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  But the cub—he was a Siberian tiger shifter, which meant his father had come from the same remote parts of Siberia the Teegrs had migrated from. Cubs generally took on whatever the father was. The Russian tigers were fiercely proud people. Either this little guy’s father was dead, or he was just as insane as Gleb had been. Possibly worse.

  It wasn’t fair this youngling had been forced into a world without a streak, or clan. Whatever the woman’s story turned out to be, she could not offer the same protection an entire family could. Not on her own. The more Ilya stared into the crystal-clear, sapphire-colored eyes, the more he felt a calling. He knew what it was like to feel alone, but he had always had Ivan. Who did this cub have?

  “You will have protection,” Ilya announced to the cub with sudden soul-deep conviction.

  Without thinking, he bared his fangs and sank his teeth into the soft spot between the neck and shoulders of the nameless cub. Now the cub had a name. He was Teegr before all else. Even if Ilya couldn’t always be there to protect him, there was Ivan, as well as his uncle and cousins in Alaska.

  “I was just thinking of that,” Ivan announced from the doorway.

  His brother strode forward, thrusting a steaming mug of broth at Ilya as he took the cub and mimicked his brother’s actions on the other side of the cub’s body. There was no question, no discussion. And it felt right. As for the cub, the little tiger didn’t so much as whimper. Ilya could feel the babe’s relief at finally being accepted, finally having a family. It was something few outside the natural shifter world could understand, but claiming was second in importance only to mating. Maybe even more so. It gave you a sense of who you were. Part of the reason Ilya and his brother felt so isolated was because their father had betrayed that family bond. Now they had a chance to make it up to the universe. A chance to take in this fatherless cub and shower him with love, acceptance and attention the way their Uncle Valeri had had to do for them.

  “Feed the woman,” Ivan, who had a tendency to act like a dictator on occasion, ordered Ilya. “I should get to know our son.”

  Ilya smiled as he went to where the woman lay in front of the fireplace. Now all they needed to do was nurse her back to health to find out the names of their new family. Fate had smiled on them, giving them the thing they wanted most for Christmas. They weren’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth

  Chapter Three

  It was warm. Far warmer than Aya could remember being before she lost consciousness. She’d tried so hard to stay awake, tried to get as far away from Oregon as she could. She had managed to wound Nicoli, but she knew that would only slow his pursuit so much. Sooner or later he would find their trail and would be after her, more to drag her back than to claim his son. The bastard had had six months—six freaking months—to claim his cub, but still hadn’t done so. He’d said Larissa, Aya’s sister, had been weak; therefore the cub was bound to be weak. Nicoli had condemned his own cub to death simply because her sister had had the temerity to die rather than live with his abuse. Somehow, Aya had managed to hide the baby from him. He never bothered coming into the part of the forest where the females of their streak lived. Not unless he was looking for a new plaything. That Siberian tiger shifter liked to use up the females he captured then throw them to his men. Very few survived.

  Aya had been saved because Larissa was mated to Nicoli; something he’d resented, but he had not allowed any of his greasy underlings to touch her. That was only because he had wanted her. Nicoli had to wait until he had killed his mate to have Aya. One of those weird shifter quirks—as long as he was mated to her sister he couldn’t get it up to rape her. But he had used others. Horribly. The day after her sister had died, Aya had taken her nephew and run. By now Nicoli knew his son had not only survived without mother’s milk, but had thrived. By some miracle, Fate had given her the milk needed to feed him. Now Fate needed to smile on her once more to get away from Nicoli and his band of mercenary tigers.

  She hadn’t packed well, but there hadn’t been time. She took everything she could, stuffed in her clothing and ran without looking back. The weather grew colder as she entered Idaho and got progressively worse the closer she came to the Canadian border. She desperately needed to get across the border. Nicoli wouldn’t follow her into Canada. He couldn’t. Too many other shifters, of all kinds, wanted his head on a pike. For years Nicoli and his men had gone into shifter encampments and villages, stealing the women and slaughtering their young. Before he’d come across the rare female tigers, he had raided wolves’ dens along the Canadian border extensively. No way he would risk sneaking into Canada now with so many out for his blood.

