Kian (War Cats Book 5) Read online

  He ran through the woods toward the sounds of a fight that were becoming clearer and louder with every step he took, Zane, Karis, and Vynn right on his heels. His tiger was still fighting to get out, but he kept him under tight rein. He needed to lay eyes on Jessica, see what the situation truly was, before he shifted and let his tiger loose on whoever was dumb enough to go after his mate.

  Coming to a little clearing, he laid eyes on the warring tigers and slid to a halt as the huge black striped orange tiger clamped its mouth on the smaller cat’s neck. That was Jessica with her jaws locked around another tiger’s throat. The image didn’t quite compute, but he knew it was her. There was only one tiger in the tribe who came close to matching him in size and it was her. But even if she didn’t possess bigger than average size, he thought he still would have known.

  Something in his soul recognized something in hers. It’d always been that way, even back when they were kids and he hadn’t known they were mates yet.

  The other warriors crashed into the clearing behind him and came to a stop, and his lips quirked when he heard Zane breathe, “Whoa.” It was clear that they realized it was Jessica who had another tiger pinned to the ground, her powerful jaws locked around his neck.

  “Who—is that Vihaan?” Karis asked, his voice showing his shock.

  Kian looked closer, almost immediately seeing what Karis had. Vihaan had a patch of hair on his shoulder blade that was missing. It first disappeared earlier this year, and they’d all been researching why, trying to find another case of it. And this tiger was missing the patch of hair.

  “What the fuck? I wouldn’t have seen that coming,” Vynn said, his voice deep and growly as he clearly tried to control his tiger.

  Kian shook his head helplessly. He didn’t understand it, either. Vihaan was one of their best warriors, and one who’d always been in favor of the rule changes Kian made when he became Alpha. That was why he was allowed to guard them in the palace—because he was trusted.

  It was clearly misplaced trust, if he’d tried to go after Jessica. And that had to be what happened. Jess wouldn’t go around provoking fights. Hell, he was stunned as fuck that she’d been able to fight back at all. It was completely out of character for her, but he said a little prayer of thanks that she’d been able to do so. The outcome could have been a lot different.

  Glancing up, he locked eyes with her, noticing the fear creeping in as her normally timid nature clearly began reasserting itself. She looked at him pleadingly, and he understood. They were just standing there in shock, talking about things that could wait, while she struggled to remain strong enough to keep Vihaan pinned.

  “Vynn, shift, okay? I want someone in tiger form at all times. But don’t kill him.”

  Vynn nodded as he sent Kian a look that clearly said he was rolling his eyes in his mind, if not physically. But the last part had been necessary. Vynn didn’t go around killing people normally, but he was a little crazy and could be unpredictable. Plus, he’d killed Ben, the first War Cat Drako recruited to his cause, when Ben tried to kill Ashley, Vynn’s mate. It never hurt to define his parameters so he knew what not to do.

  Turning his gaze back to Jessica, he tried to reassure her without words. He caught movements from the corner of his eye as Vynn quickly disrobed, handing his clothing and shoes to a disgruntled Zane, before shifting. As soon as he was poised next to Vihaan, Kian motioned for Jessica to come to him.

  Immediately releasing Vihaan’s neck, she made her way to his side, staying in tiger form. He let his hand fall to her neck, unable to resist digging his fingers in and rubbing them in circles, trying to ease some of the tension she was holding herself stiff with. He saw Karis looking at them speculatively, but he ignored it, focusing on Vihaan.

  “Shift back,” he ordered. Vihaan ignored him, and the patience Kian was holding tightly to finally snapped. He never used his gift of compulsion—ever. It would have been so much easier when he took over the tribe, because he could just make people do what he wanted. But that was too much like his father, so he never used it. But he had no patience left, and he would get answers. Infusing his voice with his gift, he repeated the command. “I. Said. Shift. Back.”

  With a loud roar that turned into a human’s scream, Vihaan shifted back, lying panting on the ground, his body on one of the remaining patches of snow. He was covered in bleeding claw marks, and they were sure to hurt, but he wasn’t in danger of dying.

