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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
- 18
- 19
- 20
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: It's been a while. Sorry for the delay, Christmas and new year is not a good time to write for me. I hope to have the next chapter sooner, if I get rid of the writer's block.
Thanks for the comments.
CHAPTER 19. DISSERTATIONS OF A TROUBLED MIND.
Bengali prepared the scanner for Mai’s ultrasound. Her cub had grown enough for they to see if it was a male or a female. As she had used a non-prepared sample to do the insemination, the sex of the cub was yet unknown. Ben personally was praying for it to be a female. It’d be much easier for Jareid to accept a female cub that had no chance at all to challenge Tygra’s cubs’ right to the throne.
The white tiger was also counting on the genetic treatment that they had been subtly providing to make the cub have some prominent tiger’s characteristics. Technically, Mai’s cub had now three parents.
It had been the most tricky and dangerous treatment that Ben had done. Xiar had said that it was a piece of cake, compared to what they had had to do to get Queen Xilara to carry a pregnancy to term, when Jareid had been borne. But after a few weeks, even Xiar had been complaining. The fact was that Mai was as far from the Queen as possible. She was in no way the living embodiment of a perfect patient. The jaguaress had given them all the grief she possibly could. She, of course, didn’t know about the genetic treatment they were performing. She believed they were doing daily monitoring because Jareid wanted a day to day report on his cub. She was unaware that every night Sarai put some herbs in her tea to make her sleep soundly and not wake up when they moved her to the clinic. The High Shaman even performed some magic to keep her asleep while they went on with the very invasive treatment. Bengali had been at edge and sweating every time they had to radiate or insert the needle to poke and alter the cells of the foetus.
Mai, even when she was in the dark about the treatment, was always suspicious that something was going on, and had demanded to see Jareid constantly. The jaguar prince had had to visit once or twice to appease her, but never alone like she wanted. Jareid was very unhappy each time he was required to make an appearance in Mai’s room. It was definitely testing his already non-existent control. The day before his birthday, he had finally exploded and had screamed at the jaguaress to cut the shit already and do whatever the bloody shamans wanted. He had also made clear that he was going to beat her to death if the shamans reported anything wrong with the cub she was carrying. That had effectively subdued her for a couple of weeks, until that very day that they were performing her fourth scan. She was demanding Jareid to be present. He had to see his heir and confirm by himself that his son was healthy and in good shape. She was sure that she was carrying a male. The future heir of the clan.
The shamans were at the end of their collective rope. Mai’s tantrums and insistence to be treated as Jareid’s mate were wearing them thin. Many had actually been grateful that their prince was already mated to Tygra, and even more grateful that he didn’t want a consort. Between Jareid and Mai, the jaguars’ city would surely fall to ruins in no time! Some of the shamans, especially the females, felt for the cub. They knew that Jareid had not wanted this particular cub, and they believed that Mai had been allowed to carry it to term only as a safety measure, in case Tygra’s cubs wouldn’t make it. Some of the female shamans feared that Jareid would just dispose of the cub in Mai’s body as soon as Tygra’s cubs were born, seeing as a ‘replacement’ would be no longer needed.
Bengali sighed while he tested the scanner a final time. The court in its entirety believed Mai’s cub to be a ‘backup plan.’ Only two trusted shamans besides himself and Xiar knew the truth. For everyone else, Mai had tried to force herself into a consort’s post carrying Jareid and Tygra’s cub, – Hence the need of a genetic procedure, in addition to Jareid’s own wishes – and had royally fucked up, stealing semen samples instead of prepared embryos and going behind the High Shaman’s back. The speculations about how the cub would turn out were starting to make quite a commotion in the court.
Ben raised his head as he heard Mai arguing with Xiar that she was not taking the scanner without Jareid present. Xiar looked ready to strangle her. Sarai was close by, observing with some amusement. It was rare for the High Shaman to lose his patience.
Finally, the door slid open and Jareid entered, accompanied as always by Yeana and the Queen. The prince growled at Mai when she tried to cling to his neck. He was tense and angry that he had been told into being there. Bengali couldn’t help but compare the jaguar’s present behaviour with the previous day’s.
The previous day had been Tygra’s turn to take the scan to check the twins’ development. They were already completely formed, and looked like tiny pear-sized entities. They only needed to grow and for their inner organs to finish developing enough to sustain them. Groups of cells were still differentiating, but the critical stage was already done with. Now they will gain size a bit faster, and Tygra would really start showing at the end of the month. Jareid had been elated, and had even tolerated Cheetara’s presence, just to brag his sons in her face. Tygra had not been very pleased with his mate’s attitude towards the cheetah, but had preferred to keep peace and maintain Jareid occupied at his side.
But at the present day, Jareid was glaring and snapping at everything and everyone, especially Mai, and there was no Tygra to calm him down. Ben sighed, and coaxed Mai to lie down and let Sarai prepare her. Mai looked at Jareid questioningly and the prince growled at her to obey. He wanted this done as quickly as possible, so he could get the hell out of there. Mai looked cowed and started to follow the shamans’ instructions without arguing.
Finally, the image appeared on the screen and Ben gave a frustrated huff. The foetus apparently was developing adequately, but the angle didn’t allow them to see what they wanted, the legs were on the way. Yeana and Xilara were as mesmerized with this cub as they had been with Tygra’s twins. Jareid only grumped, frustrated that everyone was doing such a fuzz when he was still seeing only a blotch of blue. However, he needed to show some interest, so he fumbled for something to ask.
“Well? Male or female?”
“We can’t confirm.” Answered Xiar. “Little rascal is not letting us have a clear visual.”
