lion, because doing that would cost him nearly as much as the price of losing his mate. As a rogue, he’d be a danger to Kyra, and that alone might have been the reason he now had a chance.
“If you ever want to see your little girl again, don’t make any sudden movements.” Red stepped farther into the room and came to stand just a step to the side of Carran. With his gun in hand, he was ready for Ambrose’s next move. “You need to pull your beast back and shove him back down. The longer you fight him for control, the harder it will be.”
Carran gave Red a sideways glance. While it was truthful, Red should have kept his mouth shut. If Ambrose didn’t have enough control over his lion, his beast would see that as a challenge and everything Carran had been working toward would be for nothing. It also made him realize Red’s level of inexperience and spontaneity. Sometimes that helped a situation, but on a mission like this, it was a wildcard. The young tiger needed more field time if he was going to play backup on missions with the Alaskan Tigers.
“You’ll take me to her?” Ambrose tipped his head to look up at Carran.
Carran nodded, watching the man before him. The lion eyes that had been looking back at him since he came into the room were receding. “If you have control over your lion, there is nothing more I’d like than to reunite you with your little girl.”
“Then what? Shea’s clan turned their back on us and my pride…” He dragged his hand through his whiskey brown hair, pulling the curls away from his face. “What do I have to offer Kyra?”
“Love, security, protection. She’s lost her mother, she’s been abandoned by everyone she’s ever known, and now she finds herself surrounded by new tigers and bears. She’s scared and wants her father.” Carran’s chest tightened because he knew what Kyra was going through. She had a chance, one he hadn’t had, and it was his job to give that to her.
“I didn’t abandon my daughter by choice. They forced me out, and that—”
“Was the final piece that frayed your control over your beast,” Carran supplied.
“I didn’t know they were going to push her out and I knew if I tried for her, I’d be more harm than good. I couldn’t even control my lion. How could I help my daughter?” He slammed his hand down on the floor, sending dust rising from the carpet. “My Kyra could have been killed. Sending any young child out into the world by herself is asking for something horrible to happen. With her being a lone female shifter…she could have been caught by the hunters, rogues, or a clan looking to add females to their ranks.”
“But she wasn’t. She’s safe now,” Carran reminded him, shoving away the memories that rose within him…but not before he recalled the one person he’d failed. “Please…Carran! Help me…”
----
T he hairs on the back of Brooklynn’s neck rose, alerting her to something. Outside the SUV, all she could see was darkness, but she learned long ago to trust her instincts. Something was wrong, even if she wasn’t sure what it was yet. Keeping low, she leaned forward to get a better look out the front window. The changes around her were small alerts. The barking dog from a couple blocks over was suddenly silent. Stillness. Like the world just stopped. Not even the leaves blew.
A moving figure at the end of the block caught her attention. The darkness of the night cloaked the person so she was unable to make out details, except approximate height and weight. Was he a shifter? He didn’t glance behind him or even seem uneasy, so maybe he was just out for a walk? The hour was late, but as a police officer, she’d learned people were strange. Sometimes they took a stroll if they couldn’t sleep. It’s innocent and I’m making a big deal out of it…
Suddenly, the side window shattered, sending shards of glass flying toward her. She scooted across the seat and reached for her gun.
“Don’t!”