A Tiger's Claim (7 page)

“Shay?”

She refocused on Travis. Worry lines etched on his forehead. She shook her head. “I’m an ungrateful spoiled brat.”

A soft smile lifted his sensual lips. “No, you’re a dominant female who wants her space.”

She studied him. How did he know what she was thinking? “Are you telepathic?”

When he shook his head, she sagged in relief. It was bad enough her father was, and even though he claimed not to be able to read her because she possessed natural shields that blocked his attempts, sometimes she had her doubts.

“Your thoughts are written on your face.” Travis leaned in until his lips were inches from hers. Heat bloomed in her abdomen, and her skin grew feverish like it had the night before. The urge to attack the yummy male in front of her was strong. His nostrils flared, and his wolf peeked out of human eyes, making her tiger perk up.

She placed a hand on his chest. Big mistake. His warmth seeped into her palm, flaring up the building desire. Before she could gather enough strength to push him away, he captured her lips.

Moaning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged him closer, deepening the kiss. She opened her mouth in invitation and he took it, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth to seek hers. He pulled back suddenly, breaking the kiss. She growled low. He smiled, which only irritated her tiger more. Before she could pull him down for another kiss, she heard a soft knock on the door, much too low on the wood to be Robyn. She sagged against the mattress with a sigh.

“Come in,” Travis called out.

The door opened wide to Josie dressed in a pair of pink Hello Kitty pajamas. Shay’s heart warmed as the little girl ran over and stopped next to Shay.

Trying to hide his amusement, Travis asked, “What are you doing, Josie?”

Josie turned to look at her father. “I want to sleep in here.”

Travis sent Shay an apologetic look. Shay smiled at him and nodded. He then cast a stern look to Josie. “Okay, but only for tonight.”

The little girl definitely had her dad wrapped around her finger. Shay patted the mattress beside her and lifted the covers. “Come on.”

Laughing, Travis gave Shay a quick kiss on the lips and said, “I’ll make you some tea to help you relax. Don’t spoil her too much while I’m gone.”

Shay tried to look innocent, but she knew she’d failed when Travis shook his head and left the room.

Tiny fingers touched her arm and she peered down into Josie’s face. “Daddy likes you,” she whispered loudly.

Shay smiled and whispered back, “I know.”

Chapter 7

The next morning Shay opened her eyes on a start. The hint of cinnamon lingered in the air. When her eyes focused fully, she met the green-eyed stare of Josie. Shay smiled and said, “Good morning.”

Josie’s face brightened. “Morning,” she whispered.

Amused at the little girl, Shay asked, “Why are you whispering?”

“Because Daddy said not to wake you.”

Shay felt her lips tug up on a smile. Josie was too incredibly cute. “I’m a wake.”

Josie giggled and nodded against the pillow she laid on. “Yep.”

“Do you know what’s for breakfast?”

“Nana is cooking chocolate chip pancakes.”

Shay pressed a finger to Josie’s noise. “Sounds yummy.”

Josie’s eyes widen in excitement. “The best. Let’s go get some before Daddy eats them all.”

“Well, we can’t let that happened.” Shay turned over, lifted the covers and got out of bed. She stood still for a couple of seconds, testing out her injured leg. Nope, no pain. She’d always healed a little faster than the average shifter. Her father seemed to believe it had to do something with her witch’s blood she got from her mother. The magick in her blood worked with her shifter half to heal at a faster rate.

Walking around the bed, she saw Josie scoot off the bed and wait for her. Shay stopped next to her and held out a hand. Josie took it and tugged her out the room, down the hall, and into the large living room. Shay’s heart sputtered a couple of beats at the sight of Travis in only a pair of loose fitting jeans. He set the small dining table. When he placed the forth plate down, he lifted his gaze to hers.

The air felt like it thinned and she flushed at his intense stare. The male was beautiful in a pure male way. Now that she wasn’t crazed with need from the heat cycle, she saw the slight gold tones in his tanned skin and the brush of caramel in his brown hair.

