Karis Read online

  Good girl. Soak it all up, discover new experiences. It’s what you wanted.

  Yes, it was, Oh Wise One, she thought to her tiger with a roll of her eyes.

  “What the hell are you wearing?”

  Jumping at the sound of Karis’ voice, she slapped a hand over her pounding heart and whirled around. He was standing a few feet from her—Lord, he walked silently—with his hands on his hips, glaring at her. He looked gorgeous in a pair of jogging pants and tight t-shirt, and her mouth dried even as her palms dampened.

  That reaction, as much as she was coming to enjoy it, was going to take some getting used to.

  “I’m wearing clothes, obviously.” Although right this second, she was kind of wishing neither of them were. Jiminy Crickets, where were these thoughts coming from? Apparently when her hormones decided to wake up and really notice a man, they did it in spectacular fashion.

  “Those aren’t clothes you wear in public,” he said, voice tight with suppressed anger. “What would your father say if he saw you dressed like that?”

  Frowning, she looked down at herself. When she went shopping with Kelly yesterday, she shopped for herself, as well. Her father had given her a weekly allowance from the time she was twelve, and she’d rarely spent any of it. So she basically went to town at the store yesterday, buying things she thought she needed, as well as anything that caught her eye. She’d needed a whole new wardrobe. As liberating as wearing the tunic and linen pants had been yesterday, they’d been altered men’s clothing. She wanted pretty, normal women’s clothing.

  Jeans, shorts, shirts, skirts, pretty underwear sets, new shoes. She even bought makeup, though she had no idea how to apply any of it. Kelly promised her she’d show her, though, and Arya couldn’t wait.

  But it wasn’t like she was wearing one of her pretty new panty sets and nothing else. She had on a tank top, calf-length leggings, and her new sneakers. Glancing back up, she cocked an eyebrow at the still-fuming Karis.

  “First, my dad would say I’m a grown woman and can make my own choices about what I wear. Especially since the rules have changed. Second, what’s wrong with what I’m wearing? I’m completely covered up, and women wear these all the time. I thought they’d be the best choice for training, since they allow for more movement.”

  His eyes dropped, slowly trailing down her body and back up. When he looked into her eyes, his were the pale, almost white color of his tiger, and the heat inside them made her stomach clench deliciously. Holy. Cow.

  Stalking closer, he stopped just in front of her, close enough she could feel the heat from his body. “What’s the matter with them, Arya? They’re clinging to every curve of your body, molded on like a second skin. Every male member of this tribe is going to take one look at you and start imagining you naked. They’re going to imagine peeling each piece of clothing off you until you are naked. Of all the women’s clothes out there, this was what you chose to wear in public first?”

  Swallowing hard, she wet her lips, watching as his eyes dipped to track the movement. When he looked back up, the gray was almost completely gone from his gaze, and she found herself wishing he’d kiss her. Needing him to.

  Kiss him. He won’t make the first move. It needs to be you, her tiger urged.

  I can’t kiss him, she protested. I wouldn’t know where to start.

  Burying her cat’s urgings, she spoke, surprised when her voice came out husky. “Is that what you’re doing? Stripping me down in your mind?”

  His eyes flared with fresh heat before he narrowed them and shook his head once, taking a step back. Breathing deeply, he looked off toward the woods, and when he glanced back, the heat had all but vanished, though his eyes remained lightened.

  “That wasn’t what—”

  “Before you go any further, let me remind you that I’m a shifter too, and I can hear lies just like anyone else can,” she said, narrowing her eyes back at him.

  A muscle started rhythmically jumping in his jaw as he stared at her. “Fine. It doesn’t matter what I was doing. The point is, no one should be doing it, most of all me. But everyone’s going to, because we’re not used to seeing women walking around dressed like that.”

  “Are you trying to say that the only reason you were doing it is because you’re not used to seeing women dressed like this? Because I don’t buy that, and I’m a little insulted you thought I might.”

