A Growl, a Roar, and a Purr E-Book

K.C. Wells

• Herausgeber: Dreamspinner Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 414

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Lions & Tigers & Bears: Book One In the human world, shifters are a myth. In the shifter world, mates are a myth too. So how can tiger shifter Dellan Carson have two of them? Dellan has been trapped in his shifted form for so long, he's almost forgotten how it feels to walk on two legs. Then photojournalist Rael Parton comes to interview the big-pharma CEO who holds Dellan captive in a glass-fronted cage in his office, and Dellan's world is rocked to its core. When lion shifter Rael finds his newfound mate locked in shifted form, he's shocked but determined to free him from his prison… and that means he needs help. Enter ex-military consultant and bear shifter Horvan Kojik. Horvan is the perfect guy to rescue Dellan. But mates? He's never imagined settling down with one guy, let alone two. Rescuing Dellan and helping him to regain his humanity is only the start. The three lovers have dark secrets to uncover and even darker forces to overcome….

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Blurb

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

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Copyright

A Growl, a Roar, and a Purr

By K.C. Wells

Lions & Tigers & Bears: Book One

In the human world, shifters are a myth.

In the shifter world, mates are a myth too. So how can tiger shifter Dellan Carson have two of them?

Dellan has been trapped in his shifted form for so long, he’s almost forgotten how it feels to walk on two legs. Then photojournalist Rael Parton comes to interview the big-pharma CEO who holds Dellan captive in a glass-fronted cage in his office, and Dellan’s world is rocked to its core.

When lion shifter Rael finds his newfound mate locked in shifted form, he’s shocked but determined to free him from his prison… and that means he needs help.

Enter ex-military consultant and bear shifter Horvan Kojik. Horvan is the perfect guy to rescue Dellan. But mates? He’s never imagined settling down with one guy, let alone two.

Rescuing Dellan and helping him to regain his humanity is only the start. The three lovers have dark secrets to uncover and even darker forces to overcome….

This is for Parker Williams. Who told me I could write this—then told me it would be a series. Smart arse.

Acknowledgments

THANK YOU to my wonderful beta team, as always.

Chapter One

RAEL PARTON caught sight of his reflection in the glass door of the building and sighed internally.

I knew I should’ve gotten a haircut this week.

Not that it would have done a damn thing. Five minutes after sitting in his barber’s chair, Rael reverted to looking a mess. It didn’t matter what his long-suffering barber did to try to tame Rael’s unruly mop of blond hair. The result was always the same.

No wonder I’m single. Who’d want to wake up next to that?

Except that was bullshit, and he knew it. Staying single meant not having to share the fact that he could turn into a lion in the twinkling of an eye. There were definite drawbacks to being considered a myth.

Rael blamed it on his lion. It was his default. Of course, he might have looked better if he’d gone straight to bed the previous night—except it had been more like early morning—when he arrived at his hotel. That’s what I get for taking a later flight. A lack of sleep sure wasn’t helping matters either. Then again, the location of his hotel had made for a noisy night, and sleep really hadn’t been an option.

And I wanted to make a good impression too.

Then he reconsidered. He was a photojournalist who’d made a name for himself by getting into places no one else had reached. Who was going to care if his hair wasn’t slicked down and neat and he seemed a little rumpled? He looked the part, dammit.

Rael crossed the marble floor to the wide desk occupied by two security guards. As he drew closer, he reached into his capacious bag for the email invitation.

The larger of the two guards gave him a polite smile. “Good morning.” The other looked him up and down, his gaze narrowed.

Rael pulled himself up to his full height of five feet eight and did his best to look professional. “Good morning. My name is Rael Parton. I’m here to interview Mr. Anson Prescott. I am expected.” Rael handed the invitation to the first guard.

“Your ID, sir?” Rael gave it to him, and the guard scrutinized it carefully before returning it. “Thank you.”

The second guard frowned. “You sure Mr. Prescott is expecting you? Because he hasn’t come in yet.”

“Unless he flew in by helicopter,” the first guard added. “He does that a lot.” He scanned the invitation before handing it back with the same polite smile. “Take the elevator to the top floor. Mr. Prescott’s private office is up there.” He pointed to the rear of the entrance hall. “The last elevator on the right is the only one that goes up that far. You’ll have to buzz to be let in, but I’ll let his secretary know you’re on your way.”

Rael replaced the letter in his bag. “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.” Well, one of them had. The other had peered at Rael like he expected him to pull a gun at any moment. He gave the men a cheerful nod, then headed for the five elevators. Around him, people were scurrying like ants, the air buzzing with chatter as employees began their working day. Rael pressed the button for the last elevator, his phone in his hand. He’d made sure it was fully charged before leaving the hotel, ready for recording the interview. His camera was in his bag, along with his list of questions, and he patted it reassuringly as he got onto the elevator.

This was only the third such interview Rael had conducted in his latest project, A New Breed, a series of articles on corporate America. He’d identified ten rising companies that were experiencing great success under the direction of young CEOs. Getting in to see them so far hadn’t proved problematic; it appeared this new breed of rising stars were keen to talk about themselves.

