Page 44 of Tiger Born

“What happened?” Dame demanded as he ran into the cage.

“I don’t know!” Mars said in a panicked tone. “He’s been himself all night, fighting off the tiger, trying to convince me to put him down while he has his mind. I took a piss outside and came back in, and he had torn the place apart and was having a seizure or something. I think the tiger is killing Stellan!”

“Stellan,” Dame said, slapping his face gently. “Hey brother, we need you to come back to us.”

He wasn’t breathing, and Dame couldn’t hear a heartbeat.

“Shit,” he muttered, lowering down to press his ear to his chest. This couldn’t be happening. No heartbeat.

“CPR,” he gritted out, shoving Marsden back. He needed him flat on his back.

Dame did three chest compressions, and something happened that changed everything. Stellan’s dark, vacant eyes flashed gold. There was this awful smile that ghosted Stellan’s lips, and before Dame could react, he yanked his arm forward and threw him hard against the bars of the cage.

“What the hell?” Mars yelled out, but it was too late.

Stellan was out of the cage. Dame and Mars both bolted for the door, but Stellan slammed it shut and rammed the main lock up into place.

He backed out of their reach and wiped his mouth with his forearm.

“Please don’t,” Dame whispered in horror. “Please let us out.” He shook the cage doors hard. “Stellan, let us out.”

“Sure thing, brothers. After my unfinished business is taken care of.”

“Dude, you can’t do this. It’ll kill Dame,” Mars pleaded, testing the bars in his grasp. They weren’t moving.

“Stellan, don’t! She hasn’t done anything to you.”

Stellan was backing away slowly, his smile vacant. “She’s the Rabbit,” he said softly. “Someday when you find your Rabbit, you’ll understand. There’s no fighting the hunt. There is only the hunt.”

Dame rattled the bars of the door. “Stellan, get back here! I’ll fucking kill you. You will die. Do you hear the truth in my voice? If you touch her, I’ll kill you!”

Stellan stopped at the door and shook his head slowly. “You would have to catch me first, and we both know the only reason I’ve been hanging around this city is for her. Goodbye, brothers.”

And then he disappeared into the darkness as the roaring consumed Dame’s throat.

Chapter Twelve

There was no way Misty was going to get back to sleep after Dame had said the L-word.

She couldn’t stop smiling. The house smelled like coffee, and she guessed he’d made a quick cup before Dame had gone out to switch places with Mars.

She just had to figure out how to use the coffee maker. This thing looked a little complicated and she was used to the old school pot Uncle Tim had gifted her years ago.

She was wearing one of Dame’s T-shirts, and it hung down to her knees, and she’d tied her hair up in a messy bun to keep it out of her face while she tried to figure out this coffee maker rocket science.

She filled the water tank, pushed the button, and slid a clean mug under the spout.

A roar rattled the house, and she gasped and hunched down.

Another roar sounded, and a second in a lower voice.

Two tigers.

The house felt very empty all of a sudden.

Another roar sounded and her adrenaline was climbing. Misty jogged to the door and locked the deadbolt, then backed away slowly as her heart pounded in her chest.

“You know that lock wouldn’t keep me out,” a soft voice sounded behind her.