Page 37 of Chasing Stripes (Enchanted Falls #3)

THIRTY-SEVEN

“N o, let him speak,” Artemis said. She met Darius’s gaze steadily. “I may not be a tiger, but I understand leadership. I know what it means to be responsible for others’ welfare. And I respect your concern for your family’s future.”

“Hmm.” Darius studied her, something like approval flickering in his eyes. “You have spirit, I’ll grant you that.”

“You have no idea,” Bartek murmured, and Artemis felt his hand close over hers beneath the table.

After dinner, Gloria insisted on showing Artemis the family photo albums despite Bartek’s increasingly dramatic protests.

“And this is Bartek at his first shift,” Gloria pointed to a photo of a tiny tiger cub, paws comically large for his body, looking simultaneously fierce and adorable.

“Mother, please,” Bartek groaned, but made no actual move to stop the photo tour.

The twins climbed into Artemis’s lap as she looked through the album, occasionally providing unhelpful commentary: “Uncle got stuck in that tree for THREE days!” “That’s when he fell in the lake chasing a duck!”

“You smell like happiness,” Lily announced suddenly, studying Artemis with uncanny intensity.

“And a little bit worried too,” Jade added thoughtfully. Mimi laughed nervously.

“The girls have vivid imaginations.”

“No, she really does smell like sunshine and honey and something spiky,” Lily insisted.

“The twins sometimes pick up on things adults miss,” Gloria explained with a fond smile. “Tiger cubs often have heightened senses before they can fully shift.”

Hudson settled beside his son, voice low. “It’s good to see you like this,” he said, clapping Bartek’s shoulder. “More yourself than I’ve seen in years.”

Bartek didn’t respond, but his gaze remained fixed on Artemis, something like wonder in his expression.

Later in the living room, the twins insisted on showing Artemis their partial shifting abilities—a challenge for young shifters still mastering their control.

“Watch this!” Lily announced, screwing up her face in concentration. Her features blurred, small fangs appearing, fingers morphing into tiny claws, ears becoming pointed and fur-tipped.

Jade, not to be outdone, managed a more complete shift—her entire head becoming tiger-like before flickering back to human, only to realize her tail was now showing through her dress. “Oops!” she giggled.

Artemis applauded enthusiastically, making the girls beam with pride. When she glanced up, she found Bartek watching her with such intensity, it stole her breath—as if seeing her acceptance of his family’s shifter nature had unlocked something vital in him.

While Bartek was momentarily distracted helping Hudson with something in the study, Gloria pulled Artemis aside into a small library room.

“I want to show you something,” Gloria said, removing an old leather-bound book from a locked cabinet. “The pride’s recipe book—part cookbook, part historical record. This is a significant gesture,” Gloria explained, watching Artemis carefully. “Only family members have access to these pages.”

As Artemis carefully turned the ancient pages, she saw recipes interwoven with shifter history—notes on ingredients that enhance shifting abilities, remedies for controlling transformations during emotional upheaval, even records of tiger bloodlines.

“We’ve been waiting for someone who could tame both sides of my son,” Gloria said softly. “His human nature and his tiger. I believe you might be that person, Artemis.”

The weight of those words settled around Artemis’s shoulders—not a burden, but a mantle of trust. This family with its centuries of tradition and pride was cautiously opening its doors to her.

“I don’t know what to say,” she admitted.

“You don’t need to say anything,” Gloria patted her hand. “Just be patient with him. Alphas are stubborn creatures especially when they’re fighting their own hearts.”

When it came time to leave, everyone gathered to say good-bye—the twins extracting promises of magical cookies, Mimi insisting Artemis come back soon, and Hudson offering a surprisingly warm embrace.

“Thank you for coming,” Bartek said as they stepped onto the porch, the night air cool and fragrant with pine. Moonlight bathed the yard in silver, the forest beyond the house rustling with nocturnal activity.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Artemis replied. “They’re wonderful.”

“They adore you.” His voice roughened. “They’re not the only ones.”

Artemis’s heart skipped. “Who else?” she asked boldly.

Bartek stepped closer, the space between them charged with electricity. His eyes shifted fully amber, his control visibly slipping as his gaze dropped to her lips.

“I think I’m losing the battle I’ve been fighting since we met,” he admitted, voice dropping to a rumble that sent shivers down her spine.

Artemis tilted her face up. “Then surrender,” she whispered.

The moment hung between them for one heartbeat, two—then Bartek’s restraint finally broke. He leaned down, one hand gently cupping her cheek as his lips met hers in a kiss that started impossibly soft and sweet.

The handprints on her waist flared with golden light visible through her dress. A wave of magic rippled outward from where they touched, causing the porch lights to brighten dramatically, nearby plants to suddenly bloom, and a soft humming energy to vibrate in the air around them.

The kiss deepened slightly, both of them surrendering to what they’d been fighting, until?—

“Bartek! Did you show Artemis your tree fort?” Mimi shouted from inside, the front door starting to open.

They reluctantly broke apart, breathless and stunned by the intensity of even that brief connection. Bartek’s eyes glowed fully amber now, his control clearly tenuous.

“To be continued,” Artemis whispered with a smile, touching his face gently.

“Count on it, my fairy princess,” he murmured, the endearment slipping out naturally.

Artemis’s heart fluttered at the nickname. “Careful there, tiger hunk,” she teased softly, enjoying the surprised delight that flickered across his face. “I might start thinking you like me.”

“Tiger hunk?” He raised an eyebrow, though his lips quirked upward.

“Just calling it like I see it,” she replied with a grin, not backing down. “Those photos might be cute, but you’ve definitely... grown into your stripes.”

His low chuckle sent warmth spreading through her chest. “Only you could get away with that,” he said, reluctantly stepping back as Mimi’s footsteps approached.