Tiger
Page 52
“What happened?”
“Relax. I am not injured.”
The doctor located his glasses on the desk and put them on. “What time is it?”
“Late. I’m sorry to disturb you but I have questions.”
“Okay.” Harris waved to another chair. “Do you want to take a seat?”
“Sure.” Tiger collapsed into one. “What I say is private.”
“Of course.”
“I’m sharing sex with a human.”
The doctor appeared surprised. “I thought you avoided them. It’s not exactly a secret how you feel about your friends mating those women.”
“She is starting to ovulate. The scent is still faint but it’s about to happen. Can she get pregnant right now?”
“How faint? Are you sure that’s what you’re smelling and not some soap she uses?”
Tiger lifted a finger to tap his nose. “It doesn’t lie.”
“Right. Okay. I will assume you just noticed the change in her scent. You’re safe if that’s the case but I would use condoms from now on. You know you can’t risk getting her pregnant unless you’re willing to mate her. I can get you some condoms if you don’t have any. Your supply store closes early and you’d be surprised how many of your men have recently asked for them. We started keeping some on hand.”
“She’s never asked me to use one so I assumed she is either taking something or has heard we’re unable to conceive children.”
“She’s not on anything if she’s ovulating strong enough for you to smell it and you’d definitely know if she were using a method that involved something with spermicide.”
Tiger’s eyebrows arched.
The doctor chuckled. “It’s someone else’s private story but I’ll just say you can smell and taste it. Not a good experience from what I was told.”
“It doesn’t sound good. Thank you for talking to me.” He rose to leave.
“Tiger?”
He paused by the door and turned to stare at the doctor. “What?”
“Do you want to talk about this?”
His eyebrow arched.
“The woman. You. The fact that she’s human.”
“I’m not looking for a mate.”
“So it’s just a casual affair?”
“Nothing about her is casual.”
Surprise widened the doctor’s eyes. “You’re feeling things for her then?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“I’m not so sure.” Tiger sighed. “I don’t want to grow dependent on anyone.”
Sympathy showed in the older male’s face. “I understand but could I give you a little advice?”
Tiger nodded.
“I fell in love with a woman once but I put my career first. I was in med school and I let her slip through my fingers. That was forty-eight years ago. To this day I regret it. I married someone else but it wasn’t the same. That relationship didn’t last more than a few years. I got a wonderful son out of the deal but his mother and I never really loved each other. Don’t let this one get away if you love her.”
“Why didn’t you go after this female if you still have strong feelings for her?”
The doctor sighed. “She married my best friend after I dumped her. He could appreciate what I couldn’t. They are happy but it’s a knife to my heart every time I see them together. Get your priorities straight, son. I know you have issues after the life you’ve been handed but it’s better to face your fears than live with regret. Trust an old man on this one.”
“Son?”
The doctor smiled. “I think of all of you as my kids. It happens when you reach my age. You have a life now. Live it. Make every moment count.”
“Thank you.” Tiger left knowing he had to make a decision. He either needed to break it off with Zandy for good or fully commit to her.
Chapter Twelve
Richard shook his head. “I can’t believe you were attacked at Reservation. It’s so safe here. Did they figure out how the douche bag got in?”
Zandy shrugged. “I’m not sure how the guy breached the walls but they caught him.” She’d heard that from her security detail when they’d escorted her to work. She’d completely forgotten to ask Tiger about it the night before. “They are having a lot of problems with the protesters.”
“And the reporters.” Richard made a face. “You should have seen all the news vans lined up along the front gates this morning. It’s insane. Someone reported that Justice North and his wife might be here so they are everywhere, hoping for a sighting.”
“I didn’t know he was here.”
“He isn’t,” Smiley announced as he entered their office. “We had a helicopter fly in from Homeland and they incorrectly assumed it could be Justice and his mate.” He glanced at them both. “Are you ready to be escorted to lunch?”
Zandy rose from her desk and put on her shoes. “I’m starving.”
Smiley sniffed loudly at her as she approached and it caused her to frown.
“Stop doing that.”
“The scent is growing stronger. Perhaps you shouldn’t go to lunch. I can take Richard and bring your meal back.”
“What scent?” Richard glanced between their escort and her.