What made his heart race was the thought of interviewing Anson Prescott. Global Bio-Tech was at the top of Rael’s list, and it had taken him three months to tie Anson down to an interview date. The twenty-two-year-old CEO, although happy to talk to him, was apparently supremely busy.

Twenty-two. Christ. What was I doing at twenty-two? Hell, Rael was thirty-five, and he still didn’t have shit figured out.

The elevator came to a smooth halt, and the doors slid open, revealing a wall of glass emblazoned with the words Global Bio-Tech in gold lettering. Rael smiled to himself. No one can say they don’t know which company this is. He located the green button set into the glass and pressed it. About a minute later, an immaculately dressed woman appeared. She smiled as she approached, pointing a remote at the glass wall. One of the panels slid open.

“Mr. Parton? I’m Veronica Brading, Mr. Prescott’s secretary. My apologies, but Mr. Prescott is running a little late this morning. Unavoidable, I’m afraid. Please come this way. May I get you something while you wait? Coffee, tea, bottled water, or a soda perhaps? If you haven’t had breakfast, I can have something sent up.”

Rael smiled warmly. “Thank you, but I’m fine.” She gave him a single nod before walking back the way she’d come. Rael followed her along a hallway, the floor covered with a deep blue carpet. At the far end was a door. She opened it and stood to one side to let him enter. As soon as he did so, Rael caught his breath.

“Oh my God,” he said softly.

“That’s usually people’s first reaction. Although there have been a few who screamed.”

Rael turned his head to look at her. “Gee. I wonder why.” Then he returned his gaze to the sight before him. A glass cage took up the entire width of one wall. He estimated it had to be at least seventy feet long, twenty feet high, and ten feet deep, reaching up to the ceiling. At each end stood a tree, both of them sturdy looking, almost reaching the top of the cage. In one of the front corners was a pool of water, and tall grasses sprang up over the floor of the cage. Rael couldn’t believe it. A complete habitat housed in a glass cage.

But what made his heart hammer was the tiger.

It lay stretched out on a low branch of one of the trees, its left front leg curved around the thick limb as if hugging it, its head resting on the branch—and its bright eyes focused on Rael.

Breathing had never been such a chore.

“What a magnificent animal,” Rael murmured. The tiger didn’t move, but its gaze didn’t falter. It lay so still Rael could hardly believe it was real, until he looked along its flanks to see the gentle movement of its body as it inhaled and exhaled.

He scanned the cage walls. “How do you get into it?” He couldn’t see a door.

“There are hatches behind the trees, big enough for someone to crawl through.”

Rael gave a chuckle. “Wait—so its dinner crawls inside?”

Veronica laughed. “No, those are for when the cage needs maintaining.” She pointed to the ceiling. “There’s a wire grille that covers the cage. It slides back so food can be dropped through.”

Rael wiped his forehead. “Even so, I wouldn’t crawl into a cage with a tiger in it.” He peered up at the grille. “You’d need a tall set of ladders to even get up there.” He couldn’t resist. “Do you ever get to feed it?”

Veronica put her hand to her chest. “It makes my heart pound just thinking about it. I leave that to braver souls than me.”

“Still, it’s taking a chance.” Rael had only ever seen tigers at the zoo, and each time his lion had roared at the sight of the captives. Which led him back to this tiger. “How does it come to be here?” He hated the idea of someone keeping such a beautiful predator as a pet, a rich man’s mere accessory.

“Mr. Prescott rescued it. Someone had smuggled it into the country as a cub and kept it in a basement.”

Rael’s pulse sped up, and blood pounded in his ears. “A basement?” It was a horrifying thought.

“I know. Apparently, he was a drug dealer who thought it amusing to keep a tiger. But when the police raided his house, they found the tiger, fully grown by then, chained up. It would have been destroyed, but Mr. Prescott spoke with a friend of his who happens to be a judge and got the necessary paperwork so he could save the poor creature.”

Rael breathed a little easier. He studied the cage again. “This is a well-thought-out environment,” he admitted. The temperature in the room was comfortable, so what with the grille on top, Rael guessed it was the same inside the cage.

“Mr. Prescott went to a good deal of trouble to make sure the tiger has everything it needs.”

Except the open air. And space. And freedom to move. To run.

The lion within him growled.

Rael turned to her. “But why keep it here? Why not turn it over to an animal sanctuary or a zoo? Surely that would be better than keeping it captive in a cage. No matter how luxurious or spacious it is.” Nothing could compare to the feeling of running through wide-open spaces. Then he realized what had surprised him most.

There had been no mention anywhere in his research of a tiger.

“You’d think having a tiger in his office would be a talking point,” he noted. “I can’t think why there haven’t been double-page spreads about Mr. Prescott and his efforts to save a poor imprisoned tiger.”

She gave a graceful shrug. “You’ll have to ask Mr. Prescott. The tiger belongs to him, after all.” At that moment a phone rang. “Excuse me.” She pointed to two couches that took up what space was left in the room. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back.” Veronica hurried toward a door at the rear of the room.

Rael had no intention of sitting.

He walked slowly toward the cage, careful not to make any sudden movements, conscious of the tiger’s scrutiny. He could hear Veronica talking in a low voice in the other room. When he reached the glass, he crouched down, making himself small, unable to tear his gaze away from the glorious predator stretched out languidly on the other side of the glass.

