Turned by a Tiger Page 16

  He caught the hidden meaning in her words—and then they could have some much-needed alone time.

  He was up for that.

  Pride first, pleasure later.

  “Hold on.” He didn’t give her much of a chance to do that as he kicked off, leaving her shocked gasp somewhere back in the woods.

  She wrapped her arms and legs around him and clung to him as he raced through the forest with her. Gods, she felt good all pressed against him like that, clinging to him. He banded his free arm around her and held on to her too.

  He would never let her go.

  The lights of the village flickered through the thick trees ahead of him in the valley.

  The scent of blood hit him before the screams reached his ears, and the roars of the warriors as they fought.

  He growled low in his throat, his fangs elongating as rage poured through him, fury that Archangel had dared to bring this fight to his doorstep and were attacking innocent members of his pride, females and children who couldn’t defend themselves.

  He sprinted harder, determined to reach the village and end the battle.

  Determined to save his people.

  A mighty roar sounded, sending the birds flying from their roosts above him.

  A shiver danced over his arms and down his back.

  Grey.

  His younger brother.

  He pushed himself to the limit, adrenaline pumping now and his instincts seizing control. His senses honed, sharpening until he could feel every single person ahead of him and could almost pick them all out one by one.

  Another roar answered the first.

  Unmistakable.

  Byron.

  A garbled scream followed it, one of the Archangel team if the sudden spike in the scent of mortal blood in the cool night air was anything to go by.

  Talon shifted Sherry slightly away from him to protect her hearing.

  Unleashed a roar of his own to answer his brothers.

  To let them know he was coming and he wasn’t alone.

  He broke into the clearing where the village stood.

  Stopped dead as his gaze tracked the first Archangel hunter he spotted and saw their target fighting another, the naked silver-haired male stood with his back to them as he battled the mortal with his bare hands, utterly unaware they were poised to strike.

  “Grey!”

  CHAPTER 15

  Talon released Sherry at the edge of the clearing in the forest and was gone in a flash. She swung around, heart pounding at a sickening pace against her ribs and adrenaline flooding her body, making her shake so hard the sword she gripped in her right hand rattled.

  Everywhere she looked, people were locked in combat, the black-clad hunters of Archangel wielding swords and crossbows with deadly expertise while Talon’s pride fought with their bare hands.

  Or as tigers.

  Several of the large gold-and-black cats thundered past her, heading towards a group of Archangel hunters who were breaking cover at the far right of the village. The leader pounced, landing with his huge paws on the shoulders of one of the hunters and his hind legs ploughing into the man’s stomach. The tiger’s head came down, huge fangs bared, and Sherry flinched away, unable to watch as the shifter claimed the hunter’s neck.

  A horrific scream rose above the din of battle and a cold shiver skated down her spine.

  She shouldn’t be here.

  This wasn’t her place.

  She was mortal, untrained in combat, weak and vulnerable.

  Dressed like the damned hunters who wanted to hurt the tigers.

  A deep roar resonated through the village of wooden cabins and her gaze swung towards the source of it, fear of dying morphing into fear of witnessing the owner of that beautiful roar suffering that fate.

  Talon launched at the back of a hunter, his broadsword gripped in both hands, held low at his left side. When he reached the man, he brought the sword up in a devastating arc, slicing straight across the hunter’s back. The man unleashed a roar of his own, filled with pain and fear, and went down hard. Talon didn’t stop. He leaped over the man, grabbed a large naked guy by the nape of his neck, and pulled the male behind him as he thrust forwards with his blade.

  It punctured the side of another Archangel hunter, sending the man staggering backwards and then slumping down into a heap on the dirt.

  “Godsdammit!” Talon turned on the silver-haired male, his amber eyes bright and wild as he came to face him, running over every inch of him. She could almost feel his relief when he saw the male was unharmed, although he didn’t show it. He shoved the male’s shoulder, forcing him to plant one bare foot behind him to stop himself from being tipped off balance. “Fucking be more careful.”

  “Love you too, Brother.” The silver-haired shifter gave Talon the finger and pushed him away with his other hand. “I had that. You know I did. You always have to push in and take over. Always have to be top tiger. You’ve been like it since birth.”

  Talon huffed and glanced her way, scrubbed a hand around the back of his neck in a way that told her how awkward he felt about her hearing this. Why?

  The male’s piercing ice-blue eyes shifted to her. “Byron is going to love this.”

  “Fuck off, Grey,” Talon snapped, flashing fangs. “I save your arse and all you can give me is lip?”

  Grey growled, baring his own white daggers.

  The two stared at each other in silence.

  Sherry began to feel a little awkward herself.

  Not because of the way they were behaving, but because she was starting to feel as if she was staring into a strange sort of mirror as she looked at them, one that reflected certain aspects of Talon but reversed others.

  Grey was almost identical to him.

  Only his silver hair and blue eyes set them apart.

  They were more than brothers.

  They were twins.

  Talon cracked first.

  He grinned, grabbed Grey by the nape of his neck and dragged him into a hug. “Fuck… I thought I’d never see you again.”

