{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\cocoartf2821
\cocoatextscaling0\cocoaplatform0{\fonttbl\f0\froman\fcharset0 TimesNewRomanPSMT;\f1\froman\fcharset0 TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;\f2\froman\fcharset0 TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT;
}
{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red251\green0\blue7;}
{\*\expandedcolortbl;;\cssrgb\c100000\c12195\c0;}
\margl1440\margr1440\vieww18660\viewh18520\viewkind1
\deftab720
\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\slmult1\qj\partightenfactor0

\f0\fs24 \cf2 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0
WARNING\cf0 : This story contains sexually explicit material involving adolescent children and incest. This story also contains mild violence and profanity. If such content is illegal to view in your area or you are not of legal age to view such content, close your RTF reader now.\
\
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.\
\
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\slmult1\qc\partightenfactor0

\f1\b\fs36 \cf0 Masala Chai
\f0\b0\fs24 \

\fs28 by IndigoNeko and TaintedThylacine
\fs24 \
\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\slmult1\qj\partightenfactor0
\cf0 \
\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\slmult1\qj\partightenfactor0

\f1\b\fs28 \cf0 Chapter 7
\f0\b0\fs24 \
\
\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\slmult1\qj\partightenfactor0

\f1\b \cf0 Sunday, February 14th, 2016
\f0\b0 \
\
\'93Are we there yet?\'94 Azalea asked, her breath steaming in the chilly air. The young hybrid was far better dressed for the winter weather than the tiger she was walking next to, with a thick coat and long clothes. It still wasn\'92t enough to keep her from complaining. \'93Aaaalex, my paws are cold,\'94 she said, smiling evilly.\
\
Alex sighed, reaching out and taking hold of Azalea\'92s paws, just to keep them from making their way to sensitive spots. No part of hir was safe when the half-squirrel got cold paws: armpits, neck, back, tummy, or worse. \'93Don\'92t even 
\f2\i think
\f0\i0  about it.\'94\
\
\'93But that was such a cute sound that you made last time,\'94 Azalea giggled happily as they made their way from the game shop to the arcade, the large building finally coming into view.\
\
\'93You don\'92t want to get an accidental elbow in the face, do you?\'94 the tigress asked. \'93Cause I almost hit you when you stuck your paw up the back of my shirt.\'94\
\
\'93Worth it. Next time I\'92ll just go for your pants, er, skirt,\'94 Azalea said, smiling and stopping, tugging her mate close and kissing hir on the nose. \'93Now, let\'92s go pwn some noobs,\'94 half-jerboa said, taking the tigress\'92 paw and pulling hir along. \'93I might even teach 
\f2\i you
\f0\i0  a thing or two.\'94\
\
Alex shivered at how cold Azalea's nose was, brushing against hir own. \'93Yeah, right. Maybe if we\'92re playing Tekken seven,\'94 the tigress muttered, following the hybrid into the arcade, stomping some of the snow off hir boots.\
\
The Winter Creek Arcade was even more packed than the game shop had been. Literally dozens of kids were wandering around or playing video games. Alex was kind of surprised, both because it was a Sunday and \'91cause practically everyone had their own game consoles at home nowadays. Not to mention the weather. Then shi remembered that the town was mostly Pagan, rather than Christian, so Sunday morning church wasn\'92t exactly a thing. Also, the arcade had lots of games you couldn\'92t play at home, like racing games with a formula one cockpit or a motorcycle chassis to sit on.\
\
\'93Well, I do have a title to uphold,\'94 Azalea said, sticking her tongue out at the tigress. \'93Anyway, there are other fighting games that we could play... something neither of us know,\'94 she said, pointing to one of the many cabinets. \'93Go find us something to play. I will get tokens.\'94 The half-jerboa strode over to the cashier\'92s counter.\
\
After stuffing hir backpack in one of the cubbies near the door, Alex wandered down the rows of arcade games. Usually they put the newer ones up front, moving the older ones to the back until they were so dated that nobody played them. When shi didn\'92t see anything new on the nearest aisle, shi turned back around and checked the next. Alex immediately spotted a brand new arcade cabinet with the Mortal Kombat X logo on the front. Unfortunately, several other kids were already standing there, playing or watching.\
\
\'93You got rekt, scrub,\'94 someone called out. A canine cub slunk away, tail between his legs in embarrassment, having gotten his ass handed to him. \'93I\'92m next,\'94 protested the mouse standing next in line, glaring as someone tried to cut in front of him.\
\
\'93I see you found the new game,\'94 Azalea said, suddenly appearing next to Alex and watching as the mouse and a young colt started a match. \'93Go on. Teach him a lesson. He\'92s probably a push over. Look at him mashing buttons.\'94\
\
\'93Fine, fine\'85\'94 the tigress said, walking down the aisle towards the group of children standing around the new cabinet. \'93How different is this one from nine?\'94\
\
\'93No clue. It shouldn\'92t be too different, but I only know Tekken and King of Fighters,\'94 Azalea said with a shrug. \'93But as long as you don\'92t mash buttons like he does, you should be good,\'94 she said, watching the mouse and colt were both randomly slapping buttons. \'93Heck, I\'92m gonna teach both these noobs a lesson,\'94 she said, grinning and slipping into the group of children standing around the cabinet.\
