“Yes, and you probably learned more about it than I did” James responded.  “As you can imagine, this was a topic rarely if ever mentioned or discussed in our house.  I remember asking my “Uncle Fred” as a child why he had no toes on his feet, and all he would say was that he lost them as a child.  It is obvious to me now that it was due to the frostbite from the journey.  And there were other occasions, when he and my father would just hug each other for lengthy periods of time, as if they were afraid to let go of one another.  It all starts to make sense now that I know what they went through together...”

 “You know, I had relatives that served in the war, yet, it all seemed so far away from here, so...removed I guess.”

 “Could you hand me the book?” James asked her.

 “Certainly!” she said.  As Sylvia put the diary in the man’s paw, two small old and faded black and white photographs fell to the floor.  “What are those?” she asked as James retrieved them.

 James picked the old pictures up off the floor and looked at them.  As he did a cold shiver ran through his large frame, and his ears and tail drooped noticeably.

 Sylvia saw the tiger’s reaction and became concerned.  As tears once again flowed from his face, he slowly reached over and handed her the photographs.  They were similar in content, but from different angles.  They showed a frail tigress, in tattered clothing, in an extremely emaciated state, looking as if someone had draped a skeleton in fur.  In her arms she held an obviously dead baby, wrapped in rags.  On each side of her and supporting her were two very young male tigers, also in tattered clothing, and looking as though they had not eaten in months.  They were in a white landscape, surrounded by nothing but snow and rocks.  The expressions on the mother and younger child were vacant, as if they were lifeless zombies.  But she noticed the look on the older child’s face.  It was anger, perhaps rage.  His eyes were alive with what she assumed to be hatred, even if his body looked to be on the verge of collapse.

 “By all that is sacred!” she exclaimed.  “The tigers in this photo - they have to be your Father, Uncle, and Grandmother, correct?”

 James looked at her with tear swollen eyes and just nodded.

 “They look barely alive!” she said.  “I have seen the photos in the documentaries, but this is just so....so very graphic!”

 “You know I always wondered why they hated winter so much.  When they could afford it, my Uncle and Grandmother would always winter in the south.  I realize now why they did so.  I think my father would have as well, but for the fact that mother and I loved the winter so much.  He would get very moody and depressed, especially during large winter storms.  I learned to just avoid him at those times.  Now I understand why he felt as he did...” 

 As Sylvia studied the photos in her hand, James looked at the book in his.  He leafed through the pages.  “You know”, he said, “I feel that we have gone through the worst of this diary.  The next part deals with the family’s life recovering and re-establishing themselves in Truenorth during the “occupation” of the Old Country, then after that is a section on Father’s war years, when he became a fighter pilot “ace” known as the “Mad Baron”, then after that his home life after the war, life in a devastated homeland after the conflict had ended.  I think there is even some on his early family life.  It seems to end when I went off to school, shortly before they died...” 

 James looked over at Sylvia, and said “You know, there is just too much here to continue on at this point.  I am so appreciative that you could stay and help me through this.  And I don’t know about you, but I am famished!  Could you stay and dine with me?”

 Sylvia glanced at the clock on the wall, then looked into the pleading eyes of the tiger in front of her.  “Of course, let me call over to the kitchen and have something sent over!”

 In the time it took the food to arrive, they made small talk, mainly discussing the book and the events in it.  James seemed to calm more as time went on, and Sylvia felt as though the lowest point  had been reached and overcome.  

 A small knock at the door heralded the arrival of the food.  Lucas seemed very anxious as he dropped off the tray of food and left in a hurry, giving his mother a different “look” than she was used to.  As they set up the food on the table, and James began to pour some wine, Sylvia remarked “Goodness, Lucas certainly seems to be acting a little strange of late...”

 As they sat down to eat, James looked at her, and hesitated, tasting the wine and rolling it around in his mouth, before beginning to eat the meal.  “You know, Sylvia,” he began, “I hope you could do me a favor...”

 “What is that?” she responded.

 “While...under the influence of the...past, I was rather...abrupt...with the children.  I tended to yell at them, and bully them around a bit.”  Sylvia just watched the tiger’s face as he made his “confession”, not saying anything.  “I always have, and suppose I always will have a difficult time dealing with children of all ages.  And in the state I was in, I am sure I must have gone a little “overboard”.  Could you apologize to them for me??  Let them know I was not quite myself, without going into any detail...”

 Sylvia normally would have had him make his own apology’s.  But considering what he had gone through, she thought it best to do it herself.   “I will do that.  I will also reinforce that you need time to yourself, and should not be disturbed.”  She thought to herself that this explained some of the bizarre behavior that she had recently noted in the children.  And though concerned, she felt as though she could trust this man.  He might be loud and belligerent, but he was most certainly not a “evil” individual.

 She saw the tiger’s face break out into a small smile at that.  “Good!!” he said, and began to eat his meal in earnest.  Sylvia joined in with him.  

