The Liger's Mark Read online

  “Reno was there,” Tah stated again as if that meant something.

  “Did you call Daniel?”

  “No offense, Gabriel,” Tah began. “Your brother has no backbone when it comes to your father. He consoles and coddles.”

  Gabriel sighed. Tah was right. That was exactly what Daniel did.

  “I’m not sure this is the home we need,” Tah admitted. “We appreciate the offer, but I’ve already got a few people looking into other options.”

  “There won’t be anyplace else that will offer as much protection as you have there,” Gabriel challenged.

  “We need a home,” Tah said softly. “Not a place where we’re made to feel as if we aren’t truly welcome.”

  Gabriel felt the rumble of a growl beginning in his chest and did his best to hold it in. “You’re welcome. I’ll take care of my father. I’m heading back, now.” He didn’t mention the woman with him. There were things he’d just been made aware of, and he needed to talk to Laura about them, first.

  “You might want to hold off on that,” Tah said. “Reno had an interesting phone call from Holt.”

  Gabriel did growl then, anger resonating through him at the mention of the man his mate was traveling with—the man who’d once been Kenzie’s lover. The man she’d threatened could be again.

  “And,” he prompted.

  “Holt asked for a number to contact the brothers I have tailing them, Reed and Dusty Hillman. Holt said it would be safer if they were traveling with him and Kenzie instead of following behind.”

  “What has my mate gotten herself into?” Gabriel demanded.

  “Holt still says she’s only looking for answers,” Tah said. “I told Reed and Dusty to join them. I also called Vic and Gideon who will be heading toward them before they make their last stop. They have another traveling with them now, a shifter named Nix.”

  Gabriel didn’t care about any of that. “Is Kenzie in danger?”

  “If she were my mate, I’d be there asking her that question,” Tah countered.

  “She won’t answer my calls,” Gabriel thundered.

  Tah’s silence indicated exactly what the other man thought of that. He’d already voiced his opinion once he’d found out exactly what was going on between Gabriel and Kenzie. To say the other man wasn’t happy was putting it mildly.

  Gabriel clenched his teeth so tightly he was afraid he might dislocate his jaw. Fuck! That seemed to be all he was doing lately, growling or rumbling or holding back a roar of anger. The brief taste he’d had of his mate wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. He knew things would have to change, had planned to work toward them when he’d returned with Laura. Kenzie should have been at the ranch with the rest of them, safe and waiting for him. Instead, she was out searching for something and putting herself in danger.

  “Where is she?” he demanded, repeating the information out loud for Laura when Tah gave it to him.

  “We’re close,” she said with surprise. “We can be there sometime later tonight if we drive straight through.”

  “I’ll be there tonight. Call me back when you know which hotel they’ll be staying in,” Gabriel said. “I’ll bring Kenzie back with me.”

  “Vic said they’d meet them in the morning,” Tah said. “Wait for them if you can. You guys can travel back together.”

  Gabriel grunted. “As for my father, he has no say about the property, who enters it or what happens there. He doesn’t own it.”

  “Well, you wouldn’t know it to hear him talk,” Tah countered. “He’s creating tension and anxiety. I have delicate situations hanging in the balance here. Members threatening to leave or just go rogue. Your father isn’t helping.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Gabriel vowed. “He’ll accept the change, or he’ll be the one to leave.”

  Tah was silent for a moment. “I don’t want our arrival to create a rift in your family. There are other options for us.”

  Options that would send Gabriel’s mate somewhere else, farther away from him. He might not be able to reach her, to see her on the occasions when he returned briefly between missions. He couldn’t allow that to happen. He’d do whatever he needed to make sure that didn’t happen.

  “I’ll make a call,” he said, coming to an immediate decision. “Promise me you won’t make any plans about leaving until I get back.”

  “I’ll promise to let you know,” Tah said instead. “As the mate of one of my pride, I’ll always make sure you know where our home is.”

