“Shahsha, uh… good sir,” I muttered.
He bowed, shaking his clasped hands in front of him then turned to the next stall and shouted, “Suh rahna Dahksahna fahnay ta kay! Fahnay ta kay!” Then he bent his torso back, looked to the clear blue sky and shook his clasped hands at the heavens.
“Well,” I muttered to Diandra as we moved from his stall, “you were right. He seems pretty honored.”
After I was done speaking both she and her daughter laughed and it felt really, really good to join in and laugh with them.
We moved through the marketplace and it wasn’t near the same as going to a mall (what could I say? I was a shopper) with my friends from home (something I wasn’t thinking about, I already missed my Pop and was worried about him, I didn’t even want to think about my friends) but it was just as much fun… in a different way. I liked Diandra and the more I was around her friendly, helpful chatter, the more I liked her. And Sheena was a sweetheart and proved, while shopping (and begging her mother for this treat or that trinket) that twelve year old girls were universal… no matter what universe you happened to exist in.
We’d drunk some juice that tasted of mangos that we got from another vendor who was pleased beyond rationality that I partook of her cool beverage when I saw them.
A pen in which… I stopped and stared… in which there looked to be pure white, baby tigers.
“Oh my God,” I whispered and rushed forward to the pen. “They’re so cute!” I cried and looked at the man standing beside the pen. “They’re gorgeous! Unbelievable! Are they for sale?” I felt Diandra and Sheena get close and I turned instantly to Diandra. “Do you think they’re for sale?”
Diandra was eyeing the tiger cubs. “Erm… Dahksahna Circe…” she started but I shot around her on a bee-line to the man by the pen.
“I want one,” I declared when I was standing in front of him. “They’re white!” I whirled to Diandra. “I’ve never seen a white tiger! I didn’t even know they existed!” I whirled back to the man. “Do they change color?” He blinked down at me and I kept talking. “I hope not. I want to name mine Ghost. No!” I cried. “Casper!” I shook my head. “No, I think Ghost is better.” I whirled to Diandra again. “What do you think? Casper or Ghost?”
“I think, my dear,” she moved closer, “that you should discuss this with your king.”
“Why?” I asked and her brows knit.
“Why?”
“Yes, why? He’s The Tiger, he’s got to like a baby one,” I stated.
“Dahksahna Circe,” she said softly and took my hand, “he is The Tiger and you are his Tigress, but you are introducing a pet into your family. Not a cat or a dog or a bird but a dangerous carnivorous animal. You don’t even know how to speak to your new husband in his language. I think, perhaps, you should settle into –”
“Look at them!” I exclaimed, throwing an arm out to the pen of cute, cavorting baby tigers. “They’re adorable. They’re not carnivorous animals.”
“Even now, my dear, I suspect they eat meat but even if they don’t, they will,” she replied rationally.
“So?” I replied irrationally, as I had done, all my life, before my mother died and after, anytime I saw something I wanted and I wanted that something bad. “I eat meat too.” I returned irrationally.
“You don’t kill it and chew it raw off the bone,” she retorted.
This was true.
I bit my lip and looked at the animals.
Then one of them loped to the side of the pen, sat on its behind, looked up at me and made a noise I swear, I swear, I understood as “Loolah” which, I had learned from Sheena that day, in Korwahk meant “Mama”.
My body went still and I stared at the creature.
“Oh dear,” Diandra muttered, I looked at her and I knew she heard it to.
“Did that… did that…” I swallowed, looked at the cub and back at Diandra, “did that baby tiger just –?”
Another mew from the tiger cub which I understood again as Loolah.
I took a step back.
Holy moly, the animal was speaking to me.
Diandra sighed, reached out and grabbed a boy running by, spoke swiftly to him, the boy peered up at me and dashed away, darting through the crowds.
I paid little attention to this. I was staring at the cub.
“That creature called me Loolah,” I whispered.
