Chapter 158: Gentle Giant

Words : 2140 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 158: Gentle Giant Easter~ Tiger’s hand was warm in mine, strong but gentle, like the earth itself had reached up to hold me. As he opened the front door, I expected sunlight or the porch or even the usual guards walking around in pristine uniforms. But instead, I saw... trees. Not just trees. A forest—breathtaking, otherworldly, alive in a way no forest had any right to be. "Wow... this is breathtaking, Tiger." I whispered. Tiger didn’t say a word. He simply looked at me, those glowing green eyes full of ancient quiet, and smiled. Then he stepped forward, tugging me gently. I followed. The second we crossed the threshold, the door vanished behind us, leaving only the thick, golden hush of the woods. I clutched Donut a little tighter, not from fear but from excitement. The air smelled like earth and rain and something sweet, like wild honey. Shafts of sunlight filtered through the tall canopy, painting the mossy ground in gold. Tiger looked... transformed here. No—he belonged here. The forest reacted to him like he was the sun. The trees leaned in, their branches stretching toward him. Vines shifted to make way. Animals—squirrels, birds, even a little fawn—ran up to him without fear. With a quiet murmur in a language I didn’t understand, Tiger crouched and conjured handfuls of food from the air—berries, nuts, roots. The animals ate from his palms like he was their mother. I was speechless. I’d seen him do it before but it still stole the breath from my lungs. Tiger straightened to his full height, quiet and commanding, and with every step he took, the forest responded. Broken branches reknit themselves. Wilted plants lifted their heads like they’d just remembered how to breathe. I stood there, rooted in place, watching as a tree—split in two at its base—shivered, groaned, and grew. Within minutes, it wasn’t just healed. It was colossal. Towering. Alive. Its leaves shimmered like they’d been polished by moonlight. The bark darkened, thickened, stronger than before. "You’re wonderful Tiger. I can’t get over the fact that you do this every day." I whispered, barely hearing my own voice. Tiger tilted his head, his eyes warm and wild. "Nature’s alive, Easter. She just needs someone who listens." We walked without speaking for a while, just the soft rhythm of our steps and the rustling trees above. Then he stopped. In front of us stood the largest tree I had ever seen in my life—its roots curled like arms into natural benches, and its trunk was so wide and flat at the base, it looked like a stage built for gods. He lowered himself onto one of the root-benches and patted the space beside him. "Alright," he said with a grin. "Spill. What happened with Jacob yesterday?" Instant heat bloomed across my face. I clutched Donut a little tighter in my arms. The little furball squirmed, gave an offended huff, and jumped down, curling up next to Tiger like he’d lived there all his life. I rubbed the back of my neck, stalling. "You really wanna know?" Tiger smirked, leaning back. "I do. And I’m guessing you’re dying to unload. Come on. You know I’m an excellent listener. I’ve got roots." I snorted but gave in, cheeks still on fire. I folded my legs up to my chest and sank down beside him. "Okay, but—don’t laugh." He raised a hand in a solemn vow. "Never." But his eyes sparkled with amusement. I took a breath. "Jacob came to get me yesterday morning at my door. As promised. He teleported me back to his house... I still don’t know where it is, but I bet you do." Tiger nodded, like of course he did. I gave him a crooked smile and continued, "Then he started dressing me up. In magic. I’m not kidding. Every time I thought of something I liked—poof—there it was. Like he could read my mind. I ended up in this insanely beautiful dress, with these tiny golden vines embroidered across the fabric. I’ve never felt so... seen." Tiger raised a brow. "So, you got styled by The Wolf Spirit in an enchanted house. That’s not intimidating at all." "Shut up," I said, smacking his arm. "Then he drove me to school. In a car that looked like it was made out of starlight. Sleek. Beautiful. Magic humming through the seats." Tiger gasped dramatically. "Did you feel like royalty?" "I did! People stared. Whispered. Their faces were priceless. I felt like I’d just unlocked my final form or something." Tiger’s laugh was low and warm, like sunshine through leaves. "After school, he drove me to my old house," I said, voice quieter now. "I signed the papers. It’s official. I’m free." Tiger looked at me, the teasing gone. "I’m proud of you." I nodded, feeling the lump rise in my throat. "Thanks." I took a breath and let it out slowly. "Then... he took me to a carnival. Not just any carnival. A magical one. Rides that floated. Games that talked. Cotton candy that sparkled like fairy dust. I felt like a kid again. Jacob wouldn’t let me ride anything too wild—baby on board and all—but we played every game. I won a stuffed llama." "I named him Paul." He blinked. "Paul?" "I don’t name them," I said, very matter-of-fact. "They tell me what their names are." Tiger burst into laughter. "And then," I said, lowering my voice, "we stopped at this gas station because I needed to pee so bad. And that’s when it happened. A group of women from my dad’s church spotted me." His smile vanished. "What did they say?" I waved a hand, trying to shrug it off. "The usual. I’m wayward, I’m damned, I’m walking sin. Blah blah." A low growl rumbled in Tiger’s chest. "But Jacob," I said, smiling faintly, "he shut them down. So calm. So powerful. Like... he didn’t raise his voice, but they felt it. One of them actually tripped over her shoe trying to run away." Tiger’s eyes lit up. "Good, I wish I’d seen that." I laughed, but then the memory caught in my chest. "After they left, I started crying. And Jacob... he was so gentle. He leaned in, like—like he was going to kiss me." Tiger leaned in too, wide-eyed. "And?" I looked down. "He stopped. Changed his mind. Took me home." Tiger