The Tiger Luna

Reunited

The SUVs came into view after about ten minutes of trekking through the swamp and Frost sighed in relief. She knew that her father was strong, but she had no idea how Diffenbachia had been pumped into him and she wanted him to rest. She had gone the past six years believing that her only blood family was lost to her and she was not prepared to lose him again after just finding him. Weretigers, feline shifters in general, didn't have packs in the formal sense of the word, but they had very close familial ties. Cubs stayed with their parents until they found their fated mates and then the parents would join the mate's pride. Most prides consisted of less than twenty felines and weretigers? They were even more rare than their feline counterparts. As far as Frost was aware, her father and herself were the only Siberian weretigers left in existence and once upon a time they had been royalty.

They had been hunted into near extinction because they were so rare and so large among their cousins. A full grown weretiger was easily almost double the size of a normal tiger. To the rich people that attended the poachers sale, they were more valuable due to their size. Her father had been captured when she was only seventeen years old in an effort to protect her from the poachers. They had found their den, were on the verge of smoking them out and he had attacked to give her a distraction. At seventeen she had not been strong enough to fight, but she had tapped into her power since then as a Saber and she was a force to be reckoned with. She had made sure that she would never be weak again.

They made it to their earlier rendezvous and collapsed against her bike in exhaustion. The use of her magic while in her tiger form paired with the magic used to kill the guards had drained her severely and she was exhausted. She wasn't on the verge of collapse by any means, but she did need a few moments to gather her wits and the support of her bike was much appreciated. What she was not prepared for was the reaction she got from his Beta who immediately rushed to her side with a bottle of water while the other warriors helped get all the shifters loaded. "Thank you, Devin."

"Of course, Luna. Are you injured? You're covered in blood, where are you hurt?"

She glanced down at herself, blood still clinging to her clothes and every bit of her exposed flesh. She truly was a sight straight out of a horror movie at the moment and other woman would have been a sobbing wreck. She simply shook her head and took a deep swig of the water that he had proffered. "I'm fine. None of this blood is mine that I know of."

He took in her appearance once more with shock marring his features and it took him a moment to regain composure. "Then whose blood is it? This is more blood than a couple of kills would cause."

Hail had shifted the moment he came to their gathering and dragged on some shorts. "Our Luna here killed all of the guards except for three and that was because I got her attention before she could. Lucky for us they escaped and can spread the word that the shifters are coming for their own."

Devin listened to what Hail was saying and turned to look at his Luna with respect brimming in his chocolate eyes. He bowed his head in her direction as a grin broke across his face, giving him a boyish charm. "Remind me to never piss you off, Luna. Those are some scary talents you have."

Frost chuckled at his words and took another long gulp of her water before she replied. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I'd never kill someone that's family.... I'd just make them wish that I did."

"Duly noted. On that note, I think we should get all of these shifters back to the packhouse. A lot of them are in desperate need of medical attention and nutrition."

At about that time, she heard a fearsome roar and turned to see her father swipe a massive paw at the warrior trying to help him into an SUV. "Daddy, chill. They're my mate's pack. I swear they're just trying to help you." She pushed off her bike, taking long strides to him and leaned her forehead against his. "Do you think you can give dad back control yet, Sampson? It would make the ride to the packhouse much more comfortable for you both and you can trust these men."

Sampson nudged her shoulder with a gentle chuff, letting her know he loved her and the soft golden glow of magic consumed him. One minute he was his giant tiger and the next she was swallowed in her father's equally impressive arms. His usually deep russet skin was much paler from the time in captivity and he had lost some muscle mass, but he was still an intimidating man. He was six feet tall, with steel gray eyes rimmed with laugh lines and his scent of leather and peppermint felt like home to her. She'd never thought to see him again and buried her nose in his almost black hair, inhaling his smell as deeply as possible, praying this wasn't just some figment of her imagination. "It's no dream, pumpkin, unless it's mine. I thought I would never see you again."