  That was good. Kian could get all of his answers before killing him slowly. Because he would die for daring to lay hands on Jessica.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Karis said, his voice hushed as he watched Vihaan. “But you can’t kill him. Especially since Luke and Noah will be back today. The Enforcers will never allow it. They’ll want to take him in themselves.”

  Fuck, he was right. Normally, Kian was grateful for their presence. Needing them grated on his pride, but he couldn’t deny they’d made his transition to alpha go more smoothly than he ever thought it could. But he didn’t want them there right then. He wanted to end Vihaan himself.

  He’d always been laidback. It took a lot to get to him, and he kept his cool. He wasn’t blood thirsty. Never had been—until now. He, and his tiger, were both desperate to tear into Vihaan until there was nothing left of him.

  A shiver went through Jessica and he glanced down at her before looking back up. He was impatient to get to the bottom of this, but she needed to get back to the palace. That fight had to have been rough on her, and his instinct to take care of her was even stronger than his instinct to kill Vihaan.

  “Zane, Karis, get this asshole up on his feet. Jess needs to get back home, so let’s get out of this clearing. Vynn, stay in tiger form, just in case.”

  They nodded and dragged Vihaan to his feet without care. He stumbled a bit before glancing up at Kian. “Can I at least get my clothes on before we go back?”

  Kian’s eyes narrowed, but he finally nodded. He wasn’t a complete monster. Jessica had defeated Vihaan, and she was okay. So he was going to allow Vihaan to die with dignity.

  Vihaan stumbled toward a pile of clothes Kian only noticed when he began walking toward them. Zane and Karis stayed close, but gave him room when he got to his clothes. They, along with Vynn, stayed back but surrounded him on all sides, so he couldn’t try to escape. He wouldn’t have gotten far, but better to keep all the bases covered.

  Vihaan bent down, reaching for his jeans, and Kian glanced down at Jessica as he ran his fingers through her soft fur. She really was a gorgeous animal. So big, thickly muscled like a warrior, her head reached mid chest on him. Pride washed over him as he took her in. His mate was fierce in this form.

  His eyes narrowed as a shaft of sunlight danced over her. Her fur—had it just shimmered and sparkled? He blinked, but the sun hid behind a cloud, and her fur was back to normal. He had to have just imagined that. Tigers didn’t sparkle in the sunlight. That was reserved for weird fictional vampires in Twilight novels.

  She suddenly stiffened, a growl ripping through her throat, and he jerked his gaze back to Vihaan. He’d straightened from his crouch, but he didn’t have his jeans in his hands. As he watched, Vihaan tilted his head back and poured the contents of a small vial in his mouth, dropping it to the ground as he turned to them with a smile.

  Kian lunged forward, but he knew it was too late. Vihaan was turning a purple shade, making a gurgling noise in the back of his throat. Locking eyes with Kian, he smiled coldly.

  “You’ll never win,” he gasped out, his breath coming in short pants. “No matter what you do. You can kill me, and Ben, but we’ll just keep coming, and then the master will come. For you and her. You’re doomed, Alpha. Long… live… The Drako.”

  By the time he finished, he could barely get his words out. They watched as he crumpled to the ground, clutching his throat, still as death. And Kian knew that was exactly what he was looking at. Death.

  “What the fuck,” Zane exploded, rushing forward. />
  Karis came forward, kneeling by Vihaan’s still body. “He can’t be dead. His tiger wouldn’t let something he ingested kill him. It goes against the very nature of being a shifter.”

  Letting go of Jessica’s fur, Kian strode forward, shaking his head grimly. “So does being killed by an asp, but they can kill me quickly. It’s not likely, but not beyond the realm of possibility.”

  Kneeling down, he pressed his fingers to Vihaan’s throat, searching for a pulse and cursing loudly when he couldn’t find one. The unmistakable sound of bones breaking sounded behind him and he turned to find Jessica standing in human form, her hands trying to cover strategic places, shivering in the cold.

