Tiger Tracks (Alaskan Tigers Book 9) (10 page)

* * *

Mira’s heart beat frantically against her ribcage, in such a way she wouldn’t have been surprised if there were bruises to match its pattern. Thump, thump, over and over again. Her vision swam before her eyes, as her anxiety level flew off the chart.

“It’s okay. He can’t hurt you.” Styx rubbed a hand along her back.

“I’ve never been afraid of David, even as he grew in power to be Frank’s…I guess
assistant
is the best word. Frank would have never trusted anyone for the position of Lieutenant. He was Frank’s toy, someone who did what Frank didn’t want to do himself, and was used as an extra set of eyes watching the clan. But it was never a position of a trusted advisor or anything like that. There wasn’t even a true friendship bond between them, now that I really think of it.”

“Why did he take the position, then?” Theodore stood on the other side of the small kitchen counter, coffee mug in hand.

“Frank ordered it. He wanted it, and even though David was happy with his position within the clan, it was either he did it or it would have been his death. He did it to protect the family and stay alive. Dad’s health was starting to fail, and he felt it was his duty to keep us safe. He told Frank he’d do it if he left our family alone.”

“Your Alpha agreed to that?” Theodore set the mug aside and stepped closer to them. “It doesn’t sound like Frank would be willing to just look the other way. Not when he had your family to use as leverage to get David to do what he wanted.”

“Not everyone is like your family, bear. All sane and normal. Some are vindictive and will agree to something only to make things worse in another way.”

“What?” She turned to Styx. “How’s his family different than others?”

“The Browns are close-knit. They live on an island outside of Nome. I doubt any of them would have left if Taber and Thorben hadn’t mated with Kallie, and Thaddeus with Milo and Courtney. Kallie was kept prisoner for years and only began to come out of her shell since she came to the compound. She needs the security of where she is, and since the oldest Brown twins were already traveling back and forth between our land and the Brown Island, it made sense for them to stay with Kallie and travel to Nome occasionally. Thaddeus joined us because Milo is also an Elder guard for the clan.”

“Wait, you mean they have more than one mate?”

“Twins Taber and Thorben were the first of my brothers to mate. They’re the oldest and that’s when the rest of us learned that our twins will have the same mate. My mother, Ava, explained that she had two fathers. Twins.”

“But how?”

“Identical twins have the same DNA, which is why they normally end up with the same mate. It’s rare for bear shifters to have twins, but my mother had two sets.”

“Did the others mate together?”

Theodore nodded. “Not long ago they mated with Ivy. They’ve stayed on the island to help our father rule the sleuth. I’m the last of my siblings to mate, but it’s worked down from the eldest and Mom believes mine will be soon.”

“I don’t understand. You said Milo was an Elder guard, is he a bear as well? If so, why is he guarding the Alaskan Tigers’ Elders?”

“Tad—Thaddeus—is a bear, Milo is a tiger, and Courtney is human. They were destined to be together but we have no idea why when they’re so different. Somehow they work,” Styx answered. “I’ve never seen Milo as happy as he is now. His mates complete him.”

“Frank said it was an abomination to have more than one mate.” She wrapped her hands around the coffee mug that sat before her. “When I was eleven, I remember one of the tigresses of the clan had permission to visit a friend somewhere, and when she came back she was mated. Two tigers, I think. Frank had a fit.”

“What did he do?” Styx pressed when she trailed off.

“I’m not sure. Those under the age of eighteen were sent back to our apartments. Back then I always thought they were just able to leave and carry on with their lives. Happily mated.” She pushed the coffee away and glanced at Styx. “Now…”

“It’s okay, Catnip, we don’t need to relive these memories.” He wiped a tear that had rolled down her cheek.

“He killed them.” The words came out barely above a whisper, but it was like a weight was lifted from her chest. “Now I know that when the young children were ushered away, it’s because a blood bath was about to erupt. If he had just killed them, everyone would have witnessed it. But he tortured them before he killed them. All because she was destined to be with more than one. She had no say in that, she didn’t choose it, or plan to disobey him, and she still ended up dead.”

“If David’s the Alpha of the clan, it means Frank is dead and he can’t hurt anyone else any longer.”

“He did so much damage to everyone. Everyone was touched by his madness. What kind of long-term damage has that done to them? What mess will David have to clean up because of all the years under Frank’s control?”

