by A. J. Wynter
Down below, Daman and Dominic had entered the camp. It had been ages since they had hunted together, and it felt good to be working in a team again. Daman had forgotten what it meant to be part of a tiger shifter streak, becoming wrapped up in depression over losing his family members, and more recently, his growing interest in Kat. But Dominic was here now, by his side, putting his life on the line for him.
Daman had been hanging out on the seventh floor of an abandoned apartment, and was soaking in an old, claw-toothed bathtub when he felt a tiger’s presence; it took him a few moments to realize it was Dominic. Though naked, Daman had stood up and embraced his old friend.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“You know I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important. There’s trouble in the forest,” Dominic had said, after returning to his human f0rm. “Sergei and Kat have been captured by poachers.”
Daman’s face turned white, and he struggled to speak. He shook his head as if he hadn’t heard right.
“Poachers, Daman.” Dominic repeated.
The word rocked Daman to his core, and the feelings that overcame him were so intense that he thought he might pass out. It was poachers who had set the fire that had killed his mother and brother, and now once again, it was poachers who had taken the one person he cared for.
Daman couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to Kat; nor Sergei, who he could see himself one day befriending. The only way he could see this ending well for any of them, would be to kill the poachers.
“Good thing I’m starving. I don't usually find humans tasty, but tonight I think I could go for a little roasted poacher,” he winked.
Daman smiled a toothy grin, biting back the fear that sat deep within his throat. “I think I just got my appetite back.”
They’d bounded into the forest together as tigers, their hearts beating out of their chests for different reasons. Dominic was afraid for Kat’s life, whereas Daman feared seeing Kat again. He hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind for weeks now. She was every bit as elegant and beautiful as he had thought she'd be, but even more so when he was up close to her. The accidental kiss that he had witnessed between Sergei and Kat didn’t bother him; he could get over that. What did bother him was thinking about Kat in danger, which caused him to extend his stride and sprint even faster.
Dominic purred to Daman, signaling that they needed to be silent as they approached. Their breathing became shallow and they hunched back on their hind legs, preparing to pounce. Gunner and Raven had their backs turned to the forest, and they appeared to be cleaning their guns. They were unprepared for an ambush from behind.
When Dominic gave the signal, a low throaty cry, Daman rushed forward and pounced on Gunner. It had sounded eerie, almost childlike, and was meant to scare prey.
Dominic pounced on Raven, biting her on the back of her neck, hard. Their attack was messy, and left a sticky blood trail around the circumference of the fire. It was over for the poachers before they’d known what happened. The bloodlust overtook the two shifters and they did as a true tiger would. They feasted. When they were finished eating their prey and were satisfied, Daman transformed back to human form. He stood up and scratched the bigger, older cat behind his ears, before Dominic disappeared back into the forest. Daman buried the weapons so they could never again be used to harm a forest dweller, but he left the stained bloody clothes as a warning to other poachers.
Next, he turned his attention to the cages. Kat was watching from above, still drowsy from the tranquilizer. She had turned away when they’d first attacked, not wanting to witness the brutal violence, although she realized it had been necessary. She clung to the sides of the cage as Daman lowered her to the ground, careful not to crush her legs dangling through the bars. He grabbed an axe and struck the cage once, the lock snapping off. Kat crawled out of the cage and stretched her stiff legs, before leaping into Daman’s arms, kissing him hard on the cheek. She wanted to kiss him deeply, but after witnessing what he had just snacked upon, decided against it.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“You’re, uh, welcome,” he replied, struggling to find words.
When Sergei was released he could barely stand without assistance. His legs were like flimsy noodles and his body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.
“What happened?” he managed to croak, not yet able to use his full voice.
“You were captured by poachers,” Daman told him. He stuck a thumb into his chest and said, “But Dominic and I saved you.”
