Free Wish Upon a Tiger: A BBW Weretiger Shifter Romance (Fountain of Love) by A.T. Mitchell Page A

voice echoed through the ghostly chambers.
We'd come to the wide cavern where he normally had his fire set.
    Jenna's grip tightened on mine. I moved forward, bent
near the fire, and swept my hand through the earthy material there.
    “ Pretty
fresh looking ash. He's been around here recently. He's just
gone...deeper.” I stared down the nearest hole leading into the
mountain.
    There were three tunnels, and I wasn't crazy enough to
go looking for him down any. The caverns were a maze, meant only for
our oracle to go deep and commune with the spirits.
    Worse, small strips of ice were embedded in the little
cracks lining the cave's floor. Up here, in the darkness, it was cold
enough for water to freeze, an omen of the winter coming soon to the
outside world.
    “ Doesn't
anyone check up on this guy?” Jenna asked.
    “ Only
when there's reason to. Our oldest, holiest tigers separate
themselves from the community as soon as their hair goes gray and
their coats begin to dull. Elder Brahm has been Tiger Tree's spirit
guide since my father was young and –“
    My words stopped in my throat. A shadow crept up near
the walkway where we'd entered. My instincts roared to life and I
raced after it.
    “ Stop
tracking ash all over my home. You're too hasty, young tiger.”
    The Elder's voice froze me in mid-run. I suppressed a
surprised growl and looked him up and down. He stood there in his
faded cloak and trademark walking stick, tall and wiry as ever. He'd
lost weight and gained several inches on the tangled gray beard
reaching to his stomach since I'd last seen him.
    “ Someone's
brought you here.” He sniffed at the air. “Why the
hesitation to show me who?”
    I blinked. “No hesitation here, Elder. Right this
way.”
    I led him over to Jenna. She was leaning against one of
the large boulders where he and I always sat during our
consultations.
    When the Elder saw my lady, he smiled. In all my time
with him, I never recalled a grin like that.
    I didn't know whether to be uneasy or hopeful.
    “ Welcome
home, young tigress!” In one big swoop, he threw his skinny
arms around my Jenna and hugged her tight.
    She looked over his shoulder at me, sharing an
expression so confused I nearly laughed.
    “ Sit,
sit,” the Elder said, slowly releasing her. “You've come
here to discover who you are, tigress. I can help you do that.”
    “ Her
name is Jenna,” I said, catching up to them and sitting next to
her on the rocks.
    Elder Brahm looked at me sullenly. “I know.”
    He reached behind the biggest boulder against the cavern
wall, pulling out flint and kindling. The fire was lit with a few
sparks created by his branch-like arms.
    Why the sudden interest? Normally he makes visitors
feel like it's a chore to talk to him. He doesn't like to be
disrupted from whatever the hell goes on up here.
    I stared into his eyes. They betrayed nothing. The dark
pools there were just as mysterious as the rest of him.
    “ You,
tigress, must ask the questions I already have the answers to,”
he said.
    Jenna looked at me, her pretty face tense. I could tell
she was trying to keep herself whole, without shaking, and not
because of the cold.
    “ Why
are we here again?” she asked in a low voice.
    “ To
discover your tiger side. You've wondered about your family, right?
That's where he comes in. He can help you discover the truth.”
I looked at Brahm, but he just kept his eyes fixed on Jenna.
    “ Ask
the questions,” the Elder droned. “You summon the truth.”
    Jenna stared into the fire, no doubt collecting her
words. Finally, she looked up and stared at the Elder, a little less
nervous than before.
    “ Tell
me about my parents. There's some connection to this place. I've felt
it since the moment I was brought here...”
    “ Blood
that arrives in danger once left in danger too.” The Elder's
eyes bulged. “The one who birthed you was not one of us. And
for her origins, she paid dearly.”
    He swept one hand through the top of the fire,