Tiger's Strength

by Kimberly A Rogers

  “You’re not going to leave this alone, are you?”

  The grin changed to a frown and puzzlement flooded her scent. She tilted her head slightly, “Am I supposed to leave it alone?”

  I couldn’t tell her without revealing far too much. I cleared my throat. “I suppose a few questions would prove beneficial to you. So you are . . . prepared.”

  “I know Genevieve probably won’t make it because of the cubs being sick, so tell me about your ama.” She glanced at me and then amended, “Your mother, I mean.”

  I didn’t even know where to begin. My mother was not warm like Raina’s ama, Bellephoebe. She was nothing like Raina’s mother. I must have been taking too long because she finally asked, “Exactly how long has it been seen you’ve seen your mother?”

  When I had dragged my half-brother home nearly dead from the injuries he had attained from a Troll bull he had baited in the canals of the Barrier. I heaved a deep sigh. “The better part of two years or thereabouts. It was the last time she was in Haven.” I paused, the differences between our mothers once more pushing to the fore of my thoughts, and then added gruffly, “Raina, you should not expect my mother to be like yours. My mother is very . . . She is much more . . . reserved.”

  ΘΘΘΘΘΘ

  Raina

  “My mother is very . . . She is much more . . . reserved.”

  The poor TDS sounded so stiff when he admitted that, in fact, he was almost pained. I patted his knee, trying and failing not to smile, as I murmured, “It’s all right, TDS. I kind of figured that you took after your mother after our brief conversation. Besides,” I added cheerfully, “I can handle two reserved Tigers. I have you in hand, so I’m sure it won’t take more than five months to a year to get your mother to warm up to me.”

  The TDS growled at me. A weird reaction. Of course, I was still not completely reconciled with the fact that my husband was a Scrooge toward Christmas and even admitted he didn’t like Christmas music or ugly Christmas sweaters. Obviously, he didn’t get the whole ugly cute concept, but I wasn’t entirely surprised by that fact. Baran had issues. I was helping him fix them. One Christmas song at a time. I cast him a searching glance as traffic once more slowed to a crawl. But before I could decide on what he needed me to ask, my phone rang. I grabbed it and put it on speaker. “Hello.”

  “Raina, why aren’t you answering the mez?”

  “Aita! Hi, how’s England? Enjoying your holiday or is Ciara causing chaos by trying to steal a peek at the Royal Family? Baran and I are doing well, thanks for asking.”

  “Raina.” I shut up and my father continued with just a hint of a growl tinging his words, “Why are you ignoring the mez? Ama has been trying to contact you for an hour and now she is worried, which means I must take time away from playing with my grandson to see what mischief my oldest daughter has landed herself in . . . again.”

  My parents. I almost rolled my eyes, but didn’t just in case Aita somehow had a watcher on us, which actually wasn’t that farfetched an idea given the sheer range of Aita’s spy network. Instead, I grinned. “It’s only pulling you away from playing with Aiden? You’ve grown soft, Aita. I would have thought you would be taking this golden opportunity to annoy the British on principle.”

  I caught a glimpse of Baran’s mouth twitching and my own grin widened. My reserved Tiger was far more relaxed today, and I had almost won another true smile from him. Like I said, he had warmed up to me.

  “Raina, I am going to ignore that remark because I know you need access to my spy network too much to be truly flippant toward your aita.”

  “Of course, Aita,” I murmured dutifully. I had to brake hard as an impatient truck muscled its way into the nonexistent space between me and the car in front. Horns blared and I pointed a warning finger at Baran. If he commented on my driving skills, he really was going to end up on the side of the road.

  “Where are you?”

  “Pardon?”

  My father’s tone grew a little testy as he repeated himself, “Where are you?”

  “Oh. Well, Baran and I are taking a road trip, and we’re close to D.C. right now so the traffic is awful.”

  The ensuing silence lasted so long that if I hadn’t been focused on navigating through traffic, I would have glanced at my phone to see if the call had ended. Then, my father spoke in a low and very patient tone that immediately sent me back to every time I had ever gotten in trouble as a cub. “I see.” There was another pause that made my leopard stir anxiously before he continued in the same scarily patient tone, “Tell me, Raina, have you troubled yourself to inform your brother that you will not in fact be at home to host him for Thanksgiving.”

