Page 12 of Tiger Bitten

Mars shrugged. “And then my mom defended him and stayed with him. Can we eat now?”

“Can I…” Ren swallowed another lump in her throat. “Can I have a minute to go to the restroom before we continue? I think I just need a second, and then I will come back and be way more fun.”

“Are you okay?”

“That’s sad, Mars. What happened to you isn’t okay.”

He was frowning like he didn’t understand. “But it was a long time ago.”

“And it’ll be a sad thing your whole life. It doesn’t matter how many years pass, that should’ve never happened to you or your brothers. I don’t even know them, but I’m mad for them. I’m angry for you. I just need a second to wrap my head around it and I don’t want to do it here in front of you. I can tell you want me to be instantly over the shock and catch up to you but my God, Mars. Fuck your mom and fuck your stepdad too. I hope they’re both dead. I hope it was slow and painful.” Ren was getting worked up, and there was a growl rattling her throat now. Her animal side was being so weird and vocal lately. It didn’t make any damn sense. She stood and walked away, then doubled back and didn’t hesitate beside him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her cheek against the back of his head in an awkward side hug. “I’m sorry.”

He sat there frozen for a full ten seconds, and then said, “It was.”

“It was what?” she asked.

“Death was slow and painful for them both. Can I eat while you are gone?”

She huffed a relieved breath. Good. She was glad they weren’t still walking the earth, torturing him. “Sure. Eat it all.” She gave him one last squeeze and then forced herself not to look back at him as she made her way to the bathroom.

She was tough and had been through a lot. Everyone had a story. Everyone had been through trauma, but Mars’s story was different. It was tragic. Even him saying he remembered himself the way he used to be, and it was different now. Someone who was supposed to protect him had stolen that part of himself away. He had killed Mars in a way. She couldn’t imagine the hurt Mars and his brothers went through watching their own mother defend the Cat who did this to them, and choose him.

She should’ve felt guilty for wishing death on Mars’s mom and stepdad, but she didn’t.

And she didn’t care what that said about her either.

Chapter Four

Mars watched Ren walk to the bathroom. He couldn’t take his eyes away from her, but that’s what Stellan had described with his Rabbit. It was impossible to focus on anything else when she was near.

He could do this. He could resist whatever urges to kill her were coming.

She was nice and understanding. And she was so damn pretty.

Even now, she had a perfect ass in those jean shorts. She had a little tattoo on the back of her ankle, but it was small and dainty, and he couldn’t tell what it was before she disappeared down the hallway under the sign that read restrooms.

She had her curls pulled back today into a high ponytail, and her tanned skin looked so soft.

She’d smelled like pain when he’d asked her about being Turned, and he didn’t like that. Someone had hurt her.

A snarl snaked its way up the back of his throat, and he took a long drink of water to try and swallow it down.

He tried to eat, but he couldn’t make himself. His tiger wasn’t acting right. He couldn’t even think about taking a bite until she returned.

Mars straightened his spine the second he heard the bathroom door open, and here she came—Ren. She plastered a smile onto her face. Her skin was dewy, like she’d washed her face in the restroom. Her pretty smile existed, but there was still a hollowness to her pretty gold eyes.

He’d caused that with his story about Dan. Gah, he didn’t think about it like it was sad, and the nightmares had stopped so long ago, it felt like it had happened in a different life, but Ren had been affected deeply by his admission. She was interesting. She was caring and empathetic. Something about her reminded him of the before.

Despite being a Cat, she had retained some of her innocence. It was refreshing.

He was having stupid flashbacks. It always happened when he talked about being Turned, and he hated it. The flashbacks were a big reason he didn’t talk about it or want anything to do with being near his brothers for too much time. They liked to talk about the past sometimes. He did not.

Ren sank slowly into the chair across from him and scooted her legs under the table. “I apologize. I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, and my reaction shouldn’t be that intense. I’m just—”

Mars reached across the table and grabbed her hand fast to stop the pointless apology from tumbling from her pretty lips. He shook his head. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?”

“Don’t soften the moment. I’m not asking you to. I don’t care if you don’t know me. You can be kind to a stranger without guilting yourself. The world needs more of that.”