Healing the Clan: Alaskan Tigers: Book Ten (5 page)

“What are the tears for?” He cupped the side of her face with his hand. His thumb rubbed gently under her eye, catching the first tear as it began to roll down her face. “We’ll find them.”

“It’s not that…it’s the thought of you having someone search for them. With everything that’s happened today, you still found time to do something for me. I’m not even a member of your clan, and until just a little bit ago, you didn’t know I was your mate. Thank you.”

“You’re a friend, so even if you weren’t a member or my mate, I’d have still done it. We don’t know what we’ll find out and it might take some time, but I’ll see that you get answers as to what happened to them.”

She met his gaze and nodded. “It’s late, and we’ve both had a long day. I’ll take the sofa, and in the morning, we’ll talk more.”

“You’ll take the bed,” he corrected as he laced his fingers around hers and led the way inside.

“I’m too tired to fight with you.” She yawned.

Stepping inside, she found everything had been cleared up. The only blood that remained was on David’s body, and even that had mostly been cleaned off. The room was tidy, and one might’ve never known by looking at it that there had been a fight to the death.
How is Heidi dealing with this?
She thought about going to her when her gaze fell on her suitcase sitting next to the door. Someone had brought it in from her car.

“I had Ryder bring it up,” David explained. “He also made sure Heidi was okay, so don’t worry about her. She’s been through a lot, but we’ll get her through this.”

“Has anyone called…” Being amongst humans for the last several years almost had her saying
her parents
but that wasn’t the way of their kind. In cases like this, the Alpha was informed before parents and other family members. Most didn’t stay in the same clans as their families once they matured. Everyone wanted to spread their own wings, and shifters didn’t have that same bond that humans did when it came to families. The only time that changed was when they mated.

“I’ve informed the Mississippi Alpha, though I didn’t go into any unnecessary details. I told him that Harry challenged me for the clan and that he was killed in the fight. His goons who were waiting at the gate for him have been sent home with their tails between their legs, and by morning, the news should hit those who dare threaten us. Hopefully we will see some of them leave, or at the very least think twice before they descend upon us.”

“The lurking enemies will realize you’re not someone to mess with and things will get better.” She stepped away from him and picked up her suitcase. “I found out a lot today about the Alaskan Tigers and the changes in our population since I went into hiding. So much that I need to sleep on it, but I think you’re doing the right thing by committing to them. If Tabitha is truly the Queen of the Tigers and will do everything the prophecy says, our kind will once again prosper. I, for one, would like to see that happen. I want to be a part of it.”

“By my side, you will play a part in it, and together, we can bring this clan back to something great.”

Clutching the suitcase, she glanced up at him, her lips curling into a smile as she arched her eyebrow. “You seem to think I’m just going to fall into your arms now that we’re supposed to be mates.”

“We both know this isn’t something that can be denied. We’ll have to face it and accept it. We also need to do it without appearing weak, or what happened here tonight will only be the first. Any sign of weakness and the vultures will descend on us faster than we can fight them off.”

She nodded. “Mating is supposed to be a joyful time, but there’s a lot I’ll have to adjust to. Accepting being mated to an Alpha is one of the big ones, but not the only one. Much has changed in the last few years, so bear with me while I adjust, and in return, I’ll support you and stand by your side. We’ll be a team.”

“I can do that.” He tipped his head toward the bed. “The bathroom is through there. Once you’ve changed, I’ll shower. I’ll be quick so I don’t keep you up, but I’ve got to get this blood off me.”

“I doubt you’d keep me awake. I’m like the walking dead now. All that driving and the stress of today has taken its toll, so when my head hits the pillow I’ll be out.” She laid her suitcase on the bed. As she popped it open to grab fresh clothes, she was thankful she’d remembered to grab a pair of shorts and a tank top to sleep in. Since breaking free from Frank and not having to share the room with her parents, she had taken to sleeping naked. Nudity provided the freedom she needed as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Tonight, though, nudity wouldn’t do.

She grabbed her clothes and headed toward the bathroom. As she pushed the bathroom door shut behind her, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her shoulder-length blonde hair looked windblown and wild. The dark circles under her eyes showed her sleep deprivation. If mating was like dating in the human world, she’d have worried more about her physical appearance, but for shifters, their connection was so much deeper than just skin level. Destiny mated them with their perfect match, and as far as she knew, there was never an unhappy couple. At least not those who hadn’t gone rogue or insane like Frank had. Those were exceptions to the rule.

