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I don’t wanna go in there, his tiger said.
You think I fucking do?” Boone said. “She’ll probably eat us alive.”
His tiger whined like a little cub and retreated so far that Boone could barely feel his presence.
“Coward,” Boone said and stepped into his nan’s room.
She was sitting in bed, with orange and black hair sprouted on her face and her nails long, sharp claws. Alfie sat beside her on the bed, baring his teeth at Hedra, who stood at the end of the bed.
“How dare you speak to me like that, human!” Nan growled. “I’ll rip you apart for that disrespect.”
“Oh yeah?” Hedra had her hands on her hips, and Boone could smell her anger, but she spoke calmly. “How will you do that when you can’t even get out of bed without my help, Althea?”
His nan roared in fury, the sound echoing in the room, and Boone cringed as his tiger, who had crept cautiously to the surface at the sound of Hedra’s voice, fled like a scared cub.
Respect and a healthy dose of lust flooded Boone when Hedra didn’t even flinch. She leaned closer and said, “Rebeccah is trying to help you, Althea.”
“She’s a stupid little lion who wouldn’t know the difference between a muscle and a bone if it smacked her in the face,” Nan shouted.
“No, she’s a professional who could help you get out of this damn bed without me if you’d stop being so stubborn and disagreeable,” Hedra said.
Nan growled again at her. “The next time you come near me, human, I’m going to shred you like bacon.”
“Nan!” Boone snarled. His tiger had immediately resurfaced at the threat to Hedra and growled so loudly that Boone couldn’t contain the sound.
His nan’s gaze snapped to him, her usual brown eyes turned dark green with fury. “Did you just growl at me, Boone Jameson?”
“Stop threatening, Hedra,” he said. “I mean it, Nan.”
He stared her down, and, to his complete surprise, she slumped against the bed, the hair on her face fading away as her tiger retreated.
“Nan, you can’t threaten Hedra or scratch your physiotherapist or sic Alfie on her. She’ll probably report you to the Council,” Boone said.
“Let her,” his nan growled. “I don’t care.”
Boone took a deep breath. “You’ll care when you’re being arrested for assault charges.”
She bared her teeth at him before petting Alfie roughly. The little dog climbed into her lap and licked her face before circling three times and settling on her lap.
Boone glanced at Hedra, who still stood calmly at the end of the bed. “Nan, this is the third physiotherapist who’s quit. You have to stop being rude to them and attacking them, okay? Physiotherapy is necessary, and -”
“It hurts,” his nan said abruptly. She suddenly looked so tired and old that Boone’s tiger trilled in alarm, and Boone’s stomach dropped. He hurried over to the bed and sat down, taking his nan’s hand and squeezing it gently.
“It hurts so bad, Boone,” she said. “I know I’m a burden to you, and I hate that I am, but the exercises and the stretches hurt so bad, I can barely stand it.”
A tear slipped down her wrinkled cheek, and Boone could smell her shame and misery. His tiger trilled to her, and her tiger trilled back. Guilt washing over him, he purred softly and squeezed her hand again. “I’m sorry, Nan. We’ll take a break with the physio for a while.”
“Boone,” Hedra said, her voice a mixture of disbelief and irritation, “she needs physio.”
He ignored her, rubbing his Nan’s hand gently. “Why don’t you rest while I get supper started, okay?”
“Okay.” Nan closed her eyes, and Boone leaned forward to kiss her forehead before standing. He turned around, his tiger chuffing with disappointment when Hedra no longer stood in the bedroom.
He left Nan’s room, closing the door behind him and walking to the kitchen.
* * *
Don’t, Hedra. It isn’t any of your business.
