“Wake now, koshechka,” Evgeny Petrov said, stroking the hair back from Alina’s face.

  She moaned, bile rising in her throat. Her dreams had been full of Eddie, of the one night they’d spent together. Alina tried to roll onto her side, away from that hateful touch, but the Tiger fisted her hair, pulling her face towards his.

  “I have dreamed of this, koshechka. Tell me, have you dreamed of me?”

  It took a moment, but once her vision focused, revulsion filled her. Evgeny Ivanovich hovered way too close to her, and her inner Tigress hissed and snarled at the man.

  “Evgeny,” she murmured, hating the breathy sound of her voice, but Alina would do what she had to do to get him to loosen his hold on her hair.

  Once he did, she sat up, backing away from the creep. His eyes were glazed with a madness she had never seen and prayed she never would again.

  “Ever since they stole you from me, my love, I have plotted to get you back.”

  “Are you mad, Evgeny? I am not your love. I am nothing to you!” Alina spat.

  “Ah, but you are. My Tiger knows it. You are my fated mate,” he said, smiling widely.

  Alina shuddered. Looking around for something to use as a weapon, she got off the bed, backing away from the crazed Tiger. The only things she could see were some candles, a propane fueled hot plate, and a cooler in the corner. Had he been living in this room? It was very much like the warehouse he’d held her prisoner before.

  “Where are you going, koshechka? You know, with my father in prison, I am destined to rule the Bratva. All the power, money, and control is mine now. You must see, you will never get away from me. Better accept your place at my side.”

  Her inner she-Cat hissed and snarled. There was no way Evgeny Ivanovich was her fated mate. Eduardo held that title, and the pain of losing him before she ever really had him filled her until she thought she would burst with it.

  “There now, mate.”

  “I have a mate, and you are not him. Let me go, Evgeny. I will never be yours!” Alina shouted, trying to snap the male out of his insanity.

  “You will be mine. Never fear, fair Alina. And when I mark you, I will do so where all can see. You will never think of anyone else again,” Evgeny told her, stalking her across the room.

  Heart pounding, Alina ran for the door, but she was too slow. Evgeny reached for her with claw-tipped hands, his beast pushing for control. His eyes blazed the yellow of his Cat, and she fought wildly against him, scratching the side of his face until blood leaked from his skin like a sieve.

  “Bitch, I will show you,” he snarled, holding the flapping bits of skin to his cheek as he stood up, hissing in anger.

  Evgeny growled his anger, using claws, he tore the hose connecting the propane to the griddle. Alina yelled for him to stop, but it was too late. With his gun in one hand, freezing her in place, Evgeny, the fucking coward, took a lighter from beside a row of candles.

  “Like Romeo and Juliet, yes? We will go out together, koshechka,” he said, then he flicked the lighter and—boom!

  Something struck Alina in the stomach. She barely got off a scream, eyes wide as a giant fireball ignited the gas and went hurling at the ceiling. Pain and shock flooded her along with adrenaline as the door flew open. Wood and sheetrock crashing across the room, and she dropped down to her knees, but not before she saw the enormous, fierce Grizzly of her bogatyr racing to her rescue.

  Mate, her Tigress growled, and Alina’s heart rejoiced. He had come for her. She just hoped he was not too late.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  When Eduardo had arrived back at the Petrov complex with Konstantin, he almost lost his fucking mind. Alina was not there. His military training was the only reason he did not break down into a full blown panic.

  Good thing, too. Because within seconds of that discovery, he received another. His phone rang and Jose, one of his team, called him to say Rosie, a dancer at the club, had just come to him with a problem.

  Marcella and Alina had gone outside during a break and had not returned to the club to finish rehearsals for the grand re-opening of the newly renovated wing of The Strip Club.

  “What the fuck do you mean, Jose? Where is she?”

  “Well, boss, we performed a search and found Marcella in the alley behind the club. She’s been shot, but she’s still alive. Barely,” the man informed him.

  “Where are you now? I need you to get the fucking surveillance feed to me, Jose,” he growled, but the man was still talking.

