Page 7 of Tiger Bitten

“What does that mean?”

“Be right back.”

“Oh god, you speak the young peoples’ language.”

She rolled her eyes. “Like you’re that old. Warm up the truck, Cat. We’re pissin’ my mom off today with our existence.”

He snorted and turned for the truck, and she went back inside.

“I didn’t like any part of that,” Mom said from where she was now standing by the window. “That was terrible, he is dangerous, and I don’t approve of anything you are doing.”

“I’m aware.”

“I forbid you to take your lunch break.”

Ren grabbed her purse from behind the counter and strode for her mom, and hugged her, then kissed her cheek and said, “I’ll be three streets over. Love you. Stop being so judgmental. Frowning will give you wrinkles.”

“You! You give me wrinkles,” she called as Ren headed out the door. “And gray hairs! I love you too! Don’t get abducted! Keep your location on!”

Ren shook her head and swallowed down a laugh. Her mother was a layered woman who didn’t understand boundaries sometimes. Honestly though, Ren loved that about her. She would’ve been the same with a daughter if she had been destined to be a mother.

Outside, Mars was waiting by the passenger side of his truck with the door held open. A gentlemanly move. She pursed her lips against a pleased smile and scrambled up into the cab. Good Lord, this thing had to be four feet off the ground.

“Have you always been into monster trucks?” she teased as he waited for her to get out of the doorway.

“Ha ha,” he muttered. She didn’t hear any humor in his tone, but when she looked at him, his bright blue eyes were dancing with amusement.

Mars closed the door beside her and she buckled her seatbelt. He climbed up into his truck smoothly, but she supposed that made sense because he was a giant of a man.

“Were your parents breeding for D1 athletes?” she asked.

Mars turned on the roaring engine of his truck. “What do you mean?”

“I mean were they both humongous and chose each other just to make sure they had giant children?”

He snorted but didn’t answer as he pulled onto the road.

That was the second question he’d skirted. “I’m serious,” she said curiously. “Are both of your parents tall?”

“Uuuh…” Mars frowned at the road. “My mother was five-feet-five inches. Dad was tall. They definitely weren’t trying for us though.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean my mom wasn’t exactly meant to be a mother. Some women aren’t built for it. Some don’t want it. My mom didn’t want it, but she ended up with three.” He twitched his head. “I have a couple brothers.”

“She didn’t want any of you?” she asked softly. This was so sad. “Why wasn’t she more careful with birth control after she had you then?” she asked. “Oh my gosh. That is so rude of me to say. It’s not my place to judge, I don’t know why I just said that.”

“No, no, it’s okay. She did get a surgery after I was born to stop having kids. I’m a triplet. She kind of got screwed the first round. She wanted zero kids ever, and she got triplets.” He snorted. “I used to think God was playing a messed-up joke on our family. Anyway,” he said, shrugging. “It’s not some tragedy. Me and my brothers turned out fine.” He took a right at the light.

“Do your brothers know you’re a Cat?”

“My brothers are both Cats too.”

She blinked hard. “Come again?”

Mars inhaled deeply and blew out a breath. “We were Turned on the same day.”

“Did you…did you want to be Turned?” she whispered in horror.