She slipped it over her head and had just put on her goggles when she suddenly stumbled backward, letting out a scream. “It’s Bigfoot!”
I looked up, horrified to see Sasquatch parting the bushes. He looked pissed and he looked hungry. “Run, Jenna, hide. He’ll stop at me first.”
“No, I’m not leaving you!”
The massive creature began striding in our direction, but when he was about two yards away, a huge gorgeous tiger burst out of the undergrowth.
“Max!”
Max plowed on toward Bigfoot, pouncing onto the creature’s back. In the flicker of the flashlight Jenna was holding, I could see that Bigfoot had already been injured. He was bleeding from both shoulders and his head.
Bigfoot lurched to the side as Max clamped down with his teeth, holding firm. Max shook his head, trying to rip the flesh away and managed to roll Bigfoot onto his back. He raised one massive paw, about to slash Bigfoot’s throat, when the creature let out a shriek and vanished.
MAX FELL FORWARD, faceplanting into the snow. He rolled to his feet, shaking his head. He was a magnificent beast, a huge golden Bengal who was easily five hundred pounds of feline muscle. A moment later, he shifted, turning so his back was to us, and within the blur of an eye, stood there naked in the snow, his butt a massively muscled thing of glory.
Jenna let out a stifled laugh, then averted her eyes.
“Where are your clothes?” I asked, gritting my teeth against the pain.
“Back on the trail, along with my pack. I’ll get that trap off you, then shift back into tiger form and you can ride on my back down to the parking lot.”
I cleared my throat. “I’m skinny but I’m not all that light.”
“Tigers are notoriously strong, but if it makes you feel better, I can fashion a makeshift sled and pull you behind me.” He raised his voice. “Jenna, are you looking the other way?”
“You bet I am,” she said. “But I think you’ll need this poncho more than I will.”
“Just drop it near Sandy and I’ll wrap it around me for the moment.”
After he was covered, Jenna turned around. Max knelt by my ankle.
“What happened to Bigfoot?” Jenna asked.
“He can transport between dimensions. I doubt he’ll come back for the moment, but we had better get out of here.” I shifted, my leg throbbing like a son of a bitch.
“We’ll be on our way in a moment.” Max pried the trap off, closing it so that it couldn’t snare anyone or anything else. “Aren’t these illegal?”
“Yes, I want to take it back with us to show Delia, the sheriff. She’ll sniff out who’s illegally trapping animals.” I paused. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For saving us. For insisting on coming with me. For putting yourself in danger to help us.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I don’t know how to repay you.”
He gazed into my eyes, and gently kissed my forehead. “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad I was here. Now lay back and let me rig you up for travel.”
I leaned back as Max wrapped my ankle between two branches, tying it so that it wouldn’t move. He then lifted me onto the poncho, asking Jenna to belt me into it with one length of the rope. When she was done, still averting her eyes from the once-again naked weretiger, he shifted back into tiger form. Jenna rigged up a makeshift harness out of the length of rope in my pack. With her steering me from the back, and Max leading, we started the journey down the trail. When we came to where he had shifted into his tiger form, he stopped, changed back, dressed, and swung me up in his arms, gently draping me over his shoulder.
As I hung on for the ride, staring at his backside and realizing that I had seen him naked and it had been a fine sight, I had to laugh. Jenna was safe, and we had stared down Bigfoot and won. And here I thought I was going to be bored out of my mind with Maddy gone.
Epilogue
THE DOCTOR FIXED me up with a splint and some heavy duty antibiotics and pain meds, then left me in Max and Jenna’s care. We had managed down to the parking lot without further incident, and after threatening Hanover again, Max had driven us home.
By midnight we were sitting around in my kitchen, eating cookies and drinking hot cocoa. I asked Alex to make up a bed for Jenna—she’d be staying with me for the rest of the weekend—and planned out what I was going to say to the headmaster of Neverfall come Monday morning.
Jenna yawned for the third time. “I’m going to bed. Thanks, Aunt Sandy. Thanks...Mr. Davenport. I really didn’t mean to be so much trouble.”
“The name is Max, and I’m just glad I could help. It wasn’t your fault, Jenna.”
“He’s right,” I said. “None of this was your fault. Give me a hug and kiss, and then go to bed and sleep as late as you want to.” I hugged her, and gave her a shy peck on the forehead, then waved her off. As she vanished up the stairs, I turned to Max.
“Again, I don’t know how to thank you.”
