Tabitha stepped forwards. ‘Are you alright, Max?’
He tried to back away but slammed into the muscled bulk of a security guard. ‘Erm, I’m fine thanks. I just … give me a minute.’ He turned and walked out of the marquee into the cold air.
Tabitha followed at a distance, giving him time to gather himself.
He pulled his shoulders back. When he turned to face her, they were near the tiger enclosure. She could see the spot where Max had been mauled and the safety cage she had led the cats through. She shivered.
Walking over, she put a hand on Max’s arm, but dropped it when he flinched. ‘They told me you were recovering well, but that night took a greater toll than physical injuries. Are you getting counselling?’
‘Please don’t hurt me.’ Tears were streaming down Max’s face now.
‘Why would I hurt you?’ Her heart was hammering, and she could feel her tiger-self reacting to the sense of threat. ‘Oh God.’ She clapped her hands over her mouth as realisation dawned. He had seen her white tiger appear. He knew it was her. ‘Max, please …’
He swallowed. ‘It’s okay,’ he muttered. ‘I won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me. Just don’t hurt me, please.’
‘I wouldn’t,’ she whispered. ‘I have never hurt anyone. I knocked that tiger away from you and protected you from it. I led the cats to their cage so Dylan could lock them in. You are in no danger from me.’
He shook his head. ‘I’d like to believe that, but I’ll never trust a big cat.’
She dropped her head into her hands. A tiger grunted and she wandered over to the enclosure, needing a moment to gather her thoughts. It was right there by the bars. It flexed its muscles then reared up onto its hind legs, landing its front paws on the heavy wire fence.
‘Shit.’ Max yelped. He jumped backwards and threw up into the bushes. Leaning his hands on his thighs, he took a few deep breaths before turning back to Tabitha. She walked back and stopped a few feet away.
His gaze was flickering between her and the cage. ‘Did Dylan know? When we saw the white tiger in the street, did he know it was you?’
Tabitha nodded.
Max let out a slow exhale. ‘You must have thought I was such a mug.’
‘I was just amazed you saw me,’ Tabitha said, her voice quiet. ‘Most people don’t.’
‘Please.’ Max held his hands up. ‘Don’t try and pretend it wasn’t a betrayal.’
‘A betrayal?’ Tabitha raised her eyebrows. ‘We weren’t involved. We didn’t swap secrets.’
‘But they were my tigers and you took them from me.’ His fists were clenched at his side.
Tabitha felt a prickle down her spine and looked back into the enclosure. The tiger watched them, eyes burning yellow in the dark.
‘Running with the tigers like that; I can’t even begin to understand what that might be like.’ His voice was hoarse.
‘Look at my pictures. They might give you an idea.’
‘Max,’ a voice called from the darkness. Linden jogged up, his bowtie loosened and hanging around his neck.
‘Max, I thought I saw you,’ he said. ‘Look, I’ve been thinking about you ever since we met in Tabitha’s showroom. I’m sorry for how I treated you at school. Dylan told me you still think about it and I’m not proud of that.’
‘That’s not what you said before,’ Max said from between gritted teeth.
‘Yeah, well. I was being an arse. But it was Dylan I was angry with, not you. I shouldn’t have taken it out on anyone else, Tabitha included.’ He held his hand out. ‘Can we leave it in the past?’
Max stared at Linden for a painfully long moment, but Linden didn’t budge. Max swallowed, and then stepped forwards and took his hand. ‘Thank you. I appreciate it.’
Linden nodded, and then jogged back to the marquee.
Max sighed. ‘I don’t understand you, Tabitha, I’m not going to lie. You must have a strange life.’
Tabitha shrugged. ‘It’s all I know.’
He nodded. ‘If I can make peace with Linden, I guess I can do the same with you. You were right. You did save my life that night. I won’t tell anyone your secret. I know you think I’m some kind of monster, but I’ve always loved you, Tabitha. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.’