\
\'93Excuse me.\'94 A soft but confident voice spoke near Alex\'92s ear, accompanied by a tap on the shoulder. \
\
Alex jerked in alarm, black skirt flaring as shi whirled to face the person who\'92d tapped hir, instinctively raising hir paws into a guard position. When shi realized he was still speaking, shi put hir hands back down, looking the tiger boy over, hir heart pounding first from alarm and now with excitement. The black-and-white striped tiger boy was wearing khakis and a white knit sweater, and looked only a few years older than shi was.\
\
\'93I\'92m sorry if I startled you. I hope this isn\'92t being too forward, but I saw you standing here, and I don\'92t often see other tigers,\'94 the teenaged tiger boy said, smiling down at the younger tigress. The black-and-orange striped tigress with snow-white hair looked cute in a black skirt and t-shirt. \'93I\'92m, um, not great at introductions, but... it\'92s nice to meet you. I\'92m Ravi.\'94 He gently took her paw and bowed, gently kissing the back of hir hand before standing again. \'93May I know your name?\'94 \
\
Alex was dumbstruck, first that shi was speaking to a tiger around hir own age, second that he was black-and-white striped like hir dad, and third that he was kissing the back of hir hand. Hir mouth hung open, unable to speak. He\'92d already let go of hir hand before shi even realized what he\'92d said. \'93A-a-a-alex,\'94 shi stuttered, beginning to blush furiously as hir heart continued to thunder, hir nethers suddenly flush with arousal. \'93Alexandrea, actually.\'94\
\
\'93Well, Miss Alexandrea, it\'92s a pleasure to meet you,\'94 Ravi said, smiling. \'93What, may I ask, brings a cute kitten like you here?\'94 he asked, his tail swishing slightly. \
\
The young tigress felt like hir skin was burning with how badly shi was blushing, and being called cute just made it worse. Alex was glad shi was wearing undershorts right now, \'91cause if shi hadn\'92t there\'92d be a puddle under hir. Shi\'92d never been so aroused in hir entire life.\
\
Judging by his thinner fur and facial structure, shi was pretty sure that he was a bengal tiger, and by his age and color, he was the one shi had seen in passing at school a few weeks ago. Shi couldn\'92t place his accent, though. \'93I\'85 uh\'85 my girlfriend and I just wanted to play some arcade games,\'94 Alex replied, turning slightly and gesturing over at the squirrel hybrid who\'92d just stepped up to the game console next to the mouse.\
\
Ravi was quiet for a moment. \'93Girlfriend? As in a, uh... female friend? Or something more?\'94 he asked, tilting his head a little.\
\
At that very moment, Alex wished more than anything that shi wasn\'92t dating Azalea. It made hir nearly sick to hir stomach that shi had to say that it was something more, knowing that the tiger boy was basically asking if shi was single, but the thought of cheating on someone was even worse. Shi would never betray Azalea like that.\
\
Before the smaller tigress could say anything, a louder voice called out. \'93I leave you alone for one minute and you\'92ve already found a girl and started flirting,\'94 a smaller jerboa said as he walked up to the two tigers. \'93Looks like you found a cutie, too.\'94\
\
Alex glanced over at the jerboa, irritated at the interruption, then back at the white tiger in front of hir. \'93Azalea and I are dating, if that\'92s what you mean\'85\'94 shi said, cautiously answering the tiger\'92s question.\
\
\'93Heath!\'94 Azalea\'92s voice rang out, getting the group\'92s attention. \'93You scrawny, rat-tailed thing. Who said you could come back into 
\f2\i my
\f0\i0  domain?\'94 she said, walking up to the jerboa and clapping him on the shoulder.\
\
\'93Good to see you too, bushy-tail,\'94 Heath said with a snicker. \'93So I take it that this is a friend of yours?\'94\
\
\'93Yeah. This is my girlfriend, Alex,\'94 Azalea said, not catching the sudden change in Heath\'92s stance as he turned to look at the tigress, glaring at her. \
\
Alex certainly caught the furious look he gave hir, which vanished in an instant. The fur on the back of hir neck stood on end at the sudden awareness of danger. Hir heart continued to pound as adrenaline coursed through hir, knowing this had suddenly become a flight or fight situation... and then was left hanging as the jerboa boy started acting like nothing happened.\
\
The tigress swallowed, figuring shi should do the same, and looked over at Azalea. \'93Wait\'85 Did you lose 
\f2\i that
\f0\i0 ] quickly?\'94 Alex asked, glancing over hir shoulder at the Mortal Kombat booth. \'93That\'92s gotta be a record.\'94\
\
\'93I got cocky and he managed to get me into a corner and start juggling me. No skill at all. Button-mashing scrub,\'94 Azalea said with a little huff. \'93So who\'92s this?\'94 She motioned to the tiger. \'93He could be your older brother, Alex.\'94\
\
\'93This is Ravi,\'94 Heath said. \'93Come on. Let\'92s go to the snack bar where we can hear a little better.\'94 The jerboa took Azalea\'92s paw and practically dragged her back up the aisle to the front of the arcade.\
\
Blinking, Alex looked back up at the white tiger in front of hir, who had turned to watch Heath drag Azalea around by the hand. \'93How old are you?\'94 shi asked curiously, peering up at him, grateful that the jerboa boy\'92s interruption had broken the spell that this tiger boy, Ravi, had on hir. \'93Do you live here?\'94\