“You’re so beautiful,” Rael said softly. His lion wanted to flatten himself to the floor, to roll onto his back, making himself vulnerable. He’d always thought of himself as dominant, but there was something about this tiger that made him want to submit.

Something Rael couldn’t fathom.

A wave of nausea rolled over him, and in his head he heard a faint voice. Help me. A male voice, kind of weak.

What the fuck?

His stomach clenching, Rael swallowed. “Either I’m going crazy or I just heard you in my head.” He placed his hand flat to the glass. His heart pounded as the tiger dropped down gracefully from its perch on the branch and leisurely sauntered toward him, its muscles moving in sinuous harmony. When it reached Rael, the tiger pressed its nose against the glass covered by Rael’s hand.

And there it was again, the overpowering urge to submit. Then such impulses were flung aside when he heard the voice again. Help me. The nausea wasn’t as bad as before, but the voice was just as weak.

Ice crawled its way down Rael’s spine. Oh God. I’m not going crazy, am I?

As if in response, the tiger lifted its regal head and locked gazes with him. Help me?

Before Rael could react, Veronica came back into the room, and he rose hastily to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the tiger’s retreat to its former perch, and its departure caused Rael’s chest to tighten.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Parton. That was Mr. Prescott on the phone. He’s been unavoidably detained and won’t be able to see you today.”

Rael’s heart sank. “Then it seems I’ve come a long way for nothing.” He mentally calculated the time he’d wasted. A three-hour drive through the snow to the airport. Six hours in transit, including the stop in Salt Lake City. Not to mention the cheap and definitely uncomfortable hotel in downtown Chicago.

“I was about to say, Mr. Prescott assures you he will be here tomorrow. And as recompense for letting you down like this, he’s asked me to book you into the Langham Hotel tonight as his guest.” Veronica smiled. “I’ve taken the liberty of reserving you a suite with a view of the river.”

Rael did his best not to let his jaw drop. “That’s very kind of you.” A five-star luxury hotel beat the pants off the roach motel he was staying in. He’d seen photos of the Langham when he was looking for a place to stay—seen, then dismissed. He might make a comfortable living, but that didn’t mean he was about to throw that much money around.

She waved her hand. “It’s the least we could do, especially after you’ve flown here from Idaho.” She inclined her head toward the cage. “It’s awesome, isn’t it? I could sit and watch it for hours. Except then I’d get no work done, and I’d be out of a job.”

Rael gave the polite chuckle he was sure she expected. “In that case, I won’t keep you any longer. I’ll see you tomorrow. The same time?”

She nodded. “And thank you for being so understanding. I’ll see you out.”

And that was that. Rael gave the cage one last lingering glance. The tiger was once again stretched out on its branch, but its gaze was still fixed on Rael.

I didn’t imagine that, did I? Then he caught his breath when the tiger slowly raised its head.

Help. The single word was barely audible but laced with so much pain and anguish it shook Rael to his core.

“Mr. Parton?”

With a shiver Rael zapped back into the moment. Veronica was staring at him. He forced out a wry chuckle. “Sorry about that. I must have zoned out for a sec.”

She smiled. “Easy to do when you’re faced with a tiger.”

He walked with her to the glass wall, where she pointed again with the remote. Once on the other side, he gave her a smile. “Until tomorrow, then.”

She nodded before heading back to her office.

Rael waited until she’d closed the door behind her before leaning weakly against the glass.

What the fuck just happened?

It wasn’t as if he didn’t come across a lot of creatures during his monthly shift in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. Most tended to run like crazy when he showed up, understandably. He’d never had one speak to him, however. That was definitely a first.

How did he do that? How did he get inside my head? Because if that voice was accurate, the tiger was male. Never mind that. How could I understand him?

For the life of him, Rael had no idea. All he did know was that the incident had shaken him badly. His heartbeat was nowhere near its normal rhythm, and there was a fluttery feeling in his belly that wouldn’t go away. The iciness that had slithered down his spine seemed to have found its way into his very core. But the thought of that tiger, his gaze focused so totally on Rael, sent a tingling sensation all over his skin that wasn’t exactly unpleasant. What made it all the stranger was the sudden urge to shift. Never before had he encountered such a strong inclination.

I don’t understand any of this.

He called for the elevator, his head in a spin. Maybe he needed to go to his new hotel and rest. Maybe sleep would help him think more clearly.

And if it happens again tomorrow?

Rael couldn’t think about that right then. Especially when part of him badly wanted to hear that voice again, to be near the tiger.

What the hell was going on?

Chapter Two

I COULD get used to this.

The Langham Hotel was the epitome of luxury, from its vaulted ceilings and chandeliers right down to the white leather couches in the lobby. Rael checked in, then went up to his room. He whistled as he took in the wide windows that looked out over the river.

“She wasn’t kidding about the view.”

He dropped his bags and jacket onto the bed. He’d planned on two nights in Chicago, and checking out of his previous hotel had been a pleasure. But now that he was done for the day, he found he couldn’t relax.

He hadn’t been able to shake the tiger from his thoughts.

Did I miss it in my notes? Rael pulled the folder from his bag and then grabbed one of the complimentary bottles of water. He sat on the couch, opened the file, and read through his findings.