“Why don’t we call him and find out?” Theodore suggested.

“One last question first. What about you? If all your brothers have mated with two, will you as well?”

“Only time will tell.” Theodore brought the mug of coffee to his lips, but didn’t take a sip. “I’ll be happy either way. My only hope is that I can find someone I can bring home to the island. My woodshop is all set up there…no it’s not even that because I can work anywhere but the island is my home. I might not do as much as Turi and Trey, but I don’t want to leave them as the only ones running our family’s sleuth.”

“The bear just wants to find his mate.”

“It’s hard to know that you’re next, and just stuck waiting.” He set the mug aside. “Enough chatter about me. Let’s make the call.”

Unable to put it off any longer, she touched the mouse pad of the laptop in front of her. Ty had sent them the secure number where they could contact David once they made plans for their travel. Instead, she was contacting him before they even decided to go there. While the idea of seeing her brother on the screen and knowing that he was okay excited her, it also terrified her. Dread chilled her veins at the possibility she’d find out something she didn’t want to know. Something that would keep her from ever stepping foot on the clan’s land again, and possibly from ever seeing her brother again.

“You’re not going to find out the answers you need by just staring at the computer screen. You actually have to connect the call,” Styx teased. “Come on, Catnip, whatever we find out, we’ll deal with it. But we can’t go to Connecticut blind.”

“I know.” She slid her finger up to the connect button. “Here goes nothing.”

Styx rubbed his hand over her back. “Have faith.”

It rang over and over until Mira was ready to hang up because she doubted David was around to answer it. Just as she slid the mouse to the disconnect button, his face filled the screen.

“David…” She couldn’t keep the tears from sliding down her face.
He’s alive.
Seeing him on the screen in front of her was the confirmation. She had never expected to see him again, or to enjoy the warmth of his smile. Only now there were lines around his eyes and no smile to be had. “I can’t believe it…you’re alive.”

“You too, little sister. Where are you?”

“She’s safe, that’s what matters.” Styx kept his hand on her back, rubbing small circle to ease the tension within her.

David’s gaze slid over to him. “Who are you?”

“David.” She drew her brother’s attention back to her, not because she was ashamed of Styx, but because she didn’t want him to have the same reaction as she did when she heard his name for the first time.

“Answer my question. Who are you with?”

“I was able to send a message to the Alaskan Tigers, and they sent me help. Theodore is from the Kodiak Bears.” She tipped her head to the other side of her as he came around the counter and into view.

David barely looked at Theodore. “Who’s the one next to you?”

“Styx—”

“Get away from my sister!” David hollered. Fear and anger had his eyes shifting to the warm orange fire of his tiger. “She did nothing. Frank is dead. I’m the new Alpha of this clan and—”

“Stop this.” She raised her voice. “Just listen to me for a minute before you start screaming at him.”

“Don’t be naïve, Mira. You must have
seen
that he’s dangerous.” There was no doubt he meant through her visions.

“Dangerous, no doubt.” Styx snarled. “But not to her. I would never hurt my—”

“Stop.” She cut him off before he could say mate. That was the last thing she needed at the moment. “David, he came to my rescue and saved me from some assholes in D.C. He’s not here to hurt me, and he didn’t come after me on Frank’s orders. He came because Ty and Tabitha sent him.”

“He’s there to kill you. Can you get away from him? Or tell me where you are, and I’ll send someone to help you.”

“If you could just be quiet for a moment, I’ll explain,” she snapped as her own annoyance began to seep through. “As you’ve put it, I’ve
seen
things, and Styx isn’t here to kill me.”

“How do you know that? Have you had another vision?” David cut her off again.

“Tell him the whole thing,” Styx whispered.

“She can speak for herself. Don’t encourage her to lie for you.”

Out of view of the screen, she placed her hand on Styx’s leg and tried to soak up his comfort. When she made this call, all she could think about was the outcome of what happened to her family and clan. She hadn’t considered his reaction to Styx. Maybe that was because she had already accepted him. “He’s my mate.” She just wanted to move past this so they could get to the reason she’d called.

“What?” David rose from the chair he was sitting in. “Tell me you didn’t!”

“The mating is complete,” Styx answered. “Now do you believe I mean her no harm?”

