A Tiger's Destiny (Tiger Protectors Book 3) (7 page)

H
ours later
, they pulled in front of a huge wrought iron gate that was connected to an impossibly high brick wall that seemed to stretch on forever in both directions.

Aside from having to exit the highway and lie low at gas stations once or twice when Kel had spotted dark vehicles approaching far in the distance behind them, the trip had gone surprisingly smoothly.

Now was probably going to be the toughest part yet.

Coming back to home sweet home.

Or at least what had been home for a good portion of Kel’s childhood. Though the dragons themselves had sometimes disappeared for days on end, leaving the three of them in the care of the oldest brother, Carter, or under the watchful eye of one of their servants, they were still the closest thing he’d had to parents since their mother had died.

Kel pulled up to the unyielding gate and stepped out of the car.

“Do you think they know we’re here?” Sofia asked as he walked up to a small electronic panel at the side of the gate.

“If they didn’t before, they will now,” Kel said, pressing a small button near the display. A second later, a voice spoke through the panel.

“State your name and business,” a robotic-sounding voice came through.

Fancy. They didn’t have that back when Kel had lived here.

He wondered if the two masters of the house had changed at all since he’d been gone.

Probably not.

“Kel Cunningham and guest. You know who I am, assholes,” he said clearly into the speaker. There was a long pause, and Kel hesitated for a moment. What if they weren’t in town?

But a second later, a loud metal click sounded, and the gate swung open. Kel hopped into the car and drove forward. Past the gate was a long, primly paved path lined by towering trees on both sides. A mile or so down the road, the home came into view.

Just as huge and foreboding as he remembered.

The mansion was sprawling, surrounded on all sides by perfectly trimmed hedges and greenery. Above them, high parapets rose at the corners of a humongous manor with pathways leading to adjoining buildings like something from a Victorian-era castle.

Whatever dragons did, they did it with style. Or, at least, the kind of style English lords and Transylvanian vampires shared.

But perhaps even more than treasure, Kel knew what dragons coveted.

Privacy.

Kel pulled into a long drive, parked, and helped Sofia out of the car.

“This is like something from a book,” she said, staring up at the formidable house.

“Ha, like something from a horror novel,” Kel joked.

He could remember days of great fun playing hide-and-go-seek with his brothers through the endless halls. Or the rare days the dragons would take them flying.

But he also remembered days outside in the freezing rain, training hour after hour. Or days in the forest, alone and working on their wilderness survival and stealth tactics. Days when the dragons would push them far beyond their physical limits, testing them and forcing them to the literal brink of death.

He didn’t miss those days.

But this really was the safest place on the planet. And he’d do anything to protect Sofia.

They walked up the long steps leading into the house, when the main door swung wide open, greeting them with a familiar face. A face with glimmering silver eyes and long silver hair.

Perry. The silver dragon.

“What a pleasant surprise. How very unexpected,” Perry said, waving them in. “And you’ve brought a friend.”

Perry extended a hand, and Kel hesitated for a moment, then grasped his in a quick shake.

The last thing he needed to do was piss off the people he was coming to ask for help, no matter how badly he wanted to spite them.

“Sofia, this is Perry. Perry, Sofia,” Kel said by way of introduction. Sofia courteously took Perry’s hand and shook it as well. But Kel noticed a flash of curiosity in the dragon’s gaze before he turned back to face him.

“Come in. Come in,” he said, moving in front of them and taking the lead. Despite Kel’s own incredible size, Perry was by no means small. He just had a lithe, muscular grace about him that almost gave the effect of floating as he walked.

As they came in, Kel noted the familiar-looking interior, creamy marble everywhere with burgundy furnishings trimmed with gold.

He’d seen some lavish places in his line of work, but dragons
really
liked living the high life.

“Have a seat. Tor will be joining us in a moment,” Perry said, ever the courteous host.

If he or his brothers had messed up something in the house, they went to Perry first, never Tor. But just because Perry was usually nicer on the outside didn’t mean he couldn’t be vicious. The man’s intellect knew no bounds, and something about the way he looked at you gave you an unsettled feeling all the time.

Like the way he was subtly eyeing Sofia right now as they sat together on a lavish couch.

