Tiger Bite: BBW Shapeshifter Paranormal Romance (Shifters Everafter Book 1) (3 page)

The powerful tiger stalked Jessica through the trees. Alek screamed at the animal and tried to regain control, but it was no use. The tiger soundlessly crept up on Jessica. She didn’t even see it coming.

Alek watched with horror as his tiger pounced on the unarmed woman. The forest was deadly quiet as the tiger’s jaws clamped down on Jessica’s shoulder. She screamed loudly and beat the animal on the head, but it wouldn’t let go. It held her down with a paw and opened its jaws. It licked the wound it had just created until it had stopped bleeding. Then, just as quickly as it had begun, the attack was over. The giant tiger got up and bounded off into the trees.

He didn’t even try to take control back. He didn’t want anyone to see his face.

That was it. His life was over. He would never be able to keep Jess safe again. He was going to have to leave town and head for a shifter sanctuary. All he could hope was that he hadn’t ruined her life too.

Maybe she wouldn’t turn. Maybe his tiger had only wrecked
his
future.

Jessica lay on the ground in shock. She had to get up. No one knew where she was. If she stayed on the ground, she was going to die all alone and no one would ever find her body.

The tatters of shirt that were still clinging to her torso were soaked in blood. She sat up gingerly and put her hand to her shoulder.

The wound didn’t go all the way through. She couldn’t get a good look at it, but it didn’t appear to still be bleeding. She opened her backpack and took out a granola bar and a bottle of juice. She ate and drank slowly while she continued to cry. By the time she’d finished the food, she wasn’t shaking anymore. She could stand up, and she had stopped crying.

She focused on the sounds around her as she tried to calm her mind. She could hear rodents scurrying around and there were birds flitting around the treetops. She listened hard, but there was no sign of the tiger. But then, she hadn’t heard it coming the first time, either. The animal could still be out there, waiting to pounce again. It could be toying with her. It wasn’t safe out here.

She would have to go back home. There was no way she could try to walk to Rose Valley in her current condition. No one would accept her at the next town covered in blood, either.

She started the walk back to town with only one thought on her mind. Was she going to turn?

Tigers weren’t native to the area. There was no way that one wasn’t a were-animal or a shifter. Being bitten by a were-animal didn’t guarantee that she’d turn; there was still a chance she’d be fine. Either way, she needed to know before she left. She would be a danger to anyone near her when she first turned. She didn’t want to hurt someone while traveling to Baghera because she was so anxious to leave. She had to be safe about it.

She snuck back into her room without being spotted. Her father’s night guards weren’t that good at their jobs. She’d expected to have a hard time getting back inside in her current state, but there wasn’t anyone around to see her.

When she looked in the mirror, she realized how lucky she was. Anyone who saw her would have known she’d been attacked. Besides the blood and torn clothes, she was pale as a ghost. She took a shower and got into bed with another bottle of juice.

All of her clothes were going to have to go into a dumpster. No one could know what had happened to her. Jasper wouldn’t want to marry her if he knew she’d been attacked—but that wasn’t a good thing. She wouldn’t put it past her father to actually lock her away if he knew. He would come down hard on all the shifters in Penicalla and the Wasteland, but there was no telling what he would do to her. What if he blamed her for what had happened? She’d gone off into the forest without her guards. Had she been more careful, it wouldn’t have happened.

Even if her father forgave her, she wouldn’t be in the clear. Everyone in town would ostracize her at best. She would have to talk with the authorities and she would be watched for a year. That was the one shifter law her father had been able to get passed while he was a state representative: anyone bitten by any animal was supposed to report to the authorities. She could see how it might be a useful database. If there was a rabbit shifter going around turning people left and right, it would be nice to know.

But she didn’t want to be on the list. People watching her wouldn’t make her transition any easier and who knew what they would do with that information in the future.

The thought of turning made her light-headed. What she needed was to find a shifter. She needed information about what the transformation was like. She had no idea how any of this worked. It was a very good thing she was going to Baghera. Daria’s brother Ben had gone through all of this. He’d be able to give her some advice.