Changing out of her clothes and into her sleepwear, she thought about how David was trying to make changes in the clan, ones that would be for the better for everyone involved. The Alaskan Tigers were taking things even further by trying to unite their species. What a difference three years could make. Soon, Alphas like Frank would be a thing of the past, and clan members who had been suppressed like they had would be able to live freely. When she made the journey home, she never expected to find this, and just like how she was willing to risk everything including her life to be reunited with her family, she’d take those same risks to see freedom come to other clans like hers.
Here’s to a better future for all, one without suffering and needless death. I’ll fight for it with everything I have.

T
wo days had passed
since Victoria arrived at the compound, and she was doing whatever she could to make the transition smoother for everyone and helping David get things done. The guards from the Alaskan Tigers had arrived, and training had begun. She had learned some martial arts skills and self-defense tactics while she was on her own, so she participated in the training sessions whenever she had time. Even though she was the only female taking part in them, no one went any easier on her. Maybe that was because the new and visiting guards knew she was his mate and a time might come when she needed to be able to protect herself. Either way, she was thankful she didn’t have to prove herself just for them to take her seriously.

They had yet to announce that she was David’s mate to the rest of the members of the clan. It was better to wait until he had claimed her. Her tigress paced within, letting her know the time was nearing. Her body ached for his touch, to feel his fingers on her skin, exploring every curve.

She had hoped they could have spent some of the last few days getting reacquainted, but they had been so busy they hadn’t had more than a handful of minutes together at any given time except when they fell into bed exhausted. Or in his case, the sofa, as he had been the perfect gentleman, holding off until she was ready.

One thing kept weighing on her mind. Where was Tim? He hadn’t been seen, and even though David hadn’t said anything about it, she knew it was pressing on his thoughts, too. They had searched the compound for him. There was no sign of him. If he’d left under his own free will, then so be it, but if something happened to him…she took a deep breath and tried not to think of the worst. Hadn’t he followed them back in when she was being escorted to David? Did Reece see him once he drove her car though the gate? It was time to hunt down Reece and see if he knew anything. It was the least she could do, considering all David had done for her. Plus, she wanted her mate to have some closure.

Once she stepped outside, she shut her eyelids as the cool breeze whipped past her. Her tigress sprang forward, wanting to enjoy the cool air and the sun on her fur. Instead of giving into the desire, she strolled toward to gate. If Reece wasn’t training, he was either at the gatehouse or sleeping.

Ryder stood a little ways off in the distance talking to Carran and Larry, an electrician from the West Virginia Tigers. They were part of the team that would give a facelift to the living quarters. Ryan from the Alaskan Tigers was busy drawing up plans in the dining hall, while the others began discussing building plans. Everyone was coming together to get David and the clan on the right footing lifted her heart. After everything they had been through, she never expected this, but here they were, lending a helping hand. This is why Tabitha was here—to unite everyone and form a better world for future generations.

“Victoria, I need to talk to you,” Ryder called as he jogged toward her.

“Everything okay?” Unease crept into her muscles. She wasn’t used to being the Alpha’s mate, and having people need her attention. She had always been the wallflower and stayed out of everyone’s way as they went about their business. Another change she would have to accept.

“Depends on how you look at it.” He stopped in front of her, glanced around, and leaned in a bit closer. “Carran let it slip that Mira’s arriving today.”

“What?” Her eyes widened in disbelief. “He specifically told her to stay away when he spoke to her. Things are too dangerous for her here, and having her mate by her side wouldn’t make things easier. The clan was brainwashed to believe he’d come and kill them for disobeying Frank. To have him show up here is only going to cause chaos.”

“I know, but they are already on their way. A helicopter will be landing in twenty minutes. The question is, how are we going to handle it and who’s going to tell David?”

“You’re the Lieutenant. I think it’s your job.” Trying to wiggle out of it, she smirked at him. “Come on. You don’t want to have to deal with an Alpha who killed his mate in a fit of anger, do you?”

“Oh, and being down a Lieutenant is no big deal, is it?” He shook his head. “Let’s compromise and tell him together. We’ll have each other’s backs, and if he goes ape shit, we run for it.”

