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The trees created thick walls on either side of the road. Shades of green and brown flashed by as wide fields of wheat and cows peaked through the dense forest. A burst of birds shot through the trees, and his heart beat faster. His eyes flicked to Opal's car, and his tiger purred, the proximity to his mate pleasing him.
They pulled up to a classic-style ranch house. It sat in the center of the woods like the cottage in a fairy tale. Its low roofline and wide eaves gave it a whimsical feeling. He parked his bike next to her car, dismounting and taking in the land. He couldn’t remember the last time he went running with someone.
She's better than someone. She's mine.
Ours, Benton corrected.
His tiger was right. This was better than anything could have imagined. Now he just had to convince Opal that she couldn't live without him. At least, that was the working plan. A plan which he shouldn’t even be making. But who was he kidding? He was going to make it anyway.
Who was he to turn his back on fate?
“How do you like it?” Opal’s voice came from behind him.
“I don’t have words.”
Opal smiled at Benton, taking a step back as she spoke. “You think it’s impressive now? Let’s see how you feel in ten minutes.” She turned to walk into the house, gesturing for him to follow.
Benton was more than happy to walk behind her. His eyes roamed her shape, lingering on the curve of her ass. “What’s in ten minutes?”
Opal led him through the front doors. They walked past a rustic-furnished living room and up the staircase. They walked down a corridor, coming to a stop at the third door. “This will be your room while you're here.” She held the door open, and Benton walked in. “I’ll see you in the backyard in five minutes.”
Opal left, and Benton let out a low growl. It was time to play. He tossed his bag on the side of the bed, adding his jacket and boots to them before heading downstairs. His pulse beat in his ear, senses sharpening as he searched for her. He followed her scent through the patio doors and onto the deck. Her aroma wrapped around him, tugging his gaze down until he found her discarded clothes.
He looked across the clearing that sat in front of the forest line and pulled off his shirt. Pushing out his senses into the earth around him, he began to hunt his illusive mate. He placed his clothes next to hers, jogging to the trees before allowing the change to claim his flesh. His body heated, bones snapping and twisting, taking the shape of his second soul. Thick fur sprouted, coating his long powerful frame in clear, bold stripes of black and orange.
Benton shook his fur, stretching his limbs and letting out a string of excited chuffs. His large paws masked the sounds of his approach as he made his way through the trees. He could taste Opal, her scent heightened by both her shift and his senses. He looked through the trees, carefully scanning the foliage for traces of her.
Picking up her scent, he broke off at a run. He traced her path through the throng of trees, using his long limbs to eat up the distance. The forest grew wilder the further he traveled. He weaved through uplifted roots and overgrown grass. He kept his body low as he worked to gain ground. Opal may have had a home-field advantage, but Benton didn’t lose.
Knowledge could only delay the inevitable.
A small movement in his peripherals caught his attention. He let his instincts guide him, picking up on the subtle disturbances and following them to her. Opal’s musk was like a fog growing denser the closer he drew. He sniffed the air, peering through the winding leaves.
The path led to a break in the forest, where the earth was divided by a wide stream. Opal sat in the center, her lithe body draping carelessly over the flattened surface of a large rock. Her tail flicked lazily, brushing the stream in a slow, content rhythm. She was beautiful, even in her tiger form.
He held his position, risking the chance of being caught to commit this scene to memory. To have this image of Opal stamped in his mind forever. Something about this moment hardened like stone, lodging itself deep into the shattered foundation he had learned to stand on. There was no name for this. None that made sense, only an irrefutable truth that he would do anything to keep her this way.
He growled appreciatively, stepping out of the cover of the forest. Once again, he found his definition of victory, veering off course and redirecting his goals. Right now, all that mattered was properly meeting his mate. Her head snapped to him, eyes full of delight and awe. She pushed herself up on her front legs, settling into a sitting position.
Benton could feel her eyes on him, and he puffed out his chest, determined to show off his size and prowess. He closed the distance between them, crossing the stream to join her on the rock. She stood, keeping her tail relaxed as she chuffed. The sound was bliss and redemption, filling Benton with a sense of belonging. He responded, rubbing his large head against her side.
She twisted her body, pushing her paws into his large frame. The movement was so sudden that he was falling into the water before he realized what was happening. Excitement stretched over her posture as a challenge rose to her eyes. She turned to run, and he sprang into action like a cobra ready to strike. Adrenaline coursed through him. His body ate up the distance, his tiger intent on catching her.
Opal was fast, moving through the land like she had placed every stone. She was the master and the muse, floating through the world with intent and purpose. She took him deeper into the forest, climbing ledges and testing his endurance. She wouldn’t be an easy target, and he couldn't help but be pleased with her cunning.
His body became light, and his heart followed. An unfamiliar warmth spread from the center of his chest until his tiger hummed. Opal took a sharp left, and he changed direction, his weight sliding to one side before he righted himself. He punched, feeling like a cub, as she twisted her paw from his grasp and propelled forward with a growl of effort. Benton let it all slip away, the past and the future. Opening himself to the present and allowing the uncertainty to coax something new to the surface: possibility.
There was just him and Opal, tasting the rush of joy and freedom. Giving into their wildest natures, the unpredictable pulsing of life that rested beneath the surface of their human skin. Maybe Gerri was right. Maybe Opal was the answer to a question he was never brave enough to ask himself.
He looked at her, and a weight lifted in spite of himself. She was summer and sunlight. And when their tigers collided, rolling through dirt and leaves, he knew that he had found something worth sticking around for.
Something that terrified him to his core.
TWELVE
OPAL
After everything, they were both exhausted. She smiled at him as they walked up to her front porch. Benton was taking everything in for the first time.