Another noise which meant another Loolah then another noise that I heard as “gahsee” and Diandra spoke to the man which meant she heard it too. He moved, bent, opened the lid on something that was sunk into the ground and came out with a bottle made of wavy glass with a weird kind of nipple on the end and that bottle was definitely filled with milk.
“Gahsee,” Diandra whispered to me, “means hungry.”
The creature was speaking to me!
I could hear baby tigers talk to me in this world!
How bizarrely, amazingly, fantastically cool!
The man came back to us, bent over the pen, scooped up the tiger cub, turned and without hesitation dumped her in my arms. I automatically held on as he jerked the bottle to me.
“Oh dear,” Diandra muttered again as I looked down at the baby tiger in my arms.
All I felt was the soft, thick fur of the cub, the pads of its cute, fluffy paws. All I saw was her proud nose and rounded ears and beautiful, pale blue eyes looking up at me with complete trust.
Oh shit. I was in love.
I turned the cub in my arms, took the bottle from the man and offered it to the baby tiger.
Her big, pink tongue lashed at the nipple then she started to feed.
Yep. Totally in love.
I turned shining eyes to Diandra. “Honey, I’m so freaking totally in love,” I whispered.
Her eyes moved over my face then she looked at Sheena and whispered, “Oh… dear.”
Sheena giggled.
I dropped my head back to the cub, cradled her and rocked slightly side to side.
“Casper?” I called experimentally and the cub just sucked, eyes closed. “Ghost?” I called and the cub’s eyes opened then slowly closed again. “There it is then,” I decided in a quiet voice. “You’re my Ghost.”
Five minutes later, when the bottle was nearly drained dry, I heard hoof beats, my head came up and I belatedly felt that the vibe in the marketplace changed.
I turned my head and knew why.
Lahn was galloping our way on his big bay stallion complete with a glossy black mane and tail and black around all four hooves and partly up his legs.
I took a step back as he galloped toward me and reined the horse in at the last minute, jerking him to the side so Lahn could get close, turn his head and stare down his nose at me.
I looked up at my husband in the broad daylight, a sight I’d never seen.
He had a fabulous chest. It was huge but it was well-defined and I could see my nail marks had scabbed over under his shoulder. Ditto in regards to the huge, well-defined and fabulous parts when it came to his shoulders. The muscles of his thighs could be seen through his hides. Gorgeous brown skin everywhere. Thick, black facial hair with pointy beard at the chin held by a gold band that was strange but it was also cool. Hair pulled back in a thick braid that probably went nearly to his waist but was now dangling over his massive shoulder, also held by a gold band. Strong brow that jutted attractively over his eyes. Heavy, black eyebrows. Fabulous cheekbones. Deep set piercing dark brown eyes. Full, grooved lips surrounded by his beard.
Totally hot.
And the look he was giving me was totally ferocious.
It was clear to see he was not best pleased he’d been interrupted in whatever kings of savage hordes did during the day and called to the marketplace because his new bride had fallen in love with a baby tiger.
I took another step back.
Then I remembered who I was.
In my world, I was Circe Kaye Quinn, the office manager of her father’s moving company, unlucky at love (somethi
ng I tried, twice, had long term relationships with guys I thought were the ones that ended (twice) so I knew I was unlucky in love) but beloved by family and friends.
Here, I was not an office manager. I was the Golden Warrior Queen and The Tigress and I was wearing a kickass outfit.
So I needed to suck it up and not be so scared of this guy. He could hurt me, he already had, more than once, and I survived.
So… fuck it.
I pulled in a deep breath and lifted my chin at the same time I lifted up the cub an inch.
“This is Ghost,” I introduced her. “She’s our new pet.”
Lahn scowled at me.
“Erm,” Diandra stepped forward then said a bunch of stuff I didn’t understand but my guess was, she was interpreting for me.
His eyes didn’t leave my face and his glower didn’t leave his.
“I’m bringing her home. You’ll need to give this man some… um, coin,” I jerked my head back to indicate the tiger man.
Diandra spoke again and Lahn kept scowling.