  “Fuck, woman. That’s beside the point—”

  “It’s not—”

  “It is. And you’ll drop it, or I’m not only done with this conversation, but done with training, as well.”

  She was just about to call him out on the obvious lie in his voice when movement to her right caught her attention. Karis must have seen it as well, because his head whipped in the same direction as his body tensed.

  “Who’s there?” he called.

  There was no answer, but the familiar sound of an arrow notching into a bow hit her sensitive ears. With a curse, Karis threw himself into her, taking her down to the ground and covering her body with his just as an arrow whizzed over their heads.

  “Get the fuck home, now,” he ordered as he pushed himself up.

  Before she could say screw that, his gigantic white tiger burst from his body and he was running toward the woods.

  Follow him. Help him, her tiger said, clawing Arya’s chest in an effort to get out.

  But she was already planning on doing just that. She wasn’t some helpless damsel in distress who needed the big strong man to protect her. And she wasn’t the type of woman to leave someone else to fight a battle alone when she could help, either.

  Without another thought, she gave her tiger her body. The snapping of her bones as they broke and reformed echoed off the trees as a blinding burst of pain streaked through her. It was over in an instant as her paws hit the ground, and then she was taking off after Karis and the archer without hesitation.

  Winding through the woods, she followed Karis’ scent trail. When she found him, he was pacing back and forth between the trees and the mountains. He turned to her with a growl, but she ignored him, sniffing around and trying to pick up new scents. But this was a well-used area of tribe lands, so there were hundreds of scent markers, and no way of knowing which one was the archer’s.

  Karis approached her, growling in his throat, and nudged her back through the woods. Since it was clear he wasn’t in danger, and she would be no help in figuring out who it was, she let him herd her back through the woods. He didn’t stop there, instead taking her to the tree line right behind her house.

  Glaring at her with almost-white eyes, he made it clear he expected her to go inside and stay there. Giving him a playful swat, she turned and walked to her door, chuckling inside at his annoyed huff. When she looked back, he was gone, and she glanced around to see if anyone was near before shifting back to human form.

  As soon as she was on two feet again, she rushed inside. Nudity was a large part of shifter life, but with the women as repressed as they’d been, they hadn’t been able to shift with the men, so she wasn’t all that comfortable with anyone but women seeing her bare form.

  As she went to get dressed, she spared a mournful thought to her new clothes and sneakers that had been shredded to ribbons when she shifted. But she had others, and even if she didn’t, she couldn’t regret going after Karis. Even head warriors needed someone watching their backs every now and then. He’d probably have something to say about it, though.

  Her lips curled into a smile as she thought about the coming confrontation. She was actually looking forward to it, and anticipation filled her veins. In the last few days, her whole view of Karis had changed. Everything from their conversations, to this sudden, all consuming attraction, was different. She wondered what, exactly, had changed.

  He’s our mate, and you’re ready now. That’s what changed, her tiger said calmly.

  She froze with only one leg in her pants, stumbling and falling to her butt, unable to catch herself in t
ime. Stunned, she sat there, thinking surely her mind was playing tricks on her. Her tiger didn’t really say that, did she?

  He’s… what? she asked cautiously.

  You heard me. He’s our mate. He’s always been our mate, but you weren’t ready yet.

  And for the first time in her life, she cursed in her head.

  Holy. Shit.

  Karis paced through his living room, an almost unending growl from his tiger deep in his chest. That arrow today had come far too close to Arya for his liking, and the rage he felt at the unknown archer was mounting by the minute.

  Rage with himself for not being fast enough to catch him, and not even having a clue who it was, was burning through his veins, as well. But the archer was smart. He’d made sure to keep to well-trodden paths where his scent would be mixed with other War Cats’ and indistinguishable from others.

  He wasn’t too happy with Arya, either. She hadn’t listened to him at all when he ordered her home. Instead, she shifted and chased after him, going into what could have been certain danger, and all to help him catch whoever had tried to kill one of them. He didn’t know any other woman who would have done as she did. He was a warrior—and not just any warrior, but head warrior. There were none better or more skilled than him, and yet there she was, thinking to help him.

