Chapter 22
Bayu was thankful for Juniper and Katherine who both offered to help Gemi keep the cub in his bedroom all night.
He wasn’t embarrassed at all, even though the reason they offered was so that he and Carleigh could complete the final step of bonding Tiger to her.
With Gemi assisting, the three females got Juni to agree that they would be the ones to read to him.
With that, Bayu and Carleigh locked their bedroom door and didn’t waste time in getting naked.
He made love to his beautiful female, but the closer he was to biting her, the harder and faster he thrust. He couldn’t help it.
With Tiger close to the surface, Bayu had little control.
Carleigh didn’t mind, as she urged him on.
“That’s it, my tiger, make me feel you tomorrow.”
Bayu obliged, and when his orgasm was close, he dropped his fangs, sinking them into her shoulder in the same spot where she’d bitten him.
Carleigh’s core tightened around his erection as she found her release, his name a guttural groan.
As Bayu removed his fangs and licked the wound to close it, Carleigh gasped.
Bayu pushed up on his hands to look at his mate.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
“No, you’re glowing.”
Bayu leaned back on his knees, and sure enough, all his markings were lit up.
Carleigh reached out to touch one on his thigh, and it sparked, causing her to laugh.
Bayu stared down at his female. She was stunning on a bad day, but when she laughed, her face morphed into something other-worldly.
Still, that wasn’t the best part about her.
Carleigh had the biggest heart of anyone he’d ever met, and that meant more to him than her looks.
Carleigh sat up, propping on her elbows, not shy in her nakedness. “Now that we’re mated, how do you feel about me changing my last name to Tan? I would like for us to have the same surname when I alter Juni’s birth certificate.”
“I would be honored. I didn’t bring it up because I wasn’t sure if it was something you would consider.”
“I respect women who choose to keep their last name when getting married, but you and I are a unit, and I am proud to be your mate. Plus, I do not want Juni having to explain to other kids why his mama’s name is different.”
Bayu pulled Carleigh to him so that she was lying on his chest. His cock hardened between her legs, but he ignored it. “I adore you, Carleigh Tan. You are the most amazing female I have ever met, and I am grateful you are mine.”
Carleigh pressed her chest to his as she kissed him.
It was soft and sensual with their tongues tangling.
Carleigh straddled his thighs and lowered onto his erection while keeping their mouths fused.
She rode him slowly, the urgency from earlier gone.
There was no yelling or marking bites when they found their release, but that didn’t mean it was any less intense.
Making love to his mate was better than anything he ever imagined.
Sex before had been nothing but a way to slake a need, and each time had been lackluster.
He’d only needed to find his perfect female to know why.
After cleaning up in the bathroom and going through their nightly routines, Bayu unlocked the door but left it closed. He turned the side lamp off once he was under the covers, and Carleigh rolled into his body, her head on his shoulder.
“I love you, my Tiger.”
“And I you, my Sayang.”
Bayu wasn’t tired, but he was excited. Would tonight be when Baekyo came to him in the form of a dream?
Or would he make Bayu wait? He closed his eyes, and instead of worrying about it, he let his mind drift over the last hour with his mate, then he considered taking her and Juni to Anjailang Island once the Black Lotus had been taken out.
He needed to visit his family’s burial site and pay his respects.
If there was anything left of their home, he wanted to clean it out and save a few mementos.
The house in his mind was not his parents’ home.
This one was smaller and more rudimentary.
It was also surrounded by trees. Bayu looked around before walking to the door and knocking.
“Hello?” There was no answer, but the door creaked as it opened a few inches.
He pushed it farther and stepped across the threshold.
Something about the room was familiar although it wasn’t home.
There was no furniture other than a long wooden table with a stool pushed underneath.
Bayu approached as he took in the rest of the room.
There were no light fixtures. Oil lanterns were scattered around the room, and each one was lit, shadows flickering against the wall behind it.
On the table was a single candle, casting enough light for Bayu to see the parchment paper unfurled across the surface.
Each corner was held down with an obsidian stone.
The handwriting was in a language Bayu didn’t understand, but he dragged his finger along the first sentence, and the words changed to English.