  Grey resisted for all of a second before he was wrapping his arms around his brother and squeezing him tightly while slapping his back. “You know I wouldn’t let that happen. I’d just about convinced Byron to let me look for you. Knew some shit was up. Something just felt off. Still does.”

  Those piercing blue eyes slid her way.

  Talon pulled back and frowned at his twin. “Nothing’s off here.”

  It wasn’t? Or was it? She wasn’t sure, wished she knew what the hell they were talking about in code, because it was certainly about her.

  Her eyes widened as two Archangel hunters came rushing from beyond a cabin to the right of them.

  “Talon!”

  He spotted them before she had even started to scream his name, turning on a pinhead to block the sword one of the men swung at him.

  Grey had shifted before she could catch up with what was happening and pounced on the hunter on the left, taking him down and savaging his chest with his claws as he ravaged the man’s throat with his fangs.

  Sherry stared at him, fascination sweeping through her to make her forget the battle that raged around them.

  The huge tiger lifted his head, frosty blue eyes swinging her way, and bared his fangs at her on a hiss, his fur stained with blood around his mouth and on his paws.

  He was beautiful.

  White and black.

  Not a drop of amber on him.

  And he was gone before she could gather herself, sprinting into the fray again, tackling a huntress as she went for one of the women frantically trying to usher two children to safety.

  Talon jogged back to Sherry. “Sorry… he tends to react like that the first time someone sees him.”

  Because he was different, and he probably felt it more keenly than any tiger because his twin had come out normal, fur a striking shade of deep gold and black.

  She shook her head, and smiled when Talon took her hand, pressing his t
humb against her palm. He stared at them, a myriad of emotions sweeping across his face, all too brief for her to catch and decipher.

  When he lifted his golden eyes to hers, they were sombre and distant. “I didn’t want you here.”

  She stepped closer to him, settled her hand on his bare chest, over the tiger inked on his left pectoral, and looked up into his eyes. “I know… but I want to be here.”

  With him.

  She didn’t want him to face this alone, or Byron once this battle was done. She wanted to be there for him.

  “Come on.” He tugged on her hand and she ran with him, skirting the edge of the battle.

  A fire raged to the right of the village now, one of the smaller cabins ablaze, the flames reaching high to dance in the darkness, releasing bursts of sparks as a gentle breeze blew and caught them.

  Bastards.

  Why was Archangel doing this?

  Fire swept through her blood too, igniting it and rousing her courage. That courage rose higher as she glanced off to her left and saw a huge jaguar savagely battling two Archangel hunters who had cornered another woman.

  Kyter was fighting.

  She looked just beyond him as the air there shimmered and Bleu suddenly appeared, his spear making swift work of one of the hunters for Kyter, earning him a low growl of disapproval. Iolanthe finished up with a huntress and crossed the distance between her and her mate in a heartbeat, appearing between him and Bleu.

  “No… we are meant to be fighting Archangel, not each other.” She fixed Bleu with a withering glare, which he returned one-hundred-fold. The guy knew how to make his feelings clear with just a look, she had to give him that. Iolanthe turned that glare on her mate. “Shoo… go help the others.”

  Kyter grunted and loped off, joining a pack of tigers as they prowled through the throng of hunters and shifters.

  “This way.” Talon tugged her towards the burning cabin. “We need to see if anyone is in there.”

  Sherry followed, heart thundering wildly, making her dizzy as she scanned her surroundings, fearing someone would get the jump on her. Another team of Archangel hunters broke out of the forest to her right and Talon snarled, released her and leaped into action.

  Hell.

  He had been made for war.

  She skidded to a halt near the blazing house, stunned by how swiftly he moved, how graceful he appeared as he ducked and dodged, and swung the broadsword as if it weighed nothing, as if it was all a dance, perfectly choreographed and practiced a thousand times. He cut down two hunters with one swing, twisted and stabbed a third in his thigh, crippling him.

  The fourth aimed a crossbow at his back and Sherry reacted without thinking, all of her fear and the battle drifting away in an instant as she launched towards him and raised her sword. The man turned towards her, his crossbow swinging with him, and she brought her blade down hard in a diagonal arc.

  The hunter’s finger pressed against the trigger.

  Her sword sliced down his left shoulder and across his chest.

  The tinny odour of blood flooded the air and her stomach rebelled.

  The hunter grunted and collapsed to his knees, the crossbow falling from his hands as he looked down at the blade sticking out of his stomach, pointed towards her.

  Talon’s blade.

  Her warrior tiger stood behind the man, his amber eyes cold as he stared down at the back of his head and twisted the sword, ripping a shriek from the hunter. He pressed his bare foot against the male’s back and kicked forwards, drawing his sword back at the same time and pulling it free.

  The man groaned and landed on his side.

  Sherry continued to stare at him, at the blood that pooled beneath him and coated the edge of her silver sword.

  She hadn’t killed him, but she had wanted to.

  She felt numb.

  “Sherry,” Talon barked and approached her slowly.

  Odd.

  He looked worried, as if she was about to fall apart.

  His amber eyes dropped.

  Hers fell too.

  Landed on the slim wooden bolt sticking out of her thigh.

  What?

