Tiger Tracks (Alaskan Tigers Book 9) by Marissa Dobson Read Free Book Online Page B

arrangements.”
    “It’s too close,” Mira said. “What if they’ve followed? They’ll find me.”
    “No one is going to find you.” He squeezed her hand. “You’re safe now. I promise.”
    “They’ve followed me everywhere so far. Staying with another clan puts them in danger, too.” Fear coated her words.
    “Jinx is the Alpha of the West Virginia Tigers. His clan is located near Snowshoe, and in order to find it they’d have to know the area. It’s desolate, believe me. Even so, there are ground guards, and you’ll be safe. He knows the situation. He sent Garth and Red as back-up, and they’re prepared. Relax. Let me do the worrying. I promised I’d keep you safe, and I’ll stick to my word.”
    The terror rose within her, and she tried to stuff it aside. Styx’s fear of flying had already tinted the air with a rancid scent. She didn’t need to add to it. She asked for help, and now she had it, so she’d have to trust them—even if it went against everything inside of her.
    Trusting people had brought her to this situation in the first place. What horrors would befall her next because she placed her trust in someone? Would Styx end up dead because he helped her? The very thought of someone losing their life because of her made her ill.
    What have I done?

Chapter Five
     
    The airplane came to a stop, and relief coursed through Styx’s veins. There’d be another plane trip in a few hours, but to be back on the ground again was all he could focus on. Tomorrow he’d worry about the longer trip back across the country. Mira had made him consider the humor in his fear, but if there was one thing he’d learned about things that terrified someone, it was they didn’t have to make sense. When it was someone’s time to die, they did, and nothing could be done to stop death. Even shifters weren’t immune to death.
    He unclicked his seatbelt, stood, and held his hand out to Mira. “Come on. It’s going to be okay.”
    “I don’t like the idea of endangering others.”
    “Even so, you wanted our help, so let me do my job.”
    “Is that all I am to you? A job?”
    He could hear the pain in her voice, but wasn’t sure how to answer her question. If he said yes, he’d be denying the mating connection that was blooming between them. On the other hand, if he said no he would be accepting that she was to be his mate. Was he ready for that? He wasn’t sure. It was a question that would require thought and exploration.
    “The clan Elders are waiting,” Theodore hollered back to them as the engines shut down.
    “We can’t keep them waiting.”
    She rose from the chair and zippered her jacket. “I guess that’s enough of an answer.”
    He slipped his bag over his shoulder and reached for her, but she pulled back from him. “It’s not what you think.”
    “What am I thinking? Can you read minds or something?” she remarked snidely.
    He shook his head. That was one ability he’d never want. “Catnip, you’re very easy to read.”
    “I know. It’s gotten me in trouble with my Alpha in the past.” She slipped her hands into the pockets of her coat, and met his gaze. “Why do you call me Catnip ?” she asked tentatively.
    “Beautiful Mira, your scent is to my tiger as catnip is to kittens.” He wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her against him. “That, Catnip, should answer your question. I can’t get enough of you.”
    “One minute, you act one way…and the next you act differently. It’s confusing.”
    “Let’s meet with the Elders of the West Virginia clan, and then we can talk more about this. We don’t know each other at all, so things are bound to be uncertain. We have to overcome a few things, for starters.” He stepped away from her, and pushed down the planes steps. “First of all, you’ll have to trust me. The compound here is safe, Jinx has ground guards on the perimeter, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
    “Trusting someone has been