Karis Read online

  “I didn’t know you were home.” She paused and sank her teeth into her lower lip. “But if I’d known, then maybe… maybe I would have been trying.”

  Her softly uttered words were like gasoline to the desire he felt licking up his veins. Lifting his hand from her strap, he cupped her neck and started lowering his head. Her eyelids fluttered shut as he came close, and he paused, wanting to savor the moment as her breath mingled with his.

  A group of people walked by the house, their laughter loud, and it was like a cold bucket of water on his overheated body. With a curse, he dropped his hand and quickly backed away. Raking his hands through his hair, he paced back a forth a couple times.

  “Karis?” she asked softly, confusion in her voice. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “You didn’t do anything wrong, Arya, but we can’t do this.” He gestured between them. “Whatever this is, it needs to stop here. Nothing can happen between us. I’ll train you, but that’s where it ends.”

  She opened her mouth to reply, but he went to the back door and left quickly, afraid his resolve would waiver if she argued. Practically sprinting back to his house, he cursed himself for a fool, not sure whether it was over leaving her, or putting himself in that position to begin with.

  Definitely leaving her, dumbass, his tiger said with disgust.

  Maybe his animal was right about leaving her, maybe he wasn’t, but he was right about one thing. Karis was a dumbass, and it was definitely for getting himself into this position to begin with.

  Chapter Five

  “Oh wow, Kelly. This looks great,” Arya enthused, staring at herself in the mirror.

  “You don’t need much makeup, Arya. You’re a beautiful woman.”

  “Thanks. Um—I have some questions to ask you, if you’ve got a minute.”

  “Sure, I’ve got time. What’s up?”

  Arya hesitated, looking at her reflection one more time. She was still a little in shock that Karis was her mate, but she wasn’t going to fight it. And she wasn’t going to let Karis run from what was between them.

  It was possible he didn’t know they were mates. She didn’t even know until yesterday. And the way he said what was between them, instead of calling it a mating, suggested he didn’t know yet. So she had to do what she could to strengthen their bond, to get him to stop fighting it.

  Heck, even if he did know they were mates, her thinking wouldn’t be changed. Shifters could love as many as they wanted, but they only had one true mate. Someone who was perfect for them in every way, someone whose happiness meant everything to them. They’d do anything for their mate—lie, kill, lay down their life for them. But while there was major attraction from their human side, it was their animal who chose who the mate was, knowing instinctively who their best match was.

  A true mating was something she’d longed for, for as long as she could remember. And she’d be damned if she let a thickheaded male deprive her of the joys that came with having a mate because he was too dense to realize a good thing when he saw it.

  So she was doing this. This week had been the best of her life already, and she was going full tilt toward her dreams. And since he was her mate, Karis was now included in those dreams.

  Glancing at her outfit one last time, she nodded, pleased with the look. Her jeans were snug without being tight, and her blue tank top was a V neck, hugging and framing her breasts perfectly. She’d pulled her long black hair into a ponytail, and Kelly had lined her eyelids with black liner and mascara, making the sky-blue color pop.

  Turning to Kelly, she said, “I need some pointers on how to seduce a man.”

  Kelly choked on the sip of water she was swallowing, spewing some of it out. Laughing, she said, “A little warning before you say something like that! What brought this on?”

  Sitting next to Kelly on the bed, she debated on what to say, but she might as well spill it all. “My tiger picked my mate yesterday. Well, apparently she knew for a while, but she just told me.”

  “Oooh, who is it?”

  “It’s Karis.”

  Kelly’s eyes widened. “Karis? Wow. I was expecting someone more like Carter.”

  “Carter?” she asked, wrinkling her nose. “Ew. No. Way too immature. Why him? Oh, because of my age?”

  “I guess. Although, now that you mention it, I can’t see any of those younger tigers with you. They couldn’t handle you,” Kelly said with a laugh.

