A Tiger's Bride (A Lion's Pride Book 4) (16 page)

She is mine.

A primitive thought to have but appropriate given he nipped the lobe of her ear. Some liked to mark the skin of the neck or upper shoulder. But Dmitri was quite fond of those sensitive little ears.

So he claimed one, used it to place his mark.

There was something about the act, or maybe it was the knowledge behind it that made it more potent. He was now married in all ways to this woman.

They would spend a lifetime together.

“What are you thinking?” she asked when her breathing slowed.

He caught her amber gaze and smiled. “Just thinking that you’re perfect.”

“Fire.”

“Yes, hot too.”

“No, I really mean fire. Like behind you.”

Indeed, during their somewhat strenuous activities, the rug had shifted and bunched against the open fireplace. Flames licked along the fur.

Poor Teena looked appalled. “I’m sorry. I should have known better than to let you light fire around me.

But Dmitri didn’t curse or panic. He laughed as he jumped to his feet and dumped a nearby vase of flowers on the rug. “No worries. It’s out.” He turned and wagged a finger at her. “Don’t you dare apologize, kitten. Personally, I think your skill will be a great asset.”

“How do you figure?”

“I predict the construction economy will boom, and I already own a good chunk of it. I see us attending many dinner parties and social gatherings.”

“Dmitri!” Before she could say anything else—although judging by the mirth in her eyes, most of her shock was feigned—the door to the room was kicked open.

Even as the door bounced off the wall, Dmitri was moving. With one hand, he snagged the cover on the bed, whirled it over Teena, and then crouched in a ready position in front of her.

He then groaned as his new father-in-law yelled, “Never fear, baby girl. Daddy is here!” And while the other man aimed a gun, he’d not yet fired it.

What do you know, I think my new father-in-law likes me.
Unlike his daughter at the moment.

“Daddy, go away!” she squeaked, her cheeks crimson bright and the blanket he’d given her pulled up to her chin.

“But I’m here to um…save you?” Peter looked from Dmitri, who smiled and shrugged, to his daughter on the floor, who glared. “Fuck me, don’t tell me you mated the damned Russian.”

“I did, and will you stop calling him that?”

“Or else?”

“Don’t make me sic Mommy on you.”

Peter shuddered. “Now that’s just plain evil, baby girl.”

“Who’s evil?” Sasha asked as she sauntered in the room. She let out an unladylike whistle as she took in the broken bed, the smoldering end of the rug, and his blushing bride on the floor—who couldn’t get any redder if she tried.

No wait. He was wrong. That was surely a brand-new shade of crimson never before seen.

“Where is my son? What has that
human
done to him?”

He could totally understand his kitten’s mortification. Was it unmanly to admit he also wanted to crawl under the blanket with his bride?

But hey, at least he’d made her first time memorable.

And not long after, he gave her a wedding to remember—that didn’t require drugs! He even invited her family. To think, they called him crazy. After meeting some of her relatives, he begged to differ.

The day they wed for a second time proved beautiful. The bride wore white despite his mother’s insistence she shouldn’t, given they’d been caught in flagrante delicto. But in this, Teena’s mother got her way. No one ever quite knew what happened behind closed doors, but the thumping and the not so neatly coiffed hair when the two matriarchs exited caused more than a few speculations.

Despite the priest tripping on the hem of his hassock and crushing the flowers, the organist having broken a hand and playing only deep chords, as well as the caterer getting ill at the last moment and them ordering in massive amounts of fast food, the day was perfect.

Teena was perfect.

She’s mine.

A tiger’s bride, and as he whispered, later on that night as he held her in his arms, her skin dewed with pleasure, in a bed, FINALLY, “Always know I choose you.”

And even more awesome, she chose him right back.

About nine months later, and yes, Dmitri’s mother counted.

Don’t yell. It’s not manly.

Dmitri managed to restrain himself, but barely. His wife had a killer grip, especially when in pain, but he could bear it to help her, even if he might never grip a pen again. He held his wife’s hand and managed not to wince even when she crushed it tight. A light perspiration dotted her brow, and she panted as the contractions hit.

He murmured supportive words. He’d learned his lesson. Dmitri had questioned only once how women could tolerate the pain of change so well and yet lamented the labor of childbirth. Grandma, who’d birthed thirteen cubs, taught him a valuable lesson that day.

As his wife labored, he was reminded of the fact that he’d debated being present for the birth of his child. His mother thought it unseemly for a lord to be present during woman’s work. His grandmother was aghast. His sister, however, mocked him.

“Pussy,” she’d sneered when he’d elucidated his reasons for remaining out of the birthing room.

