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

  “How could you think I would ever hurt something so cute and fluffy?” I was appalled by his assumption and could feel the heat rising on my cheeks.

  He quirked a brow. “Seriously?”

  Tigers were predators, so of course he’d assume I enjoyed eating smaller creatures. “Sorry, I’m kind of a vegetarian. Have been ever since I was little.” It was one of many items on a list of things my mother didn’t approve of.

  “When you say kind of, does that include cooked meats as well?”

  “Some, not all, but mostly anything with fur stays off the menu.” He stopped in front of a closed door at the end of the hall. “My truck is parked outside the clinic.” He turned the handle.

  My steps faltered as images of being strapped to an exam table next to a counter filled with sharp instruments flashed through my mind. Had his kindness been an act? Had I misjudged him and been too hasty in crossing “serial killer” from my list? “Clinic?” I rasped through a constricting throat, hoping I wasn’t about to have another panic attack.

  “I’m a vet.” He took my elbow and urged me into a reception area. “My main office is in Ashbury, but I opened a smaller one in my home to accommodate my neighbors. It was either that or have them continue showing up at all hours.”

  “That explains the dart gun.” I released a nervous laugh.

  Mitch unlocked the glass door leading outside. He glanced at my feet and frowned. “I’m afraid I don’t have any shoes that will fit you.”

  “It’s all right. I don’t mind going barefoot.”

  “Well, I do.” He whisked me off my feet.

  I squeaked and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Do all your patients get this kind of special treatment?”

  He headed toward the silver Ford truck parked on the graveled drive. “Only the cute ones who can shift into tigers.”

  Chapter Three

  Mitch

  Apparently, Hannah’s roaming had taken her close to several of the resort’s neighbors before she’d ended up in Alma’s backyard. Evan Cleary, a ranger who worked on the park lands surrounding Seneca Falls, had arrived at the lodge shortly after I’d dropped Hannah off at her cabin.

  He was human, had no idea shifters existed, and wouldn’t hesitate to capture Hannah if he’d caught her in her tiger form, unlike his shifter coworkers, who would have given Reese, Berkley, and Nick a warning about making sure their guests didn’t stray, then filed a report dismissing the handful of sightings as false complaints.

  Evan tucked his right thumb under the edge of his utility belt. “As I was saying, there’ve been some poachers reported in the area again, but I thought you’d want to know we got several calls this morning from people who thought they’d seen a tiger.”

  I leaned against one of the counters in the private kitchen used by the lodge’s owners and staff, keeping my emotions masked as I pretended I had no idea what the male was talking about.

  When James Reynolds built the resort he’d left to his grandchildren, he’d had the foresight to add an additional area to the lodge for the owners and employees. There was a kitchen area and a handful of bedrooms, each containing their own bathrooms.

  Currently, only two of the bedrooms were occupied. One by Berkley and her mate, Preston, the other by Reese and his mate, Jac. Their half brother Nick recently built a new home not far from the lodge that he shared with his human mate, Mandy.

  Reese stood next to me, arms crossed, calmly listening to Evan. If he was troubled by what the ranger had to say, he didn’t show it. The male was good at concealing his emotions, a trait I assumed he’d developed during his tour in the military.

  “A tiger, really?” Berkley scoffed, not nearly as reserved with her opinions as her brother. She shot a conspiratorial glance at Jac and Mandy, who were sitting across from her at a long rectangular table centered on one half of the room. There was no mistaking she was related to Reese. Her facial features were similar, with the same defined cheekbones and dark hair intermingled with several lighter shades of brown.

  Mandy adjusted the strap of her overalls, the outfit she usually wore whenever she worked on the old building’s plumbing. “Are you sure the report wasn’t a hoax?” she asked, following her best friend’s lead.

  During the drive to the lodge, I’d called Berkley to let her know I was returning Hannah. She’d told me she’d gotten a call from Gabe Miller, a nearby neighbor who ran trail rides, letting her know that Evan was in the area and to be prepared in case I ran into him. Once I’d reached the lodge and seen the ranger’s truck parked out front, I’d taken a side road and dropped Hannah off at her cabin, then extended Berkley’s invitation for her to join us as soon as she’d changed her clothes.

