To Tempt A Tiger(88)

Alexis came up to Rose. “You okay?”

She nodded, though her limbs were shaking in reaction to the adrenaline rush.

Alexis motioned behind her to the main door. “Sorry. I had to break in. Something jammed it tight.”

“Must have been Lei when he took Zoe. I was trying to let you in.”

Alexis glared at the elder, now surrounded by tiger shifters. “There’s supposed to be an alarm to let the security teams know there’s a problem.” She muttered this mostly to herself.

Rose didn’t have the energy to think about that yet. She glanced at Qiang. “What happens now?”

“Now, we will see to him.” He nodded at Lei without looking at him.

Lei was escorted from the room, his assistant following with his head bowed and his hands gripped tightly in front of him. Lei didn’t even glance at her as he was taken away, but he continued to spew hateful vitriol about how hybrids would destroy their people.

Qiang continued, “We thank you for your assistance in this ugly incident.”

Thanks? They were thanking her?

“A vote,” Elizaveta said, her voice quieting the murmuring assistants. “Rose Callaghan’s status in the community. We accept her under the new human hybrid laws. All in favor?”

One by one along the line of elders, each raised a hand in assent. Elder Six hesitated the longest before acquiescing with a slight snarl. When the vote finished, pro-hybrid Elder Three grinned smugly and nodded his approval.

“It is unanimous, then,” Elizaveta said. “Rose Callaghan will be integrated into the community under hybrid laws and protected by such.” She looked at Rose. “Welcome to the community.” Then she rolled her eyes and looked at the other elders, motioning toward the bloody ground. “This was not the best of introductions.”

Most of the elders had the grace to look embarrassed.

Rose shook her head. “What does this mean? Are we safe now?”

Elizaveta smiled just a little. “You are both completely safe now. There will be no more difficulties for you.” She glanced through narrowed eyes at the other elders. No one argued her point.

“We will ensure the community knows this kind of attempt on you and your daughter will be met with vicious reprisal,” Qiang added. “You may relax.”

Rose actually did, then, letting her shoulders slump. She flashed a small smile at Alexis, tucked her now empty gun into the waistband of her jeans, and trotted to Vlad and Zoe, wrapping them up in a hug, her arms trembling. She buried her face against Zoe’s neck and breathed her in, the terror of what might have happened bringing tears to her eyes.

“Thank you again, Ms. Callaghan,” Qiang added, “for meting out the proper punishment to the criminal Yuri. The community will learn of this, too.”

With that final comment, the remaining elders and their assistants filed out through the undamaged door.

Rose hugged Vlad and Zoe even tighter. Then leaned back and looked them over. “Are you hurt? Either of you?” She searched Vlad’s face and body for signs of injury, rubbing a hand over Zoe’s back as she hunted for sore spots. “Are you okay, baby? That man didn’t hurt you, did he?”

Zoe shook her head, shifting positions so she could wrap an arm around Rose’s neck while still keeping one arm around Vlad. She leaned close to Rose’s face and said in a serious and intense tone, “Mommy, you a badass.”

Rose choked on her surprised laugh. “Baby! Where did you even hear that word?”

“Daddy said it after you shot the bad man.”

Rose glanced at Vlad, her brows raised.

He shrugged. “You are.”

Zoe grinned, the seriousness falling from her expression. “Yes. You a badass, Mommy. Mommy badass!”

“Zoe,” she tried to scold, but it came out more teasingly, which only made Zoe giggle and repeat “badass” a few more times.

Rose shook her head, laughing, afraid she might cry at the same time as her tension drained away. “My mother is going to make me do twelve rosaries if she finds out her granddaughter knows the word badass.” She was about to say more when something else Zoe had said gave her pause. Slowly, the single word sank in and Rose realized… “Zoe, you called Vlad Daddy?”

Zoe tilted her head to one side and gave her mother a frown. “Is Daddy.”

“You know that?”

“You said so.”

“I did? When?”

“You said Daddy in woods.”

“I didn’t think you noticed…” She pulled in a breath and let it out slowly. “How do you feel about that, baby?”

Vlad went still at the question, but Rose kept her gaze on Zoe.