Tiger Tail: Shifter Romance

by Sky Winters

  “Um, that’s really reassuring. Thank you.” Jennifer fiddled with her silverware set while she figured out where to start. “So, are you both like Luke?”

  “Yeah, exactly the same. All of our parents were also in our group. You could say we were born to this.” Melanie answered.

  “So it’s hereditary, not like the movies where you get bit and suddenly you change?” She tried to keep her voice down and be as vague as possible.

  This time, Melanie spoke, “Right. It’s a special trait that runs in the bloodline of the Achomawi people. Only a few other tribes have the ability to do what we do and the animals are all different.” She smiled sweetly before continuing. “And since the ability is passed down by the father, your little bundle should be like us too.”

  Zara bounced up and down in her seat like a kid on sugar. “I just love babies. And I’m so happy for Luke that he finally found somebody. And after Paige – Oof! What was that for?” Melanie elbowed Zara in the ribs to shut up.

  “Who’s Paige?” Jennifer asked.

  “It isn’t our story to tell. You’ll have to wait until he’s ready to tell you about her… if he’s ever ready.” The baby at Melanie’s breast had fallen asleep. Gentle snores were coming from the little burrito in her arms. She popped the baby off and adjusted her tank top. “Don’t worry about that though. Luke asked us to guide you through this time in your life and I am so happy to do it.”

  Jennifer was touched. These two women were so welcoming and warm to her. She may have found the sisterhood her sorority couldn’t give her. “Is this going to be like a normal pregnancy or is there anything special I need to do or be aware of?”

  Zara nodded, “There are a few things. Instead of being pregnant forty weeks, ours go a little longer. You’ll be pregnant closer to eleven months because of the extra, uh,” she waved her hand trying to think of the right word, “just the extra that needs developing.”

  Jennifer’s jaw dropped. This was going to be the longest year of her life! “Won’t my doctor be suspicious? I feel like no sane OB/GYN will just let me go eleven months.”

  “You don’t go to a regular doctor. Next week I’ll take you to the reservation to see ours. She’s a wonderful woman and an amazing midwife.” Melanie explained. “You’ll be expected to have a drug free birth. Our people don’t respond well to the drugs used in delivery.” She watched Jennifer’s eyes grow wide. “Don’t get me wrong, the babies born that way live, but some complications and reactions happen. They are often sick for months after delivery and always have something lingering as they get older.”

  Jennifer put her head in her hands. A drug-free birth? An Eleven month pregnancy? What the hell did she get herself into? “That’s sweet of you. We’ll set up a time for us to go before I leave.”

  “Where are you going?” the two women asked in unison.

  “I have to go back to school. I go to college in Arizona and classes start again in less than two weeks.” She explained. “Apparently, I chose this life without realizing it because this is my last year before veterinary school. I’m going to specialize in big dogs.”

  Melanie and Zara exchanged a look. Jennifer could have sworn they just communicated without speaking.

  “You can’t leave.” Melanie declared.

  “Yes I can and I have to.” Jennifer fired back.

  “No, you have to stay here with Luke and our doctor. You can’t be so far away because of the baby.” Zara told her.

  “I kind of have to. This is my last year before grad school. I can’t lose my momentum now or I may never finish. Isn’t there someone in Arizona your doctor could refer me to?” Jennifer was annoyed. These two women she only just met were ordering her around, which made her really cranky.

  “Probably, but you have to be protected.” Zara reached out and grasped Jennifer’s hand. “I don’t know if Luke explained this to you or not,” she lowered her voice and leaned in closer, “The rest of the world doesn’t know about the shifter community. You seem like a smart girl. Tell me, don’t you think you might raise some suspicion on campus by having the longest pregnancy ever?”

  She had a point. “Maybe. But don’t your babies come out looking perfectly human? Melanie’s baby has a crazy amount of hair on his head, but otherwise looks normal.” Jennifer was about ready to go.

  “Just see what the doctor has to say. Zara and I will be here for you and will coach you through anything you need help with. Maybe talk to the school and do the distance learning thing this year.” Melanie suggested.

