Tiger's Strength

by Kimberly A Rogers

  The sound of shattering glass drowned out the reporter as her mate hurled his whiskey glass against the wall. She took a quick step back before catching herself. Fleeing never ended well for her, and she wanted to be able to move come morning. He spat a curse. “Another plan falls to pieces!”

  “There is still Odin’s part,” she offered.

  Her head went back and she fought to keep her beast from pushing forward as her cheek throbbed from the force of his slap. When she met his blazing golden eyes, he sneered. “Odin’s Vampyres have been confirmed destroyed. Without even managing to quietly assassinate Baran and his half-breed mate.”

  She raised her hand, but did not dare to touch him. She didn’t want him to break her arm again. “I will come up with another plan. One that no amount of incompetence can possibly foil. It will merely take time.”

  As fast as the rage had appeared, it vanished. His mouth twisted with a smile as a cruel light entered his eyes. He reached out and stroked her bruised cheek with the backs of his fingers and then tapped her chin. “No, my pet. I think it is time I took matters into my own hands. Time will be needed, yes, but I shall create a plan that not even a Seer will know is coming. And, Baran will no longer be able to escape unscathed.”

  “Therians pride themselves on not using the services of Seers,” she murmured.

  “A weakness to be exploited for certain,” he agreed.

  She hesitated before daring to ask, “Does this mean you intend to contact the Hunter?”

  Her mate’s smile sent fear skittering down her spine. “The details will not be your concern, my dear. The Hunter and I have an agreement in place and that is all you need know.” He touched her bruised cheek once more, pressing down hard and making her whimper, as he murmured, “One way or another, I will see all who stand against me fall. And, General Baran Demirci will be among the first.”

  ΘΘΘΘΘΘ

  Raina

  The radio crackled as Baran put it on a news station. “Paranormals everywhere breathe a sigh of relief as the holiday weekend ends with news that the Vampyre clutches attempting to invade New York City as well as a splinter group attempting to establish a foothold in Maine were caught and eliminated by the combined forces of Therian and Elvish military troops as well as Trackers and reeves. Representatives of the Therians and the Elves have confirmed that the situation has been resolved in such a manner that Halliman’s will not be required to step in to ensure humanity remains unaware of non-ambassadorial species’ continued existence. Also, experts believe the matter will mostly likely not be an issue discussed at the annual Yule meeting between Seelie and Unseelie Courts at Yellowstone National Park next month.”

  I turned off the radio just as Baran exited the highway. My curiosity rose as he pulled into the parking lot of a cute little bed and breakfast with attached restaurant. We were still in upper New York, though. “I thought you weren’t going to stop until we got home.”

  Baran shrugged. “I wanted to show you something.”

  “What?”

  The TDS didn’t answer. After we had eaten dinner in the restaurant, he managed to surprise me further by unloading our bags and leading me up to a large bedroom. The bed and breakfast was run by two Vulpines, so the walls were perfectly soundproof against Therian and Elvish hearing. The bedroom itself was practically a suite with a huge attached bathroom and a stone bath that was almost large enough for Baran in beast form. A fire crackled in the massive stone fireplace that took up the wall opposite the bed, and there was a nest of cushions in front of it just waiting to be used. How cozy.

  Baran came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He pressed a kiss to my cheek. “This is what I wanted to show you.”

  “A very charming bed and breakfast meant for Therians?”

  His chuckle vibrated through his chest. “No. This is how I prefer to spend my holidays. Alone with my mate.”

  I grinned even as I felt my cheeks grow warm. “You do realize that was a moment when you should’ve said I’m your wonderful mate.”

  “I don’t think you’re wonderful,” he deadpanned.

  I stomped on his foot. “Ooo you fib!” I teased.

  Baran chuckled again. “And you’re a brat.” Then, he stole a kiss.

