us,” I
declared, Diandra translated (haltingly this time), the scowl grew
dark or, I should say, darker.
I endured his scowl for a long time. Then I
sucked in another breath, felt the thick fur and warm body of the
cub growing heavier in my arms as she drifted to sleep.
Jeez oh Pete, a white baby tiger was sleeping in my arms and she called me Mama and I heard her.
I stepped closer to Lahn, reached out from
under the cub, curled my fingers around his hard thigh and tipped
my head way back to look in his fierce eyes.
“Please?” I whispered.
He glared at me and he did this for another
long time.
So I squeezed his thigh.
He glared another second then he jerked
the reins of his beast, it sidestepped twice, Lahn reached way
down, scooped me and Ghost in his
arm and swung us up, planting my ass in front of him on the
horse.
Was he…?
He barked something at the tiger man, the
tiger man smiled and bowed his head, then Lahn wheeled the horse
around and we were galloping back through the marketplace.
He was! He was letting me have the
tiger!
Yippee!
I turned and, peering around his big body, I
carefully waved at Diandra and Sheena as best I could while still
keeping tight hold on my new baby.
They waved back. Both were smiling and
both smiles were huge.
Then I straightened and looked up at Lahn
who was staring impassively into the distance. He must have felt my
eyes for his dropped to me and he pinned me with a glower.
I smiled at him.
His glower deepened when his eyes narrowed
on my mouth.
I turned to face forward, settled on the
horse and cradled Ghost.
He wanted to be in a bad mood, so be it.
Whatever.
I had a new baby tiger who could talk to me and thought I was her
Loolah!
Not to mention some fun new bangles.
Yippee!
Chapter Seven
The Games
The tent flaps slapped open, I jumped,
Ghost’s head came up, Teetru, Jacanda, Packa, Gaal and Beetus (who,
every last one, even the reserved Teetru, squealed in delight at
the vision of me and Ghost earlier when we rode up with Lahn to the
tent, he dismounted, yanked me down and then remounted without a
word or look and rode off), all surrounding me on the bed and
playing with Ghost who also jumped and looked to the tent opening
where Lahn was bending low to enter.
He stepped a step inside. Ghost jumped off
the bed and scampered over to him, all furry white body and big
paws. The baby tiger made it to her new Daddy, jumped up with two
paws and clawed his hides.
Lahn stared down at the creature, crossed
his arms on his chest, lifted his head and skewered me with a
glare.
Oh hell.
“Vayoo,” he growled at me, I had no idea
what that meant but Teetru and Jacanda started to push me off the
bed.
It was night, I’d had dinner and I was
guessing it was time for the games.
I got off the bed, sauntered over to my
husband and bent to pick up Ghost who was now clawing at the rugs.
She was heavy so I lugged her up and got eye to eye with her.
“Be good,” I warned.
She shoved forward, rubbed my jaw with her
head, made a purry noise I knew was Loolah and I laughed and
brought her close to give her a hug.
Then she was pulled from my hands and my
head turned to Lahn to see him drop her on the ground.
“Lahn!” I snapped but his big hand came out
and engulfed mine.
“Vayoo, Lahnahsahna Circe, boh,” he bit out,
pulling me toward the tent flaps.
“Oh, all right,” I muttered then turned to
the girls and called while waving, “Goodnight ladies. Take care of
Ghost.” I pointed at the cub and got a bunch of smiles with waves
and nods.
Then the tent flap slapped back and I
followed Lahn through it. Or, more accurately, was hauled through
it.
“I’m coming, I’m coming, slow down,” I
called as I raced to keep up with his long strides.
“Mayoo,” he replied.
“ I can’t mayoo, Lahn, jeez, you’re, like, six foot seven. You’ve got a
whole foot on me. Every stride you take is two of mine at least,” I
said to his back, he stopped
declared, Diandra translated (haltingly this time), the scowl grew
dark or, I should say, darker.
I endured his scowl for a long time. Then I
sucked in another breath, felt the thick fur and warm body of the
cub growing heavier in my arms as she drifted to sleep.
Jeez oh Pete, a white baby tiger was sleeping in my arms and she called me Mama and I heard her.
I stepped closer to Lahn, reached out from
under the cub, curled my fingers around his hard thigh and tipped
my head way back to look in his fierce eyes.
“Please?” I whispered.
He glared at me and he did this for another
long time.
So I squeezed his thigh.
He glared another second then he jerked
the reins of his beast, it sidestepped twice, Lahn reached way
down, scooped me and Ghost in his
arm and swung us up, planting my ass in front of him on the
horse.
Was he…?
He barked something at the tiger man, the
tiger man smiled and bowed his head, then Lahn wheeled the horse
around and we were galloping back through the marketplace.
He was! He was letting me have the
tiger!
Yippee!
I turned and, peering around his big body, I
carefully waved at Diandra and Sheena as best I could while still
keeping tight hold on my new baby.
They waved back. Both were smiling and
both smiles were huge.
Then I straightened and looked up at Lahn
who was staring impassively into the distance. He must have felt my
eyes for his dropped to me and he pinned me with a glower.
I smiled at him.
His glower deepened when his eyes narrowed
on my mouth.
I turned to face forward, settled on the
horse and cradled Ghost.
He wanted to be in a bad mood, so be it.
Whatever.
I had a new baby tiger who could talk to me and thought I was her
Loolah!
Not to mention some fun new bangles.
Yippee!
Chapter Seven
The Games
The tent flaps slapped open, I jumped,
Ghost’s head came up, Teetru, Jacanda, Packa, Gaal and Beetus (who,
every last one, even the reserved Teetru, squealed in delight at
the vision of me and Ghost earlier when we rode up with Lahn to the
tent, he dismounted, yanked me down and then remounted without a
word or look and rode off), all surrounding me on the bed and
playing with Ghost who also jumped and looked to the tent opening
where Lahn was bending low to enter.
He stepped a step inside. Ghost jumped off
the bed and scampered over to him, all furry white body and big
paws. The baby tiger made it to her new Daddy, jumped up with two
paws and clawed his hides.
Lahn stared down at the creature, crossed
his arms on his chest, lifted his head and skewered me with a
glare.
Oh hell.
“Vayoo,” he growled at me, I had no idea
what that meant but Teetru and Jacanda started to push me off the
bed.
It was night, I’d had dinner and I was
guessing it was time for the games.
I got off the bed, sauntered over to my
husband and bent to pick up Ghost who was now clawing at the rugs.
She was heavy so I lugged her up and got eye to eye with her.
“Be good,” I warned.
She shoved forward, rubbed my jaw with her
head, made a purry noise I knew was Loolah and I laughed and
brought her close to give her a hug.
Then she was pulled from my hands and my
head turned to Lahn to see him drop her on the ground.
“Lahn!” I snapped but his big hand came out
and engulfed mine.
“Vayoo, Lahnahsahna Circe, boh,” he bit out,
pulling me toward the tent flaps.
“Oh, all right,” I muttered then turned to
the girls and called while waving, “Goodnight ladies. Take care of
Ghost.” I pointed at the cub and got a bunch of smiles with waves
and nods.
Then the tent flap slapped back and I
followed Lahn through it. Or, more accurately, was hauled through
it.
“I’m coming, I’m coming, slow down,” I
called as I raced to keep up with his long strides.
“Mayoo,” he replied.
“ I can’t mayoo, Lahn, jeez, you’re, like, six foot seven. You’ve got a
whole foot on me. Every stride you take is two of mine at least,” I
said to his back, he stopped
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