Highland Tigress (Tiger Series) (9 page)

Liam reached for Cara. He felt her feelings and wanted to explore those of him, but he knew he didn’t have the time. He stretched out and concentrated. He felt her cat taking shape in her mind and he forced her to embrace it. Then it happened. Cara fell to the ground. Liam watched as bright red fur covered her body broken by dark striped. He watched her beautiful face formed a long jaw and filled with razor sharp teeth. Then she turned those fathomless green eyes on him and he smiled. She was magnificent. She growled at him and he laughed loudly.

“Talk to me Cara.”

She turned her head to the side in question.

He spoke to her mind. “You can speak to me as I do you, and as Darren does. You only lack practice. You have the ability. You must try.”

Cara was amazed. Could she really speak to his mind? She concentrated hard and sent a single message. At his beaming smile she knew that he had understood.

“’Tis only yer beauty that gives us pause my Lass. Do not shrink from us now. We are all family and will protect you with out being drawn to you.” He took a deep breath and smiled.

Cara tilted her head to the side.

Euan stepped close to her side and inhaled her crisp clean scent, and something else. He shifted his gaze to Liam. Liam shook his huge head and spoke to Euan’s mind. “Not yet. I fear if she knows she’ll not fight as hard if it comes to it. They are fine and I will watch her carefully, but she’s not to know until we are safe.”

Euan nodded and stooped to get a better look at Cara. She was small, but strong. Her coat was the color of a camp fire while her stripes were the color of soot. Her green eyes glowed in the watery light of the coming dawn. He saw her intelligence and her fear.

“You are as you should be. Our cats reflect who we are. You are small in both forms, but we will not care for you less. You are valuable to us. You are able to go where we cannot and it may serve to save yer life, as it did yer mother’s. She was small and she hid when the wolves came for you. They could not find her because they did not believe she could have been where she was. Do not misjudge yourself.”

Cara’s feline eyes stared into Darren’s.

“How do you know about my mother?”

“I have been digging for any scrap of information I could get. I spoke to a man who was there that day.” He hesitated. “A wolf. He was young and did not agree with what was being done, so when he saw your mother drag you and herself into the tiny hole beside the loch he kept quiet. He helped save her by suggesting where she was. He’s already learned that Ramsey did not take advice well. He was beaten, but he swears it was worth it.”

Cara shivered. “Who is he?”

Darren shook his head. “Not now. We will speak of it later. I just wanted to reassure you that you are as valuable as any of us.” He inhaled and looked to Liam. “More so, it would seem.”

Cara was confused by their exchange, but had no time to question them because the men began to change. Cara was astonished. She’d been standing there with five naked men and she’d thought nothing of it at all. God’s bones! One encounter with Liam had made her lose all perspective on modesty. She shook off her thoughts and quickly began to run as the men disappeared into the forest. Liam was concerned at first when she struggled to keep up, but she soon found her rhythm and stayed close to them. He knew the lads held back for her and he was grateful.

9

The scent of the horses was older than the scent of their riders. Ramsey knew what that meant, but he doubted his lust crazed men had figured it out yet. He sensed dissention among the men and feared that some thought it was madness to chase after Cara. They thought he was cursed and that no woman could cure him. He scowled as he studied his men. He knew some thought James would be a better leader. He found the young scout leaning against a tree talking with the others. Ramsey’s eyes traveled down James’ sleek body and he felt his body stir. He scowled as he heard someone laugh. He knew the men found his affliction funny. He knew they thought it weak of him not to be able to control his body’s hunger, but he could not. No one had ever taken the hunger away. No man or woman had ever satisfied him. They were all too weak. Most died after only a few days, if not from the poison of his seed then from the violence and frequency of his lust. He’d found that men could survive longer, but gave him less satisfaction. Women were warm and weak. He could force then to please him. He enjoyed their tears and peas for mercy, but they could not survive him long. His mother had sworn to him that he would be free if he could find a woman strong enough to withstand him. The mystic who’d helped her trick his father had foreseen his freedom would come from a McIntosh woman. He believed it was Cara who held the key to his freedom. He must know. His affliction was wearing on him. He was afraid he would go mad if he wasn’t delivered from the evil which rested up on him soon.

He surveyed his men again. “I wan ten men to follow the horses.” He chose those whose loyalty was in question. “The rest will remain with me.” He motioned for two burley guards to approach him.

“Wee James,” he pointed to James, “has given great insult to me. I wish him punished. Bind him and bring him to me.” Ramsey smiled and ran his hands over his aching manhood. Cara might escape him, but he would not suffer for the loss of her this night. He had a lot of frustration to expend. They had only missed Cara by a few hours.

Ramsey expelled a disgusted breath. He hoped James proved to be stronger than his last quarry. He wanted to use James and Cara together. Perhaps that would keep them both alive longer. Most died after only a few days of being exposed to his cursed seed. Perhaps though if James was of his father’s loins then he would have greater strength than common men.

