that I believe we are born to it. There is no choice for us. It is what it is and this is the way of it,” Gabe said as he led the way up a steep flight of stone steps.
“It’s not much, is it?” Wyatt said as they rounded the top and stared at the tiny town with its two restaurants, general store, and doctor’s office.
“Uncle Wyatt, how rude!” Carmen slapped the man’s arm. How could he be so disrespectful when Mitch and Gable had told them about their struggles? How had so many of them managed to stay alive against all odds?
“Considering that it’s all we have and we have lived here peacefully for the last hundred years, you would do well to keep such thoughts to yourself.” Malik glared at him.
“I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just thinking aloud. Hell, my hat is off to you and your people. I’d go crazy if I had to stay here indefinitely.” Wyatt slapped Malik on the back. “Remind me to tell your prince that your people are welcome in Paradise no matter what time of year it is.”
“I’m sure he would appreciate the reminder, though he’s not here.” A large man stepped out from behind a huge, standing stone. He tilted his head for a moment, appearing deep in thought. “Maxim informs me that you have come with your mate?” The newcomer addressed Malik and Gable before turning his gaze on her. “Might this be your woman?” He smiled, his pronounced tiger’s incisors making him look more intimidating. “Welcome to the cascade. I am Viktor Andropov. Like Maxim, I am also an elder.” He swept his arm in a wide arc. “The countryside awaits you.” He winked. “I must tell you that your presence is much anticipated.” He glanced at Malik and Gabe. “The elders assigned you to go because they knew your travels would eventually lead you to your mate. Now, two more shall go in your place.”
“Wait a minute... what?” The stunned expression on Malik’s face was almost comical. “The elders knew?” His face reddened. He clamped his mouth shut, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
He was angry? How could he be angry that he’d met his mate?
“I thought...” Carmen took a deep breath. “I thought you were glad that you found me.” Her eyes burned and she cast her gaze to the ground. How could she have been so wrong about them?
Malik grasped her shoulders, bending to look into her eyes. “It has nothing to do with you, kotik, and everything to do with the fact that the mission they sent us on has put you in danger. That is why we are upset.”
Meeting his gaze, she stared deep into his deep blue eyes and saw his sincerity. The regret he felt for endangering her was palpable. Hell, she could even smell his anger and remorse.
“Now, I hope this puts to rest any doubt you have as to whether or not you’re our mate.” He smiled. “Why else would you be so upset to think that we didn’t want you?”
Carmen stared up at him, her mouth open.
Reaching out, Gable grasped her chin and pushed her mouth closed. “Indeed, my angel. Why else?”
Chapter Fourteen
“You said that most of you have... differences that make it difficult to walk among humans.” Carmen glanced around, obviously trying to find someone whose deformity was so obvious it would keep them a virtual prisoner here in the cascade.
“Yes I did.” Malik nodded. “You saw why Maxim cannot leave the cascade.” Many of their people were in a similar situation. At least he and Gable had been lucky enough to conceal their deformities.
“Actually, he could leave here.” Carmen looked up at him, her head tilted in the way that had quickly endeared her to him. “There are dozens, if not hundreds, of people out there who tattoo themselves to stand out. He would only appear to have had tattooed stripes on his skin.”
“People do that sort of thing?”
“Yes.” She chuckled when he raised his brow. “There are a few who have had tiger stripes tattooed on them, leopard spots. Some of them have even
“It’s not much, is it?” Wyatt said as they rounded the top and stared at the tiny town with its two restaurants, general store, and doctor’s office.
“Uncle Wyatt, how rude!” Carmen slapped the man’s arm. How could he be so disrespectful when Mitch and Gable had told them about their struggles? How had so many of them managed to stay alive against all odds?
“Considering that it’s all we have and we have lived here peacefully for the last hundred years, you would do well to keep such thoughts to yourself.” Malik glared at him.
“I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just thinking aloud. Hell, my hat is off to you and your people. I’d go crazy if I had to stay here indefinitely.” Wyatt slapped Malik on the back. “Remind me to tell your prince that your people are welcome in Paradise no matter what time of year it is.”
“I’m sure he would appreciate the reminder, though he’s not here.” A large man stepped out from behind a huge, standing stone. He tilted his head for a moment, appearing deep in thought. “Maxim informs me that you have come with your mate?” The newcomer addressed Malik and Gable before turning his gaze on her. “Might this be your woman?” He smiled, his pronounced tiger’s incisors making him look more intimidating. “Welcome to the cascade. I am Viktor Andropov. Like Maxim, I am also an elder.” He swept his arm in a wide arc. “The countryside awaits you.” He winked. “I must tell you that your presence is much anticipated.” He glanced at Malik and Gabe. “The elders assigned you to go because they knew your travels would eventually lead you to your mate. Now, two more shall go in your place.”
“Wait a minute... what?” The stunned expression on Malik’s face was almost comical. “The elders knew?” His face reddened. He clamped his mouth shut, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
He was angry? How could he be angry that he’d met his mate?
“I thought...” Carmen took a deep breath. “I thought you were glad that you found me.” Her eyes burned and she cast her gaze to the ground. How could she have been so wrong about them?
Malik grasped her shoulders, bending to look into her eyes. “It has nothing to do with you, kotik, and everything to do with the fact that the mission they sent us on has put you in danger. That is why we are upset.”
Meeting his gaze, she stared deep into his deep blue eyes and saw his sincerity. The regret he felt for endangering her was palpable. Hell, she could even smell his anger and remorse.
“Now, I hope this puts to rest any doubt you have as to whether or not you’re our mate.” He smiled. “Why else would you be so upset to think that we didn’t want you?”
Carmen stared up at him, her mouth open.
Reaching out, Gable grasped her chin and pushed her mouth closed. “Indeed, my angel. Why else?”
Chapter Fourteen
“You said that most of you have... differences that make it difficult to walk among humans.” Carmen glanced around, obviously trying to find someone whose deformity was so obvious it would keep them a virtual prisoner here in the cascade.
“Yes I did.” Malik nodded. “You saw why Maxim cannot leave the cascade.” Many of their people were in a similar situation. At least he and Gable had been lucky enough to conceal their deformities.
“Actually, he could leave here.” Carmen looked up at him, her head tilted in the way that had quickly endeared her to him. “There are dozens, if not hundreds, of people out there who tattoo themselves to stand out. He would only appear to have had tattooed stripes on his skin.”
“People do that sort of thing?”
“Yes.” She chuckled when he raised his brow. “There are a few who have had tiger stripes tattooed on them, leopard spots. Some of them have even
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