On impulse, Tabitha stepped closer and pulled him into a hug. He tensed, and then relaxed.
She stepped back. ‘Thank you, Max. I wish you all the best.’
He held her gaze for a moment, nodded, and then shoved his hands into his pockets and walked off.
Tabitha walked over to the bench by the cage and sat down. She closed her eyes. Moments later, the shadow of a white tiger walked through the safety barrier that kept visitors from the enclosure wall. Inside the fence, she solidified and then huffed and grunted in greeting.
The huge yellow cat rubbed its head up against her white muzzle. The chaos of the marquee seemed a world away as she circled the perimeter of the enclosure with the cat. The other tiger joined and they moved together, gaining pace.
‘Your painting sold.’ Dylan’s voice called her back to the present. ‘It went for one and a half million pounds. I can’t believe it. I think there was some obscure competition going on between a woman and her father. She was jubilant when she won.’
Tabitha let her breath out in a rush. ‘We can do a lot with that.’
Dylan sat down and took her hands in his own. They were cold and shaking. ‘You’re pretty special, you know that? What you’ve done for those tigers …’
Tabitha shrugged, but she squeezed his hands. ‘There’s not much I wouldn’t do for those tigers.’
‘I was thinking.’ Dylan let go and leaned back on the bench. ‘Can you imagine the impact you could have settling the tigers into their new sanctuary if you ran with them?’
Tabitha smiled and felt her attention shift. She felt the pull of the tigers that stood just behind the foliage in the enclosure, watching her. ‘Don’t think I haven’t considered it, but it would never work. I’d have to tell people what I do, and that wouldn’t go down well.’
‘Has it ever occurred to you that people might be intimidated because they don’t understand your differentness?’ Dylan said. ‘Maybe if they knew what you were able to do, and how you were using your abilities, the fear would ebb away.’
‘With some people it would. Others would call me evil and hunt me down.’
‘What if we didn’t tell anyone?’ he said. ‘It’s not about people or publicity, it’s about the tigers. After tonight, I think the zoo would give you whatever you asked for. I’m sure we could do this without you becoming a target.’
Tabitha smiled. ‘I’m open to ideas.’
‘You’re shivering.’ Dylan took off his jacket and wrapped it around Tabitha’s shoulders.
Tabitha grinned. ‘You’re a smooth talker, you know that?’
Dylan smiled and laced his fingers through hers. ‘I have been told that, yes. It’s part of my charm, apparently.’
She felt a prickling through her palms where their skin met. She swallowed. He was so close, but just too far away. She leaned forward. Their lips touched and she shivered, allowing him to pull her in closer. She breathed in the scent of him, feeling her heart pound. She was aware of the tiger on the other side of the fence; she could hear the noise from the tent, but everything was drifting further and further away as she lost herself in Dylan.
She pulled back slightly and tilted her head. ‘I’ve never kissed a rock star before.’
Dylan threw his head back and laughed. ‘I’ve never kissed as a rock star before either. Life is about to change for both of us, I think.’
‘All because of the tigers.’
‘Well, not just because of the tigers.’ He smiled. ‘I’d like to think we had something to do with it too. Funnily enough, I reckon even Max could take some of the credit.’
Dylan’s song started playing on the sound system. A few white flakes fell from the sky, and then all of a sudden sn
ow was everywhere, muting the real world and painting the zoo with a magical, glittering brush. Dylan laughed, stood up and spun around. He tipped his head back, allowing the flakes to drop onto his closed eyelids. Then he slowed, stopped and held out a hand. ‘May I have this dance?’
Tabitha smiled. ‘Here?’
‘You’ll never have a more magical dance floor, or a more appreciative audience.’ He nodded towards the two tigers, who sat close to the barrier, their gaze fixed on Tabitha.
She stood up and went into his arms, pulling him closer and leaning into his warmth. For the first time, she could truly be herself.
The tiger let out a yowl and then ran for the shelter of his sleeping quarters.
