The jungle…the fern, it was her ally. It allowed her to blend in, to hide. She was a predator. They don't see her coming until it is too late. And she always gets what she wants. She sees something up ahead. Something pink…a tasty treat. It was hers. She snuck closer, the scent enticing her nostrils. It awakened something primal…hungry. She snuck closer, she was so close…the treat was hers.

"Juleka?" Rose's voice snapped Juleka out of it.

"Whut?" Juleka said, barely coherent. She suddenly found she had her hands all over Rose and nibbling her neck. Right in the classroom where everyone could see her. She blinked a few times. She let go of Rose, eeped and fell of her seat, butt on the floor. The class was staring at her and it couldn't be any more awkward. She blushed heavily.

"Juleka, I know you and Rose are a happy couple, but please keep your affectionate behavior for after class and please pay attention." Miss Bustier said, trying to keep out the awkwardness as little as possible. Not that it helped much. No one laughed at her antics, just were a bit shocked. Rose and Juleka didn't look at each other during class and just kept blushing.

During lunch though… "What came over me?" Juleka muttered. "I got a bit drowsy and then I was…all over you."

"Well, you went really frisky and started to whisper…" Rose muttered, blushing slightly. "You said things like 'mine', and 'mate'…"It was not…Unpleasant and a bit flattering but definitely not the right time." Rose noted.

Juleka just muttered softly, her index fingers pressed against each other and being as red as a tomato. "I brought your lunches." Alix said as she had offered to get some cafetaria food for the two as they talked. "I suggest just eat the potatoes, the veggies and the pudding, but not the meat. They always cook it way too rare."

Rose jabbed the piece of meat with a fork. "Yeah, that's def too bloody."

Juleka however, found the juices dripping of the meat enticing. The scent entered her nose…She stared at it. She grabbed it in her hands and bit into it, no cutlery, just ripping off a bit of the bloody meat with her teeth. "Whoa there, carnivore!" Alix said surprised.

"Wha?" Juleka stammered again. She snapped out of something as she eyed the bloody meat in her hands, staining her gloves. She grabbed a handkerchief and wiped off her mouth, red meat juices on it. She dropped the piece of meat on the table with a splat. "I think I'll go to the bathroom!" she then rushed off.

"Whoa…Jules is…different as of late." Alix said. "You got any idea?"

"No. I do not." Rose said with worry in her voice. Rose didn't chase her. She knew Juleka needed a bit of space now. She knew Juleka was still Juleka, but recently something else was boiling up in Juleka. It was nothing new, it was just…dormant. But she didn't understand herself what it meant. She hoped Juleka would be better.

Juleka entered a bathroom stall, checked double if someone came in, and then grabbed something out of her pocket. Or rather someone, whom had appeared to her shortly after the incident where she was turned into that were-tigress. "Something bothering you, cub?" Roaar the kwami said.

"What is going on with me?" Juleka asked. She didn't know why she got a Miraculous or kwami, only was told that 'she gets a period to get to know her kwami and partner' and may get recruited fully in the future. "I…blanked out and I became…" Juleka blushed again. "I jumped Rose."

"Well she is your potential mate, it is natural that you get urges." Roaar noted.

"That's not the point. I zoned out, and felt like a wild beast. I ate rare meat…I don't normally like my meat rare. I…I feel like I may become that were-tigress again. I thought the Miraculous cure would have fixed that. How can I still be affected?" Juleka asked.

"Well…I have a theory. It's like this; not everyone is suited for a Miraculous. Everyone can use it, but it works better in case of someone special, with a magical potential. Hence why sometimes objects of magic and people of magic attract each other." Roaar noted.

"What? So I have magic potential and that's why I have this…trial period with you?" Juleka noted.

"Yeah. Even more since you were Akumatized. That was bad of course, but people feel certain emotions every day and out of millions of Parisians, the likes of you get chosen. Not only an emotion, but everyone Akumatized has a form of magical potential one way or another." Roaar noted.

