John Harper looked over at his younger sister sleeping on the cot in the Jenkins' guest bedroom.
I wonder who told her what? as he reread the note.
Then, putting it on the dresser near the bed he was in, John tried drifting off to sleep again, but his mind was as heavy as before.
Now if only I can figure all of this stuff out for myself.
John Harper found himself surrounded by weretigers and weretigresses.
The fact that he was a furry weretiger too wasn't loss on him.
Other than the combined Harper-Jenkins clan, he was surrounded by family.
True, they were of a different nature, but most importantly: John was HAPPY!
"Young man, we need to talk," he heard a deep male voice say.
John felt his blood run cold until it was a paw and not his father's bare hand that touched his furry shoulder.
He looked up and stared into the eyes of an older weretiger. Or at least, John considered this new figure older between his deeper voice and the touch of grey that appeared in his muzzle fur.
"As much as you relish being one of us," began the tiger, while extending his free arm out to indicate the gathered crowd of fellow weres, "there is more to being part of our pride than just joining were society. You're still young, both in age and mind, but you need to learn the most major thing every were knows in life."
"What is that, sir?" John asked respectfully.
"The difference between sex and love," replied the tiger.
"Sir?" asked John, feeling his old confusion renew itself tenfold.
"It is hard, for many consider the two somewhat interchangeable," conceded the older weretiger. "But you must understand that sex itself is just the physical act of expressing love. Granted, a pleasurable fun way to express it," the weretiger added with a sly wink, "but still just a physical act. Love is something much, much more. It is a deeper emotional bond with your mate that extends far beyond all the natural laws of nature into the mysterious realms some call the heart and soul. The thought that you would do anything for the one you cherish more than life itself. Even surrendering your own life if it meant their's would continue."
"That... that is pretty deep, sir," John conceded.
"Yes, and so is the task before you," said the weretiger, as he spun John around to face a different direction.
"Before you stand representations of love and sex made flesh. One you shall spend the rest of your life with. You shall treasure every moment with that being more than all the material wealth beyond the dreams of even the most avarice person in all the universe. The other is simply someone you shall have a few moments of physical pleasure with from time to time, but those moments will be nothing in comparison with the love you share with your soul mate. It is now up to you. Who has your heart and who just gets your cock?" the older weretiger asked bluntly.
"I don't understand the question," admitted John.
"Which of the two do you truly love and want to spend the rest of your life with?"
John looked and saw one being was Ginger O'Toole, older and more beautiful than ever before, if that was even possible. The epitome of everything it meant to be a weretigress, let alone female.
The other was a male John only knew as a recurring figure in his dreams/nightmares. There was no denying how handsome the weretiger looked. In a furry way, he reminded John of Stephen back in Alabama, the potential beau with who John started asking himself–but had yet to figure out the answer to–the question of whether he was straight, gay, or bi.
"Well, who shall be your life partner and who shall be just your sex partner?" asked the weretiger.
"I-"
"John Harper. We are waiting for your decision."
And then John could swear he heard the Final Jeopardy! theme playing, since it was the only game show his father ever allowed any of the Harper family to watch.
"I-"
"Time is running out," advised the older weretiger, as he suddenly started losing his fur as he shrank in height.
"NO!" screamed John, staring at the sight now before him as the music ended.
"JOHN HARPER! WHAT THE SAM HILL ARE YOU THINKING BOY?" he heard his father yell, for James Harper Senior was now standing where the older weretiger was. "HOW DARE YOU GO AGAINST ME WITH THESE—HELL SPAWNED DEMONS!"
"I-"
"John?" and this time his name was accompanied by a knock on the closed bedroom door.
John cowered under the covers, afraid that it was his father and the price that would have to be paid for daring to be something other than what James Harper Senior believed his children should be.
"John? Are you all right pal? It's Henry," a pleasant voice said. "It's time to get up and have some breakfast if we're going to get an early start on that painting job and have it done in time for you to be home before Ginger gets out of school for the day."
"What? Huh?" a sleepy John Harper asked, leaving the land of sleep and (bad) dreams to rudely re-enter reality. "Oh. Okay. I'll be with you shortly," he promised, before looking at the bedroom clock and noticing it wasn't even quite 6 in the morning yet.
John Harper managed to drag himself out of bed enough to sit on the edge of the mattress as his bare feet touched the cold floor.
He looked over and saw his sister Janice was still sound asleep.
As he started walking to the bedroom door in his borrowed pajamas to head for the hallway bathroom, John Harper knew he still didn't have all the answers he was looking for, but at least there was one thing he was sure of.
At least I didn't soil myself dreaming this time, recalling some of the more exotic and wet dreams he had since arriving in Moon Lake.
TO BE CONTINUED...