Pregnant With His Liger Baby

“Yes, of course,” Sylvie nodded.

“The two of you simply must come in for a spot of tea,” she said then.

“But Naomi, it’s the middle of the night,” Sylvie pointed out.

“Tea has no time-clock,” she protested with a smirk. “Unless you’d rather not?”

“Oh no, I’d love a spot of tea,” Sylvie agreed with a grin. “I’m fascinated to hear all your stories about the humans and the preserve. You must have so many.”

“Yes, and not all of them good,” she agreed. “But, I believe I’ll save the horror stories for another time. I do hope you’ll come to see us again?”

“I—I don’t know, really,” she admitted. “It was awfully difficult to get away, and I’m only here because Micah protected me along the way. I suppose that would have to be up to him.”

“We can discuss it later,” he said. Sylvie couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and it made her blush. Visiting his family once was a friendly gesture, but if she continued to do so, wouldn’t that be a part of something more? She didn’t really know how that sort of thing worked.

They spent several hours inside the little hut with Jeremiah and Naomi, and Sylvie learned a great deal more about the preserve, humans in general, and even a bit more about the collectors.

“You mean to say you were part of a collection once?” Sylvie gasped. “Both of you?”

“Yes, briefly, my dear, though we managed to escape,” said Jeremiah with a frown. “But that was before they’d invented the collars—and our collector didn’t try to mate with us, either. They at least gave us some dignity, not like these depraved people who capture our people these days.”

“Grandfather, I’m sure Sylvie doesn’t want to hear about the collectors’ depravity,” Micah admonished him. “She hasn’t quite reached estrus; I doubt anyone’s explained just what goes on once a shifter is stolen from here.”

“Hasn’t she, then?” he asked. “I thought I detected a slight scent coming on. Oh well, then I suppose this will be your first. Have any of the young tigers been paying you more attention than before, my dear? If not, it should be happening soon.”

Micah scowled deeply, hearing that. Sylvie couldn’t help but wonder why. She felt her abdomen constrict into a tight coil, and some part of her became repulsed at the idea of the young males making such attempts. It was almost as though a cord connected between her and Micah, drawing them together, and all she could visualize was the way his arms had encircled her the night before.

“No sir, none of the young males have said anything,” she said. “Though I imagine that may be partly because I’m Damon’s daughter.”

“Ah, so we are in the presence of a princess,” Naomi chuckled. “And a very kind and lovely one at that. Sylvie, I’d like to offer you one word of advice, if I may?”

“Sure,” she said.

“No matter what happens, you must always follow your heart,” she said, glancing meaningfully in Micah’s direction. “Remember that you’re not just a tiger, you’re a human as well.”

Sylvie blushed, realizing what the woman was trying to say. She couldn’t look at Micah in that moment, and then he cleared his throat.

“Well, I suppose we had better get going,” he said. “It’s a long walk back to tiger lands, and I wouldn’t want anyone to notice you’re gone. Surely we wouldn’t want you to get into trouble for this little outing, would we?”

“No, not at all,” she agreed, getting to her feet. Then she bent and gave Naomi a kiss on her cheek, and Jeremiah one as well. “I really enjoyed meeting you to. Thank you for the tea.”

“You may call me by my given name next time, if we should meet again,” Naomi told her with a smile. “It is m’Ress.”

Tears sprung up in Sylvie’s eyes when she told her that. It was such a personal thing, to give someone your cat name. She replied, “I’m honored, m’Ress. My name is m’Eow. My parents are rather silly sometimes.”

Micah held back a little laugh as he reached for her hand and took her with him towards the door. He exchanged a meaningful glance with the two old people as they went, and Sylvie was fairly certain he’d thought something at them, but if he did he hadn’t shared it with her as well.

The moon was high in the sky now, lighting the path as the pair of them walked back, still in their human forms. By mutual unspoken agreement, neither one of them wanted to spend their time together as cats. Which was a somewhat telling thing, in Sylvie’s eyes.

“Will I be seeing them again?” she asked tentatively as they reached the place where they would part.

“Do you want to see—them—again?” he asked softly, awkwardly. His grip on her hand tightened and he pulled her subtly closer to his side.

“I—I think so, yes,” she nodded, well aware he wasn’t asking about them, but about himself. The thrum that accompanied his presence moved through her body yet again, a gentle, aching pulse that somehow settle finally between her thighs.

“I’d like that,” he said, turning her to face him, wrapping her into his embrace.

“Would you?” she asked breathlessly.

“Very much,” he said.

“I don’t think I should tempt fate by sneaking out again tomorrow night,” she pointed out.

“Perhaps we could meet at the Community Center,” he said softly.

“What? But you don’t like going to the Community Center,” she protested.

“I would go there for this,” he replied.

“Just to see me, you mean?” she clarified softly.

“Yeah, just to see you, kid,” he said. “I don’t know, I think you’re kind of growing on me. What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Apparently, going to the Community Center,” she smirked.

“Good,” he said, and kissed her on her forehead. But then, he angled his head, and his lips came down to cover hers briefly. Then he let her go, and she forced herself to move away.

“See you tomorrow then,” she called back over her shoulder just before she went down into the slight ravine where the tiger’s territory began. He waved back, transformed into a lion, and then he was gone.

Sylvie’s mind and body began a heated war within her as she continued on her way. She had no idea what time it was, and she began to worry that her parents might have returned by then and found that she was missing. And the last thing she wanted for them to do was ground her for being out late. Then, she wouldn’t be able to visit the Community Center at all.

Not that she really should be, she reminded herself. She knew she shouldn’t have gone to see that lion while she was feeling so—alive—earlier. This was going to get real complicated real fast. But the truth was, she didn’t see how she could stop herself even if she tried. Because, even though his little kisses had been brief and rather chaste, they had left her craving something more. Something she didn’t quite understand, but her body certainly did.

She made it back to her bed just in time for her mother to come in for the night. She smiled at her curiously and asked, “Why were you outside, Sylvie?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” she lied. “I had another one of those dreams.”

“Not out for a clandestine stroll with one of the young males, I hope?” she smirked.

“No, not at all,” she said. More like a lion in his prime, who had kissed her good-night and wanted to see her again tomorrow. There was no way she was going to tell her that! “I’m feeling sleepy now, though. Thanks for checking on me, Mother. Was your hunt for David a success?”

“No, not at all,” Rose sighed. “I fear we’re never going to see your brother again.”