Teasing The Tiger (Seneca Falls Shifters Book 5) Read online

  “Oh, hell,” I muttered and averted my gaze. Admiring a naked woman when it was her choice was one thing. Ogling her while she was unconscious was another. After setting the gun on the ground, I unbuttoned and removed my shirt.

  My truck dilemma might have resolved itself, but now I was faced with a bigger problem—a female who was going to be extremely unhappy with me when she woke up.

  I’d barely gotten my shirt draped over her chest and hips when I heard the sound of twigs snapping and dry leaves crunching. My pulse raced, and I spun around to find Alma walking toward me. “What happened to waiting in the house until I came back?”

  She flicked her wrist. “You were taking too long.” She glanced at the woman, a frown deepening her wrinkles. “Besides, I figured you might need this.” She held out the blanket she had bundled in her arms.

  “How did you know?”

  “For a vet, you sure don’t know much about shifters, do you?”

  “Apparently not.” I scowled, then snatched the blanket away from her. Every now and then, the shifters living in the area came to me to treat their injuries instead of going to the hospital in Hanford. I liked to stay up-to-date so I could treat them properly and planned to do a little research to find out if the tiger’s transformation back into her human half had anything to do with her current drug-induced state.

  I knelt beside the woman again and rolled her as I wrapped the blanket around her. With Alma hovering over me, I thought it was best not to worry about retrieving my shirt until later. After gently lifting her off the ground, I shifted her in my arms so her head leaned against my shoulder. She smelled like the wildflowers she’d been sniffing. Remembering the way her cat chased the butterflies brought a smile to my lips.

  Alma drew me from my thoughts with a smack to the back of my head, much as I imagined she’d done with her son when he was a lot younger.

  “What was that for?”

  “Just in case you decide to do something stupid where that girl is concerned.”

  I was surprised at how hard Alma could hit, and would have rubbed my head if my hands weren’t full. From what I’d seen of the shifter before I covered her with my shirt, she definitely wasn’t a girl. She was a full-grown female, and a beautiful one at that. Not that I’d ever argue either point with Alma.

  “Give me a little credit, will you?” I moved out of her reach and returned her glare. “I promise I’ll take good care of her.”

  “See that you do.” She headed back toward her home. Instead of going inside, she circled the side of the house and walked over to my truck. When she reached the passenger side, she opened the door and stepped aside.

  “Thanks.” I positioned the woman on the seat, then strapped her in with the belt.

  “Mitchell,” Alma said.

  I closed the door, hoping there wasn’t something else she’d forgotten to lecture me about. “Yes?”

  “Will you call and let me know how the poor thing is doing?”

  “I’d be happy to.” Provided her cat didn’t shred me to pieces after she woke up. I followed her as she circled around the front of my truck, then opened the driver’s door while she headed toward her house. Alma stopped when she reached the porch.

  “Oh, and I expect to get that blanket back when you’re finished with it.”

  After Alma disappeared inside, I shook my head and got into the truck, then drove to the end of her gravel drive. After glancing at my sleeping passenger, I dismissed the idea of taking her to the resort, then turned right onto the two-lane road leading back to my place.

  Even though things would go a lot smoother if Berkley was around when the female woke up, I didn’t want to take her to the lodge until I knew for certain she was actually staying there. I didn’t know who she was and had no personal attachment to her, but the thought of anyone, especially another male, taking care of her grated along my nerves.

  I was the one who shot her, and until I found out more about her and where she came from, she was my responsibility. I also justified my decision by telling myself I needed to be there when she woke up so I could apologize profusely for what I now considered a poor use of judgment.

  With a game plan in mind, I tapped the button for the phone on my steering wheel and gave it a voice command to call Berkley’s cell phone rather than Reese’s. For this particular situation, I figured she’d be a lot easier to deal with than her older brother.

  “Hey, Mitch,” she answered on the third ring, her voice pleasant and professional. “What’s going on?”