Jareid scowled, wondering how anyone could possibly tell what exactly was in the screen, and which part was what. He didn’t pause to consider that he hadn’t had any problems to identify Tygra’s cubs in the ultrasound. He turned to Ben.
“You didn’t have that problem yesterday.”
“Yeah, well, we actually prepared the embryos that we implanted. So, we know that whatever Tygra is carrying is male.”
“This cub is male too!” Mai interjected hotly. “I’m sure of it! The heir can only be a male!”
Jareid growled dangerously at Mai, and Yeana hugged him. His little sister declared that it didn’t matter, and that the cub would be his anyway. Jareid wanted to scoff at that, but he was not going to contradict his little sister. He only nodded and asked for a picture of the ultrasound. Tygra had asked for it. His tiger thought that Jareid needed to be more involved with his third cub. The jaguar prince didn’t want to know anything about Mai’s cub, not until the day they dropped it on them, and he could actually see if the genetic treatment had been any good; but Tygra had insisted.
His tiger had taken a more active part in the preparations for their cubs. While Jareid was really happy about it, he didn’t like the fact that Tygra had realized that he had been preparing everything with only two cubs in mind. The tiger had proceeded to verbally chew off his mate, and making clear that they were going to treat the third cub the same as the other two, and that there would be no neglecting on Jareid’s part. The jaguar was very unhappy about that. He was supposed to devote his time and energy to Tygra’s cubs, not to spare it on something that shouldn’t exist anyway.
Nonetheless, Tygra had asked for him to try, and he wanted to see the ultrasound, so Jareid was going to bring him the picture. Seeing the prince’s request as a good sign, Xiar didn’t ask questions and took the photo. Mai wanted to be alone with Jareid and make plans for their future, but the prince was out of the door as soon as the required picture was on his hands. Mai was not important to him, and the jaguaress could very well start to realize it.
&&&&&&&
Tygra looked around the big nursery and nodded, declaring it almost finished. He had finally inquired about it three weeks ago, and had not been pleased to find out that it was located two floors from his rooms. It was too far away. What was he going to do if his cubs needed him at night? The reassurances that he could hear them through a communicator, and that there would be a servant to bring them to him, did not appease him. He wanted his cubs close by until they were at least five years old.
They moved the nursery to what had used to be Jareid’s playroom, directly in front of their bedroom. Tygra took advantage of the movement to get rid of some toys and accessories completely inadequate for newborn cubs. He also took the chance to acquire another bassinet and a crib big enough for all three cubs. He wanted his twins to accept and bond with their younger sibling, and he figured that it would be easier if they got used to sleep together. Jareid wasn’t so fond of the idea, but he had relented when Tygra had, once again, demanded that they were going to treat all of their cubs the same.
Jareid was avoiding the subject, and Tygra was afraid that his mate would neglect or be abusive with the youngest cub. He had firmly decided that he was not going to stand for that. No cub under his care would be neglected, much less abused, even if it was not really his. He had been very angry when he had discovered that Jareid had not taken the third cub into consideration, and had settled to correct it. So, now he and Saixa were giving the final touches to the nursery, with a bit of input from Lion-O and Cheetara. All four of them were having a little chat while Tygra waited for Jareid to return from the Shamans’ wing.
The situation with Cheetara was still tense, but as long as Tygra was not left alone with her, Jareid bitched about her less. So long no other distasteful episodes had occurred, and Lion-O was the only one who found it amusing that Jareid was so jealous of Cheetara. Tygra was starting to wonder if he shouldn’t be more worried about Lion-O’s taking of the situation, but at the moment he was emotionally exhausted, and was letting the rest of the world to take care of itself.
Cheetara and Lion-O walked out of the nursery to head to Lion-O’s practice, just a minute before Jareid poked his head inside and grinned at his mate, happy to find the tiger only with Saixa. He came in and embraced the youngest feline in a bear hug. The jaguaress rolled her eyes, and made herself scarce when the prince glared, and growled at her.
Once alone, Jareid proceeded to suck and bit his mate’s neck. Tygra groaned, and sighed in exasperation.
“You didn’t have to chase Saixa away. We were talking.”
“You know I’d rather have you in our rooms, well away from everyone, and only for myself.”
“Jareeeeeid…”
Tygra whined and Jareid kissed him possessively. Since the problem with Cheetara, he was prone to do that more frequently and in plain sight of everyone, regardless of Tygra’s discomfort. The tiger sighed and just bear it as always. Jareid’s hands covered the still small bump in his midsection and rubbed lovingly.
“Just seven more weeks, my tiger. In less than two months our cubs will be ready to be born.”
Tygra grunted. He wished the pregnancy to be over, but was very worried at the same time.
“They are not going to be exactly ‘ready’. They are still going to be pretty much smaller than an average cub. And they’re two. Maybe I can try to wait a bit longer, it’s only a month…”
“No, Tygra you’re not risking your health in this. You’re doing exactly what Ben says.”
“But…”
“Shtt.” Jareid kissed Tygra’s mouth tenderly and hugged him. “They’re going to be fine. They’re going to be born the same as every cub from a male pregnancy. The shamans know what to do, it’s a practice that has been done for years.”
“But they never had had two at the same time. What if something goes wrong?”
“Tygra.” Jareid moved him and put both hands at the sides of the tiger’s face, forcing his mate to look upwards to him. “Nothing is going to go wrong. I won’t allow it.”
“Jareid…” Tygra groaned in worry and frustration. Some times he wanted to kill Baal for having raised a son who believed himself capable to control everything under the sun. Jareid’s eyes glittered and hardened.
