Wish Upon a Tiger: A BBW Weretiger Shifter Romance (Fountain of Love) (18 page)

Lifeless. Gone.

I opened my eyes and screamed. My amulet slipped from my
hand and fell after him, floating in the icy waters.

The two tigers next to me threw themselves at the
ground, beating their fists. Then their tigers came out, turning
their huge hands into paws. Their combined roar was a deafening
appeal to the heavens.

I wasn't sure if they were begging the gods to take one
of them instead, or else to send Erik's soul to the next world with
full honors.

The roars stopped just as suddenly as they began. I
opened my eyes, and jerked away from the fountain in confusion when I
saw the strange rainbow glow beginning in the pool.

The brightest light was focused on my amulet. I
remembered something Erik said during our first walk.

This is more than some small town fountain you throw
pennies in. The old timers used to say it was enchanted.

Enchanted?

“
Enchanted!”
I yelled excitedly.

The tigers next to me snorted, just as surprised as I
was. Zee lowered his gun, mouth agape, and Jean shielded her eyes
from the fiery glow.

The lumiscence grew until it reached its climax, bright
as a nuclear flash, and then it was gone.

I stared at the fountain, dizzy with wonderment, trying
to blink away the blindness in my eyes. Everything was deadly still
except for the calm, steady trickle of water.

Then another sound. A man coughing.

“
Erik!”
I tripped over the stone wall and climbed into the fountain.

I ran to him, not caring about the ice cold sheets of
water wrapped around my body. I hugged him as he floated, tight and
loving and hopeful as hell.

Erik coughed again, and then he looked at me. The blood
in the water that had been swirling around him was gone, and so were
his wounds.

My mouth dropped. “Gods! It's a miracle...”

“
Ugh.
Miracles are pretty damned exhausting.” He stiffened, pulling
me a little closer, and I saw the weariness in his eyes. They opened
wider and brightened when he realized what had happened.

“
What
the hell am I saying? You're right, little wildcat. I'm alive.
Alive!”

Erik's lips were on mine in a second, hot and sweet and
searching. I kissed him back, never more grateful to feel his kiss.
The trio behind us shouted like crazy.

“
You're
right!” I said, panting for air when he broke the kiss. “I
don't know how or why...and I don't care. Our love's the only thing
that matters now.”

Erik held my hand as we walked past the headstones.
Fresh snow lay in the tiny tiger cemetery behind the forest, a tiny
plot of flat land I hadn't seen since the funeral.

It was peaceful. He gave my hand one last squeeze, then
released it. He used his free hand to draw a small stick of incense
from his coat's pocket, along with a lighter.

He placed it on the headstone reading HARRY SHARPETOOTH
and lit the fragrant tip.

Sweet fumes rose with the smoke. Combined with the snow,
it gave the whole place an otherworldly feel.

I sensed the ghosts of Brahm and Harry around us, but
they weren't angry spirits. They were satisfied, pleased their people
had gotten on their feet again, just like he and I.

We'd restored peace and tranquility to the clan. Tiger
Tree was saved from being ripped apart by jealous quarrels or human
invaders, and now we focused on undoing the damage with love and
devotion. It pleased the Heavens greatly, so intensely I could feel
it in my bones.

“
Step
back a little, beautiful. You probably shouldn't be breathing any ash
this far along.” He came behind me and pressed up tight,
running his hand over the small bulge in my belly.

“
Oh,
Erik.” I rolled my eyes. “This crisp winter air's plenty
to break up any fumes. I like the smell, and I'm not helpless, even
if I'm getting to be as big as a cabin.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough. All the good folks here
who died saved us that day. You proved you weren't helpless when you
saved us too.”

We kissed, warming ourselves in the snow. The full fury
of the Alaskan Winter was upon us, but it had a strange sort of calm
and purity I never imagined.

According to tiger tradition, the dead were mourned with
incense and offerings for two seasons. Dead heroes with high honors
got a full year.

We had quite awhile to go. Of course, only Harry and
Brahm qualified as honorable. I didn't even ask what had been done
with Rufus' body, let alone all the dead men who'd invaded our town.
The doctor, Jean, was being held by Moore as a very enthusiastic
'volunteer.'

After I delivered my cubs safely in a few weeks, we'd
make a final decision about what to do with her.

“
You
saved
me
,
Jenna,” he said. It was something he'd repeated with awe ever
since the crazy day.

Had it really been a month ago? It seemed like an
eternity.

“
No,
you saved me. You sacrificed yourself for this town and proved evil
curses and prophecies aren't always written in stone...at least not
the way I thought.” I gave him another quick peck on the lips.
“But we've talked about all that before. Do you really want to
go back and forth on this again?”

Erik's face tightened. He closed his embrace, until I
was shoved against the full magnificent length of his powerful chest.

“
Not
at all. I want you to close your sweet, sassy mouth and give me
another kiss.”

He kissed me harder this time. Deeper. His tongue found
mine and stroked with a harsh need only a man who'd come back from
the dead could have for living, breathing flesh.

We waited until the incense burned down to a nub. It
went out, and Erik said a quick prayer before we exited the cemetery,
walking carefully through the snow strewn forest.

I knew what was coming. And thinking about it gave me a
stupid, silly smile the whole way home to his cabin.

As soon as the door opened, he jerked me inside. Erik
kissed me with the most savage energy he could muster, pressing his
body as close to mine as he could with my baby bump nudged between
us.

