You're Kitten Me (8 page)

“Yes,” she nodded and opened her mouth to explain only to snap it closed once more. How much could she—would she—explain? How could she tell the young girl about her past when she hadn’t even explained it to Braden? She couldn’t. “I had some… difficulties… when I first shifted. My father is ready and willing to rip apart anything that threatens me, but my mother.” She shook her head. “Talia Barrington is a mama bear, best friend, and fierce wolf alpha fem in one.” She gave the girl a small smile. “And the pack den is empty. We’re all too old to live at home. She’d appreciate having you around and she can help you heal.”

“I… How…”

“I know this pain, Claire.” Ronnie squeezed her hands a little tighter, punctuating her words. “
I know.
”

The soft sounds of bare feet on wood reached her ears, the shifting of the house as someone moved around on the second floor alerting them to the fact others were waking.

Claire tugged against Ronnie’s grip and she released the tigress, allowing the girl to retreat. “Just… think about it, Claire.”

Sadness, pure heartache, consumed her features. “I…” She swallowed hard. “I’ll think about it.”

Claire looked past Ronnie and stiffened, and Ronnie turned to look for whatever had caused that reaction. Braden stood framed in the doorway, hair sleep rumpled and wrinkles from his pillow creasing his face.

“You should listen to her.” Braden tilted his head toward Ronnie and she wasn’t sure what she’d done to earn his trust so easily.

The wolf inside her snorted and practically called her an idiot. Duh, she was his mate. Of course he’d automatically believe in her.

“If Veronica says her mother can help you through this, then she can.”

“But…” the girl nibbled her lower lip. “A wolf? Ares would never let—”

“Let us deal with Ares,” he soothed and padded forward until he stood at Veronica’s side.

The urge to lean into him, to wrap her arm around his waist and take comfort, nearly overwhelmed her. No matter how many times she denied him, he was still her mate. Her one. Her other half.

But this wasn’t her first time on the mate rodeo, was it?

No.

“If this is really what you want, we’ll make it happen,” Braden soothed.

“We? You two?” Claire gestured at them, a flick of her finger bouncing between them.

Veronica swallowed hard and her wolf growled at her, demanding she present a united front with Braden. She took a deep breath and took one tiny step to the left, bringing their bodies into contact. She slipped her hand around his waist, encouraging him to drape his arm over her shoulder.

“Us. Braden and I are…” She lifted her attention to him, meeting his gaze, and she didn’t let her stare waver. Once she said the words, it was done. Good or bad, right or wrong, it was done. She just prayed they could develop a mating that would leave both of them alive at the end of the day. “We’re mates.”

Satisfaction blazed in his eyes, the color transitioning to the yellow of his tiger while orange and black fur slipped from his pores.

His attention moved to Claire. “We’re mates and we’ll stand with you if that’s what you want.”

Claire’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t heard… No one told me.” The girl’s nose twitched and her chest expanded as she drew in air. “You don’t scent like mates.”

Ronnie winced and opened her mouth to respond, but Braden beat her to it. “Because I have some reservations about the claiming.”

Now her eyes really widened. “Oh.” Her gaze went to Ronnie. “
Oh.
Yeah, I can see why, then.” Claire’s gaze softened. “Congratulations and I wish you both luck in whatever you decide.”

Ronnie’s brow furrowed. Okay, she admitted they hadn’t mated because she was hesitant and fearful of the outcome, but to hear that
Braden
had concerns…

“Wait, what?” She pulled away from him and frowned. “What about the claiming? What reservations?”

They really should have talked more about their mating and less about her father’s arrival.

But I didn’t want to talk about anything mate-related, did I?

Nope, she hadn’t. Now she did.

“Uh… You guys look like you have something to talk about, so I’ll see you both later.” With that, Claire scurried away, leaving them alone in the kitchen.

“What reservations?”

Braden countered, “Why won’t you admit to me that we’re mates? You can tell Claire, but not me?”

Ronnie pressed her lips together, not ready to delve into the past just yet. Definitely not in the middle of the kitchen with her father’s impending arrival.

“Mating is about communication,” he pointed out.

