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A Tale of Jaguars	By : Aline Category: +S through Z > Thundercats Views: 13095 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I'm not making any money from this fiction.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
*Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.
Author's note: Here it is, a new chapter. Sorry for the long wait, but as I said before, just too much work around and barely any time left to write. Thankfully holidays are in sight :)
CHAPTER 18. Talks.
Jareid walked through the palace’s halls, intent on finding the cheetah and put an end to her meddling. Tygra could say that she had meant no harm, but Jareid was not going to let the fact that she had fought with his pregnant mate go unpunished. He wanted her three feet under ground, or at the very least on a ship back to Thundera, for he knew that Tygra would be very upset if he killed the female cleric.
His mate had talked with him that morning, and had assured him that the cheetah was a good friend. They had met when she had been looking for acceptance within the clerics, and they had continued seeing each other occasionally. Their contact had not been frequent, but as other kits had been extremely rare in Thundera’s palace, she had been allowed to be around enough to establish a friendship with the tiger prince.
Jareid growled as he got down to the ground floor. He didn’t like the fact that Tygra and the cheetah were close. She was attractive, strong enough, and part of the Thunderian court. She could have been a good prospect for a mate if Tygra had remained in his previous home. Maybe the lion king had sent her with the intention to remind his son of what he could have if he returned. Well, Jareid was not going to stand for it. She’ll stop messing with his mate, or he was going to break every bone in her body. He could do it without killing her; that should appease his mate’s fear.
He went out to the courtyards and started to walk where he knew Lion-O trained. The cheetah should be close to her charge, there wasn’t much more for her to do apart from trailing after the lion heir. He found the group easily enough. The kits were practicing different moves with dummies under the watchful eyes of their trainer.
The cleric had been watching from the stone fence at the far side of the courtyard. She stood up and jumped to the floor to meet him as soon as she noticed his approaching figure. She was ready to talk to him and discuss various things concerning Tygra. She, however, had no idea of how Jareid’s mind worked and was thus completely unprepared for the punch that the jaguar aimed at her as soon as he was close enough. Her reflexes alone saved her from being hit square in the nose, Jareid’s fist passed barely inches from her head instead, but she wasn’t able to dodge the jaguar’s arm whipping out in retaliation and sending her some meters to the side.
She tried to recover quickly and was ready for the next attack. She managed to dodge and defend herself from the first few blows. Her speed helped her somewhat, but Jareid was an almost full-grown cat. Even if he didn’t have the bulk of a veteran, he certainly didn’t need it for his blows to be effective. Cheetara was Tygra’s age. She was the most advanced of the cleric’s apprentices, but she had never before had to fight an enraged cat, several times stronger than her, and who was not giving her any space or opportunity to manoeuvre. She tried to take out her staff, but the jaguar prince didn’t allow her a respite to do so.
She needed to put distance between herself and the roaring male, who wouldn’t stop his attack. She hit him a few times with fists and kicks, but it seemed to have no effect. Jareid wasn’t even flinching. She tried a desperate kick to his privates, which he stopped with one hand, and then she managed to hit the side of his face with one elbow, only to feel his fist connecting with her stomach and forcing her backwards. Her back hit the stone-wall painfully and Jareid closed on her, grabbing her arms and lifting her body effortlessly.
He slammed her against the wall and the back of her head hurt and she was seeing stars along Jareid’s growling face. She started to kick out hopping to do some damage and get the jaguar to release her, but Jareid roared at her and grabbed her neck tightly enough to make breathing difficult. She gasped and opened her mouth, fighting to get more air into her lungs. Jareid loomed over her and spoke very coldly.
“I do not like you around my mate. I do not appreciate your intervention the other day or you talking to Tygra at all! I don’t want to upset him more than he already is, so I won’t kill you. But rest assured that if you try to do anything to mess with my mate or my cubs, I will send you back to Thundera in tiny little pieces. He’s not your prince anymore. He’s mine! Do not ever forget it.”
Cheetara was turning blue when the pressure was suddenly gone and she fell to the ground. She coughed a few times and lifted her eyes in time to see Lion-O and the rest of the kits running towards her. She wanted to tell them to stay aside, but Jareid was already walking away, unconcerned about what could happen to her next. Lion-O’s trainer crouched at her side and told her to not move while he checked her. Cheetara put her coughing under control. Her entire body ached and she was sure that she’d have at least some cracked ribs. She was in pain, but that didn’t stop her from noticing that the kits had been really close by and Jareid hadn’t cared. More so, the trainer had not even tried to stop the jaguar prince at all.
&&&&&&&
Jareid found Bengali on his way to the palace. The white tiger was in a hurry and didn’t look happy to see him.
“Jareid! What has just happened? What did you do?”
“I only delivered a warning, that’s all. And how do you know I did something?”
“Lion-O called me! Very scared, in fact! You didn’t have to beat her in front of the kits!”
“I didn’t beat her senseless! I only put her in her place! If she’s smart she’ll back the heck off!”
Bengali put a hand on his face and groaned. He had never liked the easiness with which Jareid could get out of control, and now he was surpassing the limits almost constantly.
“Jareid, you didn’t have to go and hit her, at all!”
“Nonsense. She wants to take Tygra away! She needed to be reminded that he’s mine! Only a well aimed blow could drive the point home!”
“She’s not a dominant male! You don’t need to show off how much stronger than her you are! Gezz Jareid, if Tygra hears about this…!”
“He doesn’t have to. Would you relax? I didn’t kill her. I barely played with her a little.”
Knowing the amount of damage that Jareid’s “play” could inflict, Bengali felt the urge to continue his way and attend the cheetah quickly.
“I really need to talk to you about some things Jareid, and I need you to listen, but I realize that you’d only ignore me as always. Just please, don’t say anything in front of Tygra at the moment.”
“Of course not! Do you think I’m mad?”
“Sometimes I wonder.”
Jareid bared his teeth at Ben and the shaman backed off. He had to go and have a look at the cleric. Jareid could have hurt her seriously without even realizing he had done so.
“I better go and take her to the clinic…”
“Why are you making such a big deal for the cheetah?”
“I don’t really care much for her per se. I’m really much more worried about you and Tygra here.”
“What? Why?” Jareid’s look of incredulity clenched at Bengali’s hearth. The fact that the prince could not see the real problem with his behaviour was very alarming. Ben sighed and looked forward to the next courtyard.
“Look, I promise I’ll talk with you later. I really need to make sure that our guest is not severely injured first.”
“I told you, I only…”
“Yes, you only ‘played’ with her. But you tend to forget your own strength Jareid. She might be a cleric, but she’s still only an apprentice. She’s as young as Tygra, and a female! Besides, cheetahs have lighter bones than your average cat, it’s easier to break them. So, I have to make sure that you didn’t cause more damage than you meant to.”
