Sitting before the vanity of the guest room, she didn't take John up on his offer to sleep in his bed last night. She slept two hours before the nightmares began, so a nice warm cup of tea and catching up on work was what she decided on. The sun would soon be rising as would her very active little tiger cub. She ran the brush through her hair slowly, watching her reflection in the mirror. She was brought back to when she had found a small village after escaping from him. Or now she knew, it was not an escape. He had let her free...but why? That part she still feared.
{Seven years ago}
"Tijgerian, our village was attacked. All of our men...killed. I do not know if there is even another alpha tiger alive and in existence. Our kind is...doomed." One of the women who had been so nice to her explained. She looked around at the few women who were left, not many. They would all die without their alpha males, it was just how it was. She was independent and strong, she didn't need a man to survive. She had herself. She thought about the man her mother used to bring up a lot, a man who she was going to marry one day. Stupid customs of their people involved setting them up with arranged marriages and not caring what the ones being set up thought. She sighed and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder.
"You can survive without him. I've survived...many attacks. You have to pick yourself up and go on."
The woman looked at her as if she grew two heads. "Don't you get it? We cannot breed without our men. We cannot continue our line."
"So we are a dying breed, big deal? At least there's us, until we die." She wasn't getting the importance of breeding. Her mother spoke of it often, but she thought it was just another tradition that she wouldn't like. Having to breed with a man she didn't even know or love. She sighed as the woman continued to look at her weird. "I'm sure there are other tigers out there." She would eat those words.
Two weeks later, those women were hunted and killed by a mix of poachers and vampires. She stood in the center of the quiet, empty village and never felt more alone. It was then she decided she needed to live in the world of humans, blend in and never reveal her nature. She moved to another part of India and started a new life, went to college and eventually would receive a masters degree along with other degrees she uses here and there. She made a name for herself, she was established.
And then....she met him.
It was by accident and fate that he walked into the bar she was having a few drinks in. She immediately recognized his scent and knew what he was. It was a shock to see another tiger alive...and male at that. It was then that her mothers words came back to haunt her.
"You must continue our line, the only way to ensure survival. Find him Tij, find him." She remembered the serious look upon her mothers face and suddenly took the breeding thing seriously. Perhaps there was a point to be made. She didn't want a man, she didn't want love....she wanted a baby.
A business deal, she told herself. A simple deal and they could part ways. What could it hurt?
She blinked a few times and heard the chime of her laptop, seeing an incoming call from Xavier. She answered it and pulled her robe tightly closed, wondering what he wanted. "George have you trying to convince me to switch assignments with you?" she chuckled.
"I haven't heard from George. I'm calling because I want in on it. We can split it, you know I can be of service." She laughed and shook her head.
"No deal, sorry. I'm doing this for my son and I'm sure your Canadian women are waiting for you."
"You were offered New Orleans and then you get the Brazil deal? What the hell Tij? You sleepin' with him?"
She grew angry at that. "Xavier, you will watch your tone. My success is not measure by how many men I bed, or how far my legs spread. It's measured in the fact that I go in and get shit done, not fuck around or like you...fuck anyone with two legs." She spoke normal but the annoyance in her voice was evident.
"Yeah, that's what they all say sister. But I know there is something going on, you can't fool me. Don't forget, we all started at the same place."
"Yeah, well ironic isn't it....we won't end up in the same place. I'll be on top and you...you will be begging for scraps. Good bye Xavier."
She ended the video call and closed her laptop, moving to the window to look out at the rising sun. She slipped her robe down her arms and touched the glass, her eyes closing as she let the rays of the sun wash over her.
{Seven years ago}
"Tijgerian, our village was attacked. All of our men...killed. I do not know if there is even another alpha tiger alive and in existence. Our kind is...doomed." One of the women who had been so nice to her explained. She looked around at the few women who were left, not many. They would all die without their alpha males, it was just how it was. She was independent and strong, she didn't need a man to survive. She had herself. She thought about the man her mother used to bring up a lot, a man who she was going to marry one day. Stupid customs of their people involved setting them up with arranged marriages and not caring what the ones being set up thought. She sighed and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder.
"You can survive without him. I've survived...many attacks. You have to pick yourself up and go on."
The woman looked at her as if she grew two heads. "Don't you get it? We cannot breed without our men. We cannot continue our line."
"So we are a dying breed, big deal? At least there's us, until we die." She wasn't getting the importance of breeding. Her mother spoke of it often, but she thought it was just another tradition that she wouldn't like. Having to breed with a man she didn't even know or love. She sighed as the woman continued to look at her weird. "I'm sure there are other tigers out there." She would eat those words.
Two weeks later, those women were hunted and killed by a mix of poachers and vampires. She stood in the center of the quiet, empty village and never felt more alone. It was then she decided she needed to live in the world of humans, blend in and never reveal her nature. She moved to another part of India and started a new life, went to college and eventually would receive a masters degree along with other degrees she uses here and there. She made a name for herself, she was established.
And then....she met him.
It was by accident and fate that he walked into the bar she was having a few drinks in. She immediately recognized his scent and knew what he was. It was a shock to see another tiger alive...and male at that. It was then that her mothers words came back to haunt her.
"You must continue our line, the only way to ensure survival. Find him Tij, find him." She remembered the serious look upon her mothers face and suddenly took the breeding thing seriously. Perhaps there was a point to be made. She didn't want a man, she didn't want love....she wanted a baby.
A business deal, she told herself. A simple deal and they could part ways. What could it hurt?
She blinked a few times and heard the chime of her laptop, seeing an incoming call from Xavier. She answered it and pulled her robe tightly closed, wondering what he wanted. "George have you trying to convince me to switch assignments with you?" she chuckled.
"I haven't heard from George. I'm calling because I want in on it. We can split it, you know I can be of service." She laughed and shook her head.
"No deal, sorry. I'm doing this for my son and I'm sure your Canadian women are waiting for you."
"You were offered New Orleans and then you get the Brazil deal? What the hell Tij? You sleepin' with him?"
She grew angry at that. "Xavier, you will watch your tone. My success is not measure by how many men I bed, or how far my legs spread. It's measured in the fact that I go in and get shit done, not fuck around or like you...fuck anyone with two legs." She spoke normal but the annoyance in her voice was evident.
"Yeah, that's what they all say sister. But I know there is something going on, you can't fool me. Don't forget, we all started at the same place."
"Yeah, well ironic isn't it....we won't end up in the same place. I'll be on top and you...you will be begging for scraps. Good bye Xavier."
She ended the video call and closed her laptop, moving to the window to look out at the rising sun. She slipped her robe down her arms and touched the glass, her eyes closing as she let the rays of the sun wash over her.
