King's Throne Read Online Free PDF

had what we thought was a solid contact in a human named Harris who owns the Silent Tiger dojo. Unfortunately, Harris was betrayed and the dojo was attacked while the Nyx was inside. Another team of Royal Guards got her out. I’m ashamed to admit I walked into an ambush.”
    “They were waiting for you with a needle?” Gina asked, her voice indicating her horror at the thought.
    “Near as I can figure. All I remember is fighting a wolf in battle form. He scratched the hell out of me.” Mitch raised the hem of his T-shirt to expose a few of the red lines that had mostly healed. Gina’s magical blood and his own shifter constitution had done the work of healing his physical wounds, but whatever poison was still in his system, making him weak as a kitten, was something altogether different. “While I was distracted by the wolf, someone jabbed me with a needle from behind.”
    The king bent closer to inspect the wounds and Mitch heard the angry growl in the back of his throat. Thankfully , his displeasure wasn’t aimed at Mitch, but rather at the coward who would betray his own kind so that another could poison him.
    “Whoever did this wants us warring among ourselves,” Gina’s father said in a low, angry voice. “If you had died of the poison, not many of us would look beyond the claw marks for a reason for your departure from this realm. We would have blamed another shifter.”
    “I believe so, sire,” Mitch agreed, thankful that he was feeling well enough to converse with the Goddess-blessed leader of his people, even if this king didn’t want the job anymore. “I also believe that whatever was in the syringe was meant to kill me. Only your daughter’s blood saved me and allows me to continue.” Mitch turned to Gina, daring to reach out for her hand. “I want you to know, while I am still clear-headed enough to tell you…I won’t blame you if I don’t survive this. It won’t be your fault. You’ve done more than anyone could have done for me. For that I thank you. Allowing me the time to help our people—to let them know it wasn’t a shifter that killed me—is a true gift. Whatever happens, I want you to know that. Thank you, princess.”
    Mitch cursed inwardly. The woman had tears in her eyes. If not for her father sitting next to him—glowering at him now—Mitch would have taken her into his arms and kissed those tears away. As it was, all he could do was squeeze her hand and hold her watery gaze, hoping she could read the truth of his words in his eyes.
    “I promise to do my best for you,” Gina whispered.
    Anything more she would have said was cut off by her father. “Can you save him, kitten?”
    She lifted her gaze to her father and nodded, her lips pressed tightly together as if to hold in her emotions. “I think so,” she finally answered. “He stays lucid for longer each time and the convulsions weren’t as severe last night as they were the first time. Each subsequent treatment seems to negate a bit more of whatever it was they injected him with. Giving him the nectar was a mistake. It made things worse and it’s taken a lot of my blood to bring him back from it.” She bit her lip before continuing in a more timid manner. “There’s just one thing that worries me. When he convulses, parts of him shift. His hands and feet. And the last time…there was white fur amid the gold.”
    Mitch was shocked. He’d always been a golden tiger.
    “Is it some kind of side effect from the blood you’ve given me?” he asked, truly puzzled and feeling more than a little spooked.
    White fur was the province of the king and his family alone. Mitch was tigre d’or —a golden tiger—as were all other tiger shifters in the world. Only a rare few were tigre blanche —the sacred white tigers.
    “Are you certain, kitten? You saw white fur?” Gina’s father asked in grave tones.
    Gina nodded. “I’ve dosed people with my blood before—including other goldens—but I’ve never seen this