A Tiger's Claim (3 page)

***

Shay hobbled to the vanity and opened the drawer had Travis mentioned. She smiled at the travel-sized shampoo and conditioner bottles and the mini-bars of soap scattered about. She took one of each and carefully turned to the shower.

Her hip ached, but at least she could kind of walk on it, thanks to Travis. Images of the way his curly brown hair swayed when he moved and the way his golden-brown eyes held compassion and strength entered her mind. Her skin warmed, and her breathing increased. When the feverish feeling spread to her belly and lower, she stilled. Oh, no. Not now. She couldn’t be going into heat.

But, she was.

It had to be the reason why she felt the need to be away from all the males in her life. The argument with her father fueled her frustrated mood, and then the stress from the rogue attack must have brought the cycle on.

Just her luck. She was in a strange house, miles away from home, and at the mercy of a sexy wolf.

And boy, was he sexy; in an alpha male kind of way.

Shaking away thoughts of Travis, she steadied her breathing and turned on the shower. She adjusted the temperature to be a little cooler than she normally liked, hoping it would relieve the feverish feeling. She carefully undressed and bit back the pain of lifting her leg out of her pants.

She cringed at the high wall of the tub. That was going to hurt.

Once inside the tub, she straightened to stand evenly on both feet and breathed through the pain. She stood still for a minute, then stepped under the sprays of the shower.

“You are so being a baby,” she muttered to herself and proceeded with bathing.

Fifteen clumsy minutes later, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, feeling clean and in a little less pain. It was good to be a shifter. A human would be confined to a bed for at least a couple of days after a dislocated hip, but Shay, like other shifters, was already starting to heal, and the pain was now bearable.

She towel-dried her hair and put on the clothes Travis had given her. One look in the mirror made her giggle. His sweat pants were way too big. Hell, she and Cam would be able to fit in them at the same time. Shay frowned and tied the drawstring as tight as she could. The thought of Cam saddened and frightened her. Her family would be looking for her by now. She had to call them somehow, to let them know she was alive.

She opened the bathroom door and went searching for her host.

Stepping into the hallway, she heard rustling in the bedroom. She straightened her shoulders, hobbled into the room, and froze. Travis stood at the entrance of the closet, his bare, sun-kissed back facing her. She watched his muscles bunch and flex as he bent to pick something up from the floor. Her skin heated, but, unlike in the bathroom earlier, the warmth not only moved to her abdomen, it spread over her whole body, pulling a sigh from her.

Travis straightened, turned, and met her gaze. His nostrils flared as if scenting something she couldn’t.
Maybe he does
. She studied him as he prowled toward her like the wolf he was, stalking his prey. After what she’d endured, she should be afraid, but that emotion was pushed aside by a desire she’d never experienced before.

He stopped a few inches from her and she had to look up to hold his gaze. Lifting one hand, he gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She suppressed a moan when his fingers brushed her neck. All too soon, his fingers vanished, but he leaned in a fraction of an inch, sending her pulse racing.

“I’m taking a shower. Make yourself at home.” He walked around her, and she moved to sit down on the bed before she fell.

Shay took several deep draws of air, trying to regain some composure. Seriously? Could she behave any more like a horny teen?

Now that she was clean and more alert, she surveyed her surroundings. His bedroom was duller than Blaine’s. White wood blinds covered the windows, almost blending with the white walls. No pictures hung on the walls or sat on the dresser or nightstand. In fact, the only visible personal effects in the whole room were his clothes inside the closet and a duffel bag on the chair next to the window. That was odd. It was as if he didn’t really live there.

Fear sparked through her. If this wasn’t his home, then whose was it?

She stood and tested her weight against her hip and leg, wondering how far she’d get before he came after her. Or, worse, sent the rabid wolves to chase her down.

Okay, Shay. You’re being silly
.

If he was working for the rogues, why would he bring her here to heal? He would have killed her by now. Wouldn’t he?