“So you’re here for protection. Interesting…” Perry said, crossing a leg and reclining back on a couch across from them.

“How did you know?” Sofia asked.

“They can hear our thoughts,” Kel said, leaning over to Sofia and speaking to her in a low voice, though he knew Perry could hear him.

“Generally, we try not to pry, but between the two of you and that crime scene you call a car parked outside, it was fairly obvious,” Perry said with a small smile.

Kel remembered the training they’d been given to clear their minds and make their thoughts as quiet as possible, in case they ever came across other dragons. But right now, between caring only for Sofia’s safety and trying to not let the past overtake him, his mind was a tornado.

“What’s that about a crime scene?” another voice said, loud and booming. A second later, a dark-haired man walked in, taking the long strides. It was Tor, the red dragon.

The only person Kel had ever met that came close to him in size was Tor. He looked like a football player, tall and incredibly built, and had the personality to match.

When Tor was on the warpath, you knew to stay out of his way.

Right now, he just looked mildly irritated. Like he always did.

Tor came up to the couch where Perry was seated and looked over at Kel and Sofia, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

“Long time no see, Kel,” Tor said cryptically, folding his arms in front of him as they locked eyes.

Kel didn’t know what to make of it.

“You know how things are,” Kel replied, glaring back at him. “Hard to get away from work and all that.”

“Clearly,” Tor said, taking a seat next to Perry, but not breaking his gaze from the both of them.

Kel felt Sofia tense a little next to him, and he held her hand firmly in his.

They had nothing to fear. At least for now.

As long as awkwardness couldn’t kill.

Perry cut into the silence first. “Tor, this is Kel’s friend Sofia,” he said by way of introduction.

“Hey,” Tor said casually, still watching Kel like a hawk.

“Nice to meet you,” Sofia replied.

Tor’s head snapped to look at her when she spoke, but instead of withering disdain, his head cocked to the side slightly in fascination as his eyes narrowed.

A lot like Perry looked when he first saw Sofia, too.

Kel didn’t like it.

“Interesting, a friend. Thanks for joining us, Sofia. What can we do for you two?” Tor asked, suddenly interested in the two of them now.

Sofia spoke up before Kel could. “There are people after us. My godfather hired Kel to protect me initially, but we both suspect something is up,” she blurted out nervously.

Kel could see a slight grin creep up Tor’s face as she spoke, as if fascinated by her. Kel knew dragons, at least these two, were always on the lookout for something new to entertain or interest them. But what was it about Sofia they found so intriguing?

He wanted to ask her, but he knew she had a right to tell him when she was ready.

“Someone has a bounty out for her. A high one,” Kel said in addition.

“Yes, we know,” Perry said, crossing a leg and placing his hands on top of his knee.

“What do you mean you know?” Kel said, irked by their games.

“We got word of the bounty a couple weeks ago, so we’ve been looking into it since. We knew nothing particular about it, except the price was exceptionally high and the item for sale was… How shall I say it…? Exceptionally unique,” Perry said, his eyes darting to Sofia for a flash, then coming back to Kel’s. “I think it a rather interesting coincidence our very own Kel was brought into such a fascinating situation.”

“She’s not an ‘item,’ Perry. She’s a person,” Kel said. “And stop talking in riddles.”

Tor’s eyes flashed anger as he sat up straighter, always overprotective of Perry.

“It’s fine, Tor. Calm down,” Perry said, patting his partner on the leg, calming him. “I’ll speak plainly, then. As of this morning, there’s been increasing chatter that we’ve picked up regarding the bounty. Apparently, the money has already been transferred by someone, the very person who is on your trail I imagine.”

“Domingo Arnal,” Tor said seriously.

“Who?” Sofia asked, puzzled.

“He’s a shifter that’s been on our radar for a long time. He has a strange fascination for acquiring anything and everything that is rare or unique, especially things of shifter origin or significance,” Perry explained.

“We’ve tried very hard to find him, but he keeps an extremely low profile. It’s been years since he’s come out of the woodwork, so we imagine he’s pretty serious about catching our friend Sofia here,” Tor said, nodding to her.

Kel didn’t know what this all meant. True, Sofia was a cat shifter, and to him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. But that didn’t explain why some creep would be interested in her.

