Authors: Bianca D'Arc
“Just try to be careful. You won’t be able to do everything up to your usual standard right away. Be gentle with your healing body.”
“I promise,
Doctor
.” He smiled and winked at her, emphasizing her title. “I can’t afford to pay you for any more in-home visits. I must owe you a small fortune by now.”
“It’s okay,” she found the nerve to answer. “I don’t want your money. You can pay me in kisses.”
A spark ignited behind his golden eyes, making them flash amber at her. He liked her daring, it was plain to see.
“You don’t say.” He stepped closer to her, snaking one arm around her waist as he pulled her close. Her breath caught at his actions. This was the man she wanted. The one who reached out and took her—with her enthusiastic permission. “I’d better start paying down my debt right away,” he whispered against her lips, their breath steaming in the cold.
And then he was kissing her again. A little whirlwind of a tempest that knocked the breath from her, showered her with a dazzling magical storm of energy and left her breathless as he let her go. She wanted to follow him and beg for more, but she became aware of just why he’d stopped.
The door to the barn had opened and Paul was standing in the open doorway, frowning at her. Damn. Caught necking in the snow by her would-be older brother.
Gina brazened it out, trying her best to ignore the hard looks that passed between Mitch and Paul. She stepped away from Mitch, internally aware that her balance was off. Mitch had literally made her head spin. But she did her best not to let it show on the outside as she smiled at Paul and walked past him through the open door and into the barn.
Inside, it was set up like a
dojo with an entrance area with places to stow your stuff. The central area of the big building was filled with light that filtered in through high, discreet windows placed strategically on every side of the big building for maximum effect. The middle of the floor was covered in mats with other equipment around the circumference of the room.
Gina had spent many afternoons as a youngster learning how to fight and defend herself in human form in this makeshift
dojo. Even more time had been spent in her fur, out in the woods, grappling and playing with the Miller brood. A quick look around the dojo told her that all four Miller brothers had come home at their father’s call.
Gina greeted Tad, Harry and BJ with smiles and hugs as they came over to say hello. Paul and Mitch finally showed up inside and Gina introduced Mitch to the rest of the guys, silently wondering what had gone on outside after she’d left Paul and Mitch alone. She wouldn’t ask, but she knew Paul. He had to have shared some choice words with Mitch after catching them in that clinch. He was too much her big brother to let something like that pass.
She wouldn’t comment on it now. She was already feeling weird enough as it was. Better to pretend that everything was normal.
Mitch came over to her as she made the introductions and put an arm around her waist, shocking her. Was he staking a claim? Among shifters, this sort of action meant even more than it did in the human world. Was Mitch feeling possessive or merely protective? It could be either. Or even a little of both. One could mean something very special. The other less so, but still nice.
And what in the world had Paul said to him to make him react this way? Gina was full of curiosity but remained silent.
The Miller men were friendly enough toward Mitch, and before long they were out on the mats, trading punches. Gina was glad to see they started off slow and worked their way up to more intricate moves. She watched carefully from the sidelines as she began her own series of stretches. Mitch wasn’t the only one who liked to keep in shape.
When the door to the barn opened about twenty minutes later, Gina was thrilled to see Mandy Risling, who was married to Tad, and Adele Miller, who was only a couple of years younger than Gina. They came in with the baby of the Miller horde, their little sister, Violet.
Gina ran over to them and exchanged hugs all around. It had been a while since their merry band had been all together in one place.
“Is that him?” Vi asked as the women settled in to watch the men at work.
The ladies would take their turn on the mats, Gina knew. And not alone. The women would spar with the men. It was good practice since you never knew who your opponent would be if you got into a fight in the real world. But for just a few minutes, they were observers as the Miller brothers escalated the workout, testing Mitch’s reflexes and level of skill.
“Yeah,” Gina answered, unable to keep her gaze from Mitch.
He was poetry in motion
, and though she worried about the athletic level at which he was operating, she couldn’t find any fault in his form or delivery. He was in the zone and clearly able to take on all the Miller men at once and still search for more opponents. He was an even better fighter than Gina had imagined.
“I heard he was a Royal Guard,” Violet prompted, clearly wanting more information about the newcomer in their midst.
“Yeah,” Gina repeated, knowing she sounded a bit dopey but unable to really concentrate on anything except the play of muscles as Mitch moved. He was a beautiful animal in his fur and in his skin.
Gina heard snickering from the older women that finally drew her gaze away from Mitch. Mandy and Adele were making faces at her and she swatted at them playfully, glad to have her childhood friends once again at her side.
“Ooh…Gina’s got it bad, girls,” Mandy said in a voice only the women could hear. “Looks like the hunka hunka burnin’ tiger over there has caught the eye of our little snow princess.”
“Is it true he turned white for you?” Violet asked, a flavor of awe in her tone.
Gina had to laugh. “I wouldn’t say he didn’t just for me, exactly. And I don’t think he had any control over it. It just sort of happened. I gave him my blood and the next time he shifted fully, he was white. Surprised the heck out of both of us.”