  Springing into action, he quickly pulled his t-shirt off his head and handed it to her, averting his eyes as she pulled it over her head. He was a lot bigger than her in human form and his shirt swallowed her whole, hanging off her baggily and reaching her knees. She gave him a shaky smile, her eyes darting up to meet his before she turned shy and looked away again.

  He watched as she walked slowly to where Vihaan was, frowning as she stopped short of him and knelt down, picking up the vial he’d emptied into his mouth. Lifting it, she slowly brought it to her nose and sniffed, yanking it away with her nose wrinkled before bringing it back, inhaling deeply with her brow furrowed in concentration. Jessica’s shifter gift was skill with herbs, and he knew she was trying to figure out what Vihaan took.

  Glancing over at him, she shook her head. “It’s not anything natural. This is man-made, and we all know there are combinations, or new substances they can invent, that can kill a shifter. And whatever this is, it’s potent. It killed him in less than a minute.”

  Zane frowned, wrapping Vynn’s shirt around his hand. “Here, put it in here. I’m not sure any of us should be touching that, just in case. We’ll give it to the Enforcers, see if they can get it analyzed.” Vynn growled at his use of his shirt, but Zane gave him a bland smile. “Shouldn’t have shoved your shit at me to hold before you shifted, then.”

  Jessica gingerly handed the vial over, watching as Zane wrapped it in the shirt. She shivered again and he frowned.

  “You’re cold. We need to get you back to the palace. Karis, come with us, just in case. I’d rather have more than just myself to protect Jessica if needed. Zane, you and Vynn stay here with Vihaan’s body. I’ll send more warriors out as soon as we get back.”

  Uncaring of what anyone saw or what they thought, Kian wrapped an arm around Jessica’s shoulders and pulled her closer to him as they walked, hoping to warm her more. She didn’t protest, just left her head hanging low as they walked quickly back to the palace without incident.

  As soon as they were inside, she turned to him with a small smile, her eyes darting up to meet his. “Thanks for coming so quickly. And for lending me your shirt. I’m gonna leave y’all to it and go get dressed.”

  She was gone before he could reply, but he felt a frown gathering on his brow as he watched her go. Her eyes had been a little different just then. They’d kind of shimmered, just like her fur had when the sunlight touched it. But that was weird, not to mention impossible. Karis cleared his throat, and Kian turned toward him with an eyebrow raised, grateful from the distraction from impossible thoughts.

  Karis glanced around the empty foyer before speaking quietly. “She’s your mate, isn’t she?”

  The words were more statement than question, and Kian didn’t see the need in denying it. Besides, Karis would know if he lied. “She is. How’d you know?”

  “You looked at her the same way I, and every other mated male in the tribe, look at our mates. I recognized it. Does she know?”

  He shrugged, though he felt anything but casual about this conversation. “I think so.”

  Karis’s eyebrows shot up. “You think so? Isn’t that something you’d know?”

  “I haven’t told her. I was waiting for Durga to be safer. I have a huge target on my back, and being my mate will paint one on hers, as well. But I overheard Kelly asking Jess if I was her mate, so I’m pretty sure she knows.”

  “Okay, wait. So she knows, too, but she hasn’t said anything, either?”

  “I don’t know for sure that she knows. But I sense it. And no, she hasn’t.”

  “Can I point out how fucked up it is that you both know you’re mates and neither of you are saying anything? Most shifters would give their right arm for a mate, and there you both are with yours under the same damn roof, but you’re not doing anything about it.”

  Kian blew out a breath, running a hand roughly over his head. “It’s not like I don’t want to. I want to claim her more than anything. I just can’t. Not yet, anyway.”

  “Has it occurred to you that she could be safer if you did claim her?” Karis asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Yes, there are War Cats who are pissed and want things to go back to how they were when your father was alive. But there are even more who love you. Who want you to succeed, and are loyal as fuck. You think that loyalty and love won’t transfer over to your mate? You think they wouldn’t hesitate to protect her with their lives, just like they do you?