  I let him distract me for a while but as we relaxed in front of the fire, I realized I still had a couple of burning questions for the TDS. I wriggled in his hold so I could crane my neck back and study his face. He glanced down at me and raised an eyebrow. I ignored the warm thrill that move shot through me and forced myself to focus. “I like this.”

  “Good.”

  “But, I do have a question for you.”

  Baran huffed. “No, I have not injured my head recently.”

  I couldn’t help laughing. “That actually wasn’t my question.” I sobered up a little as I recalled my question and quietly said, “You don’t have to tell me anything. But, I have to ask. Why did you decide to sign up for the peace marriages? I mean, I didn’t have a choice as the oldest daughter of my parents’ peace marriage, but you’ve never really struck me as the type to easily hand over life decisions to someone else. So what made you do it?”

  I felt his chest rise and fall beneath my back as a sigh ruffled my hair. His hold around me tightened slightly before he finally responded. “Normally, I wouldn’t have. It took me a long time to reach the point where I did so. And, I did it because if I submitted to a peace marriage, then I would not be required to choose for love. If I did not love, I could never be harmed by my mate’s inevitable betrayal as my father was betrayed by Venetia.” He paused and a rueful strain entered his tone as he added, “I have had . . . difficulty trusting women after all I endured with Venetia and Eteri.”

  “You have a problem trusting women?” I repeated with a touch more sarcasm than I probably should’ve allowed. “Never.”

  “Raina.”

  I grimaced. “Sorry.”

  He smirked at me. “You are not in the least.”

  My lips twitched with a traitorous smile. “Okay, maybe not.”

  He raised the eyebrow again.

  “All right, you win. Definitely not.” I hesitated, my smile fading a little, before I dared to ask, “Now that you’ve been stuck with me for a bit over a year?”

  Baran’s smirk reappeared. “I am . . . grateful I chose a peace marriage. I did it to protect myself, to prevent vulnerability, and then you became my mate and . . .” The smirk turned a touch self-mocking as he shook his head. “It is said the Creator laughs when we tell Him our plans. In this case, it must be true because you are far too impertinent and irrepressible to accept my plan for a civil but distant marriage with no engagement of our hearts.”

  “Which means?”

  He grinned at me as he shifted his hold on me so we were now face to face. “I love you, Raina Demirci.”

  “Good answer, TDS.” I barely had the chance to return his smile before he kissed me. The kiss deepened as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Thank the Creator for unanswered prayers . . . and Tigers.

  ΘΘΘΘΘΘ

  Note from the Author

  My heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who has encouraged me to push on with Baran and Raina’s sometimes rocky, often complicated journey. Especially as I needed time to peel back more layers from the Tiger. Special thanks goes out to you, the readers, who have taken the time to join Baran and Raina on their journey. I hope you have enjoyed it!

  This story was a complicated beast to get written. It also took much longer than I had ever planned. This happened for a couple different reasons. I really struggled with getting this story written at first, partially because I was digging down into Baran’s past and his painful family roots but also I was simply struggling with story itself. Then a lot of unpleasant upheaval happened in my life during 2017 and 2018 that made it so it was too difficult to fight the Tiger at the same time. As you may know, I took a break and began working on two new series, a fairytale retellings series and a new ur
ban fantasy/paranormal romantic thriller. About six months ago, I realized that new UF series and TTW could fit together like two sides of a puzzle. This really unlocked Tiger’s Strength for me and that is why you will see mentions of this larger world in this book, which coincides with the time gap between the first two books in the Rogue Spotter series.

  I want to thank you, the readers, for waiting so patiently for me to be able to get this book out. It took longer than planned but I hope that you’ll agree the wait was worth it. My goal for 2019 is to finish The Therian Way series as well as several others. While waiting for the next book, I encourage you to pick up the Rogue Spotter series because there will be some more crossover between the two. Raina’s already invaded Rogue Spotter, not that we could expect anything else from her.

