To Tempt A Tiger (30 page)

“Fuck,” Vlad muttered. “Have you told her?”

“I’ll handle it, don’t worry. Mitch would never let her get hurt anyway.”

Vlad nodded and put an arm around Rose’s shoulders, pulling her tightly to his side. She went willingly. She was glad Alexis had suggested they sit, because she wasn’t entirely sure her legs would hold her up right then.

Alexis continued, “Lei started planning the kidnapping as soon as he got word from Yuri that Zoe was on her way here.”

“So my brothers were working with him?” Vlad said.

“Yuri was, anyway. Lei’s assistant confirms they were in contact through a few intermediaries.”

“Bastards,” Vlad muttered.

Rose squeezed his knee, not sure what to say.

“They’d originally planned to abandon her so they couldn’t be held accountable for ‘killing a human,’” Alexis said, “but when Lei found out she could shift, that pushed him over the edge. His assistant says the whole ‘only a real shifter would survive’ part of the plan started after the kidnapping. His assistant was actually surprised he didn’t kill Zoe outright.”

Rose squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as the full horror of what might have happened swamped her. She turned into Vlad’s hug, knowing she’d have nightmares about this for years to come.

He rubbed a hand in comforting strokes up and down her spine while she regained her composure. “How did Yuri even get into the compound without being spotted? Even with Lei’s help?” he asked Alexis quietly.

“There are still…questions about that.”

“In the hall, you said something about an alarm?” Rose asked.

“Because the soundproofing on the meeting hall is so good, there are emergency buttons under the table for the elders to use if they need help. Those were disabled. Which is why I didn’t know you were in serious trouble until you started to open the main door. Victor is raging about all the breaches. He’s going to be ripping his security team apart after this.”

“Were Anton and Andrey involved, too?” Vlad asked. “Or are they dead?”

“The twins turned themselves in,” Alexis said.

“They’re here? Now?”

“In confinement. They haven’t actually committed a crime, not that we have evidence of, so they won’t be held. They claim they came in to answer questions, and they’re disavowing any knowledge of Yuri’s plans.”

“Did they know he was working with Lei?” Vlad asked.

“They say they didn’t. Anton was surprised to learn Lei was as dedicated to the anti-hybrid cause as your father was. They were both visibly shocked to hear he’d attacked Zoe in the meeting hall.”

“I’ll want to talk to them later.”

“That can be arranged. You might emphasize your woman shot Yuri and can kill them, too, despite being human.”

“She won’t have to because if they get anywhere near us, I’ll rip them apart.”

Alexis tilted her head in acknowledgment.

“Will Zoe’s annuity continue?” Rose asked. “I assumed it came from Lei, but now that he’s dead, does that still happen?”

“The elders have control of his fortune upon his death—a prerequisite to becoming an elder. Once you die, the council takes over distribution of your funds, outside of a few trusts set aside for family. So the annuity is still in effect. Elizaveta said he seemed more bothered by giving money to Zoe than by the possibility of a death sentence. Guess we know why now.”

“I’m glad he’s dead,” Rose said. “Even if it meant Zoe lost the money. I would have happily killed him myself.”

“And no one would’ve blamed you,” Vlad said.

“By the way, Vlad,” Alexis said, “any suspicion you were under because of your father? That’s gone now. The Trackers won’t be following you. No one is keeping track of your movements anymore. As far as the elders are concerned, you’re back to being an upstanding member of the community.”

He gave Alexis a tight-lipped smile. “Gee, thanks.”

She laughed. “Hey, it’s something, right? And it does mean you have the status and power to protect Rose and Zoe, beyond what the law can do.”

“What about Zoe and the Mate Run…” Rose let that trail off. She wasn’t sure at all about Zoe participating in that mating ritual.

Alexis looked away for a moment, then said, “There’s no telling whether or not it will even exist by the time Zoe reaches maturity. Don’t worry about that for now.”

“Something we should know about?” Vlad asked.

“Nothing certain. Nothing I can talk about because most of it I’m technically not supposed to know. But changes are in the wind.”

Vlad nodded, looking thoughtful.