Tears brimmed in her oceanic gaze as she tightened her grip on him and tried to contain all of her emotions. After a few minutes that stretched on for an eternity, yet we're over much too quickly, she pulled away and helped him into an SUV with Devin. "Devin is Hail's Beta, he'll take good care of you and I'll see you at the packhouse. Please play nice," she murmured as she kissed her father's cheek.

"If the wolves play nice, so will the cat," he teased in response which earned a laugh from her and some shocked looks from the warriors in the SUV. Most shifters get very volatile when compared to actual animals who were usually much less intelligent and her father was basically an Alpha in his own right. It was highly unusual for such a powerful were to associate themselves with their domesticated counterparts.

"I love you, daddy. I'll see you as soon as we get to the packhouse." She managed to disentangle herself from him with that promise and watched as all of the SUVs pulled away. The only reason she could bear to see him pulling away from her was because she knew they would be reunited once more on pack lands. Even knowing that, her emotions threatened to overwhelm her and she had to choke them back.

Hail could feel the maelstrom of emotions swirling through her and quickly enveloped her in his arms. She had told him that her father was dead and, judging by her reaction, she had also believed that. If that was the case, he could more than understand her torrential feeling and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her. With that thought in mind, he folded his little mate in his arms and held her as tight as he could without bringing her discomfort. "Hey, this is a good thing, love. You thought he was gone and you found and freed him."

She bit her lip until she tasted blood and used the distraction to push the threatening tears to the back of her mind. She knew that Hail would support her through anything, but she had not grown up in a world where weakness could be shown. In her life, people were likely to die at the first sign of weakness and she was nothing if not a survivor. "That just means that now I run the chance of having to survive losing him all over again and I don't know how I'll cope with that," she responded as brutally honest as she possibly could be.

Hail could see through the brave front she put on only because he could feel everything that she felt and buried his nose in her hair. "I swear to you right this moment that I will do everything in my power to see to it that day never comes. I have an entire pack behind me and I can ensure that your father is always protected."

"You think that you can, but the truth is that the world is forever changing. I have father back at this moment, but their is no way of ensuring that will never change. He's been gone for most of my life, yet he's back and I know for a fact that he's truly here."

"You're worried that he will eventually disappear, but I can swear to you that is not the case. Your father is most definitely back for the long haul."

Frost could sense how candid he was in his promise, but she also knew that there was no way he could ensure his promise. He wanted to be sure that he was her foundation, no matter what she could possibly foresee. She knew that he was just trying to comfort her and she appreciated that with her whole heart. She was aware that the world was forever changing and she should just be happy that her father was back for the time being. She had been without him due to the poachers since she was seventeen and she would enjoy the time she had with him because she she had never thought she would see him again. "Let's head to the packhouse. I want to see with my own eyes that he's okay."

He reluctantly relinquished his hold on his mate and looked her over. "I know of a hidden hot spring in a cave not too far from here. Perhaps we should get you cleaned up before we drive through a city full of humans. I don't think we would get very far before we had to do some explaining that we aren't prepared for."

Frost glanced down at herself once and couldn't deny that she looked like she had just stepped off screen of some gruesome horror movie. She sighed in frustration, not wanting to waste any time getting to her father, but in the end she conceded. With a nod, she slung her leg over her bike, not bothering with a helmet since it would only make matters worse at this point and turned to Hail as her bike rumbled beneath her. "Lead the way, handsome."

He grinned at her endearment, pulling into the road steadily so they didn't slide in sugar sand and them opened up the throttle. He was well aware that she was in a hurry to get to her father and wouldn't tolerate him being slow simply for her safety. He weaved in and out of the deserted roads that lead to one of his favorite places to get away, the trees growing denser as the got a little further from the coast. There were forests everywhere, you just had to know where to look and he finally found the path that lead into the woods. He eased off the accelerator as he turned onto the small dirt path, only large enough for bikes to fit. He drove in about a quarter of a mile so their bikes would be obscured from the road and cut his engine as she followed suit. "It's only a couple hundred meters deeper. We can walk from here."