Robyn came around the corner behind Travis, dousing Shay’s very inappropriate thoughts. His mother smiled and said, “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you.” Shay stepped forward to sit at the table and frowned when she realized there were only two places set.

Travis came to stand next to her, took her hand in his, and tugged her through the kitchen to the back porch. Stepping out of the sliding glass door, she gasped at the beauty of the landscape. Large oak trees shaded the area and a tiny stream trickled in the distance.

“It’s so peaceful,” she said and followed him to a small round table. A smile lifted her mouth at the sight of two plates, fruit, pancakes, and bacon carefully placed around the table. She lifted her gaze to meet his. “Why are we eating out here?”

Travis pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. When she did, he pushed it in, leaned down, and whispered in her ear, “Because I want you to myself.”

She studied him as he sat across from her. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

He lifted a brow. “I think we’re past that stage already.”

She frowned and looked away. Shame renewed itself and made her chest tighten. He was obligated to her because of her irresponsible actions. She should have been on some kind of birth control. Although, it didn’t matter, did it? Birth control for their kind was only about seventy percent effective. That percentage went to zero when they found their true mate.

That meant if she was pregnant, Travis was right about being mates.

He covered her hand with his. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

She sighed and turned her head toward him. His forehead creased with worry, making her feel worse. “Look. You have a daughter to take care of, and I don’t want you feeling obligated to me because I might be carrying your child.”

He sat back and crossed his arms. ‘You
are
my mate whether your pregnant or not.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t love me. You don’t even know me. How can you just accept it?”

One side of his mouth lifted and she clenched her jaw. Before she could shoot out a response, he held up a hand and shook his head. “I know that you are a stubborn, but caring person.”

She bit back a growl. “I’m also not a very good morning person. I’m a neat freak. And I have issues with following direction.”

He picked up his coffee and took a sip, most likely hiding his smile from her. But, she saw it. When he sat the cup down, he said, “Sounds like you’ll get along with Josie very well.”

Blah. What an irritating male. “So that’s it. You are reverting to back to the caveman days? I’m your mate and that’s it.”

The amusement left his eyes. “You know as well as I do that the female has the final say.”

Yes, she did know that. However, it didn’t always work that way among wolves. “For cats it does. Did you forget I grew up with wolves as well?”

A tic formed in his jaw and she raised her eyebrows in challenge. He leaned in and spoke quietly. “I’m trying to play things by your rules. I could take you off, mark you, and pleasure you until the only thing you know is me.”

She swallowed. A wave of desire rippled over her. Damn him. “I don’t know how to play this game. I’ve never considered having a mate. I always thought it would be years, maybe centuries before I had to worry about it.”

He relaxed and stabbed a couple of pancakes and put them on her plate. “I want to get to know you. Have a chance to court you.”

Okay, that didn’t sound too bad. I fact it sounded great. This male and his wolf intrigued her tiger, and Shay liked the idea of being mated. She also wanted to love the male she gave herself to. Travis may very well be that male. She watched him for another moment before saying, “I’d like that.”

He gave her a gentle smile. “Thank you.”

***

Later that afternoon, Travis leaned against the railing of the back porch watching Shay and Josie try to get butterflies to land on their fingers. Shay’s laughter was like music, soothing and beautiful. Relieved by how quickly Shay healed from the bullet wound, put him and his wolf at ease.

Even though Mara wasn’t his true mate, her lose still cut deep. It fueled his need to seek out the enemy and make them pay. He told himself he’d never seek out a new mate only to have her taken from him.

Then Shay came into his life. A true mate. One his wolf wanted, raising an over powering need to protect and claim. Shay’s resistance only fueled the need and pushed him to pursue her even harder.

If he had to woe her into the mating, so be it. She was his, and he would have her. His wolf wouldn’t allow any other options.

He felt his mother come to stand next to him. She was silent and he waited, knowing she would speak her mind when she was ready. “Are you sure she’s yours?”

Without looking at her, he answered, “Yes.”

“And the possibility of her being pregnant didn’t make this decision?”

He fisted his hands. “You know as well as I do the only reason she could be pregnant without a bond is by being my true mate.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw her should raise in a shrug. “Just checking. Her father will not be pleased. Adopted or not, the Alpha of Ashwood is very protective of his own.”

