“Erik, is there something that you are trying to hide from me of all people? What is this big secret of yours, since I have sensed that you have one since we were out of town for the weekend?” This time I was determined that he explained to me exactly what was going on here.
“Believe me, Sarah, you really don’t wanna know,” he had a look of frustration on his face as he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back. “Okay, maybe you have a right to know, but I had not intended to let you find out this way.”
“What is it, Erik, is there another woman? Have you been lying to me this whole time, telling me that you love me while in reality you were just out to fuck me?” my heart skipped a beat at the thought that he had another woman in his life. I looked at the other man who was in the middle of the clearing. “Oh no, I can't believe this, you are gay, Erik, you are gay--”
Erik's eyes widened in shock. “No I'm not.”
“Erik, what the fuck is going on.”
“For heaven’s sake, Sarah, are you out of your mind? I am not gay. Were you not there this weekend, didn’t you feel anything?” he said.
“You must be very good at this,” I fumed at him.
He looked at me.
“Sarah, it is not what you are thinking at all.”
“Whom are you trying to kid?” I asked, looking around and seeing only a man in the middle.
“Here, why don’t you come and I will show you,” he said, reaching his hand for mine, but I pulled back, resisting any contact with him.
He walked off towards the opening with a shrug, and unable to resist it, I followed suit. The man in the center of the opening turned around slowly, and I immediately recognized him from the press. He was Erik's cousin and right hand man, Earl or something like that. I had read and watched quite a bit on him representing Erik in several functions, and he was also a very handsome man who had women running after him. But what the hell was he doing here with Erik?
Erik came over to me and took a hold of my upper arms, forcing me to look him in the eyes.
“Look here, Sarah, I really hadn’t meant for you to find out like this and what you are going to see might scare the shit out of you the first time. I want you to remain brave, and if you stay by my side, nobody is going to harm you, I will protect you.”
What the hell was going on here, was Erik in some sort of satanic cult or something of the sort? Was he not the good Erik that I thought he was? What if he was a part of some terrorist group, or some sort of secret group that practiced weird things? I began wondering if I really knew who Erik was, and for some reason, fear began to form within me once again.
Out of the corner of my eye I was surprised to see more people walking into the opening and among them was the brunette that I had seen being escorted into the elevator off his penthouse suite floor. Where the hell had all these people come from? Hundreds of them were filing in our direction, crowding in on us. I found myself sidling closer to Erik, feeling more and more uneasy. I could not understand what was happening here. Erik suddenly grabbed me tightly and shouted in a language that I could not understand. Okay, this was new too, he had told me the only foreign language that he spoke was Spanish.
“It is mine,” he shouted again in English, still holding me tightly around my arms.
Was he talking about me, and why was he referring to me as it? I did not belong to him in the first place. I heard a low growl and I quickly turned to look at the crowd. Their eyes had turned a scary yellow, and they all seemed to be growling at me. Okay, I think that I have just walked into a horror movie, and maybe it is time that I woke up. Their eyes possibly couldn’t have turned into that eerie look, maybe it was just the moon light playing tricks. I turned to look at Erik, and I was surprised that his eyes had also turned into the luminous golden hue. That was not all, he was growing hair on his face.
“Erik, what the hell is going on here?” I asked in fear.
“Don’t be afraid, Sarah, just stay with me and everything will be alright,” he said to me, his voice a low growl that I had never recognized before.
There were wails and growls in the air, and everyone around me seemed to be growing fur on their bodies. They were removing their clothes, and their bodies getting stripped fur, something like a tigers. I think I was definitely hallucinating, and it made me sick to the pit of my stomach.
What kind of nightmare was this that I was going through? I really need to wake up and find myself back in bed with Erik holding me safely in his arms. Everyone around me, including Erik, soon had stripped fur, and their teeth seemed to have changed into fangs, almost like a wild cats.
Chapter 7
Erik cursed under his breath. He had not intended to let Sarah find out the truth about him and the other shifters in this way. To make matters worse, it was on the night of the full moon when the tigers would be at their wildest, and they would be competing to fight for her. There were some tribe members who thought that he was not good enough to be their leader, and they wanted him out as soon as possible. Erik knew that he was going to need the support of his allies to win the battle.
The only way that he could win the battle and keep Sarah safe was to change into tiger form, or at least partially. That way, he would be able to fend off the other tigers from trying to get at her. Right now they were all in the tiger fest mood, and during this period, a lot of hardcore animalistic sex occurred, and the tigers would definitely be drawn to his Sarah. He intended to protect her with his whole, no matter what it took.