\
\'93I\'92m thirteen,\'94 Ravi said, turning back to the tigress, then back in the direction that his friend had taken off to. \'93Ummm, shouldn\'92t we follow them? I mean, he did drag your girlfriend off.\'94\
\
\'93Uh\'85 yeah, we probably should,\'94 Alex replied, starting after them.\
\
\'93I don\'92t think he meant any harm,\'94 Ravi said, taking Alex by the paw as they followed the two rodents.\
\
Now that shi wasn\'92t overcome with arousal, Alex was starting to get a little weirded out by how quick the other boy was to touch hir hands. But it wasn\'92t like he was doing anything inappropriate and shi didn\'92t exactly want to cause a scene.\
\
\'93Oh, and to answer your question: Yes, I live here in Winter Creek, we moved here five years ago,\'94 Ravi said as they followed the two rodents to the tables and benches at the front of the arcade. \'93From India.\'94\
\
\'93Do you go to Scott Carpenter Middle School?\'94 Alex asked. \'93I think I saw you in a hallway there a few weeks ago.\'94\
\
\'93Yes,\'94 Ravi confirmed as they reached the little food court area, glancing down at the smaller tigress, wondering how a girl that looked barely older than his sister was in middle school.\
\
\'93About time. I thought that you two got lost,\'94 Heath called out, waving to the two tigers from a booth. Azalea was sitting across from him.\
\
Alex shook hir hand free from Ravi\'92s, going over and sitting next to Azalea. Shi didn\'92t say anything, but shi was wondering just what the odds were of a tigress and jerboa-squirrel meeting another tiger and jerboa around their own ages. Especially in a small town like Winter Creek.\
\
Heath leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as Alex sat across from him, followed a moment later by Ravi taking a seat next to him. \'93So, Azzy tells me that you two are a thing. Kind of a weird pairing,\'94 he said with mirthless snort, glancing back at Azalea. \'93How long have you two been together?\'94 he asked, looking back at the tigress like he was sizing her up.\
\
\'93A month,\'94 Alex said, tensing slightly and narrowing hir eyes at the jerboa suspiciously. \'93Though we\'92ve been friends since school started. Why?\'94\
\
\'93I was just wondering,\'94 the jerboa said with a shrug. \'93I mean, I\'92ve known Azzy for a little while and since you\'92re girlfriends, I thought it would be the neighborly thing to do, getting to know you,\'94 Heath said, smiling. \'93You think I\'92m trying to steal her from you or something don\'92t you?\'94\
\
\'93Yes,\'94 the tigress said without missing a beat, hir expression still one of suspicion.\
\
\'93Alex! I\'92m hurt,\'94 Heath said, leaning back, putting a hand on his chest. \'93That you would think that I would do something like that.\'94\
\
\'93Okay, you two. Play nice,\'94 Azalea said, shaking her head. \'93He likes to joke around.\'94\
\
\'93He also didn\'92t deny it,\'94 Alex pointed out, still glaring at the jerboa across from hir. \'93Sneaky rodents.\'94\
\
\'93Ummm, you know that 
\f2\i I
\f0\i0  am a rodent too, right?\'94 Azalea looked at the tigress next to her. \'93Like I said, I know Heath. He did this with my other boyfriend too, messing with them\'85 Something about making sure they were right for me or something like that-\'94\
\
\'93Wait, you\'92re a rodent?!\'94 Alex asked incredulously, looking at the squirrel-hybrid next to hir. \'93Impossible. I thought you were a pillow. You make for a really good one, anyway. Blanket too, for that matter.\'94\
\
\'93You know if I\'92m a pillow, that makes you a pillow humper,\'94 Azalea said with a snicker.\
\
After a moment of awkward silence, Heath spoke up again. \'93Seriously, though. I wouldn\'92t dream of coming between you two. Azzy is like a sister to me. So don\'92t get your panties in a wad there, murder mittens.\'94 Heath smiled, though to Alex it looked fake. \
\
\'93See? He\'92s not trying to steal me or anything like that,\'94 Azalea agreed.\
\
\'93See? She knows. Look, can you just chill so we can all be friends?\'94 Heath asked.\
\
\'93You must be into incest, if she\'92s like a sister to you,\'94 Alex quipped with a snort. Then shi sighed. \'93Fine, but I don\'92t trust you any further than I can throw you. Actually, that\'92s a bad analogy; I could probably throw you pretty far. Shoot, now I\'92m going to have to think up another analogy\'85\'94\
\
\'93You know, it just hit me,\'94 Heath said, turning to Azalea and then back to the tigress. \'93It\'92s not 
\f2\i you
\f0\i0  that has to worry. Azalea is the one that should worry. You\'92re clearly into rodents.\'94 The jerboa smirked. \'93You know you want me. Maybe we could have a threesome\'85\'94\
\
Ravi coughed and Alex rolled hir eyes. \'93In your dreams, maybe,\'94 the tigress countered.\
\
\'93Yeah, I\'92m probably a little much for you,\'94 Heath said, leaning back against the booth. \'93Though I still think that Azzy should be worried, especially with the way that you were blushing and wiggling when you met Ravi there.\'94\
\
\'93Blushing and wiggling? Alex, what\'92s he mean?\'94 Azalea asked, turning to her mate.\
\
\'93Of course I was blushing! He took my hand and kissed it like he was James Bond or something!\'94 Alex protested, waving hir paw at the bengal tiger across from hir. \'93Seriously, What the hell? And I didn\'92t wiggle,\'94 shi added, glaring at the jerboa. \'93I jumped. Cause he scared the shit out of me, sneaking up behind me.\'94\
