bar as Noah approached him. His oldest friend studied him for a moment before clapping him on the shoulder.
“I’m sorry, but I’m with Blake on this. But I can promise you that I’ll watch her back as closely as I’ve watched yours since we were kids. Whatever she decides to do, make peace with it, okay? Don’t let it drive a wedge between you that you might not be able to remove once the threat is gone.”
Noah nodded to him and followed Blake outside. Blowing out a breath, Luke sank down onto a chair, feeling like he was seeing the room through a hazy filter. Nothing seemed clear. Not the room, not his thoughts, and sure as fuck not his emotions.
His sanity depended on convincing Tarun to go home to Durga. The only thing on his side was the fact that she hadn’t realized they were mates yet. Because he knew, if she were aware of that, there was nothing he could say to make her leave.
Tarun inhaled with a grimace as she ran a comb through her wet hair. She’d had a shower and put on clean clothes, but they smelled like smoke. She supposed everything needed to be re-washed, but she decided it could wait.
She was tired, but she needed to see Luke. They’d only been separated for a couple hours, but it felt like years. And with someone trying to kill him… she’d feel better once she laid eyes on him.
If she had her way, she’d never leave his side. Especially since she knew they were mates.
It still had the power to steal her breath. But she couldn’t deny that she felt like an idiot for not figuring it out sooner. Yeah, they didn’t know for sure until their animals told them, but she still should have suspected.
The way the thought of him hurting made her want to curl up in a ball. The way she’d been so upset when she thought he chose Georgie over her. The way she was crazy attracted to him, the way he made the blood in her veins sizzle—the way she gave him her virginity when she’d never had even the slightest urge to sleep with a man before.
She definitely should have suspected, but she’d been clueless. So much so that her tiger’s declaration had shocked her to her toes.
Pulling the brush through her hair one more time, she decided that was good enough and set it down on the dresser. The strands were just a little damp still—perfectly acceptable for going out in public.
Not that the public were anywhere around. Although the downstairs bar and kitchen remained untouched, the Enforcers decided to close B&B to the public until they finished the repairs, so only shifters were downstairs. And Georgie, but she was basically one of them since she knew what they were.
As much as the other woman might wish she was still one of the uninitiated.
Slipping her feet into her flip flops, Tarun made her way down the back stairs, wrinkling her nose at the strong smell of smoke. She stopped in the archway of the bar, looking around. Everyone was down there—some talking, some eating, some sitting in silence. She spotted Luke at the same time he saw her, her lips curling with amusement as he broke off midsentence and walked toward her, leaving Liam frowning after him.
“Hey,” she said as he reached her.
She would have said more, but he immediately covered her mouth with his, kissing the breath right out of her. Her tiger purred as her blood heated, and by the time he pulled back, she’d lost her wits along with her ability to breathe.
Leaning down, he pressed his forehead against hers. “Tarun, please. Go back to the War Cats.”
She stiffened, pulling away from him. “No.”
“It’s not safe for you here, baby.”
“Don’t baby me,” she retorted, frowning. “I’m a grown woman, capable of making my own choices, and I choose to stay here.”
“Please, Tarun. I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you. Especially if it was because of me.”
She searched his eyes, and she couldn’t help wondering if he knew they were mates. The way he spoke, the intensity of the feelings in his gaze, made her think he did. She just didn’t know why he hadn’t told her—unless he thought the chances of her leaving were even slimmer if she knew.
If so, he was right about that. But what he might not have realized was, mate or not, she still wouldn’t have left.
But maybe, if she told him she knew, he’d understand why she couldn’t leave, and stop asking her to go. He’d understand that she couldn’t.
Glancing around, she took in the shifters in the room. None
of them were paying them any attention, but shifters had excellent hearing, and they could easily overhear it. Telling him in a bar full of people wasn’t exactly ideal, but it was what she had to work with.
Turning back to Luke, she took his hands in hers and held them tightly. “I can’t do that, Luke. You might not know this, but we’re mates. I just found out this morning. I wasn’t willing to leave before I knew that, and I’m not able to now. I’m sorry. I just can’t.”
He squeezed his eyes shut briefly, an expression she couldn’t identify crossing his face. It was pained and relieved at the same time, and she puzzled over it until realization dawned on her.
“You knew, didn’t you? You knew and never said a word. Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” she demanded, unable to keep the frustration and accusation from her voice.
Exhaling, he cupped her cheek, making her feel things she was too upset to want to feel. “I just found out myself yesterday. I wanted to let your animal tell you before I said something. I wanted to clear up the misunderstandings between us and make it so when she did tell you, you wouldn’t fight it. If she hadn’t told you soon, I would have. But I wanted to give it time first.”
“You mean you would have told me after the threat was taken care of,” she muttered, feeling the spark of ire inside her dying out and desperately trying to fan its flame.
“I didn’t consider that at the time, but honestly, if I had, it would have been a factor. I’d be lost if something happened to you.”
Lifting her hand, she cupped his cheek, searching his gold and blue eyes. “Then you know exactly how I’d feel if I lost you. And exactly why I can’t leave now, even if I wanted to. Would you be able to leave, if the situation was reversed? We both know you couldn’t. So please, stop asking it of me.”
“Maybe you’re right. But you also know that the need to protect your mate is like a compulsion you can’t shake. I’ll never be okay with you staying, not until the threat is over.”
“I do know how that compulsion feels. Which is why, until the threat is over, I can’t leave. Especially since I know the odds of you coming out of this unscathed are better with me here.”
Control (Blood & Bone Enforcers MC Book 1) Page 11