Caging the Bengal Tiger (16 page)

She curled up on his chest, resting. "What am I going to do about my sister? It's obvious she hates me and I don't blame her. I left her there, Isaac, I'd be furious too," Lacey said and tried to think of something that might help.

She sat up and squirmed out his arms going into her family room. "I know what I can do." She ran down the hall and smiled. She grabbed the box in the corner and started to gather some of her mother and brother’s things.

"Isaac, are they bringing my sister back here?" She asked glancing over her shoulder at him.

"Yes, but can't you do this later, Lady Cat. You need to rest." He said, coming up behind her and placing her hands on her shoulders, squeezing them.

"If she can have a few of mother's things for tonight, it might help. Please can you have someone take them to her?" She had loaded the blanket up with pictures, her sister’s blanket, and a few of their stuffed animals that she had collected, plus her mother's shawl, the one she always wore when they went out.

"Anthony, give this to Lan and he'll see to it that she gets these things and come right back. We all need to rest." Isaac handed the box off to Anthony and once more picked her up. "No more worrying now. You need to sleep. It's been a long day and we don't know how long your cycle is going to last."

Once more in bed, snuggled on top of Isaac, which seemed her new sleeping position, Lacey looked over at Dan as he lay down next to them. "I really did love meeting your folks, but why was your sister such a bitch?"

Dan laughed and met her gaze. "I'm afraid she's like that with everyone at first till she gets to know you." He sighed. "About three years ago a few of what she thought were close friends betrayed her. She'd been working on the thesis for her masters when the one woman stole it and submitted it under her name. The other women covered for the one who used it as her, but eventually it was proven that her work had been stolen, but the damage had been done. Now Marty more or less keeps to herself and helps mom run the family business."

"Which is?" Lacey asked and making it a point to try and friend his sister.

"Antiques. They find pieces people are looking for and buy them for a hefty price, plus they also help Dad keep security up to date around here, provide your food and things you guys request." Dan said, but turned to her. "So what is this princess stuff that we keep hearing about?"

"It's nothing, really. It's rare for a white tiger to be born and it seems my mother was descended from a race that is old. So old no one knows where he or she actually came from. Anyway, it was told through the generations that a white tiger would bring forth a new era for the tigers. That she will once again bring together the races to form one ruling class, something like that. Nothing big.”

Isaac laughed shaking her. "It seems fitting that we're here to help find more of your kind, doesn’t it? The king has approved our stay here and we have warriors standing by to help." He ran his hands down her back to cup her ass cheeks, as Anthony came in frowning.

"What's wrong?" Isaac asked as Anthony lay down on the bed staring up at the ceiling.

"It seems Kraig was trying to find his
meru.
Lacey's sister was not the only cat shifter there. They all were cat shifters. Kraig had managed to find over ten of them and brought them back to the house to see if he was their mate, not caring if they were his or not. Seems he was bound and determined to inspect each female according to the weasel we let live." Anthony growled. "I should have seen this coming, but I had no clue."

"How could you have known Kraig would snap?" Isaac asked him, waiting for Anthony. "Is there some kind of sign that I should know of that signals when a man has lost his ability to think straight?"

"No, but it was my responsibility as head of my family," he stated. She so wanted to reach over and comfort him, but Isaac kept her pinned down.

"Yes, it is, but again no one knows when a man will snap. Some men are not cut out to be a warrior. We have seen this time after time. You know this," Isaac added, waiting patiently for Anthony to accept it.

"Still not easy," he mumbled. "The only good thing is that no man touched the females while they were held at the house."

"Well, that’s a plus. At least your man was honorable and we now have ten more females that could be mates to our warriors," Isaac leaned over, holding onto her. "You can't be in two places, or can you?" Isaac said and she heard the teasing in his question.

Anthony laughed and slugged his shoulder. "All right smart ass, lay down, you made your point."