Hariz Tan, Nuhuala, 2018 – 2076. Bayu tried to read the rest, but no matter what he did, the words remained obscure until he reached the end.
Translated by Hideki Sato. His grandfather had written his father’s biography, but how?
He lived over three thousand miles from Anjailang.
Bayu removed the obsidian and rolled the parchment into a scroll.
On the table beneath the paper was a note.
Bayu, it is your duty to add this scroll to the ancient documents. Take the obsidian with you.
Bayu gathered the rolled paper as well as the four pieces of obsidian and returned outside.
Instead of finding the house hidden by trees, Bayu stood in the center of a field, surrounded by large stones.
Julian had mentioned this place. His grandfather lived nearby, but where if not the small shack where Bayu found the parchment?
The sky darkened, and Bayu looked up, expecting cloud cover.
What he saw made him step back. The outline of a tiger was visible, much like Connor’s drawing.
The longer Bayu stared, the more the outline filled in until a white tiger shown in its full form.
The beast turned its head, and its blue eyes stared back.
Hello, my champion.
The voice was clear in Bayu’s head, and he dropped to his knees. Baekyo had made his presence known, but Bayu wasn’t worthy of looking upon his god.
You are worthy, Bayu. Your hesitance to take on the responsibilities of the Nuhuala doesn’t make you less so.
It proves I chose well. Your duties will not take you away from your family more than you are willing.
Your mate is an asset to the role, and she can travel with you, if that is your wish.
Telling your firstborn of their birthright is your choice as it was your father’s.
You will understand more once you have read Hariz’s scroll. Rise, my champion. There is much to do.
Bayu stood but kept his gaze averted.
Your first duty is to rid the world of the Black Lotus.
I know you are angry with me, but the happenings of evil are out of my control.
It is why you and the Nuhuala before you were blessed.
Trust the young witch to shield you for her heart is pure.
With King Mórdrake’s permission, his champion will assist you.
You should know that the Nuhuala who has escaped the Black Lotus is innocent of any wrongdoing.
Should you encounter her, seek her wisdom.
Rely on your mate and her family to assist in bringing down the Black Lotus.
As long as they live, all shifters are in peril.
This will not be easy, nor will it be quick, but you and your tiger are more than capable.
I would ask that you trust in me as I put my trust in you. Be well and be brave, my champion.
The sky lightened, and Bayu raised his eyes.
Baekyo was gone as was the stone circle.
Bayu now stood outside the house he grew up in.
The snow-covered mountains rose in the background, standing sentinel.
Why there was snow in June, Bayu didn’t know, but the sight was one that brought peace to his soul.
An apparition stood a few feet away, and she bowed before drawing her katana from its sheath.
His mother’s ghost took up the familiar stance, ready to spar, teaching him the ways of her father’s people.
Bayu reached for his own weapon, but it wasn’t there.
It was back home, safe in his bedroom where he and Carleigh slept.
Behind her, an image of Kiki appeared, the same age as the last time he had seen his sister.
From behind her, Hariz stood with his hands on the young girl’s shoulders as they waited on Bayu and his mother to test each other.
It was a familiar scene, one of the last of the four of them together before Bayu boarded a plane for North America.
Bayu wished he could capture it on film.
Since he couldn’t, he would think on it every day so as not to ever forget it.
The three of them gazed beyond Bayu, and he turned to see what they were looking at. Juni and Gemi strolled toward them, hand-in-hand. Juni jerked free of Gemi and ran as fast as he could to Hariz. “Up, Abah.”
Hariz lifted Juni into his arms and twirled the boy.
Wahida sheathed her sword and bowed before joining her husband and daughter.
Laughter filled the air for a moment as Kiki and their mother joined in hugging Juni.
When the cub was once again on his feet, he returned to Gemi, and the two came to stand beside Bayu.
“We love you, Bayu. Until we are together again, know that we are with you always.”
Bayu couldn’t tell who said it as the words were a mixture of all three voices. It didn’t matter. He placed a hand over his heart and told them, “I love you all too.”