  Arya grinned. “They probably couldn’t. But Karis isn’t really that much older than me. Only around twelve years, I think. But he’s a man, ya know? Carter, Trevor, all those younger tigers are boys.”

  “Compared to him, they definitely are,” Kelly said with a smile. “So does he know you’re mates?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t think so. See, he almost kissed me last night. But then he pulled back and said we couldn’t do whatever this was between us. Which leads me to believe he doesn’t know, because he would have just said a mating between us wouldn’t work.”

  “I see. You’re probably right. Karis strikes me as the kind of man who tells it like it is.”

  “Exactly. So I need help. Because I don’t know if he’d run if he knew, but he’s definitely running from the attraction we each feel. It was probably as much of a shock to him as it was to me, but still.”

  “He might be having more trouble with the age difference than you are. And I know he looks up to your dad, is close to him. That most likely has something to do with it, as well.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “You’re probably right. So I need to up my game. I can’t let him run or give him time to shore up his resolve any more.”

  Without warning, Kelly reached over, grasped the edges of Arya’s tank top, and tugged, ripping it an inch down the center. “There.”

  Gaping down at her suddenly exposed cleavage, she glanced back up at Kelly’s satisfied expression. “What the heck was that for?”

  Kelly shrugged. “You’ve got a great rack. Use it to your advantage. Men love tits, Arya. He won’t be able to resist yours.”

  “I mean, thanks, but I meant more like seduction techniques and stuff.”

  “I can’t really help you much there. I don’t have much experience with it, actually,” Kelly replied. Chewing her lip thoughtfully, she suddenly brightened. “Stripping drives Zane wild. You’re not at that point yet, I don’t think, but when it’s time, use it. And he’s going to be training you, right? That means getting close to you physically. Use that, too. Little touches and caresses. Use whatever comes to you. The pull between you two has to be strong since you’re mates. He won’t be able to resist long.”

  “I can do that,” she replied, shivering as she thought of her body pressed to Karis’ again as they wrestled.

  “One more thing,” Kelly said, reaching into her purse and pulling out a perfume bottle. “I’m glad I brought this along for you. It’s one of my favorite scents, but I can’t use it. It’s too much for my sensitive pregnancy nose. Dab a little on your cleavage, wrists, and behind your ears. Not too much, but enough to be noticeable. Zane says it’s a sexy scent, whatever that means.”

  She accepted the bottle. “Thanks. And thanks again for doing my makeup.”

  “I’m happy to help, anytime you need me. I’m gonna get going now. You sure you don’t want to go to the challenges with me and Zane? There probably won’t be many other women there.”

  “I’m sure. But I’ll look for you when I get there so we can sit together.”

  “Okay. See you there.”

  Arya saw her friend to the door and then ran back upstairs. Uncapping the perfume bottle, she brought it to her nose, inhaling. It smelled good, like sexy fruit. Giggling, she dabbed it where Kelly told her to. Sexy fruit. Was there even such a thing?

  Grabbing her lip gloss, she applied a fresh coat and then looked at herself one more time. She felt exposed with her cleavage showing, but sexy too, which was a new feeling. The tops for saris in her tribe never showed cleavage, and she�
�d always been careful to arrange her sash to cover her stomach. This felt daring and bold, and she couldn’t wait to see how Karis reacted.

  Karis paced between his house and Arya’s. He’d been trying to make sure his resolve was firmly in place for the last five minutes, but he still wasn’t sure it was. He was out of time, though. They’d be late to the challenges if he didn’t get his act together soon, and as head warrior, he couldn’t be late.

  The problem was, he wanted to see her. Spend the day with her. Watch as she took in everything about the world she dreamed of. He was invested in it, in her reactions and happiness, and that’s what worried him.

  You’re not only a dumbass, but a coward, too, his tiger said with disdain.

  Damn it, his cat was right. He was head fucking warrior of the fiercest tribe of shifters on the planet, and he was worrying over how he’d react to a woman? He could handle this. He was strong enough. She was just a girl, nothing to be scared of.

