Page 13 of Tiger Born

“They stay gold and unnatural. It’s like the animal gets frozen inside of them. They’ll have an urge to Change for their whole life and won’t be able to. They call them Half-Cats. It’s cruel to have one. We aren’t the same species, Misty. Our kind doesn’t mix. Not ever.”

“But you were human before you were Turned?”

He nodded, but there was this sick pit in his stomach. Talking about this made him angry all over again. He scratched his jaw and asked, “Can I help?”

The microwave beeped and she shook her head. She was quiet the rest of the time she was preparing his food—a huge bowl of stew and three leftover sirloin steaks her Uncle had cooked on the grill last night. She offered him potato salad, but he passed. It was the red meat his body needed.

As he ate, she perched on the chair across from him, watching him eat. After a couple of minutes, she said, “Is that how you feel about women?”

He put a pause on scarfing his food long enough to glance up at her. He swallowed the bite. “What do you mean?”

“You feel like a relationship is only for procreation?”

He frowned and went back to eating. “Weird way to put it, but yeah.”

“That’s sad.”

Dame inhaled and leveled her with a look. He took the bait. “What’s sad?”

“Just because you can’t have babies doesn’t mean you can’t find your life partner and fall in love.”

He snorted and shook his head, repeated, “Fall in love. That’s for movies.”

“You don’t believe in it?” she asked.

“No,” he said easily. He truly didn’t. “I don’t think Cats think the same way as you humans.”

“Is that what you’re called? Cats?”

“Yep. Shifters are all Cats. There are jaguars, tigers, panthers, cheetahs, and lions. There’s even a cougar or two left. The blanket term is Cats though.”

“I’m thinking about getting a cat,” she said, a teasing smile stretching her lips.

“Subject change?” he guessed.

“You’re sweating bullets talking about love. I figured I would throw you a bone.”

“I appreciate it,” he said with a chuckle. “You probably watch romances. I could watch shoot-em-up movies all day. If there is romance in it, I turn it off.”

She laughed. “You are so damaged.”

“Amen,” he said around a bite.

“For the record, I like shoot-em-up movies too. I’m a cool girl.”

“You don’t have to sell yourself to me. I’ve been following your Instagram for years. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“I still don’t understand that part. What happened? How did you get hurt. Did Stellan find me?”

“Stellan was there because of me. I fucked up,” he admitted and cut into his second steak. Already he was feeling better, and his scars were starting to itch, which meant healing had picked up the pace again.

Gah, he was going to send her Uncle Tim a bottle of good whiskey as a thank you. He didn’t know it yet, but he had a fan in Dame.

“He’s going to know where you work now,” Dame gritted out. “That’s a problem.”

“Is he the one who did that to you?” she asked, gesturing to his chest.

“He and Marsden.” He shook his head. “We’re all off our rockers right now.”