Page 75 of Chasing Stripes

Bartek brushed her hair back. “You’re amazing.”

Artemis bit her lower lip and pushed her groin teasingly against his, knowing how sensitive he was.

He sucked in a breath and she smiled. “I’d say we both are.”

Bartek leaned in and kissed her gentler than before.

This…she could get used to.

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Night had fully fallen by the time they returned to the pride house. They’d spent hours at the bakery after their picnic, cleaning up the magical chaos and reinforcing the protective wards. Exhaustion weighed on both of them as they made their way up to the private alpha wing, Bartek’s hand resting protectively at the small of Artemis’s back.

The moment they opened the bedroom door, Bartek froze, his tiger senses flaring with alarm. Something had changed in their space. His nostrils flared, picking up unfamiliar scents—parchment, old leather, and something burnt and floral.

“Wait,” he murmured, extending an arm to keep Artemis behind him.

But she had already noticed what caught his attention—an ornate wooden box sitting centered on their bed, surrounded by rose petals arranged in what appeared to be a ritualistic pattern. The carved wooden container gleamed faintly in the moonlight streaming through the windows.

“Stay back,” Bartek warned, his tiger responding to the perceived intrusion with partially shifted features. His fingers extended into claws, nails thickening and sharpening as he approached the box cautiously.

“It doesn’t feel malevolent,” Artemis observed, her fae senses reaching out. “There’s something... familiar about it.”

Bartek inhaled deeply, sorting through the scents. Whatever—or whoever—had left this had managed to enter their most private space. The alpha wing remained separate from the main house, its magical barriers specially reinforced to admit only those explicitly permitted by him.

“Mom! Dad!” he called, his voice carrying the authority of the alpha tiger.

They arrived quickly from the main house, Hudson’s expression hardening as he surveyed the scene. Gloria clasped her hands together, concern etching deep lines around her eyes.

“The wards weren’t triggered,” Hudson confirmed after examining the magical barriers specific to the alpha wing. He ran his hand along the doorframe, his own tiger magic testing the protections. “Everything’s intact. No sign of forced entry.”

“Someone who already had access to the main house and somehow got into your private quarters placed it here,” Gloria suggested, tension evident in her normally warm voice.

The implication chilled Bartek to his core. Only family members knew the precise location of their bedroom within the alpha wing, and only he could grant access through the protective barriers.

The box itself possessed a strange beauty—intricately carved with ancient symbols that represented both fae and shifter magic. Swirling patterns reminiscent of those now covering their bodies adorned the lid and sides.

“Some of these markings match our soul-tether patterns,” Artemis noticed, pointing to particular whorls that exactly mirrored designs on her forearm.

After performing several magical scans to confirm no immediate danger, Bartek carefully approached the box again. His tiger remained close to the surface, ready to emerge if needed.

“Open it,” Artemis urged softly, coming to stand beside him.

With cautious movements, Bartek lifted the lid. Inside lay a yellowed journal bound in faded blue leather, emblazoned with the Blu family emblem—the same symbol that adorned Honeycrisp Bakery’s sign.

“That’s my mother’s handwriting,” Artemis gasped, recognizing the elegant script visible on the open page.

Alongside the journal sat another pressed tiger lily preserved between sheets of wax paper—this one older than the specimen they’d found in the council archives.

A note in unfamiliar handwriting rested atop these treasures: “What was hidden must now be found. The eclipse approaches.”

“Well, I guess whoever took it from the library heard us talking about it. They brought it just as we need it.” Artemis whispered, her hands trembling as she reached for it.

“And knew how to access our private quarters,” Bartek added, studying every corner of the room for additional clues.

The patter of small feet interrupted their speculation as the twins burst into the room from the main house, their eyes wide with excitement rather than fear.

“Someone strange was here!” Lily announced, bouncing on her toes.

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