Page 63 of Tiger's Curse
I put my hand over his and gently asked, “Kishan, don’t you want a future for yourself or a family? I know what it feels like when someone you love dies. It’s lonely. You feel broken, like you can never be whole again. You feel like they took a piece of you with them when they left.
“But you are not alone. There are people you can care for and who will care for you. People who will give you lots of reasons to go on living. Mr. Kadam, your brother, and me. There could even be someone else to love. Please come with us to Hampi.”
Kishan looked away and continued softly, “I gave up wishing for things that will never be a long, long time ago.”
I gripped his hand harder. “Kishan, please reconsider.”
He squeezed my hand back and smiled. “I’m sorry, Kelsey.” He stood up and stretched. “Now, if you and Ren insist on going on this long journey, he will have to hunt.”
“Hunt?” I cringed. Ren hadn’t been eating much from what I’d seen.
“He might have been eating enough for a human, but definitely not enough for a tiger. He’s a tiger most of the time, and for him to be strong enough to protect you on this journey, he’ll have to eat more. Something big, like a nice boar or a water buffalo.”
I gulped. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. He’s very thin for a tiger. He needs to bulk up. Get some protein.”
I stroked Ren’s back. Icouldfeel his ribs.
“Okay, I’ll make sure he hunts before we leave.”
“Good.” He bowed his head and grinned at me. He grasped my fingers in farewell and seemed reluctant to let them go. Finally, he said, “Thank you, Kelsey, for the very interesting chat.”
With that, he changed back into the black tiger and loped off into the jungle.
Ren was still asleep with his head on my lap, so I sat quietly for a bit longer. I traced the stripes on his back and looked at his scratches. Where gaping rips had been only an hour ago, the skin had almost completely healed. The long scratch across his face and eye was gone. Not even a scar remained.
When my legs were completely numb from having Ren’s weight on them, I shifted out from under his head and built up the fire again. He just rolled over on his side and continued sleeping.
That fight must have taken a lot out of him. Kishan is right. He does need to hunt. He’s got to keep up his strength.
Ren slept as I puttered around the area restocking the woodpile and eating dinner.
Ready to sleep myself, I grabbed my quilt, wrapped it around my body, and lay down near him. His chest rumbled, but he never awoke; he just rolled closer to me. Using his back as a pillow, I fell asleep looking at the stars.
I woke up in the late morning with my quilt twisted all around me. I looked around for Ren, but I didn’t see him anywhere. The fire was ablaze, though, as if he’d just thrown logs onto it. I rolled onto my stomach to try to wiggle out of the quilt, only to gasp in pain as a tremor rippled across my back.
Reaching around and trying to rub my sore muscles, I groaned, “Too many nights sleeping on the hard ground and you wind up an old lady before your time.” I gave up and lay back down.
I heard a soft footfall, and Ren stuck his nose into my face.
“Oh, don’t mind me. I’m just going to lay here until my spine pops back into alignment.”
He turned and began kneading my back with his tiger paws. I laughed painfully as I tried to suck air back into my lungs. He was like an extremely heavy kitten sharpening his claws on a human couch.
I squeaked out, “Thanks anyway, Ren, but you’re too heavy. You’re knocking the wind out of me.”
His heavy tiger paws lifted off my back and were replaced by warm, strong hands. Ren began massaging my lower back, and my thoughts drifted back to the embarrassing kissing altercation. My face turned hot, and my body tensed, causing my back to spasm even more.
“Relax, Kelsey. Your back is full of knots. Let me work on it.”
I tried to not think about Ren, and instead remembered my one and only massage from a middle-aged masseuse. It was actually painful, and I never went back for another one. The lady pushed too hard and dug her knuckles into my shoulder blades. I didn’t want to say anything, so I just suffered through it. Each minute was torture. With every rub, I repeated the mantra “I hope it’s over. I hope it’s over.”
Ren’s massage was completely different. He was gentle and applied medium pressure with his palms. Rubbing in a circular pattern down my spine, he found the tight spots and worked the muscles until they were warm and loose. When he was finished with my back, he trailed his fingers up my spine, to the collar of my shirt, and began to massage my shoulders and neck, which shot little tingles all through my body.
Nimble fingers began at my hairline and pressed in little circles, working my neck. Then Ren increased the pressure using smooth strokes from my neck to my shoulders. Wrapping his fingers over the arch of my neck, he kneaded, squeezed, and compressed the muscles, easing away the aches and pains leisurely and methodically. Eventually, the pressure lightened until it was almost a caress. I sighed deeply, enjoying it immensely.
When he stopped, I carefully tested my back by sitting up. He got up and reached under my elbow to steady me as I stood up.