\
\'93Hey, I\'92m just saying what it looked like from where I was,\'94 the jerboa said with a shrug. \'93Not my fault.\'94\
\
\'93My apologies for kissing your hand. I didn\'92t know you had a girlfriend when I did so,\'94 the tiger boy said, blushing a little.\
\
\'93Okay, I think things are getting a little out-of-hand,\'94 Azalea said, looking at the jerboa and then the tigress. \'93You two, be friends.\'94 She looked back at the jerboa. \'93You, stop being a dick, or whatever it is you\'92re doing.\'94\
\
\'93I can\'92t help it. I gotta make sure she\'92s not going to hurt you or anything. Cat and mouse and all that,\'94 Heath protested, holding his paws up.\
\
\'93Fine,\'94 Alex huffed. Shi still didn\'92t trust the jerboa; he still hadn\'92t given hir a straight answer. Ravi seemed genuine at least, and polite. \'93And you don\'92t need to worry about me hurting her.\'94\
\
\'93Good. \'91Cause, like I said, she\'92s like a sister to me and all that,\'94 Heath said, nodding to Alex. \'93So, how about a makeup game? My treat.\'94\
\
\'93Well, if Azzy won\'92t let me kick your ass in real life, at least I can kick it in-game,\'94 Alex muttered.\
\
\'93I\'92m starting to think that you two want to fuck or something,\'94 Azalea muttered, shaking her head. \'93Let\'92s go. I\'92ll teach both of you a lesson,\'94 she said, pushing Alex out of the way and wiggling out of the booth.\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\slmult1\qc\partightenfactor0
\cf0 __________________________________________________\
\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\slmult1\qj\partightenfactor0
\cf0 \
\'93I didn\'92t think that Ravi would be 
\f2\i that
\f0\i0  good at Tekken,\'94 Azalea said, obviously affronted, leaning against the photo booth. \'93I can\'92t believe he beat me. I have 
\f2\i all
\f0\i0  the top scores on that game.\'94\
\
\'93Azzy, I think we need to talk,\'94 Heath murmured, looking at the hybrid. \'93I mean, it might just be me, but... Alex was 
\f2\i really
\f0\i0  checking Ravi out earlier. And that whole thing where he kissed her hand? I swear to God, it looked like Cinderella and Prince Charming.\'94\
\
\'93Oh, come on. I\'92m not worried about Alex,\'94 Azalea said, shaking her head. \'93I trust her. So suck it up and behave.\'94\
\
\'93I\'92m just saying. That and she\'92s been eyeing me all day, like she wants to maul me,\'94 Heath said shrugging a little. \'93I\'92ve got a bad feeling and I don\'92t want anything to happen.\'94 The jerboa pushed the photo booth curtain open. \'93Come on. I wanna get a picture with you.\'94\
\
\'93You\'92re an overprotective dork,\'94 Azalea muttered. \'93Fine, just one set.\'94 The half-jerboa followed Heath inside, sitting next to him. There was a moment of silence as he put some coins in and picked out a background.\
\
The first photo was of the two of them sitting next to each other, smiling. The second was of Azalea looking at Heath with a shocked expression. The third was of Heath looking back with a suave smile, leaning towards her. The fourth showed Azalea with her eyes closed, head against the side of the booth with Heath\'92s muzzle pressed against hers.\
\
Alex grinned as shi managed to pull off a fatality. Scorpion stepped back and threw his signature spear straight through Cane\'92s head, yanking it clean off and throwing it backwards, followed shortly by one of scorpion\'92s swords. Cane\'92s eyes twitched as his head hung there, pinned against the pillar by the sword. \'93Three out of three,\'94 shi said, flashing a grin at Ravi. \'93Where\'92d Azalea and Heath go?\'94 the tigress asked, turning and looking around as other kids pushed forward to take their spots.\
\
\'93Last I saw them, they were by the photo booth. Maybe one of them needed to use the water closet,\'94 Ravi said looking around. \'93Or they could have found another game to play.\'94\
\
Alex blinked and shi looked up at the older tiger boy. \'93Water closet?\'94 shi asked, puzzled. \'93What\'92s that?\'94\
\
\'93Er\'85 The bathroom,\'94 Ravi said, shaking his head. \'93Sorry. I\'92ve been here for five years now, but some phrases just stick.\'94 \
\
\'93Ah, gotcha,\'94 Alex said, still looking around.\
\
Ravi smiled, then pointed at the photo booth. \'93There. I\'92m fairly sure that is your friend\'92s tail.\'94\
\
Alex spun, quickly walking over towards the photo booth where Azalea\'92s fluffy tail was hanging out from under the curtain. \'93Hey! You better not be doing anything funny in there, Heath,\'94 the tigress threatened, throwing the curtain wide. \'93Or you\'92ll find out just how far I can throw you.\'94\
\
\'93God, don\'92t get your panties in a wad,\'94 Heath huffed. \'93Can\'92t someone take some silly photos with a friend?\'94 As the two rodents stepped out of the booth, Heath stood in front of the photo printing slot. Azalea hung her head, hoping nobody noticed that she was crying.\
\
\'93Of course they can,\'94 Alex said, standing next to him. \'93But I still don\'92t trust you. Are you going to show us those photos, or leave me wondering if you did something you shouldn\'92t have with my girlfriend?\'94\
\
The jerboa turned around to face the tigress, his back to the photo booth, catching the strip of photos behind his back as the machine spat them out, then stuck them in his back pocket. \'93Something that 
\f2\i I
\f0\i0  shouldn\'92t have? Oh, no,\'94 Heath said. After a moment he turned back around, waiting for a moment, then gave the machine a kick. \'93Come on... Stupid thing\'92s busted.\'94\