  She blinked, mind fraying, unable to process what she was seeing as a dark slick patch crept down the front of her black fatigues.

  “Gods,” Talon growled and eased onto his knees in front of her.

  He tipped his head back, eyes seeking hers, searching them.

  For permission.

  She nodded slowly, closed her eyes and steeled herself, aware of what he was going to do and that when it happened, the pleasant numbness she was enjoying would be obliterated by pain.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  All the warning she had.

  She screamed as white-hot pain blazed over her thigh and burrowed into her hip bone, so fierce she turned away and vomited. Darkness swept over her but strong arms held her, anchored her to the world together with his deep voice as it murmured in her ear, telling her how strong she was and how brave, and whispering other things to her through those words, things that told her of his heart, and echoed what was in her own.

  Sherry sank against him, using his strength, taking all that she could from him because she refused to pass out. Not here. Not now. His pride were still in danger, and if she lost consciousness, he would be too. She knew it deep in her heart. She would be a distraction, and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if that got him killed.

  “Talon!” A soft female voice rose above the growls and grunts surrounding her.

  Talon shifted against her, and she wearily opened her eyes and looked at him. Her vision wobbled, the pain flowing through her still so intense that it stole her breath. His handsome face lightened, filling with concern as he looked off to his right.

  Sherry followed his gaze, blinked to clear her vision, and stared at the beautiful woman running towards them, her deep gold dress whipping around her long legs and a small white bag bouncing around in her left hand.

  A vicious hiss sounded in her ears again, and she tried to shoo it away, didn’t want to listen to it because she was bone-deep tired of being jealous of every beautiful woman who knew Talon.

  She didn’t want to be that way anymore, didn’t want to feel threatened by every stunning female who so much as looked at him, all because they belonged with him more than she ever could.

  Because they were all immortals.

  Tigers.

  “Maya,” Talon snapped, darkness falling like a shadow across his face as his black eyebrows dipped low, narrowing his amber eyes. “What the hell are you doing outside?”

  Maya looked over her shoulder as she stopped in front of him, her long black hair falling down the left side of her chest and her amber eyes seeking something. The place where she was meant to be?

  Why did Talon want her away from the fight?

  To protect her?

  Sherry looked up at him as he held her in his arms, still kneeling on the floor with her, clutching her close to him.

  Yet she felt she was drifting away, or was that him?

  She could see the love in his eyes as he looked at this woman, the deep affection, and it made her realise he had never looked at her that way. There had been desire, lust, and maybe affection, but not love.

  This was the way he looked at someone he loved.

  Sherry tried to push out of his arms, but he huffed and clucked his tongue at her, and held her even closer, crushing her to him. When she kept shoving at his chest, he heaved a long sigh, and looked from her to the woman, and back again.

  “This is Maya… my reckless sister who is meant to be in the main cabin with the other females and children.” Talon gave her a pointed look. “I’m assuming Byron issued that order?”

  Maya’s cheeks pinkened, and then her eyes flashed fiercely. “I can fight.”

  Talon huffed. “I don’t have time to argue with you. Go back.”

  “No.” The slender shifter stood her ground, but her hands shook as she held th
em at her sides and Sherry could see the fear building inside her, recognised it because it was building in her again too. “I saw her hurt… I wanted to help.”

  He huffed again. “Fine.”

  Before Sherry could protest, Talon had hauled her onto her feet and into his arms, lifting her like some damned weak princess.

  “I can still fight.” She pressed her hands against his shoulders and fought another sickening wave of pain that spread outwards from her thigh, hoping he wouldn’t see it.

  His amber eyes slid her way. “Not you too.”

  He couldn’t have sounded more exasperated if he had tried.

  A roar echoed around the woods.

  “Byron,” Talon hissed and looked ahead of them, all the irritation leaving his eyes, swiftly replaced with worry.

  Sherry looked towards the centre of the village.

  Ten hunters fought there, surrounding a single large tiger.

  The animal hissed and swiped at them, forcing them to dodge backwards to avoid its claws, but they were closing in, preparing to strike.

  “Go,” Sherry whispered and looked back at Talon. “He needs you.”

  He swallowed hard and looked down at her, and her heart ached. He had never looked so torn, so afraid, as if she was asking him to do the impossible by leaving her yet he felt the pressing need to go.

  She cupped his cheek with her left hand. “Go. Maya will take care of me.”

  Talon glanced at his sister. She nodded. His face contorted in a vicious grimace and he growled through his teeth as he looked from Sherry to Byron and back again.

  His brother needed him, and he was wasting time.

  She was going to make this decision for him, because he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to his brother, and she would never forgive herself either.

  She shoved hard, pushed right out of his arms and landed on the dirt with a spine-jolting thud that had her biting back a cry as fresh pain rolled through her.

  “Go!” she snapped when he still dawdled, staring down at her.

  “You dare get hurt,” he bit out, deep voice a growl of thunder, and then he was gone.

  Maya beamed at her. “He really likes you.”

  He did?

  She looked at Maya for an answer to that question, but the black-haired tigress was focused on her white bag, pulling bandages from it in a long stream and cursing as they got tangled.