Once Upon a Tiger Read Free Page B

to him either. She would, if he pushed. But she still had no intention of running, so her threat wasn’t entirely hollow.
    He smiled, slow and sexy, then set the water aside, and wrote, I’m not allowed to run .
    She frowned. She knew that. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t try something. And he might have if he was any other tiger. But this was Victor. Controlled, self-contained, mysterious and so, so hard to resist.
    “Fine. Then why are you here?”
    I thought you might need help.
    Again offering her help. A warm, soft feeling suffused her. “You knew they’d try to make me run?”
    As soon as the elders told Nick you weren’t allowed to avoid it any longer.
    “It’s true then? They really said I have to run?”
    He nodded.
    “So, they basically sicced Nick on me? Rather than send someone I might trust to let me know, they sent a group of males to force the Run on me without the decency of warning me?”
    They did think you’d trust Nick since he’s a Tracker. I got the impression they were afraid you’d go into hiding and not even give the Run a chance if you were warned before your estrous.
    “Bastards. After all I’ve done for them. All the years of service. The only thing I ever asked in return was immunity from the Run.” She met Victor’s steady gaze. “Do you think I’m being selfish, avoiding mating?”
    It’s not my place to say. You should be allowed to live as you like.
    She snorted a sound that wasn’t quite a laugh. “Tell that to the rest of our people.”
    The elders’ decision that she must run now meant she was going to end up fighting tigers she would otherwise have gotten along with. She might even have to kill some of them to protect herself. Where would that leave her?
    She blinked and focused on Victor. He was staring at her as if he could see into her thoughts.
    “If I have to kill any of them, because the elders have said I have to run, does that mean I’ll become a criminal?”
    Victor nodded.
    Anger rose to heat her skin. Damn the elders. They were boxing her into a corner. They had to know she’d fight—even if she’d wanted to mate with any of the males they sent after her. Why do that to her?
    She tilted her head. Victor’s presence took on a whole new meaning.
    “Is that why you’re here? To keep me from killing them?”
    He smiled and dipped his head again.
    She laughed, a short burst of emotion at the absurd situation. “Bet Nick doesn’t know he should be thanking you.”
    Victor shrugged.
    “But you weren’t facing me, keeping me from going after them. You were facing the others.”
    They were the ones trying to start a fight.
    “True.” She leaned back against the armrest. “So now what? I know they haven’t gone away. It couldn’t be that easy.”
    I’ll stay. To help.
    She worked at squashing the rapid increase in her pulse, but from the way his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed slightly, she knew the effort was pointless. He could smell her lust rising. And there was no way they’d be able to remain this close without falling into bed. She’d wanted him too much for too long. Even out of estrous, she’d barely been able to resist him. Alone with him, she knew her body would get the better of her brain.
    Just the thought made her glance toward her room. When she looked at Victor again, his expression was serious, his gaze focused on her mouth.
    “That’s probably not a great idea,” she murmured, even as she leaned a little closer. “Not while I’m in estrous.”
    She felt his heat, smelled his desire. The combination was driving her nuts. Every fiber of her being strained toward him, wanting to strip off those borrowed clothes and do all sorts of naughty things to his delicious body. When she realized just how close she’d gotten to him, she jumped up and stumbled back toward the kitchen.
    “No,” she said once she was at a safe distance. “No, you hanging around is not a good idea.”
    He dropped eye contact long enough to write a