Jareid scowled pensively. He had over sighted the girl’s species, and honestly the anatomical implications of her being a cheetah had been far from his mind. Anyway, that wouldn’t have deterred him from beating the daylights out of her, so it didn’t really matter in the long run. He waved a dismissing hand to Bengali and assured him that he was overreacting. He didn’t understand why the white tiger was worried about him and his mate. He was not going to tell Tygra about how he had settled things with the cheetah, and now that he had that particular annoyance out of his system, he’d be able to be close to his mate without stressing him with his adrenaline. Bengali gave him a last worried look, and then ran over to the courtyard.
&&&&&&&
Lion-O sat in the clinic’s room, looking in concern as Ben finished tending to Cheetara. Miraculously, there have been no broken bones, but the cleric was going to be sporting several bruises and tender ribs for a time. The marks on her neck were particularly vicious.
The lion was conflicted. On one hand, he had been expecting something like this. Jareid was the type of cat that solved things with violence, and Cheetara had put Tygra’s pregnancy in jeopardy. Lion-O had known that the jaguar prince was going to take retaliation from her at some point, and he had known that it’d be messy and violent. But to actually see the prince attacking the cheetah had been a shock. He and his teammates had been quite scared and had hid behind their trainer, who had tried to shield them and not attract Jareid’s attention. In the confusion, Lion-O had had the presence of mind to call Bengali, because he knew that the white tiger was the only cat willing to try to stop Jareid when the prince was in a rage. Though it was still doubtful that Bengali would have wanted to put himself in harm’s way for Cheetara, it had been worth a try. But everything had ended up very fast, and Jareid had left before Bengali had arrived, leaving an injured cheetah behind.
The lion was grateful that Jareid had not killed her, but the incident had forced him to acknowledge various truths, and had raised doubts in his overactive mind. He had resented Cheetara for having forced his brother to train, thus making him almost lose the cubs, but the way Jareid had reacted was just wrong in many levels.
That was not the only glaring truth. The fact was that Lion-O knew that every cat in the vicinity had known that Jareid’s actions had been wrong, and still no one had tried to stop it. The detail that the witnesses had been a bunch of kits and a trainer, most concerned with his charges’ safety than with a stranger cleric’s health, was not really important. Lion-O also knew that the entire guard could have been there with them, and still no one would have moved a finger to stop Jareid. The fact that the prince had attacked a female outsider was also irrelevant. Jareid could have been beating one of the jaguar shamans to a bloody pulp and still would have not been stopped. The painful reality was that Jareid could get away with doing things that were inherently wrong because, somehow, he had the right to do whatever he bloody pleased. The implications of that particular truth were rapidly spreading in the young lion’s mind.
He needed to ask several questions and he didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t like the answers.
He waited until Ben assured him that Cheetara was going to be fine and that she only needed rest. The cheetah did look better, so Lion-O smiled at her and told her he’d see her the next morning. Cheetara cautioned him to be careful and to check on his brother if possible. Lion-O sighed and nodded. He was going to talk with Tygra, but not exactly for the reason Cheetara wanted him to.
&&&&&&&&
As soon as Lion-O left the room, Bengali sighed and rubbed his temples. He knew that the young lion was worried. He’d have to talk with both Thunderian princes and make sure that Tygra wouldn’t over-stress himself. He could see that Cheetara was going to use this incident to try and pull Tygra away from Jareid. He hoped that the tiger wouldn’t listen to her, or there was going to be hell to pay. The girl was very upset already and it was likely that she’d want to shield both princes from the perceived threat that was Jareid. Ben didn’t have much leverage over her, the way he had had with Tygra, to make her stop antagonizing the jaguar prince. Anyway, he’d have to try, before Jareid decided to do something more permanent.
The fact that she was Tygra’s friend could be very bad… or very good. Ben thought that they still had a chance to salvage the situation and prevent a major issue. He’d just have to enlist Tygra’s help on it. For the moment it’d be enough if he got the cheetah to back off and keep her distance from the young couple. He imagined that she’d want to talk with Tygra and follow his every move. He had to find the way to discourage her from that, at least until he talked with both Jareid and Tygra.
“You’d be well enough to go tomorrow morning. It’d be wise for you to avoid the prince and his mate. Jareid has always been rather explosive and doesn’t react well to perceived threats against his family.”
Cheetara sneered at him derisively.
“’Explosive’ is an understatement. That cat is dangerous! I don’t understand why you let him close to the kits!”
“Jareid would never harm the kits. He mostly ignores the younger ones, as they are no real threat to him.”
“Yeah, well he didn’t ignore me. I’m not an adult, and he just attacked me!”
“Well, to be frank, your age ceased to matter the moment you put Tygra’s pregnancy at risk.”
“It was an accident! Does your prince not know the concept of something happening without anyone being at fault? I was completely ignorant of the situation!”
“Jareid knows. Is only… look, the prince’s mind does not work like everybody else’s. The difference between an accident and a planned act just stops to matter when he’s really angry. And he was furious when he realized that his mate could have miscarriage. You technically became the equivalent of a male dominant challenging him for his mate, and he acted in accord with that mental image. It’s really quite a miracle that he didn’t go after you immediately. Believe it or not, he was much calmer when he attacked you. The sole fact that you’re still alive proves it. I think Tygra did something to make him wait and get out of the rage he was in.”
Cheetara was baffled. She took a couple of moments to process what Bengali was telling her, and then worry and anger crept into her face.
“What could Tygra have done? If that beast hurt him…”
“Jareid would never attack his pregnant mate! He’s irrational when he’s feral, but he doesn’t hurt Tygra. They most likely discussed things, and an entire day together helped to diffuse some tension.”
Cheetara gritted her teeth. She didn’t believe Ben. What she had heard and witnessed of the jaguar prince had made her believe that he was using violence against Tygra. There was no other way for the Thunderian prince to have caved to the jaguar’s wishes. Ben sighed in dejection.
“Look, I know that Jareid didn’t react in any acceptable way, and what he did was uncalled for. But he released his anger, and now he’d be more centred and willing to reason. For the moment he feels that he dealt with the danger that your presence here represents. He’ll leave you alone if you keep your distance from Tygra.”
Cheetara glared at him. How could he suggest that she let herself be intimidated in such a way?
“No.”
“Please, listen…”
“No! I’m not abandoning Tygra to your prince’s mercy! Do you really don’t care what could happen to him? He could get severely hurt!”
Ben almost groaned. It was a bit late to be worrying about that.
“He’s not going to be hurt.”
“The hell he’s not! You yourself have told me how volatile your prince is! How he just hits before asking! And how it is better to stay clear of him when he’s angry! And he seems to be angry the majority of the time! That, or in high sexual arousal, if the gossip of your court is worth considering. I really don’t want to think about the implications of such a mixture. Tygra is not safe with your prince! He should be away from him and protected until we can take him home!”
“Calm down!” Ben put his hands on the girl’s shoulders and forced her to lean back against the pillows. She had gotten excited and was about to fall from the bed. “Listen. I understand that you’re upset, and you wish to have your prince back, but Tygra is in no danger from Jareid. He’s his mate, and Jareid has proven that he can control himself enough to not hurt his mate, no matter how angry he gets. They are going to make a family. The mating is sealed and Tygra won’t be going anywhere.”
