Lord of the Grrr's (63 page)

CHAPTER SEVEN

For the second time in his life, his mate walked out on him. And for the second time, he didn’t fight for her to stay.

It was fucking killing him.

His tiger form tore out of him the second her rented SUV disappeared down his drive. It was a shift he could have stopped, but he didn’t fight it. When he was in tiger form, thought was easier, simpler. The pain wouldn’t be as sharp.

Or so he’d hoped.

But even as he followed her down his winding driveway, making sure she got to the main road safely, pain tore at his heart.

If anything, his animal form cleared his extraneous thoughts, so the pain hit harder.

But one question wouldn’t leave him alone.

Could she be right?

But what if he trusted his tiger, and it let him down again? He’d tried to kill his father in a blacked out state. Who was to say he wouldn’t do the same to her if he let his guard down?

She’s not your father.

Hell, his father wasn’t exactly a dad—wasn’t a good man in the strictest sense. And when his tiger struck, it was likely to protect his mother. His father had been yelling at her—again. Yelling about the shitty son she’d borne.

The tiger inside of him was stronger than the average, a bigger part of him than in most. But the animal wasn’t a monster.

After seeing her safely as far as he dared, he returned to his cabin and shifted back into a man. Her scent lingered in his home, filling every nook and cranny. He half expected her to come out of that guest room at any moment, a smile ready for him when their eyes met.

His gaze fell to his hands, and holding his breath, he shifted his claws. He stared at them. Was he overreacting to what had happened when he was a child? The urge to bite his mate—even as overwhelming as it was—did it actually mean something was wrong?

Evie’s voice echoed in his head.
But you didn’t bite me.

His control had held, even though he’d wanted to mark her, claim her, more than anything.

A sharp noise cut into his thoughts. His cell phone. Evie? His heart leapt into his throat, and he snatched the device off the table.

Not Evie. His heart sank and he sat in the chair, considering if he should answer.

Fuck. His day was already ruined. Maybe his life. Why the hell not?

“Erick,” he said by way of greeting.

“I’ve been…asked to call. Find out if you’ve claimed your mate.” Hushed whispers that Nicolas couldn’t make out scolded Erick on the other end of the line. His brother added, dryly, “Or to ask something less impolite than that but means the same thing.”

Fuck. He hadn’t talked to his brother in years. Asking him for a favor to get Evie to his cabin had been difficult—though easy compared to the thought of not having her there. But that didn’t mean he was ready for heart-to-hearts with the man. “Mating has changed you.”

“You have no idea.”

Confiding in his brother—not his idea of fun. But what the hell? He had nothing to lose now. “She’s gone.”

Silence reigned, as whoever was with Erick digested his words—his mate, no doubt, as her tiger hearing allowed her to listen in. He had the distinct impression that Erick’s mate cared more about his goings-on than his brother did. “That’s unfortunate.”

His brother uttered a loud curse, then another voice came over the line. “What happened?”

Feminine. And unfamiliar.

“Hello, sister-in-law,” he said, suddenly charmed. Had she plucked Erick’s phone from his fingers? He would have paid good money to see that. Another man—not Erick—in the background called her a brat. Nicolas frowned. Exactly how many weretigers were privy to his private business?

“You have to go after her,” Daniella said, ignoring his greeting. “Like, yesterday.”

“You don’t even know—”

“Trust me, it doesn’t matter. Going after her is always the right call in these situations.”

He blinked. How did Erick deal with such a bossy mate? He couldn’t picture his brother listening to anyone so opinionated. But was she right? “I’m not so sure.”

“Aren’t you?”

He hesitated. Fuck. No wonder Erick listened to her. “You’re right.”

The woman practically purred on the other end of the line. “Of course, I am.”

***

Flying was the most goddamned unnatural thing Nicolas had ever experienced. But he’d barely been able to appreciate the oddity of it. His mind was on Evie.

Unfortunately, getting a flight in to her tiny little airport on zero notice had proved impossible, so he took a rental car from the closest airport he could fly into—the tiniest damn car in the world—and headed for her home. His brother’s wife had managed some more computer voodoo for him and tracked down the address. He hadn’t been able to catch her in Denver before she left. When the woman got the hell out of town, she didn’t mess around.

Less than a two-hour drive, but his mind raced the whole time. Yet when he pulled up outside a somewhat ramshackle apartment building, he still wasn’t sure what to say.

Gritting his teeth, he strode to her door and knocked. The words would come. Or they wouldn’t. But he wasn’t letting her feel like he didn’t care about her for one second longer. The idea of her so close and in pain ripped at him.

To his surprise, the door opened immediately, and Evie stood, hand on her hip, glaring.

But she couldn’t disguise the pain behind her eyes, in her scent. Fuck. Tigers weren’t as good at smelling things like emotions, but the agony in her scent was palpable.

“What,” she said, not even raising her voice to make it a question. When he didn’t answer immediately, she moved to slam the door. He slipped his foot in the doorframe just in time to stop her.

Thank you tiger reflexes.

She had every right to be pissed, but he wasn’t leaving here without her.

“We need to talk.”

“You need to go back to your cabin and leave me the hell alone.” Her words were fierce, but if anything, the pain in her scent sharpened.

“Please.”

She hesitated, staring at his feet for a long moment. Finally, she sighed and stepped back. Not the warmest of welcomes, but he’d take what he could get.

The apartment was decent, clean. It smelled like her, and he filled his lungs. But it didn’t fit her—not the way she fit in his home. The living area was bland and unremarkable. Very unlike Evie.