  But she had gotten so cold, so tired. She had to keep Caleb alive at any cost, so she swaddled him in her flannel shirt as well as her coat. The border was so close, she had just needed to rest for just a moment.

  Then darkness overtook her and she couldn’t wake up.

  Now her body wasn’t just warm, it was toasty. Her stomach felt empty, but the ferocious growling had calmed a great deal. Aya was afraid to open her eyes. Where was she? One thing for sure, she wasn’t snugged against a tree in the snow-covered forest. Lying very still, she tried to listen for any signs to tell her who had captured her. Had Nicoli caught up to her?

  Caleb!

  Forgetting she was trying to be incognito for clues as to where she was, she bolted upright looking for her nephew and froze.

  Caleb was fine. More than fine. He was nestled against a very large-looking chest, fast asleep. Aya could sense the baby felt secure—more so than she had ever felt from him before.

  A whimper escaped her lips before she could call it back. No! No, no. No! How could she have escaped one monster to run headlong into another?

  “Peace, kotyonok. No one is going to hurt you or the babe.”

  The deep rumble of a voice came from behind her. Aya whirled, shocked to see another male behind her, identical to the one holding her nephew. Far too close behind her. By the looks of it, he had held her while she slept. How could he have been so close and she not sensed it? There was a lot of confusing scents bombarding her now. The males were definitely Siberian tigers, but they smelled different than Nicoli. Non-threatening. Open. Trustworthy. These were things she would have never associated with most male tigers. Never with a Siberian.

  “I’m not your kitten,” she responded rather mulishly, before looking down. Oh sweet goddess, she was nude! “Where are my clothes?” she demanding, snatching the blanket to her chest.

  Panic swamped her as she looked around the room. They were in a cabin—a large one by the looks of it—yet they were all sitting—or lying—in front of a huge fireplace in the main room. The man sprawled in the large armchair with her nephew in his arms watched her with what she could only describe as interested curiosity. The man behind her didn’t touch her, but she could feel him projecting warmth at her. There was no menace, but Aya didn’t trust it.

  “Your clothes were wet and cold,” the man holding Caleb said in a low, even voice, as if he were afraid to spook her even more than she already was. “We washed them and put them in the dryer, but we are afraid they are somewhat the worse for wear.”

  They were Russian, just like Nicoli. That had to be bad, right?

  “There is a shirt on your lap, kotyonok,” the one behind added. Urgh! That irritating endearment again! “If it would make you more comfortable, you may wear it.”

  If it would make her more comfortable? She may wear it?

  Forgetting her nudity, Aya sprang to her feet, ready to fight. She was so sick of males telling her what she could or could not do! Why must her life always be at the mercy of someone else just because they were born with an extra appendage?

  “I am not your kitten,” she growled at the smug tiger lying on the unbelievably comfortable, plush rug in front of the fire. “I will do as I please! And it pleases me to get my clothes and my cub and get as far away from here as I can! You have no right to keep me here!”

 
; Apparently, Caleb didn’t like her raging at their new captors one bit. Lifting his tiny head, the cub wailed as if she’d struck him. Damn it! He was too young to turn traitor this early…unless…

  “You claimed my nephew,” she whispered in absolute shock. It was unheard of. No male willingly claimed the offspring of another. Tigers were far too prissy about bloodlines. But Caleb had been claimed, not by one of them, but both. Her nephew carried both of their scents. She couldn’t detect it before because their scents were far too similar.

  Brothers. That would explain why the tall, blond males looked almost exactly alike.

  “The cub deserves a family,” the man holding Caleb murmured, expertly patting Caleb’s little bottom to calm him. “It is a disgrace his sire didn’t do so.”

  His sire hadn’t wanted him. Why this pair did, Aya had no idea. These men weren’t at all like Nicoli. They were something unlike anything she had ever come across.