  Prior to my arrival, Berkley had informed the people in the room about Hannah being the tiger the ranger was referring to. As far as I knew, she’d left out the part about me shooting Hannah with a tranquilizer dart. At least I hoped she had.

  The great thing about being accepted as part of a family of shifters was the way they all pulled together when someone needed protecting. And right now, that someone was Hannah. The last thing they wanted or needed was anyone, most specifically a ranger who knew nothing about their kind, searching their property.

  Hannah and I had only spent a short amount of time together, yet I couldn’t help feeling more than a little protective of her myself. I planned to do everything possible to keep anything bad from happening to her. After hearing Evan tell us he was following up on the report, the guilt I felt over shooting Hannah lessened, and I was glad I’d gotten to her first.

  “That’s what we’re trying to determine.” Evan rubbed his clean-shaven chin. “And since one of the sightings wasn’t far from here, I thought I’d stop by and give you a heads-up.”

  “We appreciate you taking the time to let us know.” Reese pushed away from the counter and circled around the table, urging Evan toward the hallway outside the kitchen.

  I waited until their footsteps faded and I was certain they were out of earshot before speaking to Berkley. “Is this going to cause you any problems?”

  “We should be okay,” she said. “Preston already talked to his security team, and they’ll make sure none of the human rangers do any snooping around.”

  Berkley’s mate was a cougar. He’d been friends with Reese ever since their time in the military and was now the resort’s head of security.

  “I’ll need to have a talk with Hannah, though.” Berkley’s frown said it wasn’t a conversation she was looking forward to. “We can’t have her putting the rest of our nonhuman guests at risk.”

  I wanted to defend Hannah, to tell my friends what happened wasn’t her fault, that there was a reason her cat had strayed. Information about her allergy problem had been shared in confidence, and I didn’t think it was my place to tell anyone else about it. Though I was sure if they knew, they’d be a lot more understanding about the situation.

  Footsteps too light to be Reese’s echoed from the hallway. Bear, Nick and Mandy’s dog, whimpered from the spot under the kitchen table where he’d been sleeping. He was a mutt, not much bigger than a fox terrier. If he’d viewed whoever was approaching as a threat, he’d be on his feet and growling instead of swishing his brown tail back and forth.

  “Excuse me, but the female working at the reception desk said it was okay to come back.” The woman standing in the doorway sounded a lot like Hannah. She wore dark glasses and had blonde hair, which, after closer scrutiny, I realized had to be a wig.

  “Hannah, is that you?” I asked, walking toward her and wondering if she’d overheard anything Berkley had said.

  “Yeah.” She slipped off the glasses.

  “Oh, my gosh, you look so familiar.” Mandy’s blue eyes widened, and she snapped her fingers. “You’re Hannah Lawrence, aren’t you?”

  “The famous mystery writer?” Jac had her back to the doorway and had strained her neck to get a better look at Hannah.

  “Yes.” Mandy was practi
cally bouncing up and down in her seat.

  “I don’t know about famous, but I do write mysteries.” Hannah smiled, the freckles on her cheeks highlighted by her blush.

  Mandy nudged Berkley’s arm. “Why didn’t you tell us she was staying here?”

  Berkley shot Mandy a sidelong glare. “Maybe because my guests have a right to their privacy.” She smiled at Hannah. “Besides, the last name on the registration says Walker, not Lawrence.”

  “Lawrence is my pen name,” Hannah said.

  “See?” Berkley sneered.

  Mandy shook her head at her friend. “Even if she’d used her pen name, you wouldn’t have known who she was. Admit it.”

  “Didn’t they let you do any recreational reading while you were away at that fancy college?” Jac asked.

  Berkley narrowed her brown eyes and snorted. “Unlike others, who were gallivanting around the world with their camera, I was actually trying to get a degree in marketing.” She tapped her nails on the table. “Although, I did enjoy the class on how to skin a cat. Would you like a demonstration?”