What kind of sicko collected rare shifters? Shifters were also humans, for all intents and purposes, and it was wrong to keep them locked up or trade them like property.

The thought that someone wanted to do that to Sofia made him red with rage.

“Calm down,” Perry said. “We aren’t going to let anything happen to you or your mate.”

“We aren’t mates,” Sofia said nervously, and Kel tilted his head to look at her.

Perry studied Kel carefully, and Kel knew he’d heard his thoughts about Sofia being his. He silently pleaded with Perry not to say anything. He needed more time to sort through what he meant and to make sure she wanted him, too.

That she didn’t see him as just another man trying to acquire her or control her.

“She’s special to me,” Kel said. “But I wouldn’t take advantage of someone under my charge.” Well, he already had, but only because she’d asked him. But he hadn’t mated her. He’d just given her a taste of what she wanted, with no lasting consequences.

He wasn’t going to trap her. There were already enough people trying to do that. People Kel would take pleasure in ripping limb from limb if they came near her.

“Anyway, why don’t the two of you just relax tonight? You’ve had a hard time of it, and you’re safe here.” Perry eyed Kel thoughtfully. “Obviously, you know at least that about us.”

Kel nodded. “Thank you.”

Just then, a bell dinged from another room, and Perry perked up.

“Ah, dinnertime. I had the chef prepare something special in lieu of your arrival. Let us adjourn to the dining room,” he said.

“That would be lovely,” Sofia said, looking at Kel. He could tell she was excited by the prospect of having a real meal for the first time since this morning, so Kel just nodded in agreement.

He wasn’t looking forward to what was coming next, but the last thing he wanted to do was leave Sofia hungry. She’d been through enough already.

So dinner with the dragons.

Just great.

S
ofia was
grateful to have a change in topic as they ate at the dragon’s gigantic table in their lavish dining room. Given the amount of advance notice Perry had, she’d expected something simple, but instead was surprised by an elaborate five-course meal that looked like something out of a catalog for rich people.

Kel had remarked about the lifestyle dragons lived once before, but this was far beyond what she could have imagined.

Frankly, it was a little much, but she was just glad to be safe for the time being, with Kel at her side.

As they ate, the dragons asked him questions about how things had been for him, which he answered in terse responses. They also asked Sofia about her past and the journey she and Kel had getting here. After that, Sofia asked them questions, her curiosity piqued by the two men that seemed both entirely unique yet absolutely inseparable.

She found out Perry was the silver dragon and the Tor was the red and dragons were paired together according to their different powers, which coincided with their colors. She guessed they must have really trusted her to give her that much info. Then again, she had the feeling no one got away with crossing a dragon.

By the time dessert was done, Sofia was completely full with delicious food and much more relaxed, and the air between Kel and the men who helped raise him was at least a little clearer than before.

Sofia didn’t fault Kel for the resentment he harbored against them, given what she’d heard. She was just hopeful maybe at some point they’d be able to reconcile.

But even still, certain things they did unsettled her. Like the way she could feel their gaze on her even when she wasn’t looking. Or the casual way they spoke about serious topics.

Or just the fact that Perry and Tor were interminably old but both looked no more than a couple years older than she and Kel did, tops.

It creeped her out a little if she thought too hard about it.

“I wouldn’t dwell too much on it. Here there be dragons, as it were,” Perry addressed Sofia with a grin as he tented his fingers in front of him.

Oh yeah. They could read thoughts, too.

Not scary at all…

“Stop it, Perry. You’re creeping her out,” Tor said, sounding a little less intense, perhaps because of the wine or something else.

“My apologies. I’ll try to refrain from doing so,” he said, sounding only slightly repentant.

Kel put a hand under the table on top of her thigh, and she felt her body instantly warm at his touch. She put her hands on top of his, marveling at the size of it as she moved a little closer to him.

Meanwhile, Kel pulled out a handful of pistachios from his pocket and put them in a little pile on the table. One by one, he shelled them with his free hand and ate them, putting the excess shells in another tiny pile next to the first.

“Dammit, I thought that habit ended back when we cleared every last pistachio out of the house,” Tor said, sounding both annoyed and amused.

Perry chuckled at the sight.

“Old habits die hard,” Kel said unapologetically.

