The Tigers Shared Mate Read online

  She had fallen asleep to these musings, her dreams for once peaceful and happy. Lydia couldn’t remember having had such a restful night.

  The sounds floating up from the first floor signaled that the rest of the house was up and already starting the day. Lydia heard more than one unfamiliar voice, but Carter had warned her that the wedding planners and head seamstress would be coming to fit her for dresses and talk to her about certain aspects of the ceremony.

  “Dresses?”

  Lydia had been more than a little overwhelmed by that.

  “Yes. And you’ll need to interview attendants. You’re going to be changing a lot, and there’s quite a bit to the ceremony, even if you’re used to the way we do it. You’ll need help navigating the entire thing, so we’re hiring an assistant for you so that the day is as stress-free as possible.”

  Lydia didn’t know what to think about all that, but she was grateful that Carter had thought of such a thing. He was more of a planner than Jareth, and very detail oriented. She was finding his gentle brand of affection very endearing. She enjoyed Jareth’s quick wit and his dry sense of humor, but she appreciated the things about Carter that set him apart from his friend.

  Resigned to her day, and reminding herself that they had indulged her every whim the day before, she dragged herself out of bed and headed for the shower. The bathroom included a door that accessed the walk-in closet from the back side, and she slid it to the side.

  She selected a simple sweater and some fun, patterned leggings. From the drawers along one side, she removed a thin pair of socks and selected a pair of shoes that matched the leggings.

  When they got home the night before, they’d parked in the garage and walked in to dinner being placed on the table. When the last cup of tea had been poured and Lydia was ready to retire for the night, she’d found that her purchases had already been put away neatly in the closet and her bathroom. On her pillow had been a neatly written note, the script feminine and loopy. Five simple words had said more than a thousand could:

  Welcome to the family, Lydia.

  She’d folded the note neatly and placed it in her back pack, which was still where she’d left it. Whether she stayed or left, she wanted a reminder that this wasn’t a dream from which she would someday wake. Her life, if only for a brief moment of time, had truly been something out of a storybook.

  Lydia never wanted to forget that.

  When her hair was dried and she was ready to face the entourage downstairs, she pulled on the fur-lined ankle boots and went down the staircase.

  “Good morning, Sunshine,” Carter greeted her when she leaned over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

  The dining room was filled with people she’d never met. All eyes were on her, and already she felt her skin crawling.

  A small woman with chocolate brown hair and matching eyes stepped forward from the group and ushered Lydia into the kitchen gently.

  “I’m Siva. You look overwhelmed. Do you want me to have the others move their work to the sitting room so you can have breakfast in peace?”

  “That would be great.”

  “When you’re done, you can see them one at a time or all at once. I would suggest the latter. They’re overwhelming, but they’ll be gone faster if they can get what they need and be on their way.”

  Lydia listened to the woman rattle all this off, her voice calm and soothing.

  “I’m sorry. Who are you?”

  “Siva,” she repeated again with no sign of annoyance. “I’m hoping to be your personal assistant.”

  Lydia nodded and smiled at the woman. She was tall but somehow Lydia didn’t find her intimidating. Lydia imagined that, in the right circumstances, Siva could be very daunting.

  Carter sauntered into the kitchen, steaming cup of tea in his hand and a warm smile on his face.

  “Shall I let all the other applicants know you’ve chosen your assistant?”

  “Please, Carter. There are way too many people in this house.”

  He chuckled and walked away.

  Siva clapped her hands together and smiled.

  “Should we get started then?”

  “I haven’t had breakfast yet.”

  “You can start with the planner while you eat. She’s long-winded, so you’ll be done with breakfast before she’s done with her first question.”

  Siva rolled her eyes dramatically and Lydia laughed.

  “You’re going to do just fine. Just follow my lead and I’ll help you get through this day,” Siva said, giving Lydia a friendly squeeze that felt as if Siva had been her best friend for years.

  Siva led Lydia into the dining room after waiting for her to select a bagel and a spread. Lydia sat down at the table, loading her plate up with fresh fruit from the tray in front of her. Siva poured her a glass of orange juice and set it in front of Lydia.

  “Are you ready for Lilian, the wedding planner?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “Great.”

  Siva walked out into the sitting room and motioned to Lilian while Lydia went to work on breakfast.

  “Looks like all your misgivings about having a personal assistant have gone out the window,” Carter said softly.

  “She’d amazing. Is she going to be here full-time?”

  “She’ll spend more time as the wedding approaches.”

  “Good. I like her.”

  The wedding plans went fast, with one vendor after another coming to Lydia while Siva ran interference. Anyone who was too pushy was immediately shut down. By lunch time, only the seamstress remained.

  “Seven dresses?” Lydia was shocked. “How long is the ceremony?”

  “Yours is short, so probably just the weekend,” Jenna said, pulling a large case out and folding it open until the entire thing took up nearly the entire dining room.