“I won’t allow it, Tygra.” He said more forcefully. Tygra closed his eyes, and sighed in defeat.
“Ok.”
He leaned again into Jareid’s embrace and let himself be hugged, and kissed once more. As illogical and absurd as Jareid’s claim was, Tygra couldn’t help but feel a little reassured by the force of it. But the worry didn’t go away. He couldn’t take the image of his little cubs out of his mind since the previous day. They had looked really, really tiny in the scanner’s monitor, and even when Bengali had assured him that they were going to grow very quickly on their final stage, they only had seven weeks to do so. Tygra worried that it wouldn’t be enough. He didn’t want his cubs to suffer because he wasn’t biologically able to carry them the entire seven months. As much as he wasn’t looking forwards to endure a very large belly, he’d prefer it over his cubs not having enough time to develop. Jareid pulled at his ear and kissed him a last time.
“Don’t fret over it. Our cubs are going to be fine. Just follow Ben’s instructions and there’d be no problems.”
Tygra sighed and Jareid ruffled his short mane. Then, the jaguar took out the picture of the ultrasound to distract his mate from his brooding mood.
“Look. You wanted me to bring this to you, here it is. The third cub. Although how anyone can know that there’s a cub in there I’d never know.”
Tygra elbowed his mate in the ribs, and snarled in warning at him. Then he took the picture and looked at the tiny form in it.
“It’s the same size as the twins. What is it?”
He felt relieved to see that Mai’s cub was as equally tiny as his own cubs. That reassured him that his sons were not getting behind in development. Jareid mussed on his head.
“The fuck I know. Xiar said that the cub wasn’t in the right position, and they couldn’t tell for sure if it’s a male or a female. Mai however is absolutely convinced that she’s having a male.”
Tygra scowled. They could have troubles if Mai had a male cub. She could decide to fight the right to keep him and even contest for the title of heir. Her cub was pure jaguar, and thus the council could decide that it was better suited to become the clan’s heir. Tygra didn’t know anything about the genetic treatment that the Shamans were carrying out for the third cub, so he was worried about what could happen when the rest of the court realized that Mai’s cub didn’t have any tiger’s genes in it.
‘It’s always about the right lineage, isn’t it?’
His own situation in Thundera came to mind, and a wave of resentment hit him unexpectedly. He closed his eyes and stubbornly shoved anger and bad feelings aside. It was a tiny cub who had no idea of the conflict the adults were causing around it. A tiny cub that was going to be his. He was going to do his best to avoid any preferences between his three cubs. He didn’t want them repeating his own story with Lion-O. He forced a smile and concentrated on the small figure.
“This should be in the album with the others.”
He disentangled from Jareid’s constricting arms, and went to a small bookcase with five shelves already full of children’s books. There was an album that Xilara had given them to keep photos, and mementos of their cubs. Tygra pulled out the album, and went to sit on a rocking chair in front of the window. Snarf, who had been napping on said chair, jumped to the back of the thing and stayed perched there, looking curiously behind Tygra’s head. Jareid spared a quick glance to the pet, and then nodded and focused on Tygra. The jaguar prince had been more amiable towards the small critter since it had attacked Cheetara in Tygra’s defence.
The tiger opened the album, which at the moment only had one photo of himself napping on his puff with Snarf beside him and a hand on his belly, and two ultrasound images of the twins. Tygra glared at the first picture, miffed that Jareid had snuck on him to take it, and looked lovingly at the other two. He put the image of the third cub immediately after. The album had stiff thick pages with a fine cover film that protected the pictures. Each page also had imbibed a microchip that allowed recording a short comment on the photo. Tygra touched the side of the page at a certain point and a tiny green light turned on, signalling he could start recording. He said a few words, explaining that this third cub was as much theirs as the other two, and they were equally excited and waiting for its arrival. There was no mention of Mai or why the cub was being carried by someone else. Tygra just wanted to make sure that this little cub could feel as desired as its siblings. Once he finished, he put his finger in the ‘pause’ position and looked expectantly at his mate.
“Do you want to record something?”
Jareid was looking at him with an indefinably expression. The jaguar prince approached his young mate and took the album from the tiger’s hands, putting it to the side. Then, he leaned down and kissed Tygra’s lips tenderly. After a few moments, he broke the kiss and straightened a little, smiling. Tygra blinked in confusion at his mate, and fumbled for what to say.
“Jareid…?”
“You’re a much better cat than I am, my tiger.”
Jareid’s hand caressed the back of Tygra’s head at the base, and leaned down again to rub his nose against his mate’s.
“Don’t ever leave, Tygra.”
He kissed the pliable lips again. Tygra returned the kiss hesitantly, not quite knowing what was crossing his mate’s mind, but accepting it nonetheless.
&&&&&&&
Cheetara had many questions that needed direct, honest answers. Unfortunately, no one seemed inclined to give them to her. Not even Lion-O. The cheetah had talked many times with Claudus’ heir, and had found that she was going to have to work harder to gain the teen’s trust; something she had made the mistake to take for granted.
She was analyzing the information she had up to the moment, and she didn’t like very much the picture it was suggesting. She had been ordered to deal with whatever problems were preventing Tygra from returning home, and she could see that she won’t have anyone’s cooperation to succeed in that particular endeavour. Not even Tygra’s.
She scowled. It was very hard to accept that Tygra was not looking forward to return home. The tiger had started to construct his own life, moulding it to resemble his mate’s wishes, and that was very unsettling.
