Tiger Betrayed Read online

“That was…” she began, and he set her on her feet.

  “Incredible,” he finished.

  She grinned like a lovesick idiot at him. He thumbed soaked braids from her face and drew her to him.

  “So we’re agreed?”

  She yawned and nodded. “Mm, yeah. We’re agreed. It’s all about us.”

  He chuckled. “Absolutely.”

  Twelve years later.

  “Maia, where are you?” Deja demanded of her oldest daughter on her cell phone.

  “Mom, I told you I’m hanging with my friend Brittney.”

  “Hanging is not a location.”

  The longsuffering sigh pissed Deja off, and she held onto her temper by a thread. Neve, leaning against the side of the minivan as she listened to music through her earbuds, did not give Deja this much trouble. The girls were thirteen and as different as night and day—Neve calm, Maia ready to conquer the world, if it didn’t bore her first.

  “Mooooom.”

  “Maia Hunter, you have your butt home by three p.m., or else. I’m not out here shopping for my own party. It’s yours and Neve’s, and she’s here with me helping out.”

  “Goody-two shoes.”

  “What did you say to me?”

  “I said I’ll be home on time, Mom. I promise.” The line went dead, and Deja swore. Neve’s eyes rounded.

  Deja grumbled as she packed more bags into the van. “When will the teenage years be over?”

  Neve touched her hand, and Deja calmed down a little. She smiled at her slightly younger daughter and then kissed her cheek on impulse. Just yesterday they were toddlers being held in her arms and protected from the world. In reality twelve years had passed, twelve semi-peaceful years where the only issues that came up were the normal problems like Maia running off or smart-mouthing her, or dragging her sister into messes and leaving Neve to clean it up. What neither girl realized, and what Deja had been discussing with Heath, was that Neve and not Maia had exhibited tendencies of the alpha blood running through her veins. Of course that didn’t mean Maia wouldn’t show it after their first turning. Who knew what would happen, and therein lay Deja’s agitation. Ordinarily, Deja would check Maia for her attitude, but knowing Heath would help them turn after their birthday party drove her crazy. She couldn’t focus, which was why she was back out here gathering more supplies she’d forgotten while Coreen stayed at home to cook. Her girls just had to be okay.

  “Everything will be fine, Mom,” Neve said in her quiet, soothing tones. “You’ll see.”

  Deja met the gaze so like her daddy’s, one of his side’s dominant features. Did Neve know she sent out calm to others at random times? Deja didn’t think so. At least her daughter had never mentioned it, and Heath seemed to think it rose on instinct. Either way, Deja appreciated it now.

  “Thanks, baby. Okay, we’re done with the shopping. Let’s stop by Daddy’s to make sure he’s not going to be late, because if he is, I will kill him too.”

  Neve laughed and climbed into the van. Soon they pulled up to city hall, and strode into the building. So much had changed over the years. Once again, the offices had been expanded to accommodate more employees. A sense of nostalgia came over her remembering Carter and Joe arguing because Carter burned their noses with turpentine. Even after all this time, she still missed the man.

  “Hey, sis.”

  Deja snapped out of her reverie to glance up at Abel. No longer the teenage boy she’d first met on arriving in Siberia, he was a man now and well over six feet tall. Despite the countless times she saw him, he still took her by surprise with the startling blue eyes, strong jaw, and muscular build.

  She allowed him to give her a hug and kiss her cheek then watched as he did the same to a blushing Neve.

  “Hey, Abel. Your brother in the back?”

  “Which one?”

  She pursed her lips at him.

  “If you mean Aaron, he’s off abusing his badge probably.”

  She laughed. “Sounds like him, but you know I mean Heath.”

  A flash of a sexy grin. He’d break some woman’s heart before long if he hadn’t already. “He’s there. I say drag him home by his ears. Nice humiliation I can enjoy.”

  “Of course. Thanks.”

  Deja left her youngest daughter with her uncle and continued down the hall. She picked up a vaguely familiar scent she’d come across here and there around town, so she knew her husband wasn’t alone. Well, whatever, he would wrap business up now, or she really would drag him home by his ear.

  The woman leaning against Heath’s desk screamed sexuality even if the front of her dress weren’t cut practically down to her navel. She pouted deep rose lips as she spoke to Heath. “Can’t you make an exception for me? I really need the permit. In fact I’ll be happy to make it up to you, Heath.”

  Deja saw red, but she didn’t get two steps before Heath checked the woman.

  “First, please show some respect to my wife by not offering yourself to me. Why would I ever want you when I have Deja, who satisfies me beyond what any man deserves? Second, bribing an official is punishable by law. Third, your plan would destroy the peace and safety our kind have found in Siberia. The answer is and always will be no.”

  The genuine anger she sensed coming from her husband aside from his heated words said he hadn’t spoken them just because he’d heard and smelled her coming. A rush of warmth and love for the man came over her, and she strode into the office and plopped onto his lap. “Hi, baby. Neve and I came to pick you up.”