She hated that he was right. “I have…” She cleared her throat. She had to give him something. “In the past, I… A male tried to…” She sighed. “It ended badly, Braden.”

His eyes glowed with the tiger’s presence. “Did some male force—”

“No,” her denial was immediate and she stepped closer, running her hands along his arms. “No.”
Close, though.
“But it made me wary. It made me not want…”

“To tie yourself to someone.” He cupped her cheeks. “When you told Claire that your mother helped you… You went through something—”

“I went through something.” And she wanted to leave it at that. “But what are your worries?”

Braden rubbed her cheek with his thumb and she leaned into the touch, reveling in the feel of him. “You know how tigers mate.”

Ronnie nodded. She made fun of Zoe enough about it. Tigers bit each other’s asses. Er, tugged tails.

“It’s hard enough for two tigers to match and go through the ceremony, to tug tails.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. “You’re a wolf.”

His words slowly filtered through her brain, her mind picking them apart until she finally got what he was saying. “I’m a wolf.” She tilted her head to the side. “You don’t think I’m strong enough to tug your tail.”

“Baby…”

“My father is an alpha.” Now she was offended. Just because she was worried about her beast’s reaction to a mating didn’t mean she wasn’t any less strong than him.

“I understand, but you’re still a wolf.”

“The
national
alpha.”

“And I’m the national second. I weight eight hundred pounds when shifted. My cat is strong.”

She rolled her eyes. “And my wolf isn’t?”

“Look, I don’t want to fight about this. I want you. I want you more than anyone—anything—I’ve ever wanted in my life. I will take you however I can get you.” Sadness filled his gaze. “Even if you agreed to be my mate, to claim each other, I can’t guarantee my tiger would accept your wolf. And we only get one shot at the ceremony. One. If it doesn’t happen, you’d be lost to me forever. It’s tiger law.” He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, surrounding her with his scent. “I would rather have you at my side with half a mating rather than not at all. Can you understand that?”

Ronnie closed her eyes. God, yes, she could understand that. She hated that he didn’t think she was strong, but she was sure he hated her reluctance and unwillingness just as much. They were torn, at a stalemate, both of them craving the other but not wanting to go further.

“I understand.” And it rent her heart in two.

“The question is,” he breathed deeply and released the breath slowly, giving her more of his scent. “Will your father? Will your pack?”

She chuckled. “Will the pride?”

“The pride will accept my choice, Ares’s decision. But I’m not the national tiger alpha’s son. I’m his best friend. If we decide to be together without a full mating, will it hurt your father’s rule? Will the wolves accept it?”

Ronnie remembered the well wishes, the heartfelt hugs and puppy piles that’d followed that time all those years ago. The way they’d all embraced her and the pack helped her heal. Would it hurt her dad’s rule? No, because every pack member would remember.

“No.” She licked her lips, mouth dry as she prayed he didn’t ask for an explanation. “No, he’ll be fine.”

A quick rap of knuckles on wood broke the emotional bubble around them and they both turned their attention to Daniel standing in the kitchen archway. “Hate to interrupt, but,” he pointed at Ronnie. “Your father is here.” Then his gaze turned to Braden. “And so is Cadman.”

Ronnie froze. “Oh shit,” she whispered, mind whirling. Her dad was still pissed about Cadman’s betrayal. It’d be best if there was a massive tiger-shaped buffer between the wolf and the human. “They arrived together. Now?”

That was about the time a roar split the air and on its heels… a gunshot.

Walter Barrington—National Werewolf Alpha—had balls of fucking steel.

Half shifted, torn clothes clinging to his expanded body, he stood fearless in front of a half-dozen agents. Agents pointing their guns at him with steady hands. The torn dirt at Walter’s feet showed exactly where the bullet from the discharged weapon ended up.

One of the DoPE agents shot at the wolf’s feet. The human was a dead man breathing.

Walter remained in place, not in fear, but as a deadly animal waiting to see how his prey would respond. Braden knew the sensation well, the tension in his muscles as he prepared to react, adrenaline pumping in his blood and saliva pooling in his mouth.