“I swear the servants are still finding pistachio shells in weird places,” Tor said with a huff.

Sofia couldn’t help but smile at the odd quirk of Kel’s that seemed to drive the dragons crazy. She wouldn’t be surprised if he’d developed it just to get on their nerves. He was just that kind of person. She’d have to ask him about it later.

“At any rate,” Perry interjected, “our guests have traveled a long way, and I imagine they would like some time to rest.” He stood and motioned to the door leading out into the hall. “For the time being, we’re going to keep an eye on Domingo’s movements, see what else we can find out. In the meantime, you’re free to stay here as long as you want. Just let us know if you need anything.”

“Thank you for the hospitality,” Sofia said as she and Kel followed the two dragons out of the room.

As they headed down a long hallway, presumably toward a room, Tor left Perry at the front and came alongside her, his massive size even more apparent now that he was next to her.

“Mind if I ask you something in private, real quick?” Tor asked.

Sofia could feel Kel tense at Tor’s words, coming to stand protectively at her side, but Tor’s request seemed innocent enough.

“Sure,” she replied. “Kel, go ahead to the room. I’ll be right there.”

Kel gave Tor a death stare, but Sofia nodded for him to go, and Kel followed Perry up to their room as he asked Kel questions about his brothers and their mates.

A moment later, Tor and Sofia were alone in the hallway. Despite his boyishly handsome features, with a straight jaw and short brown hair, his presence was slightly unsettling. It felt like he was looking straight through her, reminding her that even though he looked like a jock, he was still a legendary creature and one of the most powerful figures in the shifter world.

“When are you going to tell him?” Tor asked.

“Tell him what?” she asked, her heart picking up pace in her chest as Tor turned to her with a narrowed gaze.

“What you are. He’s protecting you. Falling for you even, probably. He deserves to know, doesn’t he?”

She swallowed. Why hadn’t she told him yet?

Because it was something about her she hated. Because it was the reason her parents had died. Because it was the thing she’d kept hidden from the world for years, and now that it was out in the open, there were dangerous people after her. Because she didn’t want Kel to see her the same way everyone else did, just a rare creature instead of a person.

She didn’t know what would happen if Kel tried to control her just like everyone else had tried to do. If he no longer saw her as his equal, but instead saw her as something valuable.

An object.

At the same time, she knew Kel would be different. But she’d just wanted to spend some time with him only knowing her as Sofia, not as the last jaguar in the world.

“I’ll tell him soon,” she said. “I promise.”

“Good. You tell him or we will,” Tor said. “We won’t keep one of our own out of the loop. Not when he’s putting his life on the line, too.”

Sofia hadn’t thought of that. She’d never wanted to endanger Kel. But he’d been so capable and handled everything so easily. What if by being around him, all she’d really brought him was trouble? That was the last thing she wanted.

Tor raised his eyebrows slightly. If he’d heard her thoughts, he didn’t express it openly. Then he headed down a side hallway, leaving her with her thoughts.

“Oh, and for what it’s worth,” Tor said, turning over his shoulder and stopping, “I think Kel’s pretty damn lucky he met you, Sofia. Don’t ever second-guess that.”

With that, he disappeared down the long hallway into a side room, and she immediately headed in the direction Kel and Perry had gone. She came to an open door and peered in, seeing Kel inside. Apparently, Perry was already gone.

“What did Tor want?” Kel asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion as he unpacked their stuff and put it in an elaborate dresser. In the center of the room was a towering four-post bed that looked larger than any other she’d seen before, with an embroidered blanket and satiny mauve sheets.

“Just something private. Nothing big,” she said. But Tor’s words were still present in her mind.

She wanted to explain everything to Kel. Wanted him to know the truth about her. But she also feared what would happen if he
did
know. Feared that for the first time, she would let someone know who she actually was and how vulnerable that would make her.

“Interesting. I’m sorry for bringing you here. Both of them have pretty intense personalities,” he said.

“It’s fine. They seem nice enough,” she replied, unsure how to broach the subject of her being a presumed-extinct species.

“Thankfully, yes. Maybe the past few years have changed them. Or maybe they’re acting different because you’re around. Regardless, I’m going to take a shower. Do you want to hop in before I do?” he asked as he walked past her to the doorway, closing the large engraved door and locking it.

