“Yeah, but he’s a bear.”
“Girl, take the advice from an old man, don’t pass on your luck. You’re one of the honored to be mated. I’ve searched high and low for my mate, but have never found her.” Mark sighed. “There’s nothing you can do. Until one of you dies, he’ll be your mate. Don’t think distance will help because it only makes the longing stronger, and you’ll go crazy with the desire for his touch. It’s why mates don’t travel far without their other half, and why you always see them touching. Half of your soul is missing when your mate is gone. Neither of you will be complete without the other.”
The longing Mark mentioned already coursed through her body and the bear hadn’t been gone long. She couldn’t imagine if he went to Nome and left her behind. It’s what she expected to happen when his job was done, but how would she live with the yearning she suffered with now, especially if Mark’s words were true and the longing would only get worse over time. “I was hoping for better news, but thanks, Mark.”
“Why? What’s wrong with Taber? He’s a good man.”
“Nothing’s wrong with him, except he’s a bear. I can’t risk our children not being able to control their shifting. Having one beast inside of you is hard enough sometimes, especially as a child, but having two would be impossible.” She wished to enjoy being with Taber instead of fearing a connection with him.
“That’s very rare. Normally the children will take after one of their parents. They aren’t usually able to shift into both.” He paused. “Are you’re willing to give up on happiness and a mate because of a slim, maybe five percent chance, your child might shift between two animals?”
“Yes. I knew this girl, many years ago who could and it was awful for her. What kind of life is that for a child?”
“We have our own school here. There’s no need to worry. The child wouldn’t be ridiculed. Kallie, take my advice, don’t give up on this mating. You deserve to be happy and Taber
can
make you happy. Let go of your fears. You won’t regret it.”
Chapter Thirteen
Taber leaned against the wall, his hands in the pockets of his jeans while Kenneth sat before him and the Elders, explaining his story again. They’d gone through everything twice, and it still seemed like too damn little. Taber didn’t care about the lack of information being produced. All he cared about was getting back to Kallie before she had time to change her mind about them being together.
He knew she had reservations because he was a bear, but he couldn’t change that and there was nothing they could do about the mating. Finding her near death in the snow had wiped away his reservations, and left him with hoping to prove they could make it work. They would have to move past their differences and focus on what they have in common. Such as their support for the clan, he might not be an official member, but he was a friend of the Alaskan Tigers and in the shifter world that was as good as being accepted by them. Ty, Raja, and their mates had no issues with Taber mating Kallie, instead they seemed to encourage it. Bethany could have suggested other ways to make sure Kallie survived the healing and how to keep her warm, instead Bethany urged Taber to help Kallie.
“That’s all the information I have. I don’t know what else you want me to tell you.” Kenneth’s voice brought Taber’s attention back.
“Where did you meet Pierce?” Taber asked.
“Just outside of Boston.”
“You didn’t find that odd, considering you live in Maine?”
“For the money he offered, I’d have met him on the moon. I told you we needed the money for my niece. A desperate man will overlook many faults.” Kenneth ran his hand over his jeans. “Honestly when I took the job I didn’t see the red flags. He said he got my name from one of my former clients, and needed help to find his wife and sister-in-law. Looking back, he seemed on edge, but I thought it was just a man worried about his wife. He seemed sincere in wanting them back.”
“Oh, he wants them all right and it has nothing to do with love.” Taber hands tightened into fists.
“Connor’s working on tracing the money, to see where it came from. If Victor had a part in this, I suspect he covered his tracks. Unlike Pierce, he’d have thought of that.” Ty leaned back in his chair. “Question is, what are we going to do with you now?”
“With me?” His leg bounced with a nervous twitch while his panic level seemed to reach immeasurable levels, teasing along the lines of the control they had on their beasts. Every shifter enjoyed the sensation of a little panic in their toys.
“You’ve served your usefulness for Pierce. He’ll now want to tie up any loose ends. He can’t risk you exposing him.” Taber smirked.
“But, my family…my sister and niece they need me. I’ve been supporting them. My sister can’t work because of my niece, there’s no father in the picture. You can’t let Pierce kill me. You have to help me.” Kenneth pleaded his case.
“We don’t have to.” Ty stood and walked to the window. “I’d bet he has someone in those mountains waiting for you. Pierce would know it was a death trap to send anyone here. He knew where Tabitha was, because he already had people attack. But he didn’t know where Kallie was because she’s been hidden.”
“Ty’s right, we don’t have to help you. We could let you leave and go on with what’s left of your life. It would be better for us since you know what we are.” Raja stepped to the center of the room.
“I’ve known about shifters for years and I’ve never told anyone. Why would I now?”
“Because you’re desperate to save your life. You’d sell your soul to the devil to get out of this mess.” Raja held up his hand when Kenneth opened his mouth. “Don’t deny it. You’ve already proven you were desperate by working for Pierce. How did you find out about shifters?”