  Not as the Angel, but as the mate of one of Tah’s pride members. It was a distinction that wasn’t lost on Gabriel. He sensed he might find an ally in the leader of Kenzie’s pride, if he asked for one.

  “That’s all I can ask,” Gabriel said.

  “When you decide you deserve more, let me know,” Tah said. “Kenzie is a woman worth making changes for. Hopefully, you realize that before you lose her.”

  The phone clicked in his ear, but it didn’t stop the growl from leaving his throat.

  “I take it Isaac is being his normal charming self,” Laura said. “What calls are you planning to make?”

  “He’s doing his best to run my mate’s pride off while I’m gone,” Gabriel said. “I’ll send Adrian and his brothers over to help corral my father. If nothing else, maybe they’ll chase him off to stay with Daniel until I get back.”

  “Then what?” Laura asked.

  “I’ll deal with it when we get there,” Gabriel said again.

  “Will you? Will you finally put an end to your dad’s death wish for you? Will you stand up to him now that you have a mate? Or will you risk losing her for good because of the life he’s pushed you into.”

  “I’m the Angel, Laura. Nothing will change that. I was never meant to take a mate.”

  “You did and denying yourself will only weaken you. You’ve met the one person who can complete you in ways no other person ever could. She’s the other half of you, your heart and soul. You think you can put her on a shelf and visit her when you have time. Are you sure you mated her?”

  “I mated her,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.

  “Maybe you need to do it again,” she said.

  He glared ahead, not bothering to answer though her accusations hit exactly on what he’d been thinking.

  “Don’t kid yourself, Gabriel. No mate will put up with what you’re suggesting,” Laura assured him.

  “My mother did,” he countered.

  “Your opinion, and one she can’t comment on. Besides, look where it got her,” Laura stated quietly.

  He choked down sorrow at the reminder of the vicious death his mom had endured.

  “She only had two young boys with her,” Gabriel said. “Kenzie will have an entire pride to stand between her and danger.”

  “A pride doesn’t replace a mate,” Laura said. “I’d fight my way through hell to see my mate, to taste his kiss and feel his arms around me. I’d die for a love like that.”

  “I’d give anything to have a different life, one that allowed me the comfort of a mate. That’s not who I am.”

  “It could be. Don’t,” she said before he could interrupt as he’d intended. “Lie to yourself if it makes it easier to walk away. We both know the legacy you carry isn’t your burden to bear.”

  “Where would you be if the Angel didn’t exist?” he asked her, turning to glance briefly at her.

  “Dead,” she stated with no trace of emotion in her voice.

  “Or worse,” he said, and they both knew he was referring to the small facility he’d just pulled her from.

  “I don’t fear death,” Laura said. “Maybe I did when you found me. Hell, back then I was feeling abandoned by an older brother I worshiped. One who left and never once looked back. One who didn’t even bother to send me a fucking letter to let me know he was still alive.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m pretty sure I know why. Our father was almost as big a prick as yours is. Sometimes I thought maybe he was the same a
s me, and dad had forced him to go. God, I was so lost back then and desperate. Then that man appeared, knowing who I was, what I was, and offering me a hand. I should have known it was too good to be true.”

  The man Laura had referred to had been one of the slickest hunters out there—one who preyed on the unsuspecting shifter who didn’t have a clue why they were different. It was only luck that Gabriel had stumbled across the small party while they’d had Laura staked out in the woods, deciding what to do. She hadn’t been the only shifter they’d captured, either. The others had been males, dosed with something that had made them lust for Laura with a depth that had saturated the air and had Gabriel gagging. Had he not arrived, she would have been raped and most likely torn apart as the two male shifters fought to take her then fought each other to claim her. Neither of which had been her mate.

  He’d managed to take out the small group of hunters. Unfortunately, he’d killed one of the shifters when the other man hadn’t been able to fight whatever drug was in his system. He’d gone almost primal in his need to take Laura. The other male had been older, but still he’d barely been able to hold back the need to claim her. He’d told Gabriel to chain him to the fucking wall until he could control himself. It had taken three days for the drug to leave his system. Then he’d disappeared before Gabriel could find out more about him.