  Baran and Raina’s journey continues in Book Four of the Therian Way: Leopard’s Test. It is expected to release around the end of June. If this is your first time reading The Therian Way, I encourage you to pick up the first book in the series, Leopard’s Heart and/or the prequel novellas, Tiger’s Shadow and Tiger’s Paw, available on Kindle and in print.

  My favorite author-related meme on Facebook would have to be the one that says, “Feed an author! Write a review!” Reviews can be an author’s lifeline. I love hearing what readers think about my stories, my characters, and anything else you care to mention. If you enjoyed Tiger’s Strength, please consider taking the time to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

  If you would like to connect with me and be the first to learn about book updates, sales, and behind the scenes peeks, sign up for my newsletter and/or join my readers group on Facebook, Readers of Kimberly A. Rogers!

  Thank you!

  Until our next meeting,

  Kimberly A. Rogers

  Glossary

  Races

  Therians

  A race of shapeshifters who possess three forms—Mortal (pureblood Therians are identical in appearance to humans save for their gold eyes), Half-form (upright anthropomorphic versions of their beast), and Beast (larger than average animals). They have an extended lifespan stretching up to fifteen hundred years for some (longer in the case of Elf-born Therians) and age slowly after they reach their mid-twenties. Their society is bound by the code of life known as the Therian Way. The North American Therians are ruled by a single king although the Therian Council aids him in the government of their people. They remain fairly insular from other paranormal species except for the Elves under Auberon.

  Key Characters

  Baran Demirci — Clan Felidae, Tiger Branch. Pureblood Therian. General of the Shenandoah Valley Outpost. Former Roaming Commandant. Married to Raina.

  Caderyn — Clan Felidae, Leopard Branch. Pureblood Therian. King of the North American Therians. Older brother of Shamus.

  Conrad Kemp — Clan Felidae, Leopard Branch. Pureblood Therian. Current member of the Therian Council, former military. Married to Bellephoebe, father of six children including Raina.

  Constantine Kemp — Clan Felidae, Leopard Branch. Elf-born Therian. North American Therian ambassador to Greece. Son of Conrad Kemp and Bellephoebe. Second eldest brother of Raina. Known as “the Emperor.”

  Dietrich — Pureblood Therian. Former friend of Baran Demirci. Married to Eteri.

  Eteri — Clan Vulpine. Elf-born Therian. Works as an Elven expert on behavior and terrorism. Serves as a liaison to human news outlets and directs human attention away from Therians. Old acquaintance of Baran. Married to Dietrich.

  Everly Carrol — Clan Vulpine. Pureblood Therian. Serves undercover as the human Vice President of the United States of America.

  Madoc Frost — Clan Felidae, Tiger Branch. Pureblood Therian. Younger brother of Baran.

  Matahari — Clan Felidae, Tiger Branch. Pureblood Therian. Supreme Commander of the Trackers.

  Raina Demirci née Kemp — Clan Felidae, Leopard Branch. Elf-born Therian. Tracker Commander. Daughter of Conrad Kemp and Bellephoebe. Married to Baran.

  Roderick Frost — Clan Felidae, Tiger Branch. Pureblood Therian. Magistrate for Northern Maine, former North American Therian ambassador to Britian. Married to Venetia, father of Madoc and Genevieve. Stepfather of Baran.

  Shamus — Clan Felidae, Leopard Branch. Pureblood Therian. High General of the Therian military. Former Supreme Commander of the Trackers. Younger brother of Caderyn.

  Venetia Frost — Clan Felidae, Tiger Branch. Pureblood Therian. Widow of Badir Demirci. Married to Roderick, mother of Baran, Madoc, and Genevieve.

  Elves

  Also known as the Alpi or Fae. They are a long-lived people with some elders living past three thousand years. They age very slowly once they reach maturity and will at times intermarry with Therians and other paranormal species. Most of their people are known as High Elves to the paranormal community outside of the Therians. The Elven kingdom in the Americas is known as Fortriu and exists under the rule of Auberon and Titania, leaders of the Seelie Court. They have treaties in place with both Therians and Humans in order to preserve their function as the main face of the ambassadorial species of the paranormal community.