“What about the whole Mate Run for me?” Rose asked. “They made a lot of noise about me having to ‘choose a tiger mate.’ Now that they’ve wrapped me into the hybrid laws, do they expect me to follow the same rules as they expect from Zoe?”

Alexis glanced at Vlad, who was still deep in thought. “You won’t have to worry about it. They’ll hope you mate with a tiger and continue to produce tiger babies, but they finally argued themselves to the conclusion that they can’t demand the same kind of community loyalty from hybrids that they do shifters, and certainly not from full humans. Elizaveta convinced them that they need to start taking a gentler approach, or the problems they already have with the young tigers are going to get exponentially worse with the introduction of reluctant hybrid and human females.”

“What problems with the young tigers?”

“Long story.” Alexis waved that away. “For now, just be assured, you’re officially protected and safe under our laws. Zoe’s annuity is guaranteed. And no one else will be coming after you.”

Rose blew out a long breath. “After the last two weeks, this feels…strange. It’s going to take some getting used to. We can just…go home now?”

“You can do anything you want now.” Alexis stood. “Just let me know when you’re ready to leave, and we’ll set you up with flights back to Phoenix. Don’t forget, there’s a job offer waiting for you if you want it. Keep in touch. We’ll talk.” She glanced at her phone and smiled. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, my daughter and youngest son just arrived. If I don’t get to them before Victor, he’ll put them to work trying to find the security breaches.” She shook her head, waved goodbye, and closed the door on the way out.

Vlad was still staring at a wall, contemplating something.

Rose squeezed his knee to get his attention. “You okay?”

He pulled in a breath and looked down at her. “I’m good. I think we should run away to Alaska for a few weeks now, though. I need a vacation.”

Rose laughed. She studied his face for a moment before saying, “You lied to the elders.”

He narrowed his eyes in question, frowning slightly.

“About making sure Zoe would run. You lied to them. You have no intention of pushing that on her.”

“Of course not. Our daughter will have choices.”

“Then why did you lie?” There was no accusation in her question. She was genuinely curious. Her relief at knowing now that she’d recognize his lies probably helped her attitude.

He shrugged. “It was expedient. I didn’t want to argue the point. Not yet anyway. We have years ahead of us to worry about it, and you heard Alexis, it might not even be a worry.” He gave a rueful snort of a laugh. “I should have known you’d notice. I never could lie to you.”

That surprised her. “You couldn’t?”

He shook his head. “With you, I’ve always been an open book. Sometimes much to my dismay.”

She chuckled, but raised a disbelieving brow when she said, “That’s why I knew about the shifter thing all along?”

He made a face. “Okay, I kept a few secrets because I didn’t want to scare you off. I would have told you eventually. I intended to before I let you marry me.”

“Really?”

“Really. I only ever wanted honesty between us.”

She smiled, and kissed him, and decided a vacation to Alaska sounded wonderful so long as she had Vlad and Zoe with her. She wrapped herself around him, as all the pent up emotions of the last few days exploded and the need to feel him, hot and naked and hers, overwhelmed everything else.

He stood with her still in his arms, a feat of strength that made her tremble, and carried her to his bedroom.

She kissed and nuzzled him, basking in his heat and the feeling of finally being safe, finally being able to relax and savor him.

He closed his bedroom door gently with a tap of his foot. Then he had her on the bed, sprawled beneath him and his hands were everywhere. They pushed and tugged at clothing until every stitch hit the floor. When she had him naked, Rose rolled him onto his back and kissed her way across his chest, down his abdomen to his erection, and took him in her mouth, needing his taste like she’d never needed anything before.

He arched up under her, his hands clenching in her hair. She sucked and licked, taking him to the very edge of his control. She loved the way he gave her so much power over his body. She loved the way he held nothing back. And she returned the favor, giving him everything she had to give.

When his muscles trembled and she was sure he wouldn’t be able to take much more, she straddled him, positioned his cock and eased down, sighing as he stretched her, savoring the friction of his entrance. “I’ve missed this. It’s only been a few days and I’ve missed this so much.”

He reached up to cup her breasts, pinching her nipples as she started to move in a steady, even rhythm. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured and then groaned when she tightened her inner muscles around him. “I’m never letting you go again, Rose. You’re mine.”

