Tiger Read online

  “Will do.”

  He left her alone and she stood, stretching her limbs after sleeping in the cramped position. Tiger’s color looked better and she bent over him, brushing a kiss on his cheek.

  “Wake up for me, sexy. I miss you.”

  The door opened behind her and she straightened. It was a doctor who stepped inside the room and he frowned when he spotted her. “Hello. I’m Dr. Razner.” He drew closer to glance at Tiger, then the machines, before turning his attention on her again. “What agency do you work for?”

  “Agency?” She had no idea what he was talking about.

  “The nurses said you’ve been on duty since yesterday. You’ve bathed the patient and kept vigil at his bedside since you arrived. No one knows what agency you were hired from and I am slightly alarmed by that. Did you get permission to work here? This isn’t a private home. Are you a registered nurse? A certified nurse practitioner?”

  Her mind was still a little sluggish from lack of sleep. “I’m not a nurse.”

  “You’re a doctor? What’s your field?”

  “I’m not one of those either. I’m here for Tiger.”

  The older man shoved his glasses a little higher on his nose and frowned. “What are you to him?”

  She hesitated. “I’m his girlfriend.”

  The doctor’s expression slowly changed to one she could easily read. Disapproval wrinkled his face and a coldness seeped into his gaze as he regarded her.

  “Shame on you,” he accused softly.

  “Excuse me?” Shock slapped her at his words.

  “Didn’t your parents teach you right from wrong? It’s abhorrent for humans to have intercourse with animals. That’s just sick, young lady. This hospital boasts an excellent mental-health facility. You should go check yourself in immediately to get the treatment you need. You’re an attractive young lady who doesn’t need to stoop to dating those things.”

  It took a few seconds for Zandy to recover from the astonishment of his verbal attack and to let his insulting words to sink in. “How dare you speak to me that way.” Her hands curl into fists, the urge to slap him strong. “Why don’t you go find another doctor to pull your head out of your own ass?”

  He sputtered. “What did you say to me?”

  “You heard me. How dare you talk to me that way about Tiger. He’s a better man than you’ll ever be, you prejudiced loser. I deal with letters spewing hate and stupidity from pricks like you all day at work. You went to med school? Let me guess. Was it by any chance the school of doctors without brains? Where did you do your residency? Assholes anonymous?”

  His fists clenched. “Get out of here before I call security. You’re banned from this patient and the entire hospital.”

  “Fuck you.” She flipped him off. “You’re the one out of here. You’re not touching Tiger. You’re fired. I demand someone else treat him. I wouldn’t let you near him with a ten-foot pole.” She remembered that the NSO had their own female doctor somewhere on the premises who’d been sleeping when she’d arrived. “I want the NSO doctor right now.”

  “Security!” the creep yelled.

  Jaded and Trey Roberts rushed into the room in seconds, both of them focused on Tiger, probably expecting him to be awake and violent. Zandy moved to block the doctor when he tried to step closer to Tiger’s bed.

  “Get the hell away from him.”

  “Get her out of here,” the doctor demanded.

  “Over your dead body,” she threatened.

  “What the hell is going on?” Trey Roberts stepped closer, glancing between them.

  “He’s fired,” Zandy ground out. “I don’t want him near Tiger ever again.”

  “This is my hospital. Get her out of here.” The doctor glared at Trey. “I want our security staff in here and she’s to be removed from the hospital property immediately.”

  “This piece of shit just lectured me about how sick it is to date an animal and called Tiger a thing.” She took a threatening step closer to the doctor, ready to deck him. She was that angry. “Tiger is a wonderful person and you don’t deserve to breathe the same air he does.”

  Jaded growled and the door opened again as Bestial and another task team member rushed inside the room.

  “What is going on?” Bestial glanced at Tiger. “He didn’t wake?”

  Jaded moved slowly, cupped Zandy’s hips, and tugged her away from the doctor. She didn’t resist but kept glaring at him. The big New Species holding her growled again, deeper. The threatening sound caused her to turn her head to peer up into his face. His sharp teeth were showing as he watched the doctor with about the same amount of anger as she felt.

  “Get out, Dr. Razner,” Jaded demanded. “You’re done here. You will no longer treat our male.”

  “This is my hospital.”

  Trey Roberts stepped between the doctor and where Jaded stood holding Zandy in front of him. “Get out, Dr. Razner. You’re fired.”

  “You can’t do that.”

  “Yes, we can,” Trey argued. “I have the administrator of this hospital on speed dial.” He pulled out his cell phone. “She assured us that Tiger would get the very best care and we would get her total cooperation on everything we need.” He stepped into the doctor, bumped him back with his bigger body and glared at the shorter man. “I need you to get the fuck out before I lose my temper. Tiger is my friend, not a thing, and the only animal you need to worry about is me. I’m feeling like going a little savage on your dumb ass right now.”

  The doctor paled and stumbled back. Bestial growled, showed his sharp canines to the terrified doctor and Zandy watched the jerk flee the room. Trey shoved his phone back into his pocket and turned to stare at Jaded.

  “That went well, don’t you think? Did he piss his pants?”

  “No.”

  “Too bad.” Trey’s gaze lowered to Zandy. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded.

  He turned to Bestial. “I’ll let you handle Justice on that incident report, who will hopefully tell Tim not to jump my ass. I’m going to have a heart-to-heart chat with the administrator before that asswipe calls her, crying about us being mean to him.” He chuckled. “I think we handled that well. No blood was spilled.” He walked out of the room.

  Bestial sighed, staring at Zandy. “What did I miss?”

  “He is anti-Species,” Jaded answered for her. “He insulted Tiger’s female for being with him.”

  “Got it. I’ll call Homeland to let them know what happened.” He spun and left the room.

  Jaded’s hands released her hips and she faced him. “Thank you.”

  “You’re lucky the humans are honest about their hatred with you. That same doctor was on duty when Tiger was brought in. He helped treat him but never showed his distaste for our kind. He could have harmed Tiger or not done his best to make him well without us realizing it.”

  “I can’t believe he said that shit.”

  Jaded sighed loudly. “Get used to it, Zandy. You’re with one of us and it unfortunately comes with the territory. I’m sure you knew it wouldn’t be easy when you decided to be with Tiger.”

  “I really haven’t thought much about it. Our circumstances are a bit odd.”

  He took a seat. “Talk to me and tell me how you two met.”

  “I’d rather skip that part.”

  His gaze narrowed while he watched her.

  “It’s kind of an embarrassing story I’d rather not share.”

  “How long have you been seeing him?”

  “Not long.” She walked over to Tiger and watched him rather than the man intent on getting information out of her.

  “You’re in heat. I asked one of the human task team members to pick you up some supplies to hide your scent.”

  That made her look at him and she blushed. “Sorry.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. It was still weird that they could smell her ovulating.

  “It’s a pleasant scent.” He smiled. “That’s the problem and why I asked them