By the time he finished, he’d found a couple of mentions of Anson’s exotic pet, but no pictures. There was, however, plenty of information about Anson Prescott’s father. Tom Prescott had been a genius. He’d founded Global Bio-Tech, which right from the get-go had been a high-flying pharmaceutical company. He would still have been in charge if cancer hadn’t reared its ugly head a few years previously. Anson had been almost twenty-one at that point. But it hadn’t been in young Anson’s hands that Tom Prescott had left his company. No, he’d entrusted it to his stepson, Dellan Carson, sixteen years older than Anson and, from what Rael could glean, Tom’s right-hand man for several years.

Makes sense, I suppose. Anson was too young to be running a company.

Then why was he running it now? And why was Dellan no longer on the scene?

Rael booted up his laptop and opened a search engine. After half an hour, he was no better off. There was no mention of Dellan once Anson had taken over the company.

Did something happen to him? And if so, why isn’t it out there? Because people didn’t vanish into thin air. There had to be some record somewhere.

Rael reached for his phone. There was one route he could take that might prove useful. He scrolled through his contacts until he came to Kyle. Rael mentally prepared himself for Kyle’s reaction to his call.

Kyle didn’t disappoint.

“Hey, gorgeous. So you’ve finally come to your senses, huh?”

Rael chuckled. “No, Kyle, I am not going on a date with you.” They’d worked together on the same newspaper when Rael was starting out. Kyle was an experience not easily forgotten.

“Why the hell not? I’m witty, charming, sexy, devastatingly handsome….”

“You forgot modest,” Rael added.

“Yeah, that too.”

Rael laughed. Sarcasm went right over Kyle’s head. “Listen, I’m calling because I need your help. You still have your contacts in the police department in Chicago, right?”

“Honey, I have a zillion contacts, but yeah, I do. What do you need?”

“I’m after anything you can find on a Dellan Carson. Stepson of Tom Prescott. About thirty-eight years old. Was the acting manager of Global Bio-Tech in Chicago until Tom Prescott died a year ago, leaving him in charge. Since then he’s disappeared off the radar.”

“Okay, I got all that. Gimme a while to get back to you, all right?”

“Sure.” Rael glanced around the luxurious suite. “I’m chilling in an awesome Chicago hotel for the night.”

“Alone?” Rael didn’t miss the hopeful note in Kyle’s voice.

“Yes, I’m alone. And I still don’t want to go on a date with you.” It wasn’t that Kyle was unattractive. Rael would fuck him in a heartbeat, it had been that long since he’d gotten laid. It was just….

You know exactly why you won’t go on a date with him. Kyle wouldn’t be happy with a one-night stand. And that was all Rael had to offer. Anything more and there were consequences.

“I could come over, and we could have a drink for old times’ sake,” Kyle wheedled.

Rael let out a heavy sigh. He really didn’t want to hurt Kyle, but….

“Hey, it’s okay,” Kyle said softly. “I know how I get around guys. I cling. I obsess. After two dates, I’d be proposing. After a week, I’d be turning up at your place with a U-Haul containing all my worldly goods.” Kyle laughed, but Rael knew how much truth lay behind his words.

“Someday you’re gonna find the perfect guy. You know that, right?”

Kyle snickered. “From your mouth to God’s ears. Lemme go see what I can find.” And with that he disconnected.

Rael picked up the dining card and checked out the menu. Hey, if Anson’s picking up the tab…. He shook his head. That wasn’t Rael’s style. Besides, it was way too early to be thinking about dinner. He’d only just grabbed a sub after leaving his no-show interview.

And there he was, back to the tiger again. Okay, seeing a tiger in such a setting was impressive, not to mention bizarre, but that voice had really shaken him. He kept replaying those words over and over. Did I imagine it? Too little sleep and too much coffee might explain it, but….

In his heart, Rael knew it had been real. Because it wasn’t only the voice. There was the way he’d felt when the tiger had gazed into his eyes, the way Rael had wanted to lie at its feet in submission.

It all added up to one damn big mystery.

Rael kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the couch, a pillow stuffed under his head. A little nap couldn’t hurt, right? Who knew when Kyle would be getting back to him? He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, focusing on the rise and fall of his chest as he sometimes did when he needed to relax. He was succumbing to the warm fuzzy feeling that preceded falling asleep when his phone vibrated its way across the coffee table.

Blinking, Rael answered it without glancing at the caller. “’Lo?”

“Hey. You sound drowsy. Did I wake you?”

Rael struggled into an upright position. “Damn, you work fast.”

Kyle laughed. “That’s me, a regular Speedy Gonzales. Okay, you ready for this?”

“Hit me.”

“Dellan Carson is listed as missing.”

That woke him up. “Say what?”

“And it gets better. So is his dad. Well, sort of.”

Rael snorted. “Sort of missing?”

“Jake Carson disappeared when Dellan was seven. Seven years after that, Dellan’s mom had him declared dead. I guess she figured he wasn’t coming back. Not long after that, she married Tom Prescott. She met him when she was working as a barista. One of three jobs, mind you. Hardworking lady. Then two years later, Anson is born.”

“Who had Dellan declared missing? His mom?”