“She’s sleeping in bed with us,” I declared, Diandra translated (haltingly this time), the scowl grew dark or, I should say, darker.
I endured his scowl for a long time. Then I sucked in another breath, felt the thick fur and warm body of the cub growing heavier in my arms as she drifted to sleep.
Jeez oh Pete, a white baby tiger was sleeping in my arms and she called me Mama and I heard her.
I stepped closer to Lahn, reached out from under the cub, curled my fingers around his hard thigh and tipped my head way back to look in his fierce eyes.
“Please?” I whispered.
He glared at me and he did this for another long time.
So I squeezed his thigh.
He glared another second then he jerked the reins of his beast, it sidestepped twice, Lahn reached way down, scooped me and Ghost in his arm and swung us up, planting my ass in front of him on the horse.
Was he…?
He barked something at the tiger man, the tiger man smiled and bowed his head, then Lahn wheeled the horse around and we were galloping back through the marketplace.
He was! He was letting me have the tiger!
Yippee!
I turned and, peering around his big body, I carefully waved at Diandra and Sheena as best I could while still keeping tight hold on my new baby.
They waved back. Both were smiling and both smiles were huge.
Then I straightened and looked up at Lahn who was staring impassively into the distance. He must have felt my eyes for his dropped to me and he pinned me with a glower.
I smiled at him.
His glower deepened when his eyes narrowed on my mouth.
I turned to face forward, settled on the horse and cradled Ghost.
He wanted to be in a bad mood, so be it.
Whatever.
I had a new baby tiger who could talk to me and thought I was her Loolah!
Not to mention some fun new bangles.
Yippee!
Chapter Seven
The Games
The tent flaps slapped open, I jumped, Ghost’s head came up, Teetru, Jacanda, Packa, Gaal and Beetus (who, every last one, even the reserved Teetru, squealed in delight at the vision of me and Ghost earlier when we rode up with Lahn to the tent, he dismounted, yanked me down and then remounted without a word or look and rode off), all surrounding me on the bed and playing with Ghost who also jumped and looked to the tent opening where Lahn was bending low to enter.
He stepped a step inside. Ghost jumped off the bed and scampered over to him, all furry white body and big paws. The baby tiger made it to her new Daddy, jumped up with two paws and clawed his hides.
Lahn stared down at the creature, crossed his arms on his chest, lifted his head and skewered me with a glare.
Oh hell.
“Vayoo,” he growled at me, I had no idea what that meant but Teetru and Jacanda started to push me off the bed.
It was night, I’d had dinner and I was guessing it was time for the games.
I got off the bed, sauntered over to my husband and bent to pick up Ghost who was now clawing at the rugs. She was heavy so I lugged her up and got eye to eye with her.
“Be good,” I warned.
She shoved forward, rubbed my jaw with her head, made a purry noise I knew was Loolah and I laughed and brought her close to give her a hug.
Then she was pulled from my hands and my head turned to Lahn to see him drop her on the ground.
“Lahn!” I snapped but his big hand came out and engulfed mine.
“Vayoo, Lahnahsahna Circe, boh,” he bit out, pulling me toward the tent flaps.
“Oh, all right,” I muttered then turned to the girls and called while waving, “Goodnight ladies. Take care of Ghost.” I pointed at the cub and got a bunch of smiles with waves and nods.
Then the tent flap slapped back and I followed Lahn through it. Or, more accurately, was hauled through it.
“I’m coming, I’m coming, slow down,” I called as I raced to keep up with his long strides.
“Mayoo,” he replied.
“I can’t mayoo, Lahn, jeez, you’re, like, six foot seven. You’ve got a whole foot on me. Every stride you take is two of mine at least,” I said to his back, he stopped abruptly and I nearly slammed into him.
He turned and glared down at me then said a bunch of stuff I didn’t understand but I’d been around guys long enough to know that when the end of what he said went up in a question, he was likely asking me something about females that even if I could understand him, and he me, I could never explain.