The cleric breathed deeply and her eyes widened. She had forgotten the supposed pregnancy. If Tygra did have any cubs with the jaguar prince, there’d be no way to break the matting. She looked at the shaman almost pleadingly.
“He’s staying here, Cheetara.”
“He can still renounce the cub… or lose it…”
“Not gonna happen. And I believe that you know that Tygra would never abandon his own cubs.”
“There must be a way!”
“There isn’t! He is not going back.”
Cheetara growled and clenched her fists. She glared at the shaman with sudden fury.
“How could you?! He’s not even reached majority! He should have never set foot in here! You’re not even a jaguar! How could you force him to stay here? You lot took his home away from him!”
“It was his choice.”
Cheetara froze and looked at the white tiger incredulously.
“Tygra chose to remain here, Cheetara. He knew that he could have refused the pregnancy. He’s perfectly aware of the mating ritual’s conditions, and he knows that he could have returned to Thundera. He just decided to follow through with the ritual and stay here.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Cheetara…”
“Tygra would never have renounced his home! He loves Thundera, and he loves his father! He’d never have accepted to stay away! You, or someone here, did something to him! Somehow you forced him to accept the mating!”
“No one…!” Ben started, but then interrupted himself, and sighed. He could not in good conscience proclaim that Tygra had not been forced to accept Jareid as a mate. “Is it so hard to just believe that he wanted a family of his own?”
“He’s sixteen! Your king forced the mating! I believe him capable to force the pregnancy too!”
“Even if that were true, there’s nothing anyone can do to negate it! Tygra is staying.”
“There’s still something that can be done. Tygra can still lose the cub.”
“Would you really do it? He’s not going to cooperate.”
“Your prince?”
“Tygra.”
Cheetara’s eyes hardened. What lies had they fed to the tiger prince to get him into an unnatural pregnancy? It couldn’t be allowed! She had to do something! Ben continued talking, taking advantage of her stupor.
“Tygra decided to try the pregnancy. He’s at thirteen weeks now. His instinct already established an emotional bond. He and Jareid are closer because of the pregnancy. He’s not going to terminate it willingly, and it would cause him a great deal of pain to accidentally lose it.
So, there’s no way in hell I’d let you try anything.”
“I thought you cared for him.”
“I do. I know how much he misses his home, and I also know how much he struggled to accept his new status in life. But my first duty is to my king and my prince. I helped Tygra to find a purpose here, to find a place to fit into, and a family. I won’t help you to take him away.”
“Thundera is his home!”
“His family is here now.”
“What kind of family could he have with an abusive mate?”
“Jareid cares for him.”
Cheetara scoffed at that. Ben didn’t give her a chance to reply.
“I know that he doesn’t look like it. He may not fit the image of a loving mate, but he is. In his own way, he is. He cares about Tygra. Hell, Tygra may be the only cat, besides Yeana, that Jareid worries about! He’s not going to let you do anything to take Tygra away.”
“Yeah, he kind of made his point clear already.”
There still should be a way. If only she could speak with Tygra, talk some sense into him, make him remember. She had thought that she could convince Bengali to help her. He was a tiger too, and he surely felt closer to Tygra than to the jaguars. But now she knew that the shaman would not help her, not with what she had been ordered to do at least. The white tiger cared for Tygra, as they both were kin. He’d protect the young tiger, but he wouldn’t help him escape Jareid’s clutches. She bit her lower lip, and huffed in frustration. Ben sighed again and tried to remain calm.
“He’s only trying to protect his family. He doesn’t go about it in a diplomatic way, but it’s still less damage than he usually does.” He pointed at Cheetara’s battered, but not incapacitated, body. The cheetah crossed her arms in dejection.
“So, I can expect him to attack every time he sees me?”
“No. Not if he doesn’t see you as a threat anymore. Besides, Tygra would be upset if he does that, and Jareid doesn’t like to make Tygra upset. You should be safe as long as you don’t interfere in the mating. Focus on Lion-O, and leave Tygra be.”
Cheetara shook her head. She needed to protect Tygra too. She had been sent to make sure that both princes would return home at the end of the year. She couldn’t lose Tygra!
“I can’t just leave Tygra! He’s been abused! I’m sure of it! I have to check on him and help him with this… mess of a situation! I don’t trust your prince to have Tygra’s best interests at hearth, especially now that I’ve experienced his violent personality. Someone like that can’t control his actions. He’d lash out at the most simple of things! You can’t convince me that he’s not like that with Tygra! A violent character doesn’t discriminate.”
Ben groaned inwardly. Only Tygra was going to be able to convince the cheetah that he was fine. Jareid certainly would only make things worse. Ben could see that Cheetara was honestly worried and wanted to fix things so that Tygra could be free to return to his home, and be safe. She was going to be a major problem and it needed to be stopped before a tragedy occurred.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but that’s the way things are. Look, just try to rest for now, and think about what I told you. I assure you that Tygra is in no danger. We are taking good care of him. Jareid is very obnoxious, but he cares about Tygra and is not going to let him go. Your prince is well protected and he’s going to have his own family soon. You care about him and know him well enough. Just think about the pain it’d cause him to lose a cub. It’s something that he’s not likely to forgive if it comes to happen.”
Cheetara nodded curtly and Ben left her with a tired sigh. She lied down on the bed and started to think. Her body ached dully, but none of her many injuries were life-threatening. She was, surprisingly, fine. She still was going to find the way to return the beating to the sender. Jareid needed a goon lesson!
She was very worried about Tygra. If Jareid was capable to attack her and beat her in retaliation for an accident, she didn’t want to imagine what he was capable of when he was angry with his mate doing something he didn’t approve. Tygra was a male. What little restraint Jareid had shown with her, would be non-existent against Tygra. He could even be taking out his frustrations with the tiger, and no one would stop him. Cheetara needed to see the Thunderian prince. It looked like a hopeless situation, but she wasn’t going to give up.
&&&&&&&&
Tygra was on his puff in his study, blissfully unaware of the drama that had transpired. He had a book of names in his hands and was looking at it with a frown of concentration.
Saixa had left him about two minutes ago, and Jareid wouldn’t come back until diner, so he had time to walk around a bit and put himself at day with his studies. However, he had seen the book of names on Jareid’s desk when he had crossed the jaguar’s study and had been curious. Jareid had been taking care of everything concerning their cubs, and Tygra thought it was time for him to show an interest too. They were also his cubs, and he wasn’t going to let Jareid name them something horrible or spoilt them rotten with too many toys and other things. They were supposed to do the raising together and Tygra had procrastinated long enough.
So, he sat on his comfortable puff and skimmed through the book. There were some highlighted names and a few with notes about past family members that had been named alike. Jareid had taken a real interest in this. There even were some names that had been slashed over and made illegible. Tygra rolled his eyes in exasperation at his mate, and started to read the highlighted names and their meaning. He made a face at a particular one and stuck his tongue out. No way in hell he was going to name one of his cubs anything related to a god of fertility! He procured himself a pen, and following his mate’s example, he obliterated the offending name. He was going to have a talk with Jareid about appropriate names for their cubs!
