Chapter 9: Control

A loud continuous beep had Grayson groaning and trying to nuzzle against the warmth surrounding him, only, it wasn't really nuzzle-able. It was nearly as hard as a rock and breathing.

Hmm. Breathing...

Wait a second.

His eyes blinked open sleepily, taking a moment to adjust to the dim light before registering that someone was lying next to him. Or really, a better explanation would be that he was lying in someone's arms. It didn't take long to connect the dots from the previous day and realize that it was Erin, even though Grayson could only really see his neck and chest right then.

Wait a second. What actually happened last night?

He thought hard for a few minutes before his eyes widened in shock.

Oh god, I kissed him in his sleep!

Everything suddenly got much bigger before cloth covered his sight.

Darn it!

His alarm kept up its annoying drawl of beeps as Grayson struggled to get out of his own pajamas, then look up at Erin.

How is he still asleep with all this noise?

He knew that his mother was probably already gone so they needed to get up and get ready, but Erin wasn't waking up.

Okay, I can just get him up myself, and he can grab my backpack. I always have a change of clothing in there so when we get to school I'll just go to the bathroom, shift and change.

Grayson nodded his fuzzy head in agreement with himself before stumbling over his comforter and up to Erin's face.

Okay, time to wake up.

He let out the loudest possible squeak he could muster, then waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Nothing? Really?

He tried again, giving it his all as his tiny mouse yelled its head off right next to Erin's ear. After a few seconds the guy just shifted a bit, then began snoring.

Oh, come on.

Grayson thought that Erin could here him thinking to him, but he guessed that it didn't work very well when he was asleep.

Okay, time to use my non-existent mouse muscles to get him up.

With a determined squeak he got up on his back legs and smacked Erin's nose with his paw.

No response.

With a grunt, he climbed up onto Erin's cheek and sat on his haunches so that he could smack him with his two front paws.

Nothing? Alright, he asked for it.

Puffing up his fur, Grayson growled out another squeak and bit down on Erin's cheek. His mother had always told him it was rude to bite people, and he'd tried not to, but they really needed to get going.

He felt Erin finally begin to respond after a moment but then a hand suddenly slapped him like a mosquito.

Thanks. That's just what I needed this morning.

Grayson fell off his face, stunned from the smack as Erin finally began to come around.

What the hell kind of bug just bit me?

At least it's probably dead with that hit.

A faint squeak met his ears, drawing his brows together in confusion.

Squeak?

Sitting up, Erin glanced around the bed until he noticed Grayson's mouse curled up right next to where his head had been. His eyes were partially closed and he looked hurt...

"Oh shit!"

Erin quickly scooped him up, getting a squeak of protest for the action.

"I'm so sorry, Gray. I didn't know it was you." He said.

The little mouse in his hands let its ears droop and sniffled. He wanted to offer him some cheese as an apology since he loved it so much, but he didn't think that he'd honestly appreciate the after effects. So, Erin just gave him a gentle kiss on the nose before his form wavered, then began to shift. He let him drop down to the blanket in his human form, bouncing on his backside twice before he slid out of bed.

Erin hadn't meant to look, but now he felt even worse. Grayson's back was faintly red but his backside... it looked like he had smacked him really hard. When the guy turned around after tugging on a pair of boxers from the dresser to his left, he grumbled at him.

"You're a pain in the butt when you're asleep."

That got Erin smirking and leaning forward on his hands and knees.

"I can kiss it better if you want?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

His whole face lit up, but surprisingly, Grayson lunged at Erin instead of acting embarrassed. Erin caught his scrawny little body easily but he was a quick little brat. He managed to squirm out of his hands twice before he finally got him pinned sideways on the bed, Grayson's legs hanging over the edge as Erin pushed his hands into the blankets right above his head. Grayson tried to get free again, but Erin just smirked, then sat on his abdomen.

"Let me go you darn elephant!"

"I don't think I feel like it." Erin said with another smirk.

His thoughts went back to what he'd done the night before as he watched Grayson try to get out of his grasp. It seemed like Grayson was planning to keep that bit of kissing to himself, so he guessed that's what he would have to do so, too... for now.

"....E-Erin, we need to get to class." Grayson squeaked out.

Erin quickly jerked his head back, having not realized that he was literally inches away from doing exactly what Grayson had done to him last night.

"Uh, right. Yeah, let's go." He said awkwardly.

He was already dressed from yesterday so he decided to just wear what he had on and change after gym class with the clean outfit he usually left in his locker. Shifting off of Gray, Erin leaned over and turned off the guy's alarm, then quickly got out of his bed to head downstairs. He was quick to follow after getting dressed and they both ran out to his car without thinking about breakfast.