She slipped from her bike wordlessly, absorbing her lovely surroundings and took his proffered hand without hesitation. It was amazing that cementing their bond had made it so that she never balked at his touch anymore. As a matter of fact, at that moment she found that his steady strength was the only thing keeping her from crumbling to pieces. He guided her deeper into the dense trees and, after a few minutes of walking, they came to a cliff crawling with thick vines. She was about to ask if he was lost when he stretched his free hand out and pulled back a sheet of vines. She stooped to get through the opening and the sight once inside stole her breath momentarily.

Inside the walls of the cave were coated in a thin sheen of condensation and wild flowers grew all over the place. The stretched toward the sunlight that filtered in through the chasm at the top of the cave and bloomed in the most unlikely of places. There were deep purple colored calla lillies, pink and orange hibiscus and a plethora of other brightly colored plants. In the very center was a large pool of water and she could see the steam radiating from the water's surface. It was only then that she noticed the chill in the air and her body shivered in acknowledgement of the cold.

She didn't say a word, simply slid her hand from Hail's, stepping closer to the waters edge and turned to face him. A slow smile spread gently across her face as she pulled off first her boots, then her crop top and leggings and set all of her weapons to the side. She knew she was a horrifying blood covered mess, but as she stood naked before her mate, she could see the lust pooling in his unusual amber gaze. They flashed to topaz for a moment as Ragnar surfaced and she turned away before he could make any response, diving into the placid water. She was thoroughly surprised at the warmth of the water which washed away the worst of the blood on her skin. She resurfaced, tossing her long hair over her head out of her face and looked at her mate seductively. She may be in a rush to get to her father, but she could take a few moments to relish in her mate... Couldn't she? She swam to the edge and leaned over it to get a better look at Hail. "Aren't you going to join me, mate?"

Hail managed to tear his eyes from the water running down the valley between her breasts and met her gaze. Her eyes were smoldering with promise and just that one look had his d**k straining against his jeans. "Anything for you, little mate," he and Ragnar replied simultaneously, their voices layering together. It was obvious that the days events had shaken her and who was he to deny her the means to calm her shaken nerves. He strode to the edge of the underground hot spring and stripped, enjoying the way her eyes devoured every inch of him as he undressed. He wasted no time getting in the water and dragging her into his arms, his lips immediately seeking out his mark on her neck.

She tossed her head back with a throaty moan, giving him better access and her hands dug into the muscles of his shoulders. Cleopatra purred at the nearness of their mate and the sound rumbled through Frost's lips as well. She could feel Hail's hardness against her stomach and she felt as though she needed him to ground her back to reality. She twisted her hips against him so that he brushed against her center and a growl vibrated against her neck, making her instantly wet. She raised her head, eyes flashing between ocean and sapphire and her words drove him insane. "Do you need more of an invitation to take your mate? Make love to me right now, Hail."

He couldn't restrain himself at her passionate words, burying himself in her tight heat and slamming his lips down on her's. His fingers found her sensitive bundle of nerves beneath the water and he stroked her in time with his thrusts. His mouth trailed down her neck to her breast and he clamped down on her sensitive n****e tightly, earning a keening sound of pleasure torn from her. His teeth left little red marks on her sensitive flesh and he could sense that she wanted more. He was unsure what to do in that moment because the last thing he wanted to do was hurt his little mate.

She seemed to sense his conflicting emotions and bit down on his mark hard enough to draw blood. The sensation made his growl reverberate through the cavern as her channel tightened around him. "You won't break me, Hail. I'm not a porcelain doll so take me, take me and make me forget all of the horrors of today."

