The Tiger’s Curvy Mate: Shifter Romance

6. Quentin

6

Quentin

My tail twitched. The bastard who dare touch my mate lay beneath me, snapping his tiny teeth.

I roared, showing off the dagger-sized teeth in my own mouth.

I had made it about twenty feet away before I turned back around. I stood outside and listened to the story for a bit. She was a latent. She had met her mate. And her scent finally came to me untainted by the club. Suddenly I knew what my tiger had been trying to tell me for the past couple of days. The untamed, wily Winter was my mate. Mine.

When I opened the door, all hell had broken loose. My tiger had been urging me back, but I couldn’t let the beast control the man all the time. I needed time to process this. My mate wasn’t a purebred like I had expected to mate with. I didn’t even know what she was. She was latent and would eventually shift because of her mate—because of me.

When I heard the struggle in the room, I shifted then clawed my way through the door.

Once inside I saw red. Derek straddled my mate, his eyes full of murderous intent. He would die before he ever touched my mate again. Once I soared over her and knocked Derek off, he struggled under my weight.

My lips twitched, my teeth eager to meet flesh. The single thing holding me back was Winter didn’t know about our world. She might not understand what he had tried to do was punishable by death. We might not be officially mated yet, but she was still mine.

My ears crooked backward when I heard Winter moving around. I didn’t want to take my eyes off Derek though. My large paws covered his shoulders; he wasn’t going anywhere as long as I continued to hold him down, but I still worried about any tricks he might have up his sleeve. He must not have been an impressive animal if he didn’t shift forms. Then again, not many animals could take me on.

My tiger would only hold back for so long—now, standing over an enemy that would attack my mate, I understood Dominic’s love for using his claws. I struggled with the need to kill him and my concern about scaring Winter.

I’d had enough waiting. I batted his head with my paw and it snapped backward, knocking him out. It would give me enough time to decide what needed to be done with him while my eye was on Winter who huddled close to a little ball of fur. A low growled slipped from my throat. Did she have a pet Derek had hurt? I even felt protective of her pets?

“Mazy?” Winter picked up the small mongoose in her hands and held her close. Mazy’s small chest moved in a steady rhythm. She’d probably passed out, but Winter’s eyes were open wide. I took a step forward and her head snapped upward.

Winter curled herself around the unconscious Mazy and watched me with both fear and awe. I wasn’t sure if she knew who I was or if she was just staring at a white Siberian tiger in her tiny living room. These living quarters were really unfit for her. I snorted, shaking my head.

“I’m not sure who you are. You took out Derek, so you’re probably not with him, but I also don’t trust you.”

She did, though. Her legs had been tense and curled close up while Derek was conscious, but were now loosened and stretched out. Her tight protective hold on Mazy loosened a little. She didn’t trust me, but her animal did.

I couldn’t speak in this body. I turned to make sure Derek was still out cold then padded into her bedroom, not wanting to frighten her until she understood what we were, what she was, too. It smelled just like her, a mixture of sweet caramel and salt. I wanted to lie down and take a nap in her scent. Instead, I let the shift overtake me once again. I grabbed her sheet from her bed and wrapped it around my waist. My initial shift had been so unexpected, I’d shredded my clothes. This would have to do for now.

I returned to the living room. Winter, halfway out the door, still held Mazy cradled in her arms. I stomped over to her and, hooking my arm around her waist, pulled her back into the apartment. I would have to call Dominic and Lucas. This was a mess I couldn’t clean up by myself.

Winter squeaked when I grabbed her. She looked up at me, her eyes going wider than before.

“Quinn …”

“Quentin.”

“What are you?” Then it hit her. I could see the recognition in her eyes.

“You’re one of them, too?” She swayed. I used her elbow to lead her to her couch. She sat down, her eyes flicking to Derek. More than before, I wish I had just killed him.

“Give me a second.”

I grabbed Derek by the ankles, dragged him to the bathroom, and left him there. This time, Winter thankfully had not moved, but she had placed Mazy on the cushion next to her.

“So you are a shifter, too.”

“Yes.”