“She’ll be in more danger than she was under Frank’s rule.”

“No.” Styx wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “She’ll be protected. I will keep her safe, because people know what I’m capable of.”

“Stop it, both of you. Now, this isn’t the reason I called. Tell me what happened after I left.”

“I don’t like this, Mira.” David glanced between her and Styx for a moment before finally shaking his head. “Shelly was killed and all hell broke loose.”

“Shel.” The grief she’d been holding back since she’d run from Connecticut rushed forward. She couldn’t hold onto a ray of hope that things hadn’t gone as bad as she feared, and that everyone was still alive.

“She got what was coming to her.” David’s tone was harsh, but his eyes held a hint of sadness. “She had been pressing the boundaries with Frank for months, and the little punishments he handed down to her were no longer working. Even my agreement with him wasn’t stopping him any longer. I warned her there would be nothing I could do for her if she continued to disobey him, but she didn’t listen. That night she realized how much trouble she was in. The simple act of sneaking out had been the final straw, and Frank was going to be sure she paid for everything she had done the last few months. It’s why she betrayed your trust.”

“Was anyone else killed besides her and Frank?”

David nodded. “A number of clan members including Mom. She tried to save Shelly, and Frank killed her. That’s when things really started to get out of hand. Dad is taking it hard, blames himself since he wasn’t there when things happened. He was out on some errand for Frank.”

“Both Shelly and Mom…all because of me.”

“No.” David sat back down. “Shelly made her own choice, and the consequences most likely would have been the same. Frank had grown tired of her disobedience. You saw what he did to her last time. She barely survived the whipping, but she didn’t learn. Mom always tried to protect Shelly because she was the youngest, and she knew what could happen if she got in the way when Frank was like that.”

“How did you survive?” Styx questioned.

“I had been in what you might consider a leadership role over the land for nearly a year now. Many were used to having orders handed down from me. After…” He glanced at her as if he realized whatever he was about to say needed to be rephrased. He finally settled on the word he wanted to use. “Everything. I stepped up to regain control and I’ve taken over the clan. It’s small now, and needed someone to step into command.”

“Small? We were small before, but the way you say that makes me believe it’s worse.”

“Fifteen.” David squeezed the bridge of his nose and let out a deep sigh. “That includes Dad and I. It’s why I had hoped you’d return home, but I see that’s not an option now. I don’t believe visiting would be wise.
”
He glanced at Styx.

“But Dad…”

“I’ll see to him. Give it a little time, and we can make arrangements either for him to meet you somewhere safe, or for you to come here for a visit. Right now, things are too uncertain. I can’t guarantee your safety, not as long as
he’s
by your side, and I have no doubt he won’t let you come alone.”

“That would be correct. She’s my mate and I won’t send her there alone,” Styx agreed. “I appreciate you thinking of your sister’s safety.”

“If you were concerned with her safety, you’d have never mated with her.”

“David.” She let out a huff, and wanted to tell him that Styx wasn’t the man Frank had made them believe. In the end, she kept her mouth shut because Styx was right about one thing: his reputation kept people safe. Now that she was on the other side of things, she could see the benefit in it.

“We understand your decision,” Styx said. “You might want to consider meeting her somewhere in the near future with your father.” He steered the conversation back on track.

David glared at him for a moment before finally nodding. “I’ll speak with our father in the coming days, and we can see about arrangements for them.”

“I meant for you, too. All of you have suffered great loss, but for Mira it’s worse. She’s lost the clan she was raised in, one she might never even be able to visit again. The reassurance of seeing both of you would be good for not only her, but all of you.”

“He’s right. I’d really like to see you, David.” She wiped tears from her cheeks.

“I can’t get away from the clan now, but when I can we’ll work something out.”

“There’s one more thing before you go. Are you a supporter, or are you against us?” Styx asked without missing a beat.

“I told Ty I would give him an answer as soon as I could.”

“I know what you told my Alpha, but from what Mira told me of that night, and how you don’t seem to be angry at her for her position, I believe you already knew her stance,” Styx pushed. “Did Shelly tell you, or did you know because you were a supporter as well?”

“My stance is my own business.”

“Not if you’re against what Tabitha’s trying to do,” Mira said. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it was an unmovable object. If he was against Tabitha, against everything she believed in, he’d be an enemy and she knew what happened to those who stood against them.

