Deaf Tigress

Zoo Keeper

Adrian's POV

"Is that you Adrian?" someone asks drawing my attention away from the beautiful tigress. I turn to see the old captain of my high school basketball team. Jack is human and doesn't know about us feline shifters or our world.

"Hey Jack, I didn't know you worked here" I say shaking his hand.

"Still have a good grip I see" he states letting go before turning to the tigress. "Yeah I work here, I'm the head Tiger keeper" he tells me.

"So is it true she'll have cubs?" Leia asks and I suppress the urge to growl.

"We hope so, she had a vet check this morning and she is perfectly healthy. As well as extremely fertile, but it will take longer then usually to breed her. Then if we had an other tigress" Jack explains.

"How come?" Luke asks tilting his head. Leia and Luke maybe young, but are very curious as well as quick learners.

"I rescued her five years ago when I was made head of the tiger keepers. I was sent to watch a wild tiger family. But she was left behind as she could not here her mother's call" he explains.

"She's deaf?" Leia asks and Jack nods his head.

"Yeah, and would of died in the wild" Jack states. "Crystal, our late white Siberian tiger was patient and never got angry at Delia. But Delia has never been around cubs or other tigers including male tigers. So it will be a lot of work to introduce her to a mate and then longer before we'd allow them into the same enclosure. We haven't found a tiger yet anyway, just talk at the moment" he explains.

I feel sad for my mate if she had just survived until she was eight weeks old. She would of shifted into human form and lived a normal free life. "How old was she when you found her?" I ask Jack.

"Five weeks old" Jack says shrugging.

"Can we see her please?" Luke and Leia beg giving Jack their puppy dog eyes.

"Well usually you have to pay for the behind the scenes tour of the big cats. But as Adrian is an old friend and team mate. I guess I could do it just this once" Jack tells them. "Is that ok with you Adrian?" he asks me.

"As long as I can come, I told my parents I wouldn't let them out of my sight" I tell him.

"That's fine, follow me" Jack says and leads us away from the enclosure. Before taking us to a staff only area before entering a building. We walk down a hallway and I smell us getting closer to my mate. Delia, a beautiful name for a future queen.

Delia's POV

I feel someone approaching my night den and go inside as I feel the weird presence. The same one I felt with the young man and two children. I jump onto my logs as Jack appeared with the man and two children. He smiles at me sadly and waves me over. But I turn my back to him still annoyed about this morning.

Adrian's POV

"Why did she do that?" Leia asks confused at why Delia turned her back to us.

"She is still annoyed that I tricked her this morning, she hates vet checks" Jack tells her. "Wait here a moment" he says and goes over to a fridge. "This should work she loves her milk" he states coming back with a small milk cartoon. He opens it and Delia immediately sniffs the air turning to face us.

Delia's POV

I see Jack with a cartoon or milk and head over to the bars. He holds it up and I get on my hind legs. I started to drink as I feel him stroke my fur. Once it was finished I lay down beside the bars and the little kids pat me. When the man patted me I felt sparks spread from his hand and purr.

Adrian's POV

"She's never done that before" Jack says chuckling as Delia purrs at my touch.

"How much?" I ask him.

"Adrian, I know your family is loaded. But Delia isn't for sale, you'd have to speak to Terri about that. Delia has become apart of the breeding program in hopes of saving her kind. She is prime female perfect for reproduction" he tells me.

"I don't care, if it is the last thing I do" I growl as I stop patting Delia. "I will get her out of this zoo and away from that breeding program. I don't care about the price" I tell him.

"I'll give you Terri's number, I agree with you man. But I can only follow orders here, I held them off for as long as I could. Still am" he explains as he writes something down. "If anyone can stop this, you can good luck" he says handing me Terri's number.

"How long can you held them off?" I ask.

"A few months before they bring a tiger over, then it'll be practically impossible to stop them breeding her at least once. I give you two months minimum three max" he explains.

"I'll have her out in a month" I assure him. "Luke, Leia let's go to the toy store" I tell them. "Thanks for the tour man" I say shaking Jack's hand.

"Anytime, we should shoot some hoops sometime" he tells me. Then I take my brother and sister to the toy/gift ship. I tell them to pick something and call my dad's number.

"This had better be important Adrian" he tells me annoyed and I hear mum giggle.

"There's a tiger shifter here at the zoo on display like a wild animal. She's my mate dad, they are going to breed her soon. Unless we get her out" I tell him.

"We will save her Adrian" Dad assures me.

"You and your father can talk about it tomorrow, he's mine today" mum says before the line goes dead. I roll my eyes chuckling at my mother's behaviour. She and dad have been together over twenty years. But still act like love sick teenagers, especially mum. I find my brother and sister pay for their purchases. Buying a picture of Delia with a white tiger for myself, signed by Jack and Cole (assistant tiger keeper). (Picture of Delia and Crystal: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c9/b2/8e/c9b28e487678aa02213e210a3a717ee9.jpg).

A/N

Picture above of Adrian and picture on the external link of his eyes. Pictures in chapter of Luke and Leia. Adrian is twenty - one and Jack is twenty - five. Luke and Leia look to be about four or five. But are actually only a few months old.