She was, completely and forever.

But then, she always had been.

As her pace increased, he moved one hand down and pressed his thumb against her clit, pushing her building orgasm over the edge. She strained against the pressure for a moment and then let go as everything burst apart.

By the time she settled, he’d rolled her onto her back. He nudged her knees up and hooked one arm under one of her legs, a position which tightened her entrance and started a surprising second orgasm building. She panted and clenched at his shoulders as he took control of her body and sent her reeling. He groaned her name as he pounded into her. The sound of his sexy, deep voice pushed her past any remaining restraint. This time they went together, leaping out over a chasm and flying free.

For long moments after, she couldn’t manage more than holding him close and breathing in his familiar scent, savoring the peace.

He levered up onto one elbow and smiled down at her, the expression making her heart thump faster.

“So. Alaska, then?” he asked.

She laughed. “Absolutely. Though, my parents are going to want to see us before we go.”

“Good. I need to ask your father a question.”

“What?”

“I want to formally ask him for your hand.”

“What?” she repeated, not sure she’d heard him correctly.

“That’s what humans do, right? Suitors ask their prospective fathers-in-law for permission to ask for his daughter’s hand?”

“Maybe some people do that. It’s certainly not a requirement.” She cupped his face. “Why are you looking for my parents’ approval?”

“Because I know you’re hesitant, and you don’t believe I want to marry you because I love you. You think I’m just trying to keep you safe. But I’ve wanted to marry you since practically the first moment we met. I was planning on proposing long before Zoe entered our world. And now that you’re back in my life, I don’t intend to let you go. I know I might have to do some convincing, and we’ve got time. I’m not in a hurry. I just need you to know I’m serious about marrying you. I always have been.”

She swallowed hard. “Did you just say you love me?”

“Rose, of course I love you. I never stopped.”

“You haven’t said it since you came back.”

“I didn’t think you’d believe me. I didn’t think you were ready.”

“I wouldn’t have. And I wasn’t.”

He shifted positions so he was beside her, but pulled her close so they faced each other. “Now?”

“I love you, too. I never stopped.”

His dark eyes sparkled and a very slight smile lifted his lips. “Does that mean you’ll marry me?”

“Yes, Vlad. Yes.”

His half smile broke into a full grin and he kissed her, tangling his hands in her hair and his leg over hers to tuck her tight against his body. She melted into him, taking all his heat and love, amazed and content to finally be with the man…the tiger of her dreams.

Epilogue

Vlad settled into the simple metal folding seat across from his brother Anton’s holding cell. The tiger-proof bars and thick plastic let them see each other and talk, but kept Anton securely confined. Vlad had checked. Both twins were being released in a few hours. They’d answered everyone’s questions, been very cooperative and on their best behavior. The remaining hours in holding were strictly for paperwork.

But it gave Vlad a chance to face Anton without Andrey there to listen.

“Your daughter okay?” Anton asked. He sat on the small room’s single cot, his back against the wall opposite Vlad.

“You coming after her? If you try, I won’t hesitate to kill you. You heard what Rose did to Yuri? She’s no typical human.”

“I’ve no interest in killing your daughter or your mate, Vlad.” He frowned. “But Andrey…”

“Tell him what I’ve told you. The fact that you’re my brothers won’t stop me.”

“You still claiming us as family?”

“No.”

He shrugged. “Yuri and Andrey have disowned you, too.”

“You haven’t?”

Anton stared at him for a silent moment before saying, “Our father really did kill Mother, didn’t he?”

“He did. Why do you suddenly believe me?”

“Things Yuri said. He’s as vicious as father was.”

“If he gets out of confinement, you let him know I’ll finish the job Rose started.”

“I will. But I doubt he’ll get out.”

Vlad tended to agree. The elders didn’t take well to having their inner sanctum violated—even if one of their own had helped Yuri break in. “Why are you here, Anton? Why did you turn yourself in?”

“Because of Zoe.”

Vlad frowned at his brother. That made no sense. Anton’s scent gave him very little to go on either, though there wasn’t even a hint of deception in it.