Tiger

by Kate LaMontagne

  Looking at Max with curiosity, TJ asked “How do you know all this?”

  “I’ve been there,” he said. “It’s a three-day hike unless we can find a trader to travel with, so be prepared to pack everything in on your back. TJ and his guys do it all the time but what about you Styles?”

  TJ frowned at Remi. “Be sure you can hack it Styles. We won’t be held back by you if you fall apart halfway there. I won’t hesitate to leave your ass in a snowbank.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Remi said. “I don’t just sit on my ass all the time Kirk. I’m in shape. You get the supplies, I’ll handle the transportation and Doc, you handle the medical side. Be sure to pack some tranqs too. We don’t know what his situation is and I’m not letting anyone hurt him. As far as anyone else is concerned, you’re providing emergency medical aid to a colleague and we’re just friendly military associates along for your protection. Kirk, I’ll be leaving Jake alone so have your men keep an eye on him.”

  “Please,” he added as TJ shot him a dirty look.

  “Fine,” TJ muttered. He’d have done it anyway; he just didn’t want it to look like he was doing the dumbass any favors.

  “Come on, I’ll drive you home,” Max told TJ, pulling him up by the elbow. “You’re too hammered to be behind the wheel. Styles can take your truck back to his house.”

  Max ended up taking TJ to his own house instead. He didn’t want TJ to be alone, afraid he’d drown himself in a bottle. Tiger meant the world to TJ. All his men did really, but Tiger was the surrogate for the little brother he’d lost years ago.

  Sitting him down on the side of the bed, Max went into the kitchen and came back with some pills and a bottle of water. He found TJ standing with his pants down, trying to figure out how to get them off over his boots. Sighing, he set the things down on the bedside table, then pushed TJ back down on the bed.

  “Here take these and drink,” he ordered, handing the pills and water to TJ. He pulled off TJ’s boots and pants while he obediently took the pills and then tried to hand the rest of the water back to Max. “No, drink all of it, sweetheart.”

  As soon as Max got him stripped and into bed, he pulled off his own clothes and slid in next to TJ, pulling him back against his chest. He stroked his fingers lightly across TJ’s cheek and over the tip of his ear, combing them through the hair at his temple, his heart clenching at his lover’s pain.

  “I love you,” TJ whispered dreamily. “Have I ever told you that? You take such good care of me.”

  Max’s heart thumped wildly. ‘Does he really mean that or is it just drunk talk’, he wondered?

  “Sleep tight luv. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day,” he whispered back. He turned out the light and snuggled TJ in tight against his chest, wrapping his arm around TJ’s ribs and twining their fingers together.

  Chapter 15

  Tiger was freezing his ass off. The last time he trekked north from Fort Yamano, he’d had to deal with the ungodly heat in Elvi’s valley. Now he was battling snow. At least he’d prepared for the weather, purchasing insulated snow boots and clothes in Dominion.

  Once he reached the area where McNair’s research facility was located, he’d be able to switch back to his regular clothing. The thermal pools and geysers scattered throughout the mountains generated enough heat to allow the natives to live comfortably in their scant clothing year ‘round. There were a lot of valuable gemstones in the area too, thanks to the volcanic activity, so trading was big business there.

  By now Tiger had missed his doctor’s appointment and Remi was aware he was gone. He was probably relieved to be rid of Tiger, although Stafford would probably be giving him hell for not keeping a better eye on his temporary houseguest. TJ would no doubt be pissed at him for not telling him he was leaving, but he’d already applied for R&R to take effect once his sick leave was up. Granted his doctor hadn’t released him yet but technically he was under no obligation to stay put.

  He felt bad about not telling Jake he was leaving or where he was going but he couldn’t very well do that without him giving it all away to Remi, nor could he explain why he needed to go the Dominion. It wasn’t exactly a vacation spot.

  He rubbed at the bite scar again. Lately it seemed to be aching a lot, but he thought maybe that was just his anxiety and the cold weather. None of the victims had ever complained about that particular symptom but then they had good reason not to. It should be way too soon for him to be experiencing mutation but there wasn’t enough data to predict an absolute timeline.

