Tiger's Rival
Chapter 4
Tessa sighed as she walked the final few feet to the town they had spotted over two hours ago. It had seemed to take forever to get there but finally they had made it and it was time to chow down. Tessa was starving she hadn't eaten anything for the whole day and by the sound of her comrades stomachs she wasn't alone in her opinion. Turning toward Holly she asked what she knew was on everyone's minds.
"Hey Holly can we eat soon?" Holly looked at all of them with there pleading faces and laughed.
"As soon as we find a restaurant we can eat." Genki and Hare jumped for joy as Tessa looked on with a smile at their cheerfulness. Her smile suddenly turned into a frown though as she saw how tense and silent Tiger was. Walking over to him she looked at him with a smile hoping to get him to relax it didn't work.
"Tiger what's wrong we finally made it to a town and soon we'll have food in our bellies you should be happy." Tiger grunted turning his head so he was looking straight at her.
"I don't like being so close to humans they don't like me very much and the feelings mutual."
"Oh Tiger I'm sure these villagers haven't even heard of you, and I know you don't like humans much but we won't be here for too long, only long enough to get something to eat and to replenish our supplies, you'll be fine, now let's go before Genki eats all the food up." Tessa smiled down at Tiger once more this time getting a slight grimace from him yet he nodded his head and began to follow her into the small town. Tessa looked back at Tiger seeing his still tense body walking cautiously behind her. Rolling her eyes Tessa turned back to try to catch up with the others when she accidentally bumped into someone in front of her.
"Oh I'm so sorry I wasn't looking where I was-" Before she could finish her sentence her arm was grabbed roughly around the wrist. She could hear Tiger growling in anger behind her. She quickly looked up at the person who now had her in his grip. He was a large man big and muscular. He wore a pair of worn jeans and a tee shirt was a leather vest. His face was somewhat ugly with a hawkish nose and squinty pale brown eyes. He looked her up and down and an expression that could only be a leer came to his face. Tessa cringed trying vainly to get her wrist released from his strong grip. She suddenly saw Tiger next to her growling low in his throat his eyes shining with anger.
"Let go of her you asshole!" He yelled at the man. The man just laughed pulling Tessa closer to his big sweaty body. Tessa cringed and crinkled her nose at the smell of B.O. and booze emanating from the man.
"Why should I it's not like you need such a luscious lady with you monster, I think I might just take her for myself." He began to bring his face down near hers. Tessa began to struggle getting nauseous, as she smelled the man's rancid breath. Taking her foot she slammed it on top of his. The man yelped and loosed his hold on her long enough for her escape and to go behind Tiger knowing instinctively he would protect her.
"Ya bitch!" The man yelled glaring at her with hatred in his eyes.
"So you'd rather be with this freak of nature than with a regular man, you're just as much as a freak as he is." Tiger roared with rage and jumped onto the man pining him to the ground. Looking at Tiger Tessa knew he wanted to tear the man's throat out. Running over to him she put her arms around his neck pressing her face into his fur.
"Tiger stop its okay you can let him go now I don't think he'll bother us again." She could feel some of the tension drain from his body as he slowly got off the man. The man got up his face full of fear and with one small growl from Tiger he ran for his life down the road. After he was sure the threat was gone Tiger immediately turned back to Tessa. She was still kneeling on the ground where she had gone after letting go of him. He made his way over to her, once there he nuzzled her hair trying to get her to look at him.
"Tessa it's okay he's gone." He said thinking she was still scared of the man coming back. Suddenly Tessa turned towards him and lifting her hand she slapped across on the face. Tiger looked at her in anger that is until he saw the tears going down her face.
"Tessa wh-"
"You idiot what were you thinking you almost killed that man!" Tessa yelled more tears falling from her eyes.
"That man was trying to rape you!"
"Don't you think I know that, don't you think I'm grateful that you saved me!"
"Then why did you hit me for!" Tessa reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face.
"Because you idiot if you had killed that man the whole town would have killed you and I couldn't have stood being the cause of your death!" Tiger looked at Tessa stunned, she had been scared for him? She cared for him? He couldn't believe it, and that she would have been sad if he died filled him with shock. Not many people had cared for him in his life except for his brother and Genki, Holly, and the others he had never had anyone who would have felt bad if he had gotten hurt or died before. That this young girl would left him feeling strange as if his heart was too big for his body making his chest tight. Reaching over he placed his paw over Tessa's hand.
"I'm sorry Tessa I didn't mean to worry you its just I got so angry when that man touched you, he had no right to manhandle you that way." Sighing Tessa smiled lightly at him her other hand going to touch his paw covering the one his paw was over.
"I'm sorry I got so upset Tiger, and that I hit you, it's just I was so worried that you would hurt the man and that the townspeople would come after you, I know you were defending me but I don't think some of the others from this town would believe that especially with your reputation."