Dylan laughed. ‘He looks like you, now.’
He did. He was covered with snow and his golden fur was fluffed out, making him look bigger than normal. ‘How do you feel about being with a woman who turns into a tiger?’ She smiled, but her heart sped up and fear knotted her stomach. He seemed to have come to an easy acceptance of her weirdness, but they had barely talked about it since that night at the zoo.
‘I feel the world is more magical than I ever thought possible, and I can’t wait to find out what else is real.’
She let out her breath and laced her fingers through his. ‘It’ll be a wild ride if you stick with me.’
‘I can live with that. I’ll have nothing to write songs about if life is too simple.’
Tabitha laughed. ‘Here’s to the next adventure.’
She reached up onto her tiptoes and kissed him.
Somewhere nearby, a tiger roared.
Epilogue
Tabitha
The heat hung thick and heavy over the clearing as the sun set behind the trees. The cage was at odds with the lush environment. The ground was made up of hardened mud, but the trees that surrounded them were thick with pale green leaves and the hum of insects. The birdsong had stilled as the growling cats made their presence known.
Keeping herself insubstantial, Tabitha pawed at the ground. Her body was safely in the truck parked at the edge of the clearing. She knew Dylan sat over it, protecting her physical form, wishing he could protect her astral self too. She had been nervous, but now the land buzzed in her veins, filling her with a purpose bigger than she had ever experienced before.
The tigers in the cage growled and she prowled closer, sniffing at them through the bars. They relaxed for a moment, and then tensed as a loud creaking reverberated through the clearing. The bars began to rise.
The male yowled, putting his nose close to the gap, pawing at the ground.
Tabitha roared, trying to encourage him backwards, away from the danger of a faulty door. For a moment, the bars stuck. The cat put his head to the ground, hoping to slide through, but the door was still too low. He snarled, batting at the bars with one enormous paw, and then skittering to the back of the cage as the door moved.
The bars finally locked into place and Tabitha grunted in welcome. There was a moment of stillness, and then the male shot out of the cage and into the trees. The female followed. Tabitha launched herself after them, her muscles bunching and stretching as she ran, elongating her stride to catch up with the panicked animals. When she took her place beside them, they began to settle. Together they ran to the edge of the sanctuary and then began to scout the perimeter as they had done so many times at the zoo. She led them to the watering hole, launching herself into the crystal-clear liquid with a single leap. The cats jumped in after her, and then they waded out the other side, pausing to rehydrate after their long journey in a hot cage.
The female stood in the water, a rumbling growl coming from her chest. The male looked up, but made no sound. Stepping out of the pool, the female walked over to the trees.
She yowled as she discovered the meat that had been left out for them. The male straightened up, and then started walking out of the water to join her. Tabitha watched for a moment, and then focused her attention on her body in the back of the truck and allowed her tiger form to disintegrate.
A finger stroked her face. She felt the whisper of a breeze over her skin, cutting briefly through the muggy air.
‘Tabitha? Are you awake?’
She smiled at the sound of Dylan’s voice and opened her eyes.
‘Did it work? Are they okay?’ he whispered, and she nodded. She had done it. The tigers had a new home, she had her sanctuary, and Dylan was by her side. Life was as it should be.
Tabitha pulled herself up to sitting and took a swig from the water bottle next to her.
‘Are you okay? Ursula asked from the front. ‘You’ve been up all night. You must be exhausted.’
Tabitha suppressed a smile, and then faked a yawn. ‘It was worth it to see the new reserve at work. It really is going to be wonderful.’
‘I think this calls for a celebration,’ Ursula said, the grin obvious in her voice. Let’s head back to base camp. I have some rather warm sparkling wine we can drink.’ She started up the truck, driving unperturbed over the unmade road, throwing her passengers around in the back.
‘You’re okay?’ Dylan asked, leaning over to pull Tabitha into a hug.
‘I’m okay. I’m better than okay. It worked. The tigers will be so happy here.’