Having staked his claim on Sarah, Erik knew that there were definitely going to be challengers. He had been the leader of the streak for a short time, and he had to fight his way out every full moon. It would continue being like that until the time he had been the leader for a while, and all of the tigers that wanted to be the alpha leaders bowed down to him and respected him.
Sarah looked at him with fear and loathing in her eyes. She started to back away from him and he knew that he had to keep her close to his side. Any sudden move by one of the other tigers when she was not close to him could cause her death, and Erik knew that he would die if she died.
“Sarah, please trust me, I want you to stay close to me, it is the only way that you will remain safe,” he said to her.
“Safe,” she screamed, her face white with fear. “Is this what you call safe, all of these … I don’t even know what to call them.”
Erik tried to imagine how scary the whole scenario looked from Sarah's side and understood how it felt. It had to be a devastating time listening to the bones shifting and the other ugly sounds of the transformation. Transforming from a human to a tiger was a messy affair, with fur growing on their bodies, teeth turning into fangs and muscles enlarging. Erik understood perfectly well the way that Sarah was feeling.
“There is something that you need to know, Sarah, we are tiger shape-shifters, and there are much more of us that you could ever imagine. We come from across the country, and we meet up here every time that there is a full moon,” Erik explained, hoping that she would understand and not judge without thinking twice about her decision. “I would like to let you know that we are not what human beings think we are, we do not kill human beings.”
“B-but you don’t even look like a tiger, you are still standing upright,” she looked like she was still in deep shock.
“We are shifters, and we are able to take several forms. We can become full tigers or half tigers like I am right now. In this form I can talk to you, but in the full tiger form I can't,” Erik explained.
This was not the way that he had planned to introduce Sarah to his sort of lifestyle, but now that she was already here, he was just going to have and make the best of it and be patient with her.
“Look here, Sarah, I'm going to tell you the truth. Right now the need to have sex with you is very strong, but if I do it when I am in this form, I will turn you into a panthera, making you like me. Once that is done, there is no way that you will ever be able to become a n
ormal human being again,” Erik said, making Sarah jump away from him, raising her hands infront of her.
“Don’t you ever, lay your hands on me again, is that understood, don’t you ever,” she looked repulsed, and it made his heart ache.
From what Erik could see, it was as if Sarah was never going to accept him the way that he was. Neither was she going to listen to him, which left him with no choice. He was going to have to use force. He reached his hand out to her, putting it around her waist and drawing her to him. He was careful not to scratch her with his claws as he held her tightly next to him. When he was in this form he had more strength that a hundred humans combined, and so there was nowhere he was going.
“You are going to have to listen very carefully to what I have to say, and you are going to have to trust me or else I will just have to force you. You are not moving away from my side. I have claimed you as mine infront of the streak, and if you show any signs of resistance or retaliation, the tigers will not hesitate to attack you,” Erik said to her in a low growl.
“You can't be serious,” she replied, trying to struggle in vain.
“I wish that is what I was trying to do, scare you, but unfortunately, it is the hard truth, and if you don’t think I am saying the truth, look around us and tell me what you think,” Erik said into her ear, pulling her against his chest. “When I told you that I love you, I meant every word, and right now it is no different, you are still the only woman that I will always love. I am still that man who loves you, the man you met a few days ago.”
“Erik, I can’t do this..” She squealed.
*****
I struggled with the emotions that were warring within me. I did not know what to do. I was still in the state of shock and I could not think straight.
I looked at the other half a dozen males that were around us, barely an arms stretch away from me. They were sniffing in the air, looking at me with their fiery eyes as they ran their tongues over their teeth. Their faces looked more tiger than human, and they looked like they were ready to pounce on me any minute.
It was the most horrific scene and I was determined to get away from it all. The moment that I saw that there was enough space for me to make my escape, I pulled away from a surprised Erik and ran.
I did not even know where I was going because I just guessed the general direction from which I had come, stumbling through the dense bush. Getting home was the only plan on my mind and the only escape from this nightmare. I could hear someone running close behind me, twigs breaking, but I dared not look behind. I finally came into the opening that led into my backyard. I entered the door, slamming the door behind me and dashing up to the bedroom. I was tired and confused, and the only thing that I needed right now was sleep. It must have been somewhere near morning, because the last thing that I saw before I drifted off into an uneasy sleep was the morning light starting to form in the sky.
*****
After what had happened last night, I was not sure what to think anymore. Luckily, Erik was waiting outside my bedroom door.
Who had let him in?
“Sarah, look, I really did not mean for any of this to happen the way that it did, and I am really sorry. I am not however in any way sorry for the way that God created me. I am actually proud of who I am. You have my life and those of my kind in your hands, and it is all up to you to decide to do with all of the information that you have. It is also up to you to decide on what to do about the way that I feel about you. I love you, Sarah,” he had said.