Unless the legends in her mother’s books were true. If there was a genie in a lamp, it was more important than ever for her to find it. She could ask him to make her human again.

As if she needed more incentive to get to Rose Valley and search for it.

She slept fitfully for a few hours before her alarm went off. She cleaned the wound again and put a bandage over it. It looked like it was almost healed and it didn’t hurt at all. That worried Jessica even more. If it had been a regular bite, it would have been worse.

She tried not to worry as she went downstairs and had breakfast with her father. She needed to get out of the house and get her mind off her bite. She didn’t want to try to leave again before nightfall. That meant she had to occupy herself for a whole day.

It was a perfect day to go to the market. She’d just gone yesterday, but there was new stuff every day. Vendors came from all over to sell their wares in the open-air market. She could lose herself searching for clothes or the perfect painting to hang over her bed. The only problem was, her dad wasn’t going to be happy to let her go back to the market when she’d just given her security the slip there yesterday.

Toward the end of the meal, she finally asked him, “Dad, can I go to the market today? I wanted to look at some fabric for new summer pillows.”

Roger shook his head. “Tomorrow would be better. Jasper Collins is getting into town in an hour. I thought you could come with me to greet him.”

Jess managed a weak smile. “Of course. I’ll go change my clothes.”

She excused herself from the table and went back to her room. Along the way, she noticed Kevin was shadowing her today. That was strange. Alek didn’t take many days off, especially not when there would be visitors. After what had happened in the woods, she would have been glad to see his hulking figure behind her all day. He could be annoying, but she knew she was safe whenever he was around. She truly believed Alek would put his life on the line and take a bullet for her if he had to.

Before she went into her room, she asked Kevin about it. “Where’s Alek?”

“He’s off today, Ms. Sheridan,” Kevin said.

She nodded and closed her bedroom door, then changed into a long-sleeved dress and tights to meet Jasper. She was shaking as she checked to make sure nothing was visible beneath the dress. The bandage was bulky, but it wasn’t very noticeable. As long as Jasper didn’t try to hug her, she’d be fine.

Jess opened her computer and saw that Daria was online. She quickly set up a Skype call and crawled into her closet. She didn’t want to risk Kevin hearing her through the door.

Daria’s face filled the screen. Her blonde hair formed a halo of frizz around her pretty, heart-shaped face. “Morning. Happy to see you’re still in one piece.”

“Kind of.” Jess burst into tears. “I was bitten.”

“What? Honey, I can’t understand you. What’s wrong?”

Jess cried hard for a few minutes. “I…Jasper is coming today.”

“Don’t worry. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. They can’t force you to marry him.”

“I know. I’m just freaked out.”

She couldn’t tell Daria. What if it was nothing? Daria already had enough to worry about. She would tell her once she got to Baghera. It was better to tell her in person if it was something to worry about. A small part of her was also scared that Daria would blame her for being so stupid. After Ben had been bitten, Daria had been furious at him for causing his family so much pain. If he hadn’t gone to that sketchy party, he never would have gotten bitten. She’d gotten over it, but Jess didn’t want her friend thinking that about her for even a minute. It was better to wait.

“Let me buy you a ticket to Baghera,” Daria begged. “We can go back to the Wasteland together. You don’t have to do this now.”

Jess shook her head. “This is something I want to do alone. I’ll leave tonight and I’ll see you before the end of the week. Sorry for bothering you so early.”

“Call me whenever you want. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

Jess got out of the closet and put her laptop on her desk. Then she went to the bathroom and washed her face before applying makeup. When she was finished, she almost looked like her normal self. She’d meet with Jasper, and then she would leave that night.

There was bound to be one shifter in the Wasteland who could help her. At least talk to her about what it was like to transform. She didn’t feel different so far. Maybe another shifter could smell if she was one of them.

There was a knock at the door. “Ms. Sheridan? Mr. Collins is here. Your father would like you to come to the foyer.”

Jess walked down to the front of the house with Kevin trailing her. Her father was dressed casually in jeans, a button-down shirt, and a blazer. He smiled when she got close. “You look beautiful. Thanks for coming to say hello.”