  Jac playfully hissed at Berkley, drawing a giggle from Hannah. Berkley and Jac had been friends for a few years, and the banter between them occurred on a regular basis. When Berkley decided to include wedding packages as a way to increase business for the resort, she’d hired Jac to be the on-site photographer.

  Jac was a shifter, but she was also considered a hybrid because her cat was part ocelot, part jaguar. When she transformed, her animal was only a few sizes larger than a house cat.

  I turned to Hannah with a grin. “You’ll have to excuse my friends. Nobody famous ever stays here.” I winked and placed my hand on the small of Hannah’s back, then aimed her toward an empty seat near the end of the table. “The most excitement they get is from dealing with poachers.”

  “Or the occasional kidnapper,” Mandy added.

  She rarely talked about the time she’d been abducted by Desmond Bishop, the previous owner of the Hanford Regency. The male made the mistake of taking her when Nick and his siblings refused to sign the deed of the resort over to him. Luckily, Mandy hadn’t been harmed, but the same couldn’t be said for the males who worked for Bishop.

  “Kidnapping, seriously?” Though Hannah’s green eyes sparkled with interest, she glanced skeptically at the other females.

  “Yep, so if you ever need some good information for one of your books…” Mandy said, clasping her hands together.

  “I’ll keep it in mind,” Hannah said, setting her glasses on the table and taking a seat.

  I didn’t want to hover, so I leaned against the center island. “Now that you’ve met Berkley, Jac, and Mandy”—I pointed at each of them in turn—“would you mind explaining why you’re wearing a disguise?”

  “Oh, you mean this.” She pulled the wig from her head and fluffed her curls. “I had it on when I arrived and thought it would be less confusing when I spoke to the person working at the reservation desk.”

  “Do you have problems being stalked by fans?” Berkley straightened in her seat, her tone switching to concerned business owner.

  “No, not usually.” Hannah placed the wig on the table, then smoothed the strands. “I know it might sound strange, but changing my appearance and pretending to be the heroine in my book helps me work through some tough scenes.”

  “Actually, that sounds rather smart,” Jac said.

  Mandy bobbed her head. “Not to mention fun.”

  I was afraid my friends were going to insist that Hannah let them help with one of her current scenes and was glad when Reese sauntered back into the room a few seconds later.

  “Problems?” Berkley asked.

  Reese shook his head. “No, I think I convinced Evan that the reports of a tiger were probably a prank, so I don’t think he’ll insist on checking our property for the time being.”

  Reese had been so focused on answering his sister that he hadn’t noticed Hannah until he got closer to the table. “Oh,” he said after catching a whiff of her scent and realizing she was the tiger in question.

  “Hannah, this is my mate, Reese,” Jac said. “He’s also Berkley’s brother and part owner of the resort.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, and I’m sorry my being here has caused you so much trouble. It’s just that I’d heard so many good things about your resort, and my cabin is wonderful. I thought for sure staying here would help with my writing.”

  Hannah was rambling and looked like she was going to have another panic attack. I hadn’t gotten a chance to call my friend in Hanford about her allergy issues. But when I did, I planned to ask him if the breathing problem could also affect her in other ways, even possibly be at the root of her constricting anxiety.

  “Well, it’s nothing we can’t handle, so don’t worry about it.” Berkley reached across the table and patted Hannah’s hand.

  “I’m sure it’s not, but I think I should leave in the morning anyway,” Hannah said, her smile strained.

  Worrying that she posed a threat to the other guests had to be Hannah’s motivation for insisting she go. One of the resort’s selling points, for shifters, anyway, was being able to let their animals run in a secluded area where they didn’t have to worry about being seen by any humans. It had to be one of the reasons she’d booked her stay to begin with. “No one is saying you have to leave.” I pulled out the chair next to her and took a seat.

  “Mitch is right. We’ll figure something out,” Berkley said.