  Yet another horror hunters subjected shifters to. Gabriel had no idea where the deep hate came from, but it had lasted for far too many years and only seemed to grow. While the shifters had tried to hide, to blend until they become lost and isolated, the hunters had formed into larger groups, training each new generation to be more sadistic than the last.

  “I was afraid of everything back then, but I’m not now,” Laura said, her hand briefly squeezing his forearm. “You became my hero that day, my Angel. So don’t think I don’t understand what you do for our people. But you’re more than that, and you deserve more than that. You’re family, Gabriel. Don’t think I won’t push you to claim what’s been given to you. You have a mate. There’s not a shifter out there who would ask you to give that bond up. Any of us can be an avenger and whisper the name Angel on the wind to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. I’ve done it. Adrian’s done it. I’m willing to bet there are others, too. Only you can be the man your mate needs. Don’t rob her of that. Don’t rob yourself.”

  “You’ve done things and claimed to be me?”

  “It’s a name, Gabriel. A myth. A legend. You don’t have to be the only person to keep it alive. We can all share the burden of getting the message out there,” Laura said.

  “I can’t just stop,” he stated.

  “Then find another way,” she urged. “One that won’t leave you crippled by a loss you could have prevented.”

  “Daniel—”

  “Is a grown man and deserves to be treated like one,” Laura said, her tone hard and unforgiving. “Stop protecting him. You’re not doing him any favors despite what you think.”

  “I feel as if my beast is ready to rip out of me and go after her alone,” he admitted.

  “Then find a way,” Laura encouraged him. “Your animal made his choice when you claimed her. It’s only the man who’s holding back. Stop being who you think everyone expects you to be, and be the man your heart is telling you to be.”

  He gritted his teeth and kept his eyes on the road, but Laura’s words resonated inside him. He felt his liger pressing against his skin, demanding he find their mate. He’d left her while she was on the cusp of going into heat. There had been no other choice. If he’d waited longer, there would have been no amount of strength and willpower that would have pulled him from Kenzie. As it was, it had been a battle of wills between man and beast the entire time. Had it not been Laura he was going after, Gabriel wasn’t sure he’d have left Kenzie at all. He might have been the one to save Laura, but she’d been saving him every day since. There were times she seemed like more of a sibling to him than his own brother.

  The hickey Kenzie had left on him ached, a dull throb over his heart. She should be safely ensconced at his home, now. What was so important to her that she would risk going off on her own? His chest rumbled. Once he found her, he’d make damn sure she knew better than to take such risks again.

  As much as he hated to admit it, Laura was right. Gabriel had to find a way to satisfy his beast, his mate and the legacy placed on his shoulders. One way or another, he would get his mate to Oklahoma and make sure she stayed there, safe and protected. He’d see her as often and for as long as he could. He told himself it wouldn’t be so bad, but his beast growled, far from satisfied with the plan. Decision made, he hardened his will, ignoring the beast, the ache in his heart and the little voice inside whispering it would never be enough.

  Chapter Four

  Kenzie sat in the booth next to Holt with Reed and Dusty across from them while they ate dinner. She still had trouble telling them apart. Even their scents were too similar to differentiate. They were mirror images right down to their voices and facial expressions. She knew from things they’d shared that they were of Native American descent. Their black hair was the same length and style, falling around their shoulders, thick and straight. Same intense dark gazes with eyes so deep a brown at times they appeared black. She often thought they had a way of knowing what the other was thinking or feeling without any words. It was like a psychic bond between them that left the rest of the world wondering.

  Apparently, they’d been spending some time dining on Mexican cuisine courtesy of a little jail just over the border. No doubt a woman was involved, but they hadn’t said.

  “Wait,” Holt said. “You won your freedom in a poker game?”

  Reed grinned. “Not my fault if they didn’t know how much the cards have always loved me.”

  Dusty snorted. “He had them eating out of his hand. Besides, we helped them make some improvements around the jail before we left.”