“Let’s do this, but you owe me one.” She turned on her heels and headed back in search of their Alpha.

“What can I do for you?” he asked, falling into stride with her.

“I need you to find out what happened to Tim. The last time anyone saw him is when you were escorting me to David. Did Reece see anything? Does anyone know where he might have gone?”

“I’ve already spoken to my brother. Tim was still outside the gate when Reece drove your car through. He parked it, shut off the engine, and got out. By then, Tim was gone. At the time, he assumed he followed us to bitch more, but my guess is he never came back in. It’s not really a secret that Tim was a supporter of Frank’s and that he wants David to run the clan differently. Isn’t it possible he just had enough and walked out?”

“Yes, if we knew he did it willingly, but the unknown has to be weighing on David. I wonder how Mira is going to handle this. He said she’s been demanding to come back and see both of them.”

He nodded. “It got worse once she realized Tim was avoiding her calls. He blames her for what happened that night. If anyone was to blame it was Frank, or even Shelly.”

“I never asked what happened to Frank’s son? Was he killed, or did he leave?”

“He’s dead.” He held open the door that would lead back up to the Alpha’s quarters and allowed her to enter before adding, “Fifteen members alive. Two in the hospital area are being attended to, and their fates unknown.”

“There were three…”

“Another one gave up on life this morning.” Sadness coated his words.

A shifter healed quicker than humans and could survive most everything except a blow to the heart or head. No matter their rank within a clan or how fast they could heal, those were killing blows. The only exception would be if they simply gave up. Their will was more powerful than anything, and if they willed their bodies not to fight to live and heal, in essence they’d wither and die. It was a sad prospect, but some couldn’t face life again after what they saw or lost. It was rare, but whenever it happened, it was a deep loss to the community.

They climbed the steps, and she tried to ready herself. In the back of her mind, she wondered what would happen to the other two that remained in the hospital. Would they find the will to survive, or was it only a matter of time before they gave up, too?

“What are you doing back already? I thought you were going to check on Heidi.” David sat at the dining table, papers spread out before him, just as she had left him.

She swore he only stopped working when he was too exhausted to go on. Over the last few days, he had been putting in long hours, trying to balance everything that needed to be done for the clan, training, and her. It was beginning to take its toll. The only thing keeping him going was sheer willpower and caffeine. If only he’d let her help more. Or if not her, then Ryder. Putting this clan back together wasn’t a one-man job; it would take all of them.

She sat down across from him. “We’ve got to talk.”

“Can it wait twenty minutes? I’ve got to look over these plans before the meeting with the construction team.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.

“No.” Ryder gripped the back of the chair next to her. “This is important and can’t wait.”

“Fine.” David leaned back and met his Lieutenant’s glaze. “What’s wrong now?” Impatience and stress made his voice tighter than normal.

She shared a quick look with Ryder before shaking her head. “I’ll tell him.”

“Tell me what?” David demanded.

“About the unapproved visitors.” Ryder tipped his head, giving her the floor.

“Nice.” She shook her head at his lack of grace. “David, it’s Mira. She’s on her way—”

“What?” He pushed back with such force the table jarred and his coffee sloshed over the rim of his mug. “I told her to stay put. I’d call her when it was safe.”

“She didn’t listen. She and Styx will be landing in less than twenty minutes.”

“Landing? How the hell was she expecting to get from the airport without letting me know?” He turned toward the large window behind the table and mumbled, “What the hell was she thinking?”

“That’s another thing. They’re not flying into the airport. They’ve got a helicopter and will be landing on the compound. Everything was arranged with Carran, so I’m not sure of the other details, but there has to be a good reason they’ve done this.”

“How did you find out?”

“I told her after Carran let it slip,” Ryder added. “I thought having your mate here…the two of you could make plans on how to deal with this. I’ll handle whatever you need done.”

“Plans. That might be an understatement. How the hell am I supposed to get them out of here before someone sees them? Seeing Styx isn’t going to help keep the peace we’ve finally been able to get.”

“Maybe Mira can convince them,” Ryder offered.

“Oh, because no one blames her for what happened, for the lives lost.” David shook his head. “She’s in just as much danger. Why would she risk herself like this?”

“Home means a lot to people.” She tried to reason with her mate. “We’re willing to risk a lot to be able to go there again and to see people we care about. She wants to see you and Tim. You can’t blame her for that. She won’t believe you’re truly alive until she can see you again.”