Sergei eyes shone with gratitude; his human body covered in dust and dirt. He still had tufts of tiger fur in his hair. Remnants of his other self often remained when he was forced to transform. Whenever he felt too sick to maintain his tiger form, his body forced the transformation back into a human. Fortunately the poachers hadn’t noticed the change. Seeing Kat there, he was thankful that this time it had just been his hair. Once, he’d transformed back, only to find a long tail growing out of his back. It had taken him many years to learn how to transform flawlessly between tiger and human, but even now, there were times that his body fought the change. He blamed it on being purebred. The tiger was especially strong in him.
“Nice hair,” Kat said weakly.
Sergei smiled and nodded, before giving in and closing his eyes. They were heavy with exhaustion, and he found he couldn’t keep them open anymore.
“Get her back to the palace,” Sergei ordered Daman. “I should be well enough to get back to the palace by morning.”
Daman nodded and held out his hand to Kat. He helped her to her feet, but seeing how wobbly she was, picked her up in his arms in one smooth motion. He carried her gently, walking slowly to the keep and cutting through the garden to avoid the guards.
“I’m going to put you down for a moment,” he told Kat once they were safely hidden next to the garden wall, nestled amongst pumpkins. The orange of them reminded Kat of Daman’s soft tiger fur.
“Mmm,” she responded. She was sleepy, and didn’t want to get up to walk inside quite yet. The night was beautiful, and she could see the North star from their resting spot on the ground.
Daman lay next to her, staring up at the stars, and took her hand in his. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Daman’s instincts got the best of him, and he turned to kiss her. It surprised her, and the adrenaline that shot through her body made her eyes crisp and alert. She was overcome by both lust and gratitude, as Daman had been the one to save her from certain doom. He pushed her back onto the grass and planted soft kisses up her wrists and shoulders. The way Daman touched her was softer, and more docile than Sergei. Sergei had been hungrier, acting like he would explode if he didn’t touch her with ferocity.
Daman’s breath was warm, causing her skin to erupt into goosebumps. He touched her lightly all over, and she found herself becoming wet as a result of his touch. He reached beneath the folds of her clothing and began to massage her breasts while kissing her deeply. She felt an incredible warmth rush through her body which soothed her. They continued to kiss passionately, unaware that back in the palace Natalia had risen from her sleep to check on Kat.
Yet again, thoughts of her daughter had turned to worry, for no reason she could put her finger on, other than a mother’s instinct. She had loved watching her daughter sleep since a young age, and felt drawn to do so tonight. However, even with the faint moonlight shining through the window, she could see that the bed was empty. Kat was gone.
Enraged by her daughter’s disappearance, she flew out the front door into the courtyard. She knew there was a chance Kat would be there, as she had often found her daughter out playing with the fireflies, or doing midnight gardening, when she should be tucked into her bed. For an only daughter, she could be quite a handful. But she didn’t find Kat there, either. Natalia screamed out Kat’s name, worried.
Kat heard her mother’s screams from the garden. She reluctantly tore herself from Daman’s embrace, and quick
ly tugging the fabric of her dress over her bare shoulders.
“You must go,” she hissed to Daman. He nodded, and did a semi-bow. Kat giggled and then turned to the palace and hurried inside, ready to face her mother’s wrath.
9.
The next morning, Natalia was in a foul mood and ignored her daughter as she sat across the breakfast table. She was still angry with Kat for sneaking out in the dark, even though it didn’t technically constitute running away. When Kat had returned inside to face her mother, she’d been covered in dirt and smelled like the earth. Natalia had demanded she take a bath, and even though it was very late and all the maids were sleeping, Kat had begrudgingly complied.
She was exhausted from dealing with the poachers, though a larger part of her was still heated from being with Daman. They’d been interrupted, but at least they had gotten to be alone in each other’s company for more than a few minutes.
“Why in Heaven’s name would you go out in the middle of the night? Why can you not wait until morning like everyone else? What are you smirking at? Do you think it’s funny you were out all night in the garden? I thought you had been kidnapped. What would have happened to you then? Who would come and save you?”