Cheetara lied down on her bed. The room she had been provided with was comfortable and filled her needs quite nicely. It even had a bathroom adjourned. It was not the cell-like room that Yabin had described, nor it retched of black magic like her fellow cleric had indicated. Cheetara was now convinced that Yabin had given his personal twist to the facts when he had given his report to Jaga. The puma had told them that Baal had forced him to return without Lion-O, and that he had been forbidden to even see the young lion. Claudus had been angered, thinking that the jaguar king was using Lion-O to keep Tygra in line. They had even considered the possibility of Baal threatening to hurt Tygra if Lion-O didn’t go back to Ix-Maal, despite the agreement between the kingdoms.
That had been one of the first theories to abandon Cheetara’s mind shortly after arriving to the jaguars’ city. No threatening had been needed; it was clear as day that Lion-O simply loved the place. He was utterly fascinated with it. The constant interaction with technology had been like catnip for the young lion. In addition, here in Ix-Maal Lion-O was free of the constant pressure to live up to his father’s and the nobles’ expectations. He was not the heir; no one belittled him, or constantly compared him to his older brother. For the first time in his life, Lion-O could be whatever he wanted. It was patently obvious that he didn’t look forward to leave any time soon.
Tygra, on the other hand, was a different case. The tiger didn’t share his brother’s happiness, or the marvelled enthusiasm over technology. Nevertheless, he didn’t consider returning home as an option open to him either. He seemed determined to make Ix-Maal his home out of necessity, and not because he actually relished the idea. He was not particularly fond of his mate, or the situation that had landed him in a mating to begin with, but he wasn’t actively looking for a way out of his predicament. He was going with it passively, looking for a way to adjust to his new role rather than to get rid of it.
Cheetara had first suspected that Baal had indeed used Lion-O in some way to force Tygra to accept staying quietly, but then she had to disregard that notion. Baal would not have harmed Lion-O. He didn’t need to. The lion’s happiness was enough. Tygra would have done anything to keep his brother safe and unharmed, but he would do even more to see him happy. Cheetara knew that, despite the resentment and competition between them, Tygra really loved his little brother. No, Baal would not have threatened Lion-O. Jareid might have however, but Cheetara doubted that Tygra would be so compliant if that were the case. Besides, Lion-O wouldn’t be so accepting of Jareid and the mating in general if Tygra had been truly disgusted with it. Lion-O also loved his big brother.
The cheetah found herself in a conundrum. Neither one of the brothers was willing to do something to return to Thundera. Lion-O was perfectly happy with his newfound freedom, and Tygra felt that it was his duty to stay and comply with his mate’s wishes.
Cheetara was sure that Jareid’s threat of another war sat heavily on the tiger’s shoulders, and he couldn’t see a way out. The cleric thought that Jaga and Claudus would be able to convince Tygra that it was an empty threat. She at least was convinced that it was. Despite Jareid’s violent personality, he was not the king, and she had observed Baal enough to be sure that he would not loose time and precious resources in something that would not provide him some benefit. Retrieving Tygra and force him to stay in Ix-Maal would serve no real purpose from her point of view. Destroying Thundera would be irrelevant now that Baal already had the sword of Omens. Cheetara was convinced that Baal would not indulge his son’s tantrum. He was a king, and he was going to put his kingdom’s real needs first. Tygra certainly wasn’t needed for the jaguar’s kingdom prosperity; that was simply laughable. Jareid would have to obey his father, and let Tygra go.
That left the pregnancy as the primary obstacle. If the twins didn’t exist, maybe Tygra would see reason, and realize that he still had the chance to return to his life. Cheetara made a worried frown, thinking about the twins. Tygra didn’t seem too enthusiastic about them to her. He certainly wasn’t going crazy like some pregnant females that she had seen, but then again, he was a male, and his situation was far from normal. He didn’t exactly exude happiness, but his gestures softened when he rubbed his belly. He was in equal parts frightened, astonished, and marvelled that he really, really was pregnant. He didn’t really know how to act, but he had clearly bonded with his unborn cubs, and cared deeply for them. It would be a very hard blow for him if he were to lose them.
Cheetara on her part was still trying to see the pregnancy as coldly as she could. Tygra would recover with time. He had a strong personality and he was a survivor. He would cope with the loss eventually.
But he wouldn’t be free.
The cleric bit her lip as she considered the new obstacle she had discovered. She was not blind, and she had realized that the nursery was not waiting for only two cubs. It had had, when it had been in its original location, but Tygra had made several changes when he had moved it, and now… Tygra was expecting it to house more than two cubs.
Cheetara had thought that maybe one of the courtesans would be asked to set her cub as playmate, but none of the nobles was pregnant or have cubs younger than five. She had gone around, listening and observing, and had come to the conclusion that there was a third cub. She had heard nothing about Mai, since her name had become taboo in the court, but she had listened comments and chats about the cubs. The shamans were very tight lipped, but the courtesans, especially the females, couldn’t stop speculating about the new royal cubs, in particular because they will be a mix of jaguar and tiger. Everyone was dying to see what they’d look like. Also, the courtesans often wondered aloud what would happen to the last cub.
Cheetara had first thought that they were referring to the cub that would be the second born. Some clans saw twins as an inconvenience when they were first born to the heads. Many noble families got rid of one twin to eliminate any possible disagreement over the right to lead the family. But the more she had listened, the more she had been convinced that the jaguars were talking about a different cub.
She had finally cornered Lion-O, trying to assess how much the lion knew about a possible consort. It had been something that she could have taken advantage of. The young heir had been very nervous, but had finally accepted that a jaguaress was carrying a cub. She was not a consort however, the cub was Jareid’s and Tygra’s, same as the twins. She had been inseminated just in case that Tygra had problems with his own pregnancy, and the shamans were taking care of her.
