Everything in Tex encouraged him to protect his mate from Thorn’s anger, but Carleen would not have appreciated him sheltering her. The conversation had to happen and it was better to have it out in the open before things went any further. He needed to know what Thorn truly felt about not only the mating, but also about him as an Alpha. It could be seen as one final test for the potential guard, but he perceived it as a glance into Thorn’s mind before he accepted him into the Texas Tigers.

“Sweetie? You okay?” As she shivered, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her back against his body.

“I…fi…” She shook her head. “Oh, shit. Thorn…Lucy…he’s going to hurt her.”

“What are you talking about?” Tex turned her to face him. “Who’s going to hurt her? Me?” The only answer she gave was a shake of her head as she fought back the tears.

“She’s talking about Lee.” Thorn let out a grunt and leaned forward to place his hand on his sister’s knee. “There’s nothing we can do, Car. We don’t even know what happened after we left.”

“It’s been a long time since you’ve called me Car.”

“I know.” Thorn lifted his hand off her leg and leaned back against the chair. “It seems like a lifetime ago.”

“Carleen.” Tex called her name, hoping to bring her attention back to him and away from the past. “Give me a little time. I’ll see what I can do to help her. Don’t lose hope.”

“Hope…” She let out a light chuckle. “It’s already gone. I know what her fate will be.”

“What do you mean?” He rubbed his hand along her back, trying his best to comfort her. Without the mating connection complete, there was only so much he could do.

“You said it yourself. Lee can’t be left in control over the Mississippi Tigers, which means he’ll be killed. When he dies, he’ll pull Lucy down with him. She’s not strong enough to survive that. He’s broken her will and her spirit.”

“Rhett, go find out what Ty’s morning is like. I need to meet with him on an urgent matter.” He caressed the small of her back with his fingertips. “There might be nothing I can do, but I’m going to try.”

“Tex.” Rhett’s hand was wrapped around the door handle as he looked back at him. “About before…I disagreed with you then, but you were right.”

“I’ll take care of it.” He waited until the door was shut behind Rhett before looking over at Thorn. “You’ve proven a lot this morning but there are still things we need to discuss.”

“Let’s do it.”

“Carleen, why don’t you lie down for a bit? You’re exhausted.” He pulled her tight against him. “Worrying isn’t going to change whatever the future holds.”

“He’s right. You need some sleep. We lost Lucy a long time ago and even if we can save her from Lee, she’s not going to be the same.”

She pulled out of his embrace and turned to her brother. “She’s our sister.”

“I’m very much aware of that. I’m just remembering what Lucy’s mating did to our father. Mom was optimistic, but Dad knew Lee hadn’t changed. In the end, it broke something in Mom and now she’s dead.”

“She was killed in an accident.”

“No, Carleen…Mom left the safety of the house, hoping to die. Without batting an eye, she walked right into the gunfire and straight toward the shooters. Dad was too far away to do anything and the other guards on duty were busy returning fire. They were defending our clan and no one was able to stop her.” He dragged his hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Unable to do anything, I watched from the window as it happened.”

“Why?” Her sorrow thickened the air as the first tear rolled down her check. “Why didn’t you do something? Why didn’t Dad? He had to know she was depressed. Hell, I knew.”

“Before Dad left, he ordered me to stay with you and Mom. I couldn’t leave you and even if I could, there were two men outside our window, creeping toward Lee’s house. I’d have never made it to Mom before they saw me. My only hope was Dad or another guard intervening.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “There might not have been love between them, but he didn’t want to see her depressed like she was. He tried to help but nothing worked. He got to the point where he didn’t know what to do for her.”

“Lee’s taken so much from our family, so much from the clan. Whatever the cost, he’s got to be stopped. He can’t continue to ruin lives.”

“I’m going to talk to Ty soon and we’ll put together a plan if he doesn’t already have one,” Tex assured her. He wasn’t certain what would become of her father or Lucy, but Lee had to be a priority. He might not be torturing members like Avery had, but he was still controlling them. More than that, Lee was a threat to Tabitha and all tiger shifters.

“There’s no way I’m going to be able to sleep, so I’m going to go shower and let you two talk.” She rose from the sofa and started to step around his legs when he grabbed hold of her hand.

“Sweetie, you’re welcome to stay. I only suggested sleep because I know you were up when we came to get Thorn. When I touch you, I know you haven’t been sleeping well. Your tigress is growing irritable.” His thumb teased over her wrist. “Come sit back down.”

“It’s fine. I’ll let you two talk. But could I have a minute alone with you first?”

“I’ll go,” Thorn offered.

“No.” She watched Tex as he stood. “We’ll go back to my room. It will only be a minute.”

Tex interlaced their fingers as they headed back to her room. They barely knew each other but the simple act of holding hands made him forget that. When they touched, it was as if they had known each other their whole lives, and their beasts became one. This was what every shifter waited for and now he had it. His mate was right there in front of him and while his tiger was urging him to claim her, he knew once he did she’d be in danger. The clan had come a long way, but adding new guards and opening the resort again would be stressful on all of them. Bringing his mate home would no doubt add additional complications and stress. He needed to make sure she was protected and that meant he needed to assign a Captain of the Guards for her, at the very least.

