Once Upon a Tiger
Tiger Shifters
Book One
Kat Simons
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Publisher:
T&D Publishing
Date of
Publication: December 13, 2013
Cover
Artist: The Killion Group
Book Description:
She’ll never run.
Among the
tiger shifters, Alexis Tarasova is regarded as fierce and dangerous, with a
reputation that would make even the most daring tiger think twice about
challenging her. Female tiger shifters may be rare and the mating run a
critical part of their species’s survival, but Alexis is the only female
Tracker and will not back down, even at the threat of tiger law. She will not
be forced to mate. So when a handful of males band together to force her to
participate in the run, Alexis chooses to stand her ground and fight instead.
He's forbidden to run.
Outcast
from the tiger shifters after a vicious childhood attack left him mute, Victor
Romanov has never taken part in the mate run. He’s never particularly cared,
though, since the woman he loves refuses to take a mate. However, when he
learns Alexis may be in danger, all bets are off. Nothing will keep him from
her side.
Together, they're unmovable.
The
chemistry between them burns wickedly hot and forges them into an unbeatable
pair. Alexis knows that being with Victor means she will have to break another
one of her people’s laws—a move that might push the tigers too far. But, for Victor,
she will risk everything, including her life, and do what she thought she’d
never do—run.
Excerpt:
To Alexis’ surprise, Victor was standing at her door only a few minutes
later. She swallowed and tried not to stare. He was magnificent, muscled and lean,
with just the right amount of hair covering his human body. The hard cut angles
of his face should have made him look harsh but somehow he just looked more
compelling. Black eyes, closely cut dark hair, and a sexy half-smile that made
her stomach muscles tighten, all combined to send her heartbeat pounding.
She’d never been around Victor when she was in estrous. In fact, since
coming to terms with the knowledge that her obsession with him could never lead
to a future, she’d made an effort to never spend time alone with him. He was
the head security technician at the elders’ compound, so they crossed paths
regularly. But she tried making sure there were others around to keep her from
doing something stupid.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t always been successful.
She flashed on a recent memory of literally bumping into him in a
corridor at the compound when she’d been too deep in thought to notice her
surroundings. He’d held her arms while she caught her balance. The contact sent
shivers of desire shooting through her body, forcing her to step back as soon
as she could, then apologized.
He pulled a notebook from the back pocket of his dark jeans and wrote,
You okay?
“Fine. The job I’m heading out on has me…” She shrugged. “It’s a tough
one.”
A friend?
“No. Nothing like that.” She made the mistake of looking up to finish
and got momentarily caught in the deep darkness of his steady gaze. Her stomach
danced in giddy delight even as her heart tightened. Swallowing, she said, “The
tiger I’m going after has something wrong with him. He’s started stalking
children.”
Human or tiger?
“Human.”
Dangerous.
“Exactly.” Dangerous to their people if he were discovered by the
humans. Also dangerous for her as her target couldn’t possibly be sane if he
was hunting kids.
Has he hurt any yet?
“No. Fortunately. He came close twice, though. I have to find him
soon.”
Do you want help?
She straightened. No one offered to help her. Not since she’d taken the
Tracker oath. But he looked serious. And beneath the façade he normally wore,
she sensed a hard core of intensity only a stupid person would challenge. His
silence was intimidating enough, but for the first time, she saw a dangerous
edge to him.
And he was offering to help her. The gesture touched her in ways she
wouldn’t have expected. Suddenly, she was aware of just how alone they were and
just how desperately she wanted him.
“I’ll be fine.” Even as she said this, her heartbeat quickened and she
had trouble speaking above a whisper.
I know. But if you need me, I’m here.
Her pulse pounded loud in her ears as she read. Could he hear it? Did
he realize just how much she needed him—just not for the hunt? She found
herself staring at his mouth. The urge to lean in and taste him overwhelmed
her.
Alexis blinked back the memory and realized she was once again staring
at Victor’s mouth. This time, there was no one around to interrupt them and
keep her from giving in to the years of wanting. During that previous meeting,
a member of his security tech team had required his attention and he’d hurried
away, leaving her breathless. She’d brought in the rogue tiger with a little
more aggression than she might have normally. And then she’d taken herself off
to her retreat here in the mountains to wallow in the frustration of having to
resist the only man she wanted.
Now Victor was here. No one between them. And her hormones were making
things infinitely worse.
His being naked did not help her control either—which was hanging on by
a very tiny, thin thread.
My Review: 4 stars
I very much enjoyed the world that Kat created. Although I would have preferred the story to go on longer, there was enough for a good, solid story. I liked both Alexis and Victor. I liked that they were different, yet drawn to each other. I loved the fact that Alexis had learned sign language so she could speak to Victor, even though before the Council forced her hand she never had. I also loved that Victor was there for her, standing beside her even though she was unmated and could have done some serious damage to all involved if she had lost her temper instead of kept her cool. This was a great story, Kat did a great job with the characters and the storyline was non-stop, always moving forward.
About the Author:
Kat
Simons earned her Ph.D in animal behavior, working with animals as diverse as
dolphins and deer. She brought her experience and knowledge of biology to her
paranormal romance fiction, where she delights in taking nature and turning it
on its ear. After traveling the world, she now lives in New York City with her
family. Kat is a stay-at-home mom and a full time writer.
Website: http://www.katsimons.com
Thanks so much for hosting me today. And thanks for the great review! I'm really glad you enjoyed Victor and Alexis' story.
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