  “I am sending it now, boss, and I am with Marcella at the Shifter clinic. Before she went into surgery, Marcella said something.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said he has Alina.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know. That was the only name she mentioned.”

  “Fucking hell,” Eddie growled, barely holding onto his humanity.

  “Here, gimme that,” Konstantin said, taking Eddie’s phone.

  The Tiger’s eyes glowed icy blue and his lips formed a thin line. Of course, Konstantin was worried about his sister, and the acrid scent of his anger filled the air. But Eddie was too busy trying to calm his own emotions down long enough to formulate a plan.

  They needed information first. And in less than a minute, they had it. Konstantin downloaded the security feed from the camera in the alley behind the club, and Eddie leaned next to him as they watched events unfold. What they saw made Eddie’s blood run cold.

  Marcella and Alina had stepped outside of the club, both in their practice leotards despite the snow covering the ground. Shifters ran hot, so that was hardly a surprise. What was shocking was the man who approached them.

  Free as a motherfucking bird, Evgeny Ivanovich, that short, pudgy bastard, strode up to the two females as if he owned the place. His Grizzly bear roared and chuffed inside of him, pawing the ground, the need to hunt and kill that asshole was almost overwhelming.

  “He has her,” Eddie growled, his voice no longer human.

  “We will get her back,” Konstantin promised, but Eduardo was too far gone to listen to reason. “I have to make some calls.”

  “Find her, Kon. For fuck’s sake, find her.”

  “We will get her back. I promise,” he growled, running inside to his office.

  Eduardo followed him slowly, hardly listening as Konstantin explained to Yasmin and his mother what was going on. Both females whimpered, hugging each other, and calling out to Mikey to stay inside.

  Eddie felt helpless. He hated the scents of sorrow and fear. No, he would not mourn Alina. She was not gone. She fucking couldn’t be.

  “You will get her back,” Mrs. Petrova said from behind Eddie.

  He turned around to face the older version of his mate. That Tigress had been through a lot. The death of a mate, separation from her son, and the kidnapping of her daughter twice now. Her eyes blazed blue, but he saw something in them that humbled him—Confidence. In him.

  “Yes, I will,” he vowed.

  “Good. Then maybe you will make an honest woman of her after.”

  “I messed up, I know. But I do love her, Mrs. Petrova. She is everything to me. It was just, she is so young, and I am not—”

  “You are not what? Listen to me, son, my daughter is Russian Tigress. Age is just a number. She has been working, killing herself for ballet since she is a little girl. Alina knows her mind and her heart, and she has picked you. Do not disrespect her by thinking you know better. Now, go get my daughter.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Eduardo replied, accepting the hug the smaller woman offered.

  Fuck. She was right. Alina did know her own mind, and here he was making decisions for her, thinking he knew better. Ten years was nothing, especially in the supernatural world. So, what was he doing, wasting time?

  “Konstantin? Do you have an address yet?” he asked, joining the other man at his desk.

  “I am working on it, brother.”

  Energy buzzed in his veins, and Eddie felt his Shift coming on fast. But he needed a direction before he let the Bear out. Needed to be close enough to not fuck anything up. Fuck, he needed to get her back.

  Safe. Sound. With me. Mine.

  Fifteen minutes later, Eddie was ready to tear someone’s head off. He was so fucking worried. But Konstantin’s connections had finally come through. It seemed the Tiger had contracted a private investigator to follow the Ivanovich boys after they’d been released.

  “Ivanovich has her here,” he growled, sending GPS coordinates to Eddie’s phone. “Wait, Eddie!”

  But he did not hesitate, not even for a moment. Eduardo raced to his SUV and jumped in, ignoring the snarl coming from Konstantin. Time was of the essence, and every second he let pass with Alina in the clutches of that soon-to-be-dead motherfucker was too fucking long.

  Let his Alpha be pissed at him. And yes, he realized not for the first time, the Bear respected Konstantin as his Alpha. But Eddie would deal with that later. Right then, he needed to get to Alina.

  Urgency sped him on as he raced to the tiny red dot on the GPS that signaled her whereabouts. Good thing they used a special maps app created by Shifter software geniuses for purposes like this one to get to places faster than the humans, or in some cases the authorities, could manage.