Lying back down, he smiled and winked at her. "Of course I made my point. Dan, did you call your office yet?" Isaac turned to look at him.

"I need to go in and resign. I've informed my boss that I won't be back and recommended that my partner take my place. I didn't inform him of what happened. It isn't his business, plus I'm sure he'll notice when I walk in there that I'm different," Dan said, looking up at the ceiling.

"Do you want me to go with you? I loved going in there. They always had a fresh supply of cakes, donuts, plus I want to visit with Sally." Lacey kissed Isaac's chest and leaned over Dan to grab her controller, grinning. "Watch."

Rolling onto her back, Lacey punched in the sequence of numbers and watched as her 60 inch TV came down from the ceiling. “If you don't mind, it helps me sleep a little," Lacey said and looked over to see Dan's expression. "What? You don't like my TV?" She teased.

"Damn, wait till football season starts," Dan said.

"Yea, it's good, but I like my hockey myself. More bloody," she teased and all of them laughed.

"I haven't watched TV in over three months. What do you like to watch, Lady Cat?" Dan asked.

"I love watching the Walton’s. They're the family I never had. Sometimes I'd lay here in bed and dream of having a family like that. In some ways we are, us sisters." She put her hand on her stomach. "If I am pregnant, I want our children to have what you had, Dan. A home where they can laugh and play with others, not be afraid of what’s around them. Maybe someday we can live somewhere where there is a forest and land where we can run and be free, not afraid of being hunted."

Under her, Isaac stiffened. Both Anthony and Dan sat up looking at Isaac. "What is it?"

Meeting Isaac's gaze, Lacey sighed. "What do I have to do?" she asked knowing his friends’ mate was waiting.

"Bullshit, she's in her cycle!" Anthony yelled and jumped up. "I don't like this. It would be a different if she was used to our ways, but she just changed, she could be pregnant and hell, Isaac we haven't had much time with her." Anthony grumbled.

Slowly getting up, Lacey moved into Anthony's arms and hugged him tight. "I'll be fine, she'll help me, Anthony. It's the least I can do if they're coming here to help us. We need all the help we can get, Anthony. Nothing is going to change between us. I'll just be her host while they are here on Earth. Is that so bad? Plus our children will have an added protection, how can I not agree?" Lacey rubbed her cheek on his chest.

He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him and slowly lowered herself on him. He moaned, burying his face in her hair. "I swear you have driven me crazy for the past three months, lady. I should paddle your ass for giving me so much trouble," he grunted and turned her so her back was against the wall as he pumped in and out of her, hard. This was not a gentle loving. No, she and Anthony both needed it hard and quick.

"Love me, Anthony, claim me," she panted and held onto his shoulders. His thrusts were powerful and quick. "Not going to last..." she grunted.

"Then don't, come baby, you too, Anthony," Isaac said next to them, his fingers rubbing against her clit, but she also knew he was grabbing Anthony's balls as they both moaned, coming together in a powerful quick orgasm.

"I'm so not moving," Lacey mumbled as Isaac pulled her into his arms when Anthony released her.

"Don't move, sleep, and when you wake, she'll be with you. Her name is Ina. She can't wait to speak with you and is very excited, Hong says. I love you, Lady Cat," were the last words she heard before her eyes closed.

***

Isaac settled her on the bed, and nodded for Dan and Anthony to follow him as they settled in his woman's body. Hong-Danty had informed him that her cycle would be over when she woke. that she was indeed carrying their child. They were going to be parents and he wanted to give his woman the dream she always wanted, but to do that they had work to do.

He pulled the kitchen chair out and sat down, staring at her as she slept. "She carries our child. When Lacey awakens in the morning, her cycle will be done. With Ina's presence, she'll be adding to the protection of our child. Her cycle's will be once every three months, but won't be as bad now that she is pregnant." He turned and looked at both Anthony and Dan.

