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  Sunshine Press

  Martinsburg, West Virginia

  Tigress for Two

  Copyright ©2013, Marissa Dobson

  Edited by Darlene Fredette

  Proofed by: BookChick Blog Review

  ISBN: 978-1-939978-14-1

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Sunshine Press.

  www.sunshinepressbooks.com

  Tigress for Two

  Alaskan Tigers Series: Book Three

  Marissa Dobson

  Dedication

  To Thomas—my wonderful husband who’s been supportive through everything. He’s put up with my late night writing sessions, cooked dinner, over all he’s been wonderful. Thank you Thomas.

  To my readers who love the Alaskan Tigers as much as I enjoy writing them. Enjoy this newest adventure to Alaska.

  A life lived in fear…

  Kallie lived her life hiding from everyone and everything except selected members of her clan, fearing someone would discover who she was and what she had fled. She would not be tortured again, no matter if the cost was her life. When Taber enters her life, she isn’t sure if she should trust him or run as fast and as far as she can. His presence changes everything, and to let him in means she must remove the guards keeping her safe since her escape.

  A debt that is owed…

  Taber owes the Alaskan Tigers more than he could ever repay. They supported him and his Kodiak bear sleuth when they needed backing the most. He has joined their fight against the rogue tigers in order to repay his debt. Finding his mate among the Alaskan Tigers was unexpected. He always wanted a female bear as his sow mate, and to raise a few cubs of his own. What he didn’t need was a tigress with trust issues.

  A love that could destroy them…

  Finding his mate should be the best day of Thorben’s life, but when he comes to Taber’s aid and discovers his destined tigress mate is already his brother’s mate, brotherhood must overcome nature, because bears mate for life.

  Chapter One

  Taber Brown rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand for the umpteenth time in the last twenty minutes. Hour after hour, they scanned every shred of evidence Adam’s team brought back from San Francisco once they seized Victor. They hoped to discover something that would lead them to Pierce, but nothing so far. Everything they discovered reinforced their belief—Victor only teamed with Pierce to further his own agenda.

  Could Pierce be so daft he wouldn’t have seen Victor’s true motivation? That was the question haunting not only Taber, but the Elders of the Alaskan Tigers as well. If they could see through Victor, surely Pierce had as well.

  The papers cluttering the table detailed Victor’s plans to bring Bratva—the brotherhood, a Russian shifter terrorist group—to the states. Over the years, it appeared Victor had been gathering followers from different shifter groups with like-minded beliefs.

  Taber pushed papers aside, searching for his squeeze bottle of honey buried somewhere under the clutter. With hours left, before the day’s end, he needed his honey to see him through. Where did that damn bottle go?

  “Bear.” Adam growled when Taber shoved more papers out of the way. “You finished your honey an hour ago.”

  “Shit.”

  “We stocked some for you in the compound’s kitchen. Go get a refill and then get some damn sleep. You’re grumpy when you’re tired.”

  “I’m a bear, damn it.” He rose, stretching his long legs. To him being a bear explained everything, but to the tigers well it might have been another story, especially after Adam raised an eyebrow. At that moment, Taber didn’t care.

  He’d swing by the kitchen for another bottle of honey before checking in with the men guarding Victor. He also hoped to find Ty or Raja before hitting the sack, to see if any progress was made gaining information from Victor.

  The kitchen was on the far side of the main compound building, away from the private quarters of the Alpha and Lieutenant, giving them both seclusion and security. He slipped his hand into the front pocket of his sweatshirt, his fingers wrapping around his cell phone. As he turned the last corner, leading to the long hallway toward the kitchen, he collided with a woman.

  “Shit,” she said. Coffee covered the front of her shirt.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect anyone to be around here this time of the night.” Being nearly seven foot, he stared down at her. The white stripes sprinkled through her long, curly brown hair caught his attention. Did she do those on purpose? According to his cousin, they were highlights, but Taber couldn’t fathom why anyone would want such stripes painting their hair.

  “You’re a damn shifter. You should have sensed me coming!” She growled at him, blotting the coffee stain with a napkin, but it only served to make matters worse.

  “I said I was sorry, what more do you want woman?”

  “Obviously nothing.” She snarled, shoving the napkins in her nearly empty coffee cup. She released a heavy sigh and moved to pass him.

  He reached out, wrapping his hand around her small arm. She winced as if expecting him to cause her pain. He hated seeing fear resonating in her eyes. What happened to cause her such distress? “You’re right, I should have sensed you, but I wasn’t paying attention. Let me get you another cup.”

  A sudden shot of electricity vibrated through their contact. He couldn’t tear his gaze from her.

  This can’t be happening. My mate can’t be a tigress. I won’t have it. Especially a tigress with haunting in her eyes.

  “So you can spill it over me again? I think not.” She pulled her arm free and pushed past him. He turned, his gaze following her as she sauntered down the hallway away from him. The sway of her hips drew his attention to her long, lush legs. The three-inch high heels she wore only served to add more sashay to her swaying hips. He wanted to run after her, to explore the electric jolt he received from her contact, but he instructed his feet to remain where he stood. He didn’t want a tigress as his mate, and he doubted he could help ease the pain within her eyes.