  “And you deserve to rest for a while,” the other joined in, rising to his feet and bringing her the shirt she had ignored before. “As lovely as it is to see you as nature intended, I wouldn’t want you to be in any discomfort. Please.” He didn’t wait for her to take it; he put the shirt on for her, buttoning it to the very top. The thing swallowed her, falling to mid-thigh. “Why don’t you sit down while I get you something to eat? Then, perhaps you can tell us who you are running from and how we can help.”

  She wanted to say no, to storm out of there with Caleb. But she was so very tired. Surely it couldn’t hurt to rest just a little while. Besides, she wasn’t fool enough to try it without provisioning herself better this time. Lesson learned, so to speak.

  “I need to go back and cover our tracks.” She sighed wearily. The thought of trudging back into the deep snow wasn’t a pleasant one.

  “We’ve done that already,” the man standing in front of her said. “I am Ivan, and that is my brother Ilya. Please, be at peace for a least a little while.”

  Maybe he was right. Her body was too weak to attempt flight again so soon. She was not so impetuous as to place Caleb’s life into further danger.

  “For now,” she agreed. But soon she would leave. There was no other choice.

  Chapter Four

  Aya and Caleb. That was all the mysterious woman would tell them about who she was. It had been a week, and still she wouldn’t divulge who she was running from or why. Ivan knew she still didn’t trust them. Given the bruises that were now fading, he could see why. When she had jumped to her feet, both he and Ilya had taken note of the dark splotches against her otherwise flawless nutmeg-cinnamon-colored skin. It incensed him that someone would hurt her. She was a rare miracle of nature, a blessing to all tigers. Why would anyone want to harm her?

  Watching her play with the cub in front of the fireplace, Ivan felt something completely unfamiliar blossoming in his chest. What he wouldn’t give to make Aya his own—their own. Over the past week they had fallen into an easy routine; he or Ilya would go hunting while the other would stay close to the cabin to watch over their rare, precious gifts. Unwilling to allow them to do all the work, Aya generally assisted with the roasting of the meat, or preparing something to go along with the meat or fish hunted for dinner. What they didn’t cook was prepped and stored for the long winter. Storms would be coming soon, so it was imperative to store enough food for the four of them.

  Ivan knew Aya was just waiting for a time to run. Perhaps that was part of the reason they only gave her their shirts and thick wool socks to wear. They could have easily traveled into town for clothing, but they both had claimed they didn’t want to invite questions. She accepted that for now. There would come a time when she wouldn’t, though. That was why Ivan felt they needed to convince her to trust them, to stay. If that didn’t work, and he hadn’t earned her trust, the brothers needed to seduce her. Ilya thought it would be playing dirty, but if Ivan claimed her, Ilya would have no choice but to do so as well. That was the bond between twins.

  “You are very beautiful,” Ivan said, walking into the room and taking a seat a few feet from where she and Caleb played. Aya looked startled, then frowned as if she suspected what he was attempting to do.

  “I am a tigress, therefore rare,” she stated stoically. “That is what you find beautiful.”

  Ivan was floored by that. “You cannot be serious. Surely someone has told you you’re beautiful before. You are no cub. Have you been surrounded by savages all your life?”

  As soon as he said it, he wished he could take it back. The overwhelming sadness that crossed her face broke his heart. Where did she come from? Where had she grown up? How was it possible she had lived her entire life and never been told how desirable she was outside of being a rare tigress? Ivan dove from the chair to swoop her into his embrace. There should never be pain on her lovely face, only joy. As he lived and breathed, he and Ilya would make this happen for her.

  “Whatever it is, whoever has hurt you, I swear I will make them pay.” He growled the menacing promise, holding her tightly as he stroked her hair. The contact was a distinct contrast to the tone and content of his words.

  The cub must’ve approved, as Caleb crawled into her lap and closed his eyes, content to be a part of the embrace.

  “That is what I love to see coming home.”

  Ilya was back from the hunt, the smell of moose and elk on him. Given the abundant fowl Ivan had managed to capture the day before, their larder would soon be full for the winter and they could spend their days inside the cabin with Aya and Caleb.