  Twenty minutes later, Eduardo pulled up to the warehouse where she was being held. He turned off the vehicle and stepped outside, sniffing the air to catch a scent.

  Guess you couldn’t teach old Tigers new tricks, he thought, struck by how eerily similar it was to the place the Ivanovich motherfuckers had held her the first time they had kidnapped her.

  Whatever.

  All Eddie knew was that motherfucker was not getting another chance at her. While he was driving, Konstantin had called. He’d been tempted not to answer, but the Bear refused to ignore his Alpha.

  “Listen,” the Tiger said. “My contacts infiltrated Evgeny’s apartment. They found a room filled with hundreds of surveillance pictures of Alina. That sick fuck has been stalking her ever since he was released. He is obsessed, Eddie. Do not let him out of there alive,” growled the Tiger.

  “Yes, Alpha,” Eddie had replied.

  Truth was, he hadn’t planned on it, anyway. Shit. He could not believe he was on the brink of losing her again. Guilt, anger, fear gripped him as he scouted out the area.

  What kind of man was he? Denying his feelings. Refusing to stake his claim. Why? For what? When he could have been keeping her safe and protected this whole time! This was his fucking fault, and Eddie was going to make it right.

  If they survived this—no—when they survived this, Eduardo was going to beg the Tigress for another chance. He would not waste another fucking minute doubting himself or her. Alina said she loved him, and he knew he fucking loved her. It was about time he trusted her, too. Fuck the second-guessing and wondering if she could do better.

  Why should he bother with all that mess when he could spend all of his time loving Alina? It was a much worthier endeavor, in his not so humble opinion. She was everything he had ever wanted in a woman. Strong, beautiful, smart, and so damn sweet. Her orange cinnamon scent drove him crazy, and when she danced, fuck, when she danced, she was like an angel on earth.

  Eddie was not good with words. He did not know a lot about the arts. But he knew his heart beat for that woman. And he was going to tell her so. He stilled when he caught the barest hint of fur and spice in the air. Orange and cinnamon.

  Alina!

  He ran to the nearest entrance. Another sniff, and he followed her scent down the dingy hallway. The place was fucked. Abandoned for who knew how long, the floor was covered in rat droppings, scattered garbage. There were broken cardboard boxes, scattered papers, and other flammable debris littering the halls and rooms.

  Finally, he tracked her scent to a door on the ground floor of the warehouse. He stilled, trying to listen for sounds on the other side of the door. Then he heard them.

  A struggle. A strike. A whimper.

  “Motherfucker,” he roared and his Bear burst out of his skin just as a shot rang out followed by an explosion.

  Alina!!!

  Eduardo’s black gaze met hers before she crumpled to the floor, and the next thing he knew, blind rage took over. Evgeny Ivanovich was holding a gun, pointing it at Eddie. But he was too far gone to care. He charged the male, dodging flames, and taking bullets to his shoulder and leg. The man kept firing, the empty gun clicking and clicking. He dodged Eddie’s claws once, the fire around him growing hotter and more out of control as it fed on the oxygen that came flooding into the room when he’d broken through the door.

  “You are too late. She’s miiin—”

  But that was all Evgeny got out before the Bear ripped his head right off his fucking worthless shoulders. Eduardo did not bother looking at the male for one second longer than necessary. He ran for Alina, swapping fur for skin, and sliding to a stop next to her pale form.

  “Come on, mi fiera. You’re okay. I got you. Please, please, wake up,” he said, pulling her to him.

  Eduardo was oblivious to the fire raging around them. His focus was entirely on the Tigress in his arms. She was pale, and blood had already soaked through her leotard. Eddie mumbled nonsense as tears pricked his eyes.

  Fuck. No!

  He was too late. Dammit, why was he too late? He grunted, rocking her back and forth, wiping the hair from her face. He needed her whole, had to get her to safety. The fire raged, the exits cut off, and he snarled as he lifted her despite the wounds in his leg and abdomen.