“How did you know to come? How did you know we needed your help? Are you with them? Or are you—”

“No, before you ask too many questions, I have to make a phone call. Two phone calls.”

Winter’s lips pressed together. I knew she was dying to ask more questions, but hoped those could wait. For the moment, I needed Dominic and Lucas here. I made the phone calls and both said they would be over in ten minutes flat. I had to use Winter’s landline, and luckily I had memorized their numbers from long ago. When I turned back around, Winter was curled up on the foul suede couch, asleep.

Mazy had shifted back and lay next to her naked. While shifters didn’t mind nudity, I didn’t like the idea of a naked woman in the same room as my mate. She might not know she was my mate, but her animal did, and I didn’t want her getting the wrong idea. I went back into Winter’s room and grabbed blankets from the foot of her bed then returned to wrap Mazy in those.

I picked up Winter, placed her in the center of her too-small bed, and walked back out of the room. Winter’s far too small and messy apartment was even more of a disaster now. Wood splinters coated the floor from my attacks. The debris from Derek’s attack before I arrived included an overturned nightstand. The drawer had been knocked out scattering papers and other miscellaneous junk. A barstool had been knocked backward and hit the dishes piled on the counter. I shook my head.

It didn’t matter. She wouldn’t be staying here anymore. It was unfit for my mate. I shook my head. It didn’t look like she had anything personal on the walls, no pictures in frames on the end tables or even in her room if I recalled. It wasn’t the time to wonder about her family, but I did. I was interested about her past.

A low whistle sounded behind me. Lucas ducked under what was left of the door, his eyebrow with the piercing lifted. He crossed his arms and nodded leisurely. His broad shoulders hardly fit through the opening.

“She’s got a nice place.”

I remained silent.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” He flashed his trademark lopsided smile. I didn’t fall for his antics like Dominic and most women did.

“Mazy is on the couch, unconscious. I think the manager of Dominic’s knocked her out while she was in her animal form.”

Lucas became all business at the mention of Mazy, as I’d thought he would. There was something about her that got him acting like a proper male. His back straightened, and his lopsided smile slipped down to a serious frown. He walked with purpose to her side and gently pressed his lips to her forehead. I watched with rapt attention. Gestures of affection had been far and few between in my house. My parents had taught me to be the tiger I needed to be in society, but love wasn’t tossed around. I had met Lucas’s family once when we had a job in New Orleans, and they had affection to share. While we were there, his mother had tried to kiss me multiple times and I managed to dodge most of her attempts.

But, watching Lucas now, I wondered if I should have done the same with Winter. Should I have gone back in there and pressed a secret kiss to her forehead? For the first time in my life I felt self-conscious. It wasn’t something I was used to nor did I want to become accustomed to it.

A few moments later, Dominic stomped through the doorway, knocking those thoughts from my head.

“What the f**k?”

His hair was in disarray, and he hadn’t even bothered to zip up his pants. The man had no shame. Eden was tucked under his arm, held protectively to his side, whether he wanted to admit it or not. She looked around at the messy apartment then at me.

“Doesn’t seem like your style.”

Dominic snorted.

“It’s not my apartment.”

“So get us up to speed. What the hell is going on?”

Lucas straightened, appearing more interested in this conversation. I gritted my teeth. This wasn’t something I wanted to discuss with them, but they would find out anyway. I just wished I could talk to Winter about it before I told them about her. She wouldn’t understand what it meant to find our mate. The weight of it. Not if she grew up around humans.

“A couple of nights ago, at your club, one of your waitresses was attacked. A bartender and your manager have been working with slave traders. Shifter slave traders. They have been collecting rare paranormals and selling them. I didn’t get the whole story while listening through the door.”

“Wait, why were you listening through the door?”

“Better yet, why the f**k were you following Winnie the waitress?”

Eden had been quiet the entire time, but she gave me a small smile. She understood without me having to spell it out for them. I would have said they both played stupid so I would have to say it out loud, but their dumbfounded faces told me they hadn’t figured it out yet.

I rubbed the back of my neck, refusing to make eye contact with either one of them for a moment.

“Winter is my mate.”

“I’m your what?”