  Jennifer mulled it over for a moment before answering. “I can look into it, but I have some hands-on lab stuff I have to complete this year. I’ll probably have to go.” Zara’s face hardened and Melanie blanched. The two women were no longer looking at Jennifer, but through her. “What’s the matter, guys?”

  A familiar and dark voice chimed in from behind Jennifer. “I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but you aren’t going anywhere.” Jennifer whirled around to discover JP hovering over her shoulder. “Hello, ladies. So good to see you.” JP turned his focus on to Jennifer alone, “Especially you, curvy girl.”

  All Jennifer could do was stare. No good could come of JP being there.

  “You say you’re going to leave, but I just can’t let that happen, because I need you to stand up and come quietly with me. If you don’t I’m sure your lovely little friend, Tiffany would be very upset.” His voice was placid and soft, but had the weight of nothing but malice in his words. “Come with me now. We have things to do.”

  Jennifer stared, wide eyed at the other two women. She tried to communicate silently with them to get in touch with Luke as soon as she left. “Don’t hurt her, please.” Jennifer begged.

  “Come with me and I’ll let her go. Scout’s honor.” JP held up two fingers and crossed his heart.

  With a nod, Jennifer rose and followed JP out of the diner and into the waiting Chevy Tahoe. “You’re going to let Tiffany go now, right?” Jennifer asked as JP pulled away from the sidewalk.

  “Huh? Oh yeah, her. Don’t worry about her, she’s fine.” JP answered, waving his hand. “I’m so glad you came out with no fight. I never had anyone watching her, but if you resisted, one quick phone call and a cut brake line was all I needed to make things happen.”

  Jennifer sat back in shock. She had been under the impression that they already had Tiffany with them. She could have run and warned her and Luke about JP. Snakes uncoiled in her belly. What was going to happen now?

  “Where are you taking me?” Jennifer’s eyes darted around the interior of the SUV searching desperately for a way out. JP caught her in the rearview and hit the child safety lock on his door.

  “I’m taking you to a very special place. I find it to be rather cozy and I hope you will too.” JP’s eyes focused back on the road. The next several hours into the mountains would be difficult. He needed to get enough of a head start that Luke couldn’t possibly follow them. He pressed the gas to the floor as the light changed to yellow.

  He wanted to ruin that asshole. JP didn’t really want to hurt Jennifer. In fact, he thought she was rather fetching, but since he got the news earlier that day that Luke knocked her up he knew immediately what he needed to exploit.

  The sun was hanging low in the darkening sky as the car pulled up to a shabby looking cabin. One of JP’s goons tried to manhandle her into the house; an issue she only made worse by struggling.

  She stomped on his foot and made a break for the woods. Jennifer only made it to the tree line before she was tackled and dragged back towards the cabin.

  “Tie her up!” JP commanded, “I can’t risk her pulling anything.” He tossed a bundle of rope to the blond haired heavy and stomped off towards the cabin. Jennifer cried out as she was knocked to her knees before having her wrists and ankles bound.

  She could not believe this was happening to her. Not two days ago, her life was ordinary to the point of being boring and now she was staring down the barrel of the prover
bial gun. She screamed in terror as she was dragged into the cabin.

  A mile away a trio of very large, very tense wolfs prowled the mountainside. The largest of the three perked his ears up. That sound was exactly what he needed and didn’t want to hear. He cocked his head to one side signaling the two lions behind him to move towards the sound.

  Their pace accelerated. Who knew what awful things JP would want to do to her. Luke would never forgive himself if Jennifer got hurt or worse.

  “Come sit on my lap, baby.” JP gripped the rope around Jennifer’s wrists and hoisted her up onto his lap. With a grin he stroked up her inner thigh. “A girl like you can do so much better than a piece of shit like Luke. It’s a shame you’ve been tainted.” He patted her belly. “But that can easily be remedied, I think.”

  Jennifer cried. The thought of potentially losing her baby was so much worse than anything else that could happen to her own person. She pulled away as JP nuzzled her neck.

