Wish Upon a Tiger: A BBW Weretiger Shifter Romance (Fountain of Love) (6 page)

“
Guess
I'm ready to go back,” Jenna said, more than a little
disappointment creeping into her voice.

“
Not
yet, you aren't.” I waved her forward, until she joined me next
to the pool. “Put your hands in there. Let the cold water wipe
away the past. Then look at the fountain and make a wish. It's
tradition.”

“
You
mean tigers have wishing wells too?”

I smiled. “If you want to think of it like that.
To tell the truth, this is more than some small town fountain you
throw pennies in. The old timers used to say it was enchanted.”

That got her attention. My heart throbbed happily as she
gave the spigot in the center her full attention, wide eyed like a
young girl hearing her first fairy tale.

“
This
is silly,” she muttered. Not very convincingly.

“
Go
on. Make a wish, Jenna.”

I took her left hand nearest to me and lowered it into
the cool water. She took over from there.

Her other hand went in, and I watched as she scooped up
the purifying water, letting the excess run out of her hands before
sweeping the droplets through her beautiful hair. Jenna closed her
eyes, letting the crisp, shiny liquid permeate her skin, offering its
renewal.

In reality, no tiger knew if the pool's water was really
magic or not. I didn't give a damn. The placebo effect alone was
worth keeping the faith.

I saw Jenna's stoic, modern, human side slip away. A
broad smile curled on her lips as soon as her face was wet, and she
stuck out her tongue, collecting the faint moisture that ran down one
cheek.

I wasn't sure if it was a tear or a droplet of water.
Either way, the fountain had done its job. It had given her hope.

Looking away, I saw a figure approaching in the forest.
Irritation flared in my belly. Sure, tigers were entitled to take
their walks and come here anytime they felt the need.

But this was supposed
to be
our
moment. Just
who the hell was showing up in mid-afternoon?

“
There,”
Jenna said softly. “I did it. I'm keeping my wish to myself.
Not sure if tigers do it that way or not, but that's one human
tradition I'm not ready to leave behind.”

I didn't answer. The dark haired man slipped past me
without even nodding, much less a shoulder salute.

“
Really,
Erik? If a girl wants you to charm her panties off, you could've
picked a thousand better sights than this dusty old place.”

Jenna turned and blinked in surprise. I suppressed a
growl as he smiled at her, exposing those big white teeth that always
looked a little too sharp, even when he was in human form.

“
What's
your name, baby cat? Whenever our high Alpha brings in a stray, I
like to get acquainted.”

“
Jenna,”
she said reluctantly.

I took a little satisfaction that she hadn't offered him
her hand. But only a little.

“
You
have to know what happened here. I know word gets around,” I
growled. “After the rescue yesterday, I'm in no mood for your
shit. Go on your way and leave in peace.”

His dark eyes blinked. “Hoo-boy. Is that any way
to talk to family? I see some things never change...as soon as you
get your hands on something new and shiny, you want to keep it to
yourself.”

I openly growled now, showing him my teeth. The showy
bastard edged close to the fountain, stuck his hand in the pool, and
then flicked water behind him. A little too close to us for comfort.

“
Come
on,” I said, grabbing Jenna by the wrist and leading her away.

“
Hey!
Who is that prick?” she asked excitedly as we stepped into the
forest.

I didn't answer until we were out of earshot. “My
cousin, Rufus. He's always been an asshole. It's nothing against
you.”

“
Could've
fooled me. Guy acted like I spit in his cereal or something.”

I shook my head. Human idioms were strange, but useful
in this case.

“
Stay
away from him,” I growled. “He's always had a problem
with me since we were cubs. It only got worse after I was appointed
Alpha. Rufus has some serious ego quirks he's never had the balls to
own up to.”

“
Stay
away? Is he dangerous?”

I laughed. “Not really. That's another thing he
can't stand. I've always overpowered him the few times he challenged
me, even when we wrestled in our younger days.”

“
Then...”

“
He'll
do anything just to poke a thorn in my side. Using other people to
get to me means nothing to him. My cousin wants me to do something
stupid and dangerous in front of the town. The idiot thinks tigers
will be falling all over themselves to appoint him Alpha in case I
can't do the job anymore.”

“
Sounds
like he's got it out for you bad.”

“
He
can flash his claws all he wants,” I said with a snort. “Rufus
knows his place. He'll push and poke, but the second he truly
challenges me, I'll flay the stripes off his body. An attack on me is
an attack on my clan, Jenna. And if you need to understand anything
about me, then know I'll never, ever allow that to happen.”

III: Tiger's Watchful Eye
(Jenna)

“
Well?
How do I look?” I asked nervously.

It had been so long since I wore a long dress. The one
he'd gotten me wasn't overly formal, but it still showed off my sides
more than I liked, clinging to my body so the whole world could see a
few pounds too many.

In the bedroom, he turned. His eyes were filled with
bright stars, and they swelled the instant he looked at me.

“
Perfect.
Looks like I'll have to pull double duty tonight fighting off males
who'll want to claim you. Beautiful mate material is rare around
these parts.”

I did a double take. The way his breath hitched...it
wasn't just an act.

Wow. I guess I really do look good to the only tiger
who matters here...