“Tex?”

“Yeah…” Shoving his thoughts aside, he realized she was standing in front of him and they were in her bedroom. The space was the same as his, all the way down to the deep blue comforter on the bed. The only difference was the framed family photo sitting on the stand next to the bed. Something about how it was angled toward the bed told him that if he could see the photograph, it would show her family together—before Lucy mated. A happier time. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Everything between us is happening so quickly, making me uncertain of things, but I have to make sure you’re not giving Thorn a position because of me. If he isn’t up for what you need, then you’re not only risking his life and your clan, but you’re risking your life, and I can’t stand by while that happens.” She slipped her hand out of his and stepped back.

“Get back here.” He reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against the front of his body. “If he wasn’t up for the task, I wouldn’t risk your life by making him the Captain of your Guards.”

“What?” Her eyes widened as she stared up at him.

“I haven’t claimed you yet, but I’m hoping you’ll allow me that privilege before we return to Texas. You’d go in as Alpha Female with the protection you deserve. It’s going to take some time to complete your guard team, but at least you’ll have him to protect you when I can’t be with you.”

“I don’t understand. Why did you choose Thorn? I know we’re close, but it seems odd that you’d choose him when Rhett wasn’t even sure he was good enough to make the cut.”

“He told me why you left.” His hands slid under her shirt and up the sides of her body. “Do you realize how much I want to push you down on that bed and strip these clothes off you?”

“Focus.” She placed her hands on his forearms, stopping him from rubbing any higher. “Why did he tell you? How could he do that? I don’t even know what happened to force us to leave in the middle of the night.”

Her words had his hands stilling and he leaned back enough to look at her to ensure she was serious. “Peaches?”

“I can’t believe him!” She shook her head, sending a strand of her red hair into her eyes. “He came to me in the middle of the night and forced me to leave without an explanation. Even months later, he still hasn’t told me, but you’ve known him for two days and he tells you. What the hell?”

“He was trying to protect you.”

“From what?” Her voice raised a notch.

As she fought to keep control over her emotions, he led her farther into the room to sit on the bed. “He was protecting you from Lee and leaving was the only option.”

“From Lee? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Why would—”

“Because Lucy tried to sneak off to see you.” At the sound of Thorn’s voice, they both turned to find him standing in the doorway. “This place is too small for me not to hear when you’re yelling, Car.”

“I was handling it,” Tex told him as Thorn leaned against the doorframe.

“I know, but her anger shouldn’t be directed at you. If she wants to be pissed at someone, then I’m that person.” His gaze drifted toward her. “Lee was hollering at Lucy earlier that night but it wasn’t until my shift was nearly over when I heard him order two guards to bring you to him. He wanted you dead so that the temptation of Lucy going to see you was gone.”

“He planned to kill me?”

Thorn nodded. “Dad told me to get you and run. He couldn’t come with us but he wanted you to be safe. It was a lose-lose situation and I did the only thing I could. I got you and we left. It was the only way to keep you alive.”

“At what cost?” Her voice broke, but she held it together.

“We don’t know.” Tex held her against him. “Little information is available on the status of the Mississippi Tigers. Ty has a group near the area with the hopes of learning more before they need to make their move.”

“There’s nothing we can do for any of them. If we make a move on Lee, he’ll kill Lucy for it. Dad entrusted your safety to me and that’s my priority. If he can save Lucy, he will,” Thorn reasoned.

“I can’t handle any more right now. Please…I just need some time. I want to be alone.”

“Whenever you’re ready, Tex, I’ll be in the living room.” Thorn turned and headed back the way he’d come.

She had asked to be alone, but she clung to Tex’s hand. The minutes ticked by as they silently sat there, his arm around her waist and his other hand in hers. “Are you okay?”

She let out a deep breath. “Honestly, I don’t know. Lee has murdered others for disobeying him, but to know he wanted me dead when I tried to stay out of his way is unsettling. I did everything I could to avoid getting Lucy in trouble with him but in the end…if Thorn hadn’t overheard the orders, I’d have been killed.”

“You’re alive and that’s what matters right now.” He leaned in closer, pressing his check to the top of her head. “Let me worry about dealing with Lee.”

“I know we’re not mated yet, so I have no right but…” Biting her lip, she trailed off, obviously uneasy.

“No right to what?” He lifted his head and used his thumb to tilt her head back enough for him to look at her.

“When you go speak with Ty, can I come? I need him to know about Lucy and I need to know what he’s planning. Please, Tex.”

“Shh, sweetie. You can come. I can’t promise you can stay for our whole meeting, but you can come and say what you need to.” His chest tightened with the knowledge that they probably wouldn’t be able to save Lucy. They could try, but at least part of it would be up to her in the end. She had to be willing to live without her mate and if her spirit was as broken as Carleen believed it to be, it was unlikely she’d be strong enough.

