The Year of the Tiger (Book 3 of The Almair Series) (Completed)

Chapter 54

Tygra walked into the kitchen from the outside. She raised an eyebrow when she saw me in the kitchen with Marcus sitting at the table across from me, scowling. "Should I be worried?" she asked, glancing between the two of us before she looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "You two are fairly quiet."

I shrugged a shoulder, munching on an apple that I had "stolen" from Marcus. "He's upset," I replied after I made sure that my mouth was clear. I licked my lips and took another bite of the apple.

"She took an apple when I said no," Marcus said. "That is not leader like, Martha." He narrowed his eyes, and I raised an eyebrow. "You owe me four dollars."

I bit back a snort and shook my head. "Not happenin'," I replied. "I owe you nothing. I have already saved your life, and that should be enough."

Marcus snorted but didn't reply. He leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest, and scowled.

"Where did you go?" I asked, changing the subject while I glanced at Tygra.

"I had to talk to Shardul," she replied and shrugged a shoulder. She glanced at Marcus before she looked back at me, and I could tell that she had to talk to him about Marcus. "I was there when you texted him, and he said that it is fine. You can go over to his house whenever to start training."

I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded my head. "Good," I said. I finished my apple and licked my fingers. "Mmmmm." I nodded. "That was a good apple."

"I hope it was poisoned," Marcus said. "I hope you die."

Tygra was about to growl but stopped when she caught my look. Anger filled her eyes, and I knew that she wanted me to let her stand up for me.

"Fight me," I retorted, and Marcus raised an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes and shook my head before I stood and stretched, grabbing my bag after I was done stretching. "I guess I should head over to Shardul's house to see where and what he needs me to do. You're staying here, Tygra."

She huffed and rolled her eyes, scowling. "Fine," she said, her lips curving into a smirk. "I didn't want to fight you anyway."

I rolled my eyes and flicked her off, and she laughed while I started to walk to the backyard. "We can fight tomorrow. Deal?"

"Deal."

"I hope you don't mean that you are coming here to fight her," Marcus said, and I rolled my eyes. "I don't need to be in your presence for more than I have to."

"Too bad," I said. I opened the door and started to walk out of the house. "You are going to see me tomorrow, and there is nothing you can do or say that will change my mind."

"You won't be able to complete your training before you face whoever you have to face. I don't even know why you are trying."

I paused, and my grip on the door tightened. I turned to look at him and smiled sadly, dipping my head.

Out of all the things that the controlled Marcus could say, that was the one that stung the most.

"I know," I said, my voice cracking. I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "But, I have to try." And with that, I left, shutting the door behind me.

Please let me finish before I face whoever I need to face. Please.

***

I got home around midnight, mentally and emotionally exhausted, and all I wanted to do was get a shower and then go to bed. A sad smile appeared on my lips when I saw my father on the swing, swinging back and forth while he waited for me with a blanket on his shoulders and his eyes closed.

Two mugs of steaming something sat on the table beside him, and from a quick sniff, I could tell that it was tea.

My father opened his eyes as if he heard me and smiled, the corners of his eyes lifting and creating wrinkles. "Come," he said, opening the blanket for me. "Join me for a while. Ya?"

"But I stink," I said, but I walked over to him and sat down near his warm body. I leaned my head on his shoulder and tucked my legs underneath my body while he wrapped the blanket around me.

"I don't care," he said. He grabbed a mug and handed it to me before he took his for himself. "You have been busy this past couple of months, and if I can get a couple of minutes to myself, then I don't care if you stink or not."

I cringed and clutched the mug tighter. "I am sorry, Dad," I said guiltily. "I-"

He chuckled and shook his head, and I closed my mouth. "Don't be," he said. "You are the Almair and True One, trying to finish your training to become a Tiger. I understand."

I hesitantly nodded my head and took a sip of my drink, staying silent. I was relieved that he wasn't mad at me for not hanging around them so much and prayed that the rest of my family felt the same way. I had been busy this past couple of months trying to make sure that there were no more deaths and that Randi's death wasn't in vain. I had been trying to make sure that the Dark Forces didn't get anyone else.

"But you are still my daughter," he said. He placed a kiss on the top of my head, and I closed my eyes. "You are still a Johnson before you are the Almair, the True One, and even the Alpha Chosen."

I chuckled and wiped my eyes. "I know, Dad," I said. I cleared my throat and licked my lips, the air around us growing tenser while I tried to ask the question that had been burning me ever since Marcus uttered those words before I went to Shardul to do training for that day. "What if I am not ready to face whoever?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "What if I don't become a tiger before then?"

My father stayed silent and rocked back and forth. He cocked his head and studied the view in front of us as if it held the answer.

I turned my gaze and saw a tree standing there, towering over the house and standing guard.

The tree was one of three that were planted in my yard, surviving multiple storms that passed through the neighborhood as well as the occasional tornado that landed near us.

The other two trees stood near the sidewalk, standing guard over the driveway on either side, two sentinels in the dark to protect the house against the darkness of the world.

My father sighed, and I pulled my gaze from it and looked at him. He looked at me before he looked at the tree. "Then you will just have to use what you have learned up to that point," he replied. "Tiger or not, you have the potential and heart to do what you need to do, no matter what the cost."

I hesitated but nodded my head. "Do you think I can do it?" I asked, looking at him. "Do you think I can do this?"

"I don't think, Martha," he said. He looked down at me and smiled. "I know so."

I nodded my head but stayed silent, and after that, we nursed the teas in silence, rocking back and forth, enjoying each others' presence in the darkness of the night.