"I understand Tessa but you don't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself." Seeing one lonely tear still clinging to her cheek Tiger gave into temptation and licked it off tasting the saltiness of it. Tessa giggled at the feel of his semi-rough tongue on her skin. Looking into Tiger's eyes she saw the same emotions she was feeling, desire, confusion, frustration, and sadness. Reaching out she wrapped her arms once again around the wolf monsters neck burying her face into his fur breathing in his forestry scent. Immediately she felt a wave of need and some other emotion she was too scared to name wash over her.
"Oh Tiger what is happening between us," She asked him as she leaned back to look at him once more. "You know this can never be, you're a monster I'm a human it could never work." Sighing Tiger nuzzled her hair breathing her scent.
"I know but I can't seem to help it, I want to be close to you, but your right nothing can happen between us, it can't." Tessa smiled slightly as she felt his nose against her hair. Placing her hand on his head she lightly touched his ears and then quickly pulled away from him before her emotions really took over. Taking a deep breath she looked at him
"We know nothing can become of our feelings but we can be friends right?" She asked hoping he would say yes wanting to desperately keep him in her life for however long she was in this strange world.
Tiger looked at Tessa seeing the hope in her eyes. He knew he was going to say yes. He wanted to keep her in his life however long that would be and he knew the only way she could be in his life was as a friend. But it was going to be hard, hard for her to be close to him, not being able to nuzzle her hair or feel her arms around his neck; but he knew it was for the best, he was a monster she was a human there was no way there could be anything between them.
"Yes friends, that would be fine." He said knowing that he wasn't sure if he could keep his word of only being friends but he sure as hell could try.
Smiling Tessa got up off the ground and turning back toward Tiger looked at him expectantly.
"Well let's go, by now Genki's probably all done with his meal and half-way through ours." With a small grunt Tiger stood also and followed Tessa down the street toward their previous destination. Neither noticed the dark figure in the shadows its golden eyes looking at the couple as they walked away. He laughed softly the evilness of it echoing off the brick walls of the buildings near him.
"Soon Little brother soon I will take her away from you and destroy you once and for all."
To be continued...
Hope I didn't confuse you too much, hopefully in the next chapter I will have the confrontation between Tiger and his brother, and also something will happen to Tiger that will make it possible for Tessa and him to be together, at least for awhile, stay tuned only a few more chapters to go till this story is done. -Sue-chan-
Chapter 4
Tessa sighed as she walked the final few feet to the town they had spotted over two hours ago. It had seemed to take forever to get there but finally they had made it and it was time to chow down. Tessa was starving she hadn't eaten anything for the whole day and by the sound of her comrades stomachs she wasn't alone in her opinion. Turning toward Holly she asked what she knew was on everyone's minds.
"Hey Holly can we eat soon?" Holly looked at all of them with there pleading faces and laughed.
"As soon as we find a restaurant we can eat." Genki and Hare jumped for joy as Tessa looked on with a smile at their cheerfulness. Her smile suddenly turned into a frown though as she saw how tense and silent Tiger was. Walking over to him she looked at him with a smile hoping to get him to relax it didn't work.
"Tiger what's wrong we finally made it to a town and soon we'll have food in our bellies you should be happy." Tiger grunted turning his head so he was looking straight at her.
"I don't like being so close to humans they don't like me very much and the feelings mutual."
"Oh Tiger I'm sure these villagers haven't even heard of you, and I know you don't like humans much but we won't be here for too long, only long enough to get something to eat and to replenish our supplies, you'll be fine, now let's go before Genki eats all the food up." Tessa smiled down at Tiger once more this time getting a slight grimace from him yet he nodded his head and began to follow her into the small town. Tessa looked back at Tiger seeing his still tense body walking cautiously behind her. Rolling her eyes Tessa turned back to try to catch up with the others when she accidentally bumped into someone in front of her.
"Oh I'm so sorry I wasn't looking where I was-" Before she could finish her sentence her arm was grabbed roughly around the wrist. She could hear Tiger growling in anger behind her. She quickly looked up at the person who now had her in his grip. He was a large man big and muscular. He wore a pair of worn jeans and a tee shirt was a leather vest. His face was somewhat ugly with a hawkish nose and squinty pale brown eyes. He looked her up and down and an expression that could only be a leer came to his face. Tessa cringed trying vainly to get her wrist released from his strong grip. She suddenly saw Tiger next to her growling low in his throat his eyes shining with anger.
"Let go of her you asshole!" He yelled at the man. The man just laughed pulling Tessa closer to his big sweaty body. Tessa cringed and crinkled her nose at the smell of B.O. and booze emanating from the man.