“During my years in Special Forces one of my men was a shifter. He kept it secret, but we were stuck together in a gun battle. He was shot and in order to live, he risked exposing himself to me. I’ve never told anyone about him.”
Taber’s stomach twisted in a knot. Something wasn’t right. “If you didn’t tell anyone, then how did Pierce know to hire you for this assignment?”
“It was that shifter who recommended me to Pierce.” Kenneth stared at his hands on his lap. “It was a set up.”
“What’s his name?” Ty demanded.
“Derek Osborn. Will you please help me?”
Ty nodded to Taber, the go ahead to let Kenneth know what they had already set in motion. Taber leaned forward, making eye contact with Kenneth. “Pierce is not above using families as hostages, or worse, to get what he wants. My brother, Thorben, is already on his way to retrieve your sister and niece. They’ll be taken to a safe location. In the meantime, you’ll be returned to the holding cell until we’ve had Connor verify the new information you gave us. After that, we can help you set up a new identity for you and your family to start over.”
Kenneth nodded. “Whatever I need to do, as long as they’re safe.”
Taber watched Raja escort Kenneth back to his cell. The man had only tried to do right by his family and ended up being wrapped up in something that could cost him his life, or worse, the life of the people he loved. They had to stop Pierce, soon.
Remembering Tabitha mentioning Robin held the key to finding Pierce, Taber turned to Ty. “Has Connor been able to trace Robin yet? Any ideas where she’s hiding?”
“Not yet, but they’re closing in on her. Connor said they’re about two weeks behind her. They should be able to pinpoint her location within the next few days. Connor and Lukas are working around the clock. We need to get them some help before they burn out.” Ty walked across the room to stand next to the conference table. “Raja mentioned things appear to be going rather well for you and Kallie. Are you planning on staying on?”
“If I did, would that be all right?”
Ty placed his hand on Taber’s shoulder. “You’re a friend of the clan. You’re always welcome here. I was wondering because we can make a cabin available for you and Kallie. Where she lives now isn’t suitable for a couple.”
Taber nodded, happy Ty approved his stay. “I don’t want to rush her. Right now, she’d take any excuse to push me away. The fact I’m a bear really bothers her.” He shook his head. “Hell, I think if there was a way out of our mating, she’d take it in a heartbeat.”
“And you?” Ty’s brow rose.
“I’ll be honest, at first I didn’t want a tigress as a mate. But when I found Kallie lying in the snow unconscious and thought she might die, I realized I didn’t care that she was a tigress. I want her and the last few days I’ve been trying to prove it to her.” Speaking of Kallie made him desperate to return to her. He missed her touch, her smell. Damn, he missed everything about her.
“Whenever you’re both ready let me know and a cabin will be provided. I’m not sure Thorben will be overly excited about your mate, but I’m proud to have you as part of the Alaskan Tigers family.”
Chapter Fourteen
Taber jogged through the compound eager to get back to Kallie, his body aching to touch her. His normal cravings for honey were replaced by his need for her. The bear within him was calm whenever they were together and it was the first time he experienced contentment in weeks.
Not bothering to knock, he turned the knob and pushed opened the door to Kallie’s room, half-expecting to find her asleep. He was surprised to see her lying in the middle of the bed, surrounded by pillows, reading. “I thought you were resting?” He shut the door behind him.
“I tried, but I couldn’t.” She placed her book aside and yawned.
“Did you miss your bear, darling?”
“I guess you could say that. After sleeping next to your warm body the last forty-eight hours, I’ve grown used to it.” When he padded toward her, tossing his clothes to the floor as he neared the bed, she grinned. “But don’t get cocky, bear. I only want you for your body heat.”
“I feel so used.” His jeans fell to the floor, leaving him naked before her. “Maybe me and my body heat should leave you here to freeze.” He teased.
“Get your ass in this bed.” She whipped the blanket to the side.
He leaped on the bed, landing on his back next to her. He slipped his arm around her. “Come here, kitty.”
“Kitty?” She curled into his body and pillowed her head on his arm.
“You’re my kitty.”
“You better watch what you say. I have claws that will tear the hide from your body. So what happened today? Were you able to find out anything from Kenneth?”
“We weren’t able to gather much, just the stuff we already knew. Connor’s following up on Boston to see if he can find anything. That’s where Pierce met with Kenneth, and considering he lives in Maine, it has to have something to do with Pierce’s location. We just aren’t sure how yet.” He ran his hand down her arm. “You’ve got too many clothes on.”
“You’re going to be a mate who always wants me naked, aren’t you?”
“There’s nothing better than your naked body next to mine. I’ve been thinking about running my hands over your body since I left.” He tugged her green tank top over her head. “When do you want to go see Mark? Do you want to sleep first?”
“I called Mark while you were out. He’s doing fine.”
He sensed hesitation in her voice. “Is there something more?”
“I asked him if there was a way to get out of a mating.” She glanced down at his bare chest. “I needed to know.”