 As they ate, James kept their glasses filled with wine, and in fact, broke out another bottle half way through the meal.  By the time they were done eating, and began to clear away the dishes, they were both starting to feel the effects.  As she was heading back to the table, Sylvia tripped over her feet, and began to fall.  Fortunately, she fell right into James’s waiting arms.  

 They both chuckled, but James held onto her tightly.  And after the laughing ended, they just stared into one another’s eyes.  It was Sylvia that broke that stare, by slowly closing her eyes, and moving her muzzle up towards James’s.

 James was almost in shock as Sylvia’s soft warm lips met his.  He closed his eyes and returned the gesture, pulling her body closer to his as he did so.  As he did this, Sylvia responded by pushing her tongue forward and slowly parting her lips.  At first there was resistance, but soon it ended, as James opened his muzzle to allow her entry.

 The tiger was in shock as their tongues met.  It had been ages since he had kissed someone passionately like this.  And it felt so good, so right!  He felt his pulse quicken, as he could “sense” hers was as well.

 While still entwined in the kiss, James inhaled deeply through his nostrils.  His lungs were filled with a new aroma, a powerful scent.  It was coming from Sylvia - it was her body, responding to him, in a sexual way, and he was smelling the scent of her “arousal”.  He immediately began to notice the physical effects it was having on him, especially on his manhood! 

 Sylvia felt the tiger grasp her more strongly, wrapping his large powerful arms around her.  She also began to wonder if it was just her imagination, or was he starting to get a little “excited” below the waist?  There was no denying that she was starting to feel the effects of the embrace as well, as her desire began to build at an ever increasing pace.  She passionately returned the embrace, running her paws through the man’s fur, feeling her excitement build as she felt the soft caress of his fur between her fingers, and the large hardness that was forming between his legs pressed firmly against her wanton form.

 Although she felt a little unsure, her body was urging her forward.  It had been some time since she had been with a male, and the thought of it excited Sylvia all the more.  She placed her paw over James’s growing “bulge”, and caressed it firmly, eliciting deep and guttural moans from him.

 Suddenly, the tiger grasped Sylvia firmly by the shoulders and held her away from his body, until she was at arm’s length away.  He looked into her-lust filled eyes and said with heart-felt pain, “Madam, we can’t be doing this!!” 

 Sylvia was a bit taken aback, to say the least.  Never in her life had a man refused her “charms”.  But then, considering all that he had been through, this was no ordinary man standing before her.  She had to understand what was happening though, so as non-confrontational as possible she said, “And just why is that?!?”

 James looked at her and responded, “You heard it when we read the book!  My father used to tell me all the time growing up - “Son!  Remember, VanAnkat’s can only mate with other tigers!  That has been the way it always has been.  One day you will marry a tiger, and produce and heir to the line.”  So you see, as long as there is any chance of you getting pregnant, there is no way I can be ‘intimate’ with you....”

 Sylvia was rather taken aback at the rather ‘speciest’ thing James had said.  Although she knew he was a product of his environment, and that the ‘royalty’ did things the old-fashioned way, this outmoded way of thinking still took her by surprise.  But she did not want to confront the man, and perhaps trigger a relapse.  He needed healing, and she needed to get laid!

 “You know”, she said, “We can call the front desk and have some “protection” sent over....”

 “Not foolproof.  The only sure thing is not doing anything.  It has worked for me so far...”

 “You mean to tell me”, She exclaimed in a very puzzled tone, “That you have NEVER had sexual relations with a female??”

 “Well, not exactly.  There were a few business “parties” that I have attended over that years were there were very friendly “hostesses” that were “hired” for the evening to “entertain” the clients, if you get my drift.  But outside of that, no.”

 Sylvia looked at the man, wondering what to do next.  “At least he is not a total ‘virgin’”, she thought to herself.  An idea suddenly came upon her, and a smile spread quickly over her face.  “You know,” she said, the smile growing even larger, “there are all ‘kinds’ of things we can do and experience that would feel great and involve NO chance of reproduction...”

 James looked at her for a moment, and then it “clicked” for him, and her smile became infectious.  “Why Madam, what, prey tell, do you have in mind???”

 A very mischievous and playful Sylvia responded by saying “Here, why don’t you let me SHOW you!!”

 James just purred back to her, “Madam, I would be SOOOOO appreciative!!”

 With that Sylvia reached one arm around the man and embraced him as strongly as she could, and with the other one she began to caress the firmness that had developed in his pants.  She looked into his eyes and reached up with her face to begin passionately kissing him.  After a few moments she broke the kiss, and looking into his eyes said “Perhaps we should retire to the bedroom?”

 James just smiled a toothy grin, and reaching down, lifted Sylvia up until he was carrying her in his arms like a child.  She let out a sweet giggle as he made his way into the bedroom with her.