Limping to the window, she paused at the duffel bag. It sat unzipped and opened. She moved closer and craned her neck to peer inside. She spotted a silver picture frame, and curiosity got the better of her. She lifted the picture out of the bag, and a small gasp escaped her.

The photo was of a beautiful woman with caramel-blond hair and the darkest emerald-green eyes Shay’d ever seen. The woman cradled a small female version of Travis on her lap. The little girl looked to be around two, but Shay wasn’t sure. She had always been bad at guessing people’s ages, especially children.

Focusing back on the little girl, Shay noticed she had her mother’s eyes, Travis’s curly brown hair, and a warm, carefree smile. The type of smile she couldn’t help but fall in love with. Shay felt her lips lift in a smile, and then she noticed Travis’s scent mixed with soap and shampoo drift into the room. She snapped her attention toward the door and flung the picture behind her back.

Fuck
. She was caught being noisy.

He strode toward her and extended his hand. With shoulders dropped, she brought the photo from around her back and placed it in his open palm. She watched him peer at the picture. Pain and sorrow rolled off him and slammed into her. A whimper rose in her throat, and she covered her mouth with a hand.

Something terrible had happened. Her vision blurred, and he lifted his gaze to meet hers. With great care, he placed the framed photo back inside the duffel bag. He extended his hand again—this time his mood was softer. She placed her hand inside his and instantly heat raced through her body and touched every nerve ending. She pulled her hand back and started to sway. He gripped her elbow to steady her, and she was grateful for the support.

He helped her lie on the bed and felt her head. “You’re burning up.”

Great.  She focused on Travis, searching his face. His brows were drawn together and he narrowed his eyes at her. It was the flare of his nostrils that pushed her to change the subject away from her ‘condition’. “Tell me about her. The woman in the photo.”

He frowned and looked away. Sadness returned, but not as strong as before. The only reason she asked was because she wanted something to occupy her mind. She was about to tell him to forget it when he spoke. “Mara was my mate. We lost her two years ago, four days after that picture away taken.”

Tears pooled behind her lids. “I’m so sorry.”

He turned his head back toward her and stared for several moments before speaking. “She gave me a beautiful daughter, Josie.”

The little girl in the picture. Shay liked the name Josie. It fit her. The pride in Travis’s tone when he spoke his daughter’s name made Shay’s heart swell.

Without thinking, she placed a hand on his cheek. Warmth seeped into her palm, spread down her arm, and continued until her body was overtaken by the intense need to possess the man and wolf in front her. Sliding her hand into his soft, damp curls to cup the back of his head, she pulled him down until their lips touched.

A growl rumbled in the back of her throat, then turned into a purr when Travis’s arms wrapped around her, drawing her tight against his chest. His tongue licked the seam of her lips, and she opened. Heat spread inside her, intensifying with each brush of his tongue against hers. A searing need made her sex ache for his touch. She pressed closer into him with no sense of relief.

She let her nails glide up his still-damp back. He shuddered right before he released a low growl and pushed her back against the soft, cool sheets of his bed.

Travis raised his head, drawing a whimper from her. The absence of his lips and bare chest made her long for more. Her whole body ached, and her skin was so hot. The dizzying need made it hard to think of anything but possessing the wolf holding himself over her. The gold in his eyes dominated the soft brown as his own desire reached out to her.

With brows drawn together, he watched her. She grounded her hips into his erection through the denim. Then he shook his head as if clearing it or trying to regain control and said, “You’re in heat.”

She flinched at the words and dropped her shoulders.

Damn
.

She looked away, shamed at the realization that she was entering her heat cycle.

“It’s your first,” he growled, but it wasn’t in anger. No, she smelled, and felt his desire.

Embarrassment stole her words, and she refused to look at him. She heard him sigh, and then the bed dipped as he pushed to sit next to her. “I don’t have any herbs here.”

She didn’t respond. The lack of personal effects around his room told her he didn’t actually live here. She was betting he only had enough food for one person to survive on for a couple of days. Damn it. Why had she wandered so far?