Damn horny tigers.

After a thirty minute walk back home since a certain bastard had taken his car, Tarren took a quick shower and fell into bed... but sleep never came. He wasn't really worried about getting his car back since he knew where the kid went to school and worse came to worse, he would just track him down with his lion. However, it did really bother him that he was in heat so badly and yet still allowed to just wander about. Tigers got incredibly aggressive during their cycle, which made his bullying much more understandable.

Still was a bit rude to throw me out of my own car after I did him in the back seat.

His thoughts took a sudden turn toward Arron, his little brother's mate. He had come into heat a lot earlier than most females did, but that was probably because of his shifting issues. He wasn't sure if Tiege had any of those problems, but he knew that he was definitely a cross-shifter now.

I really need to go find him. If what we did actually caused him to get pregnant, I need to get him to a vet and pilled.

It might already be too late, but he knew that it would be better late than never if it did work. With a growl of annoyance Tarren got up and tossed on a pair of black cargo shorts and a button-down blue and white checkered shirt before running out the door. He didn't bother with shoes in case Tiege's attitude was anything like the other day, he'd need to be able to shift quickly.

When he got to the school, kids were hanging around the front while others were just arriving in the parking lot, but the one he was looking for was definitely already there, because he could hear him roaring all the way from the sidewalk.

He was already in his tiger form when Tarren ran over. Some of the kids were watching Tiege, but at a good distance. As he jogged closer, he could smell blood in the air, and once he pushed through a few people he noticed Tiege's friend, the wolf from before, on the ground. He was hurt, but still conscious.

"Tiege!" Tarren yelled, making the tiger's head whip around with an angry rumble as his eyes narrowed. It began to approach slowly, but Tarren wasn't really focusing on his actions right then. Instead, he was much more interested in how he got the scratches along the left side of his face and both shoulders. Someone had hurt him and it definitely hadn't been a little wolf pup.

"Tiege, who hurt you?"

The tiger's golden eyes burned with hatred as he got within several feet of him. Okay, definitely not getting through to him right now, but I really don't want to fight. He was a student, after all, and Tarren would be the one in more trouble if something bad happened.

With that in mind, he ran. Heavy thuds from angry paws quickly followed after him. There was no way he would be able to outrun a tiger in his human form, and his lion wasn't exactly in shape, either. So, he quickly turned and jumped, grabbing a branch before swinging up into a big oak tree. Tiege leaped up right as Tarren got his footing, nearly catching his ankle with a clawed paw while he hurried to a higher branch.

"Tiege, calm down! I don't want to fight with you."

The tiger paced around the tree, trying to figure out how to get him down. Tarren noticed that he had several more, longer gashes along his pelt, reaching down to his flank and back legs.

"Tiege... what the heck happened to you last night?"

Tarren's voice quieted to a whisper and thankfully the spectator kids were now being rounded up by teachers and the wolf taken inside, no doubt to get his injuries checked by the school nurse. One teacher noticed him in the tree and began walking toward Tiege, but Tarren quickly signaled for him to leave. He would handle it himself. No one else needed to get hurt, and that would definitely happen unless Tiege calmed his tiger down.

"Tiege, if you shift and come up here, I'll let you punch me as much as you'd like."

His tiger's ears flicked up when Tarren spoke and it slowed its pacing to contemplate what he'd said. After a minute his form wavered and he shifted, making Tarren's heart constrict as he watched. The guy was covered in dried blood, but he barely smelled the wolf he'd attacked on him. It had to all be his own.

He hopped up, snagging a branch with one hand before getting himself up onto it. Judging from the look on his face as he climbed, he was hurting quite a bit. His tiger was still definitely in control, but the climb itself was wearing out his already damaged body. When he finally got around to reaching for the branch Tarren was on, he carefully grabbed Tiege's hand and helped him up. The guy quickly collapsed into his arms and Tarren had to grab him tighter to keep him from falling out of the tree.

"Tiege?"

His head snapped up with a deep growl, fangs partially extended to tell him that his tiger was still the one calling the shots.

"Tiege, I came here to tell you that we can stop what might be happening. It was a mistake, but the vet can give you a pill. You don't have to worry about having kittens."

Tiege whipped his fist around, catching Tarren's jaw and jerking his head to the side from the force of the hit.

Damn it. This kid hits like a truck, even when weak.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, so fuck off!" Tiege snarled.

"What? I know exactly what you are. And I know that you were in heat yesterday and your wristband broke that probably holds the herb that keeps your pheromones in check around other people. That's why we jumped each other so suddenly."

He reared back slightly, his face finally showing the human Tiege a little. But then he bristled again and growled. "I don't want a damn disruption pill! And it's too late anyway."