  Cresting a ridge at the foot of the mountains, Tiger looked down into a valley that was forested and green. Flowers grew everywhere and the trees were heavy with fruit. In the distance, Tiger could see a compound with modern buildings just outside the tree line. The mountain looked like it had been split open by a titan’s axe, the walls towering high above the lush valley, and he wondered how far it extended into the depths of the mountain.

  Tiger headed down into the valley and it wasn’t long before he became overheated. He had to stop and strip off his snow gear, packing it away in the huge backpack he’d purchased along with some things he thought might ingratiate him with McNair. He was known to be a little quirky. Tiger wasn’t sure how his sudden appearance would be received.

  He hadn’t really planned much beyond getting there and talking to the doctor. There was a trading post somewhere nearby. In most remote locations, it was a given to offer hospitality to travelers passing through. The village would be out of the question, but maybe the trading post could put him up for a few days if McNair gave him the boot.

  Heading down the trail towards the compound, Tiger made sure he had Dragon Slayer in plain view. In the wild, it was wise to let potential attackers know you were armed. As he got closer to the buildings, he could hear a commotion between a red-headed man in glasses and a lab coat and another individual, also in a lab coat.

  Tiger stayed back a bit, setting his pack down and grabbing a drink from a nearby water station. He was trying to act casual and not seem like he was eavesdropping on their conversation, but it was getting louder and louder. Even the others nearby, including a few natives, were starting to stare at them.

  The redhead, whom Tiger assumed was McNair, said “We’ve had this conversation before Patton. You work for me and I expect you to follow my rules.”

  “I don’t work for you McNair. I work for the foundation. I’m a researcher in my own right and I don’t need you to tell me what I can and can’t do,” the other guy argued, clenching his fists.

  Tiger started to sidle closer to them, pretending to read something posted on a nearby bulletin board.

  “You may work for the foundation Patton, but I run this facility. If you can’t show respect to your co-workers and the people who help us with our research, you can bugger off!” McNair snapped.

  “The ‘people who help us’? You’re talking about ignorant savages. They’re not people, they’re practically animals!” Patton shouted.

  “That’s it! Get the fuck out! You’re fired!” McNair shouted back.

  Patton, who looked like he outweighed McNair by about fifty pounds, started to throw a punch at McNair. Tiger spun around and hit Patton on a nerve point with the saya, paralyzing Patton’s arm. Patton grabbed his arm and glared at Tiger, who just smiled back at him, leaning nonchalantly back against the board.

  McNair glanced at Tiger briefly then said to Patton, “Pack your shite and get out. You have one hour. You can put up at the trading post until the foundation sends someone for you.” He summoned another employee and gave him instructions to collect Patton’s id and key card and drop him off at the post.

  “You,” he said pointing at Tiger, “come with me.” Tiger picked up his pack and followed along behind McNair as he entered the building and headed down the hall to a large cluttered office. “Come in and have a seat laddie.” He pointed towards a comfortable looking couch. “Beer?” he asked, closing the office door and going to a mini fridge.

&nb
sp; Tiger nodded as he set down his pack and dropped tiredly onto the couch. McNair handed him a cold bottle and dropped into his own chair across from Tiger. “Lucius McNair” he said, holding his hand out to shake Tiger’s. “You probably saved me from a severe thrashing out there. I would have gotten my own licks in but he’s a big bastard,” he said with a bit of a brogue. “And a pompous bigot.”

  “So, what brings you here?” he asked. “No one just passes through here. Are you a trader or do you have business with us?”

  Tiger took a long pull on the beer. Looking Lucius in the eyes, Tiger introduced himself. “UCAR Lieutenant Specialist Tiger Yamano, United Corvan Army Rangers. I’m here for you Doctor McNair and I’m hoping you can save my life.”

  Lucius noted the odd color of Tiger’s eyes, the Fae jewelry and long hair. “Interesting. Tell me more, and please call me Lucius,” he replied with a brilliant smile.