His hands went all over my body. They dropped my jacket,
and then worked the thick winter cloak off my shoulders. My clothes
hit the floor in a heap.

“
Gods,
you still smell like Heaven. So good I want to taste you, mate you,
own you.”

“
You
already do, my Alpha,” I purred.

Erik was on his knees, sinking the full length of my
body. He hugged my legs and pushed me forward, straight to his mouth.
His lips opened, moved, and surrounded sensitive tissue.

I'd never get used to having his perfect lips encircling
my clit.

Never, never, never!

I jerked and moaned in his arms, dripping wet for more.
His tongue dove into me, breaking its circles, fucking through my
slick desire. He showed me how much he loved me in words that could
only be spoken with flesh.

I grunted. His hands sauntered up the backs of my
thighs, stopping to cup my ass. He squeezed, pushing his head tighter
to my swollen heat.

He licked like wind and fire. With him on me, throbbing
with primal need, I didn't think.

I just felt.

The extra softness of my curves cradled in his hands
didn't matter. Neither did my pregnancy. Erik wanted me like I was
absolute perfection, curves and baby and all.

He bristled with the kind of need that unscrewed me. I
came undone in his hands, his mouth, my orgasm quickening like
lightening with every jolt of his tongue.

His lips worked faster. He sucked me between his teeth,
rolling my clit deeper onto the wagging bliss he offered.

I steadied my hands on his shoulders. Sparks started,
burbling up in my core, and then exploded.

Volcanic pleasure rushed through me, fanning out across
my veins. I chirped between clenched lips and came, growling my
pleasure, drowning in the sweet, sweet release only he could give.

Erik didn't flinch once as I orgasmed on his face. He
only quickened his strokes, milking my climax, making me come harder
on the mouth that kissed and worshiped me like nobody else.

When I could stand again without feeling like I'd
floated off the ground, I opened my eyes.

He kissed and nibbled at my thigh, collecting stray
wetness on his tongue. His stubble brushed my soft skin. Fierce, but
gentle – just like the rest of him.

I squeezed his shoulders. He drew his face away and
looked up, slowly standing.

In one movement, he kicked off his cloak. Lust fired
instantly.

My whole body ached when I looked at him, shocked and
amazed that I'd been mated to such a tall, hard, and handsome man.

“
Let's
go. You know where.” Erik grabbed my hand and pulled me toward
the bedroom.

Inside, he kicked the door shut. We toppled on the bed
together, me beneath him, his rigid cock sliding playfully against my
ass.

He was so warm I thought he'd explode on the spot. Good
thing he had other plans.

His arms encircled me,
moving against my shoulders until I was in the perfect position. One
hand went between my thighs, stroking my legs apart for him.

I moaned, burbling with pleasure. How could I have raw,
intense want like this when I'd only come minutes ago?

One of his many beautiful mysteries.

“
I
love this sweet body, little wildcat.” He kissed my neck,
flicking his tongue against my skin. “And let me tell you, I'm
never, ever gonna get tired of fucking what's mine. Move your hips
with me. Make me remember how tight and wonderful you are.”

He pushed into me in one jerk. I shoved my arms up,
breasts swaying, grunting out hot pleasure as he began to thrust.

Within seconds, I was bucking back, swallowing him
deeper. Nothing else compared to feeling him so close to my womb,
racing through me, reminding me whose seed had planted the cubs
inside me.

Growling, he grabbed my breasts, rolling my nipples
simultaneously as he fucked deep. Everything faded except the raw
heat, the hypnotic motion of our hips, and the vicious, sweaty slap
of our flesh.

“
Gods,
I won't hold up long! You know it,” I grunted.

I could practically see him smiling behind me. My words
made him fuck faster. Harder.

Fresh sparks foamed in my core again, promising a
nuclear explosion. I rocked, sweating and pushing myself against him,
so hot I couldn't believe I was still wet enough to take him so
perfectly.

But I was. Everything aligned perfectly except for one
thing.

When he fisted my hair in one hand, I lost it. His
roughness whetted my appetite, and I wanted more. I wanted to show
him I was his, and only his.

Erik's whore. Erik's tigress. Erik's fated mate.

My hips swiveled back to meet him. I crushed myself
against his hard thighs, holding him there, even as my curves rippled
and begged for immediate relief.

“
Bite
me, Erik. Sink your teeth into my skin. I need to be reminded
today...”

For a second, his grip in my hair softened. I imagined
his tiger emerging from his depths, horny and intrigued.

His body twisted, until he laid across me, burying his
cock deeper from behind. I moaned, my whole body shaking, impaled on
his sweet and severe length.

He didn't need to be asked twice. Erik's neck craned
down. He inhaled my scent.

Then, in one swift movement, his mouth opened and he bit
me where my shoulder and neck met. His teeth closed around my
sensitive skin, and I screamed with surprise, the pain turning to a
feverish kind of pleasure when he sucked my flesh between his teeth.

I knew I'd have the world's worst hickey tomorrow, or
maybe worse, but it didn't stop me.

I came instantly, even before he resumed fucking me.

My whole velvet softness constricted tight around his
shaft. Growling, sweating, and never releasing his love bite, Erik
fucked faster, working for his climax.

He came, joining me in the maelstrom. We bucked and
screamed and came, lost in a fury too intense for any normal person.
Or for an ordinary tiger.

Hot seed rushed up my womb, potent and thick. My sex
swallowed it eagerly, programmed to suck, to worship his fire.

Once these cubs were here, we'd be busy making more.