“Of course.”

She clasped her hands in front of her body and waited. She could hear Jasper and her father’s personal assistant talking outside. Jasper was telling him how he wanted his clothes laid out and what he wanted for dinner. Typical Jasper.

The assistant opened the door. “Mr. and Ms. Sheridan, Jasper Collins is here.”

Jasper stepped in. He was still handsome as ever. Tall, blond hair, powerfully built, with a dazzling smile. “Jessica, Roger. Great to see you again.”

Roger shook his hand and clapped him on the back. “Great to have you back! How was the drive up?”

“Long,” Jasper said while looking at Jess. “You look beautiful, Jess. How have you been? Still volunteering at the school?”

“Yes. I’m working with the pre-K kids.” Her voice sounded wooden and lifeless. She tried to sound more cheery. “Would you like me to show you to the guest house? I’m sure you’re tired.”

Jasper beamed. “That would be great. Lead the way.”

Roger kissed her on the forehead. “Thanks, honey. I’ll see you at dinner. I’ve got to get to work.”

She nodded and took Jasper’s arm. “You can drive us over.”

The last time she’d seen him, Jasper had been driving a big SUV. This time he was driving an expensive sports car. After they got in the car, she pointed in the direction of the guest house. “Just drive this way and it’ll take us right to the house. Where are your bags?”

“The trunk is nonexistent in this car. I had my assistant drive them up in his car.” He pulled out, going fast. “Can I speak to you frankly, Jess?”

She buckled her seatbelt. Her stomach churned. Was he really going to ask her already? They hadn’t even been on one date yet! She had no idea how she was going to let him down gently. “Sure.”

“You look very frightened. I want to reassure you that I’m not here to marry you.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Really?”

Jasper laughed. “Of course not! It was my father’s idea, but I told him no. You’re a very beautiful girl, but you don’t seem to be very enamored with me. Most importantly, you’re not my mate.”

Jess laughed. “What a relief! I mean, you’re great, but I don’t want to get married to someone I don’t love.”

“Well, I hope you at least like me,” Jasper teased.

“I think you’re great, now that you aren’t going to ask me to marry you.” She was so relieved. “Why have you been coming down to Penicalla if you aren’t courting me?”

“I’m courting your daddy.”

“What?”

Jasper laughed as he parked the car in front of the guest house. “Not like that. We think he should run for president, but he’s reluctant. I’m hoping that with a lot of hand-holding, he’ll say yes in a few years.”

“President. I’m not sure he’d be able to win,” she said honestly.

“Because of the shifter thing.” Jasper shook his head. “That’s part of the hand-holding. Your family story is tragic, but I think it would be even more touching if you could find it in your hearts to forgive.”

“I have no problem with shifters. My dad is the one you’re going to have to work on.”

“Any tips? What made you forgive shifters?”

She shrugged. “I never hated shifters in the first place. Dad didn’t have a problem with them either until the attack. I think if he had a few more shifter friends, he’d be more inclined to being a little more flexible.”

“He doesn’t have any shifter friends at all? Not even work friends? I could have sworn there was a shifter state representative.”

“There is, but she was the only state representative not invited to the freshmen luncheon last year. It was all very scandalous. I can’t believe you haven’t heard about it.”

“I must have missed it. I guess my work is cut out for me, then. It would be a real shame if he couldn’t ease up on shifters. He has a real good shot. Your father is a great man.”

“Thanks.”

It was almost true. He used to be a great man and he could be one again. She hoped Jasper was right and he could convince her father to change.

Then she wondered how her father was going to react when he found out Jasper didn’t want to marry her. She didn’t want to be around to see the blowup after that one.

“I’m feeling a little tired. Mind if I head back to the house?”

“Sure. I’ll drive you. Thanks for taking this so well.”

Jasper drove her back to the house and she went to her room to check her bandages again. There was no blood and the wound was completely healed. She ran her fingers over the area where the wound had been. It looked like nothing had even happened to her. She was starting to think she was losing her mind. If it weren’t for the bloody clothes shoved under her bed, she would have thought she’d imagined the whole thing.