"So each of my friends and…even Mr. Ramier, the pigeon guy?" Juleka asked.

"Yeah, I don't know what exactly is up with that guy but apparently…But anyhow, magic and people with magic potential sometimes have interesting effects. Sometimes objects and creatures of magic adapt to certain spells…case of 'what doesn't kill me makes me stronger'. Whatever magic that Akuma did, resonated with you. And the fact I feel such potential with you…the tiger is part of you. Has always been but the incident may have awakened it." Roaar explained.

"How do I put it back?" Juleka asked.

"You can't. If a beast is let out, try putting it back in a cage." Roaar said, chuckling. "Besides, it is part of you, you can't deny it. It would do more harm than good."

"Then what do I do? I don't want to lose myself." Juleka said.

"You have to accept the beast then. Learn to find that balance. You can only be complete if you accept all parts of yourselves." Roaar noted.

"Well, how long will that take?" Juleka asked.

"It may take a few months, we need meditation, finding outlets, a few spirit quests perhaps." Roaar said.

"Well, that is going to take too long. I don't want to risk slipping into beast mode and…claim Rose in front of everyone…claim…mate." Juleka panted as her pupils dilated in a tiger-like slit and licked her lips, finding her canines to be unusually pointy. She blinked and let out a "Gah!" she smacked the sides of her head. "Bad Juleka!"

"It is nothing to be ashamed about. If I recall this is a growth process all teens go through when they experience puberty." Roaar noted. "But if it bothers you, we can work on reigning it in. Ladybug and Chat haven't needed to call upon you yet, so there is no urgency at the moment…"

Then an explosion sounded in the distance. In the school itself…where all her friends, including Rose, were. "Or maybe not as much time as we think…" Juleka muttered. She looked at the panjas bracelet on her wrist. "If I transform, will my inner tiger…"

"I can't tell for sure. We can leave it to Ladybug and Chat Noir if you're not ready." Roaar suggested.

"They aren't here yet but I am…Rose…Mate…Must protect!" The instincts came up. She grabbed her head. Her human fears and animalistic instincts at war with each other. "I have been putting it off a bit. And…I can't run from this inner tiger thing forever."

"Sometimes you must take a leap of faith. It is a big risk to take. Sometimes a hunter must be careful. But when push comes to shove, it jumps right in. What choice are you making?" Roaar asked.

She heard screams in the distance. Rose is out there…last few Akumas they were far away enough that they weren't at risk. But this Akuma is in the school with them. "Roaar, paint my stripes."

The akuma caused devastation in the courtyard. He was a big muscular dude…he looked both beastly and douchy. Muscular, unshaven with sideburns, sunglasses, pointy ears and sharp teeth and claws. A sleeveless jacket, tattooes of top predators like wolves and bears across his arms, a furry collar, jeans, combat boots. "I was a chump before, but now I'm the top dog, I'm the Alpha Male! And no one looks down on me before." He flexed his biceps. "All hail, the King, baby!"

"Overcompensating, much?" one of the braver students said, which happened to be Aurore.

"Not at all. I am just living my best life now. I'm one sexy badass mofo now! And you will notice soon enough!" He flexed one of his biceps, with a heart tattoo, which glowed, and then a similar tattoo appeared on Aurore's arm.

Her eyes turned pink. She blinked and smiled. "Oh my gosh, he is so handsome and manly!"

"I know right?" Mireille said, having similar pink eyes and a tattoo on her arm. She and several other brainwashed girl fawned over Alpha Male like a bunch of groupies.

"Oh yes! Drink in the view! This body is a monument, ladies!" He flecked his pecks, like a Johnny Bravo wannabe. "No one resists me!"

"Master, someone is not basking in your glory!" a brainwashed Mireille said as she saw Rose trying to get away in the corner of her eye.