  “Besides, it’s not just the tribe you have to worry about. It’s this Drako person. It’s gone beyond tribe politics now, Alpha. And regardless of the tribe, the fact is, she’s not safe here. You’re right about that. But it doesn’t sound like she’d be safe anywhere, because they’re just as focused on taking her as they are on killing you. I don’t see how any of this should be holding you back from claiming her. If anything, it should make you want to hold on tightly as soon as possible and never let go.”

  Kian was quiet as he digested his words. It did make him do that. He just wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do. The only way she could get any more protected was if she was glued to his side every minute of every day, and in his bed every night.

  Which honestly didn’t sound that bad to him. It sounded like a little slice of heaven on Earth. If he could pick his perfect paradise, that would be it.

  “I don’t know what to do, but I’ll think more about it,” he replied, his brow crinkling as a thought occurred to him. “Did you hear what Vihaan said? The Drako. Do you think that had meaning?”

  Surprise flashed in Karis’s eyes. “I didn’t even catch that. What are you thinking?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. It could mean nothing. It could have been a slip of the tongue, because of the poison hitting his system. It could be a sign of respect. Like The King, The Ultimate, shit like that. But… what if Drako isn’t a single person, but a group of people?”

  “I never considered that. I always thought of Drako as a person, but it’s certainly possible. I think we should bring that up to the Enforcers when they get here, too. They’ve also been focusing on only finding one person. It could be why they keep hitting a brick wall.”

  “Absolutely. Get some more warriors back to help Zane and Vynn with Vihaan’s body, and then I want a meeting here with our top warriors. And think carefully about which ones you invite. Vihaan was supposedly trustworthy, yet when he got Jessica away from the palace, he pulled that. He was probably trying to kidnap her like Ben was, but she could have been hurt or killed. And judging by Drako’s actions, I don’t think kidnapping would be a better fate than death.”

  “Agreed,” Karis replied grimly. “After we meet and try to formulate a plan, we need to meet with the whole of the warriors, too, I think. Get everyone involved, catch them up on everything that’s happening. The more people with eyes on the problem, the better.”

  “That’s a good plan, but I’m not leaving Jess in the palace for a meeting, and they’re sure as hell not all coming in here. You can speak for me. I trust you.”

  Karis nodded, already backing away to fulfill his tasks. “All right then. I’ll get everything organized. Think about what I said about claiming her, too. I really think the pros outweigh the cons at this point.”

  Kian didn’t reply as he watched Karis walk away quickly. He turned his e
yes toward Jessica’s wing of the palace, the wheels in his mind spinning in fast, exhausting circles.

  He’s right. Claim her. It’s best, his tiger said, still pacing inside him. He hadn’t stopped since they first heard the roar of a tiger and realized Jess was involved, although he’d relaxed a tiny bit now that he knew she was safe.

  Of course you’d agree. You’d agree to anything if it meant claiming our mate, he replied.

  But still… he was thinking about it. He wanted to talk to her about it, to claim her, in the worst way. The only thing holding him back was her safety. He wasn’t sure that wasn’t still a valid concern, but Karis was right about one thing. At this moment, she was in danger, whether he claimed her or not. The only question was, would she be in even more if he claimed her?

  He didn’t know, but he knew he’d be thinking about it nonstop until he decided one way or another.

  Chapter Six

  Jessica shifted uncomfortably, resisting the urge to scratch at the tattoo again. It’d been itching so badly, it felt like it was burning, and she’d tried to rub it earlier, but it only made it worse. And that weird sensation of the tail flicking felt like it was happening constantly.

  It started when she suddenly felt that surge of power. That surge of… was it dominance? She didn’t know, because she’d never felt dominant before, but to her, it felt like it. Even in her tiger form, she felt the tattoo tingle, and the moment she turned back to human, it began itching so badly she couldn’t handle it.

  It all seriously made her feel like she was losing her mind. Especially when she added in the voice inside her that didn’t belong. She already shared her body with another being, and that voice hadn’t been her tiger’s. Going crazy was her only explanation. She’d thought it in almost a joking sense when everything started, but there was nothing funny about it. It felt more and more real to her with every passing moment.