Tiger
Page 78
His friend answered the phone. “This is Bestial.”
Tiger watched the male’s face pale and his mouth tighten. Anger glinted in Bestial’s eyes as a growl burst from his lips. “Tell me what it looked like.” He paused. “How many? Could you follow the trail?” He listened. “Are you sure?”
Alarm gripped Tiger, sensing something was seriously wrong. Had the NSO been attacked again? Another helicopter fired upon? He struggled to sit up in bed, his ribs feeling much better since he’d gotten several hours of sleep.
Bestial refused to look at him. “Call in all law enforcement, even the humans. This is priority. We must find those males immediately and I want to be called the second you know anything.” He hung up.
“What has happened? Are any of our people hurt? I am so tired of the stupid humans. Why can’t they all be reasonable, like the majority of them?”
Bestial rose from his chair by the door and finally held his gaze. The cold, angry look in them only made him more certain something horrible had happened. His friend stalked closer to the bed before he paused within arm’s reach.
The male pulled in a deep breath. “We couldn’t free any task members to escort our males to Zandy’s home until this morning.”
Tiger’s stomach knotted and his hands clenched into fists at his lap. The rate of his heart raced and he had a sick feeling something bad had happened to the female he had such strong feelings for.
“Is she well?” He knew he couldn’t stand it if the answer wasn’t positive.
“Her home was vandalized and they smelled four human males.” He reached out and gripped Tiger’s upper arms to keep him in place. Sympathy softened his gaze as they stared at each other. “They also found her blood. Her car was in the driveway but she wasn’t there. They believe she was attacked and stolen.”
The information was too horrifying to be real but Tiger knew Bestial wouldn’t lie to him on this matter.
“They lost her scent outside by the curb. They spoke to neighbors who saw a van there yesterday evening. Two of them thought they heard a few screams but believed it was someone’s television playing too loud. More of her blood was found outside. She was alive and actively bleeding when they took her. There wasn’t much, if that’s a comfort. I’m sure if they meant to kill her, they would have left her body. We’re doing everything we can to try to find her, Tiger.”
He lost his mind. It hurt too much to think and a roar tore from his throat as he tried to shoot out of the bed. Strong arms shoved him down and he fought. Zandy was out there, injured and kidnapped by human males. She needed him.
“Stop it,” Bestial shouted. “You’re still healing.”
The doors were shoved open as more of the task team rushed into the room and they tried to hold his body flat. He fought hard, snarling and biting at anything that came near his mouth.
“Let me up! I need to find her.”
“Calm!” Jaded roared, drawing Tiger’s attention.
He stared at the other feline Species and battled his emotions. “Get me my clothes now. I’m going after my female. Help me or get out of my way!”
“I understand but you’re still weakened by injuries.”
Tiger flashed his sharp teeth. “They took my female. Would you lie here meekly while others searched in your place? She’s mine.”
Jaded hesitated.
Bestial eased his hold. “I’d feel the same if it were my mate. Let me get you some of my clothing. Your clothes were damaged. We’ll find her, Tiger.” He spun away and left the room.
Tiger yanked out the lines to the monitors and in seconds was shoving his legs over the edge of the bed after all the males released him. He tore off the hospital gown.
Misery and fear flooded Tiger as he swayed on his feet waiting for Bestial to return, ignoring all eyes on him except Jaded’s. A sharp jab of pain dug into his heart at the thought that his Zandy might be dead. He shoved that concept away instantly. If they’d just wanted to kill her then they would have done so. They would have left her discarded body inside her house. No. They’d taken her for a purpose. Tiger snarled.
“I’ll kill them all if they hurt one damn hair on her head.”
Bestial walked in carrying the clothes. “We will help you do it.”
Jaded reached out to help steady him. “We will find her.”
Chapter Eighteen
Zandy fought the urge to cry, refusing to give Brother Adam the satisfaction of seeing her break down. She rarely hated people to the extent of wishing she could choke the living shit out of them but for him she’d make an exception. The idea of wrapping her hands around his throat and watching him turn blue while she squeezed calmed her. She’d had to listen to his rambling hate until she’d given up on insulting him. It only seemed to encourage him more.
A new man entered the motor home to address Brother Adam. This one looked fresh out of high school and needed a haircut. His shirt had holes and his faded jeans were in just as poor shape. His gaze avoided her completely.
“We are ready to test it, Brother. We need to make certain it will work for the real thing. Brother Davey said it should hold her weight but we don’t want it to break during the cleansing.”
“No, we don’t.” The jackass stood from the table and shot Zandy a glare. “We want her to burn without any glitches. We don’t want to create any bad press that would hurt our cause.”