  * * *

  Unwilling to go back to the kitchen for another cup of coffee, Kallie walked across the compound back to her room. The cold night air sent shivers down her spine, thankfully it wasn’t snowing again. She loved winter and all the white, fluffy snow, but they had more than enough the last few days to satisfy her need.

  Damn, bear. Who the hell does he think he is, laying a hand on me? A simple touch served to remind her of all the years she suffered at the hands of another. She did her best to block the haunting memories and thanks to Adam’s appearance she managed to keep them at bay again.

  “Hey Kallie, what you doing out at this time of night?” Unlike with Taber, she now had her senses on high alert and smelled Adam before he stepped from the darkness. Heavy circles shadowed under his eyes and his shoulders sagged in defeat. Whatever is going on is taking a toll on the lead guards.

  “I was grabbing a cup of coffee before my shift at command central.” When Adam’s gaze fell to her empty hands, she pointed to her solid sweater. “That damn bear wasn’t paying attention and spilled it on me. I’m just going to change quickly.”

  “Tigers are quiet creatures, unlike bears. He probably didn’t hear you coming.”

  “I guess.” She glanced down at one of her favorite green sweaters and hoped the coffee would wash out. “I’ll see you later. I have to change. Mark gets grumpy when I’m late.”

  “Be safe. You know we have a priso
ner on the grounds.”

  She nodded and left to change. Who is this prisoner? Many in the compound assumed because of her job in command central she might have inside information, but in reality she was in the dark as everyone else. The Elders and their guards were tightlipped when it came to security issues, unless they were briefing the whole clan.

  Her apartment was a studio at best, with a small kitchenette, sitting area, and a bed that dominated most of the room. Many of the unmarried guards lived in similar styled studios. The small space didn’t bother the male guards since they rarely cooked, but she missed having a house and privacy without neighbors on each side. Every time she opened her door there was someone nearby. Since moving to Alaska, her clan had been building new cabins for the guards, and her name had nearly reached the top of the list. It wouldn’t be much longer until she had a real home to call her own.

  The only one benefit to her current living arrangement was that she didn’t have to do the laundry. Twice a week some of the clan woman would come by to pick up her linens and clothes. They’d be returned later that day washed, and folded neatly on her bed. Doing laundry had never been high on Kallie’s enjoyment list.

  Slipping the soiled sweater off, she tossed it into the laundry bag, before grabbing another from the drawer. Another favorite sweater, a warm, heather grey with bright white stitching, and rosy pink trimming around the collar, waist, and sleeves.

  If that bear came near her again she’d be sure to stay a good distance away, especially if she had anything to drink in her hands. She wouldn’t tolerate him ruining another favorite sweater. This particular sweater gave her a confidence she didn’t normally have, even helped her forget about those damn white streaks in her hair.

  Changed, she headed back to command central, where she dreaded seeing Mark who would be irritated for cutting her arrival so close to shift change. She avoided stepping on any slick icy spots along the way. Yes, high-heeled, knee-high boots weren’t best for this climate, but since finding the security of the Alaskan Tigers, she favored heels. For the first time, she could embrace being a woman and not just a tiger. She had heels to go with every outfit, for every occasion.

  She opened the door and saw Mark pacing the room, his arms crossed over his chest. “Where have you been?”

  “Mark, you’re never going to find a mate if you keep barking at women. I thought you were a tiger, not one of those idiot wolves.” He continued to glare at her, waiting for an answer to his question. “Come on, Mark, give me a break. That damn bear ran into me. He spilled coffee on my sweater, so I had to change. Plus, I’m on time.” She flashed him a smile, hoping to warm his chilly heart.

  “Fine.” He grabbed his coat from the back of the chair, nodding to the bank of computer screens. “You see any unannounced movement in area four, contact Ty or Raja privately about the activity, no matter the time. You understand?”

  Her gaze moved to each computer monitor before returning to Mark. “It’s not my first day on the job, I can handle it.” Would he ever trust she could do the job even though she was a woman? She doubted it, but what mattered was Ty and Raja thought she could. “Is that where the prisoner is being held?”

  “How…” He frowned.

  “I ran into Adam on my way to change, he mentioned there was a prisoner on the grounds. So, is that where he is?” She glanced to area four to be certain there was no change in activity. She’d have to watch that section very carefully while on duty. They wouldn’t have a prisoner in their compound, especially not one of their own, unless it had something to do with the rogue gang they had been tracking.

  He stepped toward the door, his dark shadowed eyes indicating he was clearly ready for his shift to end and to get some sleep. “Yes, now be sure to pay close attention to the monitors.”

  “I got it.” She saluted as he closed the door.

  Peace. She sank onto the chair, her gaze scrolling over the monitors and then returning to area four again. Who do they have in that old abandoned cabin? It couldn’t be Pierce, the leader of the rogues. There was no way Ty or Raja would stand for him to be that close to their mates, not after he single-handedly killed Tabitha’s and then Bethany’s parents, and nearly killed Bethany when she was kidnapped and used as ransom to gain Tabitha. To her Alpha and Lieutenant, whatever information could be gained would never outweigh the risk to their mates. They were good men and would protect not only their mates, but the whole clan, regardless of the danger to themselves.