He started to read the next highlighted name when the bell of the door rang and he called for whoever it was to enter. Lion-O walked in with Snarf at his side. The pet mewled happily at him and hopped to his lap, obstructing his view of the book. Tygra smiled and scratched Snarf behind the ears. Then he looked at his brother and lost his smile. Lion-O perched himself on Tygra’s desk and started to bit his lip in nervousness. He looked very upset.
“What’s the matter Lion-O?” Tygra asked with a frown.
The small lion looked anxiously at his brother and pressed his lips tightly together.
“I want to… ask some things, Tygra. And I want you to be honest with me.”
Tygra put the book aside and looked again at his brother. Surely the kit was still shaken for his nearly miscarriage and he only needed a bit of reassurance.
“Sure. Is this about the cubs?”
“Nnn… Not exactly…” Lion-O bit his lips again and tried to put order in his thoughts, unsure of how to start.
“Then, what is it?”
“Well… you see, Cheetara has been talking with me and… she is pointing out some things and making me notice certain… details…”
He trailed off and looked shyly at his brother. Tygra’s eyes had widened slightly, he was now starting to worry.
“Details? Like what, Lion-O?”
The lion kit fidgeted on the desk. He was unsure on how to pose the question that Cheetara had planted in his mind. He didn’t want to say the word ‘abuse’. Saying it aloud would make it real, and Lion-O didn’t want it to be real.
“Well, many small things really, and I… I suppose I was just not thinking much about them, you looked fine, and I…”
“Lion-O, what did Cheetara tell you?”
The lion made an effort to look up at his brother. His strong, obnoxious and exasperatingly perfect older brother, who had mellowed down considerably since they both had left Thundera.
“Ty… has he ever… Does he… hit you?”
Tygra narrowed his eyes in confusion. He didn’t need to ask who “he” was, but he didn’t understand Lion-O’s question.
“Hit me? What do you mean? You know that Jareid and I train together once in a while. He likes to test my skills.”
‘And bugger me afterwards.’ He thought, but he wasn’t going to tell that to his distressed younger brother. Lion-O shook his head.
“No… I mean, in anger. To punish you, or to force you to do something…” He lowered his eyes and Tygra suddenly understood.
“No… Lion-O, come here.” Tygra moved a bit on the puff, so his brother could sit at his side. Snarf protested, but once the two siblings were comfortable he curled down on Tygra’s lap and continued purring. Tygra put an arm around his brother’s shoulders and pulled him close.
“Now, tell me. What is upsetting you?”
Lion-O sniffed, and hugged his brother, feeling very guilty at the same time.
“This! Well, it’s part of it… You… You were never like this when we were home! You never said kind words to me any more, you were ruthless, and it was clear that you were not accepting the secondary role that father meant for you. You didn’t want to be below me, you wanted to be on top. And you could have, you were in fact on top. You had character and strength. It was clear that you were developing into a dominant male, and everyone kept telling me that I had to do better or I would never be able to state my claim to the throne clearly. I ignored most of that talk and I really hadn’t paid it much mind since now it’s a mot point. But Cheetara came, and she’s very worried about you, and she said some things…”
He sniffed again, and pressed himself against his brother. Tygra bit his lower lip, a sinking feeling dropping on his stomach. He had managed to keep Lion-O mostly oblivious of his own problems. He hadn’t wanted his brother’s pity, and he didn’t need his worry. He had resented Lion-O once, resented the fact that his brother got to be the “alpha” male for no good reason other than his mere existence. But his little brother had been the only company he had had during his ordeal. None of what had happened had been Lion-O’s fault, and he shouldn’t be worrying about his big brother’s problems. And it wasn’t fair that someone had brought the issue to him now that it was pointless, and no one could do anything to fix the situation anymore. Besides, Tygra felt that whatever happened between Jareid and he was no one’s business. He and his mate could take care of themselves quite fine… now.
Tygra sighed. He could have appreciated, and even welcomed, Cheetara’s intervention once, but not anymore.
“Lion-O, listen. Cheetara is seeing things different. She wasn’t here.”
“But she’s right! A year is just too soon for some things to change. She pointed that out and I realized that you didn’t change in one year. You changed in one month! One month, Tygra! It took Jareid one month to make you behave like a submissive, when I know very well that you aren’t one! So, something must have happened. Jareid did something to you, and it was enough to break you, and I don’t know what it was, and it might still be happening and…!”
“Hey, hey, calm down Lion-O! Nothing is happening. Well, the cubs are happening, but nothing else, I swear.”
Tygra cleaned some tears from the young lion’s face and combed the red mane with his fingers to soothe the kit. He was starting to get angry on Lion-O’s behalf. Cheetara had no right to make his brother miserable. Lion-O had been perfectly happy to get his wish of no returning to Thundera just yet. The young lion snuggled against his brother’s side and sniffed quietly.
“He hurt you.” He said accusingly. Tygra sighed in resignation.
“None of that matters now.”
“It does if he’s still doing it! Cheetara says that he can still be doing something!”
“He’s not… Look, it’s not like Cheetara thinks.”
“Then, how is it?”
Tygra wanted to curse. He supposed that Lion-O had been bound to get curious sooner or later on his own anyway. Still, there had been no need to alert him to certain power dynamics that he had been mostly ignoring.
“He did hurt you, Tygra.”
“Yes, but… Look, it was mostly my fault.”
Lion-O looked incredulously at his brother’s declaration, and Tygra supposed he’d better explain.
“I was stubborn, and all those other things you just said, also I was scared and angry and very hurt. I wasn’t coping with the change at all. I didn’t want a mate, and I didn’t like the fact that I had been ‘offered’ so easily. It was too hard to realize that I was ‘dispensable’, not as important to father as you are, after all.”
Lion-O felt a shiver ran down his spine. He wanted to tell Tygra that it was not true, but his brother wouldn’t let him interrupt.
“I was not at my best, and Jareid didn’t help at all. He is so overwhelming, and he was everywhere, always making me remember that I was far from home now. I couldn’t deal with him on top of everything else, and somehow he managed to take priority. I tried to push him away, but he didn’t let me. I didn’t want to be close to him, to be a sub, but I couldn’t get away, Jareid just forced his presence on me. I was desperate, I didn’t want him touching me, I didn’t want to acknowledge him as a mate, much less as a dominant mate. So, I cracked, rather quickly, and… I challenged him.”
Lion-O technically bolted upright and looked at his brother in disbelief.
“W-what? You did what? Tygra! That would have been like me challenging Grune for the general’s post! He… he killed Bali! That…” He breathed, and then sudden realization hit him. “That was when you had your arms all bandaged! No wonder you were so… so subdued! And then you…”
He bit his lip. That was what had broken his brother. No constant beating or threatening like Cheetara imagined. It had been only one hit. One fight for dominance to show the young tiger his place. Considering the way Jareid was used to settle differences, Lion-O was partial to say that his brother had escaped the ordeal without much injury. It could not be considered abuse. At least not the way Cheetara thought.
Tygra sighed and smiled ruefully.