“I’m fine,” Kat spat back. She didn’t like it when her mother treated her like a child; she was perfectly capable of saving herself. Well, she was perfectly capable of being rescued by the two shifters in her life. Now that she had patched things up with Daman, she knew she could count on having him by her side. She wondered if he had gotten home okay.
Natalia eyed Kat across the breakfast table. Her free-spirited daughter was going to send her to an early grave. If Kat didn't marry soon and hopefully produce and heir, their empire would go to the next best option—Kat’s cousin, Olysia. Kat and her cousin had never really bonded, even as young girls. Olysia would be traveling to the palace for a few weeks on business. Natalia pondered how to break this news to her daughter.
When Natalia had finished her breakfast and left the dining hall, Kat glared at Sergei. “How did you even get home last night? I thought you were still passed out!”
“Shh,” he said. “Your mother’s probably eavesdropping in the room next to us, and I don’t want her worrying about me. Besides, I got back fine. The tranquilizers wore off after an hour, and so I simply walked back to the palace.”
“How did you get past the guards at such a late hour?”
“The guards know me. And we have a working relationship.”
Kat rolled her eyes. “Of course you do. How much did that cost you.”
“So, I see that Daman got you back here in one piece…” he trailed off.
Kat felt herself blush, but didn’t respond.
So what’s this I hear about your cousin coming to town?”
“What? This is the first I’m hearing of this” Kat said, clearly annoyed.
She’d always been jealous of Olysia and her natural beauty. She was taller than Kat, almost six feet, and had bronzed skin subtly covered with freckles. Her eyes were the same mixture of green and blue as Kat’s and she had the same long hair, but something about Olysia always made Kat feel short and inadequate. Kat was thin, whereas Olysia was tall and curvy, and she liked to show off her huge breasts and round ass in revealing dresses—dresses that Kat found a little on the skanky side.
“You don’t like your cousin?” Sergei prodded. Though he was now closer with Kat than ever before, he still received great pleasure from finding what annoyed her, and then pushing those buttons.
“She’s fine,” Kat said tersely, pushing food around her plate. “Do you want to go for a walk before she gets here?
“Okay,” he said slowly. “But are you sure you want to go back into the forest? The last time you suggested it, you got us kidnapped.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. But this time will be different. Besides, it’s daylight. What could go wrong?”
Sergei agreed reluctantly, mostly so he could have alone time with Kat, away from her mother’s prying eyes. Kat wandered upstairs to tell her mother she was leaving with Sergei, but Natalia was on her phone. She abruptly halted her conversation, held up one slender diamond covered finger, and dismissed her from the room. Obviously she didn’t want Kat to hear the conversation. Kat was only too happy to oblige. As she skipped down the hallway, excited to have some freedom with Sergei, she stopped in her tracks. There on the front stairway was her cousin, talking with Sergei, one hand on his shoulder, the other on his hip.
“Oh, hey there,” said Olysia, in a voice so low and sultry, Kat couldn’t be sure who exactly it was intended for.
“Hi Olysia.”
As much as she was bothered by Olysia, she tried to be cordial. “When did you get here?”
“Just now. My father’s been held up with meetings again, and isn’t sure if he’ll make it. I’m sure your mother’s on the phone with him right now. It looks like I’ll be staying with your family for the next few weeks.”
Kat wasn’t sure how to react to this news, but before she could respond, Olysia draped her arm around Sergei’s shoulders. “So, where are we headed?”
“We were just about to go for a walk in the forest.”
“Sounds wonderful, I’d love to stretch my legs. I’ve been in the car for hours.”
“I don’t think that those heels are going to cut it” Kat said, motioning to Olysia’s red stilettos.
“Oh, don’t you worry. I’ve gotten into hiking.” Olysia turned and yelled to one of the doormen, “fetch me my footwear suitcase”.
Olysia stamped her feet into her hiking boots, the rugged boots looking truly ridiculous matched up with her designer sheath dress. “Let’s do this!”