“Uh-uh. She died about a month before Dellan disappeared. Anson had him declared missing. The word is he’s running the company until Dellan shows up again.”

“And from the look of things, he’s running it very successfully.” Rael tried to piece it all together. Dellan was in charge of the company, then disappeared, leaving Anson to oversee it in his stead.

“To have one Carson disappear is unfortunate. But two Carsons?” Kyle chuckled. “If I was a suspicious kinda guy, I might smell a rat.”

Something smelled rotten, that was for sure. Rael frowned. “Wait a sec. How come there’s nothing online about Dellan being missing?”

“Beats me. It’s in the police records, but it’s not being made public. Maybe someone is pulling some strings. And it would have to be someone pretty rich or powerful—or both—to quash the story. Put it this way. I had to call in a few favors to get my source to even tell me.”

“What kind of favors?” Then Rael reconsidered. “Wait. Don’t answer that.”

Kyle laughed. “Is that it? Is that all you wanted?”

“You did good,” Rael told him.

“Anytime, honey. You know that. Now get off the phone and enjoy your awesome hotel—alone.” He paused. “I’ll bet you’ve got a king bed too. Sure you won’t get too lonesome all alone in that big ol’ bed?”

“Nice try. Thanks, Kyle. Talk soon.” Rael disconnected the call, then made a few notes. Looks like I’ll have something else to talk about tomorrow. He yawned. Time for a nap. With the phone on silent.

Except he couldn’t sleep. His stomach was in knots, and his brain wouldn’t quit. After half an hour of restlessness on the couch, he gave up and went to the bed. Maybe that would prove more conducive to sleep. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to breathe deeply and slowly, willing himself to fall asleep.

Eventually, sleep came, and he sank into it, only to find himself standing inside the glass cage. What shocked him was that he wasn’t afraid, not even when the tiger dropped down from its branch as it had done that morning. It stilled, its gaze locked on Rael. Then it launched into the air, a graceful arc of stripes and sinew, and landed right in front of him, its heavy paws connecting with a dull thud as it hit the ground.

Rael couldn’t resist. He knelt on the floor of the cage, his pulse racing, and reached out to bury his hands in soft fur, stroking the noble head, the tiger’s breath warm against his own face. He ran a single finger down one curved incisor, feeling its sharp point but still without fear. Next Rael ran his hands over the tiger’s flanks, aware of the heart beating beneath the fur. He pressed his face into it, breathing in the tiger’s scent.

It was glorious.

Then the fur was gone, and Rael was left holding a naked man. A beautiful man with rich brown hair, tinted with bronze. And God, his eyes. They were green, but with amber flecks around the iris. A short, stubbly beard, peppered with gray, covered his jawline and chin. The man was thin, and Rael swore he could feel every one of his ribs. The man clung to him, gazing up at him, those gorgeous eyes locked on his.

“Help me.”

Oh fuck. That voice. It was the same as before—only now it pulled at Rael, tugging at his heart.

“Who are you?” Rael demanded. Before the man was able to reply, Rael drew him closer and kissed him, unable to stop himself from responding to that voice. The moment the man’s lips met his, a warmth rushed through him, spreading to every part of his body.

They parted, and the man frowned. “I have a name?”

Rael smiled. “Of course you do. Everyone has a name. What’s yours?”

The man’s frown deepened. “It’s… so difficult to remember.”

“Try,” Rael urged him.

“Kiss me again,” the man implored.

Rael pulled him until he was in Rael’s lap, Rael’s arms around the thin body. The man looped his arms around Rael’s neck, and Rael leaned in to kiss him, leisurely, aware for one brief moment of an odd taste. Something… chemical, almost.

Then the man pulled back and smiled, and an overwhelming feeling of happiness surged through Rael, bringing tears to Rael’s eyes.

“I remember now! I’m Dellan.”

With a shock, Rael found himself awake and cold in a dark room. Shivering, he switched on the bedside light and glanced at his phone.

Fuck. It was one in the morning.

He touched his face, disturbed to find tears there. Rael shivered again, unable to shake the dream. But was it a dream? He could still remember how the tiger’s fur had felt. The significance of the tiger becoming human wasn’t lost on him. Clearly, Rael was imagining him as a shifter. But as for it being Dellan?

He sat up and shoved pillows behind him. He needed to talk to someone, and there was only one person who fit the bill. Thank God she’s still a night owl. He speed-dialed, listening as it rang once, twice, three times….

“What’s wrong?”

He breathed more easily at the sound of his mom’s voice. “Can we talk?”

She laughed. “That is why you called me at this hour, right?” Then her voice softened. “What is it, sweetheart? You sound… strange.”

He told her about his meeting that day. The tiger in the cage. Dellan’s disappearance. The dream. And when he was done, he waited for her to respond, to tell him everything would be okay and there was nothing to worry about.

He wasn’t prepared to hear her crying.

“Mom?” he said in alarm. “Mom, what’s wrong?” He waited as she got herself under control, hiccupping as she tried to stop her tears.

“Oh, Rael. You don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what? That I’m dreaming about a tiger shifter?”

