Obsession Untamed (Feral Warriors #2)(75)

“Turn into a tiger for me, Tighe.”

He stared at her. “Now?”

“Right now. I want to see you shift when I can pay attention. When I can touch you.” Her expression changed, turning guarded. “Are you dangerous when you shift? When you’re a tiger? I mean, to me?”

“No. It’s still me in either form. Even in the feral form, I’d never hurt you if I weren’t handicapped by half a soul.”

“Then do it, Tighe. Shift for me. Please?”

“Delaney…” He shook his head. “You don’t want this. Like you said, you’re not used to this.”

“Ah, but what I said was, I didn’t understand it the first time. You looked damned dangerous and, as it turned out, you were. It’s different now. I understand what you’re doing. And I want to see it happen when I can really watch. I’ve never touched a tiger.”

“If you get scared, there’s no telling what will happen.”

“Then don’t do anything without warning me. No pretending to bite my head off or anything.”

This was not a good idea. What if Delaney didn’t handle his shift as well as she thought she would? If she got scared, he could lose it again. He could kill her this time.

Even if he didn’t lose it, could she really accept an animal as her mate?

But in her eyes he saw such certainty. Such strength. And she wanted to see him shift. She wanted to. Wasn’t that all he’d wanted from Gretchen? To be given a chance to explain?

He could give Delaney that. What she wanted. What they both wanted.

All he had to do was trust her to handle it.

Deep in his heart, he did.

Delaney’s pulse raced with excitement as Tighe rose to his feet and led her into the gym.

“Stay here.” Tighe backed into the middle of the room, giving himself room, and her space.

Then, as she watched, the man she loved disappeared in a breath-catching shimmer of colored lights. A second later a huge, gorgeous tiger stood in the place where he’d been. The very tiger she’d seen for such a brief moment before.

Delaney’s heart pounded. Staring at the beautiful, deadly creature, adrenaline shot through her system, instincts bred over eons of human evolution warning her to run.

But she didn’t. Because the dangerous animal wouldn’t hurt her.

A tiny smile played around her mouth as her hand went to her chest. “My heart’s racing, Tighe. But it’s not from fear. Not much, anyway. This is so beyond incredible. Can you hear me?”

Of course. His voice sounded in her head. Do you think tigers can’t hear?

Her eyes went wide. “Did you really just say that?”

D…

“Nod.”

He bobbed his head. I feel just like one of those damned dolls sitting in the back of a car window.

“You didn’t tell me you could talk in my head.”

Telepathic communication is possible between shifted Ferals and whomever they choose. Very convenient when we’re on the hunt.

“I’ll bet.” She took a step toward him, her pulse leaping. “You don’t mind if I touch you, do you?”

There’s nothing I’d enjoy more.

But she hesitated, her cavewoman instincts screeching that he’d tear her limb from limb. She took another step, caught her breath on a laugh, then walked slowly, cautiously to the amazing creature. But as she reached for him, as her fingers slid into his fur, a low growl rumbled from his throat.

Delaney snatched back her hand. “You said you didn’t mind.”

Sorry. I guess…I expected you to be a little more afraid. It’s happened before.

To Tighe’s surprise, she made a sound of disgust and, with no hesitation, wrapped her arms around his tiger’s thick neck. “Gretchen would have accepted you, you know.” She rubbed her cheek against his ruff. “If the situation had been different. If you’d been alone and able to discover your changes together.”

Her words slid into him like warm syrup, filling the holes inside him, erasing the cold.

“I imagine the whole thing scared you nearly as much as it did her.”

Yes. It probably did. I didn’t actually shift until much later, after I reached Feral House, nor did I have a mirror to see myself. But I could see my claws and feel the fangs. I wasn’t at all sure what was happening to me.

“It was a tragic set of circumstances all the way around, Tighe. But she loved you. Up until that day, you’d never doubted her, had you?”

Never. That’s why her betrayal cut so deep.

“She didn’t betray you. She didn’t understand what was going on. Her uncle and the other villagers were simply trying to protect themselves and their families from a creature they couldn’t comprehend. You’d have done the same, Tighe. With Amalie at your side, you wouldn’t have taken any chances. You’d have attacked first and asked questions later.”

With a deep mental sigh, he knew she was right.

Thanks, brown eyes. I’m seeing that day in a different light. A brighter light. I’ve been blaming Gretchen, blaming humans all these years. For their fears. For their close-mindedness. Perhaps unfairly.

Delaney released him and rose to walk around him, sliding her fingers through his fur from the base of his neck to his tailbone. She moved behind him and brushed her fingers along him as she returned to his head. Then she knelt in front of him, her fingers sliding through his ruff. Her eyes sparkled with excitement even as they flowed with a depth and clarity he’d rarely seen in any eyes, human or Therian.