  “Constantine broke our plans first!” I protested, ignoring the sudden whiff of amusement breaking past my Tiger’s sterile impassivity. Clearing my throat, I continued in a slightly more collected tone, “Baran and I didn’t make any plans to the contrary of what we established until after the Emperor called last night to say he’s running away to Lisbon to lick the wounds to his pride that Amaryllis has inflicted. I don’t know if he’s on the boat yet or not, but he was at the port last night and very intent on returning to Greece.” I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel and then added, “Who knows how long it will take to get the Emperor back in the New World now.”

  My father didn’t say anything for several moments. “I see. Baran, take care of my daughter. Try to stay out of trouble better than you managed in Elkhorn. And, Raina, please inform your mother of your plans before I am required to get involved. And, send her a text.”

  “Yes, Aita,” I responded dutifully. And, Baran thought I couldn’t do anything duty related. Ha.

  Aita hung up immediately afterwards, and I returned my attention to avoiding being hit by any of the impatient bottles of road rage who had yet to realize that forcing their way up the line would not get them to their destination any faster than the rest of us. The last sign promised we only had another twenty miles of construction zone to get through, so maybe it would be better sooner rather than later.

  “What did you mean?”

  I glanced at Baran before immediately snapping my attention back to the road as I tapped hard on the brakes. A growl escaped me as the nincompoop forcing his way in made a rude gesture. Then, Baran’s hand settled on my knee again. The leopard in me preened at her mate’s attention, and I couldn’t help the smile that curved my lips. Then, Baran opened his mouth and ruined things by talking. “What did you mean about your brother? What wounds did his betrothed inflict that he would flee the country?”

  I bit back an annoyed hiss. “Well, first off, she’s not his betrothed anymore. I knew something like this was going to happen once she suddenly started putting off the wedding for silly reasons like Ama’s dress not being good enough. Most Therians love history and tradition, right? So, why reject the offer of wearing my mother’s heirloom wedding gown? Unless she just couldn’t stand me, which is always possible. Apparently, the number of pureblood Therians who can’t stand me grows with every year. In any case, the vaunted Amaryllis has decided that the House of Conrad Kemp is tainted with inferior blood, and she has moved on to someone who is . . . more suitable to a proper Therian standard.”

  And yes, I knew I sounded irritable and probably just a tiny bit petty. I did know it. But, the very fact that Amaryllis permitted the relationship to proceed to a true betrothal and led my brother on this long made me very very very ready to give her a piece of my mind . . . and possibly a couple of scratches to drive the point home. Hurting my family was unacceptable. Yes, Constantine drove me nuts and there were times I bemoaned having him for a brother but he was my brother. And, Amaryllis’ treatment of him was beyond the pale.

  Baran suddenly took my hand, freeing the steering wheel from my death grip. When I risked looking over at him, he ran his thumb over my fingers and then pressed a kiss to them. His breath warmed my skin as golden eyes rose to meet mine and he murmured, “It is her loss.”

&nbs
p; I smiled. Some days I questioned the decision making skills of whoever was in charge of pairing me with Baran. Especially when he was among the number of Therians who couldn’t stand me in the very beginning of our acquaintance. Right now, however, I was really glad we were together.

  ΘΘΘΘΘΘ

  Chapter Five

  Baran

  The silence that fell between us bothered me. At least, the burnt scent of irritation had faded. I kept my hand on Raina’s knee and tried not to tighten my grip when the car slid a little as we rounded a curve. We had escaped the construction zone, and now my wife was set on reminding me of why I was going to make her take a remedial driving course. I grimaced when I glanced at her speed. “You do realize that the posted speed limit is meant to indicate one’s maximum speed, not suggest the minimum, yes?”

  “You do realize that constantly complaining about my driving is a sign that you have neurotic tendencies?” she countered with a sly glance at me.