I had walked out of the house without replying, not because I did not want to, but because I did not know what to think. Everything had all happened so fast and it was all so confusing to me. I knew that I loved Erik, but he was not a human being like me, he was a tiger shape shifter, and we could never make a perfect couple.
I did not even want to think about the thought of transforming into a tiger shape shifter. How would I live, how would my dad take it? There were too many questions lurking at the back of my mind, I did not even want to think about it.
Everything was all too bizarre to comprehend. With the information that I had, I could easily become one of the most famous people in the world. Erik Dken, a shape shifting tiger?! Nobody would believe it.
Today was supposed to be my first working day at Opak as Erik’s assistant. This was going to be very awkward. I was not even sure if I wanted to work there anymore, because it would mean bumping into him and talking to him every day. Right now I was supposed to forget about him, even though it was going to be the hardest thing in my life to do. He is a tiger Sarah, there’s no way you can have a relationship!
Although my situation was strange, I was not going to be a coward and back out of my new job. In the morning I was going to go over to the Opak offices, and I was going to work as usual, whether Erik was there or not. I would figure out some way of working around my feelings, and I would probably find another man who would make me get over Erik. Hopefully.
“You seem to be acting strange since you arrived back from your work trip,” my dad said, walking into my bedroom and sitting on the bed next to me. “It has to be a man. You are in love but scared of something.”
“No daddy, it is nothing like that. I'm just thinking about work,” I replied a little too quickly.
“Come on Sarah, I have raised you all these years alone and I know you, don’t lie to me,” James insisted.
“Okay, dad, maybe it is a man, but I really don’t wanna talk about it right now. Maybe some other time,” I smiled at the only man who knew me inside out. Wait, I think Erik also knew me just about as well.
“I'll be glad to hear you out when you are ready. You had better get some sleep because tomorrow you will be working.”
He gave me a hug and made his way out of my bedroom. Talking about sleep, I don’t think that I would be getting any tonight, not with all of the overload in my mind. I was in love with a tiger shape shifter, and I could not let go.
I made it to the Opak parking lot by nine in the morning. My heart was beating because I knew that I would be seeing Erik today, and I was not sure if I was going to control myself infront of him. I had even dressed up in my sexiest outfit just so that I would be able to impress him.
I was planning on telling him I didn’t care that he was a shifter. I was still in love with him.
“Hi, Sarah,” Lena beamed as I walked out of the elevator.
“Hi Lena, how was your weekend?” I smiled at her, walking over to the counter and reaching around it to hug her. She was the one who had practically given me the opportunity to get this job, and to also get the only man that I have ever loved.
“I'm guessing that yours was better, since you were hired.”
“This was all thanks to you, Lena, I owe you one, where do I begin, and is Mr. Dken in already?” I said to her.
“Come on, forget about work. I want to know how it went with Erik in his suite.” She said, walking around the counter and beginning to lead me towards an office that was next to Erik's.
“What makes you think that anything happened between Erik and I?” I asked, although I knew that the blush on my cheeks gave me away.
“Nothing..nothing at all.” Lena smiled.
Here, this is your new office.”
I spent the whole day getting acquainted with the workplace and waiting for Erik to come. He did finally show up, but I only got a glimpse of him. I needed to talk to him, but he would not pick up my extension when I tried calling him. He finally called us for a meeting in his office, me, Lena and a couple of other guys who worked here.
He sat at the head of the board meeting table, and I sat adjacent to him. I could breathe him, and it made my senses dizzy just imagining how close he was to me. The blood in my veins raced through my body. I noticed the way that Lena kept looking from Erik to me and back, and I wondered if she knew anything. Erik on the other hand completely avoided eye contact with me, even when he was introducing me to the team.
I was dy
ing to see the fire in his eyes but it looked like that was not going to happen. He was completely ignoring me and I was hoping that it was not because he was feeling guilty about what had happened yesterday. I desperately needed to let him know that I wanted to be with him, but it looked like he was already over me. There was no way that I was going to let that happen.
“You may all go back to your work stations now,” he said, calling the meeting to an end.
“Could I please have a moment with you?” I said as we started getting up.
“Not now, Sarah, not if it is not related to work. I have a lot of work to do and so do you,” he dismissed me without even bothering to look at me, how hurtful.
“But-“
“Get out of my office,” he barked, to everyone’s surprise and we all scooted out of his office.
“What is going on, Sarah?” Lena asked. “I have never seen Erik acting like that.”
“I was hoping that you could tell me.”
Tiger Billionaire's Virgin Lover #1: Desires Page 5
