The Weretiger and Werewolf

Chapter one

Cleo

As soon as I walk into school I can smell the heavy scent of my mate. I suppress my growl, as some of my classmates are human. I look around to try and find him. I’d been seventeen now for a week and it’s my guess that my mate hasn’t been around for that week for me to find. I’d gotten to the point where I’d thought I might have to go searching abroad. But now…

I’m not a werewolf in case you’re wondering. Werewolves have been extinct for a couple of hundred yeas now, though I don’t believe that. No one has spotted one for ages but considering I’m meant to be a myth, I don’t believe everything I’m told.

There are four types of shifter in the world, Werewolves, Werepanthers, Weretigers and Wereleopards. Werewolves became extinct because unlike the other three types that were cats the wolves couldn’t interbreed. The different types of big cats could and instead of having mix breeds the offspring would favour one strand of blood. Families often had offspring of pure bloods that were different to each other.

But I’m different. Everyone in the supernatural community thinks I can’t merge because I’ve never let anyone see the other side of me.  The reason is simple. We’re at war. Every pride has allied to face the common threat, demons. Not much is known of demons, except that they came and began to kill us. They ignore humans, only going after supernatural beings. If anyone were to find out about me, well it wouldn’t be good.

I’m a Weretiger but when I first merged I knew I couldn’t never show anyone what I was. A Weretiger is meant to be tan and black or white and black. They are never meant to be a charcoal grey with pitch-black stripes.

Each type of Were animal has a colour that means that that person is a cut above the rest. Their power is magnified seven times more than any other normal Were animal. A charcoal grey tiger with pitch-black stripes are the most powerful tigers. The other powerful types are a pure white Panther, a black with dark blue spots leopard and a white wolf with blue highlights.

Having any of these in a war means that the number of kills would be out of control. I’ve already lost so much from this war and while I know we’re only fighting to defend ourselves from the demons I don’t think I could face all the killing, and it’s no lie that a lot of humans get caught in the crossfire. I refuse to kill any innocent humans.

I sit down under a tree and watch as people walk by, trying to spot my mate who gives off the scent. I see shifters of all three prides; obviously I don’t see any werewolves. I watch as a group of Werepanthers walk by. They all give me a glare as they pass but I let it slide. Not a single one of them can match my speed, strength or agility. Of course I do have the advantage of being seven times more powerful than them but I don’t tell them that.

I can beat them any day in human form but they think they’re better than me because as far as they know, I can’t merge. I don’t’ really care though. They might think they’re better than me but they don’t mess around with me, which means I get to go about my day without being hassled.

I can hear a bell ring and begin to make my way to my first class. I slide into my seat and try to get my mind into the idea of listening to the teacher. I use to be a good student. That is until I turned fifteen and found out I was one of the most powerful Weretigers. After that, my perspectives on why I should do well in school were skewed. I knew one day they would find out about me and I would be needed in the pack. No need to go to university when I was already needed elsewhere. I wanted to be something that would get me out of the pride for a few years, but now I knew there was no point, and besides it took the stress of having to hand in school work off my mind. I could do the work, In fact I usually did. The teachers had asked me if I wanted to move up a class but I refused saying there was no point.

English is a bore as we have a study period where everyone studies for an exam coming up in two days. I don’t bother. The book was easy and while our teacher said we should look into the deeper meanings I know them already. I give a sigh as the bell rings and we head out to our next class. Like most Werecats it’s my favourite subject. Prac. I get changed into my sports uniform and wait with the rest of my class.

Our teacher running late, as usual, marks us off on the roll and than proceeds to ask what sport we want to play. As well over half of the students are Werecats they immediately vote for dodge ball. I give a smile. No one has ever beaten me yet.

We’re split into two teams. The teacher, who is a Wereleopard, tries to make the teams even by putting me on the worst team. He and everyone else knows that whatever team I’m on will win. While it’s nice to know that I’m good at sport I’d rather be a normal Weretiger and be able to run with friends when we merge than be envied for my athletic skill but not being able to merge at all.

Our teacher is about to begin the game when someone plugs in their iPod into the doc that seems to float around the school. We all laugh as Hips don’t lie by Shakira begins to play. The teacher’s shrugs and the game begin. As we play all the Werecats begin to dance while playing. It is a known fact that Werecats love music and to dance. It is a strange thing to see girls and guys dance while dodging balls at the same time. All the humans get out in the first thirty seconds and soon there are only a handful of us left.

Keeping to the beat of music I jump and do the splits mid-air while dodging a ball. I land in the splits and flip over dodging another ball. I spin, duck and move around the balls that fly my way while keeping perfect beat with the music that blasts out into the indoor centre. I don’t take more than a millisecond to aim and than throw the ball hitting my target right where I aimed. The game is over before the song even finishes.

One of my teammates and myself are all that are left on the court and the teacher yells “one point to blue team,”

Another song begins and we’re hallway through the game when my hearing picks up the sound of a door opening. I lean back as a ball flies towards me and than whip my head around to se the newcomer. Dark hair, almost black in colour catches my attention first. He turns around and I take in his profile. Tall, toned and fit with muscles that peek out from his short sleeve shirt. A strong jawline and perfect face hold a set of deep blue eyes that seem almost black in their colour. I immediately know he’s a Werecat. I also know he’s my mate. The smell of forest on a rainy night surrounds me and I let out a low growl. His head jerks towards me as I make the sound and I’m surprised by the fear that crosses his face.

The teacher smiles as she realises what’s going on and quickly diverts the attention of the humans away from us. I watch as the teacher herds the class outside to play another sport. I can feel myself moving closer to him. Most people think that that we have an animal in us that talks to us and is separate to us, sort of like a second mind. They’re wrong. We aren’t a human and an animal we are literally half of both. There is no voice in my head except my own and every instinct I have is because I’m half tiger, not because I have a tiger in me.

He watches me as I walk closer. He gives a low growl as I walk closer. I stop at the sound. It was a warning, not to come any closer. I give him a smile “what’s the matter? Scared?” His face shows a flash of fear before he puts on a poker face. He lets out a shaky breathe “no,” I give a smile at his obvious lie. I’m not sure what’s going on in his mind but his sudden movement catches me off guard. He’s bolted through the door. I look back to my pride members who shoot me confused yet amused looks. I give a smile as I run after him. The hunt is on.