\
\'93Riiight,\'94 Alex said, glaring at him, then turned to Azalea as the half-squirrel wiped at her eyes. \'93Azzy! Are you alright?\'94\
\
\'93Huh?\'94 Azalea squeaked, looking up from her phone. \'93I\'92m okay. I was just reading some news about a... a game getting canned.\'94 The hybrid flashed a smile.\
\
\'93Pardon me ladies, Ravi. I need to use the bathroom,\'94 Heath said, slipping around the other side of the photo booth, looking around.\
\
The moment Heath stepped out of the way, Alex dug a token out of hir pocket and stuck it into the booth, hitting the re-print button. A moment later, the machine started making the same noise it had a moment earlier, and spat out another copy of the pictures. Alex quickly snagged them, looking down at them with a frown.\
\
The jerboa boy looked around the side of the photo booth, eventually finding the photo booth\'92s power plug. He yanked it out, hoping to kill the machine before it would print another copy, but was two seconds too late. He pushed it back in a moment later, then stepped back around the photo booth. \'93Where the heck is the bathroom around here, anyway?\'94 he muttered, trying to play it cool.\
\
Alex glared at him as shi held up the narrow strip of photographs. \'93Oh? \'91Stupid things busted\'92, huh?\'94 shi asked in a flat voice before turning back to hir girlfriend. \'93Azalea? What the fuck. You could have at least told me you had a thing for him, rather than hiding it and pretending he\'92s just a friend.\'94\
\
Azalea looked up with tears in her eyes, and opened her muzzle to say something, but was quickly cut off by Heath. \'93Hey, murder mittens, calm down a little,\'94 Heath said. \'93It was just a kiss between friends.\'94\
\
\'93You can shut the hell up,\'94 Alex snapped at Heath before turning back to Azalea and waiting.\
\
\'93I\'85 We got to talking. He told me how you were acting around Ravi and that he was worried,\'94 Azalea said, tears in her eyes. \'93Then in the booth, he said felines and rodents aren\'92t meant to be together, and he said he had feelings for me. I was so confused... \'94 She shook as she started sobbing.\
\
Alex turned to face the jerboa boy. \'93You racist little shit,\'94 shi said in a quiet, deadly voice. The fur on the back of hir neck went up, hir face tightening into an angry growl, showing a pair of large, sharp ivory fangs. \'93I knew I couldn\'92t trust you,\'94 shi snarled, hir tail twitching as shi hunched slightly, hands coming up with claws unsheathed. Hir eyes practically glowed with barely contained rage.\
\
Ravi watched with growing alarm, knowing all too well what was happening. Like all tigers cursed with blood-stained fur, Alexandrea had the Ancestral Fury, and Heath had just provoked her to bloodshed. He quickly moved close to the young tigress, hoping that he would be quick enough and strong enough to prevent her from tearing the stupid rodent\'92s throat out.\
\
\'93
\f2\i You
\f0\i0  should stick to your own species. It\'92s basic biology,\'94 Heath spat out. \'93I mean... Could you two even have a cub? Sure, she\'92s a hybrid, but her parents were both Rodentia. But Panthera? Forget it.\'94 He said showing no fear at this point. \'93Sure, I might be wrong. You two 
\f2\i might
\f0\i0  be compatible, but I don\'92t think so.\'94\
\
The young white tiger was stunned at how stupid the jerboa boy was being; provoking a tiger like that after she had bared teeth and claws. Heath had just earned himself a Darwin Award. Ravi was seriously tempted to simply let Alex rip the boy\'92s throat out... except then the tigress would take the blame for the rodent\'92s death, and she didn\'92t deserve that.\
\
The retort about having a better chance at bearing cubs than Heath would died on Alex\'92s lips as shi realized just how racist he was. In the back of hir mind, shi realized shi would never win a verbal argument with him, and the time had come to make non-verbal arguments. Hir golden eyes seemed to flash in the neon lights of the arcade. Adrenaline coursed through Alex\'92s veins as shi leapt at him, intending to rip his throat out, to punish him for trying to steal Azalea.\
\
The moment that the younger tiger\'92s tail stopped twitching, Ravi knew the moment had come. He grabbed her shoulders as she leapt, forcing her to the floor, then fell on top of her, trying to pin her in place. \'93Miss Alex, you need to calm down. There are far more dignified ways to settle this,\'94 he said to her, hoping a cool, collected tone would bring her to her senses. \'93Ones that don\'92t involve committing 
\f2\i murder
\f0\i0 ,\'94 he hissed.\
\
\'93Alex, please don\'92t be mad at Heath,\'94 Azalea begged, wiping her eyes with the back of her paw. \'93I mean... He does have a point, and I had no idea he felt that way about me.\'94\
\
Alex barely heard the two other cubs speaking, struggling as shi was against the older, larger tiger boy\'92s grip as he tried to pin hir arms to hir sides, kneeling over hir. Growling, shi tried to break free, shredding the carpet under hir and nearly throwing him off despite his size. Hir anger gave way to panic, the rational part of hir mind having long since fled with the intensity of hir emotions. \'93Let go!\'94 shi roared, loudly enough to catch the attention of most of the people in the arcade, including the two employees at the front counter.\
\
\'93Heath? Uh, you need to leave. 