James crouched low in the brush. He watched as two large wolves searched for him. They would not find him though. He made his way through the dense brush and disappeared signaling his closest ally. Again he felt disgust at the fact that the creature who led his people was his brother. Few knew of it and Ramsey vehemently denied it, but it was true. Their father had explained the nature of his marriage and the creation of Ramsey only days before he was killed. James knew that his father had spoken to the elders too.

Many of the elders wanted James to take control of the clan, but Ramsey was supported fiercely. He commanded them by fear and the promise of wealth and women. Few had the courage to stand against him. James had gathered those who would and they had planned to kill him. That was before Cara had escaped. James had been prepared to protect her, but he was thankful it hadn’t come to that. The truce with the tigers could lead to his success in overthrowing Ramsey. He only prayed it all worked out as he hoped.

Ramsey knew as James did that if the laird died with no air his closest relative would rule after him. Ramsey was determined to have an heir. He was convinced Cara could provide him with one. James was determined to prevent that from happening at all costs. He hoped the information he’d shared with the tigers would buy him protection and support. He would need them to ambush Ramsey and kill him.

James waited for his men to gather in a small clearing then he motioned for them to follow him. Most of them had been sent after the horses, but they had only gone a small distance before they circled and came to wait for him here. He spoke to his commander now.

James breathed deeply and faintly smelled the new life. “That may cause a problem,” James admitted roughly. Keep that quiet or we may lose some men of our own.”

The older man nodded grimly and walked away.

James stood for a long moment deep in thought. What would he do if the tigers denied him aid? Would he risk the fight anyway? Deciding he had to speak with his contact he gave orders for his men to meet him in another location later the following day. He then changed and made his way to what he hoped was his allies.

Cara ran for hours before Liam slowed. She was tired, but invigorated by the freedom she felt. She wanted to continue, but Liam insisted that they all needed to rest. He changed and Cara did the same.

“Nay Liam, I want to go on!”

“Cara! You are to listen to me! I’ll not have you arguing every time I make a decision!”

Cara stared, wide eyed at Liam. He’d practically screamed at her. she knew she shouldn’t disagree with him in front of his men, but she didn’t like being treated like a child either. As the fear receded her anger engulfed her.

“How dare you speak to me that way! I am your mate, not one of your men!”

Her defiance awakened something inside Liam that he hadn’t known existed. Before either of them realized what was happening he had changed and toppled Cara to the ground. Her small body was surrounded by him. His dominance could not be ignored and she feared his sudden aggression. She lay very still as the rumbling growl vibrated her whole body.

“You are mine. You will do as I say so I can keep you safe! I will not have you hurt because you are too naive to know your limits. Do you understand?”

Liam had moved so forcefully in her mind that Cara gasped from the pain. She nodded fiercely as tears coursed down her pale cheeks.

“Is this to be my life then? Am I not to speak my mind? Am I only to do as you say and forget that I have a mind of my own?” She paused as his feline eyes met her own. She swallowed and tried again to find her courage. “I will tell you now that it will not work. I have always thought for myself and I do not intend to stop now that I am mated to you. If that is not something you can accept then I suggest you either figure out how to change your way of thinking or send me home. I will not let you rule me!” She screamed it as she shoved at the soft matt of hair that covered him. Startled by her fury he allowed her to move away from him. He changed and looked at her tormented face.

“Cara?” he waited for her to look at him, when she did he continued, “I didn’t mean that I want ye to change. I only want ye to know that if I tell ye to do something it is for the best. Ye need to eat to keep up yer strength. Do ye think Deaglan was too tired to go on?”

She shook her head.

“Right you are. He could have gone on ‘till morning. He stopped when I said it was time though because he trusts my judgment. This place is easily defended should we be attacked. The men have already gone to find their supper, as we will also do. You must learn to trust my judgment without question. That is all I ask of ye.”

Cara nodded still uncertain.

Liam wanted to shake her. she was too stubborn to admit that what he said was true. She would have to learn though. Her very life may depend upon it.

“When he is stern with me it doesn’t hurt as much because I expect it. With you though it tears me in two. I will need some time to get over it.”

Liam clenched his teeth. The little tigress was punishing him! “Fine. I will call him back. At least I know he will listen to the orders I give him to keep you safe, even if you do not.”

Liam sent a message to Darren and he soon returned. He was puzzled by Cara’s request, but did not question it. He felt that something was going on between Cara and Liam. He led her into the forest and quickly lost himself in the thrill of chasing a deer through the forest. He felt Cara’s laughter flow through his mind like the sun on a warm summer day. She was happy and he felt pride swell in him at being the one to bring this joy to her. he stopped abruptly though when he caught the scent of wolf close by. He commanded Cara to stop, but she was too caught up in the chase to obey him. She almost ran straight into the huge grey wolf that stepped from the bushes.