“She’s seen me.” He spun around to look at her, his eyes wide. Anger had his tiger close to the surface, turning his eyes a warm honey color. “We’ve video conference, and as for our father, he isn’t even here so she’s going to be out of luck.”

“It’s not the same thing,” she pressed. “But why doesn’t matter right now. We need to get ready because she’s going to be here. These plans and the meeting, can it wait?”

“Is it something I can handle?” Ryder offered.

“Yeah.” He scooted the papers toward Ryder. “Tell them I approve the plans for the cabins. The new Elder quarters and the rest I haven’t looked at yet. We’ll reconvene as soon as I get Mira back on that helicopter and out of here.”

“Ryder, can you give us a few minutes?” Victoria asked.

“Sure. I’ll wait downstairs, because I’m going to the helicopter with you. If things go to Hell, you’re going to need the back up. Once I know you’re safe, I’ll deal with Carran and Larry.” Without waiting to see if anyone argued with him, he strolled out of the room.

Now that they were alone, she pushed back her chair and went to him. “You’re worried about your sister and I understand that, but this is going to be okay. Eventually she was going to come here, and you’d have had the same reservations. It’s better to do it now and get it over with than to prolong it. Styx wouldn’t place his mate in danger.”

“We’re not set up. There are no guards, no protection to offer her. Hell, I can’t even offer my own mate guards yet.”

She laid her hand on his chest. “I’m not worried about guards. I’m more worried about getting this clan on the right footing. Until a few days ago, I only cared about myself, just living through the day, and now so much has changed. You came into my life and showed me how much I’ve missed everything.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her closer. “I’m worried about guards. Maybe until you have guards assigned to you that I know can protect you, I’ll just keep you by my side.”

“Or you could just claim me and you’ll always know if I’m in trouble. Not to mention everything else.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him and let her hand tease up his chest.

“You make it sound like I don’t want you. When the truth is, I want to carry you to that bed right now and make love to you until you scream my name in ecstasy. But this mating…and the clan…”

“I know you have a lot on your plate. I’m not completely sure where I fit into it all, but we’ll make it work. We have to.” She smiled up at him. “We’ll deal with your sister, figure out what we’re going to do with everything else, but tonight, there is no working until you pass out. We’re going to have a little time to work on us. No pressure, but our beasts won’t wait too much longer and tomorrow we’re making announcements to the clan after breakfast, so the timing is perfect.”

“I thought you said no pressure.” He leaned his head down until his forehead was pressed against hers.

“Well, maybe just a little pressure.” She smirked as the tigress within her purred. It wanted more than just the sweet touches or the promises of what would come. It wanted to mate.

“I want to kiss you.” His lips came closer to her until they hovered just above, not quite touching. His warm breath brushed across her face, and she wanted to close the distance between them. “But if I do, I won’t be able to stop myself.”

The first sounds of helicopter blades cutting through the sky echoed toward them.

“There’s not enough time for more than a kiss.” It pained her to utter those words, but they had to meet the ’copter and deal with any frightened clan members. This had to come first, even if, at the moment, it was at the cost of their mating. It wasn’t just Alpha duties but also his duty to his sister, and that mattered to her as well. “Come on. The sooner we see this through, the sooner we can be alone.” That wasn’t just a promise to him but also to her beast.

With a sigh, he stepped back but took her hand into his. “What’re the chances I can get Mira to stay on the helicopter and they take off again?”

“Not a chance.” She might hope for it so she could have him alone, but realistically she knew that wasn’t happening. Mira was as strong-willed as they came from this clan, and she wouldn’t just jump onto the helicopter and leave until she got what she had come for. There was only one way, and she knew David wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t pull rank and force them to leave. Not unless they were unsafe and he had no other choice.

He nodded and headed toward the door. With her hand in his, she fell into step beside him. The last time she had seen his sister had been the morning before she’d left. Mira confronted her before they made it to the dining hall.
Your time is running out with him. You’ll have a choice to make. Trust yourself.
At the time, she didn’t think much of it. Anyone who had witnessed how things had progressed would realize Frank was losing his patience with her and soon she wouldn’t be able to put him off. Now she wondered if Mira had known something more. Had she known Victoria would run? Had she seen it in one of her visions of the future?