She drew in a deep breath. “Think about it. Think about how you reacted when you heard his voice. How you felt when you stroked his fur. When you kissed. When you touched each other. When he smiled.” Laughter bubbled out of her. “Oh, my sweet boy. He isn’t just any shifter. He’s your mate. Your fated mate.”

“My—” Whatever words he was about to say died in his throat.

I have a mate?

Chapter Three

THIS MADE no sense. For one thing, if mates were even a thing, she would’ve told him about them when he hit puberty. When they first had “the Talk” about what was coming up fast—his first shift.

Then it hit him. Mom obviously hadn’t told him everything.

“Mom?”

She sighed. “I know what you’re going to say, and I should have mentioned it before now. But sweetheart, I never, ever thought it would happen.”

“Why not?” Rael was trying to digest this new information, but it kept sticking in his throat.

“Rael… mates are rare. Like, unbelievably rare.”

“And how rare is that, exactly?”

Mom sighed. “The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292,000,000. Finding your mate? You have a better chance of winning Powerball, trust me.”

“Is that why you didn’t tell me about them?”

There was a pause. “Why should I tell you about something that is so rare among our kind, it’s almost a myth?”

He stilled. “But… then, Dad isn’t your mate?”

Another soft sigh filled his ears. “I love your father very much. I know he loves me. But no, honey, we aren’t mates. I just happened to meet another lion shifter who was this gorgeous guy with eyes that made me melt, and we fell in love. And to be honest, I’d have still fallen in love with him if he hadn’t been a shifter.”

“So how do you know Dellan is my mate?” Rael’s chest tightened, and that fluttering sensation in his stomach was back.

“Because you heard him in your head.”

“And how do you know that makes him my mate, if they’re so rare?” Rael’s head was reeling.

“I listened, that’s all. Every chance I got to be around shifters, I listened. I guess you pick up stuff. Well, I picked up enough to know that between mates, there’s supposed to be some kind of telepathic communication. A psychic link. Maybe that’s how he got to be in your dream. I’m just guessing, of course.” He caught the expelled breath. “You need to talk to someone who knows about these things. All I could tell you was you were a shifter, and as far as humans are concerned, shifters are a myth. They think if we ever did exist, we’ve all died out. So we let them think that. And as for mates… no one I listened to had ever met anyone who’d found their mate.”

From puberty, his mom had instilled in him the rule of law for all shifters: in a shifted state, he was not to approach humans or attack them. His prey was to be animals. Then his parents advised him to find a space where he felt safe and to shift there once a month. The Salmon-Challis National Forest was perfect, big enough that he could get about unseen by human eyes.

Then he realized what really bothered him about this whole new state of things.

“Wait a minute. Don’t I get a say in this? I mean, is that it? He’s my mate, so I just deal with it?”

There was silence. When she finally spoke, her voice was low but firm. “I don’t know how these things work, but I don’t think for a moment some… higher power is sitting somewhere, giggling to themselves because they’ve put two assholes together. I’d like to think they’ve put you two together because you complement each other. Because you’d be good for each other. And if I’d just found out I had a mate, the last thing I’d be doing was complaining.”

“What?” He’d never heard her so riled.

“Are you for real?” Her voice grew louder. “I’ve just finished telling you that what you’ve experienced is so rare virtually every shifter you’ve ever met would tell you it’s not possible, that they’ve never heard of such a thing, and you want to complain?”

“Yes, but—”

“But nothing. Think about your dream for a second. Didn’t you feel good when you held him? When you kissed? That’s your own body telling you who he is. But put that aside for a minute. You know what I’d be thinking if I were in your shoes? I’d be planning how I’m going to get my mate out of there, because this stinks. This feels really… wrong.”

“You’re forgetting something.” Rael swallowed. “I’m not saying you’re wrong about him being my mate, but we’re kind of overlooking one important question. Why is he in there? What if he’s attacked and killed a human? Maybe that’s why they’re keeping him caged.”

There was a pause. “This is your mate. What does your heart tell you?”

Rael stilled. Everything in him was telling him Dellan was a good guy. Scared, maybe. Desperate even. But Rael didn’t sense any badness in him at all.

“What you need are answers, and the only way I can see for you to get them is to free him. So what are you going to do about it?”

Her words finally sank in. “Wait—what?”

“Well, you can’t leave him there. Maybe he is dangerous, but then again, you’re a lion, so you are too. What if they’re keeping him against his will?”

“If that was the case, surely he’d just shift and escape.” That was what Rael couldn’t get his head around.

“So he chooses to be in his tiger form and live in a cage? Is that what you believe?”

When she put it like that…? Then common sense took over. “Mom, he’s in a cage on the top floor of a skyscraper. How do you propose I get him out of there?” Even as he said the words, he knew how they sounded.

Like he was making excuses. Avoiding the question. Avoiding the solution.

“Hell, you got into that warlord’s enclave last year. If you can do that, you can do anything.”

“But that was different. Someone else got me in there.” Another excuse. What’s wrong with me?

“Then someone else can get you into that skyscraper. Don’t you know people?” Then she drew in a long breath. “I’m sorry. I got carried away. It’s just that… oh my God, Rael, you have a mate. And he needs you. He keeps asking you to help him.”

And there it was, the one argument he couldn’t ignore. Because… that voice.

He could still hear that voice.