  I knew she had caller ID and always checked to see whose name was on the screen before accepting any calls. “Berkley.” I wasn’t looking forward to explaining what I’d done and took a deep breath. “I have a problem and could sure use your help.”

  ***

  Hannah

  My mind was filled with hazy images of pale purple wildflowers and orange butterflies. As my thoughts became clearer, my head ached and I could feel a dull pain near my right hip. I remembered landing on the ground, but couldn’t recall why the dirt would feel so warm and soft.

  I forced one eye open, then the other, expecting to find myself lying on a bed of dead leaves and pine needles. Not on a firm yet comfortable four-poster bed. At first I thought I might be dreaming and blinked my eyes several times to be sure. The unfamiliar bed didn’t disappear, nor did the navy-blue comforter covering my completely naked body.

  This bedroom was larger than the one in the cabin I’d rented at the resort. Filling one wall was a full-length dresser and mirror, the wood tone a medium shade of maple. Centered on the adjacent wall was a matching armoire that completed the bedroom set.

  I was surrounded by scents I didn’t recognize, the most prominent one belonging to a human male. I slowly turned my head to sniff the fluffy pillow. From what I could smell, my cat and I agreed the male was all kinds of enticing, which had me snuggling the material a lot longer than I should have.

  Wonderful smell aside, the thought of not knowing where I was or how I’d gotten there was more than a little unsettling. It was all the motivation I needed to roll onto my side and try to get out of bed. Too bad my body wasn’t willing to cooperate. I’d made it into a semi-sitting position before my throbbing head and nauseous stomach put an end to any thought of escape. I wasn’t even sure if I could muster enough energy to shift. Not being able to transform into my tiger left me feeling vulnerable, which in turn jump-started my overactive imagination, one of the byproducts of being a mystery writer.

  All sorts of what-if scenarios began flooding my mind. Like what if I’d been kidnapped and my captor planned to sell me to the circus? What if there was a private zoo out there that specialized in displaying shifters? Or what if one of my overzealous fans, like that woman who’d started a club of one and stalked me on a regular basis, had tracked me down and was keeping me prisoner?

  My unrelenting speculations about why I was in a strange bed were brought to a halt by a knock on the door. I gasped and pulled the comforter up to my chin. The door opened, and a male poked his head inside. He looked familiar, I was certain I’d seen those dark brown eyes before, but seemed to be having a hard time reconciling where.

  “Oh good, you’re awake.” He pushed the door open a little farther. “Do you mind if I come in?” His deep voice rolled across my skin in a wave of warmth that even had my cat taking an interest. My animal had great instincts when it came to judging someone’s character, but she’d never perked her ears and flicked her tail this eagerly around a male before.

  With my allergies impeding my ability to smell him from this distance, I could only assume he was the human male whose scent I’d gleaned from the pillow. “Um, okay.” I’d never been kidnapped before, but all the research I’d done on the topic never mentioned the abductors being polite, so I decided it was okay to eliminate that possibility from my list.

  Since he hadn’t chained me to the bed and wasn’t carrying any weapons, I figured he might not be a serial killer ei
ther. Telling him no didn’t seem like a good choice, not if I wanted to find out why I was here. Not to mention the house probably belonged to him and he had every right to enter any room he wanted.

  “Would you mind telling me who you are and where I’m at?”

  “Mitch,” he said, his half smile filled with trepidation. “My name is Mitch Jacobson, and you’re in my home.” He raised a brow, clearly expecting me to reciprocate.

  “I’m Hannah.” I wasn’t about to tell him my last name, at least not until I got all my questions answered.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Hannah.” He stepped into the room slowly, as if he was afraid he might spook me.

  I tried not to giggle. I was part tiger, and the thought of him being able to scare me made me want to giggle. Instead, I took my time admiring his features: a tall frame, broad chest, and neatly groomed hairstyle. Judging by his button-down shirt and black slacks, I’d say he was some kind of professional who worked in an office. Though the tanned cheeks and blond highlights in his brown hair was a good indication he enjoyed spending time outside.