\f2\i Now
\f0\i0 ,\'94 Azalea said with growing alarm as she watched Alex rip chunks of carpet up, about to break free of the older tiger\'92s grip. The jerboa boy, only now realizing that his life was in danger, sprinted for the exit.\
\
\'93Alex? Please, 
\f2\i calm down
\f0\i0 ,\'94 Ravi said softly, barely keeping his grip on the struggling tigress. \'93I can\'92t let go until you do.\'94\
\
Somehow Ravi\'92s calm, collected voice managed to get through to hir. The smaller tigress went still, then looked around, realizing with embarrassment how many kids had gathered around them, staring at the spectacle. \'93Fine. I\'92m calm. Get off me already.\'94\
\
\'93Okay,\'94 Ravi said softly, his grip on the tigress loosening and letting go as he rolled off her and stood up. \'93Are you okay?\'94 he asked, holding his paw out to help her up.\
\
\'93Alex? Please\'85 Don\'92t ever do that again. You were scary,\'94 Azalea said, the tears having returned, rolling down her dark cheek fur. \'93And... I\'92m sorry,\'94 she muttered, wanting to reach out to Alex, but too frightened to do so.\
\
Alex waited until Ravi was standing to one side before rolling onto hir back and doing a kip-up, startling the various other cubs and the employees who were standing around. Shi brushed bits of shredded carpet off hir shirt and paws, then turned back around to face Azalea. \'93No, I\'92m the one who\'92s sorry. I knew what that little shit was trying to pull,\'94 shi said angrily, using hir feet to push the strip of photographs across the floor and over to the jerboa-squirrel hybrid. \'93He\'92s probably right too,\'94 shi continued. \'93We aren\'92t right for each other. At least not as mates.\'94 \
\
\'91Not if you\'92re willing to cheat on me,\'92 Alex thought to hirself, as hir chest began to ache, realizing shi had lost yet another lover. \'93We\'92re through. I\'92m going home,\'94 the tigress said, turning around and walking through the crowd that had gathered, yanking hir backpack from the cubby next to the counter, wiping away a tear as shi pushed through the doorway and stepped outside.\
\
\'93Alex,\'94 Azalea called as she picked up the photos. \'93Alex!\'94 She called louder, looking up in time to see the tigress throw open the door and storm away. Getting to her paws, Azalea took off after the tigress, pushing through the doors with all the power her little legs had, yelling. \'93Alex, wait!\'94 she called after the tigress.\
\
Ravi watched with heavy heart as the young tigress left the arcade, followed by her now ex-girlfriend. He had been able to prevent her from shedding blood this time, but it was only a matter of time before she would again. She was doomed to a short, violent life that would end in death or prison, like the rest of his species with blood-stained fur. Their Ancestral Fury made it inevitable. It was both their blessing and their curse, a gift bestowed by Durga for bearing the Goddess into battle.\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\slmult1\qc\partightenfactor0
\cf0 __________________________________________________\
\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\slmult1\qj\partightenfactor0
\cf0 \
Alex darted up the stairs from the driveway to the upper patio, reaching the side entrance and pulling out hir key, fumbling three times before getting it into the lock with how badly hir paws were shaking from the storm of emotions shi was barely holding at bay. The tigress stepped through the door, locking it behind hirself and immediately ran upstairs. \
\
When shi reached the sanctity of hir own room, shi shut the door and chucked hir backpack into a corner, then fell onto hir bed. After everything that had happened, shi wanted nothing more than to curl up and cry, but the tears just wouldn\'92t come. The tiger cub rolled onto hir side and grabbed a pillow, holding it tight, hoping the tightness in hir chest would ease. Shi would have given anything just then to be taken by the soothing darkness of one of a blackout, like shi had been having earlier that year.\
\
Several miles away, Cora sat down as she watched her daughter head upstairs to her room. She wasn\'92t sure what had happened, but it was obvious something had, since Alex wasn\'92t there when she\'92d gone to pick up Azalea. She had tried talking to her daughter, but Azzy insisted everything was okay. Supposedly they had a tough time at the arcade, but nothing more than that.\
\
\'93I think this is the number,\'94 Cora murmured, looking at the little notebook by the phone. She dialed the number written under the label \'91Tigers\'92, and waited.\
\
