Kelsey was so glad she had started the self defence classes. Not only did it mean an innocent excuse for her to be close to Anik, not only did it mean some time away from Ren who found watching her train a boar but now that there were two curse tiger princes prowling around she felt safer. She felt that she could push them away if she needed.

That was the only thing that kept her going now Kishan had moved in. Where as Ren liked to lounge around for hours content that Kelsey would come running when he called Kishan would go looking for her if he wanted her attentions.

Ren had learned from his previous excursion into her room to give her a little privacy but Kishan either did not understand or ignored this.

She had awoken one morning to find his huge tiger head at the foot of her bed chin resting on the pillow.

Ren and Anik had both rushed in after hearing her scream and Ren had dragged his brother from the room.

In a twist how ever as the boys had a heated argument about how they were to go about gaining her affection, it had been one of the few truly intimate moments she had had with Anik. Him just holding her hand as it was too hot for him to hold her whispering about how the brothers had not changed much in there three hundred years.

It was becoming increasingly frustrating having such sort snatches of time together but they dare not risk exposure. Kadam might be able to fight of Ren in his human form but he was no match for two fully grown tigers with the intelligence of a human.

"We must do something" he muttered one evening as they stood in the gym.

"I'm fresh out of ideas, I'm afraid" she said slumping down on a bench.

Kadam walked over to the window where he could see Ren and Kishan lounging in the pool cooling off from a particularly hot day.

"I'm afraid I am resorting to underhand tactics" he mumbled very carefully not looking at kelsey.

She frowned.

"What have you been doing?"

Kadam gave her a quick glance and sighed.
"I'm desperate for them to be gone so we can talk more freely with out looking over our shoulders. Desperate for a chance to escape from them or at least have time alone"

A few weeks ago the old Kelsey would have squirmed slightly at the obvious meaning in his words but Kelsey had grown up an awful lot since then. She stood up from the bench taking her position on the mat ready in her combative stance.

"What have you been doing?" she repeated as Kadam joined her on the other side.

Anik ducked under her high kick and used the momentum to attack her other leg, Kelsey leaped back in a slow cartwheel as saw that Anik's face was shifty and anxious.

"Remember how I said yesterday that the man who supplies us with food has been asking questions and acting suspicious about how much I order?"

Kelsey nodded breaking free from Anik's grip on her wrist.

"Well I lied, I get our food from many suppliers so there is no suspicion, but I wanted to make it seem more difficult to get enough food for them both." He went to take Kelsey's arm again but she parried.

"So you're trying to starve them out?"

"Yes" he said "Ren hunted for pleasure but now Kishan 's here he doesn't want to leave both of you out of his sight"

"You mean he doesn't trust me!" she cried in mock indignation realising too late how loud she had the both peered cautiously through the window but Ren was lying on a sun lounger probably asleep like he had been on that special night.
Kelsey could tell Anik was thinking the same thing. The silence between them was thick with the worry of discovery.

"Anik" she whispered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Anik's eyes close and the slightest of smiles cross his face.

"Anik, I think we should go with your plan, at least then we will have some time away from them both"

"Oh our company isn't that bad is it?"

the both whirled around at the voice. Kishan was stood at the door to the gym, his hair was wet so he couldn't have been long out of the pool. Kelsey's breathing was fast, how long had he been there? How much had he heard? How much had he deduced?

She tried to read his expression and could see to her surprise that he was looking hurt.

"Kishan you must understand" she was thinking on her feet terrified that she might not think quickly enough of what to say. "Kishan , you freaked me out a lot the other day. People don't go sneaking into people's rooms to watch them sleep"

Kishan bristled slightly.

"Why not? There's no harm, there is nothing indecent and you didn't know about it to four times before that it's only because you happened to wake up before I was ready that you realised I was there"

Kelsey felt sick to her stomach.

"How dare you think you have the right to treat me like that. As something to play with and do as you please. How dare you think it is acceptable to watch me sleep. How dare you be proud of not being caught." she fondled with the amulet around her neck. "I don't want you any where near me Kishan . I don't want you following me, watching me or even thinking about me"

Kishan strolled into the room a snide grin on his face. He sidled up to her and brushed a stray hair away from her face. She snatched at his wrist gripping it with all the strength she could muster. She hoped he could not feel her pulse racing through her fingers.

"I mean it Kishan . You want me to fall in love with you? Well it's not going to happen, it's never going to happen and no amount of stalking I going to make that happen"

Kishan 's hand was wriggling as he tried to free himself but Kelsey held firm as she started to bend his arm.

"I am not your prey, I have thoughts and feelings that you can't mess with no matter how much you would like to" she pushed his arm further around. He let a tiny hiss of pain escape his lips but tried to hide it.

"Stay away Kishan , this is your last warning, you might think you have only your big brother to worry about but" and she pushed hard at his arm causing him to yelp beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"He is the least of your problems, do you understand?"

Kishan nodded frantically gasping for breath and she finally released him. He fell back cradling his arm.

"Now get out" she almost spat at him. Kishan stood. She could see by his expression that he was thinking about attacking back but Kelsey adopted her combat stance looking a lot more imposing then she felt. He turned and left the room.

Kelsey waited a minute before relaxing. Putting her head in her hand. She hadn't meant to go so far with her threat. She had promised to only use her lessons to defend and here she was threatening to dislocate someone's arm.

She let out a deep breath and turned.

Kadam was looking impressed.

"I think I have sought you everything you need Kelsey. Well done, I was going to step in but you had it all under control"

"Yeah" she mumbled shuffling to the window. Kishan was back in tiger form limping slightly on his front leg. Ren raised his head sniffing, through the glass she heard his growl and she guessed he had scented Kelsey on his brother.

"Oh boy here comes the other one" she said dully as she watched Ren leap off the lounger into the house.

He practically flew through the gym doors turning into a man and seizing her by the shoulders.

"What did he do? Tell me!"

"Nothing, I was just making sure he knew the boundaries" she said coolly. "Will you loosen your grip please" Ren looked at her shoulders where red marks had appeared where his hands were. Saying nothing he relinquished her.

"So long as he didn't do anything, he didn't hurt you." He rounded on Kadam.

"You are meant to protect her, Make sure you keep doing your job or I will grind that amulet of yours into dust"

Anik's shoulders had slumped down and his expression hardened.

"With all due respects your highness, that is what I have been doing when I have been training Miss Kelsey in self defence."

Ren growled his hands shaking he was clearly over extending his human time.

"Very well, but stay close to her while my brother is around. He does not understand what is his and what is mine" and with that he bounded from the room turning back to a tiger.

Kelsey guessed that Kishan would have a few new claw marks on him tomorrow morning.

She turned away from the window not wanting to watch the scrap but the sounds still carried.

"I can't keep on with this Anik" she said in a very quiet voice as she sat back on the bench.

"Those two fighting over me, they're getting more violent...I'm getting violent now and for what? Nothing." Anik sat down next to her and she leant into him. She would have cried but this feeling inside her didn't seem worth tears. She took Anik's arm and put it around her shoulders which for the first time that day were cold. The heat had gone and the air was cool. She drank in his scent warm and woody and found it a little comforting. Her burning for him grew but there was no way she could quench it not with both tigers awake and alert. She looked up at him, his expression was pained as if he was struggling with his thoughts.

"I will find a was Kelsey" he said a tone in his voice she had not heard before.

"We both will" she whispered kissing him on the cheek as the tigers brawled.