  JP hooked his hands in her ponytail and jerked her back to him. The shriek of pain she cried excited him. He inhaled deeply the scent of her, lavender, sweat, and his favorite aroma, fear. “Oh, baby I am going to be so good to you.” He declared as he grabbed a handful of her ass.

  Jennifer took her molestation in silence. She sent a silent prayer up that soon, someone would figure out where she was, and follow her.

  The sound of a howl echoed in off the mountain. Every man in the room was suddenly on edge, and straining their ears to pick up where the sound came from. Jennifer held her breath in the hopes it was her wolf announcing his arrival.

  “You and you get out and see where that noise came from. When you find the source, kill it.” The two heavies started stripping off their clothes as they headed out the door. Their bodies shifted as they hit the ground from the porch.

  “I’m sorry darling, but it’s time we get a move on. I have lots of plans for you and I can’t have you getting taken from me.” JP nipped Jennifer’s earlobe.

  A shiver of disgust ran through her. She bit her lip to keep from speaking. She couldn’t jeopardize herself or anyone else by saying something stupid. She nodded and removed herself from JP’s lap to let him up.

  “Hold on.” JP crushed his lips to Jennifer’s. She pressed them together and screwed her face up. The violation and the wetness were just too much.

  As JP herded Jennifer out towards the Tahoe another scream cut through the still mountain air. A very large and angry wolf cruised out from behind the big black truck. Its eyes passed over Jennifer’s body before zeroing in on JP.

  “Hello there, Luke. So good to see you’ve showed up.” He shoved Jennifer behind him, “I’m afraid I don’t have time for you.”

  Luke bared his teeth and hissed; an open challenge for JP. Luke was determined to end this insanity once and for all.

  JP dragged Jennifer back towards the porch and shoved her through the door and locked her in. She needed to be there when he was done killing her boyfriend. He tossed his leather jacket aside and quickly stripped. JP shifted into his own wolf form and leapt on Luke.

  Jennifer tugged and banged on the door, “Help me! Someone let me out!” she screamed. She hollered and banged and kicked, all the while forced to listen to the shrieks and growls of the big dogs fighting in the yard. She dashed over to the window and peeked through the curtains.

  She couldn’t tell the two apart. Both dogs were the same color and nearly the same size. Teeth and claws flew, ripping into furry flesh and delicate ears. Jennifer gasped when one wolf climbed on the back of his rival and bit down on his neck.

  The suffocating wolf slowed, stumbling around trying to get his bearings to get away. Jennifer watched the top wolf adjust its grip on his rival’s neck and bear down harder. She had never felt so impotent in her entire life. All she could do was wrap her arms around her growing waist, and pray that Luke wasn’t the one dying.

  She allowed herself to mourn for the fallen wolf as it hit the ground and stopped moving. Hot tears streamed down her face as she stared at the winner, who didn’t move for several minutes.

  When finally, the wolf let go he shook himself and shifted back. Jennifer’s heart leapt when she recognized Luke’s strong form limping towards the house. The doorknob jiggled and rattled, still firmly locked. A moment a heavy bang struck the door, followed quickly by a second, then a third. On the fourth, Luke’s oversized frame tore the door off its hinges.

  “Luke!” Jennifer cried as she ran to him. The man was a little wobbly on his feet, but scooped Jennifer up into his arms anyway.

  “You’re alive!” Jennifer kissed Luke hard while wrapping her arms and legs around him. She refused to let go for fear he wasn’t real.

  “Jennifer. I can’ breathe!” Luke forced the words through his teeth.

  “I’m sorry. I’m just so happy you’re alive.” She loosened her grip and slithered off of him.

  “Did JP hurt you?” Luke’s hands traveled over her body searching for any signs of injury.

  “No. I’m fine. How hurt are you?” Jennifer stepped back to look him over. Luke’s body was decorated with a few welts and bruises, but was otherwise physically okay.

  “Just a few scratches.” Luke peered out the window. The corpse of the big dog had shifted back into the form of a very battered and broken man. The body didn’t move, but from the distance the body lay, they couldn’t tell if he was breathing. Judging from the angle his head was hanging, they assumed not.