Dylan cupped her cheek in his hand. He leaned forwards and kissed her, his lips soft against her own. ‘You’ve done something more valuable than most people achieve in a lifetime.’
Tabitha smiled. ‘I’ve begun something more valuable than most people achieve in a lifetime. There’s still a lot of work to do.’
The radio crackled to life and Dylan’s voice came through the speakers, hauntingly beautiful. In the distance a tiger roared.
Tabitha shivered. ‘Will you help me?’
Dylan’s face broke into a wide smile. ‘I thought you’d never ask.’
Letter from the Author
Dear Reader
Tabitha has been in my head for a long time. She started as a nature spirit, twirling around branches and following her tiger around the jungle, but she finally agreed to settle into a more grown-up form for the sake of Wild Shadow.
I have spent years dreaming about tigers and lions on the loose (spoiler: I never die,) and so in Wild Shadow I decided to bring my little nature spirit in on the act. She dealt with it admirably, I think, and I thank her for saving my more breakable characters, even Max.
Wildley Forest is a fictional village, but it is inspired by Sandridge, which is just outside St Albans. I imagine the zoo to be where Heartwood Forest sits. There is no zoo there in real life. Instead, it is a beautiful, Woodland Trust nature reserve.
If you have enjoyed Wild Shadow, please do consider leaving a review. Even a few words help make the book more visible to new readers. Reviews are one of the best ways to support authors, and help them write more stories.
If you would like to find out more about me and my books, you can visit me on my website and social media. If you sign up for my mailing list at www.marthadunlop.com, you will receive book news and extra content first. You can also follow me on Amazon.
Best wishes
Martha
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, thank you to Kathryn Cottam, structure genius, cheer leader and all-round amazing friend. She has had my back through the whole process of creating Wild Shadow, and has always been ready and willing to look through yet another version. Kathryn, thank you so much for everything. You truly are a star.
Thank you to Eleanor Leese, my fabulous copy editor, to Ravven for my beautiful cover and to Kate Tremills for being ready to answer questions and brainstorm at the drop of a hat. You are a wonderful team and I’m so glad to be able to collaborate with you.
Thank you to Chantelle Nassari for being my expert on all things Rachel, for talking things through with me before I got going and reading her afterwards to make sure I had written her as she should be. You are a huge inspiration to me, and I am honoured to have you as a friend.
Thank you to James Godber for being my tiger guru! Thank you for being ready to answer all my questions, however strange, and for helping me make my tigers more realistic, and a lot quieter!
Thank you to Sam Reynolds and John Douglas for helping me with GJ, Kyle Coetzee for vetting Dylan and Linden’s fight scene, Clare Abbott for being my resident medical advisor and Dave Pack for being my all-round drumming and recording studio expert.
To Miriam Leary-White, you have been an absolute star, offering me your forensic view. Thank you so much. And thank you to Mum and Janet Hamer for hunting through my words for the errors I could no longer see.
And of course, thank you to all my friends and family for supporting me every step of the way. I love you all.
About the Author
Martha is a dreamer and lover of stories who likes nothing better than spending her days getting to know the characters in her head.
She is a tarot card reader and reiki master, and loves to chat reading, writing and all things mystical on social media, as well as posting pictures of her fellow pack-member, Bertie the Cavalier.
Martha is a fiddle player who fell in love with traditional music, particularly Irish, and is also teaching herself to play the Irish Bouzouki. She played her way through her English degree at York and remembers that time as much for the music as the books.
You can keep up with Martha’s news, book releases and extra content at marthadunlop.com. Picture by Gene Genie Photography, www.genegenie.photography
The Starfolk Trilogy
The Starfolk Arcana - Available from Amazon, in Kindle Unlimited, or order from your bookshop or library.
Starfolk Falling - Coming later in 2021.
Destiny calls. Soulmates draw closer. One woman stands in the way.
Wild Shadow : A Sweet Paranormal Romance Page 23
