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hybrid could be. That was part of the myths, too—that
the offspring of a tiger-human mix could either be human or
shifter. Because Nila had been born mostly human, she didn’t have a
tiger form to give her any protection in the shifter world. That
made her infinitely more vulnerable.
    “ Fine,” she said after taking
another sip from her mug. “Weretigers—tiger shifters?”
    He nodded at the preferred way his people
referred to themselves.
    “ Okay. Tiger shifters exist. My
mother was one. Petrov is also one. My mother managed to have me
with my human father, which shouldn’t happen. And now Petrov wants
me dead. So far so good?”
    “ Yes.”
    “ Does he want me killed because I’m
a mix?”
    “ Those like Petrov consider you…
They think you’ll dilute tiger bloodlines and destroy the species.
In fact, according to my grandmother, Petrov has been very
vocal—and fanatical—in his opposition to even the idea of a
tiger-human mix. Apparently, during a debate among a group of
powerful tigers, Petrov announced he’d kill any ‘abominations’ he
came across. At the time, everyone just thought he was talking. But
over the years he’s gotten even more fanatical in his beliefs, and
his current actions prove just how serious his threat
was.”
    “ Why is diluting tiger bloodlines an
issue? How could that destroy the species?”
    “ Tigers are in a lot of trouble,
biologically. The sex ratio is extremely skewed—too many males, not
nearly enough females. Female births continue to be rare. Tiger
shifters are heading for extinction if a solution to the problem
isn’t found soon.”
    “ Ah. So…a mix that produces an
ordinary human is…bad?”
    “ It’s a little more complicated than
that. If your mother could have you, there’s the possibility that
you could have children with a tiger shifter, too. That possibility
is…well, it’s hope to a lot of the males that would otherwise never
be able to have children.”
    “ How is that a bad
thing?”
    “ The tigers that think like Petrov
believe those mixed matings will drive us closer to extinction,
that they’ll produce mostly humans and after a while, completely
breed out the shifters.”
    “ Will that happen?”
    She asked with genuine curiosity— no judgment,
no disgust—as if they were discussing a topic that didn’t directly
impact her life. He wasn’t sure if that was good. On the one hand,
it meant she wasn’t running away screaming into the night. On the
other hand, it was hard to tell if she even believed what he was
telling her. He took in her scent, searching for clues, but there
were too many layers of emotion for even his tiger senses to sort
through.
    “ No one knows,” he answered. “No one
even believed someone like you could exist. Well, except my
grandmother. She’s done a lot of research into the
possibility.”
    “ Your grandmother… How did she and
my grandma meet?” She narrowed her eyes and he could see she was
starting to make some connections.
    “ Anaya went to my grandmother when
she found out she was pregnant by a human.”
    “ Why?”
    “ Elizaveta is an elder—a member of
the tigers’ governing body. She’s the only female elder and one of
the most powerful as well.”
    “ Ah, so what better person to go to,
then. When Anaya left me with my dad…?”
    “ Elizaveta befriended your
grandmother so she could keep an eye on you. And protect
you.”
    Nila snorted. “Right. Some
protection.”
    “ She doesn’t know how Petrov learned
about you. But as soon as she discovered he’d found you, she sent
me to help, and she’s got the Trackers—essentially our police
force—after Petrov as we speak.”
    “ Will they be able to catch
him?”
    “ Yes.” He spoke with more confidence
than he felt. Petrov wasn’t a tiger to take lightly. “But it will
take some time. We’ll have to get moving again tomorrow to stay
ahead of him.”
    “ Whoa, wait. I thought… Why do we
have to go anywhere?”
    She leaned