  Key Characters

  Amiras — Chief Watcher of Isamnion. Does not support the Elven-Therian alliance.

  Auberon — King of the Elves of Fortriu (also called ‘Lord’ by his people). Ally to both Therian and Human governments even though he prefers not to be drawn into Therian politics. Married to Titania.

  Bellephoebe — Cousin of Titania. Married to Conrad Kemp of the Therians, mother of six children including Raina.

  Cicero — Elven Ambassador to the human government, stationed in Washington D.C. Reluctantly supports the Elven-Therian Alliance but does not approve of the practice of peace marriages between the two races. Old friend of Bellephoebe.

  Titania — Queen of the Elves of Fortriu (also called ‘Lady’ by her people). Supportive of the Elven-Therian Alliance. Married to Auberon. Cousin of Bellephoebe and godmother of Raina.

  Humans

  Short-lived compared to Elves and Therians. The American government has a treaty in place with the Elves of Fortriu. However, they remain in the dark regarding the existence of Therians and many other paranormal species. The past persecution of paranormal species by humans drove the Therians into hiding and no attempts have been made to reinitiate contact between the two races. Instead, Humans are unaware that many of their political figures have been Therians. Despite the treaty with the Elves/Fae, there are some factions who are beginning to push for a separation of the two races.

  Key Characters

  Henry Grey Wolf — President of the United States of America in the second year of his first term. Member of the First Nations. Supportive of the Elven-Human Alliance.

  Lisa Truscott — Recently appointed Secretary of Elven-Human Affairs. Supportive of the Elven-Human Alliance. Elf-struck with Auberon.

  Richard Farrow — Secretary of Defense. Ambiguous on the matter of the Elven-Human Alliance, but for now cautiously supportive.

  Ulysses Hewett Cunningham — Senator from Illinois. Strongly opposed to the Elven-Human Alliance. Actively seeking to repeal the Shadowed Lands Protection Act as a stepping stone to revoking the Elven-Human Alliance.

  Shadowed Creatures

  Inherently corrupt creatures who cannot be controlled or tamed. Best defined as monsters and their legends still live on in human folktales although most are no longer considered real. Their populations are monitored through the combined factions of the paranormal community at large but the Therians usually handle incidents in the Americas. Primarily found in the Shadowed Lands.

  Barghests — Large, broad-chested black canines with glowing red eyes.

  Trolls — Hulking creatures that stand anywhere from seven to thirteen feet in height with leathery grey skin. Troll bulls have short curved tusks. Juveniles like to live under bridges.

  Waheelas — American hyena similar in size to the African Spotted Hyena. Its spotted coat and the stiff mane running down its spine ar
e reminiscent of its African cousin, but the fur is long and shaggy by contrast.

  Wendigoes — Emaciated anthropomorphic jackals that stand between six and seven feet in height and are usually covered in short grey fur. Driven by an insatiable hunger and prefer to eat their victims alive. Old World Wendigoes were deified as the Egyptian god Anubis but later eradicated. New World Wendigoes flourish and even other Shadowed Creatures including trolls avoid them. Their saliva is septic to the point of being venomous and they are one of the few creatures deadly to Therians since they leave slow-healing wounds and their saliva often makes the wounds septic even for a Therian immune system.

  Places

  The Den — National headquarters for the Trackers. Located in the Therian capital city of Haven.

  Fortriu — Formal name for the sovereign Elven Realm, Kingdom of the Seelie Court Fae established by Auberon and Titania of the High Elves.

  Haven — Capital of the Kingdom of the North American Therians. Hidden in the Appalachians.

  Hotel Cysger — Elven-run hotel in Washington D.C. that serves as a sanctuary for Elves and Therians travelling through and working in the city.