  *****

  Tiger spent the rest of the day and evening filling Lucius in about everything he knew regarding his family history and his background, including all of his past injuries, anything he noted about his own abilities, the attacks, the bite, the recovery……anything and everything he could think of that might help Lucius find a cure for him.

  Lucius seemed particularly interested in his Fae background. Lucius seemed to already know a lot about the Fae, their customs and traditions, but Tiger was the first Fae that Lucius had been able to spend time talking to at length and analyzing on a physical and psychological level.

  The next few days Lucius was solely dedicated to running tests on Tiger. All his other studies were either put on hold or farmed out to the other researchers. He shared his documentation with Tiger, not only what he knew about the venom and the mating process, but all his observations and interactions with the natives. He even introduced Tiger to some of the natives who were assisting at the compound.

  They really were a friendly lot, shy and unassuming, unlike the natives near Aurora. They were curious about Tiger, never having seen someone like him among the few humans they had dealt with. Tiger’s violet and silver eyes and long black hair fascinated them. His hair was much longer than theirs.

  They were constantly touching and petting him, bringing him hair ornaments to ‘glamor him up’ and checking out his silver jewelry. No doubt their future wares would include designs similar to his Fae jewelry. Lucius found it all highly amusing.

  To facilitate their long hours of working together, Tiger stayed in a guest room in Lucius’ cabin and they ate their meals together in his kitchen. Tiger asked Lucius about his background and learned that Lucius was indeed a brilliant, quirky, funny and endearing man. If the encounter with Patton hadn’t already made it obvious, Tiger found that Lucius was fiercely protective of the natives.

  During their breaks Lucius’ assistant, a native named Tae, showed Tiger around the valley and led him to a waterfall near the compound. Tae steered clear of the village since he knew the natives there were wary of strangers, but with the waterfall so close to the compound he knew most of the natives didn’t go there.

  It was warm in the valley. Even the water at the falls was comfortable due to the nearby hot springs, so Tae and Tiger decided to go for a swim. Tae went in as is since he only wore a loin cloth anyway and Tiger stripped down to his briefs.

  They swam near the falls and Tae showed Tiger the hidden cave behind the roaring water. He said no one normally went inside but it was one of many in the valley used for refuge whenever danger threatened. Sometimes strangers entered the valley to try to steal their wares or rare gems and minerals. The natives really were a non-violent people and too vulnerable to unscrupulous outsiders. They would rather hide during raids than fight back.

  The cave was quite large and perfectly dry further back from the entrance, with large stockpiles of firewood. It was probably large enough to hold an entire village. Tae showed Tiger the drawings depicting what he assumed were earlier generations of Corvan natives. They were hard to see in the low light but there seemed to be some that looked like natives mixed in with another long-haired race. Tiger made a mental note to come back later to examine them with better light.

  “Has Lucius seen these?” he asked Tae.

  “Yes, but he says it is not important to his work right now. He will not invite anyone else to look at them because he is afraid it will bring more outsiders into the valley.” Tae grinned at Tiger. “He says they are not going anywhere.”

  “I guess he’s right” Tiger said. “Come on, let’s finish our swim. I have to get back to Lucius soon.”

  After their swim, they stretched out on the grass to dry in the sun before going back. Tae looked Tiger over blatantly and asked “Why do you not have a mate? You are very pretty. There should be many females and males willing to mate with you. Do you not wish to be mated?”

  “It’s complicated” Tiger replied. “I’m a warrior. I spend a lot of time away from home protecting the people of Corvan. Also, I’m gay. Do you understand what that means?”

  “Yes, Doctor Lucius is gay. He says it means you only lay with men, but that should not stop you from having a mate.”

  “True, but there are not many gay men on Corvan who would mate with someone who’s in such a dangerous profession and gone much of the time, and I’ve had some bad experiences with evil men who did me great harm. It has made me less trusting of men who approach me with such intent.”