He already knew about the pill? I guess that makes sense since he is a cross-shifter, but then why does he not want it? Wait a second. Too late?

"A-Are you...?"

His head dropped slightly, eyes lowering in humiliation.

"Hey, I won't just leave you, Tiege. I know we don't exactly know each other, but I'm not that kind of person." Tarren said awkwardly.

"You don't fucking get it!" Tiege snarled, his anger, along with his sudden lunge, had Tarren flattening himself against the tree as Tiege panted in his face.

"My parents don't want it. They're aborting."

What?

"....b-but I'll take it!" Tarren said quickly.

Tiege's eyes showed a very faint glimmer of hope before clouding over again.

"It's tomorrow, though, and they don't want to waste time on a worthless hybrid."

What did it matter if it was a hybrid? There were plenty of ligers, so why abort it? Just because it was a mistake? They didn't even bother trying to find out if I wanted to keep it, or if Tiege did.

"Where do you live, Tiege? I'll come tell your parents I want it." Tarren said, his voice much more sure of the situation now that he knew what was going on.

Tiege looked up at him again, then began to make the saddest growling sound he'd ever heard.

Wait a second.

"Tiege?"

His eyes began to drift downward again, but Tarren reached over and tilted his head back up with his fingers so that their eyes could meet.

"Tiege, did your parents do that to you? Did they hurt you because of what happened last night?" He asked.

He knew young shifters often had trouble controlling themselves, but Tiege was already eighteen, so his parents had no damn excuse for losing control on him. He jerked back after a moment, his normal aggression rearing its head... but now Tarren knew there was something causing it that wasn't normal. His parents had to be doing something to him to cause him to act out so badly. It wasn't just sexual frustration making him attack people.

Suddenly Tiege was jumping out of the tree, making Tarren refocus his attention and quickly follow.

"Tiege, wait!"

He stopped by his backpack and fished out clothing to start getting dressed. When Tarren caught up to him he already had his pants on.

"Tiege, you're eighteen. Your parents can't make you give up your baby if you don't want to." He said.

The guy's body tensed before whirling on him, but Tarren could already see that he was too tired to keep fighting him with his usual temper.

"Will you just leave me alone? There's nothing I can do about it and if it's what my parents want to do, then that's what will happen." He replied.

"So you would give up the chance to have a child that you want, just because your parents don't want it? What if you came to stay with me? Moved out of their place?" Tarren asked.

Tiege hissed at him before replying. "It doesn't matter. I'll just have another next time I go into heat."

Eh? Then they really do just want to get rid of this one because it's a hybrid?

"Why won't they just let me have it? What's the problem? I'll pay for everything and feline gestation should shorten the time it's in your belly. It should be out in mere months!"

"It's not worth it. I'll just wait and not mess up again." Tiege said quietly.

Mess up? What the hell is he talking about? Was he supposed to get pregnant? Did his parents want him to have a cub?

"Tiege... I'm confused. Have you had kittens before?" Tarren asked.

Tiege's eyes instantly darkened, giving him his answer even as he turned and ran off.

What the hell is going on? Are his parents breeding him on purpose? I saw the cross-shifter band on his wrist, but then, is that just to keep males away that aren't tigers?

Tarren knew that those bracelets didn't expand and contract as well as the necklaces, so they were somewhat easier to remove, but now that he was thinking about it...

Shit!

While Tiege was at school Tarren ran down the block and into the local library. After quickly finding the minuscule section on cross-shifters, he grabbed the few books that were there, then several books on feline breeding and got busy reading. It took a few hours to find exactly what he was looking for, and it really made his stomach twist into knots.

Feline cross-shifters often come into their first heat between their sixteenth and eighteen birthdays. The larger the feline, the more aggressive they can be during this time. Also, their heat will intensify if bred repeatedly, often causing worsening temperament and extreme stress in adolescents.

Tarren swallowed and flipped a few pages to another one that he had marked, then read.

Gestation for large feline shifters can be anywhere from nine weeks to six months, but if bred in succession, the gestation period can decrease. The possibility of ill health effects are often given as a warning against repeated breeding and most doctors suggest waiting at least one year between each offspring.

There was one other page that he needed to check before heading back over to the school. Flipping the page, he chewed on his lower lip and began reading.

Often times, cross-shifters are used in the Black Market as a novelty for the rich. There have been two hundred and thirty three cases of abductions or false adoptions in order to breed a young cross-shifter in the hopes of producing and selling offspring in the past twenty years. Even if only one in every twenty offspring share the male mother's abilities, many are still willing to pay large sums of money for the chance to have a purebred cross-shifter of a certain species.