“What about you?” he asked. “Don’t you have any contacts, someone who might be able to help?”

“As soon as I finish talking to you, I’m going to wake up your father, and we’ll put our heads together.” She chuckled. “He won’t thank me in the morning when he’s grumpy and he has to go to work, but it’ll be worth it if we come up with something. You’re going back there tomorrow?”

“Yes. Though I’m not sure how much of this I can bring up in the interview. What if Anson is the one who’s imprisoned him?” Rael still couldn’t get over Dellan not being able to shift. It didn’t make sense.

“Sounds to me like someone has gone to a lot of trouble to keep Dellan’s disappearance out of the news. The last thing you should do is draw attention to yourself by mentioning what you know. Especially if you’re going in there at some point to rescue him.”

“Let’s leave the escape plans until after the interview, okay?” He wanted to see how things felt in the morning. More importantly, he wanted to get an idea of the kind of man Anson Prescott was.

“You’re not running away from this for some reason, are you?”

Rael had to be honest. Yes, he’d shied away from the idea initially, but she’d gotten through to him. Worn me down is nearer the truth. “No, I’m not,” he said sincerely. “But let’s see how tomorrow goes, all right?”

“Do you know what time it is?” Rael’s dad sounded pissed off and groggy in the background. “I can hear you yelling from the bedroom. For God’s sake, tell Rael to go to sleep, then come to bed.”

“Not until you and I have talked,” Mom said firmly. “Put the coffee on. You’re going to need it.”

Rael smiled as he caught his dad’s mutterings, something about it being a good thing he loved her. “I’ll leave you to it. Give Dad my love—and my apologies.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart. Get some sleep. Love you.”

“Love you too.” He disconnected. The thought occurred to him that he hadn’t eaten since his late-morning sub, but he was too wound up to think about calling down for food. He got off the bed, rummaged through his bag, and discovered a couple of protein bars. He ate each one in three bites, then headed for the swanky bathroom to brush his teeth.

The alarm set on his phone, Rael climbed into bed and prayed for a dreamless sleep.

VERONICA SMILED as she opened the panel for him. “Hello again. Mr. Prescott is waiting for you. I trust you spent a comfortable night?”

“The hotel was an excellent choice. Thank you again.” Rael followed her along the hallway and through the door into the main office. He glanced at the cage as they passed it, dismayed to find the tiger—Dellan—asleep, his back to Rael.

“He’s awesome, isn’t he?” A man stood in the doorway, sharply dressed, a coffee cup in his hand.

Rael gave him a polite smile. “I was admiring him yesterday.” He held out his hand as they drew closer. “Mr. Prescott? I’m Rael Parton.”

“Anson, please. Mr. Prescott sounds like you’re talking to my dad, God rest his soul.” Anson shook the proffered hand. “And my apologies for my absence yesterday. Unfortunately, I was called away on urgent business. Please, come in.” He stood aside and gestured to the office beyond the door.

Rael followed him in, Veronica behind him. Anson’s office was small compared to the vast space that housed the cage. There were two desks, one significantly larger than the other, a couple of filing cabinets, and a wall on which were several monitors. One other door stood at the rear.

Anson sat behind the larger desk, and Rael got a better look at him. He was of a similar height and build to Rael, but his hair and complexion were darker. Deep brown eyes focused intently on him, and Rael wondered what was going on behind them.

“Coffee? Tea? Water?”

Rael smiled at Veronica. “Coffee would be great, thank you.” He reached into his bag and removed his camera, along with his notes.

Anson grinned. “I didn’t think it would be long before we saw that. I’ve seen some of your work, Mr. Parton. Very impressive.”

Rael could be just as complimentary. “Not as impressive as what you’ve accomplished since you took over the running of Global Bio-Tech. You’ve taken the company to new heights.”

Anson gave a modest shrug. “It seems I have a flair for this business.”

“That would be a massive understatement. There are many large pharmaceutical companies out there, but few with such a positive reputation.”

Anson laughed. “What you really mean is, Global Bio-Tech isn’t included in all the usual big pharma conspiracy theories.” He waved his hand dismissively. “I’ve heard them all, believe me. How there’s a cure for cancer, but it’s being suppressed. How pharmaceutical companies are fleecing people for meds that cost cents to produce. Well, not here. If there’s a cure for a major disease out there, and we find it, we’ll research and develop it, then put it on the market at a fair price. Medicine shouldn’t cost the earth.”

Despite his concerns, Rael couldn’t help but admire Anson’s stance. “That’s a refreshingly ethical viewpoint nowadays.”

Anson picked up a photo frame that stood on his desk. “It’s how I was brought up.” He gazed at the photo before turning it to reveal the face of Tom Prescott. “I hope wherever my dad is, he’s proud of what I’m achieving with the company he left in my care.”

His mom’s words of warning went right out of Rael’s head. That opening was too much to ignore.

“But didn’t he leave it to your half brother, Dellan Carson?” Rael asked with as innocent an air as he could muster.

Anson stilled. “I see you’ve done your homework.” He replaced the photo in its former position, then met Rael’s gaze. “Yes, my dad left the company to Dellan. I was given a seat on the board. It was felt at the time that I was too young for such a huge responsibility.”