Raenne swore as her cell phone began ringing in her purse rather than the call going through the speaker system of the SUV like it was supposed to. The five-year-old Nissan supposedly had a hands-free phone mode, but half the time the blasted thing wouldn\'92t pair correctly with her phone, and she wouldn\'92t know it until someone was calling\'85 like right now. Pulling over to the side of the twisty mountain road on the way back from the construction site, the tigress reached over and fumbled through the contents of her purse until she found the phone, then pulled it out and unlocked it. \'93Raenne speaking,\'94 she said, glancing in the side mirror and then putting the vehicle back in drive to continue the ride back into town.\
\
\'93Hey. I was starting to wonder if I\'92d written down the right number,\'94 Cora said as she walked over to the sofa. \'93It\'92s Cora. I was wondering if Alex said anything to you about what happened today.\'94\
\
\'93Sorry I was slow to pick up. I had to dig through my purse to get the phone. I\'92m actually driving back to the house right now,\'94 Raenne replied. \'93I thought Alex was still over at your place. Last night shi said shi was going to be there until noon or so. Did something happen?\'94\
\
\'93That\'92s what I\'92m trying to figure out,\'94 Cora said with a shrug. \'93I drove them into town earlier. Azalea called me to pick her up at the arcade not that long ago, quiet as the dead, saying Alex had walked home.\'94 The jerboa took a deep breath. \'93I asked Azalea what happened, but all she said was they had a rough time at the arcade. I don\'92t know if it\'92s something big or not.\'94\
\
\'93I\'92ll ask when I get home in a couple minutes. Alex is usually willing to talk to me and David when something\'92s wrong. If I find anything out, I\'92ll let you know, \'91kay?\'94 the tigress asked, wanting to get off the phone; she hated driving with a phone in her paw.\
\
\'93That works for me. I\'92m gonna see if I can get something out of Azzy,\'94 Cora said softly as she got up. \'93I\'92ll talk to you soon.\'94 She said as she walked back to the phone\'92s cradle in the kitchen.\
\
Two minutes later, Raenne finally pulled into their driveway in the tiny suburb of Aspen Glen. By the time she\'92d managed to get the sleeping twins unbuckled and one of them into the baby carrier around her chest, she was swearing at her husband for knocking her up in the first place. Muttering something about buying a henderson tool, she walked over to the \'91front\'92 door that led into the garage, pulling a pair of keys out of the side of her purse.\
\
The tigress unlocked the door, stepped in, then locked it behind herself and stood there in the garage for a moment, listening. The house was silent as the grave. Taking a not-so-wild guess as to where Alex might be, she went up the stairs, heading to the nursery to put the twins in their crib, then went upstairs to Alex\'92s bedroom.\
\
As expected, Alex\'92s door was closed. Walking over to it, Raenne knocked on it quietly. A second later, a soft \'93Yes?\'94 came from within.\
\
\'93Alex? I\'92m home. May I come in?\'94 the older tigress asked.\
\
There was a sigh, followed by something Raenne couldn\'92t make out. Shrugging, she opened the door a crack and stuck her head in. \'93I couldn\'92t make that out.\'94\
\
\'93I said \'91yeah, if you want\'92,\'94 Alex replied, laying on hir side, holding a pillow.\
\
Raenne stepped in, closing the door behind her, and walked over to sit down on Alex\'92s bed. Knowing better than to immediately ask what was wrong, the older tigress sat silently for a bit, looking over at her daughter. It was amazing how quickly Alex seemed to have grown; the years just seemed to fly by. She could still remember holding the little tiger cub, the day shi had been born.\
\
\'93Cora called me a few minutes ago. Said that you\'92d walked home from the arcade rather than catching a ride with her. She was worried something had happened, but Azalea wouldn\'92t talk.\'94\
\
Alex didn\'92t say anything. Actually, if the tiger cub hadn\'92t said something earlier, Raenne could have mistaken the cub for being dead. It was hard to tell that shi was even breathing.\
\
Raenne pressed on. \'93Did something happen?\'94\
\
Alex nodded.\
\
\'93Do you want to talk about it?\'94 Raenne asked.\
\
Alex shook hir head.\
\
\'93Will you tell me about it if I ask you anyways?\'94 the tigress asked, hesitantly.\
\
Alex sighed. \'93Fine,\'94 shi said, rolling onto hir back and staring at the ceiling.\
\
Raenne gave a quick, silent prayer to whatever deity had given her a child that was at least willing to talk when things were going wrong. For a moment she wondered if it was because she\'92d followed the advice in the parenting guide she\'92d read when Alex was still a toddler. Particularly that little bit about always listening when your child wanted to talk, and never, punishing them without giving both a warning and a reason.\
\
\'93Well, what happened at the arcade?\'94 Raenne asked. \'93I assume you went to the one on main street, next to the bakery and diner.\'94\
\
\'93Yeah,\'94 the tiger cub replied, too depressed to be snarky, even though there was only one arcade in town. \'93We were going to play some fighting games, only we were interrupted by a pair of boys. A tiger and a jerboa.\'94\