What male could stand to have his manhood questioned? When the midwife arrived, Dmitri remained in the bedroom, standing at the head of the bed, both anticipating the arrival of his child and horrified at the pain he put his poor kitten through.

“We should have gone to a hospital where you could have had drugs for the pain,” he said as yet another wave shuddered through his Teena’s body.

“No drugs,” she gasped. “This. Is. Perfectly. Natural!” she shouted as yet another contraction gripped her.

Natural? Dmitri wasn’t sure he agreed but too late for second thoughts now. The baby was coming. His son. His mini-me. The male who would carry on his name and dynasty.

Or so he assumed. The ultrasound never was able to clearly indicate the sex due to the placement of the placenta, and Teena refused any further testing, claiming she wanted it to be a surprise.

Surprise. There was a word that kind of described life now. Every day was a new adventure with his wife. His speed and agility had become quite honed as he dove, dodged, and fought back the forces of trouble that plagued his wife.

Now that she had a hero in her corner, even she admitted to Dmitri that maybe her power wasn’t so bad. Mostly because they had each other. And soon, their son.

With much gore, screaming—some by him—his child burst forth into the world with a mighty wail.

A touch lightheaded, Dmitri sat down hard on the stool by his wife’s head, still clasping her hand. He blinked as the baby, his child, had its cord cut and clipped and a blanket whirled around it.

The midwife held out the bundle to him. “Your daughter, milord.”

A daughter? But he’d ordered a son. The midwife, though, didn’t care. She handed him the yelling baby. So light. He barely noted the weight of her in his arms. He glanced at her, noting only her little face peeked from the fabric.

Their gazes locked. The crying halted.

Giant blue eyes blinked at him, framed in thick lashes. A little rosebud of a mouth pursed, then curled into a smile—which no amount of argument later would sway him was caused by gas.

His heart constricted, and his breath caught.
This is my daughter.

My child. My daughter.

Good lord. With his genes and her mother’s, she would be perfect. Beyond perfect. Stupendous. And boys would eventually notice her fabulousness, which would mean…

As all the various realizations crashed into him, he hugged his daughter to him tight, even as he made plans to get a bigger castle. One with a moat. Filled with gators.

Oh and guard towers. Manned with guns.

And…

“That’s not placenta. There’s another baby coming!” the midwife exclaimed, breaking his inner epiphany.

Another?

Indeed. Within minutes, Dmitri held two absolutely perfect daughters.

“I hope you’re not disappointed. I know you wanted a son,” Teena said as she held out her arms for a bundle.

As he nestled a child in the crook of his wife’s arms that she might cuddle and see the wonderful children she’d created, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Disappointed? Never. My little czarinas shall dazzle everyone with their beauty. Rule the world with their greatness.” As he expounded on the many virtues their children would surely possess, his wife smiled and mouthed, ‘I love you’.

And the great thing was, “I love you, too, little kitten.” Now and always.

The End

Author’s Note:
I truly hope you enjoyed this story. While this is the end of this series (at least for now), I have many other shapeshifter tales that might intrigue you. Skip ahead to read about them, or visit my website at
http://www.EveLanglais.com

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Kodiak Point Series (USA Today Bestselling):

Kodiak’s Claim:
Hands full taking care of his clan, the last thing this Kodiak bear needs is a woman poking her cute little nose into his affairs. But when she refuses to back down—and shows the courage to stand up to him—he can’t resist the allure of a curvy city girl.

Outfoxed By Love:
A man of few words, Boris has a firm way of saying No, but a determined vixen knows he’s her mate. Jan has not had much success in getting her bullheaded moose to notice her, but all that changes when her life is put in danger.

Polar Bared:
When Vicky accidentally slides into the side of a polar bear, she doesn’t expect to fall in love. Eaten yes, perhaps used as a chew toy, but become the object of a bear’s affection and lust?

Caribou’s Gift:
Damn it, a man had his pride and a caribou a certain majestic presence, all of which could wind up ruined if he abased himself to play a simple-minded reindeer in the town’s Christmas parade. No way was he wearing damned tinsel in his antlers. Like hell was he sporting a red nose and pulling a sleigh.  But he changes his mind when he meets the woman in charge of the event.

Wolf’s Capture:
Brody is a soldier who misses the excitement of the military and its missions. He retired to work as clan beta in Kodiak Point. Talk about boring, until he’s captured by a foreign enemy. Him, a prisoner? Not for long. This wolf will do anything in order to get away–even if it involves seduction.

Grizzly Love:
Dr. Jess was his soulmate. His grizzly knew it. He knew it. Suspected she did as well. But he did have one dilemma standing in his way. Her husband. Talk about inconvenient.

