“Father. That will be the best name. Or Dad.”

Carly caught her breath. She pictured a cute kid, like Jordan or Olaf, looking up at Tiger with his same golden eyes, and saying “Daddy.” She wanted to cry.

“Mate of my heart,” Tiger said, tugging her closer. “Come here and kiss me.”

Carly leaned to him and kissed the corner of his lips again, trying to be careful.

Tiger slid his good arm around her neck and pulled her down for a true and thorough kiss. Nothing wrong with his mouth.

When he eased away, Carly looked down into the face that she loved, no matter what. Tiger’s left eye was definitely clearer, the golden iris coming into view. Both eyes fixed on Carly, strength returning.

“The touch of a mate,” Tiger said. “Heals. Which means you need to keep kissing me.”

Carly laughed as he pulled her back down, then she gave herself over to healing him the only way she knew how.

* * *

Tiger did mend, inside and out, but it took days, and it was painful. But Andrea confirmed that though Tiger had been as near to death as anyone could get, his thread of life barely intact, he would make it.

Andrea came over many times in the next few days, she and Sean lending healing strength through her gift and the Guardian’s sword. At least Tiger didn’t have to worry about seeing the big sword coming toward his heart to send him to the afterlife. Not yet.

One morning about a week later, Tiger opened his eyes to find Carly at his side. She’d insisted on sleeping with him every night, and she slept now, her head on one hand, her sleek hair in fine strands on the pillow.

Tiger immediately knew he was well. His skin was whole—the pain that lingered was like the remnants of a sunburn. He’d gotten his first sunburn this spring, a new and interesting sensation.

Tiger had slept without covers, but a thin sheet hugged Carly’s br**sts, her dusky areolas showing through the pale cloth. Her hip rose in a sweet curve, legs stretched out and touching Tiger’s.

Tiger gently pushed Carly onto her back, peeling the sheet from her and replacing its drape with his body. His ready c**k nudged between her legs.

Carly stirred, woke, smiled. “Hey there. I guess you’re feeling better.”

Tiger wanted to tell her he loved her, that he loved waking up next to her, that he was grateful beyond words for what she’d done for him, but his throat closed up, and he couldn’t speak. His need climbed, the mating frenzy tapping him.

Carly stretched, saying “Hmm,” then she brought her arms around him. “I’ve missed you.”

That, Tiger could respond to. His voice rasped. “I missed you every day, every hour, every second.”

“Then why did you go? What were you doing all this time? I was going crazy without you.”

Tiger’s fears, which had been dulled by pain, rose again. “I wanted you to be safe. So that if they came for me, they wouldn’t hurt you. But I couldn’t stay away. I had to protect you, to watch over you.”

“That was you in my house, saving me and bandaging me up.” Carly touched her face, where the bruises had been. “And what was with stealing my sofa cushion? Which I found in my yard, unsalvageable.”

“The man Crosby took it,” Tiger said. “He dropped it when he ran.”

“He broke into my house to steal a cushion. What a weirdo.”

“Connor said he broke in here too, stealing my shirts. He was looking for something that might have traces of my DNA, I’m thinking.”

“And you slept on my sofa that one time. How could he have known that? Unless . . .”

“He was spying through the window. I sensed Walker that night, but . . .” Tiger thought about it. If Crosby had been outside Carly’s living room window, he’d have known. “He could have been spying far away, if he was looking for an opportunity to shoot me. Some rifles have good scopes.”

Carly’s amusement died. “And then he tried to kill you.” Tiger had come very close to death that night Crosby had snuck in, but whatever had been bred into him had made him wake up, alert, in time to stop the shot.

Carly wrapped her arms around him. “I hate how close to losing you I came.”

“And I came too close to losing you,” Tiger said. “I almost didn’t make it in time.”

“But you did. You saved us all.”

Tiger looked down at Carly, her green eyes, her fine-boned face, her wide-lipped smile. Desperation tugged at his heart. “I can’t lose you.”

“I’m right here, love,” she whispered.

Tiger kissed her again, gently at first, then letting his mouth become firmer, bolder. Carly returned the kisses with as much boldness, her arms tightening around him.

Tiger needed her. Lying here next to her for days, scenting her, feeling her, wanting her, had made him insane. He was hard with mating frenzy. She’d declared herself his mate, and Tiger had been too weak to do anything about it.

He wasn’t weak anymore. Tiger parted Carly’s thighs with one hand, then pushed his wide-awake c**k straight inside her.

Carly’s eyes opened wide, the gray sparkles in the green beautiful. “Mmm,” she purred. “I have missed you.”

Tiger’s powers of speech deserted him. He only felt Carly around him, his mate.

The mating frenzy reached up and closed its fist around him. Thought fled. There was only Carly, her scent, her heat, the dampness of her skin, the scalding moisture that gripped his cock.

Carly, always Carly. The beautiful woman who’d healed him with her touch. She’d saved Tiger, given him his name.

The room filled with the sounds of their lovemaking, their quick breaths and little moans, the creak of the sturdy bed, the slide of skin on skin, their mouths coming together.

Tiger pumped into her in a hard, fast rhythm, his body knowing what to do. Carly rose beneath him, legs coming around him, her bare feet pressing him. She took him easily now, fitting around him. Her eyes were half-closed, lips parted with pleasure.

As Tiger wound up toward his climax, she did too. Carly’s movements became jerkier, her hips rolling with his, her quick cries fueling his frenzy.

Tiger’s growl vibrated the air. His fingers grew claws, then quickly receded, Tiger wanting to be a man when he was with this woman.

Carly crushed against him as she rose into him, crying his name. Tiger held her close, the frenzy erasing all pain, including the sunburnlike tingle. Being inside her took away all sorrow, all grief, all hurt. He had so much hurt, and Carly was dissolving it.