"Why should I it's not like you need such a luscious lady with you monster, I think I might just take her for myself." He began to bring his face down near hers. Tessa began to struggle getting nauseous, as she smelled the man's rancid breath. Taking her foot she slammed it on top of his. The man yelped and loosed his hold on her long enough for her escape and to go behind Tiger knowing instinctively he would protect her.
"Ya bitch!" The man yelled glaring at her with hatred in his eyes.
"So you'd rather be with this freak of nature than with a regular man, you're just as much as a freak as he is." Tiger roared with rage and jumped onto the man pining him to the ground. Looking at Tiger Tessa knew he wanted to tear the man's throat out. Running over to him she put her arms around his neck pressing her face into his fur.
"Tiger stop its okay you can let him go now I don't think he'll bother us again." She could feel some of the tension drain from his body as he slowly got off the man. The man got up his face full of fear and with one small growl from Tiger he ran for his life down the road. After he was sure the threat was gone Tiger immediately turned back to Tessa. She was still kneeling on the ground where she had gone after letting go of him. He made his way over to her, once there he nuzzled her hair trying to get her to look at him.
"Tessa it's okay he's gone." He said thinking she was still scared of the man coming back. Suddenly Tessa turned towards him and lifting her hand she slapped across on the face. Tiger looked at her in anger that is until he saw the tears going down her face.
"Tessa wh-"
"You idiot what were you thinking you almost killed that man!" Tessa yelled more tears falling from her eyes.
"That man was trying to rape you!"
"Don't you think I know that, don't you think I'm grateful that you saved me!"
"Then why did you hit me for!" Tessa reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face.
"Because you idiot if you had killed that man the whole town would have killed you and I couldn't have stood being the cause of your death!" Tiger looked at Tessa stunned, she had been scared for him? She cared for him? He couldn't believe it, and that she would have been sad if he died filled him with shock. Not many people had cared for him in his life except for his brother and Genki, Holly, and the others he had never had anyone who would have felt bad if he had gotten hurt or died before. That this young girl would left him feeling strange as if his heart was too big for his body making his chest tight. Reaching over he placed his paw over Tessa's hand.
"I'm sorry Tessa I didn't mean to worry you its just I got so angry when that man touched you, he had no right to manhandle you that way." Sighing Tessa smiled lightly at him her other hand going to touch his paw covering the one his paw was over.
"I'm sorry I got so upset Tiger, and that I hit you, it's just I was so worried that you would hurt the man and that the townspeople would come after you, I know you were defending me but I don't think some of the others from this town would believe that especially with your reputation."
"I understand Tessa but you don't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself." Seeing one lonely tear still clinging to her cheek Tiger gave into temptation and licked it off tasting the saltiness of it. Tessa giggled at the feel of his semi-rough tongue on her skin. Looking into Tiger's eyes she saw the same emotions she was feeling, desire, confusion, frustration, and sadness. Reaching out she wrapped her arms once again around the wolf monsters neck burying her face into his fur breathing in his forestry scent. Immediately she felt a wave of need and some other emotion she was too scared to name wash over her.
"Oh Tiger what is happening between us," She asked him as she leaned back to look at him once more. "You know this can never be, you're a monster I'm a human it could never work." Sighing Tiger nuzzled her hair breathing her scent.
"I know but I can't seem to help it, I want to be close to you, but your right nothing can happen between us, it can't." Tessa smiled slightly as she felt his nose against her hair. Placing her hand on his head she lightly touched his ears and then quickly pulled away from him before her emotions really took over. Taking a deep breath she looked at him
"We know nothing can become of our feelings but we can be friends right?" She asked hoping he would say yes wanting to desperately keep him in her life for however long she was in this strange world.
Tiger looked at Tessa seeing the hope in her eyes. He knew he was going to say yes. He wanted to keep her in his life however long that would be and he knew the only way she could be in his life was as a friend. But it was going to be hard, hard for her to be close to him, not being able to nuzzle her hair or feel her arms around his neck; but he knew it was for the best, he was a monster she was a human there was no way there could be anything between them.
"Yes friends, that would be fine." He said knowing that he wasn't sure if he could keep his word of only being friends but he sure as hell could try.
Smiling Tessa got up off the ground and turning back toward Tiger looked at him expectantly.
"Well let's go, by now Genki's probably all done with his meal and half-way through ours." With a small grunt Tiger stood also and followed Tessa down the street toward their previous destination. Neither noticed the dark figure in the shadows its golden eyes looking at the couple as they walked away. He laughed softly the evilness of it echoing off the brick walls of the buildings near him.
"Soon Little brother soon I will take her away from you and destroy you once and for all."
To be continued...
Hope I didn't confuse you too much, hopefully in the next chapter I will have the confrontation between Tiger and his brother, and also something will happen to Tiger that will make it possible for Tessa and him to be together, at least for awhile, stay tuned only a few more chapters to go till this story is done. -Sue-chan-