A Lion’s Pride (NYT and USA Today Bestseller)

When An Alpha Purrs
– She dared to butcher his precious mane. So for revenge, he made her his mate.

When A Beta Roars
– This lion has met his mate, just one tiny problem, she’s allergic to cats.

When An Omega Snaps
– How dare she upset his quiet, order world! Only one thing to do…make her his.

A Tiger’s Bride
– Who says kidnapping the one you want isn’t romantic?

Furry United Coalition (F.U.C.) Series (Bestseller):
It started with an energetic bunny and a grumpy bear (
Bunny And The Bear
). It continued with a geeky swan and her playboy bear (
Swan And The Bear
)
. And then we encountered an ornery croc who couldn't help falling for a foxy lady (
Croc And The Fox
).
In
Lion And The Falcon
, when an A.S.S agent is given to F.U.C, it's not just the criminals who feel the heat. In
Doe and the Wolf
, how does a predator convince his prey he’s after more than just her body?

Princess of Hell Series:

Lucifer’s Daughter (Bestseller):
Being Lucifer’s daughter can be Hell.

Snowballs In Hell:
The misbegotten daughter of Satan is once again in trouble, and not just because Hell has frozen over.

Hell’s Revenge:
It’s never a good idea to piss off this Princess of Hell because revenge is her middle name.

Freakn’ Shifters Series (Bestseller):

Delicate Freakn’ Flower
:
Naomi doesn’t want to follow tradition and settle down with a violence-loving, chest thumping shifter. When fate—with a snicker—makes her meet not one, but two mates, Naomi digs her heels in and refuses to do what her wolf—and her body—demands. Can this delicate freakn’ flower unbend her prejudices enough to recognize she needs a pair of men who can handle her thorns—and her passion?

Jealous And Freakn’:
Francine’s loved Mitchell, a wolf shifter like herself, since she first set eyes on him, back when they were just kids. However, Mitchell’s refuses to see the truth and keeps running away. Determined to make him realize he's meant to be hers, she enlists the aide of Alejandro, a gorgeous cat shifter. She never counted on wanting them both.

Already Freakn’ Mated
:
Lucky him, he found his mate. Just one teensy, tiny problem. She was already married to someone else.

Human and Freakn’:
Forget the dangers of the jungle. In peril is Ruth’s heart when two hunky shifters become determined to claim her despite her humanity.

Jungle Freakn’ Bride:
Everyone’s heard of the mysterious Moon Ghost Jaguars, supposed shapeshifting men who steal women as their brides. Half naked, ripped and oh so delicious, they always come as a pair and turn into really big freakn’ cats! But Carlie's not giving in to their plans to mate without a fight.

Freakn’ Cougar:
Forget taming their cougar. These hunks want her as is, even if she scratches.

Welcome To Hell Series:

A Demon And His Witch
:
Remy’s seen a lot of things during his tenure in Lucifer’s guard, but nothing can prepare him for the witch with the acerbic tongue--and voluptuous figure. Her mouth says ‘Screw you,' but her body screams ‘Take me.’ Before he can decide if his demonizing days are done, though, he needs to catch the bad guys, save the girl and then find a way to convince her to love him and not kill him.

A Demon And His Psycho:
So she was a tad bit nuts, Katie’s insanity came in handy as the Devil’s favorite problem solver. But killing’s not on the menu when a dragon goes missing, and worse, Lucifer teams her up with Hell’s grumpiest demon. His rejection of her advances only makes her more determined to seduce him. And despite her violent reputation, a part of her is oddly tempted to let him live.

Date With Death:
His mission was to harvest her soul, but he captured her heart instead. Marigold has a date with Death, but when she foils his plan to take her soul back to Hell, she invites him to dinner instead.

A Demon and Her Scot:
An unlikely duo, the golfing match from Hell, and a devil determined to win, even if he has to cheat. Lucifer's up to his matchmaking mischief again in this fast-paced, humorous jaunt into the bowels of the pit. Think you can handle the heat?

Hell’s Kitty:
Okay, so Felipe ate a few of the Styx sea creatures. In his defense, they were awfully tasty. Depleting the monster reservoir didn’t mean Lucifer had to go all Lord of Hell on him and order him to go on a stupid mission. And to Siren Isle of all places! Everyone knows males should stay far, far away from that dangerous place. The only stroke of luck is the woman he’s after isn’t a siren. Nor is she quite a mermaid. As a matter of fact, Jenny isn’t like anyone he’s ever met—so, of course, this curious cat wants her.