“You gave him blood?” Violet asked. Apparently
, she hadn’t heard the entire story.
“He was poisoned. Almost died a few days ago. It was touch and go for a while, but he’s made what appears to be a miraculous recovery.” Her gaze traveled back to him, watching his every move. “You wouldn’t know it to look at him now, but he was as close to death as I’ve ever had one of my patients go without taking that final journey. I thought I would lose him a few times, but he has a warrior spirit and he fought through.”
Silence greeted her revealing words. Then Mandy spoke again. “Tad said something special happened up at the circle. It sounded like Mitch has been Goddess-blessed.” Quiet respect filled her voice.
“Yeah, I think he was. It was quite an experience—unlike anything I’ve ever seen or felt before up there, even with my dad. Mitch is special,” Gina admitted.
“Special enough to mate with?” Adele asked the obvious question.
Gina couldn’t speak the word, but she knew the answer in her heart. She nodded and felt the surprise of the women behind her. Each of them had known her almost all her life. They’d played together as children, gone to school together and learned about being tigers together. They knew her better than almost anyone and knew she’d never dared to give her heart to any man before.
Mating among shifters was something instinctive. Something special. Among shifter monarchs, it was slightly different, but Gina had always wanted a man who would be her true mate, not just a mate of convenience. She thought she’d found him in Mitch, but it would take Mitch’s cooperation to take that final step and join their two souls.
If they mated, it would be for life. She wanted that with all her heart. She was beginning to crave it with every fiber of her being. But her female nature demanded more of her mate. It demanded that he claim her in the way of their ancestors. Her inner tigress deemed him worthy, but it was going to take Mitch to make that final connection. The claim. The demand for
submission that her tigress was all-too-willing to give him—and only him.
The girls didn’t have time to comment on her admission because the men chose that moment to pause for a water break. They were all sweaty and in various stages of undress. Most of the Millers had their shirts on, but Mitch’s clothing hadn’t been that good of a fit to start with. He’d shed his T-shirt already and was clothed only in the borrowed sweatpants.
Gina found it hard to look away from his gleaming skin and the muscles that played just underneath. He was a specimen of masculine perfection if she’d ever seen one.
Tad tossed him a towel and Mitch wiped his face. The Millers kept their private
dojo stocked with supplies. A small refrigerator held bottles of water and sports drinks and Paul handed out bottles, tossing them across the length of the barn to each of them.
“Shall we show them how it’s done, ladies?” Gina asked with a sly grin.
Mandy giggled and ran for the hidden control panel. She hit a few buttons and several items slid out from hidden cupboards in the walls, among them was a set of uneven bars, an extra-long balance beam, a pommel horse and a vaulting horse and several other items used in gymnastics. Adele and Violet moved everything into position while Mitch whistled once through his teeth.
“That’s some setup,” he observed, coming over to stand beside Gina. “You aiming for just a workout or something more?”
“Watch and learn,” she countered, enjoying teasing him. “We’re tigers. We’re good at tumbling and jumping, and we use it in conjunction with more traditional martial arts.”
“I’m familiar with the concept
.” Mitch looked down at her through slitted eyes. He seemed both skeptical and intrigued.
“You do gymnastics?” Gina wanted to know. He was big for it, but he definitely had the body. Those muscles were long and lean. She didn’t doubt he could do more than just plain old fighting with them.
“I’ve been known to tumble a bit. It didn’t come quite as naturally to me as to some of my shorter brethren.”
“There are rings up in the rafters and a high bar we can put out if you like. Paul will probably get it out of storage before long. He likes going round and round.” She made a silly face, used to Paul’s antics. “There’s plenty of space for even a guy as big as you to fly a bit.” She nodded toward the rafters of the barn, high above their heads. The entire space was open and voluminous, built that way for just this reason.
Gina’s attention was caught by a bead of sweat sliding its way down Mitch’s throat as he raised a half-empty water bottle to his lips and proceeded to gulp the remainder down. He held it upward, his neck stretched as he emptied the clear plastic bottle. His throat worked, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed. Gina caught her breath. The man was so sexy, even his simplest motion made her wet.
She looked away before he finished with the drink and caught her staring. Again. She really had to stop ogling the man. Or…maybe not. He was just too handsome not to look at.
Violet jumped onto the balance beam and ran at a rapid pace, jumping and tumbling as she went on the tiny ribbon of only slightly padded wood. Mitch watched her, his eyes narrowing as if assessing her skill. He didn’t seem surprised. He’d definitely seen this sort of thing before.
Adele started running and jumped into a simple vault, starting off slow as Mandy started stretching and tumbling a bit on the mats. Mitch’s gaze went from one to the other, his gaze measuring.
“Is this the way regular Royal Guards train?” Gina had to ask.