Rose gulped as her plan to sneak away failed and broke into a run. However, she was cut off when more brainwashed girls got in her way. "Don't worry Rose, you will get to witness the glory that is Alpha Male's godly bod soon enough."

"Oh yeah, she's a cutie. Like a little cupcake pixie. She deserves to be an admirer…" Alpha male started to flex, aiming his heart tattoo at Rose, whom felt afraid.

"I have a girlfriend." She squeaked.

"I'll invite her in later as well. Enough of me to go around." Alpha male said. He wanted to fire his attack, but then a tiger-like roar went around the area. They felt it not only in their ears, but in their bones and their soul. It inflicted a sense of dread in anyone but Rose. "What the f*** was that?" Alpha male said, not sounding as confident anymore.

"A true apex predator." A voice sounded around the area that sounded both soft and loud at the same time. It was feminine at least.

"Show yourself!" Alpha Male said.

As soon as he said that, something purple shot from the shadows, knocked Aurore into the other girls. Then a sort of bola was fired at them and wrapped up. "That's your groupies down for the count. Now the hunt begins…"

"If you wanted me that badly, you should just show yourself." Alpha male said as he flexed again. "I'm not shy to show these guns off!"

"Foolish…fake alpha! You have no idea what you're up against!"

"Fake? I'll show you fake!" Alpha male said as he pulled a basket ball goal post out of the ground and wielded it like a bat. "Now show yourself, you coward!" He then felt a scratch across his back as he screamed in pain. He turned around and barely saw something purple slip into the shadows. He threw the goal post, but it hit nothing except the wall. He then felt another slashed at the back of his knees, turning around quickly and slamming his fists into the ground, shaking the earth. "Where are you?"

"One with the shadows."

Alpha Male was hit in the back of the head. "Stop speaking in riddles. Stop attacking me in the back like a coward. Face me!"

"A predator doesn't fight fair. A predator is pragmatic." Her voice sounded again as Alpha Male felt a blow in the back of his head and was planted into the earth. "You are in my world now!"

Alpha male got up and gritted his teeth. He noticed Rose was still standing around. "I'm not leaving without a price." He tried to aim his heart tattoo again, only for another set of bolas to wrap around his waist and pull him into the shadows. The heart beam missed and hit a wall. It did nothing expect giving it some horribly tacky graffiti.

Alpha Male was dazed as suddenly all he could make out was a mouth full of sharp teeth in a Cheshire-like grin and a pair of golden cat-like eyes. "Pitiful. You reek of fragile masculinity and insecurity…You shouldn't have tried to gone after Ro-those girls. You are not the most dangerous thing in Paris right now. I am…"

Alpha male screamed as some sounds came from the shadow, some sounds that sound like growling and slashing. Alpha male ran out of the shadow, his clothes in tatters and cuts across his body. He shivered fearfully before he was dragged back in, his fingers digging into the ground and leaving trails. He was no longer visible when he was dragged in the shadows again. After the sound of the scuffle it went silent.

And someone crawled out of the shadows. Rose looked at the figure. It was a Miraculous wielder that she could tell. The purple striped bodysuit was a giveaway. She noticed the gloves and boots of the suit adorned with claws, and a pair of tiger ears and tail that moved much more naturally then it did for Chat Noir. Two pair of golden cat-like eyes from behind a domino mask and visible fangs in her mouth. Basically if Purple Tigress and Cat-Ra's designs were blended it, would look like this heroine.

"Are you okay?" the soft voice sounded of the girl whom earlier sounded dangerous and loud.

Rose recognized the light. The shade of purple was unmistakable. Only it shined more vibrant and was pulsing. Like Juleka's did after she overcame her demons, only much stronger. "Tigress…" she whispered the pet name.

"Yeah…I should explain later, but I'm a Miraculous intern now. I just…had to protect you. And…I guess side effects of the Beastmaster Akuma and a Tiger-themed magic jewel did a few things to me." The transformed Juleka said.