  “I’ll go put Caleb down for a nap, then start on dinner.” Aya pulled away, getting to her feet with the baby in her arms.

  Unwilling to let her go that easily, Ivan got up and followed at a slower pace. As he passed his brother, Ilya reached out to stop him.

  “I’ll shower, then join the two of you,” Ilya murmured for Ivan’s ears only. “You were right. We can’t wait. We have to do something to get her to stay.”

  Finally! Ivan had been very afraid he was going to have to force the decision on Ilya or risk losing her altogether. They needed this woman, and the baby. In such a short time, the two had come to mean everything to them both.

  “Hurry,” Ivan muttered. “She needs to be aware that we both intend on mating her, of caring for her.”

  Had she been human, Ivan might’ve worried that she would reject having two mates. Hell, human women were prone to reject shifters point blank. Their mother had proven that. But Aya was so much more. The rules were different for shifters, and she knew enough to know that. Perhaps that was why she hadn’t really made a stink over the two of them claiming her nephew, especially after finding out they were twins.

  Ivan stopped in the doorway of the room they had given her and Caleb to share. It had taken no time at all to build a cradle from the wood they’d stored in the utility shed. He watched as she put Caleb down, tucking him in then kissing his forehead. The little guy went right to sleep, happy and secure in his new environment. Ivan was proud he could provide that for him—his son. It didn’t matter who sired him, Caleb was his and Ilya’s.

  For a few moments, Aya stood there looking down at the sleeping infant before straightening, turning to him.

  “It is time for answers, I suppose.” She sighed, slowly walking toward him. “Should we wait downstairs for your brother? I only want to tell this tale once.”

  As she moved to walk past him, Ivan reached out and brought her to him, chest to chest, face-to-face. She was tall for a female, though nowhere near as tall as he. Her bountiful curves felt like heaven pressed against him.

  “Yes, we should,” he murmured, “But first, this…”

  He had meant to go in for a gentle kiss, but as soon as his lips met his, all the pent-up passion he’d tried so hard to suppress lest he scare her came pouring out. Tongues intertwined as their bodies pressed ever closer together. Ivan felt as if he were drowning in her, and he didn’t want to be saved. So afraid to treat her roughly, he had to
break the kiss. By the moon, it was too much, and so very much not enough.

  “I can’t do this without Ilya,” he breathed, resting his forehead on hers. “I want you with every fiber of my being, but it will not be without my brother, and it will not be in your moment of weakness.”

  But damn, it was hard to pull away!

  Chapter Five

  It was far too easy to trust these males. In just one week Aya had come to rely on them in ways she should never allowed herself to. Somewhere out there, Nicoli was searching, waiting for a way to drag her back to the hellish existence she’d known for far too long. What would he and his gang do to Ivan and Ilya if he found her here? These weren’t the tough, ruthless tigers who had held her captive. They were good, down-to-earth men who cared for her and Caleb freely. They had claimed Caleb, for crying out loud! That was no little thing. Even if she left them, and she was going to have to, they would eventually be able to find them as long as Caleb was alive. Once she told them, surely they would understand why she couldn’t stay. Maybe they would even help her get to Canada.

  But as she paced in front of the imposing males, the words had a hard time passing her lips.

  “You know Caleb is my nephew,” she began, trying so hard to squash the emotions that threatened to choke her. “My sister died not long after he was born.” No, that wasn’t exactly true. It was best she didn’t sugarcoat anything. “Her mate, Nicoli killed her. He beat her, starved her through her pregnancy, took other tigresses in front of her—”

  “Other tigresses?” Ilya, the sensitive one, cut in. “Aya, before you we had only seen one tigress ever. Our Aunt Megan. We had no idea they even existed before she mated with our Uncle Valeri. Are you telling me there are a lot more out there?”

  For some reason, Aya found she didn’t really want to answer that question. Not for fear of those still trapped by Nicoli, but because perhaps if they knew there were others, they wouldn’t want her as much. Such a silly notion, and one she had no time for, so she pushed it away.