  She’s a woman, fool.

  Karis and his tiger had always gotten along, but he was starting to really dislike his animal.

  Enough. Marching to her door, he raised his hand to knock, but before he could, the door opened and there she was.

  Looking at him in surprise, she said, “Karis? What are you doing here?”

  Fuck him, but he couldn’t have replied to save his life, his body roaring to life. She had makeup on, and the black stuff around her eyes made the bright blue pop, and her wide, plump lips were slicked down with some kind of gloss.

  Around her neck was a silver chain, and he followed it down to the charm. The delicate silver tiger was nestled right at the start of her cleavage, and he swallowed hard when he saw so much of it exposed. Sweet baby Jesus, she was trying to kill him. Her breasts were round and full, hugged deliciously by the blue tank top she wore, the V neck ripped open just enough to show off her tantalizing cleavage.

  Yanking his gaze away, he took in the rest of her. She had on snug jeans held up by a black leather belt, and wore boots on her feet. Raising his eyes, he trailed them back over her body, unable to help pausing on her chest once more before looking up into her eyes. A gust of wind blew, throwing her ponytail over her shoulder, and her scent carried to him. She smelled like an apple orchard, something he never imagined could actually smell sexy. But on her, it was the sexiest thing he’d ever smelled.

  See? Allll woman, his tiger purred.

  Arya gave him a flirty smile. “Like what you see?”

  Eyebrows raising, he stared at her mutely. “You did this on purpose?”

  She shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe some of it.”

  “I thought we agreed we were going to ignore whatever this was.”

  “No, you said you thought we should, and then left the house without waiting on my reply. If you had, you’d know I don’t agree.”

  “Arya…” he started, trailing off because she stepped closer to him so she could shut the door. Her body brushed his, and he cursed under his breath as his skin tightened to the point of pain at the sensations streaking through him.

  He hurriedly stepped back, mourning the loss of her touch almost immediately. Fuck, what was this? He’d never felt attraction this potent before, and why did it have to be with her, of all people?

  “What do you need, Karis? I’m on my way to the challenges and I don’t want to be late.”

  You. I need you. Shit, where the hell had that thought come from? Clearing his throat, he pushed it from his mind and focused on the conversation at hand.

  “That’s why I came by, actually,” he said, following her down the stairs. “I want you to go with me.”

  “Like a date?” she asked with a flirty smile.

  When the hell had the little minx learned to flirt? “No, not a date. I just don’t think you should go alone after what happened yesterday. Stick by my side while we’re there, okay?”

  She shook her head in mock disappointment. “Here I thought you were ready to admit you really do want to explore this attraction. That’s okay. I can be patient.”

  What? Surprised, he stopped in his tracks as she walked away, hips swaying naturally in a way that was almost unbearable. Where the hell had this bold, siren-like Arya come from? Was this a new form of independence for her, or had she always been like this, and he’d just been too blind to notice?

  Realizing he let her get too far ahead, he quickly strode forward, eating up the distance with his longer legs. They made the rest of the short walk in silence, and before long, they’d reached the arena. It was already packed, but from what he could tell, Arya was the only woman here, although he knew Kelly was there somewhere.

  And it was clear that she wasn’t welcome. The men were sending her disgusted looks, though he could see the lust buried under the surface as they looked her over. Both sent rage burning through his veins.

  Arya belonged here just as much as the rest of them did. She always had, really, and it was a pity she hadn’t been allowed until now. All women had a place there, but Arya especially. She was more of a warrior than half the men here.

  And no one but him should be looking at her with desire in his eyes.

  A wad of spit landed on the dirt in front of her feet. “Bitch doesn’t belong here.”

  Vision turning red, Karis stepped toward the man who spoke and his laughing—and soon to be dead—cronies, but stopped when Arya put a small hand on his arm.