“More or less. We all get tumbling and the unique fighting style that combines our more gymnastic abilities with self-defense as well as offensive fighting. Looks like our training in many respects, though I guess your version of it is truer to what it once was. I heard one of my teachers remark
once that when your father went into exile, he took the best of the Guard with him.”
“He didn’t ask any of them to come. They all volunteered.” She was quick to defend her father.
Mitch turned toward her. “I meant no disrespect. I’m sure they followed your father of their own free will. He is the king after all, no matter if he doesn’t want to rule. If I’d been in the same position as the Millers, I probably would have followed him too. But it left a bit of a vacancy in the
tigre
Royal Guard ranks. Most of the best and most senior teachers went with your father. Those who were left to carry on were good but not exactly in the same league as those who departed. Which is part of the reason I went to the
pantera
to complete my training.”
“I didn’t realize…” Gina trailed off
, thinking. “You went to the panthers and stayed. Why didn’t you go back to your own kind? I know my uncle still fields a team of Royal Guard to protect him.”
“It was a combination of reasons. First, Cade and I hit it off. He is my best friend as well as my—or he
was
—my partner.” A look of sadness passed over his features for a split second when he mentioned the partnership that had been dissolved by Mitch’s injury. “I wanted to partner with Cade and he’s dedicated to the Nyx by both desire and blood.” Mitch’s voice dipped into low, confidential tones so that nobody else could hear what he disclosed.
Gina realized Mitch was sharing a secret with her. His ex-partner was related by blood to the Nyx. Which meant Cade was probably in line for the panther throne if something happened to the young woman who currently ruled. If the panthers were anything like the tigers, they kept such things a closely held secret
, and Gina didn’t blame them. Being a royal put limitations on a person and a big fat target on your back.
“So you wanted to stay with Cade. That’s understandable.”
“I never really had a family,” Mitch admitted, each word gritted out between his teeth as if he hated talking about it. Yet, he was. He was sharing a part of his past with her that still pained him to admit. That meant something. She treated his revelations with the respect they demanded. “Cade is my brother in all but blood. His family welcomed me and made me part of their tightknit group. I will miss them.”
Gina reached out to him
and put one hand on his hot skin. She didn’t dare touch him anywhere but the forearm, but even that contact made a little frisson of electricity dance down her arm to her spine, sending tingles throughout her body. She ignored them. It was time to offer comfort and support, not jump his bones.
Besides, there were too many people around. And they were all watching her and Mitch out of the corners of their eyes. She’d have to join the workout sooner or later, but for this quiet, stolen moment, she and Mitch were connecting on a deep level, in spite of—or maybe because of—the setting.
“You don’t have to give them up completely, do you? I can’t imagine they’d forsake you, no matter what’s happened.”
Mitch turned toward her and she read a brief moment of vulnerability in his gaze before he shuttered it. “They wouldn’t turn me away, but my duty is to protect them, not put them in danger. I can’t go back to the way it was before. I’ve been compromised.
The Nyx’s enemies knew I guarded her, even if they didn’t know my name. I will not compromise my friends by going back to them. Not now. Maybe not ever.”
“I respect your devotion to duty, but where does that leave you? Alone?” Gina’s heart went out to him.
“Not alone. The Mother of All has seen fit to point me in the direction of my own people. I haven’t spent much time among tigers since going off for training among the
pantera
, but I know now it’s time to return to my own kind and do my duty to
my
monarch, not the Nyx.”
“You’re right, Mitch.” Gina squeezed his arm, facing the mats. “You’re not alone anymore. You’ll never be alone again if I have anything to say about it.”
Dropping that bombshell for him to think about, she let go of his arm, then strode away toward the uneven bars. It was time to work off some of her sexual frustration and kick some ass—or have her ass kicked.
As it turned out, the score was about even by the end of a grueling workout with both the male and female Miller brood. They mixed and matched—Mitch and Gina going up against opponents of both sexes. One never knew who they’d be facing on the field of battle and enemies didn’t always fight fair, so they tried different combinations of sparring arrangements.
At one point, Mitch took on all of the Millers plus Gina and knocked everyone on their asses by the end of the bout. He was something to watch, and hell on wheels as an opponent. Gina liked sparring with him, trying to score hits with her slightly quicker reflexes.
It wasn’t so much that she was faster than him, more than that she was smaller. She was able to dart in and out, under his guard.
Until he caught her. The Millers were sprawled all around the dojo, having run afoul of Mitch’s lightning-fast reflexes and unfamiliar, but incredibly effective fighting style when Gina danced a little too close to the dragon.
Mitch seized her, pulling a kick that otherwise would have knocked her block off. Instead, she ended up encased in his arms, held tight against his sweaty body and her entire nervous system short-circuited. Well, that’s what it felt like, at least.
The seconds ticked by in slow motion as she realized she was completely immobilized by his hold. He could do whatever he wanted with her and she was powerless against him—on so many levels. She wanted to surrender, to tell him to do his worst. Because she was certain his worst was better than the best she’d ever had. But they weren’t alone.