  “Reese will make sure you don’t have to worry about the rangers swarming the property and trying to hunt you down, won’t you?” Jac glared at her mate.

  I’d always found the interaction between Jac and Reese to be quite entertaining. Reese could be one of the most intimidating males I’d ever met. He was even scarier as his wolf. Yet one pursed-lip glare from Jac had the male cringing. “Of course.”

  I hardly knew Hannah, but the thought of her leaving and never seeing her again had my stomach clenching into a tight knot. “Why don’t you stay at my place?” The words were out before I’d had a chance to consider what I was saying.

  It wasn’t one of my better ideas, but it was the only one I could come up with. I knew she was destined to have a mate, one she obviously hadn’t met yet; otherwise, he’d be with her now. That alone should have been reason enough not to get involved. I could even try to justify my decision by telling myself that all I wanted to do was help, but it would be a lie. I’d been drawn to Hannah from the moment those beautiful green eyes had locked with mine.

  “I don’t want to be an imposition, and I certainly don’t want to cause any problems with your girlfriend,” Hannah said.

  “You wouldn’t be.” She’d been in my home, knew I didn’t live with a female, so I wasn’t sure if her interest in my relationship status was purely out of politeness or if she was truly interested.

  Either way, I was more than happy to provide the information. “I’m single, live alone, no girlfriends.” I was pretty sure the groan I heard came from Reese, but I ignored him. My female friends were all grinning, so I clearly had their support. Berkley was the most perceptive of the three and was scrutinizing my interaction with Hannah the closest.

  I thought about the kiss we’d shared, worried that it might be the reason for her trepidation. I couldn’t explain why I’d had the urge to kiss a complete stranger, especially one who sprouted claws and could have taken out my jugular with a single swipe. The fact that she hadn’t swatted me off the bed made it even more confusing. “I work in town most of the time. The place is big enough for both of us, and I have a spare room that hasn’t been used since Leah moved out.”

  “But what about your clinic?” Hannah bit her lower lip, seemingly unconvinced.

  “My receptionist only comes in to work on Saturday mornings. The rest of the week, the place is quiet, and you’d be able to do as much writing as you want without anyone bothering you.”

  Now that I’d made the suggestion, I was det
ermined to get her to agree. “I also own a few acres, so if you need to go for a run, no one will see you. I’d even be willing to go with you to make sure your cat doesn’t wander off. That is, if she’s forgiven me for shooting her.”

  “My cat actually likes…” Hannah blushed and quickly changed the subject. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Absolutely, I…”

  “Wait a minute.” Jac held up her hand. “Did you say you shot her?” It seemed I’d been right about Berkley not telling Mandy and Jac the entire story. They were both scowling at me, only Jac looked as if she wouldn’t have a problem leaving a few claw marks on my body.

  When Hannah’s growl drew everyone’s attention, she quickly tried to cover up the protective act by clearing her throat. “It was only a dart, and if Mitch hadn’t shot me, the problem with the rangers might have been a lot worse.” She returned her attention to me. “It looks like you have a new houseguest.”

  ***

  Hannah

  Having done plenty of research on murder methods and serial killers before writing ten mystery novels, I was confident I’d be safe staying with Mitch. His friends seemed to think very highly of him, and I had a feeling if I’d told him no, they would have gone out of their way to convince me to reconsider his offer.

  I’d hated giving up my cabin, but was glad I wouldn’t have to leave the mountain wilderness and return to my home in the city earlier then I’d planned. Berkley had even insisted on holding the cabin for me free of charge in case I changed my mind or if things didn’t work out with Mitch.

  My cat might be a tiger and a predator when she needed to be, but she had a laid-back personality. It had surprised me that she was enthusiastically onboard with spending the rest of our working vacation at Mitch’s place.

  On the return trip to his house, he drove his truck, and I’d followed him with my rental car. As soon as we arrived, he insisted on carrying my luggage inside. Rather than argue that I was capable of doing it myself, I grabbed my shoulder bag and computer case and waited in the reception area of the clinic for him to make the two trips necessary to get the four large suitcases inside.