Cheetara had been very upset, as she had realized that even if Tygra had a miscarriage, there would still be an heir. Tygra would not be as attached to this third cub as he was to the ones he was carrying, but that would not make it any less his. The mating rite was, either way, sealed.
She closed her eyes and sighed. It would be easier if Tygra had been willing to cooperate with her. But he had refused. There was nothing to do about that. She should accept it, but she couldn’t. As long as she was convinced that her friend could have a better life, she was going to follow Jaga’s orders. She was going to look for any thing that she could use. There would be no rock she wouldn’t lift, no possibility she wouldn’t explore. That way, if she failed, no one could say that she didn’t try hard enough.
&&&&&&&&
The weeks passed by in relative calm, and soon Tygra’s pregnancy was at 24 weeks. He was bored out of his mind and snapping at everything and everyone. Jareid had glued himself to his mate’s side, much to said mate’s annoyance, and had been receiving the bulk of Tygra’s bad mood. He didn’t mind as long as he got to control his mate’s every step, and the tiger swore that he was going to disappear into the jungle as soon as he gave birth.
Ben teased him every time he complained, pointing out that Mai was having a great time ordering everyone around and feeling like a queen. Tygra growled at his friend for comparing him to that good-for-nothing female, and continued complaining for not being able to go out and resume his training. He was tired of reading and helping Jareid with paperwork. He wanted to run and fight, damnit! The light exercise that the Shamans had imposed him was not enough anymore. He needed to feel his muscles strained and exhausted. He needed fresh air at the least!
Jareid was trying to distract him, and they had gotten out to the gardens for a walk. It lasted just an hour. Tygra’s belly had actually grown bigger now, and the weight was starting to put pressure in the young cat’s back. It hurt, and made uncomfortable every movement. It only added to the tiger’s general unhappiness.
Jareid dragged his mate to sit under a forest oak, and proceeded to massage the tiger’s aching muscles. Tygra was grumpy and didn’t want to relax, but soon he was purring in Jareid’s hands. After a while, Jareid had his mate nested between his legs in a much better mood. He continued rubbing Tygra’s flanks, arms, and hips soothingly, even passing his hands over his mate’s distended belly. Tygra loved the feeling. He inclined his head to the side, exposing his neck, so Jareid could suck and kiss it all he liked.
“Mmm… Are you feeling better now?”
“A bit, yes. I want to be active again. I’m getting desperate.”
“Just two more weeks, my tiger.” He put his hands firmly over Tygra’s belly and pressed softly. “Two weeks and our cubs will be here in our arms.”
Tygra gasped when Jareid’s hands went under his tunic to better feel his large stomach. He wriggled a bit to get more comfortable and rested his head on his mate’s shoulder.
“I hate this tunics. I feel like I’m wearing a dress.” He complained. Jareid chuckled lightly.
“You’re still beautiful, no matter what you have on.”
One of his hands moved upwards and started teasing a nipple, while he sucked possessively at his mate’s neck. Tygra groaned and arched his back, or tried to. His belly didn’t allow him much movement.
“Jareid… we are in the garden, please…”
The jaguar’s other hand reached down and got into Tygra’s pants. The tiger gasped and grabbed his mate’s wrist, trying to stop him.
“Please…” His eyes turned worriedly towards the castle. Some of the balconies were pretty much in sight. “Someone could see us.”
“So? Let them see.”
Jareid manoeuvred Tygra’s body easily and in a moment he had the tiger lying on the ground. He hovered over his flustered mate and caressed his cheek lovingly.
“You’re mine, Tygra. Everyone knows it. Don’t worry about what others could think. You’re only with me now.”
He kissed him passionately, and then pulled down the tiger’s pants enough to have room for what he wanted to do. Tygra opened his thighs in reflex and moaned under his mate’s attentions. Jareid teased him to the point he was panting and begging more in no time. Then, the jaguar went down and sucked his mate’s length, engulfing it within his mouth. Tygra hissed and curled toes and fingers at the sensation. He swore that the pregnancy was making him more sensitive. It didn’t take much for him to reach orgasm. Jareid swallowed his entire load and sucked him dry. Then he fixed Tygra’s clothes again and went up to kiss the tiger’s mouth until they both were out of breath.
“So beautiful. All mine.”
Tygra moaned and let Jareid lift them both into a sitting position again. The jaguar rested his back on the forest oak and pulled Tygra on his lap. They both sat there contentedly for several minutes. Jareid was nuzzling his mate’s head and rubbing his belly with one hand, while Tygra purred softly.
Jareid was thinking about carrying his mate back inside, when a sharp movement under his hand elicited a gasp from the tiger. Tygra groaned and put a hand over Jareid’s one and breathed deeply. Jareid smirked.
“That was one powerful kick. We have two very healthy sons.”
Tygra glared at him. It was not the first time that the twins’ kicks got him out of a comfortable stupor. He had started to feel them moving a few days ago. At first it had been nothing more than a weird sensation in his stomach, but when the first kick had happened, he had been scared out of his mind. Bengali had had to practically swear to him that there was nothing wrong with his cubs, and that the weird feeling and some bumps in his belly were perfectly normal. Once Tygra had calmed down, he could enjoy the feeling of his twins moving within him. The joy had lasted until his internal organs had started to really resent the kicks and elbowing.
“I swear they are wrestling each other inside me. My kidneys are going to be in serious need of reconstruction once they’re out!”
Jareid kissed his mate’s forehead tenderly, as another kick made Tygra moan in discomfort.
“We should really get to agree on their names, you know?”