“Right now, I have to think of what’s good for the clan.” David sidestepped the question again. “My personal beliefs are mine and mine alone. With the clan numbers so small, I can’t afford to lose anyone else. We’re already small enough as it is, and we could be prey to the larger clans who wish to expand.”

“If you’re a supporter, we can provide you with additional support,” Styx said. “No one will try to take over your clan. If you’re willing to take in others, we can make your land a safe haven for those escaping Alphas like Frank. We need places people can go if they are forced to run like Mira was.”

“That night, you weren’t surprised.” She adjusted on the bar stood. “You knew. But how? Shelly didn’t tell you, or she’d have betrayed you as well and told Frank that you knew but never told him. No one else knew. So how did you?”

David leaned back in his chair, a smirk clear across his face. “There were things you said that couldn’t have been taken any other way.”

“You…” She was unable to finish her thought.

“Yes. I’ve been watching as things happened in the shifter world, and as Tabitha began to take her place. What she wants to do is something I completely support. However, as an Alpha now, I need to consider my clan. That means I must decide if committing to Tabitha’s cause publically is the best thing for us. None of the members here have any kind of training. As an Alpha, I’m totally vulnerable without guards.”

“We can help with that. We can send a couple to help protect you, and train those you select,” Styx offered.

“I appreciate it, and I’ll weigh that with my decision.” David nodded. “I need some time to consider everything, but I’ll be in touch soon.” David stared at Styx for a moment before adding, “I don’t care what your reputation is, or the fact I couldn’t win in a fair fight against you even if I tried, but know this. If you hurt my sister in any way, I’ll make you pay. Your life will be hell, and you’ll wish you were dead long before it happened.”

“David,” she scolded.

“It’s okay,” Styx interrupted. “He’s only showing his concern, and he has nothing to worry about.” He looked back at the screen. “You have my word she’ll be safe, and if you know much about me, you know that I never break my word.”

“Dad and I will be in touch soon, Mira. Until then, stay safe.” With that, David leaned forward and clicked to end the call.

She couldn’t pull her gaze from the computer screen, even as the call screen went dark. Only fifteen members of her clan had survived. It had to have been a bloodbath after she left. So much death. How many more would die because of the decisions of that night? Would David be in danger now? Would he be in more danger or less if he committed to Tabitha?

“Catnip…” Styx called to her. “Are you okay?”

“Is she in shock?” Theodore came to her other side to look at her.

“I’m fine, just thinking. So much has changed.”

“Not all for the bad, Catnip.” He pulled her tighter against him. “It brought you to me. Your clan is now free of Frank.”

“But David is in danger.”

“We’ll do what we can for him, but unless he supports Tabitha, there’s no way we can send guards to help him.”

“If he’s a supporter, I’ll go to Connecticut and help train the clan,” Theodore offered.

“Thank you.” She smiled up at him. “I appreciate it. I just wish I could have gone there to see them.”

“It might have been for the best that we wait.” Theodore pulled out the last bar stool and sat down. “Right now, even though the clan is small, there’s a battle going on within it. They need to work out their issues before outsiders can come in. While you might have been a member, you’re not anymore. David needs time to establish his rule as Alpha, and until then he can’t protect anyone outside of the clan.”

“I know you’re right, but I just lost half my family and I feel like my place is there with Dad and David.” She glanced at Styx. “But I want to be here with you. My tigress claws my insides at the very thought of being away from you.”

“We’ll be together. Not here, but in Alaska, and soon we’ll see your family. Right now, Theodore is right. David needs time to get the clan under his control.”

She let her head rest against his shoulder. She knew she should be happy that David and her father were alive, but grief poured through every cell in her body. The loss of her mother was more painful than that of Shelly.
Shel, you were my best friend, but I warned you Frank would only let you push so much before he’d strike back…

* * *

They had managed to push off their departure from the West Virginia Tigers’ land by an additional day, giving Mira and Styx more time to enjoy each other before they had to get back to the Alaskan Tigers and his duties. He was thankful for the extra time with her, even if they were stuck in a cabin with Theodore, because it gave him time to get to know her. There was so much more to her. More he wanted to explore. He felt as though he had barely touched the surface on discovering his mate.