You are much stronger that this
. She turned to study his profile and the play of emotions. Placing a hand on his bicep, she breathed in his scent and let it penetrate every fiber of her being. His eyes closed, but he didn’t pull away from her.

Mine
.

The word startled her. At that moment, Travis turned his head to lock gazes with her. The raw need still flashed in those gold-brown eyes.

“I’ve trained to fight, navigate the forest by scent, and outsmart my brothers, but I’m not strong enough to see this through alone.” Relief flooded her when he didn’t break eye contact.

“I can’t make any promises.”

She smoothed her hand along his arm and slid it up to his shoulder then his jaw to cup his cheek. “I’m not asking for any.”

Without warning, her body convulsed as another wave of heat rolled through her, tightening her muscles and bringing forth a need unlike anything she’d ever felt.

Chapter 3

Travis’s heart clenched as another muffled scream tore from Shayna. He’d been intrigued by the female’s scent before he reached her in the woods, but it was dulled by his need to destroy the creatures who hurt her. Now, the over powering sweet scent of her made it harder than hell to walk away.

And she
was
in heat.

Usually it wouldn’t be an issue, but this was her first cycle. It was hitting her hard, causing an unbearable pain that would only be relieved by a male deep inside her, spilling his seed. Or so he’d heard. By the way Shayna lay curled up, he was betting the stories weren’t far from the truth.

I can’t make any promises
.

He winced at his own words. They were true, but he still felt an odd need to take them back. He had a daughter to care for and keep safe from the Onyx Pack; he couldn’t offer a future for anyone else.

Fuck
.

The rogues were most likely searching for Shayna and her heat scent would lead them right to the cabin. Hell, her scent was driving him and his wolf crazy.

Peering down at her, he placed a hand on her arm and her head snapped up in his direction. Her Caribbean-blue eyes darkened as her pupils narrowed into cat-like slits. Damn. It was hitting her faster than he expected. He slowly moved to get off the bed, very much aware she watched his every movement.

Finally standing, he had no time to react when she pounced on him, sending him flat on his back on the floor, her recent injury clearly not on her mind. Shayna’s deep breaths and the desire in her gaze told him there was no out. The tiger had caught her prey, and God help him, he was going to enjoy pleasing her appetite.

When she pressed her lips to his bare chest, pricks of hot desire shot through his veins, and his already hard cock pressed painfully against the zipper of his jeans. Her fangs grazed his skin, causing him to suck in a breath.

Her chilled fingers brushed his waist as she started to unbutton his pants. He grabbed her wrists, only to have her jerk them away and slap at his hands. She released a low growl and he breathed her peaches and cream scent in deep. Yes, he was stronger than she was, and he could overtake her in an instant.

However, he knew that among cats, it was the female that sought out her male, and it was the female who had the last say.  Denying her would only make the heat cycle more intolerable.

But, he could try to reason with her. He hoped. “Shayna.” He ran his fingers through her hair, still damp from her shower, and she purred. “I won’t deny you. Let me help you.”

Her gaze met his. She tilted her head to the side, and a smile lifted her full lips. With a quick jerk, she popped the button from his jeans then proceeded to lower the zipper. She wasn’t hearing him, not fully. The need had taken over.

Was this what prey felt like on the hunt? Somehow, he doubted it. Personally, he’d never seduced his food. However would enjoy being her love slave for however long this would last.

He felt his jeans being tugged down, and when her cool hand wrapped around his erection, his hips jerked and he groaned, all the reasons of why this might end badly for the both of them lost.

She crawled up his body, and before she could position herself over him, he flipped her over, pinning her to the floor. She snapped her teeth at him.

“Stop,” he commanded.

She stilled, most likely recognizing the power of the Alpha in his tone. She whimpered and moved against him. He breathed in deep, gathering what was left of his control. Leaning into her and brushing his lips against her ear, he whispered, “Are you wet?”

Her answer was a soft moan as she rubbed her face against his.

“Should I check?”

“Please…” Her words were husky and barely audible. “It hurts. Make it stop.”