She remained by the door, arms crossed.

“I owe you an apology.”

“For lying to my face or for kicking me out of your house?”

“For not trusting myself the way you trusted me.”

She blanched. “That’s it? You came here to apologize for not trusting yourself? Wow. Okay, apology accepted, I guess. You can go now.” She turned and started to open the door, but he stopped her, shutting it with a slam. Expression icy, she looked up at him.

God, she was beautiful—even when angry. His Evie. Fuck, he’d been such an idiot.

“I’m not done.”

She stepped back and paced into the living room. “Then finish up so you can go, because
I’m
seriously done with this conversation.”

“You’re pissed, I get it. You have every right to be. But I’m not here to apologize for getting you on my mountain—or for trying to protect you from my tiger.”

She whirled on him, a single tear streaking its way down her face and an expression of sheer outrage twisting her mouth. But before she could lay into him, he closed the distance between them and gripped her upper arms. She gasped but didn’t try to pull away.

“I’m so sorry, Evie. I should have fought for us—should have chased you down the first time you left me on that mountain. I shouldn’t have lied to you. It was a mistake not to trust you’d give me a chance if I’d only asked for one. But I’m not sorry for bringing us together again.” Gently, he wiped the tear from her cheek. “But I’m so sorry I hurt you. So fucking sorry.”

Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

Heart heavy, he stepped back, releasing her from his grasp. It was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. “You are my mate.
Mine
. And I will
always
fight for you.”

Tears glassed her eyes, and he reached for her again, unable to resist. She stepped back, hugging herself. “That isn’t exactly a proclamation of everlasting love, is it?”

Something inside his chest tightened. “I’d tell you I love you. I’d tell you I know in my bones that you are my other half. I’d tell you I can’t imagine living my life without you—because it wouldn’t be any life at all.” He paused, letting his words sink in. Hell, he hoped they were. “But you’re human, and you steer your life with your brains, not your instincts. I won’t tell you any of that until you’re ready to hear it.”

Eyes wide, she took a step toward him. Another step. When there were only inches between them, she took a long breath, gaze never leaving his. “What happens the next time your tiger veers out of your control?”

“If that happens, then we’ll figure it out together.”

A tentative smile, quickly dashed with a glare. “I’m still mad at you.”

“I know. But if you give me the chance, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

She nodded, satisfied he understood. Going to her tiptoes, she pressed a soft kiss on his lips. When he broke the kiss, they were both breathless.

“What I did…it was shitty. But I always intended for you to keep the photos. Dirk agreed to that—he doesn’t mind, and he owes me. The magazine may not have been real, but good photographs of those foxes can still sell—and I know your pictures will be great. It can still be your break—I always meant for it to be.” When he’d come up with the plan, he’d wanted her to achieve her dreams, almost as much as he’d needed her back in his life. He’d hoped to somehow achieve both goals. The need she had to pursue her photography was palpable. Hell, he’d have sniffed out some real foxes if he could have.

A small smile quirked her lips. “That’s okay. I plan to spend a lot of time in the woods—I have an excellent guide now who owes me a huge favor or five. I’ll break in on my own soon enough.”

He had no doubt that she would. “I’ll follow you anywhere you want to go.”

EPILOGUE

“How many bags must you bring, city girl?”

Evie grinned at him. “You know half that is camera equipment, so quit giving me crap.”

“Never.” He bent down and gave her a swift kiss. “And yes, I know what it is. The point being, I don’t know why you need so much of it. Only nice, domestic tigers where we’re going.”

“Hah. Any tiger related to you is bound to be wild.”

“I don’t know, you tamed me pretty easily.” Truth disguised as jest. She had tamed him—and his tiger. Only six weeks since he’d gotten her on his mountain, but it had been a hell of a month and a half. At her urging, he’d loosened his grip on his tiger, learning to trust that part of himself more every day. And, to his relief, the beast inside of him had calmed. Their mate’s presence—their mate’s trust—had made them one again. The way they were meant to be.

He was so fucking lucky.

He pulled her close. What time was it? Surely they had time for a quick trip back to bed.

She eyed him warily. “We’re already an hour late.”

“Are we?” He nuzzled her neck. She smelled like something sweet. Something tasty.

“Yes,” she said, voice a little breathless. But despite her words, she wasn’t pulling away.

“My people will still be there, even if we’re an hour late.”

“I…suppose that’s true.” She wrapped her arms around his middle, and nipped at his neck. “You’re impossible.”

“Yet you still love me.” The sweet scent of her arousal teased his senses. “In fact, I think you encourage this bad behavior.”

Expression suddenly serious, she slid her hands up to cup his face. “I do love you, you impossible man.”

He pressed his lips against hers. “And I love you, my little dreamer.”

“An hour won’t matter, you say?” She arched a brow at him.

“Hell, I’ll bet they won’t even notice if we’re two hours late.”

She grinned. “Let’s find out.”

THE
END

***

Order Nicolas and Evie’s next adventure on Amazon:
Mated Prime
.

About the Author:

Andie writes sexy erotic romance and erotica stories that push boundaries. When she’s not writing (or reading!), she can usually be found daydreaming or attempting a new recipe. She thinks that life should require happily ever afters. And since she doesn’t make the rules of life, she instead applies this philosophy to the worlds she can control– the ones in her books. If you want to be informed about Andie’s new releases, join her
newsletter
. Updates will be delivered right to your inbox. No spam!

You can find all of Andie Devaux’s books on:

AMAZON