“And yet here you are,” Rael observed.

Anson smiled broadly, visibly relaxing into his chair. “Here I am indeed. Obviously I’m better equipped to deal with the running of a major company than my youthful appearance would indicate. I may be only twenty-two but as you can see, Global Bio-Tech is flourishing in my tender care.”

Rael inhaled deeply, drawing Anson’s scent into his nostrils. The man was human, there was no doubt. “So if Dellan was left the company, how did you end up running it? If you don’t mind me asking.” His pulse sped up, but Rael did his best to appear calm.

Anson quirked his eyebrows. “I thought you were here to discuss what I’ve achieved, not delve into the family history.” Before Rael could respond, he waved his hand again. “It’s fine. You’re a journalist. Of course you’re curious. Who wouldn’t be? It’s very simple. My brother, Dellan—I do consider him my brother, not my half brother—decided that for the moment, his interests were leading him in other directions. So he took a sabbatical in order to explore those interests. He’s in Europe or Asia right now, looking into new ventures, confident that if I should need him at the helm, I would find him and bring him home. Not that I see any need to do such a thing.”

Rael had to admire the smoothness with which Anson lied. Europe or Asia, huh? Dellan is a good deal closer than that. “He obviously has faith in you.”

Anson smiled. “Which is exactly what he said in the letter he wrote to the board before he left.”

“It must be good to know you can call on him when—if—you need to. After all, you’ve lost both parents. At least you still have Dellan.”

For one brief moment, Anson’s eyes glistened, but then he blinked. “As you say. At least I still have Dellan.” He clasped his hands on the desk. “Now. How about we get on with the interview. Then you can take all the photos you want of our setup here. I’ve arranged a little guided tour so you get to see everything.”

“That sounds perfect.” Rael got out his phone and brought up the voice recorder before referring to his notes. “Okay. Let’s do this.” He pushed aside the temptation to ask to see Dellan’s letter to the board. Not that seeing it would do anything but confirm what Rael’s instincts were telling him—Anson was not to be trusted.

And it still left one question unanswered. Why hadn’t Dellan shifted back into human form? There could only be one response—something was preventing him from shifting. But what?

That only raised more questions. Did Anson know Dellan was a shifter? Did he know the tiger in his office was his half brother? He’d had Dellan declared missing, sure, but that didn’t mean he knew Dellan’s current location. Maybe I’m maligning him. Maybe he’s being kept in the dark. Maybe someone else is responsible for keeping Dellan in his shifted form.

There were far too many maybes. And if Rael was going to make any attempt to free Dellan, he was going to need help.

“THANK YOU again.” Rael shook Anson’s hand. “I’ll send you the link when the article is published.”

“I look forward to reading it.”

Before Anson could return to his desk, Rael put out his hand to stop him. “One last request before I go? I’d love to get a shot of you and the tiger.”

Anson gave him a thin smile. “Sorry, but no. That might seem odd, but I have my reasons.”

Rael shrugged. “It was just an idea.”

Anson huffed. “That tiger has been exploited enough. Veronica will show you out.” Anson returned to his seat behind his desk, already peering at his monitor.

Rael gave a nod, then followed Veronica out of the inner office. As they passed the cage, a sudden movement caught his eyes, and he came to a halt. The tiger had left his tree and was walking toward him, head high.

“I think it likes you,” Veronica observed. “Usually it stays put.”

“It’s a he,” Rael corrected, moving toward the glass and crouching down, his palm pressed against the cool surface.

“You’re an expert in tigers? I had no idea.” Her tone spoke of amusement.

“Mr. Prescott referred to the tiger as he when I arrived here. I figure he should know. It’s his tiger, after all.” Rael didn’t look at her as he spoke but kept his gaze trained on the tiger’s noble face, admiring the velvety appearance of his nose, the pale green eyes with those same amber flecks he’d noticed in his dream, and those long, white whiskers.

He took a deep breath. Hello, Dellan.

No reaction.

Acutely aware that he didn’t have a clue what he was doing, Rael tried again, opening his mind as best he could. Dellan. That’s your name, remember?

The tiger shuddered, then pressed its nose against the glass. Yes. Dellan. I’m Dellan. He pulled back, gave a slow blink, and his pupils enlarged. You. Who are you?

Rael wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. Both hands were on the glass now, and Dellan brought a heavy paw up to one of them. Rael focused hard. I’m Rael. Rael.

Dellan lowered his paw. Rael.

Heat radiated through Rael’s chest, and the same tingling he’d experienced the previous day was back, only stronger. Rael couldn’t hold back his smile. Do you know who I am?

The tiger lay down, his front paws crossed, his gaze still fixed on Rael’s face. Then electricity jolted through Rael, and his heart pounded as Dellan projected one word.

Mate.

“Wow.” Veronica’s softly spoken exclamation broke through, and Rael blinked, the moment lost. Dellan got up, sauntered back to his tree, and climbed it gracefully to settle on his branch.

Rael got to his feet. “Wow?” His heart was still racing, his skin still tingling all over. It’s true. All of it. He couldn’t deny his body’s reaction to Dellan’s presence or the joy that had surged through him on hearing that simple word.

“I’ve never seen it—him—so animated.”