  “There was one recently I thought I could finally be with, but he betrayed me. Anyway, I don’t even know if I’ll live to pursue a mate now that I’ve been bitten. It’s probably all for the best. Better to not leave a broken-hearted mate behind if I die.”

  “I do not wish to see you die or turn into a monster. I am unmated. I do not know if our mating would save your life, but if all is lost, I am willing to try to link with you, my friend” Tae swore solemnly.

  Tiger’s eyes went wide, then he blinked back tears. “Arigato, Tae. Come, let us return. We have work to do.”

  *****

  Lucius began by giving Tiger a basic background on what most people knew or thought they knew about the natives, the venom and throwback disease, filling in with the factual data he’d documented, and theoretical scenarios based on all of that.

  “As you know, once bitten by a female and mated, the male will only seek out that female for mating and vice versa. No one really knows how the female selects that specific male. True love, fated mates, who knows? No one has ever been able to interview the females to find out how they choose. Even the males don’t know but they all seem to accept that that’s just the way things work.”

  “If a native male rejects that female after being bitten, he won’t die, but typically they do mate, also known as having sex. I have not been successful in obtaining a sample of the venom but based on blood tests and interviews with the males, I believe it’s an attractant for the male to comply because it contains a strong aphrodisiac. The males I’ve interviewed said they felt euphoric immediately after being bitten.

  “Once the bond is formed, it appears that the virus disappears. It does not work this way with humans simply because of the differences in our DNA. Since, as far as we know, humans have been the only non-native species to be bitten, we don’t have any other DNA to compare to.”

  “Until you, that is, because of your Fae DNA. Using DNA samples has not yielded any useful results to date. We would need living intact victims and samples of the venom to test the effect on their DNA. Needless to say, we haven’t had any volunteers.”

  “When a human is bitten, there is a double-threat. First the poison effect, which usually kills immediately or shortly thereafter in a human. In a native it just stuns or slows them down long enough for the aphrodisiac to take over and encourage mating.”

  “My theory is that the seed of the male and the virus, once introduced into the female, fuses their DNA and triggers the bond and the bond mark. The virus mutates into the link. Since the mated pair then share the same mix of
DNA, they have identical marks. Other pairs will have marks unique to them because of the difference in their DNA.”

  “If a human survives the poison, then it’s the virus which normally generates the mate bond that mutates the human DNA over time, creating throwbacks.”

  “In the case of humans being bitten by infected humans, the question becomes can we find a way to kill the virus in the victim, or how do we match compatible DNA from the throwback to the throwback’s victim? Would we need to match the DNA of the original female who bit the throwback to the DNA of the throwback’s victim? How would we ever be able to do that?”

  “I also have a theory, sort of a reverse engineering idea. If the ultimate goal of the venom is to form a mate bond, would it be possible to reverse engineer the process by taking an infected victim and creating an artificial mate bond with an acceptable mate using DNA manipulation, thereby mutating the virus into a harmless mate mark and link? It’s not an ideal solution but it beats being dead and it might delay mutation until a true cure can be found.”

  “You, my dear Tiger, might be an excellent test case due to you Fae DNA. Are you aware that Fae have fated mates and they mate for life? True, it’s not exactly the same as the way Corvan natives bond, but Fae fated mates have a similar bond and similar marks.”

  “They can sense each other through the link, feel their pain, joy, sadness, fear, love. Their marks are unique to them. Just like the natives, their marks shimmer when they’re happy and healthy, and they become dull when they’re ill, or when their mates fall ill or die.”

  “Do you remember if your parents had any matching marks? From what you described, it sounds like your mother was full blooded Fae and your father was apparently full blooded human. By the way, don’t lose that jewelry your mother left you. That’s Fae and it carries Fae magic.”

  “Anyway, your father was part Irish and we found some anomalies in your DNA that might indicate that he had some Fae blood somewhere in his lineage. So, we know you’re at least fifty percent Fae, possibly more, and the strengths you mentioned seem to indicate that you’re maturing into some Fae abilities. You should be prepared for some amazing changes. If you survive the venom, that is.”