  “Eyes on the road,” I growled. “Before we crash, if you please.”

  Raina finally smiled, and she did ease back somewhat on the gas. Thank the Creator for small mercies. But, then she gave a soft laugh and I braced myself for whatever outrageous scheme or question had crossed my mate’s mind. “So, why is it that the great General Baran doesn’t like to celebrate the holidays with family? Because I keep getting the feeling that you don’t really want to spend time with either my family or yours.”

  I let go of her knee and tugged on my jacket so it was no longer bunched up on one side by the seatbelt. When Raina slid a sideways glance at me, I knew I wouldn’t be able to avoid answering. Memories strove to surface, but I forced them all down. I did not need to open those locked doors. They were that way for a reason. I shifted my weight, then sighed. “If you must know, I believe family gatherings are pointless at any time of year. It is not specifically tied to any particular holiday.”

  “Except Christmas because you’re a Scrooge,” Raina countered. She glanced at me again, eyes flickering between Therian gold and green tinged hazel. A copper colored strand of hair had worked its way loose from her bun and now bounced against her cheek as she added, “I think you’re being overly cynical as per usual, TDS. I’m sure gatherings with your family are perfectly normal by reserved Tiger standards.” Mirth entered her eyes and suffused her scent with bubbly warmth that rivaled the cinnamon and vanilla of her perfume as she continued with just a hint of a giggle, “Even if your family has been horribly deprived of the joy that is ugly Christmas sweaters.”

  I looked at her for a long moment torn between wanting to laugh at her teasing and the knowledge that I hadn’t made the differences between our families stark enough. I opened my mouth, but then caught sight of flashing lights in the rearview mirror. The car we had just passed had pulled into the lane behind us. Unmarked car. Wonderful.

  I shifted my gaze to Raina and she hissed, “Not one word, Tigger.”

  I leaned back in my seat as Raina worked to get over to the side of the road. At least, we weren’t attempting to transport any weapons to an outpost. I rested both hands on my knees as we reached the side of the road, and Raina stopped the car. She leaned across me to get into the glove box. She handed me a pair of sunshades and grabbed the registration. Slipping the sunshades on to hide my eye color, I watched in the mirror as the unmarked car’s door opened and a state trooper stepped out. The little pest of a Leopard deserved whatever ticket he was going to give her. Maybe it would finally underscore her need for more cautious driving, although I rather doubted that particular outcome.

  The trooper tapped on the driver’s side window. He was older, perhaps in his forties, with a stocky build. I caught a glimpse of brown eyes shadowed beneath his hat brim. Then, Raina rolled down the window and I caught the scent of Leopard mingled with fast food, coffee, and the subtler soft scent of his mate, also a Leopard. Raina was grinning, and I took off the sunshades as she greeted him, “Dylan Campbell, I heard you had taken an undercover assignment for the Chesapeake field office. I hadn’t heard that meant you were working in the State Troopers. Bit different from the old Tracker life, isn’t it?”

  “Raina Kemp, I heard you got married last year,” the trooper replied in a friendly tenor. He glanced at me. “I’m guessing that’s you. General.” He didn’t wait for me to reply as he returned his attention to my mate. “How’s Conrad? Still keeping the king’s council in their place?”

  Raina laughed at that. “My aita keeps everyone in their place even if they have no idea he’s done it until a couple years down the line. He and most of the family are in England right now, so Baran and I are headed north. I’ll be sure to tell him we ran into you.”

  She reached for the gearstick only to stop when the trooper tsked at her. “Now, Raina, you know I pulled you over for a reason.”

  “To congratulate me on my wedding a year late?” she offered with a smile.

  The trooper’s amusement was overpowering, but at least she didn’t dimple at him. My tiger might have been free of the more erratic temperament invoked by the First Year Rage, but he still stirred when another male showed too much interest in his mate. I sampled the trooper’s scent again, this time focusing on the subtler scent of a Leopardess that proved he was a mated male. Not likely to be inclined to steal mine. If he knew what was good for him.