“None of them is going to be named Ix-chee.” Tygra said for the hundredth time. Jareid pouted playfully.
“Why not? It’s a very good name.”
“They are going to have enough on their plates already, just being your sons. Neither one needs the additional burden of being named after a Fertility God!”
“And our third cub?”
“I said no, Jareid!”
The jaguar prince chuckled and bit his mate’s ears playfully. Tygra growled and tried to wriggle around, but it was too much trouble, so he contented himself with pinching his mate’s forearm in retaliation. Jareid kissed his neck and jaw to mollify him. He wasn’t actually serious about the name, but he enjoyed getting Tygra all worked up over it.
While they were discussing names for their three cubs, someone was observing them from one of the balconies.
Cheetara scowled at the sight. She knew that Tygra was bored and in serious need of some action, and yet there he was, allowing his mate to constrict what little freedom he still had. If she had caught them while Jareid had been busy giving the tiger some pleasure, she’d be in a downright rage. She knew Tygra hated open displays of affection, especially when he was the recipient, and as boisterous as the tiger had been in Thundera, he had also been very discreet with his personal life.
She sighed in frustration and leaned on the balcony. Saixa came behind her, cooing at the two princes.
“Ooh, look at them! Aren’t they just sweet?”
“No matter how many times I see them like this. I still think he’s an abusive bastard.”
Cheetara looked resentfully at the pair resting in the garden under the big oak. At the moment any one could be tricked into believing that they were a loving couple, but she knew better.
Saixa huffed at her comment, but didn’t try to contradict her. Jareid was an abusive bastard. Everyone knew that. What Cheetara hadn’t had time to realize yet, was that Jareid was less of an abusive bastard now that Tygra was with him. She was bound to realize it sooner or later, especially because that very fact was the reason why no one in Ix-Maal would stand for the tiger to be returned to Thundera. No one really cared if the prince was using his mate as a punching bag, or if he was, as the majority thought, treating him as a sex-slave, as long as he regained his senses and became an adequate ruler. That was why the problem with Mai had caused such an outrage.
“He gets very possessive, but I can assure you that he takes good care of his property.”
Cheetara glared at her.
“Tygra is not a thing!”
“Of course not, dear. He’s so much more. That is in fact the reason why Jareid is so attached to him. I think he’s fascinated with him. It was the same with Bengali. He just loves tigers.”
Cheetara huffed and crossed her arms. Below her, Jareid had both hands under Tygra’s tunic, and the tiger was flushing lightly in embarrassment. Her scowl hardened.
“I am surprised that he didn’t take a consort. With all the gossip around, and his reputation, I sincerely expected him to have at least a lover on the side.”
Saixa smiled. Cheetara was fishing for information, but the jaguaress knew that she could be completely frank and still give the cleric nothing she could use.
“Yeah, it was quite a surprise. He was a very active cat, up until Tygra arrived. Now, he doesn’t have eyes for anyone else. He has been very faithful, and believe me, it’s not for lack of trying on his past lovers’ part. At first no one could really believe that he would refuse other sex-partners, but he did. It was a shock for everyone, but his father was really happy.”
“I can imagine he was.”
Cheetara looked at the jaguaress carefully. She was very pretty, and she had a great body. She was sporting the breasts that a lactating mother should have, and it only added to her figure. Cheetara had heard that some of Jareid’s past lovers had been very jealous of Tygra, and some still were, and they were just waiting for the moment the prince got tired of the young tiger to replace him in the royal bed. It must have been a shock for them that their prince preferred an outsider to share the future throne. A cat that wasn’t of the same clan, not even the same species. Surely there had been a lot of conflict that the king had had to hide, or eliminate.
“Saixa, why did you accept to be their nurse? Wouldn’t you have preferred to be the carrier? By the sound of it, you could have been without problems, and it would have been easier then to secure a place as a consort.”
“Oh, I wanted to, yes. But I like to be alive and have a good home much more.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, that Jareid said no. Very clearly.”
Cheetara clenched her teeth. She had inquired around about the third cub, and had eventually learnt the version that had been told to the court. She sensed that there was something else, but she needed to meet the jaguaress in question to see what it was, and the shamans were guarding her fiercely. Cheetara didn’t even know her name. No one seemed to care what would happen to her once she gave birth, but everyone was certain that she was not going to be seen around anymore. Because the prince had been furious with her, and didn’t want to be bothered by her presence any longer.
“And everyone around here just do as Jareid says.” Cheetara remembered Tygra telling that to her. She hadn’t quite understood the deep of that statement then.
“Exactly. He’s the heir, after all.”
An heir who didn’t deserve to have her prince as mate.
“I’m surprised that there was no real conflict over your prince mating an outsider. I heard that some of you weren’t really happy with the king’s decision, but the majority just accepted it. Even the ones that were in discord with it are not saying anything. No one in the council opposed this truce. For a very closed clan that is… just surprising.”
“If you had met Jareid before the war, it wouldn’t be so astonishing.”
Cheetara shook her head at the cryptic words. It just didn’t make sense to her. It was too perfect.
“I don’t believe that just one jaguaress made an attempt to snatch your prince back. She didn’t fare well, but I would have thought that she would have been one of many, not the only one.”
Saixa narrowed her eyes at the cheetah. There had been several attempts, but only two of them had been of any importance. Cheetara knew about Mai, as much as the rest of the castle’s inhabitants knew save for the name, but she didn’t know about the assassination attempt. The court’s gossip was almost a living thing, but the jaguars knew when to shut their mouths. No one wanted to end up like Bali or Mai.