"I think you look amazing." Rose said as she smiled. "And you saved me."

"I couldn't…let that false alpha…hurt my mate." Juleka said as she moved closer. Rose held out her hand and ran her fingers through her girlfriend's hair as Juleka purred.

"Sorry we're late, but it was a pain to find a spot to transform without anyone seeing-Oh…Are we late?" Ladybug said as she jumped onto the scene.

"Well, it seems the rookie has it taken care off." Chat Noir said as he followed suit.

Juleka and Rose jumped apart as Juleka stood straight and tried to look dignified. Hard to do with a blush. "Er…I couldn't stand by and wait. I had to do something. Even if I wasn't ready."

"You clearly were ready…er, what name did you pick for yourself?" Ladybug asked.

"Machali. Call me Machali." Juleka said. She wanted to go with Purple Tigress but it seemed a bit on the nose, and Rose's new nickname for her 'tigress' could possibly raise a few questions.

"Welcome to the team, Machali. Care for a fist bump, my sibling feline?" Chat Noir said as he held out his fist.

Malachi smiled as she did a three way 'Pound it!' with Chat Noir and Ladybug.

"Now, let's de-evilize the Akuma and Miraculous Ladybug the s*** out of this." Ladybug noted.

"I'll…make sure miss Lavillant will get home safe." Machali said as she took a few steps back.

Ladybug and Chat shared a knowing smirk as Machali heroically carried off her girlfriend.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

With the tiger out of the bag, Roaar could appear to Rose in the open, enjoying some snacks in Rose's room, as she was being petted and scratched behind the ears by Rose. "Oh, he's so cute!"

"Oh, you know how to pick them, cub!" Roaar purred.

"I…wasn't sure if I would be able to pull it off. My inner…beast also didn't help. But if there was even a small chance that you were in danger, I didn't want to risk it. I had to make a leap of faith. And If I didn't I would have spent months trying to learn self-control…I made things awkward."

"It's ok, tigress. I am not mad at you. Not even upset." Rose assured her. "So this inner tiger…how is it?"

"It's like an inner pet, it needs to be treated well. And taking care of myself means taking care of it…and sometimes it needs to come out to play or it gets restless." Juleka noted.

"Well, you can let it out to play now, if that helps." Rose said. Juleka blinked as she blushed and sputtered. "No worries, Tigress. I trust you. I'm not afraid."

"She may get a bit…rough." Juleka said.

"I don't mind." Rose said. The smile on her face suggested nothing but her usual joy and love. She stroked Juleka's cheek. "Know I love you unconditionally. You never should feel like hesitating when it comes to me."

"I think that's my cue to give you cubs some space. I think I'll sit on the roof with these snacks for a few hours." Roaar said as he picked up the snacks and floated away.

Afterwards Juleka accepted Rose's invitation and pinned her to the bed. "Mate…claim now!" she growled softly.

Rose found that sexy. "Please do!"

The next day, when asked about the scratch and bite marks on Rose's body, the lovely couple would just have dopy grins on their faces.

This chapter went through three rewrites before I settled on this one.

After some people stated to love were tigress Juleka last time I left a little bit of it left in Juleka in a way.

A new hero name for this universe, Machali, named after a bengal tigress of the same name. The real life Machali lived in Ranthambore National Park in India. She played a key role in the regeneration of the tiger population in the park in the early 2000s, and was celebrated with titles such as Queen Mother of Tigers, Tigress Queen of Ranthambore, Lady of the Lakes, and Crocodile Killer. She was considered India's most famous tigress and on her death, was considered the oldest living tigress in the wild.

I did it because, as explained in the chapter, 'Tigress' became a nickname Rose gave her so a different monikker was needed.

May do something Rose focused again next chapter. And since this is an AU I should wonder if I play with the Miraculouses a bit more. Rose was the Pig wielder, but I wonder if I could do a Kwami swap for this universe; But that's something to think of later.