  The gasp behind Deja meant the woman had been too focused on seducing Heath to notice Deja arriving. The instant Deja’s ass touched the alpha’s lap, she felt him start to harden, more proof he was not into Ms. Thing. She looked up at him and caught love softening the angry eyes.

  “Deja,” he moaned. “I like surprises like this.”

  She smiled. “Good. Ready?”

  “For you? Always.”

  Abel appeared and grasped the woman’s arm. He winked at Deja, which said he’d known all along the woman was there and her intention. He hadn’t been worried about Deja or his older brother. “Let’s go, you.”

  The two of them left, and Deja turned back to Heath. She bit her lip. “I’m so worried.”

  “Stop.” He raised her chin. “Everything will be fine, baby.”

  “That’s what Neve said.”

  “And our daughter is right. Come on. Let’s celebrate their birth and then welcome their tigers.”

  She nodded and let him lead her from the office, all the while feeling like she would collapse at any time.

  Half the town showed up for the party, along with Maia and Neve’s friends, and at last, Deja and Heath ran them off close to midnight. Deja stood in the middle of her living room amid her family. Maia and Neve sat cross-legged on the floor, one on either side of their dad. Ward occupied the couch next to Coreen, and Abel and Aaron stood on hand to help in case Heath needed them. Even Joe, who Deja considered as family, was present, but none of them could remove the dread that stirred in her belly.

  “Is this really the right place?” She worried. “I mean, shouldn’t we be outside?”

  “I want them in a familiar setting and comfortable,” Heath explained.

  For once, excitable Maia sat subdued, her eyes round in her head. Neve appeared calm, the only clue to her agitation being the way she twisted a napkin between her fingers. Heath took each girl’s hand.

  “Together?” Deja asked.

  “Yes, come sit down with us, baby.”

  She swallowed but did as he asked. “I don’t have any alpha in me.”

  He smiled. “Nothing controls a child like the stern voice of her mother.”

  The chuckles and agreements around the room made Deja roll her eyes, but the claim broke the tension a little. She listened while Heath explained what it felt like to sense the tiger, to accept her, and to let her take the lead. Deja recalled her first time and how scary it was but at the same time freeing. She had been ill a
nd in a lot of pain, but Ward helped her to change. Nothing could have been more natural, and it should be more so for her third generation shifter daughters.

  When Maia and Neve began to calm down, Heath unleashed his power. Deja knew all of them felt it, but the energy was directed toward Maia and Neve. The change surprised Deja in how fast it came over the twins. One minute they sat in silence. The next they fell over, and Abel moved in a flash to catch Neve so she wouldn’t hit her head. Heath guided Maia until she lay down on the floor. Both girls writhed, and tears sprung to Deja’s eyes, until she realized they weren’t in pain. Heath continued to control their shift—smooth and effortless. Maia, always excitable, sat up first, covered in fur, and chuffed. Neve followed, but she made no sound. She dipped a head toward her daddy’s hand, and he tickled her behind the ears. Not to be ignored, Maia popped onto his lap. He handled both large tigers with no problem.

  “Are they healthy?” Deja couldn’t help asking.

  Heath met her gaze and smiled. “I sense no sickness in them, but we will let Sylvia give them a thorough workup to confirm it.”

  Deja breathed a sigh of relief. She trusted Heath and believed him when he said their girls were okay. She stood up, and so did her husband to draw her into his arms. Just where I belong.

  “Indeed.”

  “That wasn’t meant for you.”

  He tapped her nose.

  A thump drew their attention, and Deja turned to see Maia trying to get out the door. She put her hands on her hips. “It’s too late for you to be out, young lady.”

  Heath held up a finger, his brows raised and eyes wide in hope. “One run, Mama?”

  She made a noise in disgust. “Don’t call me Mama. Okay, one run.”

  The entire household except Coreen burst through the door and shifted as they raced. Deja let the evening breeze fill her lungs as she ran alongside her husband. Her girls sprinted out ahead of them, and Abel and Aaron took the lead. Happiness sprung up in Deja’s heart. Now that Spiderweb was a memory, they were safe. Years ago, she had no one except a stepmother who hated her existence. Now family surrounded her, and she couldn’t be happier. They might not be ordinary humans, and there could be more challenges ahead, but life held hope, and that was much more than enough.

  The End

  About the Author

  Tressie Lockwood has always loved books, and she enjoys writing about heroines who are overcoming the trials of life. She writes straight from her heart, reaching out to those who find it hard to be completely themselves no matter what anyone else thinks. She hopes her readers enjoy her short stories. Visit Tressie on the web at www.tressielockwood.com or tressielockwood.blogspot.com.

  Table of Contents Tiger Bound

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Tiger Born

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Tiger Betrayed

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  About the Author