  “Come on, mi fiera. I’m bringing you home. You’re gonna be fine, baby,” he mumbled frantically as he searched for a way to get them out safely.

  Suddenly, he heard a noise, like water and shouting, then the wall broke apart. Standing there was a six foot five male in firefighter garb, blue eyes blazing. The man held a water hose, dousing the room and signaling Eddie to run to him.

  “Move it or lose it, Teddy,” the stranger growled, and Eddie hustled as another burst of flame exploded behind him, and pain lanced up his back.

  “Fucking hell,” the firefighter grumbled, ripping off his mask.

  Eddie stumbled, and he could have sworn the man was taking the fire into himself, but then others were helping him outside and he was too caught up in a rush of emotion to worry about the stranger.

  Fear, anger, relief, despair. There were firetrucks and ambulances waiting outside, and Eddie barely missed being trampled by a group of huge firefighters, but he did not give a fuck. Alina was still unconscious and bleeding from her wounds. It was hell on him.

  “Sir? Place her here, sir, so we can help,” an EMT called out instructions.

  He did not want to let her go, but the man was right. They could help her, and he needed that more than anything. Soon, his Alpha was there, and relief flowed through his Bear. The animal side of him trusted his Alpha to do what needed to be done.

  “Is she alright?” Konstantin raced up to Eddie as he gently placed Alina on a waiting gurney.

  “She’ll be okay,” the Shifter EMT replied when Eddie could not find the words.

  Tears pricked his eyes, but they stayed glued to her still form. Fuck. Please, gods, let him have reached her on time.

  “Oh my gods, look at that fire!” Yasmin shouted from beside her mate.

  Having her there was a balm to his wounded Bear as well. The more Pack, the happier the Shifter side of him. But Eddie did not respond. Nor did he bother to look at the building. He only had eyes for one person.

  Please be okay, he repeated the mantra inside his head. His gaze was riveted to Alina’s prone form as the EMTs worked, wiping blood, and packing her wound, hooking up an IV. Shit, this was bad.

  “Sir, you are bleeding,” another EMT stated, but Eddie was having none of that.

  “Her first,” he replied in a gravelly voice.

  The EMT tried to argue, but Eddie shook his head, refusing treatment as they worked on her and finally loaded Alina into the ambulance. He accepted a blanket that he used to tie around his waist.

  “Are you coming?” the EMT asked, and uncertainty filled him.

  Shit. Did he even deserve to go? It was his fault she was in this mess. What if she hated him now? Before he could reply, he watched as Alina’s eyes flicked open, and she was pushing the oxygen mask off her face.

  “Get in here, mate. Need you,” Alina whispered, her pain-filled stare meeting his.

  He did not need to be told twice. Eddie jumped in after her. The Bear inside him roared in victory. His mate was alive. Thank the gods, she was alive!

  “Thank the gods you are alright, Alina! Eddie, thank you for saving her. Now, let them treat you, too. That is an order. We will be right behind you both,” Konstantin said from outside the ambulance.

  “That’s right, Alina. Go get your Bear!” Yasmin shouted as the doors closed.

  Eduardo gazed adoringly at the only woman in the world who ever mattered to him. She truly was at that. His Bear chuffed and his pulse raced, he was gonna do better. He swore it to himself as one EMT handed him a wad of gauze to press against his thigh that was still leaking blood.

  “I am so sorry you got hurt, Alina—”

  “Shhh,” she said, taking the mask off again. “I am not made of glass, moy bogatyr.”

  “I know that. You’re a damn hellcat, Alina. Fuck, I can’t believe I almost lost you. Te amo, mi fiera.” he growled, dropping his forehead to hers.

  “I love you, too,” she replied, and his heart sang with happiness.

  Somehow, he was going to prove himself worthy. They were going to have a life together. A good one.

  Mate. Mine.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  After several hours of being poked and prodded, Alina was more than ready to be released from the Shifter clinic. New York was full of amazing facilities for the supernatural, and she was curious about them all.

  But of this place? Not so much. She blinked slowly, coming out of the drug induced sleep and her inner she-Cat snarled angrily. She did not like being under the influence of anything, truth be told.

 

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