“I was a bit crazy. It was the only time Jareid has truly hurt me. I was then very depressed for a time, and you can say that I was forced to acknowledge my new role.”
He hugged Lion-O again and the little lion groaned. He was so stupid! He should have seen it!
“You have nothing to feel guilty about, Lion-O. I tried to shield you as much as I could. I didn’t want you to worry.”
“I could have done something…”
“Like what? Challenge Jareid yourself? There’s nothing you could have done Lion-O. I was the one who had to adapt. It took some struggling, but I did it.”
Lion-O was still unhappy. He was just realizing how much his brother had been forced to give up. His hand rested on Tygra’s stomach and he bit his lips again.
“You didn’t have to accept the cubs on top of everything else.”
Tygra put his hand over his brother’s smaller one and sighed.
“I had to, Lion-O. This… is the only family I’d be able to form.”
“No. We, you, could have go back to Thundera, and forget any of this ever happened!”
“Things don’t work that way, Lion-O. I’m never going to be the same. How could I simply forget everything that has happened? Besides, I don’t think I could have chosen another mate. I don’t think I’d ever be able to tolerate another touching me like Jareid does.”
“Not even Cheetara?”
Tygra sighed in resignation and leaned just a bit on his brother’s side.
“No. Not even her.”
“Ty…”
“I’m fine Lion-O. Really. Jareid is not the ideal mate, but… we have learned to cope with each other. In his own way he’s very caring.”
Lion-O accepted Tygra’s reassurances. There was nothing he could do anyway, save remain at the tiger’s side. He would do it, and help his sibling to be happy the way he had been forced to choose.
He still shed a few more tears for his brother’s loss.
&&&&&&&&
Lion-O left sometime later, just before Jareid was due to pick up Tygra for dinner. Tygra stood in front of the big window and stared outside while he waited for his mate. It was already dark outside, but he could still distinguish the outline of trees at the border of the castle. He longed to go out and have a run in the forest or a good swim in the river. Physical activity had always helped him to relax, and now that he found himself severely restrained in that aspect he was starting to feel really frustrated.
He gave a sigh and leaned his forehead on the glass. His right hand started to rub circles on his belly. He was worried about the things that Cheetara was talking with his brother. Lion-O would tell her the truth, but it was unlikely that she’d listen to the young kit. He had to speak with her and explain his part of the story. He wanted her to understand his point of view, she was his friend, and he’d like to have her on his side when he confronted Claudus. He knew that his father was going to be less than pleased with him, and if he couldn’t convince Cheetara that accepting to consolidate the mating ritual had been the best option for him, he’d have no chance of convincing Claudus.
He started to think what to say to Jareid for the jaguar to let him talk to Cheetara alone. Jareid was going to be difficult, much more because the cleric was a perceived threat. Tygra hoped that his mate cared enough for him to understand that his friend was important, and that he’d like to have her close again.
The door opened, and almost instantly Jareid’s arms and essence were around him. Tygra took a deep breath to reassure himself and leaned back on his mate’s body. Jareid’s lips pulled at his ear playfully and licked teasingly. Tygra smiled. He wanted to close his eyes and forget the world. It seemed like his mate’s presence was registering as very relaxing in his mind at the moment.
“How is my family?”
Jareid’s hands covered his, and Tygra wished that his cubs were already big enough to feel them. At the moment he could only imagine two little balls of fur basking in warmth and comfort inside him.
“We’re fine. Though I wish they’d grow up faster. It’s boring without the training.”
“Just three more months, my tiger. I want you all safe. I’m not going to risk you getting hurt anymore. One scare is more than enough for a lifetime.”
Tygra felt oddly touched and a very bad cat at the same time. He wasn’t focused on his cubs’ safety 100 percent of the time. He only assumed that his sons were perfectly fine as long as he behaved and followed Ben’s instructions. The idea of extreme caution hadn’t really hit his brain until his encounter with Cheetara.
Jareid kissed his temple, and Tygra turned around to better hug his mate. Then, he noticed the servant that was finishing preparing the sitting area for dinner.
“Are we dinning here?” He asked when the servant had vanished.
“Yes, Ben says that he wants to talk to us and will be dining with us. Personally, I think that he’s going to try to convince me to do something that I don’t want to do.”
Tygra wondered if Bengali had also noticed the convenience to have a real chat with Cheetara. The Shaman was sensible and Tygra could use his advice.
“Do you think it’ll have something to do with Cheetara?”
Jareid tensed and his chest vibrated with a low growl. Tygra sighed, but wasn’t really surprised at his mate’s reaction.
“Why do you mention her?” Jareid asked harshly. Tygra gave a couple steps away from the jaguar and shrugged.
“Well, I was thinking about her, and Lion-O was here just a few moments ago. He’s worried and he told me some things that got me thinking that I really should go talk to her… Jareid?”
Tygra looked in some alarm at his mate, who continued growling and was visibly getting angrier.
“Jareid? I only want to talk to her and make sure that…”
“She’s perfectly fine! I assure you that there was no lasting damage, and it had to be done!”
Tygra blinked in utter confusion. It took his brain some seconds to process the words he had listened.
“You… did something… to her? Jareid?!”
Tygra’s voice raised in growing panic. The jaguar took him by the arms and showed his teeth. Tygra started to shiver.
“I only warned her off! I didn’t kill her!”
“You ‘only’ warned her? Why? It was an accident, Jareid! You…! What the hell did you do? Where’s Cheetara?”
Tygra wriggled free of Jareid’s hands, taking advantage of the fact that his mate had relaxed his grip on him. Jareid’s narrowed eyes were starting to look suspicious.
“I did what I had to do! Look, it’s not my fault that the kits were there too…”
“Whaaat?!!”
Tygra’s eyes widened in utter and complete horror and Jareid froze. In the tense silence that followed, Tygra’s mind imagined a dozen murdering scenarios that could have happened. No wonder that Lion-O had been so anxious! Jareid on his part was starting to realize his mistake.
“Tygra…”
“What. Did. You. Do. Jareid?”
The jaguar growled and pulled at his mane in frustration. He was a fool! He should have kept his mouth shut like Bengali was always telling him!
Tygra was growing more scared by the second. He was about to bolt to the shamans’ wing, where someone should know something, when the door slide open and Ben entered the room.
“I’m here. Sorry…” He stopped and looked at the very distressed young tiger, who was trembling in fear. Jareid growled in utter frustration and started to pace agitatedly. “What’s going on?”
Bengali walked towards Tygra to try to calm him down. The orange tiger was not supposed to get upset! He was surprised when Tygra clung to him almost desperately.
“Ben, what did Jareid do? Where’s Cheetara?”
The shaman was side tracked for a second, and then he turned his head to glare murderously at the jaguar.
“Jareid! You were not supposed to tell him!”
Jareid banged his forehead on the wall. Tygra winced at the loud thud, and his worry grew exponentially. The jaguar groaned in anger at himself.
“I know! I’m just starting to realize that I should really ask questions first!”
“You just realized?! Gezz, Jareid!”