  “Don’t. It’s not worth a reaction. Doesn’t bother me at all.”

  He stared into her eyes, surprised yet again by her. Her eyes were happy and carefree, and there’d been nothing but truth in her voice. Calming a fraction, he nodded and stepped beside her again.

  “Besides,” she said, raising her voice a tad. “He missed me. Not even surprised, really. Figures that Ben couldn’t hit his target, even one so close. Always been a terrible archer, that one.”

  Some of the surrounding men shuffled uneasily, but others laughed outright. Despite the fact that she undoubtedly just pissed more men off, Karis couldn’t help his own laughter. Pride welled up in him. She was amazing.

  “Want to put that to the test?” Ben sneered. “I know for a fact I can beat you.”

  Arya turned to him with a cool smile. “Any time. Ready to go now?”

  Ben gave her a cocky smile. “Let’s do this. Giles, get my bow for me. And someone give her something to use, maybe one you’re not attached to, because she’s liable to break it.”

  “You’re okay with this?” Kian asked, appearing at Karis’ side with Zane, Kelly and Vynn.

  “More than okay with it. But he’s not going to use his while she uses someone else’s. I can understand where he might feel he needs the advantage, but that’s not how this is going to work.”

  Ben stiffened at his words. “I was just going with whatever was quickest, since she doesn’t have hers here.”

  Kelly snorted. “Sure. Y’all sure do tell a lot of lies for people who can hear them. Guess you don’t mind everyone knowing how dishonest you are. Where’s your bow, Arya? Zane and I will go fetch it.”

  Karis couldn’t keep his lips from curling up as Arya told Kelly where her bow and quiver were. Kelly nailed that on the head. Most in Durga tended to lie, regardless of whether everyone knew they were telling falsehoods or not. That was the atmosphere in their village, where everyone was trying to get ahead by taking what another had.

  It was something he’d always hated. Despite the lectures, the beatings he sometimes received, from his own father for not going along with it, Karis was honest. He refused to lie, steal, or cheat his way to the top. He got where he was by putting the work in to be the best. Not by trying to cripple another so he won by default.

  There was no honor in that. He wanted to be acknowledged as the best because he truly was. Despite the War Cats thinking beauty was the best attribute a person could have, he’d never agreed. Honor was the most important. Integrity, being honest, being a good person, they were all far more important than beau
ty.

  Honestly, if he hadn’t known Kian growing up, hadn’t realized he would change things the moment he was alpha, Karis would have left here long ago.

  Kelly and Zane were back in no time, and they all began moving toward the practice field. There was a large crowd already there, because archery was the first of the challenges today. Slanting a look at Arya, he studied her to see how she reacted to having a big audience, but she was calm, a smile flirting with her lips and confidence in her eyes.

  “No second thoughts?” he asked low enough that others couldn’t hear.

  She shook her head, her long ponytail swaying with the motion. “Nope. I can take him on easily.”

  “There are a lot of people here watching, though. This could make you even more of a target.”

  Stopping short of the others, she turned to look at him seriously. “Things are changing in the tribe. At least, Kian’s announced they are. But everyone, the women especially, are going to continue to hesitate. Someone needs to step up and embrace the changes, show them by example. I’m more than okay with that someone being me.”

  Inclining his head, he gestured for her to take her spot in front of a target. Pride once again filled him as he followed. She was magnificent. Beyond beautiful, to be sure, but he didn’t put much stock in that. It was her fearless spirit, her determination to go after her dreams and be who she was, no matter what anyone else thought, her willingness to make herself vulnerable to others to show women they were free now, that impressed him.

  He’d never known anyone like her before. And despite the dangers involved in getting closer to her, he wanted to know her inside and out, wanted to know everything about her.

  Fuck. This was getting out of control.

  No, it’s not. And there’s nothing dangerous in getting closer to her.

  Yeah, right. And I have oceanfront property in Arizona I can sell you, too.