“Zandy is beginning to ovulate.”
“Relax. I am not injured.”
The doctor located his glasses on the desk and put them on. “What time is it?”
“Late. I’m sorry to disturb you but I have questions.”
“Okay.” Harris waved to another chair. “Do you want to take a seat?”
“Sure.” Tiger collapsed into one. “What I say is private.”
“Of course.”
“I’m sharing sex with a human.”
The doctor appeared surprised. “I thought you avoided them. It’s not exactly a secret how you feel about your friends mating those women.”
“She is starting to ovulate. The scent is still faint but it’s about to happen. Can she get pregnant right now?”
“How faint? Are you sure that’s what you’re smelling and not some soap she uses?”
Tiger lifted a finger to tap his nose. “It doesn’t lie.”
“Right. Okay. I will assume you just noticed the change in her scent. You’re safe if that’s the case but I would use condoms from now on. You know you can’t risk getting her pregnant unless you’re willing to mate her. I can get you some condoms if you don’t have any. Your supply store closes early and you’d be surprised how many of your men have recently asked for them. We started keeping some on hand.”
“She’s never asked me to use one so I assumed she is either taking something or has heard we’re unable to conceive children.”
“She’s not on anything if she’s ovulating strong enough for you to smell it and you’d definitely know if she were using a method that involved something with spermicide.”
Tiger’s eyebrows arched.
The doctor chuckled. “It’s someone else’s private story but I’ll just say you can smell and taste it. Not a good experience from what I was told.”
“It doesn’t sound good. Thank you for talking to me.” He rose to leave.
“Tiger?”
He paused by the door and turned to stare at the doctor. “What?”
“Do you want to talk about this?”
His eyebrow arched.
“The woman. You. The fact that she’s human.”
“I’m not looking for a mate.”
“So it’s just a casual affair?”
“Nothing about her is casual.”
Surprise widened the doctor’s eyes. “You’re feeling things for her then?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“I’m not so sure.” Tiger sighed. “I don’t want to grow dependent on anyone.”
Sympathy showed in the older male’s face. “I understand but could I give you a little advice?”
Tiger nodded.
“I fell in love with a woman once but I put my career first. I was in med school and I let her slip through my fingers. That was forty-eight years ago. To this day I regret it. I married someone else but it wasn’t the same. That relationship didn’t last more than a few years. I got a wonderful son out of the deal but his mother and I never really loved each other. Don’t let this one get away if you love her.”
“Why didn’t you go after this female if you still have strong feelings for her?”
The doctor sighed. “She married my best friend after I dumped her. He could appreciate what I couldn’t. They are happy but it’s a knife to my heart every time I see them together. Get your priorities straight, son. I know you have issues after the life you’ve been handed but it’s better to face your fears than live with regret. Trust an old man on this one.”
“Son?”
The doctor smiled. “I think of all of you as my kids. It happens when you reach my age. You have a life now. Live it. Make every moment count.”
“Thank you.” Tiger left knowing he had to make a decision. He either needed to break it off with Zandy for good or fully commit to her.
Chapter Twelve
Richard shook his head. “I can’t believe you were attacked at Reservation. It’s so safe here. Did they figure out how the douche bag got in?”
Zandy shrugged. “I’m not sure how the guy breached the walls but they caught him.” She’d heard that from her security detail when they’d escorted her to work. She’d completely forgotten to ask Tiger about it the night before. “They are having a lot of problems with the protesters.”
“And the reporters.” Richard made a face. “You should have seen all the news vans lined up along the front gates this morning. It’s insane. Someone reported that Justice North and his wife might be here so they are everywhere, hoping for a sighting.”
“I didn’t know he was here.”
“He isn’t,” Smiley announced as he entered their office. “We had a helicopter fly in from Homeland and they incorrectly assumed it could be Justice and his mate.” He glanced at them both. “Are you ready to be escorted to lunch?”
Zandy rose from her desk and put on her shoes. “I’m starving.”
Smiley sniffed loudly at her as she approached and it caused her to frown.
“Stop doing that.”
“The scent is growing stronger. Perhaps you shouldn’t go to lunch. I can take Richard and bring your meal back.”
“What scent?” Richard glanced between their escort and her.
“Zandy is beginning to ovulate.”