Bengali really wanted to shoot his prince. Tygra insisted again to be told about Cheetara, and Ben sat him down on the couch. Tygra had to calm down quickly before the adrenaline started to cause damage.
“Easy Tygra. Cheetara is fine, I swear. There was no severe damage. She’s going to rest tonight, and tomorrow she’s going to carry on with her usual activities, as always.”
“And the kits?”
“What kits?” Bengali asked in confusion.
“Jareid said that the kits were there!”
Ben put a hand over his face and groaned.
“Ok. I’m going to explain everything. I don’t want more misunderstandings.”
Ben explained the event as Lion-O, Cheetara, and trainer Bal-xa had told it had happened, as well as Cheetara’s current state of health, stressing again that she had not suffered any major injuries. At the end, Tygra didn’t feel exactly calmer, nor reassured in the last. He wanted to scream at his mate, but a dull ache in his stomach made him gasp and rub his belly instead.
Jareid stopped his pacing and sat at Tygra’s other side, surrounding the tiger’s hips with his arm.
“Are you ok?”
“Of course I’m not! Why did you do that?! Jareid, we talked this morning! She had no idea what she was doing! You can’t just go and beat someone for an accident! … ow…”
“Ty!”
“I’m fine!”
Bengali somehow produced a pill and with some magic managed to prevent any problem. Tygra breathed deeply and forced himself to put his anger aside. Jareid’s left hand was on his belly, rubbing circles and trying to soothe him. The tiger leaned his head on his mate’s shoulder and sighed.
“You can’t be doing these things, Jareid. You promised that you were going to get your temper under control.”
“Tygra, I needed to do something. I’m not letting her take you away! Please don’t think about it anymore.”
“I can’t just forget it! Besides, are you aware that now she’s only going to try harder?”
Bengali nodded at Tygra’s comment and Jareid looked at both of them like they were mad.
“I told her to stay away and I know that I gave her enough reason to obey. Why would she want to risk another beating?”
“Because,” answered Bengali, “she’s not a dominant male challenging you for your mate. She’s a worried female that now thinks that her friend is in more danger than she’d originally thought.”
Jareid gaped in befuddlement at both tigers. Tygra sighed again, realizing that Jareid was not emphatic enough to predict a female’s reaction to certain acts of violence.
“How could she possibly get to that conclusion?”
“Well, you beat her for an accident. What’s stopping you from hitting Tygra every time he doesn’t abide to your wishes?”
Jareid was even more baffled.
“He’s my mate! I don’t need to beat him! He knows I’m the dominant, and that I care for him!”
“We know that, Jareid. But she’s an outsider, and is working under the assumption that you’re a violent cat who reacts in only one way to every inconvenience. Which is not too far from the truth, let me tell you. That little show you gave in the courtyard has just convinced her that her prince needs rescuing.”
Jareid growled and hugged Tygra a little too tightly. The young tiger groaned, but endured his mate’s show of anxiousness. He didn’t want to reject Jareid right away. He only wanted his mate to be able to have a better judgment.
“I need to talk to her.”
“You’re not going anywhere near her!”
“Jareid, we need to placate her. She won’t back off unless Tygra makes clear that he’s perfectly fine. She can cause a load of unnecessary problems.”
“Return her to Thundera then! I don’t want her close to Tygra!”
“And then what? We deal with the next cleric that Claudus sends? One who might be set upon the path of recovering Tygra whatever the cost and wouldn’t be inclined to listen to Tygra’s reasons? We are trying to avoid conflict here, Jareid! Cheetara is Tygra’s friend. She’s going to take his side, she only needs to be certain of Tygra’s wishes.”
Jareid growled. He didn’t like the idea. He didn’t want a potential challenger for his mate anywhere near said mate and his cubs.
“I can just…”
“You’re not going to kill anyone! Jareid, the entire point of me staying in Ix-Maal is that violence between both our cities stop! Please, I just need to convince her that I want to stay.”
“Ben and Lion-O can do that!”
“No, they can’t. She won’t listen. She’d assume that they’re covering for you, even Lion-O. It has to be me or she won’t believe anything.”
Jareid roared. He should have killed the cheetah when he could.
“No.”
“Please, Jareid…”
“I don’t want you close to her! I don’t want you to listen to whatever she wants to say! I won’t allow it!”
Tygra started to growl. Ben didn’t like the way things were going. Tygra needed calm, damn it! Was it that difficult a concept to grasp?
“Don’t be unreasonable, Jareid! We are trying to make things easier here. Tygra needs a relaxed environment, not to be worrying about unnecessary problems!”
“Then he doesn’t need to even think about the cheetah! Just keep her away from these rooms, or I will do it!”
Tygra snapped then. He felt that Jareid was treating him like a cub. Was he not trustworthy enough to be allowed to talk with a friend?
“Look, I know I am your prisoner, that I belong to you! You don’t have to rub it every time I dare to ask a favour from you!”
He tried to stand and get away from Jareid, but the jaguar growled and grabbed his hips and torso, keeping him firmly on the couch. He growled in unhappiness and tried to wriggle out of his mate’s hands, succeeding only in turning around, away from the jaguar’s face. Jareid moved a bit and one hand was suddenly on Tygra’s lower stomach. That made Tygra stop his wriggling and sat still and tense. His lips were pressed in a thin line and he crossed his arms. The claws on his left hand were suddenly out and he imbedded them in his right arm, just below the elbow.
Bengali’s eyes narrowed. He stopped himself from bolting forwards and extract Tygra from Jareid’s arms. He was not going to help the situation if he intervened between them at that moment. Jareid had to solve this on his own.
Jareid’s other hand grabbed Tygra’s left wrist and put enough pressure to force the tiger to retract his claws. He bit the young tiger on the neck, making him gasp and relax minutely as instinct took hold and recognized his dominant. Tygra breathed deeply and forced his anger and frustration away. His cubs. He had to think about his cubs. The pill and Ben’s boost of energy had stabilized his womb, but he couldn’t risk any damage to his innocent cubs.
Jareid sensed that his mate was calmer and he pulled the young tiger to sit on his lap. He was still growling, and he held Tygra close to his own body. He didn’t want to let go. He needed to protect his family. The cheetah was a threat! He couldn’t allow her to get to his tiger! His chest was still vibrating with his growl even as he tried to suppress it.
After some moments, Tygra seemed to compose himself enough to start talking again.
“I know what I am. And I know why I’m here. I chose to accept it and to renounce to the possibility of leaving. I’m carrying our cubs. Why don’t you trust me?”
Jareid closed his eyes and made a supreme effort to put his anger aside and think. He needed to be coherent. No one was going to ruin the precarious relationship he had built with his mate.
“I don’t trust her! I don’t want you alone with her, Tygra. You don’t need even to see her.”
“I just want to speak with my friend. I know my reasons to do what I’m doing. Please, I do need her to understand too.”
Jareid bit his lip in utter frustration. He realized that it was important for Tygra to talk with the cheetah, though he couldn’t phantom why. He knew he should find the way to reach a compromise, but he didn’t want to. The point was, he also knew that he was going to lose Tygra’s tentative trust in him if he denied his mate this favour. At their side, Bengali finally decided to intervene.
