The Liger's Mark by Lacey Thorn Page A

I always dreamed mating would be,” she whispered. “I’ve never felt so wanted in my life.”
    He kissed her on the brow, arms wrapping around her. “We’re going to have a few things to take care of, Kenzie. I hope you’re prepared for that.”
    “I can handle anything as long as I’m with you,” she vowed.
    “We need to figure out why the hunters are after you. We’ll stay here a few more days, but we’re going to need to head to Oklahoma soon. I need to get Laura back and check on Tah and everyone. Plus, I have a father to deal with, and he’s not going to be happy with what I have to say.”
    “He’ll be against our mating?”
    He hated to hurt her, but he refused to lie. “He will. According to him, I’m never supposed to take a mate. It would be selfish of me when so many others are depending on me.”
    “That’s not fair,” she said heatedly as she sat up, cupping his face in her hands. “Why should you walk alone, watching everyone else find happiness? Why would your father want that for you?”
    “He’s a hard man,” Gabriel said. He was starting to question a lot of things himself that he’d been told over the years.
    “Good or bad, at least you know who your father is,” Kenzie admitted. “My whole life I’ve held on to the belief I was a cougar who was unable to shift for some reason, and that’s why my parents gave me away. I just accepted it and tried not to let it matter. Then when my adopted family couldn’t wait to get rid of me, I told myself it didn’t matter. I was okay being on my own.”
    “Oh, baby,” he whispered. “You don’t ever have to worry about being on your own again.”
    “Gabriel, I’m scared,” she confessed, and there was a wash of fear in her eyes. “I heard the hunter in the cabin say he’d found me, and there was pure excitement in his voice. In the motel room, I heard them say I was the first one who’d survived some experiment that was done on me in infancy. That the doctor would be happy to get his hands back on me. I have no idea what he did.” She paused, taking a deep breath before meeting his gaze once more and continuing. “The woman who gave me the box was terrified to have me in her house. She said I was death because everyone in my shadow died.”
    A chill blazed through him as he held his shivering mate and tried to comfort her.
    “I don’t know who I am,” she whispered.
    “You’re my mate,” he rumbled. “Everything else we’ll discover together.”
    She nodded and curled back into his lap. Already his heart was filling with love and a fierce need to protect like he’d never encountered before, even when rescuing someone. This tiny woman bound him to her with the strength of a thousand men, and he knew he’d rip the hearts out of anyone who ever thought to hurt her again.

 
    Chapter Nine
     
     
     
    Hunger drove them out of the cabin and back to the main lodge. Holt was there along with Vic, Gideon and Laura, while Laramie had his head bent over something at the front desk. All of them glanced up when they walked in. Vic met her gaze and lifted a brow in question. Gideon leaned in and whispered something to his mate that made Vic smile. Laura was on her feet first, gaze scanning both of them from head to toe.
    “Feeling better?” she asked, coming over to them.
    “Much,” Gabriel assured her, reaching out to cup her face with one hand and turn it side-to-side.
    “How are you? Healing? Any problems I should know of?” he demanded.
    “I’m fine,” she said, smacking his hand away and stepping back. “Dusty kept an eye on me as well as Gideon. So other than feeling a bit smothered, I’m fine.”
    “You could use some smothering,” Gabriel informed her. “You look more like yourself.”
    “You look relaxed, happy.” Her glance turned to Kenzie, and she offered a tentative smile. “Mating seems to suit you both. I’m very happy for you.”
    Kenzie knew Laura meant her words, but she sensed an underlying