Tiger watched the male’s face pale and his mouth tighten. Anger glinted in Bestial’s eyes as a growl burst from his lips. “Tell me what it looked like.” He paused. “How many? Could you follow the trail?” He listened. “Are you sure?”
Alarm gripped Tiger, sensing something was seriously wrong. Had the NSO been attacked again? Another helicopter fired upon? He struggled to sit up in bed, his ribs feeling much better since he’d gotten several hours of sleep.
Bestial refused to look at him. “Call in all law enforcement, even the humans. This is priority. We must find those males immediately and I want to be called the second you know anything.” He hung up.
“What has happened? Are any of our people hurt? I am so tired of the stupid humans. Why can’t they all be reasonable, like the majority of them?”
Bestial rose from his chair by the door and finally held his gaze. The cold, angry look in them only made him more certain something horrible had happened. His friend stalked closer to the bed before he paused within arm’s reach.
The male pulled in a deep breath. “We couldn’t free any task members to escort our males to Zandy’s home until this morning.”
Tiger’s stomach knotted and his hands clenched into fists at his lap. The rate of his heart raced and he had a sick feeling something bad had happened to the female he had such strong feelings for.
“Is she well?” He knew he couldn’t stand it if the answer wasn’t positive.
“Her home was vandalized and they smelled four human males.” He reached out and gripped Tiger’s upper arms to keep him in place. Sympathy softened his gaze as they stared at each other. “They also found her blood. Her car was in the driveway but she wasn’t there. They believe she was attacked and stolen.”
The information was too horrifying to be real but Tiger knew Bestial wouldn’t lie to him on this matter.
“They lost her scent outside by the curb. They spoke to neighbors who saw a van there yesterday evening. Two of them thought they heard a few screams but believed it was someone’s television playing too loud. More of her blood was found outside. She was alive and actively bleeding when they took her. There wasn’t much, if that’s a comfort. I’m sure if they meant to kill her, they would have left her body. We’re doing everything we can to try to find her, Tiger.”
He lost his mind. It hurt too much to think and a roar tore from his throat as he tried to shoot out of the bed. Strong arms shoved him down and he fought. Zandy was out there, injured and kidnapped by human males. She needed him.
“Stop it,” Bestial shouted. “You’re still healing.”
The doors were shoved open as more of the task team rushed into the room and they tried to hold his body flat. He fought hard, snarling and biting at anything that came near his mouth.
“Let me up! I need to find her.”
“Calm!” Jaded roared, drawing Tiger’s attention.
He stared at the other feline Species and battled his emotions. “Get me my clothes now. I’m going after my female. Help me or get out of my way!”
“I understand but you’re still weakened by injuries.”
Tiger flashed his sharp teeth. “They took my female. Would you lie here meekly while others searched in your place? She’s mine.”
Jaded hesitated.
Bestial eased his hold. “I’d feel the same if it were my mate. Let me get you some of my clothing. Your clothes were damaged. We’ll find her, Tiger.” He spun away and left the room.
Tiger yanked out the lines to the monitors and in seconds was shoving his legs over the edge of the bed after all the males released him. He tore off the hospital gown.
Misery and fear flooded Tiger as he swayed on his feet waiting for Bestial to return, ignoring all eyes on him except Jaded’s. A sharp jab of pain dug into his heart at the thought that his Zandy might be dead. He shoved that concept away instantly. If they’d just wanted to kill her then they would have done so. They would have left her discarded body inside her house. No. They’d taken her for a purpose. Tiger snarled.
“I’ll kill them all if they hurt one damn hair on her head.”
Bestial walked in carrying the clothes. “We will help you do it.”
Jaded reached out to help steady him. “We will find her.”
Chapter Eighteen
Zandy fought the urge to cry, refusing to give Brother Adam the satisfaction of seeing her break down. She rarely hated people to the extent of wishing she could choke the living shit out of them but for him she’d make an exception. The idea of wrapping her hands around his throat and watching him turn blue while she squeezed calmed her. She’d had to listen to his rambling hate until she’d given up on insulting him. It only seemed to encourage him more.
A new man entered the motor home to address Brother Adam. This one looked fresh out of high school and needed a haircut. His shirt had holes and his faded jeans were in just as poor shape. His gaze avoided her completely.
“We are ready to test it, Brother. We need to make certain it will work for the real thing. Brother Davey said it should hold her weight but we don’t want it to break during the cleansing.”
“No, we don’t.” The jackass stood from the table and shot Zandy a glare. “We want her to burn without any glitches. We don’t want to create any bad press that would hurt our cause.”