“He doesn’t have to be alone when he speaks with her. I can be there. With the chameleon suit she won’t realize I’m present.”
Jareid glared at his friend, mentally damming him to hell and back. He gritted his teeth as he saw the expectant expression on Tygra’s face. His mate will obey him, but he would also be deeply resentful if Jareid forbid him to try to make peace with the cleric. Jareid growled in anger, but at the end he caved. He was not going to jeopardize his new family over the cursed cheetah.
Tygra finally relaxed, and promised that he was not going to let her try anything that might injure the cubs. After Jareid made Bengali ultimately responsible of the ‘talk’s’ outcome, the matter was settled. Ben coaxed Tygra to eat something light for dinner, and they planned how to approach the cheetah.
&&&&&&&&
Tygra sighed and looked around, wondering if the garden where they had held the reception for the mating ceremony was a good place to meet Cheetara. Then he shook his head in annoyance at himself. Cheetara hadn’t been there, and she wouldn’t relate the garden to anything. It was as good a place as any other.
It had been difficult to get Jareid to fully agree with their plan. The jaguar was really unhappy with the entire idea, and his bad mood was patently obvious to the rest of the world. Tygra hoped that his mate could control his fury. He had spent a very tense two days and he wanted it over.
He leaned on a tree and started to rub circles on his belly. All this stress couldn’t be good for the cubs. He had just barely surpassed the thirteen weeks, nothing could be allowed to go wrong.
He sighed and looked to the left, to a patch of grass surrounding a fountain, where he knew Bengali was. Jareid had wanted to be there too, but no one had believed for a second that he’d be able to stand still and not intervene. Ben had in fact proposed that the meeting was held on the day that Jareid had to be with the city guard, checking their defences and strategies. That way there’d be no danger of interruption.
Tygra closed his eyes and sighed. Jareid was angry with both tigers and was barely talking to them. Tygra didn’t like it, but he didn’t want to press the issue. He didn’t want Jareid to lose it and start yelling and hitting walls again. Sometimes he wondered where all that anger had come from. Jareid was so extreme in his reactions, it couldn’t be natural.
Soft steps distracted him from his thoughts. He opened his eyes and saw Cheetara a few steps away from him. She was cautiously smiling at him, and he returned the gesture more openly.
“Hello, my prince.”
“Chee.”
Tygra nodded at her and she gave two steps forward. Her eyes focused on the bandage just below his elbow and they narrowed. Tygra lifted an eyebrow in question.
“Did he do that to you?” She said, pointing to the bandage.
Tygra lowered his eyes and groaned. He had forgotten his “injury”. Bengali had been mightily pissed that Tygra’s claws had managed to pierce skin. He had bitched about it for hours. Tygra suspected that the shaman had put the bandage in spite. The minuscule claw marks really didn’t need it.
“No, it was myself. And it’s nothing, really. Ben was just exaggerating.”
Cheetara didn’t look convinced. Tygra debated mentally for a moment if he should explain how exactly he had injured himself, but he doubted it would do any good.
“Look, it’s not important. I wanted to talk about more pressing matters.”
He scanned her quickly. She didn’t look hurt, but she was wearing a high collared tunic, and there were some fading bruises in her arms. Cheetara on her part looked at Tygra’s midsection with some apprehension, and inhaled his friend’s scent, realizing for the first time what exactly he smelled like.
“It’s true then? You are with cub?” She asked, still in bafflement over the entire concept. Tygra gave her half a smirk.
“Yes. I was mind-blown when they informed me that it was actually possible.”
Cheetara shook her head and sighed in vexation.
“I can’t understand why would you accept something like that, Tygra. It’s unnatural! Males are not made to carry cubs, that’s not the way of nature! This is going to make it harder for you to return home!”
“Chee, I’m not going back home. I knew it when I accepted this. The mating ritual is permanent, and the treaty explicitly demands that Jareid’s mate resides with him.”
“Why did you do it then? What could they possibly threaten you with? Was it Lion-O?”
Tygra blinked in confusion at her last question.
“Lion-O? What do you mean?”
“Did they threaten Lion-O’s life to force you to agree to this?”
Tygra actually gaped.
“What? No! They didn’t even mention Lion-O.”
“Then, what happened, Tygra? Because I refuse to believe that you’d renounce to your chance to return home without any form of coercion! Just tell me what they are holding over your head and we’ll find a way out of it!”
“No! Listen Chee, there’s no way out of it, not now that I’m actually pregnant. These cubs are Jareid’s and mine. I guarantee it.”
For a moment Cheetara looked like she wanted to argue that point, but then she frowned. Her brain catching up on a piece of information new to her.
“Cubs? As in more than one?”
Tygra looked sheepish and nodded.
“Two actually. Everybody was really surprised.”
Cheetara pressed her lips, and then shook her head.
“It doesn’t really matter. We can still do something…”
“No, Cheetara…”
“If you say how they forced you Tygra, we can still gain some leverage. Even better, if you were to lose the cubs…”
“Cheetara, no! I refuse to get rid of my cubs! They’re mine too!”
The cheetah groaned and rubbed her temples in frustration.
“Fine. We can find a way to keep them. Jaga would know what to do…”
“Chee…”
Tygra approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and he lost himself for a moment in her beautiful pale red eyes. Then, he sighed and talked softly.
“Look, I appreciate you trying to help. But there’s nothing to do Cheetara. I’m staying here.”
“But, why? It doesn’t make sense.”
He pressed his lips and looked away. Cheetara grabbed his arm and glared intently at him.
“It’s not so complicated, actually. I’m staying because Jareid wants me to.”
Cheetara snarled and crossed her arms.
“Pray tell how he is managing to retain you, Tygra.”
“Well.” Tygra sighed and shrugged in a helpless gesture. “Let’s just say that he’s Baal’s heir. His word is technically law here, and he’s obsessed with me. He’s not going to allow anyone to take his mate from him, he has been very clear on that from the beginning.”
“He may say that, but the ritual is absolute. If you hadn’t agreed to… get pregnant… you’d no longer be his mate. He would have had to let you go! The jaguars are honour-bound to respect the treaty.”
“He was not going to do it.”
Cheetara was stunned.
“He told you that?”
“Yes, he did. He told me that there was no way he’d let me go. That he will raise another war just to keep me here. And I know him well enough now, to be certain that he will do it.”
“That’s… That’s preposterous! Tygra, we need to tell your father!”
“To what purpose Cheetara? We can’t engage in another war with the jaguars. There’d be no point! Thundera does not have the war power they have! We don’t even have the Sword of Omens anymore. Not that it was any good the last time!”
Cheetara closed her fists and growled. Tygra rubbed her arm, trying to soothe her.
“Thundera can’t win. I refuse to let more people die because of another pointless war!”
“And does Baal know of his son’s words, or is he behind them?”
“I don’t think he knows, surely he suspects, but it doesn’t really matter, what Jareid wants, Jareid gets. That’s how things are around here. And if Jareid wants to stop me from returning home, Baal is going to grant his wish, even at the price of war.”