  Movement in area three caught her eye, drawing her attention from area four for a brief moment. Taber.

  Her core moistened with desire just watching him stroll across the grounds. Ever since their encounter earlier, her body longed for his touch, to feel his fingers running over her skin. It had been too long since she had the touch of another, but then she remembered why.

  Betrayal.

  Only once had she given her heart and body to another, and in the end it nearly killed her. She vowed to never make that mistake again, and she’d be damn certain she wouldn’t with a bear. Filthy creatures.

  Chapter Two

  Honey in hand and one in his sweatshirt pocket for later, Taber crossed the grounds, determined to check on the progress of their prisoner before crashing for the night.

  He swallowed a squeeze of honey and then using his forefinger, he pressed the button on his ear to transmit a signal to the guards, as well as command central. “Taber, area four.”

  His ear piece crackled. “Approved.”

  It was her voice! That woman—his destined mate, he spilled coffee on. Even with a hint of anger lacing her words as she yelled at him earlier for staining her sweater, she sounded like an angel to Taber.

  Too bad, she’s a freaking tigress.

  He had nothing against tigers. He considered the Alaskan Tigers part of his family or he wouldn’t be helping them with their fight against the rogues. Though, he’d rather be home in Nome catching salmon in his stream and searching for a sow mate of his own. Not a tigress…

  He shook his head, pushing her from his thoughts, before opening the cabin door. The West Virginia Alpha, Jinx, leaned against the wall with his cowboy hat riding low on his head, effectively shielding his eyes from view. Next to Jinx, Korbin stood guard, his body stiff and arms crossed behind him—ready for action.

  “How’s it going?” Taber shut the door behind him.

  “He’s not giving anything up yet. Raja just sedated him for the night. Everyone needs rest. Ty and Raja selected Korbin and a couple other guards to take watch,” Jinx explained.

  Raja exited the adjoining room. “I thought you would have turned in.”

  Taber waved the bottle of honey. “Honey run and I thought I’d check the progress before I did.”

  “Jinx, you mind waiting until Thomas gets out here?” When Jinx nodded, Raja turned back to Taber. “Come on, I’ll fill you in on the way.”

  They stepped out into the cold night air. Snowflakes dotted the air, landing in Taber’s hair and on his cheeks. Before long, the snow now coating the ground would be covered with another fresh layer. Not that it bothered Taber. He lived in Alaska for the cold weather. Snowy terrain was second nature to his kind, and with the snow forcing humans inside they didn’t have to worry about prying eyes catching them when they shifted.

  “Victor’s not giving anything up. He doesn’t believe we have any leads. Connor was able to add a few red flags to Victor Senior’s passport, so he didn’t make it through customs, and is now on his way back to Russia.” Raja stared into the night’s sky for a moment. “Being the head of the shifter terrorist group in Russia isn’t going to stop him from trying to get back in the states if he wants, especially if he suspects someone is onto him. He would have the same connections we have, and could remove those red flags without too much hassle.”

  “If he’s not telling us anything, what now? Want me to take a crack at him?”

  “Not yet. Ty and I will go at him in the morning. If he still doesn’t
give us the information we need, we’ll find other means of making him talk, but we have to be quick. The longer he’s here, the more dangerous it is for the clan.”

  Taber knew Raja was concerned about Tabitha and Bethany. The original plan had been to detain Victor somewhere outside the compound, away from the mates, woman, and children. “We’ll keep them safe.” Taber hoped to relive Raja’s concerns. “We’ve already doubled the guards on duty.” Taber sighed when they neared the warmth of Raja’s quarters, his body screamed with exhaustion.

  Raja nodded and waved Taber inside. “Get some rest. We’ll deal with Victor tomorrow, when we’re both refreshed from a night’s rest.”

  Taber caught sight of the tiger’s mate, Bethany, asleep on the sofa. She must have been waiting for Raja. Shadow and Styx, her guards, sat nearby. Taber tapped Raja’s shoulder and headed to the guest room. He was ready to collapse into bed and catch as much sleep as he could in the few short downtime hours he had. But sleep proved elusive. Thoughts of Kallie crept into his mind, the memory of her sexy voice hardened his shaft instantly. If only she wasn’t a tigress.

  * * *

  After hours of tossing in bed, Taber gave up on sleep. His hard shaft and body demanded he go to Kallie. Rising, he stretched and rolled his head from side to side. He needed coffee and more honey to lift the fog from his brain.

  Not wanting to wake Raja and his mate, he quietly stepped to the counter and made a pot of coffee. While the coffee perked, he stood by the counter looking out the window at the snow covered grounds. A thin layer of white powder lay on top of what had fallen yesterday. Before long spring would be upon them and the snow would melt. Alaskans didn’t have summers like the continental United States. Winter being the main season here, there was no need for air conditioners. To Taber the colder air made the land even more special—a place he never wanted to leave. This was his home.