Kat couldn’t help herself, she smirked at the thought of Olysia’s reaction to seeing a tiger shifter. She was a city girl, and even with her expensive hiking boots, she was not going to deal well with the wildlife they were about to experience.
Kat also had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wasn’t thrilled at the body language she had just walked in on, and hoped that finding out about Sergei’s secret would scare Olysia far, far, away.
Though she’d hated the outdoors when they were younger, Olysia seemed to flourish in the warm weather and bright green grass. As they walked across the courtyard, the wind had picked up and was blowing against their faces and whipping their hair.
As soon as they crossed the threshold to the forest, darkness enveloped them. It was sticky and warm, and a nice change from the cold, brisk morning at the palace. They found Daman in his tiger form, lazing beneath a large oak tree, dozing in the heat. Kat cleared her throat and Daman turned to face her. Kat could feel Olysia move behind her, cowering in fear.
“Do you think it will attack us?” Olysia whispered, shaking.
“No. He’s a friend of mine. Daman, I’d like you to meet my cousin.”
At the mentioning of his name, Daman quickly transformed into his human form. He swept low to the ground and carefully picked up his stack of clothes, holding them in front of his manhood for modesty's sake, and bowing to Olysia.
“Delighted to make your acquaintance,” he grinned.
To give Olysia credit, she certainly could roll with a surprise. She giggled nervously and held out a hand to him. “Were you cursed by a shaman?”
“I don’t think so,” Daman replied. “I can shift into my tiger form without the assistance of a full moon, which is generally the stuff of fairy tales.”
“And what about you handsome?” Olysia asked, pointing at Sergei. “Are you a tiger as well?”
“Hold onto your hat m’lady” Sergei growled in a low voice, not wanting to be upstaged. He quickly ripped off his shirt and dropped his pants, causing Olysia to gasp. He then leapt into the air, his body changing as if it were jumping through an invisible hula-hoop.
“Wow, look at the color of his fur,” purred Olysia, grinning slyly. She let her hands glide slowly over Sergei’s back, which elicited a loud purr, mu
ch to the dismay of Kat. He rolled over onto his back, allowing Olysia to stroke his belly. Though she had been afraid a few seconds ago, she certainly didn’t look scared at all. Kat found it a little odd that she wasn't more nervous about what was happening right in front of them. Why, she hadn’t seemed even the least bit hesitant to pet Sergei. Kat began to feel slightly territorial.
“So, what brings you all to the forest?” Daman asked. “Not that I’m unhappy to see you.”
“My mother is throwing a masquerade ball tomorrow evening. Would you like to come? Kat had swiped an invite from the maid’s room and handed it to him. It was black and embossed in gold calligraphy. It’s the perfect place to be anonymous.” Kat said and thought back to the magical night that their eyes had first met.
“Natalia is throwing a ball? I had no idea! I’m so excited! Where can I get a costume?” Olysia squealed.
Kat turned to Olysia, annoyed that she had ruined her moment with Daman. “It’s a masquerade ball, so wear something flashy. But don’t forget to wear a mask. I think the guards will be handing them out at the door.”
Daman felt honoured and proud she had asked him, especially in front of Sergei. Sergei had rolled the dice on whether to use Olysia’s obvious interest to make Kat jealous. But fortunately for Daman, Sergei’s jealousy plan had backfired.
“I would love to attend the ball, but my tuxedo is at the cleaners.” Daman replied.
“I’ll take care of that.” Olysia said. “Give me your address and I’ll have a suit sent over. It would be a damn shame for a fine man like you to miss one of Natalia’s parties.”
“I can’t accept that.” Daman responded, looking down to the ground.
“Nonsense. If you do not come to the ball and dance with me, I will make your life miserable.” Olysia said, reaching up and taking Daman’s chin in her hand. “You don’t want to be on my bad side.”
Kat felt her face flush red in anger.
Sergei sat on the sidelines smirking at the obvious power struggle emerging between the two women. This could get interesting, he thought to himself.