How could he ever possibly deny her wish? He pounded into her as she clenched around him, his canines lengthening and he bit down on her n****e once more. The coppery tang of blood touched his tongue, he would have stopped, but it was that which sent her over the edge and he knew she enjoyed this roughness. His name echoed in the cave as she orgasmed and her claws dug into his back, drawing blood. The pleasure mixed with pain and the combination launched him over the edge as well, shouting her name as he reached his bliss.

She was panting in his arms when he regained some of his senses and smiled up at him. They stayed like that, still connected for several minutes before she reluctantly pulled away. "We will definitely have to return here on a day we have more time, but I think we need to head back. Will you help get the rest of the blood out of my hair?" He quickly acquiesced, rinsing the remaining blood from her hair and watching in fascination as she also rinsed it from her clothes. Thirty minutes later and they were headed back to the packhouse and managed to reach it in record time.

His guards allowed them through the gates without slowing and he lead the way to the pack hospital. She followed him inside, silent as he acquired her father's location and couldn't stop her mind from spinning a million miles a second. He could sense her inner turmoil and squeezed her small hand, lending her some of his strength. He stopped just outside her father's door and turned to look down at her. "Do you want me to give you two some time to yourselves? I know you have a lot to discuss."

She was more than thankful for his understanding and leaned up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. "Thank you, Hail, for everything. I never thought I would get to see papa again... Can we have some time and I'll call you in to meet him in just a little bit?"

"Whatever my Luna wishes," he replied, dropping a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Just mind link me when you're ready. I have some new shifters to attend to in the meantime."

"Thank you." She withdrew her hand from his reluctantly and opened the door to her father's room. She was glad to see that he had regained some color since she had seen him and looked much more at ease. Although his eyes did launch open the moment she entered and she was lost in warm steel gray eyes she'd never thought to see again. "Hello, daddy," and with that she launched across the room into his waiting arms and buried her face in his chest. It was several minutes before she could even form a thought and when she did, she was full of questions. "How is this possible? I felt our mind link snap when they took you and I knew you were dead. I burnt down half the forest in my grief."

Her father's gaze turned pained at the revelation and he looked consumed by sorrow. "I forced the link to snap. It was my hope that if you thought I was gone, you would leave the poachers alone and find some form of happiness. I should have known that you would never allow them to escape you though. I guess I forgot that I didn't just raise a daughter, I made sure you were a warrior. What warrior could ever let the murder of her family slide?" There was so much pride in his voice that it made her heart squeeze tightly in her chest. "I had long ago given up hope of being freed."

She met his gaze with a fierce look and he could see Cleopatra in her eyes. "We could never give up on you, papa. Even when I thought you were dead, we didn't care. The poachers had taken our only family and we refused to rest until they paid for it with their blood. You shouldn't have let me think you were gone, we would have found you sooner if I had known."

He chuckled as he ruffled her damp hair like she was just a child and, she supposed in his eyes, she still was. The last time he had seen her, she was mere seventeen year old, barely learning how to control her abilities. "I do believe that you found me exactly when you were meant to. I know how strong you are, but I doubt you could have done this without the help of your mate. So a wolf, huh?"

Frost blushed despite the fact that she could feel her father's joy she had found her mate. Many shifters looked down on mates outside of their species, but her parents had taught her a mate was a blessing no matter what. A mate made you strong and gave you a soft place to land in a world full of sorrow. "I almost rejected him because I thought he would keep me from my revenge or get hurt. Cleopatra said she would shut me out if I did and he said he'd turn himself over to the poachers and bring them down from the inside if I did. I couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone else."

Her father chuckled, pride for his son-in-mate flaring in his eyes and he glanced towards the door. "I knew there was a reason Samson liked that wolf. Smart man, not letting you get away from him. So when do I get to meet your mate?"

"In a little bit.... Can you just hold me for a little bit, papa? I never thought I'd get to see you again and I still feel like I'll wake up any minute and it'll all have been a dream."

His gray eyes flashed to Samson's emerald then back before he tucked her head under his chin and squeezed her close. "Of course, pumpkin. As long as you need. I'm not going anywhere."