“But that’s… that’s not right! Tygra, you can’t just remain at this cat’s mercy! There has to be a way!”
“Maybe there is, but I’m not willing to risk it. Besides, Jareid’s threats are not the only reason I decided to accept the pregnancy. I wanted to try, you know?”
Cheetara blinked at him, not understanding.
“Try? Try what, Tygra?”
“This.” He put his hand over his belly and sighed. “I wanted a family. My family, Chee.”
“But, with him? Tygra, you’d have all the time in the world to form a family.”
“No. Not anymore Chee, not after all that has happened. Listen, my instinct has long recognized Jareid as my mate. I won’t be able to change that. I’m not a dominant anymore, and out of here I… I’m not mate material anymore Chee. I wouldn’t handle it very well.”
Cheetara narrowed her eyes in anger.
“So, he did something to you. How could you want to stay with an abusive cat like him?”
“He hasn’t hurt me, not like you think. It’s hard to explain, Chee. I felt very alone for a time, and he… He’s very insistent. It’s strange, you know? I think he needs me.”
“He needs you? That’s… Tygra, he’s manipulating you!”
“A little, yes, I know that. But I still think he needs me. In a way, I need him too, Chee. I can’t explain what happened. I’m just… not willing to leave him.”
Cheetara was baffled.
“You can’t be serious. Tygra, he’s taking advantage of you! He’s threatening your home, and your integrity!”
“I know! I know he’s a terrible cat, but I also know that he can be a very caring mate. Chee, it was very difficult for me to accept the idea of being his mate. I think I even forced myself to care for him. I didn’t know I had a way to go back, and I tried to find the way to survive here. If you think about it, maybe it was for the best. If I go back to Thundera, and Jareid ends up making good of his threat, this entire year and a half would have been for nothing.”
Cheetara stared at him for long moments. At the end she had to accept that Tygra’s decision was final.
“But he’s so violent. And I keep hearing the most preposterous things about him!”
“Yeah, he has quite the personality.” Tygra smiled at her and tried to look cocky. She shook her head in sadness.
“He threatened to send me back to Thundera in little pieces, you know?”
Tygra lowered his eyes in embarrassment for his mate’s actions.
“I’m truly sorry about that. It was my fault. I should have stopped you, and I wasn’t fast enough. I’m really sorry.”
“You aren’t to blame for the jaguar’s actions Tygra.”
“I am in this case. I knew that he was going to react badly. I wasn’t careful enough, and I should have told you the situation a lot earlier.”
“And what if he had attacked you? What if he attacks your cubs in a rage?”
“He won’t. He tries to control himself when he’s angry with me, and he finds another outlet. He is in fact more in control of his anger lately.”
“He didn’t look in control to me.”
“You say that because you have never seen him actually murderous. And he doesn’t usually pick fights with the females. It’s just that he knows that you’re quite the catch, and a good prospect for a mate, so he sees you as competition.
Cheetara gaped incredulously at him.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! Is he mad?”
“A little, yeah. Chee, maybe I’m a bit crazy too. Can I tell you something? I think that somehow he uses me as his connection with reality.”
Cheetara lifted an eyebrow in incredulity at him. Tygra pulled at his mane nervously.
“I know it’s crazy. Probably I’m thinking too much of myself. But the point is that I can’t leave him. I grew too attached to him. Maybe it’s me the one that needs him to need me. Does that make any sense?”
Cheetara had an unfathomable look in her face. She looked intently at her friend for some moments, and then she embraced him tenderly.
“Maybe it does. I’ll support you, Tygra. Whatever you do, I’ll help you.”
“Thanks Chee.” Said Tygra, returning the embrace. He felt accomplished in some level.
“So… twins?”
&&&&&&&
Jareid stomped his way to his rooms. He refused to pay ears to the malicious titbits of gossip, which certain members of the court had insisted on telling him as soon as he had arrived to the palace. However, the errant words were getting to him, and he was getting angrier. He needed to get to his rooms, and if Tygra wasn’t there, safe and sound, he was going to kill Ben.
He debated for a moment if he should search Tygra’s study first, but decided that his mate would want to appease him, and he’d be in their main room. He was pleasantly surprised when he opened the first door, and Tygra was there in the sitting room, perusing a book.
The tiger lifted his head when he heard the jaguar entering the room and smiled. Jareid was in front of him in an instant, and grabbed him by the arms, and then he pulled him up and started sniffing him. Tygra sighed. Good thing he had showered right after returning from his meeting with Cheetara. He didn’t want Jareid to freak out because he could smell her on the tiger.
He let Jareid sniff him all he wanted. When the jaguar finally started to lick his neck, Tygra moaned and leaned on his mate, who embraced him fiercely.
“Everything’s fine Jareid. I’m still in one piece.”
“I don’t want her hands on you.”
“She’s not going to steal me away. I promise.”
Jareid bit Tygra’s neck, just to reaffirm his claim on him, and then licked the mark some more.
“Mine.” He growled possessively.
Tygra groaned and tried to keep calm, as Jareid finally lifted him and took him to the bedroom, where he could explore and sniff every inch of his tiger to his hearth’s content.
&&&&&&&
Cheetara stared at the communicator in her hands, not daring yet to use it. How was she going to explain to the king that his son was lost, and there was nothing they could do about it?
She was certain that it had been the threat of another war what had forced Tygra to accept the jaguar’s demands. The prince would not sacrifice innocent cats for a tantrum. Besides, Thundera really had no hope to win against the jaguars, not yet at least. Maybe if both cities were at par in technology, Claudus would risk a war to recover his sons, but as things were, Tygra had no real choice but to remain at his mate’s side.
Cheetara sighed. It was an unfair fate for the prince. She still believed that Jareid abused his young mate, and what was worse, Tygra seemed to have gotten used to it. The cheetah could see that Jareid was clearly manipulating Tygra, and the young tiger had fallen into it. Isolated as he was, the Thunderian prince had surely been easy prey for the older cat. Cheetara growled. She’d like to show that abusive bastard his place, but she was no match for the jaguar heir. She needed to get stronger, and some day she’d show the egotistical cat a lesson. For now, however, she’d have to accept that there was nothing to do. She will remain at her princes’ side and give them what little support she could. Maybe with time she’d find a way to get her friend out of the mess he was in.
She pressed her lips while she considered the com once more. She was unsure of what she should tell Jaga. The high cleric was going to insist on Tygra’s pregnancy being terminated. If he accepted that such a thing was possible in the first place.
The young apprentice groaned. She had no idea of what Jaga was going to think, or what would be his reaction. Maybe it would be best if no one in Thundera knew about Tygra’s pregnancy just yet. Such news could potentially cause all hell to get loose.
Deciding at last that she would just make a general report, omitting any mention of male pregnancy, she finally started the communication. King Claudus was not going to be pleased when he realized his son’s plight, but that could wait some months. Maybe they’d get lucky and find a way to lessen the impact.
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A Tale of Jaguars