Pack Series (Bestsellers):

Defying Pack Law
: Pack law states Lycan females must be shared by several males, but young and in love, Dana flees rather than be forced into a ménage. Her life on the run has no room for happiness so when her past catches up and brings her back to the pack, she finds herself reevaluating her beliefs. Can she learn to accept the Lycan polyamorous way of life? Or will jealousy and fear send her running again?

Betraying The Pack
: Rescued by a quad of hunks, then kept against her so they can protect her, Bailey doesn’t know what to think or do, other than scream that is, when she discovers they are werewolves. Even more frightening, they want her as their mate, and lover. Can Bailey learn to accept pack law, which states females can choose up to four mates, or will an evil entity force her to betray the pack?

Seeking Pack Redemption:
What started out as a search for his missing sibling, turns into a rescue mission of a woman who makes his inner beast howl. Trent knows its wrong to want his dead brother’s mate, but he can’t help himself, and neither can his friends. Danger stalks the one they want and they’ll have to fight to set her free. One lone wolf discovers sometimes even outcasts can earn forgiveness.

New Pack Order:
Thaddeus has lived too long to waste his time playing the games the other vampires indulge in. However, when it comes to keeping his kind safe from the notice of humans, he’ll do what it takes to stop a madman intent on starting a war. He embarks on a one man quest to avert disaster, but along the way discovers even a killer can become a hero—and a lover.

Alien Abduction Series (Bestseller):

Accidental Abduction:
Tren's accidental abduction of an Earthling female turns his life upside down. Her fiery spirit draws him while at the same time drives him insane. Struggling with his urges, he must decide-- throttle her barbarian neck or embrace his insanity and claim her as his mate?

Intentional Abduction:
She intentionally abducted him because of his skills as a warrior, so, when the chance arose, he stole her for revenge.

Dual Abduction
: They both wanted her. The question was, could they share her? Abducted by alien slavers, along with a group of teenage misfits, Louisa doesn’t think her week can get any stranger until two big purple warriors arrive to the rescue—and then fight over who gets to keep her.

Mercenary Abduction
:
Makl is looking to become the greatest mercenary the universe has known. In true family tradition, he leaves a trail of mayhem and bodies wherever he goes. steals the most priceless of items, ravishes females left and right. But that all ends the day he comes across the biggest prize of all – a human barbarian.

Heroic Abduction:
Bucking family tradition, Dyre is determined to become his planet’s first hero, even if it breaks his mother’s heart. He sets out on numerous quests to save the universe, however his altruism never seems to turn out quite as expected. Who knew doing the right thing was so hard?

Holiday Abduction:
Vhyl is determined to acquire a certain lost artifact, but when he lands on the forbidden barbarian planet known as Earth, he finds more than expected. An attractive human female is in possession of the priceless object, and she’s agreed to hand it over—for a price.

Alien Mate Series
:
They’re big, they’re blue, and they’re taking earthling females as mates.

Alien Mate (Bestseller):
Diana is ironing her underwear when the hottest blue babe in the galaxy appears in her living room—naked. Abducted, decontaminated and dressed like a harem girl, she’s been chosen to become the alien’s mate.

Alien Mate 2:
Maya's been raised to believe in extra-terrestrials and when she saves a sexy blue one from drowning, she can't resist taking him home-and into her bed.

Alien Mate 3:
Abducted by a hunky blue alien, researcher and admitted geek Penny is eager to study his mating habits—in the flesh. She’d like to blame her illogical affection for him on hormones, but the erotic remedy just heightens her chemical imbalance.

Cyborgs: More Than Machines Series:

Half man, half machine, which side will win the battle when it comes to feeling emotions?

C791
:
Machines aren’t supposed to feel, but this cyborg can’t help falling in love.

F814
:
Solus thinks emotions are a weakness, until he discovers passion.

B785
:
When cyborg intelligence meets sensual robotics circuit boards sizzle.

Aramus
:
Wiping out humanity is his number one objective—until he meets
her
.

Seth
:
This spy is on a mission – for love.

Adam
:
This rebel leader likes to blow things up.

Avion
:
He might be broken, but he can’t help but love her.

Non Series Titles:

Two's A Couple, Three's The Law
:  When it comes to choosing between two men, the law says don’t. Keep them both.

Wickedest Witch
:  Welcome to Wicked Incorporated where the insults are always free.

The Geek Job:
Protect the geek. A simple job, until the tough shewolf falls for the man of science.

Broomstick Breakdown:
Mating should be simple, but he didn’t count on a stubborn witch making abduction—and seduction—his only option.

Taming Her Wolf:
She’s determined to tame him, and see if he tastes as good as he looks. But he turns the tables and ends up capturing her heart.

His Teddy Bear (Bestseller):
Curvy Teddy’s found her mate. Just one problem. He doesn’t like what he sees.