King's Throne(12)

He tugged on her hand and pulled her closer, but she halted just out of reach of his lips. How he wanted to kiss her, but his energy was beginning to fail. It didn’t feel quite as scary as before, so maybe he wasn’t going to die just yet, but if he did, he was at peace. He had met the white tiger and had known the gentle, healing touch of the princess. He could die a happy man.
The only thing that could make him even happier would be if Gina closed the distance between them and laid her soft lips against his. He wanted her touch, her kiss, her skin against his. He knew he wasn’t good enough for her, but that didn’t seem to matter to his inner cat, who wanted the tigress in her to submit to his dominance. Ill as he was, Mitch knew he wasn’t very dominant at the moment.
Gina stayed with him. She nursed him back to health as best she could. She gave of her own magical blood to heal his injured body. Surely she had the biggest heart of any being he had ever met. She was selfless in her care for him—a relative stranger.
She knew what he was. A Royal Guard. A golden tiger. An Alpha sworn to protect the shifter royalty. But she had yet to learn the deeper facets of his personality. She didn’t know who he was. She didn’t know him. The real him. Not really. But if he survived this ordeal, Mitch vowed to find some way that he could stay near her for the rest of his days.
He didn’t delude himself that he might be considered good enough by her kin to mate her, but even without that ultimate bond, Mitch felt drawn to her. Now that he knew of her existence, he would never leave her in this life. He would do his duty as a Royal Guard and protect the tiger princess with every breath left in his body. He would quit the Nyx’s employ and move to be near Gina, wherever she chose to go from here. From this day forward, she would never be unguarded again. It was his duty. His honor. He needed to keep her safe from all who might harm her.
He had never felt such a compelling desire to guard the Nyx, though being a Royal Guard was something he’d trained for almost his entire life. He would die for the Nyx. It was his duty. But the need to take care of Gina was even stronger.
Acknowledging that soul-deep truth, Mitch allowed himself to relax and close his eyes. Sleep claimed him, but not before he felt the touch of Gina’s lips on his forehead. A gentle benediction to help him sleep. He had never known before that such a small, gentle touch could mean so much.
 

 
Chapter Three
 
The next time Mitch woke, he was much more clear-headed. He looked around for clues about how long he had been asleep but found it hard to feel the passage of time. He knew he had been out of it for a long time though, by the stiffness of his muscles. Or maybe it was the poison that made him so achy? He wasn’t really sure.
There were a few small windows in the cabin and all had curtains drawn over them. No light leaked around the fabric, so Mitch assumed it was dark out. Night time.
He raised his head and looked all around the cabin, but Gina was nowhere to be found. That worried him into sitting up. Where could she be? He didn’t think she would have left him alone, unconscious and unprotected.
Then he heard the unmistakable sound of claws against the door handle as it turned from the outside. The door opened just enough to admit a sparkling white tiger. A female.#p#分页标题#e#
Gina.
Mitch’s breath caught at her beauty. She was gorgeous in feline form, and her striped white fur crackled with magical energy in the dark. A few flakes of snow followed her inside, swirling around her sleek, powerful body as she padded in on silent paws and then turned to secure the door before moving farther into the room.
Mitch felt the chill of the outdoors, but only in a peripheral way. All his attention was on Gina and the amazing picture she presented. She was ethereal. Her glowing coat spoke of the magic of other realms. Goddess-touched.
Mitch felt like dropping to one knee in deference, but he was still prone and the aches in his body told him he wouldn’t be able to move without considerable pain and possible further embarrassment. He’d tried to kneel to Gina’s dad and had failed miserably in the attempt. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself a second time. Still, Gina inspired worship without even trying.
She nodded her regal head at him when she turned around and realized he was awake and then loped off behind a curtain that partitioned one side of the room. He heard the rustling of fabric and a moment later, Gina stepped out from behind the curtain in human form, dressed in a dark T-shirt and jeans. She was just as beautiful in her human guise as in her fur.
“Have you been awake long?” she asked, coming closer.
“Just a few minutes. What time is it?”