  “Showed them some weak spots they had,” Reed tacked on.

  “So tell us everything that’s been going on,” Dusty demanded. “From the bits and pieces I’ve been given from Tah and Reno, it sounds like a hell of a story.”

  “Or a circus of one?” Reed suggested. “Lions and tigers and… What are you, Kenzie?”

  She opened her mouth to say cougar, but the words wouldn’t come out. It wasn’t just what the woman had spoken. It was as if Kenzie felt the hackles of her beast rising at the thought of being called a cougar. It gave her a shiver, and Holt’s hand squeezed her shoulder.

  “Heard you’ve been having some trouble,” Dusty added.

  “Kenzie and I were the last to arrive, along with Vic. The first attack happened before we were there,” Holt said.

  “Have you seen them shift?” Reed asked, leaning in, his voice barely a whisper.

  Kenzie nodded as did Holt.

  “Maybe we should wait and discuss this later,” Kenzie suggested. “When we’ve found a place for the night.”

  Reed and Dusty shared a look then they both nodded, and the conversation turned to other things. She let it all wash over her, enjoying the lightheartedness and laughter of the others. Still, her heart ached. The mark Gabriel had left on her ached. She wanted her mate. It should be him with her, sitting beside her and rubbing her shoulder the way Holt was. She loved her best friend, but she needed her mate.

  “I’ll be back,” she said and eased from the booth.

  She knew they were all keeping a careful watch on her as she made her way toward the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and headed to the sink, turning on the cold water and splashing her face with it. She was overheated, almost feverish. There was a hard press against her skin from the inside, and when she glanced in the mirror, she caught her breath. Golden eyes stared back at her where she’d always seen brown.

  The animal awakening inside her was becoming less cautious and more assertive every day. There was a burn in her muscles, and she was pretty sure it was the need to shift beginni
ng. She was scared. She had no idea what to do. Yes, she’d watched Tah shift. Reno, Zane and Clara, also. But watching and doing were two totally different things. It was funny. She’d spent the last few months surrounded by shifters while unable to shift herself. Now she was surrounded by humans when she really needed a shifter.

  Damn, Gabriel! He’d done this to her. He should be here to help her through it. Of course, he didn’t know because she hadn’t said anything to anyone, not even Holt. He suspected something more was going on with her, but he didn’t know. She blinked rapidly and gritted her teeth, battling the beast until the gold left, and her eyes were brown again. She shook when it was done, and the heat under her skin was at a slow simmer.

  Reed was waiting at the door for her when she stepped out.

  “Holt and Dusty headed out to the cars. Holt will meet you just outside the door,” Reed said.

  “What’s wrong?” Kenzie asked.

  “Group stepped in just after you left the table. Six of them. They were eyeing Holt and glancing around as if searching for his companion,” Reed told her.

  “Hunters?” Kenzie asked.

  “Holt thinks it’s likely,” Reed said, tucking her under his arm and turning her so she was snuggled against his side. “Time to act like you love me. Try to keep your face hidden on the way to the door. I’ve done a little bit of digging since Reno told us about these hunters, but I’d appreciate it if you told me everything you know.”

  “As soon as we get the chance,” Kenzie agreed, peeking around the room as they moved through it toward the door.

  She spotted the group instantly and knew they were hunters. Her animal came to attention inside her, and Kenzie swore she heard a growl echo in her head. It was as if the beast wanted to surge across the room and rip out all their throats. What the hell was going on with her?

  “Might want to throttle that if you can,” Reed said as they walked.

  What the fuck? She was growling out loud? Her skin was suddenly on fire, and she dropped her eyelids, afraid her eyes were glowing golden again. She would need to call Zane or one of the others and get some help. First, she had a box to go through. Maybe all the answers she needed would be inside, and they could head out to join the rest of them. Though just the thought of the damn box had a cramp almost doubling her over. Not the fucking time or place. As soon as she could get her beast to cooperate, she’d go through it.