  Despite the frustration and anger he felt at her not running to safety, he couldn’t deny he was a little proud of her. She was a fierce woman, and would make an excellent warrior, if it got that far. An image of her this afternoon flashed in his mind, and he groaned as his body reacted.

  He’d never be able to get the image of her in a tank top and leggings out of his mind for as long as he lived. And despite knowing it was a bad idea to keep thinking of it, he wasn’t sure he even wanted the memory gone. He’d known how beautiful she was, but what he hadn’t realized was how many curves she’d hidden behind the sashes of her saris. If asked what his favorite body type was before seeing hers, he would have said he appreciated all of them equally. But now he had a new favorite. Arya’s.

  The phone rang, and he lunged for it, grateful for a distraction from his thoughts, which were growing more disturbing and out of control by the moment.

  “This is Karis.”

  “Karis, it’s Kian. I was looking at the list of challengers for head warrior. Today’s the last day to sign up since challenges start tomorrow, but I don’t see your name on here. Are you not challenging to keep your spot this year?”

  Exhaling, he rubbed a hand wearily over his head. “I’d forgotten today was the last day. Honestly, I’ve given thought to not challenging. I’m running out of patience with the new warriors quickly of late.”

  “We need you as a leader, Karis. There’s no one more skilled than you are. I know most of the new warriors are a pain, and they’re hotheaded, to boot. But if they get out of line, you can always use your gift.”

  He snorted as an image of himself pushing his calming gift over the warriors went through his mind. “That’s something that would have gotten me exiled if I’d used it when your father was alive.”

  “Yeah, well, my father thrived on violence and discord. Me, not so much.”

  “I know. Using it is always a possibility, I suppose.”

  Kian was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “Look, if you’re truly over being head warrior and want to step down, I’ll respect that. You’ve held the position for longer than anyone else has before, and maybe holding it for another four years is too much. I support you in whatever you decide.”

  “No, I’m going to enter the challenges. I decided to yesterday, I just hadn’t had a chance to add my name. I figure if there really is someone better than me, they’ll beat me.”

  Kian laughed. “That’s the spirit. The challenges for rank begin tomorrow, and the finalists and you will go up for head warrior the day after.”

  “Sounds good. Could you make sure I get signed up? I might not make it to the palace tonight.”

  “Sure. You might be interested to know Vynn signed up this year, as well. He might give you a run for your money, so make sure you’re all rested up.”

  “He did, did he,” Karis replied, mind racing.

  “I heard there were two white tigers racing through my woods today. Have you and Arya moved to training in animal form already?”

  “No, we never even got any training in as humans. Someone shot an arrow at us from the woods before we could begin.”

  “What? Why didn’t you tell me this immediately?” Kian demanded. “Who was it?”

  “I don’t know. They vanished down well-used paths before I could catch up, and I never caught a distinct scent.”

  “Were they aiming for you or Arya?”

  “I don’t know that, either. As soon as I caught a glimpse of someone aiming an arrow our direction, I knocked her to the ground and covered her. That’s why they had time to get away. Probably shot the arrow and took off immediately.”

  “I’m sure that’s not sitting well with you. You’re a warrior, but a protector, first and foremost.”

  “I’m fucking pissed, Kian. And when I find who it was that shot that arrow, I’ll tear them to bits. Especially if they were aiming for Arya, but even if it was just me they meant to hit. Because even if it was me, they put her in danger with their actions.”

  “Agreed. The sooner she’s trained, the better, I think.”

  “I know, but it’s going to have to wait until after the challenges.”

  “I know you have to be at them tomorrow, and definitely the day after for head warrior. But maybe you should talk her into going as well, so you can keep an eye on her.”

  Karis laughed. “Can you imagine Arya not going, now that she’s allowed?”