“Well, if you consider those of us that walked into Jareid’s office, at one time or another, in different states of undress, you can say that we made several attempts.”
As expected, there was no surprise in the young cleric’s features. Those were attempts that everyone could gossip about and Cheetara was well aware of them.
“I know that many of you kept insinuating yourselves at him, even in front of Tygra, but apparently he refused everyone. What seems strange is that you left it at that, only insinuations. I mean, with his reputation, it would have been easy to bring out a cub on him, and I don’t mean it in the way that jaguaress did. One that he would have fathered beforehand.”
Saixa smirked. The cheetah was fishing for the only thing that could rend the mating void now. Another cub. A direct descendant from one of the princes, born out of the mating before the couple’s own cubs.
“Well, considering that any one who would have tried that, would also have to prove it, it’d be very difficult to be taken seriously.”
“Prove it? Your prince had no qualms to lie with anyone that offered.”
“Bengali always prepared him a special beverage to ensure he didn’t sir any stray cubs. Besides, we have biotechnology here. It’s not difficult to know the paternity of a cub. A simple test and you’d be in serious trouble if you’re lying.” And so far only Mai had been foolish enough to try, and she had gone about it in the worst way possible.
Cheetara’s eyes widened. She had not considered technology to be an issue here. She scowled a minute later and huffed. She had hoped that she could find something, a loophole of sorts that she could use, but Baal had apparently planed things very well.
“You know, I don’t like your technology at all.” She almost pouted. Saixa smiled in amusement.
“Of course you don’t. Why don’t you just let things go their own way? They are happy together.”
Cheetara looked at the couple again. They did look good together, but not exactly happy. Oh, Jareid was, she could see it even from a distance, but Tygra… She looked sadly at her friend. Tygra looked content and comfortable in Jareid’s arms. But not happy. Not like the jaguar was at least. He had resigned to his fate and was making the best of it.
The young cleric bit her lips. She couldn’t let go. This was not what Tygra was meant to be. He was supposed to help Lion-O in his ruling. Both of them were supposed to lead the cats and their kingdom to greatness. How could Tygra abandon his duty to his brother and his home accepting to be the plaything of an enemy?
Cheetara shook her head and breathed. She was wrong in that point. Tygra had done his duty. Thundera would be ashes now if he had refused to go with the jaguars. The tiger had protected his brother in the only way he could. Cheetara could just not stomach the fact that his friend had been given off in such a way, and that they had taken advantage of him.
A yelp from the garden made her tense. She looked down in alert to see that Jareid had picked Tygra up and was carrying him, bride-style, to the castle. Tygra was visibly protesting being carried, but was not doing any effort to be put down.
Cheetara growled under her breath and clenched her fists. Could Tygra not see that they were taming him?
Saixa glanced at her and narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t.” She said sharply. Cheetara turned to glare at her.
“What?”
“I know that face, dear. You’re jealous. And it’s not going to help you with anything.”
Cheetara was speechless for a moment.
“I-I’m not jealous. I’m outraged! He shouldn’t be treating Tygra like that!”
“Like what, sweet? Like a dominant taking care of his pregnant mate?”
Cheetara crossed her arms. The jaguaress wouldn’t understand. Saixa smiled again.
“Look, you can call it whatever you want. I’m very much aware that Tygra is a male, and that he was not raised to be a sub in any way. But none of that negates the fact that he is pregnant, and he needs taken care of.”
The cheetah bit her lips in frustration. Tygra was in a position in which he really couldn’t fight Jareid in any way. But that was not really what was bothering her, she realized. It was the fact that Tygra looked so content about it. Like everything was ok. He had accepted it, and she couldn’t.
“I should go look for Lion-O. His lesson should be finished now.”
She turned around and got inside the castle. Saixa looked at her suspiciously for a moment, but didn’t stop her. She didn’t think that the cheetah would be stupid enough to go to confront Jareid. She surely was going to brood while following her young charge.
Cheetara was indeed trying to put order in her emotions. The situation was too much at the moment to deal with. She also had the Thundera’s council meeting in two days to worry about. She was supposed to go with the jaguar’s representative to it, and take Lion-O with her. The lion heir was refusing to go, saying that he had to keep an eye on his brother. She honestly didn’t want to go either. She didn’t want to confront both Jaga and Claudus about the princes. What was the king going to say? He was going to be furious.
She sighed and thought about the last weeks. She had wanted to talk with Tygra again, but Jareid had always been at his side lately, like a guard dog. The jaguar prince had effectively isolated his mate. The tiger had no friends among the jaguars, and as far as Cheetara could tell, only Bengali went to talk with him. Saixa and Lion-O were there too, but Jareid chased them away quickly. It was clear that the jaguar didn’t tolerate anyone around his mate. And Tygra never said anything. He never protested, or even expressed any discomfort at being treated like a prisoner.
The cleric bit one nail worriedly. There was no avoiding a confrontation any longer. The king had to know what was happening. It’d be worse if the year ended and Tygra appeared, with three cubs, informing his father that he was not coming back.
She shook her head in frustration and continued her search for her charge. Then, she was going to prepare what to say in the meeting. One thing was certain though; she was going to take Lion-O with her. There was no way that she was confronting the Thunderian king on her own.
&&&&&&&
Tygra walked around his room in worry and a bit of frustration. His ankles and lower back ached, but he was tired of lying down, he hurt if he sat for too long, and he hurt if he was standing too. There was no comfortable position he could be in anymore. Jareid was watching him from the door to his study, frowning in concern at his mate’s behaviour. The tiger had been anxious the entire day since his little brother went with the cheetah to report to Thundera. The jaguar prince was hoping that the problematic cleric wouldn’t return. He knew that Lion-O would find the way to sneak back if he needed to, so he wasn’t worried about the young lion, but he suspected that Tygra was despairing about what the cheetah would be telling his father.