  “Here are all the fabrics and colors I have available.”

  Lydia looked at the enormous selection before her and felt like fleeing. How was she going to decide between so many? There was every shade of every color imaginable, some with patterns embossed directly into the fabric. Lydia looked at Siva, clearly overwhelmed.

  “Let’s start with what you don’t like and see if we can narrow it down a little,” Siva said, taking charge of the process despite the look that Jenna threw her.

  “I don’t like pink, at all.”

  Siva looked at the selection before them.

  “That’s a good call. That gets rid of a significant portion of the options. Jenna, can we pull out the panels that have pink, please?”

  Jenna flipped back the panels that were pink, leaving several blank spaces in the runner. Lydia was visibly relieved.

  “Now for the rest,” Siva said. “Anything else you don’t like?”

  It took almost an hour, but they finally narrowed the choices down to only twenty options.

  “I don’t really care,” Lydia finally ground out.

  “So you like all the options?”

  Lydia shrugged.

  “Probably.”

  “Excellent.”

  Siva turned to Jenna and smiled.

  “Perhaps you can surprise her? I’ve heard nothing but good things about your work. A little artistic freedom will be a welcome change from the common bridezilla, right?”

  “Actually, yes.”

  Jenna whipped out her phone and snapped a picture of Lydia.

  “I’ll pick the colors and fabrics that will flatter you the most. I promise, you’ll feel like a princess in my dresses.”

  With that, Jenna gathered up her stuff and left, stepping by a tall, lanky young man as she exited the room.

  “Can I help you?” Siva asked, her tone not the least bit welcoming.

  “I’ve just come to check on the progress. I see the wedding folks have come and gone. Gavin will be happy to know that things are right on schedule.”

  Siva’s lip curled slightly, and she looked like she was about to pounce.

  “If th
at’s all you need, errand boy, your presence isn’t needed her. Go back to Gavin and let him know that everything is going well.”

  Siva shooed him away like a small child and Lydia watched the young man’s face turn scarlet.

  “Who is that?”

  “Gavin’s little assistant. Gavin sent him to spy on you all, that’s it. It’s ridiculous. Like it’s not bad enough that they’re forcing you to get married, now they have to insert themselves into the process. Gavin is such a control freak.”

  “You know about that?”

  “Girl, every shifter in the state knows what’s going on. It didn’t take long for the truth to get back to us. Some people agree with Gavin, but most of us, myself included, think that Gavin is a has-been who is holding onto his position of power the only way he knows how. He’s going to control everything he can until his last breath, or until things change.”

  “Why doesn’t anyone stand up to him?”

  Siva shrugged. “Things have been this way for centuries and no one is willing to stand up to the elders.”

  “That seems silly.”

  “I know that, and you know that. But people here like to keep things the same. And what’s happened in Florida isn’t helping.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Some have stood up against the elders there, and there’s a lot of unrest on both sides. Shifters and humans are turning on each other and pretty much every interspecies family has been forced to flee to save their lives. The anti-shifters have a huge militia there, and it’s not looking good.”

  Siva trailed off, lost in her own thoughts. Lydia watched her face, impressed by Siva’s courage. She was young, just a year or two into her twenties. Yet there was something about her that Lydia couldn’t quite put her finger on. Siva had leadership qualities.

  “Maybe when the elders have stepped down, and things in Florida change, you can lead people in the right direction. Change can start with one persistent voice. You can be that person.”

  “Thank you. You have no idea how much that means. The thought has crossed my mind, but I doubt the situation in Florida is going to change any time soon. It’s dangerous down there. But someday, things will be how they should be. And all these archaic laws forcing people into marriages they don’t want will be abolished. Until then, we make the most of it.”

  Lydia nodded, but remained silent. She hadn’t known about Florida, and now she had to figure out another course of action. She’d heard about how progressive the state was, but apparently that had changed. With the information Siva had shared, Lydia wasn’t so sure that Florida was an option for her anymore.

  Jareth interrupted their conversation when he walked into the room.

  “Are they gone already?”

  “Yes. Siva is a great ring-leader.”

  Jareth smiled at Siva. Siva stood up, gathering her things and thanking Jareth for the chance to work for their family.

  “Lydia, I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early?”

  “Why?”

  “You have ceremonies to learn. Nothing near as intricate. But since yours is a poly marriage, there’s an additional ceremony that requires your participation.”

  Jareth watched Lydia’s face, wondering if it was the time to be preparing her for these things. He was pretty sure that she was going to spend the night working herself into a snit over the unknown and be much too wound up in the morning.

  “Siva, you’ve been great,” Jareth said. “I’m glad that Lydia chose you. You come highly recommended.”

  Siva took the hint, bowing low before hurrying out of the room and leaving for the day.

  “What ceremony?”

  “It’s nothing really, just a little skit of sorts.”

  “A skit? Like a play?”