Now Sofia’s heart was racing for two reasons. She was nervous over the thought of telling him her secret and excited at the prospect of getting Kel naked.

The jaguar in her paced at the thought, and she felt a surge of possessiveness that was totally foreign to her.

This man was more than a bodyguard, more than a man who’d listened to her and given her more pleasure than she’d ever had. This man was something special.

The memory of his hands, his mouth on her from the night before still burned in her mind.

“Kel, there’s something I need to tell you…” she said hesitantly.

Kel sensed her nervousness and turned to face her, watching her earnestly. “What is it?” he asked, hanging on her response.

“It’s about what I am. What I’ve been keeping from you since we met.” She shook her head. “I mean, I haven’t been keeping it from you on purpose. It’s just something I don’t like thinking about. Something that has never worked out well for me.”

Kel just waited patiently, making her feel even more nervous.

“I’m not just any cat. I’m a jaguar,” she blurted before her heart gave out. Why was this so hard? Probably because she couldn’t stand it if he looked at her differently.

He just stared, expression unchanging, giving no visible reaction.

“Is that it?” he asked, sitting down with her.

Her jaw dropped. Was that it? What kind of question was that? He should be freaking out right now or asking her questions or doing something other than just watching her sweetly like that.

“It’s kind of a big deal, don’t you think?” she asked.

“Yes and no,” he said. “I’m a white tiger, and to my knowledge, I’m the only one of my kind. I suspected something similar was up with you since I didn’t recognize your scent when we first met, but I didn’t think it my business to pry.” He shrugged. “You’re still just Sofia to me.”

“But jaguars are supposed to be extinct,” she said, not sure the gravity of it had settled in for him. She couldn’t tell if she was sublimely happy that the knowledge didn’t change how he felt about her or if it annoyed her since she’d expected a far more extreme reaction.

“I know. The dragons had us research all the known shifter breeds for years, memorizing their significant features, peculiarities specific to their scent, unique cultures, etc. The last known enclave was wiped out a long time ago. I assume your parents were survivors of that,” he said, walking over to her. “Regardless, Sofia, I’m glad you shared that with me, but it changes nothing.”

Sofia just stood there, a mixture of emotions she couldn’t sort out whirling through her.

Sensing her tension, Kel surrounded her with his huge, warm arms, cradling her in strength and security.

“I know this whole thing has been more of a curse than a gift, Sofia. If even in some small way, I understand exactly how it feels. What it’s like to be both cut off from the world yet have the whole world staring at you, watching you, pursuing you at the same time.” He shook his head. “Everyone thinks we’re so different, but we’re still just human inside. Still just regular cat shifters.”

Her heart pounded upon hearing someone who finally understood how she felt. She wrapped her arms around him, enjoying the feel of his rock-hard abs and pecs against her, a fascinating contrast to the soft tone of his voice even now.

“I promise not to think of you any differently,” he said. “And I’ll protect you, Sofia. Always. From anyone who tries to treat you as anything less than the wonderful person you are.” He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. “My new purpose is protecting you,” he said, holding her just right, making her feel safe.

She didn’t even know what he meant by that, but as he said it, she could feel her walls start to crumble. The iron casing that had protected her heart from feeling pain or from feeling anything for so long slowly melted away.

Her whole life, she’d needed to hide. Needed to know she could take care of herself, make her own decisions, especially when it came to her secrets. Needed to be the one who kept others out.

But being with Kel changed all of that. She felt toward him unlike anyone else she’d ever met.

Was this what love felt like?

She would do anything for Kel. Even die if it came to that.

Kel looked down at her, his sky-blue eyes warm and caring. Using one finger, he tilted up her chin slightly and brought his lips down smoothly over hers. As their lips locked together, she felt a wave of new emotions wash over her, things that were scary and exciting all at the same time. She pressed her body into his, wanting to feel his strength as he deepened the kiss, holding her tightly and making her never want to let go.

“Sofia, what do you want now?” he asked as he released her. But all she could think of was his kisses, his lips, everywhere on her. “I’ll do anything you want.”

“How about you run a bath for the both of us?” she asked, her entire body getting warmer by the second.

A grin quirked at the corner of Kel’s mouth. “I’d love to.”