Travis watched as Shay and Josie sat in the middle of some wild flowers. Josie chatted about her garden. He smiled. “Josie loves her.”

His mother laughed softly. “Josie loves everyone, but I see it to. Shay has a maternal nature. She will be a great mother.”

Travis felt his lips twitch at his mother’s subtle acceptance. He pushed away from the railing and descended the three steps to the backyard. Shay lifted her gaze to his and she smiled. A flash of silver appeared in her blue eyes almost too quick. If he hadn’t been so fixed on her, he might have missed it. Her tiger watched him behind her human eyes, telling him the cat knew who he was.

All he had to do was convince the woman she was his.

Chapter 8

Shay wrung her hands in front of her as Travis packed up the mini-van with suitcases and a plastic storage box filled with some of Josie’s favorite things. Shay felt her lips lift in a smile and her worry about facing her father melted away a little. Travis’s daughter had stolen a place in her heart over the past couple of days.

“I swear Josie has more stuff than the rest of us,” Travis said as closed the back door.

Shay laughed. “Of course she does. She’s the princess.”

Travis rolled his eyes then snaked an arm around her waist, drawing her into his hard chest. She gasped and rested her hands on his shoulders. His golden eyes held laughter. She’d discovered over the past two days that she loved to see the happiness in those eyes.

He pressed his nose to hers and said, “I think you’re spoiling her.”

Shay laughed. “She was already spoiled when I got here.”

He pressed his lips to hers, drawing a soft moan from her. The clearing of a throat broke them apart. Shay flushed as she turned to Robyn, who held Josie. Reaching out, Shay brushed the hair from Josie’s face and frowned. “She’s burning up.”

“What?” Travis advanced forward to place his hands on his daughter’s back, forehead, and then hands.

Robyn placed a hand on one of his. “It’s just a fever. I have given her something to reduce it and help her sleep.”

Shay wasn’t so sure. Worry churned inside her. As far as she knew, it was unusual for their young to catch colds. Josie was a sweetheart, and the thought of her being ill made Shay’s chest hurt. “We can wait to travel. I’ll call my father and tell him we’ll leave when Josie is well.”

Robyn shook her head and moved to the passenger side of the van to place Josie in the car seat. “No. She’s strong. The fever will pass.”

Trusting the little girl’s grandmother, Shay nodded and climbed into the front seat.

A few moments later, they were on the road, heading toward Ashwood Falls. They rode in silence at first. Shay’s stomach was in knots that seemed to tighten with each passing mile toward home. Worry for Josie only made her antsy. She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that something was wrong, very wrong.

Spearing a glance in the back seat, she gave a small sigh of relief at see the little girl peacefully sleeping in her car seat. But, the relief was short lived as she met Robyn’s tension-filled gaze. There was something the elder wolf wasn’t sharing. Robyn shook her head, telling Shay to keep silent. Frowning, Shay looked back at Josie again before turning to peer out the windshield.

So, as Shay expected, Josie wasn’t
just
running a fever. Fear raised its ugly head and wormed its way into her heart. The tiny child that Shay had grown so fond of in the short period of a few days was ill. Oh, God, she hoped the Ashwood wolf Healer could help Josie.

She rested her head back on the seat and tried to squash her worry. Josie would be okay. She had to be.

Josie was so lucky to have her nana. The only mother figure Shay had was Luna, the wolves’ Alpha female. Then again, Luna was like a mother to everyone in the den. Even Keegan. A giggle bubbled out of her, and she felt Travis peer over at her. She shook her head.

Sighing, she closed her eyes while thumbing her pinky ring. It had been a gift from her father when she refused to shift in front of the others. At the time, she’d wanted to keep her modesty. Plus, she felt ill at the thought of the boys seeing the mark of their enemy etched into her skin.

Finally, after her third time of being caught ditching training, Keegan gave her the ring, explaining it had been his mate’s before she died. He told Shay that Cate would have wanted her to have it, and that the ring was passed down from mother to daughter for centuries.