Death and destruction had been the highlights of his life, along with the torture Avery had dished out to nearly every member of the clan. Now that he was Alpha, he wanted to change that. He wanted his life to be filled with something other than horrors. He wanted his clan to have a safe place where they were happy. Since Carleen came into his life, he was wondering if that was even possible. Once they eliminated Elders killing their members, they’d have to deal with humans trying to kill them. There would always be something.

“My brother is a stubborn mule, but his temper isn’t always this bad. He’s just testy because he doesn’t like change and the uncertainty is bothering him. Even seeing the worst in him, you’re willing to give him a position within your clan, and that means the world to me.”

“Not just any position. He’s going to oversee the protection of the most valuable person in my life. That’s an honor, and I’ll kill him if he lets anything happen to you.” He waited for her to say something, but she remained silent. “He’s protected you before and I know he’ll keep you safe in the future. Most shifters don’t have a strong connection with their families but you have one with Thorn and that’s going to make the job personal for him. He’ll want to protect you, not because you’re the Alpha’s mate and his life would be hell if something happened to you, but because you matter to him, too.”

“Shouldn’t you wait to ask him until…”

“I want you protected and if Thorn won’t do it, then I need to find someone else. If he will, then I want him to go through another session with Styx and Felix before we leave. He’ll be guarding the Alpha Female of the clan, which adds additional threats into the mix. They can prepare him for that.”

“Tex!” Rhett hollered moments before the front door slammed shut. “Where are you?”

“Back here.” He rose from the bed to stand slightly in front of her. He wasn’t worried Rhett would hurt her but the tone of his voice was enough to put Tex on guard. When his guard appeared in the doorway, he took the man in. “What’s going on?”

“You need to come with me. Now. You too, Carleen.” Rhett glanced at Carleen, and Tex watched as his eyes softened. There was a touch of sadness in his face that hadn’t been there before. “Ty’s waiting. Let’s go.”

“What happened?” Tex pressed again, since Rhett hadn’t answered him the first time.

“It’s the Mississippi Tigers. I don’t know all the details, I was just sent to get you.” Rhett turned and headed back the way he came.

“Come on.” Tex slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him until her body brushed along his.

“Thorn,” she called to him as they were making their way out of the room.

“I’m here.” He stood near the door, his face drawn and pale. “We don’t know anything yet. Maybe Lee’s had a change of heart and will support Tabitha.”

“That’s the same hope I had before the mating. Now I know he can never change. He’s doomed and so is Lucy. Maybe we all are.”

“Have faith, sis.”

“How about we all just go find out what’s happening?” Rhett stood next to the open front door. “It’s the only way you’re going to know and speculating will just waste time.”

Tex led Carleen past the other two men and headed straight for the main building where Ty’s quarters were. Clan members moved around the area, many of them working construction as they finalized the second-floor addition. Soon the Elders would have their own floor with the Captains of their Guards, giving Tabitha extra protection in case of an attack on the compound.

“Remember what it was like to be young, without a care in the world?” She tipped her head toward the far side of the main building. “For shifter children, their innocent years end earlier than humans, but while they last they’re carefree.”

The schoolhouse stood hidden from view of the perimeter, where some of the clan children headed in for their morning class. It reminded him of yet another thing he needed to establish back in Texas. There weren’t any school-aged children in the clan now, but they’d have some in the future, either through new members joining or those already there. Soon they’d be raising the next generation of the Texas Tigers. He needed to be prepared for that.

“I can’t remember what it was like to be carefree. Avery killed my parents before I was old enough to remember them. One of the single tigresses took me in and Avery had me doing odd jobs for him. By the time I was fifteen, he had me working as a guard.” With one final glance at the children, he grabbed the door handle, opened it, and ushered her inside. “Unlike those children, I was never allowed to attend school. Avery tried to mold me into what he wanted, the perfect guard, but I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. The tigress who took me in was the clan’s school teacher and taught me at night so that I would still get the education I needed, even though Avery had me training with the guards during the day.”

“I’m sorry.” She halted, Thorn and Rhett stopping behind her. “Your childhood was robbed from you.”

“It prepared me for where I am now.” With his arm around her waist, he tugged her forward. “I fought against what he was trying to do by pretending to be weaker than I was, but I remember everything they taught me and that’s keeping me alive now. It also showed me the kind of Alpha I didn’t want to be. I don’t want people to follow me out of pity, but out of respect.”

“I hate to break up your bonding moment, but can we get moving?” Thorn bitched. “I want to know what’s happening to Lucy and Dad.”

“We’re here.” Tex tipped his head toward Adam who was standing outside the door to Ty’s quarters. “Whatever we learn, we’ll handle it together.”

Whatever Ty had to tell them wouldn’t be good news, and Carleen already expected the worst, making him want to protect her from it. Touching her was only showing him part of her emotions, making him wish he’d claimed her. He needed to know what was going on within her. If their mating had been official, he could help her through this better. Instead, he felt as if he’d been watching her from behind a wall and there was little he could do. He hadn’t felt this helpless since Adam brought him to Alaska and he knew the rest of the clan was suffering while he was safe. He hadn’t been able to save them, but he’d do everything he could to protect Carleen and those she cared about.