  “Sort of. We go through the motions as if we both tried to win your love and we fight to win. When we end in a tie, you decide not to choose and marry us both. At that point, the actual commitment ceremony begins.”

  “That sounds exhausting.”

  “For us. You’ll spend most of the display seated at the back of the stage, watching us fight.”

  “Sounds barbaric.”

  “And nothing like how we ended up in this situation. I’m not thrilled about it, but Gavin insisted and I just don’t want to deal with him. Besides, it will be fun to put Carter through his paces. I’m a much better swordsman than he is.”

  “Swords?”

  “They’re ceremonial. It’s a lot of bravado for the guests.”

  “And Gavin will be there?”

  “Probably not. But likely Adam will be there.”

  “He’s absurd.”

  “So you got to meet him today?”

  “I wouldn’t put it that way, but yes, he was here.”

  Lydia thanked the man who brought their lunch out, smiling at him when he named the offerings in front of them.

  Lydia selected a cucumber sandwich and a plate of fruit, chatting with Jareth between bites.

  “Where’s Carter?”

  “He left to take care of some things for the business.”

  “Will he be back before dinner?”

  “Probably, but not too much before then. Why, do you miss him?”

  “A little. I missed you today, though, too. Siva was great, but she’s nowhere near as handsome as you.”

  Lydia immediately blushed at her forwardness.

  “I didn’t mean to let that slip.”

  “I can see.”

  “Maybe you can show me the rest of the house today.”

  “What if I show you my wing of the house and leave Carter to show you his another time?”

  He squeezed her thigh beneath the table, causing a bolt of electricity to shoot up her leg. Was he talking about showing her his house, or his bedroom? Lydia wasn’t sure, but she found herself hoping for the latter.

  What has gotten into me, she wondered.

  “That sounds good, actually. I get a little tired of seeing the dining room and my room”

  “We meant to talk to you about that.”

  Lydia had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Were they feeling as if she was taking up too much room?

  “If you’re going to stay here until spring, you might be more comfortable in one of the larger suites.”

  “The room I’m in is large enough.”

  “When the weather turns bad, you’ll be stuck in the house a lot. Carter and I talked about it and if you want, you can decorate and move into the larger suite. It’s got a fitness room with one wall that is almost entirely windows, as well as a small library and its own balcony.”

  “I really like the room I’m in.”

  Jareth cocked his head slightly.

  “The room I’m talking about is better. What do you like in the guest room that you’re not willing to leave behind?”

  Lydia blushed, feeling a little silly when he put it that way.

  “The tub.”

  “Oh, Lydia,” he smiled. “Every bedroom in the house has a bathroom like yours. It’s one of the perks of being rich.”

  “All of them?”

  “Yep. There’s nothing in your room now that isn’t in the guest suite.”

  “I guess that sounds good, then.”

  “I’ll have your stuff moved. In the meantime, let’s take that tour you were wanting.”

  He stood and took her hand, leading her out of the dining room and down the hallway on the first floor.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Don’t you want to see the guest suite first?”

  “It’s on the first floor?”

  “Yes.” He paused, “And the second. You can access it from either floor”

  “Why is it so big?”

  “Darling, all of our rooms are big. Carter and I designed and built this home ourselves. If you can think of it, we included it.”

  He pushed open double doors, revealing a small sitting library that opened into a larger sitting room. The east wall was entirely win
dows from the window seat to the ceiling.

  “This is amazing.”

  “Wait until you see the bedroom and the closet.”

  Despite her reservations, Lydia couldn’t wait to see the entire suite. Leaving this place was going to be more difficult than she ever imagined.

  CHAPTER SIX

  A small, spiral staircase led up to the second floor of her suite. The staircase led to the large room. There was a small desk and book shelf to one side, and a flat screen television across from the foot of the king sized bed. At the foot of the bed was a low backed loveseat facing the television, a low ottoman pushed against it.

  The room was shades of blue and silver, giving the feeling of an underwater paradise. Sheer green and blue fabric wound around the bed canopy, and even the carpet was a deep, plush teal color.

  “This room is magical.”

  “I thought you’d like it.”

  “It’s all my favorite colors.”

  “Wait until you see the closet.”

  Jareth put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her to the large, double doors. He pushed a small button beside the doors and they slid open, disappearing into the wall on either side of them.

  Lydia was shocked into silence. This closet was the size of the guestroom she’d been staying in. There was a place for every accessory you could imagine. From a wall of shelves for shoes, to drawers for socks and undergarments, and everything in between, no detail had been missed. There was even a place for hair accessories and a full length mirror.

  In the center of the room was an overstuffed chair she could sit in while she laced up her shoes or did her hair.

  “I could live in here,” she sighed. “This is amazing.”

  “You haven’t even seen the bathroom yet.”

  “I don’t need to. I definitely want to stay in this room.”

  “Are you sure? If you’re happy with the first room, you can stay in there.”

  The inflection in his voice was unmistakable. He was teasing her, and she was enjoying it.