fell back dramatically. "That tease!" "I know," I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "I felt so dumb for thinking it meant anything." Tiger nudged me gently. "Hey. Don’t do that. He clearly cares about you. He’s just... complicated. Extra-dimensional, mystical-being complicated." I looked at him, heart twisting. "But he’s Jacob. The Wolf Spirit. Like you just referred to him. And I’m just... me." Tiger’s hand landed on mine. "You’re you. And that’s exactly why he’s drawn to you. He sees what we all see, Easter. Light. Strength. Grit. Kindness." I looked away quickly, wiping my eyes. "You’re too sweet." He stood, dusting his pants. "Come on. Walk with me. Or do you need to nap again, grandma?" "Hey!" I stood up, laughing. "You’re lucky I like you." We walked through the trees, the soft crunch of twigs underfoot and the distant call of birds weaving a tranquil soundtrack to our journey. Donut waddled behind us, his little round body trailing like a fluffy, furry bodyguard on patrol, determined to keep watch. But after a while, a gnawing discomfort settled in my stomach, twisting it into knots. I stopped, clutching my belly, feeling the weight of something unsettling building inside me. "I think I need to—" I cut myself off, quickly darting behind a bush. The next thing I knew, I was bent over, gagging. The world spun as the morning sickness hit me hard. My breath caught in my throat as everything inside me wanted to come out. Before I could even register it, Tiger was at my side, his strong hands gently gathering my hair away from my face. His presence was solid, steady. He rubbed my back in soothing circles, whispering, "Shhh, you’re okay. Breathe. It’s the morning sickness. Happens to the best of us." I groaned, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck." He chuckled softly, and I could feel the warmth of his breath against my ear. "Nah. You look like you’ve been kissed by a flower petal." His voice was playful, teasing, yet soft. "You’re glowing." I rolled my eyes, fighting the urge to smile. "Thanks, I feel fantastic." After a moment, I straightened up, wiping the remnants from my lips, and took a shaky breath. As we began walking again, the ground beneath me felt a little steadier, though I still couldn’t shake the dizziness. I glanced at Tiger, curiosity getting the better of me. "So... why are you called Tiger?" A grin spread across his face, mischievous and knowing. "Because I am the spirit of the earth. And also..." He paused, his eyes twinkling. "This." In an instant, his body shimmered, like the air around him bent and warped. Before I could blink, Tiger was gone—and in his place stood a massive, golden tiger with sleek fur that seemed to glow faintly in the dappled light filtering through the trees. Its green eyes were hypnotic, gleaming with an almost otherworldly intelligence. I stumbled back, heart thudding in my chest. "Oh my God," I gasped, eyes wide, barely able to comprehend what I was seeing. The tiger huffed in amusement, a low, rumbling sound that vibrated in the air, before it shifted again. In the blink of an eye, Tiger was back, dusting himself off with a casual shrug as if he hadn’t just turned into an enormous, mythical creature. "Ta-da," he said, giving a dramatic flourish. I stared at him, slack-jawed. "You literally are a tiger," I said, my voice a mix of awe and disbelief. He smirked. "Don’t tell Rose. She still owes me a bet." I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension in my chest easing as the absurdity of it all hit me. But then Tiger paused mid-laugh, his expression suddenly becoming more serious. "Ready to go home?" I nodded, wincing as I shifted my weight. "My feet are killing me." Tiger didn’t even hesitate. He crouched down, his body fluid, the movement easy, graceful. "Hop on. I’m giving you a piggyback ride." My mouth dropped open. "I’m not climbing you like a tree." "Too late," he teased, wiggling his shoulders in a way that made me blush. "Come on. I insist." I sighed, half amused and half embarrassed, but after some reluctant groaning, I climbed onto his back, wrapping my arms around his neck. Donut trotted along beside us, his little paws padding against the earth as if he were the one leading the way. "You’re heavy," Tiger muttered under his breath, a hint of mock exasperation in his voice. "Excuse me?" I shot back, narrowing my eyes. "Kidding," he added quickly, chuckling. "You’re light as a breeze." We talked the whole way back—mostly him teasing me about my "fluffy" weight and me threatening to puke on his shirt. But it was comfortable. Easy. The kind of playful banter that felt like it had been born out of years of friendship, even though we’d only known each other for a fraction of that. We moved through the whispering woods, the sounds of the forest around us settling into a kind of rhythm, like the trees themselves were breathing in time with our footsteps. By the time we stepped out of the tree line and into the clearing where the house stood, I froze. Jacob was standing at the door, his arms crossed over his chest. His posture was tense, but his face wasn’t exactly angry. It wasn’t exactly pleased, either. It was something else. Something I couldn’t read. His gaze locked with mine, and for a moment, time seemed to stretch and bend. The air between us crackled with something I couldn’t put my finger on. I stared at him, not knowing whether to run, cry, or just ask him why he looked at me like I was both the storm and the calm he’d been waiting for. It was too much. Too many emotions in one gaze. Before I could even process anything, my phone buzzed in my pocket, the sharp vibration cutting through the moment. Tiger bent down gently and I got down from his back, then I fumbled for my phone, pulling it out quickly, my eyes still on Jacob. When I saw the name on the screen, my heart skipped a beat. It was Melody. My twin sister. I froze, the world around me fading into a blur. It was almost like everything had stopped.

Chapter 158: Gentle Giant

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