  “That’s the truth,” Kian replied, chuckling. “Okay, I have a meeting with Zane, so I need to get going. I’ll add your name to the list.”

  “Thanks.”

  Ending the call, Karis frowned as he thought about Vynn entering the challenges. They were held every four years, and Vynn entered the first one Karis won. He hadn’t entered the second, but he did the last. Maybe there was something to him entering this one, maybe there wasn’t. It could be a weird pattern of entering one, but not the next. Either way, it put him a little more firmly on Karis’ radar.

  An earsplitting feminine screech split the air and his heart stopped. Arya. Bolting from his house, he ran to hers, hoping her door was unlocked. Otherwise, he was about to knock it down. The doorknob opened easily, but it only made him more nervous. If he could get in, so could anyone else.

  The living room was empty, so he ran to the kitchen. Skidding to a stop, he took in Arya standing on a kitchen chair. Frowning, he looked around, but no one else was in there.

  “Who was in here? Where’d they go?”

  “It’s over there,” she replied, pointing a trembling finger toward the corner.

  “Arya, there’s no one in here. And why are you in that chair?”

  “To get away from it! Stop standing there like a dummy and get it!”

  He raised an eyebrow at her. “Dummy? And what it are you talking about?”

  “The spider, damn it!” Her eyes went wide for a second. “Bucket list curse, checked off.”

  “Is that why you screeched? A fucking spider? And what the hell is a bucket list curse?”

  She glared at him. “I do not screech. And that damn spider is as big as my fist. Now kill it before it gets away!”

  “Your fist is tiny, so the spider can’t be that big,” he muttered, turning to look at the corner where she pointed.

  He spotted it right away. It was kind of hard to miss, big, black and hairy. Okay, maybe she had a point with how big it was. Spotting an empty pot on the counter, lid resting next to it, he grabbed them and started walking toward the spider.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Taking it outside.”

  “What? No. It’ll just come back inside. Kill it!”

  H
e arched an eyebrow at her. “You’d really have me kill something just because you’re afraid of it?” She hesitated, brows twitching. “I’ll take it out to the woods far away from the house. It won’t be back.”

  Eyeing the spider dubiously, she finally sighed. “Fine. Just get it out of here now, please. Might as well throw the pot away, too, because I’ll never use it again.”

  Karis shook his head, unable to hold in a chuckle. “Wants to become a warrior but scared of spiders. The idea just doesn’t compute.”

  Even with his back turned, he could tell she was glaring at him. “Less talking, more spider removal.”

  The spider was a fast one, but he finally got him corralled amid Arya’s squeals and pleas to move faster. Quickly taking it outside, he walked well into the woods and let it go before going back inside. Arya was climbing off the chair, and he halted abruptly just inside the back door, mouth drying as he got a good look at her. How the fuck did he not notice what she was wearing before?

  “You dropped him off far from the house, right? Karis? You okay?”

  “What the hell are you wearing now?” he asked hoarsely, putting the pot and lid on the counter.

  Frowning, she glanced down and he watched in fascination as her cheeks pinkened. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her blush before. But still, she straightened her shoulders and looked at him defiantly.

  “I wasn’t expecting anyone to burst in here and see me.”

  Go to her, his tiger urged.

  Unable to resist, he did as his tiger told him and walked forward, not stopping until he was so close, she had to crane her neck to look at him.

  “What were you going to do if I hadn’t? Stood on a chair all night?”

  “Maybe,” she whispered, her bright blue eyes swirling with the darker blues of her tiger.

  Lifting a hand, he touched the tip of his finger to the thin, silky strap of her top. “I really hope you weren’t planning on wearing this in public.”

  “Of course not. It’s a camisole and shorts. Pajamas. You know, for sleeping.”

  Glancing back up, he watched as she ran the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip. “This is something you wear when you want to entice a man. Not what you wear just to sleep. And you had to know I’d come running if I heard you scream, especially after what happened today. Is that what you’re trying to do, Arya?”