  “How are you feeling?” He took a few more steps.

  “I’m…” When he stopped a foot away from the bed, the parts of my memory that had been a little foggy snapped into place. I remembered where I’d seen him before and cringed. “You’re the one who”—I rolled onto my side, pushing the blanket away so I could examine my hip—“shot me.” Even with my enhanced healing abilities, the tiny red spot on the skin below my hip was still sore to the touch.

  I jerked my head and pinned him with a glare. “Who are you, and why did you shoot me?” When I caught him staring at my exposed backside, I frowned and flipped the blanket back into place. I’d been in my tiger form when he’d pulled the trigger, which meant he’d seen me change into my human form. It also meant he’d put me in this bed, and he’d seen me completely naked.

  I wasn’t exactly happy about the being-seen-naked thing, but it was understandable, forgivable even, considering he’d made sure I was covered afterward. But letting a human find out shifters existed was a very big no-no in my world. All of a sudden, I couldn’t breathe. I squeaked and clawed at my throat. No matter how much I gasped, I couldn’t get any air into my lungs. I didn’t get panic attacks often, but when I did, they also affected my cat, which unfortunately made shifting to protect myself impossible.

  “It’s okay.” He held out his hands and sat on the edge of the bed next to me. “Try to take slow breaths.”

  I frowned and gulped more air that wasn’t making it all the way into my lungs. “What the heck”—I gasped again—“do you think I’m trying to do?”

  “Hey, look at me.” He gently yet firmly clasped my chin.

  I held his concerned gaze, but it wasn’t helping.

  The next thing I knew, his warm lips were covering mine. Somewhere in the back of my mind, the rational side was muttering that I should be offended, should be fighting to get away from him. I ignored the annoying warning and melted into his kiss. A gentle kiss that tingled and miraculously eased my anxiety. My breathing slowed, my lungs filled with air, and I was pretty sure I’d even done some moaning.

  “Better?” he asked when he released me.

  I’d been so distracted by the kiss that the blanket had slipped, displaying more of my breasts than I was comfortable sharing. I tucked the material under my arms to keep it in place, then set my hands in my lap. Even though I’d never met him before, and I knew it sounded crazy, there was something familiar about him. Something I should know, yet couldn’t quite grasp.

  Rather than cause myself further frustration, I forced my thoughts to move on to other topics, such as whether he planned to take advantage of me, and if he did, was I going to mind? “Why did you do that?”

  “Because you were hyperventilating, and I didn’t have a paper bag handy.” His grin had my insides warming all the way to my toes.

  I pursed my lips, ignoring the flutter in my stomach. “I was hyperventilating because you shot me.”

  “I’m really sorry about that.” He swiped his hand along the side of his head, mussing some of the strands. “If I’d known you were a shifter, I wouldn’t have… It’s just that you’re a tiger, and I’ve never seen one on the mountain before.”

  “About that.” I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. “How do you know about our kind, and why aren’t you afraid?” I’d heard there were humans who knew about us, but I’d never actually met one. I could only imagine how shocked someone would be at the discovery.

  “My sister, Leah, is mated to a bear.”

  “Oh.” I absently smoothed a wrinkle in the comforter.

  “Do you mind if I ask how you ended up in Alma’s backyard?”

  “Is Alma the older female I saw you with before you…”

  “Shot you, yeah.” His wince seemed genuine.

  “I’m not exactly sure.” I tapped my chin. “I’d decided to go for a run to clear my head, and I thought I was doing okay because the area was marked with all these neat signs. The next thing I knew, I was sniffing flowers in your friend’s backyard, and you know the rest.”

  “I take it you’re staying at the resort?”

  I nodded. “I arrived this morning. Or I think it was today, depending on how long I’ve been out.” I’d been pretty groggy when I woke up and hated to think I’d lost more than a day.