One of the men’s gazes flicked their way, attention falling to Veronica, and his own beast reacted. His fur pushed free of his pores, chest expanding and growing as the beast pushed forward. He stepped in front of his mate, blocking her from view, and stared the human down. He might not be the national alpha, but he was a strong fucking tiger in his own right.

The wolf might be the first shifter they encountered in the battle, but he wouldn’t be the last. That’d be Braden.

Fingers tingling, he let more of the transition push forward. Human nails became tiger claws, blunted teeth became deadly fangs, and tanned skin was replaced by orange and black.

He slowly descended the porch steps. Ares was at the wolf alpha’s left so Braden took his right, only stopping when he reached Walter’s side. The leader brought his sentinels, those wolves off protecting the females while their alpha faced the humans.

Women and children first. The future of their species always had to be protected. Walter was an alpha and if he fell, the man’s beta would take up the mantle of leadership. It was why the inner-circle rarely traveled together.

If Walter’s beta couldn’t attend, Braden and Ares would take up the slack.

Besides, he didn’t think the death of his mate’s father would really be a good start to their… whatever the hell their relationship was.

The wolf didn’t acknowledge him, the flare of his nostrils the only sign that he knew of Braden’s presence. He positioned his body much like the two alphas—hands at his sides with claws exposed while he balanced on the balls of his feet.

Braden looked over the six men who formed a wall between them and Cadman. While the shifters presented a united, fierce front, the human hid behind others.

He was reminded of his father’s words.
A leader should lead. To battle. To death. He is always first.

The positioning made him think Cadman was nothing but a puppet, a voice for someone else’s agenda.

Or he was just a pussy.

Either option was equally probable.

“Enough with the bullshit, Cadman.” Walter’s voice was filled with a deep growl. “Tell your men to put their guns away or I take ’em.”

Taking them could be fun. “I call dibs on the two on the right.”

That drew everyone’s attention, and the wolf snorted before speaking. “You think you can handle ’em, puppy?”

Veronica’s heavy sigh reached them. “If you’re gonna call him names, you should at least stick to the right species.” Of course, his mate had to come forward and stand at his side, hands on her flared hips and the scent of her annoyance wrapped around him. “And yes, I think the
kitten
can take these… people.”

He flicked a glance her way and he had to fight his grin. She stood there, still rumpled from his bed with a look of disgust on her features.

Sexy as hell and he knew he was one lucky fucker.

“If Braden is taking the two on the right, I’ll grab the three on the left,” Ares rumbled into the quiet. “Walter, you get the dumbass that shot at you and Cadman. I figure you have a score or two to settle.”

Well, now Braden was pissed he hadn’t claimed Cadman too.

Movement at his back had him on alert, but a subtle shift in the wind told him who approached: Gannon, Murphy, and Daniel. At least he could depend on Gannon and Murphy remaining level headed.

“I can’t believe you aren’t taking this more seriously.” Cadman’s face reddened. “Walter attacked us the moment we stepped from our vehicles. That’s attempted murder.”

Ares grunted. “We do or we don’t. Shifters don’t attempt shit.”

It was the truth.

“Fine,” the DoPE representative snapped. “Two men are dead and the third is in critical care. There is no denying that fact.”

Braden internally winced. Yeah, they’d tried treating him at the den, but he’d needed better help.

“Being a
friend
to shifters,” —Walter stuck the verbal knife in— “you know our view on attacks is very cut and dry. Or wet, as the case may be.”

“I can’t believe you’re treating this so flippantly. The four of them broke the law and DoPE will see them punished for it. We can’t allow—”

Walter jumped in and it seemed like Ares was happy to let the wolf lead things along. “That’s bullshit and you know it, boy.”

Cadman glared. “Mister Barr—”

“Alpha,” Ronnie growled and stepped forward, which had the men surrounding Cadman stiffening. Braden wanted to growl for an entirely different reason. “Alpha. Barrington.”

Mainly because she drew attention to herself. Attention from men holding guns that already showed themselves to be trigger-happy.

The human pressed his lips together in a tight line before speaking again. “Alpha Barrington, you are aware of DoPE’s responsibility to not only shifters but also the general public. When laws are broken, it’s up to us to ensure the guilty parties are punished.”

The wolf grunted. “Uh-huh.”