He reached out, tracing my cheek with his finger. “You could show me the island tomorrow. We don’t have to go walking—we can just drive around. I’m good with that.”
His touch on my cheek sent a shiver through me from head to toe. I normally didn’t respond to men so strongly. The last man I had let myself really feel anything for was my ex. Once bitten, twice shy. And I had been bitten more than once in my life.
As he drew his finger over my lips, I couldn’t help myself. I gently kissed the tip. He paused, holding my gaze.
“Sandy, I told you about my wife.”
“Yes,” I said, breathing softly. “How she...”
“Died. Yes. I never once looked at another woman while I was with her. We were happy. But it’s a year and a half since I lost Gracie. I think I’m starting to realize that I’m not cut out for casual dating. I tried a couple times but...I don’t have the heart to play the games required.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. “I haven’t looked for a serious relationship since my husband came out of the closet. I just...it’s so hard to trust that I won’t be deceived again.”
“It’s so hard to not feel guilty over wanting another woman.” He paused. “She was so passionate about life. So full of spit and vinegar. A lot like you.”
I could barely breathe. “We just met, Max.”
“I think today taught us more than a dozen dates could. How about...how about we give this a shot? One day at a time, if you like. I just know that the Sandy I saw out on that trail...is a woman I’d like to know better.”
And then he leaned in, his lips seeking mine. As he wrapped his arms around me, I realized that we fit together. His bulk, my slight frame, they somehow worked together. There was no awkwardness, no shifting to find the right position, no hesitation as the kiss deepened. He smelled like cinnamon and sugar, like vanilla and warm musk, and as the fire crackled in the hearth, I somehow knew that I had caught a tiger by the tail.
~End~
The wild and magical residents of Bedlam from my Bewitching Bedlam Series are back! Fun-loving witch Maddy Gallowglass, her smoking-hot vampire lover, and their crazed cjinn Bubba (part djinn, all cat) are causing havoc in BLOOD MUSIC, BEWITCHING BEDLAM, BLOOD VENGEANCE, and MAUDLIN’S MAYHEM. And more are on the way!
If you prefer a grittier series, try my post-apocalyptic romance—the Fury Unbound Series: FURY RISING, FURY’S MAGIC, FURY AWAKENED and FURY CALLING.
If you like cozies with an edge, try my Chintz ‘n China paranormal mysteries. The series is complete with: GHOST OF A CHANCE, LEGEND OF THE JADE DRAGON, MURDER UNDER A MYSTIC MOON, A HARVEST OF BONES, ONE HEX OF A WEDDING, and a wrap-up novella: HOLIDAY SPIRITS.
The newest Otherworld book—MOON SHIMMERS—is available now, and the next, HARVEST SONG, will be available in May 2018.
For information about all of my work, including upcoming releases, see the Bibliography at the end of this book, or check out my website at Galenorn.com and be sure and sign up for my newsletter
to receive news about all my new releases.
Biography
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over fifty books, including the Otherworld Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, and many more. She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine.
Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland WA with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her website at Galenorn.com.
Indie Releases Currently Available:
Bewitching Bedlam Series:
Bewitching Bedlam
Maudlin’s Mayhem
Blood Music
Blood Vengeance
Tiger Tails
Fury Unbound Series:
Fury Rising
Fury’s Magic
Fury Awakened
Fury Calling
Otherworld Series:
Moon Shimmers
Earthbound
Otherworld Tales: Volume One
Tales From Otherworld: Collection One
Men of Otherworld: Collection One
Men of Otherworld: Collection Two
Moon Swept: Otherworld Tales of First Love
For the rest of the Otherworld Series, see Website
Chintz ‘n China Series:
Ghost of a Chance
Legend of the Jade Dragon
Murder Under a Mystic Moon
A Harvest of Bones
One Hex of a Wedding
Holiday Spirits
Bath and Body Series (originally under the name India Ink):
Scent to Her Grave
A Blush With Death
Glossed and Found
Misc. Short Story Collections:
Mist and Shadows: Short Tales From Dark Haunts
Once Upon a Kiss (short story: Princess Charming)
Silver Belles (short story: The Longest Night)
Once Upon a Curse (short story: Bones)
Night Shivers (an Indigo Court novella)
Magickal Nonfiction:
Embracing the Moon
Tarot Journeys
For all other series, as well as upcoming work, see Website
Yasmine Galenorn, Tiger Tails (Bewitching Bedlam)
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