So I put my hand to his chest, leaned slightly into him, tilted my head way back and said softly, “That’s just the way it is, big guy, so,” I took my hand off him and pressed it palm flat toward the ground, “slow down.”
His eyes were riveted to my hand and he looked beyond unhappy. He looked, weirdly, pissed off.
Uh-oh.
Okay, maybe I was reading there were times to be The Tigress but when The Tiger was eager to watch a bunch of warriors beating the shit out each other, I should just hurry and keep up.
When he kept looking at my hand in that angry way, I took a precautionary step back, his eyes cut to mine then he moved fast. His arm shooting out, his fingers wrapped around my wrist, they tugged me hard and I fell into him just as he pressed my hand flat on his chest exactly where I’d placed it moments before.
I stared at him as his eyes stared at my hand just under the scratches at his chest and I felt my heart start to hammer.
Then he looked at me.
“Kay ahnay see,” he murmured and pressed my hand deeper into his chest.
I knew what that meant.
He was saying he liked it.
Oh my.
“Uh…” I mumbled, “good.”
“Good,” he muttered and I tipped my head to the side and smiled tentatively at him.
“Yeah… good.”
His eyes dropped to my mouth and his other hand came up, his calloused skin rough at my jaw, his thumb pressed hard against my lips.
“Kay ahnay see,” he repeated quietly and my breath stuck in my throat.
Oh. Wow.
He liked my smile.
Wow. He liked my smile!
I stared up at my warrior husband.
His neck was bent deep so he could look at me, his skin was firm and warm under my hand, his body the same against mine and his face, God… he was gorgeous.
Without thinking, I leaned deeper into him, my hand gliding up his chest, taking his with it, it went up, up, up to curl around his neck, his hand dropped and started to curve around my waist, the other one already there as I tipped my head far back, my eyes closing slowly as he lips got closer and then we heard, “Poyah, Dax Lahn! Poyah, rahna Dahksahna!”
Damn it all to hell!
My eyes opened to see his head, still close, was turned but he had not straightened away from me. I looked in the direction he was glaring and saw a warrio
r approaching. It was the grinning one from the wedding rite who was so pleased with his bride. He was grinning now too, looking no less pleased, in fact, infinitely more so.
Someone was getting himself some and he liked what he was getting.
My body tensed when I felt Lahn straighten and he snarled a bunch of not happy words at the warrior. Although clearly not happy, as in way not happy, the warrior didn’t miss a step nor did his grin falter. In fact, it got bigger and then he threw his head back and roared with hearty laughter.
He stopped laughing and shook his head as he made it to us and said a bunch of stuff and, while doing it, once gestured to me with his head.
Lahn returned his volley and also gestured to me with his head.
The other warriors eyebrows went up in disbelief and then he said something that sounded disbelieving but, if I wasn’t wrong, it was a kind of “you the man” disbelieving. I was pretty sure I was proved right when his eyes came to me and he looked me up and down then turned to Lahn and nodded his approval.
Totally you the man.
Um.
Was my husband bragging about his escapades with me right in front of me?
I stepped out of his arms and planted my hands on my hips.
“Uh… baby,” I called and both men turned to me, both looked at my face, clearly both read my face and before I could say more, Lahn did – not to me, to the warrior.
And I didn’t speak Korwahk but it was clearly, “See what I mean?” and whatever he meant made the warrior roar with laughter again.
The thing was, Lahn did it with him.
I stood there, staring.
I’d never kissed my husband and I’d never seen him laugh. I hadn’t even seen him smile.
Until then.
Jeez, how weird was that?
He had a great laugh and he looked good doing it.
And he had very white teeth.
They stopped laughing, the other warrior said something and tipped his head to me. Lahn nodded, smiling and then suddenly he grabbed my bicep and my body was in motion. Then, I had no idea how he did it, but he swung me up on his back so my arm was around his neck and my thighs were at his hips. His big hands came to my ass and he started walking while talking to the other warrior who fell in step at his side, all the while carrying me on his back.
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