Erin was glad that it was finally lunch time, and it was a pretty nice day out, too. With a grin he glanced over at Grayson, who was fishing out his lunch from the lunchbox his mom had left on the counter earlier that morning. First out was an apple, then a small bag of carrots... that he intended to steal half of. Then came...

Wait a second.

Are those...

"Uh oh. Better hide those, kid." Erin mumbled.

Grayson looked up at him, but that didn't really matter. The bag of delicious looking peanuts he was holding in his hand had Erin drooling. His eyes were locked onto the little baggie until he heard his friend, Wolf, snicker. Erin cut a glare his way, then crossed his arms on the lunch table and grunted, looking away from the peanuts.

"I will not conform to elephant stereotypes..." He grumbled.

"You serious, bro? You would totally let the kid do just about anything to you for a few of those." His friend taunted.

Both Erin and Grayson's faces lit up instantly, making Wolf pause as he glanced between the two of them.

"Wait a damn second. Am I missing something that's rated R and definitely needs to be said?" He asked.

Erin straightened and glared. "No! There's nothing!" He replied a little too loudly.

Wolf's brows rose and that cocky smirk he was so famous for appeared. "I think you're lying." He said as he looked over at Grayson and waggled his eyebrows.

"So, how was he kid? I heard elephants have big—" Wolf's words were stopped abruptly as Grayson squeaked and ducked under the table.

Erin and Wolf both looked at each other, then over their shoulders to see who was coming.

Oh, great. Tiege.

Erin got up from the bench and promptly walked in front of the brooding tiger. It usually wasn't the best idea to intercept a carnivore, but he had faith in his elephant's abilities.

"Tiege." He said with narrowed eyes.

The guy's head jerked up, realization taking a moment to come into his eyes. When he figured out who he was, his stripes came out and he growled. "Get out of my way, freak."

"Oh, so I'm a freak for being devilishly handsome? You sir, are messed up in the head." Erin said with a hint of humor to his words.

Tiege snapped his teeth together in warning, but Erin had something to say. Of course, he already knew the answer since he'd talked to Tarren, but he wanted confirmation.

"You picked on my friend, didn't you? He's about yay tall..." He said as held up his hand and motioned about four inches with his fingers. "And covered in silver fur. He also squeaks like a mouse and is evidently afraid of you."

Tiege glanced past him toward their table, then returned his eyes to Erin's with a laugh.

"Yeah, we had some fun with him, what of it?" He asked.

While Erin highly disagreed with fighting, Tiege never learned anything if you didn't pound it into his face, so... he quickly tossed off his clothes and let his elephant take over. Tiege figured out there was going to be violence and quickly changed into his tiger form.

Erin swung his trunk from side to side, daring him to attack, and of course, he did. The guy was hot-headed and skipped school for months at a time, so why would he hesitate to get into a fight that might get him expelled? He wouldn't care.

Tiege roared and lunged, his attack predictable. Erin stepped back and swung his head, catching him with his tusks before tossing him several yards off to the side. He landed hard, which was honestly surprising considering he was a cat. Those fuzzballs tended to land on their feet.

Maybe it's just the nine lives thing.

Erin's elephant snorted, not really caring as it slowly turned and stomped toward its target. He was about to let him play kitty-soccer, but just as he lifted his right foot to kick, a rather familiar lion jumped over the school fence and ran over to stand in front of Tiege.

Okay, I definitely missed something.

Considering that Tarren wasn't backing down, Erin stepped back and slowly allowed himself to shift. Tarren turned once Erin was human again and roared at Tiege. The tiger growled back, but after a moment he shifted, too. Tarren finally changed and turned back to Erin with a sad smile on his face.

What the heck is going on?

"Tarren? Why are you defending him?" Erin asked, confused.

"Why are you fighting with him?" He returned.

"He was picking on my friend yesterday! I was teaching him a lesson."

Tarren sighed and shook his head, ignoring the growing crowd watching them from the dining area outside the cafeteria.

"Let me handle this, please, Erin. I'll talk with him."

Erin had no idea that Tarren knew Tiege besides their little skirmish the other day, but he guessed letting him take over wouldn't hurt. Before he backed off, though, he lifted his head and replied. "Make sure he knows that if he comes after my friend again, I won't hesitate to step on him."

Tarren smirked and let a small chuckle slip past his lips while they both heard Tiege growl from the ground behind him.

"Got it." Terran replied.

Giving a stern nod, Erin turned and walked back to his table, grabbing his clothing on the way so that he could get dressed. As he was pulling on his boxers and pants, he noticed Tarren helping Tiege up, then taking him toward the parking lot.

Weird.