“Would you stop? You’re worrying yourself sick, and it’s no use anyway.”
Tygra glared at him, and continued passing. After two more circuits of the room, he felt a sharp pain on the base of his back, just where the tail’s bones were supposed to start. He groaned and put a hand back, stretching a bit. He looked at his puff longingly. It no longer felt nice to sink in it. His back needed more support.
Jareid finally approached him and dragged him to lie down on the couch. Tygra lied on his side, his head supported on a pillow and Jareid sitting beside him. The jaguar put one hand on his mate’s back and started massaging, forcing the strained muscles to relax. Tygra moaned and then sighed in relief. Jareid smiled at him.
“You look gorgeous, you know.” Jareid teased.
Tygra gave an absent minded growl, and then rubbed his belly. His twins had resented his anxiousness and were kicking more than normal.
“Yeah, you better appreciate it while it lasts.”
“It will last every day of my life.”
Tygra glared suspiciously at his mate, who only smiled. Then, the tiger sighed and closed his eyes, too tired to argue.
“In a way, I’m happy that we are having three cubs in one shot. Because I’m never, ever, doing this again! Not ever!”
Jareid chuckled and leaned down to kiss Tygra on the cheek. His tiger was just lovely cute when he was pouting.
Bengali interrupted them, arriving with diner. Tygra scowled worriedly at the tray of food, realizing that it was dark outside, and the representatives hadn’t returned from Thundera. Ben arranged everything in the centre table and looked at the younger tiger.
“So, how are the two bundles of joy this fine evening?”
“Active.” Said Tygra, pouting again. Jareid chuckled.
“I think they don’t like that you’re worried, my tiger.”
Tygra stuck his tongue out at him. Bengali sighed.
“You shouldn’t be worrying, Tygra. Everything is going to be fine in Thundera.”
“Yeah, well. I don’t think father is going to take the news very well. Aren’t they taking a lot of time in returning?”
“The pilot just called. They’re already on their way back, they should be here shortly.”
Tygra’s eyes looked pleadingly at him and Jareid arched an eyebrow. Bengali smirked at them.
“All of them are returning, cheetah included.”
Tygra sighed and smiled in relief. Then chuckled at Jareid’s pouting face.
“It’s all right Jareid. I won’t let the nasty cheetah hurt you, I promise.”
Jareid looked baffled for a second, and then grabbed his mate’s left ear and pulled at it. Tygra just laughed at his affronted expression.
“Ow! Careful with the pregnant male here!”
Ben chuckled as Jareid growled at his mate to not be joking in that way. Then the jaguar prince helped Tygra to sit up in order to eat. The tiger was visibly more relaxed, and didn’t complaint too much as Jareid insisted on serving his plate.
The three cats had a quiet diner, but after that, Jareid had to convince Tygra to go to sleep without waiting for his brother. The ship would arrive late, and the jaguar didn’t want his mate tiring himself needlessly. At the end, Bengali promised that he’d wake Tygra up if anything went wrong with Lion-O, and that he’d bring the lion to his brother first thing in the morning. Tygra was not very happy, but he was outnumbered and he had to yield. He said his goodnights to Bengali and allowed his mate to take him to the bed, grumbling the entire way about how it was going to be impossible to sleep.
&&&&&&&&
Cheetara looked pensively at the flask she had in her hands. Claudus had not been pleased with the news, but still, this… It was the only way to recover Tygra, now that there was a third cub and Cheetara had no idea how to find the female that carried it.
‘Just three drops, and the cubs will be stillborn.’
A stillborn cub was considered a really bad omen. Bad enough to break any ritual or promise, or worse, kill the female that had borne it.
She couldn’t do what Jaga had told her. It was too risky. She had tried to tell them, but Claudus wouldn’t listen.
‘What if they do kill him?’
‘They won’t. He’s not part of their family. They’d return the bad omen back where it came from.’
Jaga had sounded so sure. Cheetara was not. Baal might react as expected of any ruler, but Jareid…
No matter how much she had insisted on Jareid’s unpredictability. Claudus’ image of the jaguar prince would not change. He simply had not interacted with the jaguar, ever. He had not the slightness idea of what Baal’s heir was capable of.
The girl trembled. She thought about Tygra and the way he spoke about his cubs. The light in his eyes that appeared every time he felt them moving, despite his complaints. He loved them. It was hard, but she had to accept that simple reality. There was no mother that didn’t love her cubs. The fact that the mother was a male was of no consequence at all. Cheetara had been prepared to handle a deeply hurt Tygra, as she had been expecting to be forced to try for the miscarriage one more time. She also had been convinced that she would not succeed. She’d only make Jareid kill her, and endanger Tygra in the process. The twins would or would not survive, and it won’t make a difference in the long run. She had not been prepared for her new orders. A miscarriage was one thing, but a stillborn cub…
It will destroy Tygra.
Cheetara wondered how long it would take the shamans to discover her. Would it be too late then?
She didn’t want to hurt her friend. She wanted him back, but she was not willing to break him in such a terrible way to get him. She had wanted to refuse Jaga’s orders, but she had made a promise when she had joined the clerics. She had given her life to the crown’s service, and she had to obey her king.
She closed her eyes sorrowfully. The king had been very clear in his orders. Claudus wanted his sons back. The king was so lost in his anger and sorrow, that he did not realize that his order would cost him too much.
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A Tale of Jaguars