\
Raenne raised her eyebrows at that. What were the odds that a tigress and jerboa-hybrid would be at the arcade at the same time as another tiger and jerboa-hybrid? She shook her head. \'93And?\'94\
\
\'93Well\'85 Ravi was mostly quiet and polite\'85 but Heath\'85 I dunno\'85 something about him just\'85 I dunno,\'94 the tiger cub said, still staring up at the ceiling. Then shi looked down the bed at hir mom. \'93I didn\'92t trust him. Something told me he was trying to split me and Azalea up, cause he wanted to get into her pants. Turns out I was right. Fucker.\'94\
\
\'93Alex!\'94 Raenne gasped. \'93Watch your mouth! If you say the f-word again, you can say goodbye to television and video games for a week,\'94 she stated, glaring at her daughter. She couldn\'92t believe her ten-year-old cub had just dropped the f-bomb. Then again, shi was going to middle-school now, and hanging out with twelve and thirteen-year-olds.\
\
\'93Sorry,\'94 Alex replied, not feeling particularly sorry. After a moment shi continued. \'93He kept saying shit- Sorry. Saying 
\f2\i stuff
\f0\i0  about how he was looking out for Azzy, making sure I was right for her, stuff like that. Liar,\'94 she muttered. \'93Anyway, Azzy told us to stop arguing, and he offered to pay for a few games. So we played a bit, then when me and Ravi were playing, Heath took Azalea over to the photo booth.\'94 Alex said, clenching hir teeth. Just the memory was enough to get hir angry again. If shi ever saw him again, shi was going to kick him in the balls as hard as shi could.\
\
\'93So what happened?\'94 Raenne asked, reaching out and rubbing Alex\'92s leg. \'93Did he know you and Azzy are dating?\'94\
\
\'93
\f2\i Were
\f0\i0  dating,\'94 Alex spat out angrily. \'93He knew it too; it was the first thing I told him and Ravi when they started talking to us,\'94 the young tigress said, sitting up and staring down at hir skirt. \'93When I got there, he said they were just goofing around and pretended the machine was broken. I didn\'92t believe him, so I stuck another token in and printed a second set of photos when he walked away.\'94\
\
A frown started to form on Raenne\'92s face. She could already see where this was going, but didn\'92t interrupt as Alex continued to recount the story of what had happened.\
\
\'93They\'92d been kissing in the photo booth. I was pissed and I called him out on it. That\'92s when he gave me that shit about how me and Azalea weren\'92t supposed to be together, being cat and mouse or some shit. Racist little-\
\
\'93Alex\'85\'94 Raenne said sternly. \'93Language.\'94\
\
\'93Sorry,\'94 Alex muttered again, clenching hir fists in anger. \'93Anyway, I lost my temper. I wanted to kill him. I 
\f2\i would
\f0\i0  have killed him if Ravi hadn\'92t grabbed me and held me down while Heath ran off. Coward.\'94\
\
The older tigress stared at her daughter, worried. If a tiger lost their temper, claws and fangs were bad enough, but martial training made them lethal, and it wasn\'92t possible to un-learn Karate. This was something they\'92d need to bring up with the therapist, before Alex wound up actually killing someone. \'93Alex?\'94 Raenne asked, attempting to distract her daughter before shi lost hir temper again. \'93Where did you learn about racism?\'94\
\
The question came out of left field for the tiger cub. \'93I\'85 I dunno,\'94 Alex said, evasively. For some reason shi didn\'92t want to tell hir mom about Kal. \'93I think I overheard some of the kids at school, talking about it. Does it matter?\'94\
\
\'93Not really. I was just curious. But saying that a given species should stick to their own isn\'92t really racist or specist, per se. It\'92s just\'85 well\'85 intolerant,\'94 Raenne explained. \'93Treating other people badly just because they\'92re a different species 
\f2\i is
\f0\i0  racist. Or, more accurately, speciesism. I better not catch you ever being racist.\'94\
\
Alex sighed and rolled hir eyes. \'93Mom, 
\f2\i I\'92m
\f0\i0  not the one who was being a racist, okay?\'94 Anyway\'85 yeah. That\'92s it. After that I was angry. Mostly at Heath, but Azalea too. So I told her \'91we\'92re through\'92, and I walked home.\'94\
\
Raenne sighed, and scooted further up Alex\'92s bed. \'93Come here,\'94 she said, using Alex\'92s leg to drag hir closer. \'93So you were angry at Heath because he lied and tried to steal your girlfriend, and you were angry at Azalea because she fell for it.\'94\
\
\'93No... Yes,\'94 Alex corrected hirself, starting to get choked up when mom put her arm around hir shoulders. \'93I was also mad at Azalea cause she cheated on me,\'94 the young tigress said, hir eyes starting to tear up. \'93And I was mad at myself\'85 \'91cause I thought I could trust her\'85 like I trusted Lizzy.\'94 \
\
Alex\'92s voice cracked on the last word, and shi started to sob. Raenne sighed, pulling Alex close. She held her daughter and gently rubbed hir back as tears began to spill down hir muzzle.}