  “How did you find me?” Jennifer asked.

  “Melanie told me. She and her husband came with me to find you. I left them to take out JP’s cronies. Zara had taken off with the third guy waiting in another car. Mel told me everything. I guess Zara was the one that filled in JP about you.” Luke cast down his eyes, “I am so sorry, Jennifer. I should have known. I put you in danger… I should have just left you alone.”

  Jennifer smacked his hand, “Leaving me alone would have been the most stupid thing you could have done. You’d have left me to raise this baby myself?”

  “You’d have told me?” Luke seemed surprised.

  “Of course I would have, dummy.” Jennifer took a deep breath to collect herself, “Look. Don’t blame yourself. I’m okay and you survived your fight, can we just go home now?” Exhaustion had settled deep in Jennifer’s bones. She really needed to lie down in her own bed.

  “Of course. Grab the keys to the Tahoe and we’ll head out. Melanie and her husband will be joining us in a designated meeting place.” Luke wrapped his arm around Jennifer’s shoulders and planted a kiss on her head, “I’m glad my two babes are safe.”

  The End.

  Wild for the Wolf

  Chapter 1

  “You promised you would come back!” Raven shouted into the shortwave radio. She knew they had to be out of range. Somebody would have said something by now. The radio tower was the highest point for miles in any direction. Raven peered out over the trees looking for smoke from their campfire. She knew that they wouldn’t stay close by, but she scanned the trees every day, looking for Travis, looking for anyone.

  The tower had once been a part of the Tillamook Airport. A collection of sheds beside a runway, airport was a fairly generous title. After the first wave of infections the whole town had moved to the airport. “It isn’t worth the risk.” Travis had said when Raven fought to stay in her family’s home. There was no way to disinfect the homes, many of which still housed dead bodies. The survivors left everything, even the clothes on their backs, behind.

  Ignoring the obvious devastation it had actually been a fun day. It was the first time in months that people had come out of their homes. The mayor, Tom Hodgkin had organized the move to the airport driving around town in his SUV with a megaphone. Everyone brought soap and a smile to the splash zone in Danbury Park. Travis and Raven had even held hands as the survivors looted the stores downtown for clothes and food.

  Travis had never been Raven’s boyfriend. In fact when people asked she introduc
ed him as her complication. They were never really together, but never really apart either. Except for now. He hadn’t even looked back as they shut the large rusted tin doors of the Tillamook Air Museum. Raven had been locked up with everyone else that had been infected in the second wave. It had started right after they had made the decision to burn the houses of Tillamook. No one wanted to stay at the airport forever, but in hindsight it seemed like a bad idea. Raven had been the only person in the second wave to survive.

  The virus moved fast. In the first two months 10,000,000 people died. The people of Tillamook weren’t worried. There was no way a virus was going to spread somewhere so remote. By the third month Tillamook had its first case of the lumps. It’s a weird name for a virus, but it made sense when you saw the deformed bodies of its victims. The virus had been released from the Russian permafrost by mining companies. They were strip mining gold and other resources that had been trapped under the Earth’s surface by ice and snow. They had no idea what else they were going to release.

  All of the scientists who were trying to cure it had died. All that anyone had found out for was that it was highly adaptable. The lumps immediately adjusted to any environment. They could infect any living creature. Raven had even heard that they were infecting buildings and inanimate objects. It didn’t really matter if it was true, there was no way to get rid of the virus once it reached an area. There were even stories about the people who survived the lumps and walked the earth as monstrous contortions of their former selves.

  “I am fine,” Raven yelled into the mic, “It was allergies, or a cold, I can’t believe you left me!” Letting the mic fall from her hand, Raven sat in the tower fighting the urge to cry. She didn’t know how, but she knew that no one could hear her words. She started moving down the stairs. It was her new philosophy. Raven had been in a rut since graduating from high school. She was going to take a year and make a plan for her life. That had been almost 4 years ago. “It only took a worldwide pandemic to get me to move out of my parent’s house,” she laughed to herself.