Free Tiger Tracks (Alaskan Tigers Book 9) by Marissa Dobson

and hadn’t regretted it. His past came up often, especially since he had become an Elder guard. Most questioned how he could be trusted, but Ty, Raja, and their mates didn’t question him. They knew what he was capable of, and were glad to have him on their side.
    He eased out of bed and grabbed his cell phone. He’d contact Ty and see what information he could gather on the state of the Connecticut clan. If he had to go to Connecticut himself, he’d find out what the fate of the clan was. He wouldn’t leave her with unanswered questions. Until she knew, she couldn’t make peace with the choices she’d made and where they brought her.
    His cell phone vibrated in his hand. With one last glance at his sleeping mate, he checked the phone. A text from Ty flashed on the screen. Grab Theodore. Online in ten minutes, we need to talk.
    “Great, what’s going on now?” he muttered, before grabbing the bag he’d left on the dresser. He headed to the living room, which was the only other room in the cabin. It was also where Theodore had decided to sleep. Though Jinx had offered another cabin for Theodore, he had not taken it, opting to stretch out on the sofa. Even though he was the youngest of the Brown brothers, he had their determination and protectiveness coursing through him.
    In the living room, Styx pulled the laptop from the bag and sat it on the counter before turning the pot of coffee on. He’d need caffeine to keep him going much longer, and to stop him from returning to the bedroom to snuggle with Mira.
    “What’s up?” Theodore rolled onto his back to look toward the small kitchenette.
    “Ty sent a message. He needs us online now.”
    “Pour me a cup of that as well.” He stretched his arms over his head and let out a yawn. “No sleep for the almighty fighting force.”
    “That’s one way to put it, I guess.” He paused the coffee maker to pour two cups. “I know that one day everything we do will be worth it, and I never doubt it.”
    “But?” Theodore pushed.
    “Do you ever wonder how many will survive to see the glorious future?”
    “You’re thinking about her family. Your mate’s grief is tingling within you. Even without the full connection, it’s tainting your outlook.” Theodore rose from the sofa and came to the bar area where the laptop was booting up. “She’ll get through this with your help, and then you’ll be back to your old self.”
    “What if it’s brought a new light to my outlook? I never had a family to grieve over and the ones I care about most are the ones I’m protecting. If something happens to them, it’s because I didn’t do my job. It would be my fault.”
    “We’ve always known death would be a part of this. We also knew it was possible we’d be killed before we could succeed. However, we’ve always been willing to risk that for the future of our kind. Think of the future generations and all we’re giving them. Death will come to us all at some point, and yes, it’s awful what happened in Connecticut, but it’s also the reason we’re doing this. We can’t leave Alphas like that in command. During his rule, how many people do you think he killed?”
    “More than half the clan.” Mira stood in the doorway with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
    “You should be resting.” Styx handed Theodore a cup of coffee. “We didn’t mean to wake you.”
    “I felt you get out of bed, and when you didn’t come back I wanted to see what was happening.”
    “We’re about to have a video conference with Ty. He knows you’re safe, but there are a few things we must deal with.” Not that he even knew what they were. “I’ll be back in shortly if you want to try to rest.”
    “I guess.” She pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.
    “Mira?” Theodore called to her before she went back into the bedroom. “He’s not trying to get rid of you. If you want to stay, I don’t see any reason you can’t. If Ty needs to discuss anything