  “You were only out a couple of hours.”

  I blew out a relieved sigh. “Well, that’s not so bad, then.”

  “I’m a little curious,” he said.

  “About what?”

  “Why didn’t you track your way back to the lodge?” He tapped the side of his nose, which I assumed was his way of referring to a shifter’s enhanced smelling ability.

  “Promise not to laugh?” Talking about my sniffing problem was embarrassing, not something I liked to share with anyone. If he hadn’t seemed so concerned, been great about putting me at ease and helping me with my panic attack, I might not have been willing to tell him.

  “I promise.” His lopsided grin was adorable.

  “I have bad allergies, and I can rarely get a decent scent.” He didn’t need to know that I also got distracted easily.

  “Isn’t that unusual for a shifter?” I couldn’t detect any judgment in his tone, only curiosity. It was an endearing quality, one that impressed me.

  “Yeah,” I groaned. “Pretty much unheard of, at least in my family, anyway.” My father accepted me the way I was, smelling problem and all. My mother, on the other hand, continually told her friends I was born with a handicap. I was pretty sure she would have told them I was adopted if she thought she could get away with it.

  “If you’re feeling better and would like to get back to the lodge, I’d be happy to drive you.” He pushed off the bed. “It’s the least I can do after ruining your day.”

  “Being shot wouldn’t have been my choice of method, but it kept me out of trouble and from getting lost,” I said, hoping to relieve some of his guilt since it didn’t appear as if he was going to forgive himself anytime soon for what happened. “And a ride would be great.”

  I went to slide out of bed, then remembered I was naked. “Do you mind if I borrow your comforter?”

  He chuckled, then walked over to a four-drawer dresser. “I think we can do a little better than that.” He pulled out a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. “They’re a little big, but they should keep you covered until we get back to the lodge.” He set them on the bed, then hitched his thumb toward the door. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

  “Thanks, but you can stay if you turn around.” Maybe the drug was still causing side effects, because I couldn’t explain why neither my cat nor I wanted him to leave.

  “I can do that,” he said, quickly turning to give me privacy.

  It was more than likely my imagination, but I thought he’d sounded happy to comply, as if he hadn’t wanted to leave the room either.

  After grabbing the clothe
s, I slipped off the opposite side of the bed, then quickly tugged on the sweats and pulled the drawstring tight to keep them on my waist. I slipped the baggy T-shirt over my head, then plopped on the edge of the bed again so I could roll up the end of one pant leg. “You can turn around now.” I finished adjusting the other leg and walked toward him.

  He perused my attire from top to bottom. “I have to admit that shirt looks a lot better on you than it ever did on me.”

  I looked down to where the hem hit me midthigh, then rolled my eyes. “Uh-huh.”

  “Not to change the subject, but I was thinking about your allergy problem. I have a friend who works in the research department at the hospital over in Hanford. If you want, I could ask him if he’s ever heard about the condition and see if they’ve developed anything that might help.”

  He was being so nice that I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d been to a specialist before and didn’t have any luck. I guessed it wouldn’t hurt to hear what his friend had to say. “If you’re sure it’s not any trouble.” I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but I would do almost anything to find a cure, to breathe normally again.

  “It’s no problem at all. Besides, it’s a good cause and would make me feel better about having, you know…” He glanced at my backside.

  “Well, I guess it’s okay if it’ll help ease your conscience.” I smiled.

  “Shall we?” He motioned me toward the open doorway, then urged me along the hallway to the right. “There is one more thing I meant to ask you.”

  “Only one?” I teased, then glanced in the two rooms we passed. One was another bedroom; the other had been turned into an office.

  He laughed. “Okay, maybe a few.”

  “Feel free to ask as many as you like,” I said when he hesitated.

  “Why was your cat chasing butterflies? I would have thought she’d rather be hunting small animals like squirrels or rabbits.”