"I want to give Lacey that dream. I don't want to worry about who is going to attack. So starting tomorrow, we pick up the pace around here. Dan, check in with work. Anthony, you and I will be going over the plans with Lacey for those locations we discovered. How many do you have in your clan, Anthony?" He turned his gaze on Anthony who had gotten up and grabbed three beers.

Handing him a beer, Anthony popped his can open. "I have over 400 men, but only about 100 of them have the capabilities of our warriors."

"Wait a minute, I don't understand something?" Dan asked, setting his beer down. "What do you mean have the capabilities of a warrior? Doesn't everyone transform or shift like I did?"

"No. You were dying Dan. Our king brought you over himself. He knew you were meant to be with us. Only a select few are given our powers and abilities, but then there are mistakes like that of this Koti. We're far from perfect. We do make mistakes, but when we do it, it can become deadly, as you've seen." Isaac explained.

"What happens with the others? What does Anthony mean half?" Dan asked, glancing towards the bed when Lacey moaned.

"They will have to feed like we do, they will live a long life or what you call immortal, but they will not be able to leave Earth, visit other places, have the gifts we do to protect the gates. In other words they couldn't survive off of Earth." Isaac sat up slowly and frowned. Something was not going as planned. "
What’s wrong?"
he asked his friend Hong-Danty.

"
The cat in Lacey is deciding if it wants to allow Ina inside with them. It seems your woman's cat is another entity in itself. This is not just an entity either. You did not inform me she was royalty?"

There was a pause and Isaac did not like not knowing what was going on. He got up and moved to the bed. That's when he noticed that her skin was rippling, fur replacing skin. Lacey was shifting.

"What's going on?" Anthony asked next to him as the three of them watch Lacey shift into her cat, but there was something different about it.

"I have no idea," Isaac said and sat down on the bed slowly. "Lacey, can you hear me?"

"She is sleeping. There is no need for you three to worry. We are doing fine. However, I ask why I should share my Lacey with this Ina? Aren't' I enough protection for her and the baby she carries?"
the strange new voice said to him.

"We need help fighting these men that would destroy this world. Ina and her man have volunteered to stay with us here to help fight against that threat. They can only take a form on Earth if they have a host. Since Hong is with me, he asked his mate be with mine. Why haven't you made yourself known to us or to Lacey before now?"

The cat laid her head down on her paws, her tail moved back and forth. "
We are one, Lacey and I. She knows we are speaking. Usually she does all the speaking for us, but this is a risky venture here and one that once done cannot be undone. What you ask for Lacey, you ask for me also, but it does get lonely now with so many of our kind destroyed. I will allow this since you say it is important to all of us."
With that decision the cat left, shifting back to Lacey's human form where she stirred, but did not wake.

"Now that was different? Did you know her cat could speak?" Dan asked, and he shook his head.

"No, and I wish I would have known. I'm going to have a little talk with our woman when she wakes. It seems she’s more than just a little royalty. Even Talhrn is asking to speak with her now. He'll be here tomorrow." Isaac said and turned his attention to Anthony.

"While he is here bring the first 50 men here. Our King will decide who stays and goes. As far as the others, we're going to have to figure out who is honorable and who isn't. It's time to start cleaning house. We've gotten lax here on Earth and it will stop." He crawled into bed and pulled their mate on top of him. "Come tomorrow we will be busy." Isaac stated and waited till they crawled into bed. The TV volume was still on low to help Lacey sleep. He wrapped his arms around her.

Even dealing with his brothers, and his sister whenever she decided to show up, Isaac never imagined the responsibility of having a family would be so daunting. Now he understood why his father would go to the training fields each day for an hour. It was the only way to release the extra pent up tension. Yes, they would have to build a room for them to work out. Especially for Dan. He turned his head and looked at the man.

Already signs of tension could be seen in his face. He'd start him on his training as soon as he got back from the police station. He and Lacey could go while Anthony, Talhrn and he could inspect the rest of the men.