Of course, Mister Alpha Tiger looked damned near perfect
in his warrior uniform. The top part was just an extension of a cloak
that ran out loosely along his shoulders. The bottom disappeared into
his trousers, and his legs were capped with long boots up to his
knees.

Dashing
was
the best word for him now. And he wasn't shy about dashing over
either.

Before I knew it, Erik's hands were on my sides. “You're
so soft. So beautiful. Fuck, this dress highlights the very best
you've got...”

My hips rolled toward him, betraying my desire. As soon
as he realized what he'd done, he let go, and we shared an awkward
second.

“
You're
gonna turn some serious heads, wildcat.” He smiled, but never
apologized for putting his hands on me.

Telling. His unspoken desire was infectious, and it
rippled up my body.

“
Least
you're dressed for the part. You look like a soldier.” I wasn't
kidding. The silver crest with the saber-tooth in the middle glowed
on one breast, pinned to his shirt like an oversized medal.

“
Ready
to be the talk of the town? Everyone's curious about our new
arrival.” He smiled.

We walked into the living room together as I mulled the
question. I'd gotten used to my very handsome host during my recovery
the last couple days. But showing myself off in a whole room of
strange tigers?

“
Maybe
if I was twenty pounds lighter and not a...uh, half-blood.” I
struggled to remember what he called it.

His smile disappeared. “No one will even know
about your human heritage. And if anybody finds out and gives you
grief over it, then let me know. I'll set them straight.”

I noticed his body subtly flex beneath the gorgeous
uniform. His protective energy made me feel safer, pushing a little
more confidence to the surface.

“
I
believe you,” I said. “But I think I can handle a little
social.”

I offered him my arm, which he gratefully accepted, and
we walked to the door together. The next step we took was into the
cool night.

It was only a short distance to the town hall where they
were holding this little get together. Still, in the big spaces
between my footsteps, I sensed anything might happen.

“
Tigers
haven't been in Alaska for thousands of years. Not real ones, you
understand. I'm sure we'd know a lot more about why our kind exists
if we got our hands on some of those fancy DNA tools the humans use.
But they're expensive, and Erik won't authorize a buy from the
village funds.” The older man who'd introduced himself as Moore
pouted behind his glasses.

“
You'll
figure it out one day. Technology's always getting cheaper and more
sensitive. Give it ten years and we'll have hand held labs for
testing blood.” I smiled, trying to be reassuring.

“
Ha!
Tell that to the Alpha, who thinks it's okay keeping our fifty year
old snowplow on life support at the auto shop.”

“
I'm
sure he means well,” I said.

Moore was only the third person I'd had any lengthy
conversation with in this town. I was surprised to see there was some
grumbling about Erik's reign. Not that it was any worse than what
you'd find in a human town, where potholes and parade routes were
always a concern.

I
hope there isn't room for his creepy cousin to stir the pot,
I
thought.

“
Has
anyone tried to read the stones in the woods?”

“
Many
times!” Moore said enthusiastically. “Of course, it never
works out. Nobody's ever cracked the code. We'd need a Rosetta Stone
to decipher the old tongue. That's what we call the shreds of it we
still use in our ceremonies. Some folks say we had a better handle on
translations back before the Second Grizzly War.”

“
Grizzly
war?”

“
Happened
in my father's time.” I looked up, and Erik was at my side
again. “He was just a young man when we fought the bears. They
were run out of their settlement by all the gold grabbing humans
coming up from the Yukon. I've only met a grizzly shifter once, but
they're fierce fighters, let me tell you.”

“
Who
won?” I looked to Erik, and then to Moore.

Both of them shrugged. For some reason, the odd
uncertainty made me laugh.

“
Winter,”
Moore offered. “Nothing alive, human or skinwalker, has an easy
time when the arctic weather starts to creep in. Near as I can
recall, the fighting just fizzled out when the snow fell. In the
spring, the bears were gone. Some say they all died trying to get
through the mountain passes in the winter. Others say they turned
south and went back to Canada.”

My head was buzzing. This world was so different from
anything I'd known. My brain struggled to absorb a crazy new history.

It was fascinating, but dizzying too.

“
We'll
pick up on the history lesson later,” Erik said. “Come
over here. Let me introduce you to our ladies.”

There was a small gaggle of female tigers in the corner.
The ten or so gathered there were older, many into middle age or
beyond. Several broke away and approached when they saw Erik and I.

“
Here's
Marabella, Jade, Delilah, Siren, and Jinx...”

I shook hands and exchanged a few words with each as
Erik took me down the line. I gave him a sharp look as he cleared a
way between two women to the snacks behind them. Even a girl with a
healthy appetite like me wasn't going to barge in to eat cheese and
cold cuts, but I guess an Alpha has his privileges...

“
Are
these the only women in the town?” I asked, speaking to a tall
woman with deep crow's lines around her eyes named Jade.

“
A
very keen eye, Miss Argo. We can use more of those in this village.”
Jade said with a smile. “Don't be intimidated. You'll need to
save your strength for all the boys looking your way.”

I turned, feeling flushed. My attention was so fixed on
Erik I hadn't noticed anyone else looking my way with flames in their
eyes.