Page 39 of Tiger Bitten

“I…” He looked confused. “I don’t know anymore.”

“Will you hurt me? That’s the simple question. Will you?”

“Ren,” he pleaded.

“Will you hurt me? Or will you protect me? From anything. Yourself included.”

Mars’s dark eyebrows lowered and he searched the floor by her feet, thinking. “I will protect you.”

“Promise me. I need you to keep me safe. Promise me you will keep me safe from everything.”

His blue eyes sparked as he lifted his gaze to hers. “I will protect you from everything.”

“Open the cage.”

“Do it,” Misty murmured.

“You know how fast Stellan was. You know how good he was at pretending,” Dame uttered.

“Dame, I’m asking you to open the cage. Please.”

There was a charged moment between them, and then Dame retrieved the key from the table across the room. He strode past Misty, and past Ren, looking furious. He unlocked the padlock, and yanked open the door, then stood back, ready, snarling.

Ren’s heart raced as she walked right for the open cage door. She shoved it open wider and reached for him. Mars was ready and caught her up in his arms, lifted her off the ground and pressed his lips to hers. His hand went to the back of her head and cupped her, gripping her hair like he didn’t want her to separate from him.

The world melted away again, just like it had at the wedding. She hugged him so tightly and wrapped her legs around him. He pecked two more kisses on her lips and ended the kiss, then buried his face against the side of her neck as she squeezed her eyes so tightly closed and hugged him as hard as she could.

“I knew it,” Misty said from the other side of the bars.

“Knew what?” Mars asked in a ragged voice.

“Ren isn’t your Rabbit, you idiot. She’s your mate.”

Mars had been swaying her back and forth, but he paused and settled Ren onto her feet. “What?” he asked, forcing his attention to Misty.

“You’re obsessed with her?” Dame asked.

Mars nodded.

“Have you ever wanted to hurt her?”

“Well, no. But I need to be around her, and I get this feeling when I’m around her.”

“What kind of feeling?” Misty asked.

“This…” He released Ren enough to gesture to his chest. “This uneasy feeling builds inside of me, like something is going to happen.”

“Something bad?” Misty asked.

“I don’t know.”

Dame blew out a relieved breath. “Misty’s right. She ain’t your Rabbit, man. You couldn’t hold her like that if she was. You’re good.”

“But…I don’t understand this feeling,” he argued.

Dame nodded and made his way into the cage, clapped him on the back, and gripped his shoulder, then shook him gently. He was smiling so big now and nodding over and over. “I know the feeling. It’s scary for Cats like us. You’re good though.”

“But what if this feeling changes and turns evil?” Mars asked.