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Over those couple of days, I’d begun to develop a kind of bond with him, a deep connection that I never thought I’d feel while working in a dump like that. When the other keepers had left for the night, I would sit next to the gate with him and talk, those eyes staring deeply into mine whenever I spoke, listening, and dare I say it—understanding—every word I said. That tiger had become the friend I had never been able to find while working at that horrible zoo.
“You don’t seem too dangerous to me, I said with a smile one night, my fingers diligently scratching behind his ear as he rubbed his head against my hand. The truth was I’d never met a more affectionate animal my entire time working as a zookeeper, and every time I saw him, I couldn’t help but feel happy—content in knowing that at least I could make someone feel good.
My eyes fell to the collar that I had been instructed by the strange man and Harvey to leave alone on the threat of losing my job. But the longer I had watched the tiger, the more I saw how much the heavy metal thing pained him to wear it. He would scratch and pull at it when he thought the keepers weren’t looking, but no matter how often I tried, I couldn’t convince Harvey to let me remove it.
“Fuck Harvey,” I muttered, standing up suddenly and catching the mad look I’d gotten in my eyes as they were reflected in the thick Plexiglas. “This is horseshit, and I’m not going to let you suffer just for the sake of my own shitty job.”
Pulling up the thin metal gate, I ducked into the enclosure, my eyes constantly locked onto the tiger as he backed away slowly, almost if he knew how crazy this all was. I knelt down, holding my hand out to him as an offer of affection, which he readily accepted as he padded forward once again, nearly knocking me over as he rubbed his head against my body.
“I’m going to get that thing off of you, okay?” I said, sliding my hands underneath the heavy collar and looking for the clasp to undo the binding. It wasn’t overly difficult to find, but the markings on the collar were strange; a menagerie of symbols lining every inch of the metal, culminating in a picture of a tiger’s head, its mouth opened in a terrifying roar.
As I slid my finger along one of the ornamental tiger’s teeth, I let out a yelp of pain, drawing my hand back as a drop of blood ran down the side of the collar.
The collar’s multitude of symbols flared suddenly, then faded, leaving only the burnished metal of the collar behind before it unceremoniously fell from around the tiger’s neck and hit the floor with a clatter.
The tiger backed away from the collar as though it might strike him, a roar escaping from his fanged mouth as he edged himself into a corner. His body thrashed and he hunched over, a pained yowl resounding from his throat. Before my eyes, his body shrank and contracted, his skin rippling like flowing water.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Slowly, the fur that had once covered the tiger’s body vanished, its paws shrinking and the pads of its feet elongating into thin, dexterous fingers.
I stared, mouth agape as what had once been an enormous tiger instead became a man, hunched over and naked before me. I could feel my heart fluttering, my mind trying to wrap itself around what it had just seen, unable to choose between screaming in panic or comforting the man who had been an animal moments before.
Slowly, I made my way over to the man, kneeling down and laying my hand on his now-hairless shoulder. He felt so warm, and I could feel his pulse pounding throughout every inch of his body. At the my touch, he seemed to relax, the tension in his muscles leaving him as he lifted his head to look at me with those familiar green eyes.
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered. “Please.”
“Who are you?” I asked after a moment of stunned silence. His skin was tanned, kissed by the sun in all the best ways,
and beneath that, I could feel the rippling muscles of a man who was no stranger to using his raw, instinctual power. I couldn’t help but find myself instantly attracted to him—who wouldn’t be, with those gorgeous, high cheekbones?
“My name is Prince Jacob,” he said, and I began to realize that his accent sounded similar to the men who had brought him here.
“No fucking way,” I muttered, looking him up and down once again. I couldn’t deny that if there was ever a prince in my life, I’d hoped he had a body like that.
“I assure you, I am telling the truth,” he said, a blush crossing his cheeks as he noticed the way my eyes had wandered over his very naked body. “I was transformed into that animal by a rival to nullify my claim to the throne. A man who would tear down my family’s monarchy and make himself a dictator of my people.”
“He made you a tiger?” I asked, still unable to understand how the hell any of this was possible. “How?”
“An old brand of magic from a dark time before my family ruled our country. He cursed me with that collar to keep me from taking my place as ruler, and used the resulting chaos to take control himself. He is an evil man.”
“This is all a little much to take in,” I said, taking a few deep breaths as I felt my heart begin to race. This was the kind of thing you’d expect from some weird TV show, but to have it happen in real life? In my life?
“I know it seems strange—it is very strange—but I must thank you, somehow. You have saved my life and my people by releasing me. You have shown me such kindness in my captivity, such love—”
“Love?” I asked, biting my lip as our eyes met. Now my heart was racing for a completely different reason. “I mean, you were being mistreated. How could I just stand by and not help you?”
“You are a good person,” he whispered as he reached up to touch my cheek. His skin felt like fire, burning me all the way to my soul. I closed my eyes and couldn’t help but revel in his gentle touch. “And I would be lying if I said I had not developed feelings for you as you cared for me.”
“I… Well, um…” I stammered, opening my eyes to find those gorgeous green orbs staring into my soul. I felt heat rise in my cheeks—and between my thighs. “This is very… sudden. I mean, we hardly know one another. You were a tiger a few minutes ago, and I—”
Jacob pressed his lips against my own, softly at first, but as I felt myself relax his kiss became much more passionate. I could feel his hands sliding over my legs, raising gooseflesh wherever his fingers trailed. I let out a soft moan against his lips before he pulled away. I couldn’t help but whimper at their absence.
“Jacob,” I whispered, staring into his eyes as the heat from his touch set shivers throughout my body. I could feel my need rising, a wetness spreading between my smooth thighs as I felt his hands sliding up under my polo. “We—this is…”
I tried to protest, though in my heart I couldn’t deny that something so spontaneous had piqued my interest, exciting me beyond anything I had felt in my entire life. This was the fantasy I had always dreamed of, and now it was right here within my reach.
“Let me show you how very grateful I am to you,” he purred in my ear, laying me down on the floor as he pulled my polo up and over my head.
My skin rose in a field of goosebumps as it met the open air, but the sensation of cold gave way to the warmth of my responsibility-turned-lover’s touch as he crawled on top of me, his naked body pressing down against my own.