  The trooper chuckled. “You were speeding, but that isn’t why I pulled you over.” His amusement vanished swiftly as he lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “If you’re heading north, then you need to get rid of that vanity plate before you get much closer to New York City.”

  I leaned forward to better see him as I rumbled, “Why?”

  He glanced at me, and I could see the solemnness in his gaze that was reflected in his scent. “Because a clutch has been reported as stalking New York City. Last report indicated that we don’t even know how much of a range the Vampyres have established, but there was a confirmed attack two days ago. On two Therians and an Elf-born. All dead.” His gaze flicked back to Raina as he added, “Everyone from military to Trackers to reeves are on high alert. I’ve heard whispers that there are others outside of us Therians starting to take notice too. Get rid of that plate, Raina.”

  “Thanks for the warning,” she murmured. She drummed her fingers against the wheel before asking, “Are we good to go?”

  “Yes. Have a safe holiday.”

  He didn’t linger just quickly jogged back to his car. Raina didn’t put her own car in gear until after the trooper had reentered traffic. She was surprisingly quiet as she drove, which was rarely a good sign. Before I could press her on it, she pulled off into a rest stop. “Raina, what are you doing?”

  She didn’t trouble herself to reply as she opened the glove box again and took out a screwdriver. I frowned at her. “Why do you have a screwdriver in your glove box?”

  “Why wouldn’t I? Never know when you might need one.”

  “And, you need one?” I asked, but she was already getting out of the car.

  I sighed. Trackers. Females. Individually, they were perplexing enough. Combined, I never understood what they were thinking, especially when the female Tracker in question was my mate. I got out of the car and walked to the front to find Raina unscrewing the vanity plate. She didn’t even glance up at me as she spoke in a low tone, “I am many things, Baran, even, I admit, a tad reckless and irreverent on the deserved occasion. However, I do not now nor have I ever had a death wish, which is how Elf-born usually end up if one of us is unfortunate enough to catch the attention of a Vampyre clutch.” She finished unscrewing the plate as she continued, “And, do we really want to waste time being stopped by Therian and Elvish patrols because a clutch showed up and ruined my joke?”

  “I told you the plate was a bad idea,” I said as I grabbed one end of the vanity plate when she held it out to me. We twisted until the thin metal crumpled into an unrecognizable snarl. Then, Raina tossed it into a trash bin.

  Once we were
back on the road, I couldn’t help pointing out another difficulty. “We will not be able to make it to Maine today. We’ve lost too much time.”

  “I know. I’ve already figured out where we can go for tonight.”

  Raina didn’t say anything else until she had us headed toward Gettysburg instead of Philadelphia. I didn’t question her decision. At this point, Philadelphia seemed too close to New York City for us to head there without knowing what was happening with the clutch. Raina tapped the steering wheel. “Have you ever fought a Vampyre, TDS?”

  “No, never.” When she glanced at me, I knew she wanted more information. I shrugged my shoulders and once more wished there was greater leg room available in this car. It was not built to comfortably accommodate my six-foot-eight frame. Feeling Raina’s gaze on me, I finally elaborated, “I’ve never had the occasion to fight a Vampyre. The last established clutch was burned out of the New World a full decade before I was born and every attempt on their part to establish a foothold in the ensuing one hundred and eleven years has been caught and foiled by the efforts of Elves and Therians working together in areas that were not a part of my service.”

  “Not even when you were a Roaming Commandant?”

  “Roaming Commandants are tasked with assessing military outposts, not hunting rumored Vampyre clutches,” I replied drily. “And, I do not recall ever telling you that I was a Roaming Commandant.”

  “It’s in your record,” she countered far too sweetly. Then, mischief filled her scent like a burst of spice as she added, “And, you were still feeling the effects of that dosed ale the Emperor gave you when you muttered that you didn’t become a Roaming Commandant to tolerate idiots who couldn’t recite the edicts of the Therian Way if the scrolls were held in front of their noses.”

  “I never said anything of the kind,” I protested instinctively. Unfortunately, I wasn’t certain what dosed ale she was referring to although if it happened, it certainly confirmed my belief that Constantine was the most annoying of my wife’s siblings.