Playing with fire

2

Entering the dining hall I sat beside James and smiled trying to mask the disgust on my face at the sight of the whorish dress our mother was wearing.

"James darling why don't you come sit by mummy. Wouldn't want you to get anything on your new suit sweety." As she pulled out the chair beside her

"Actually mother I'm going to sit here beside sky. We have a lot to talk about and we would like to continue our discussion. Perhaps next time mother."

Sitting down I watched the muscles in James' face twitch with the effort to not show his annoyance at her. As he took his seat beside me I smiled at him and waited for my plate to be filled.

"How is your horses going James? I hear you have an exquisite pair of black and white colts. How are their temperaments? What are they? Arabins or perhaps Lippizarians?" Pulling my plate to me I smiled and watched our mothers face as she sipped her wine and watched her two children not even pay her attention.

"Yes I did receive a pair of colts a month ago. They are thoroughbred with a quarter of a bit of Tennessee walker in them. They are gorgeous boys and you know what? You should come out tomorrow and take a look at them. I'm very sure the white one would suit you just fine" he smiled and took a sip of his goblet winking at me over the top.

"ENOUGH! I don't know what you two are trying to do... But this dinner is so I can see my children and darling husband. Not so I can sit here and be totally ignored by the two ingrates who came out of me. Now you have two choices. Either get out or use your manners that your tutors taught you or I shall not speak to either of you ever again. I can not believe that God would give me such horrible children!" Banging her hand in the table, her top seemed to slip even further than it should have

"As you wish mother. What would you suggest we talk to about then? How we feel about being treated by our people like a pair of China dolls? Or how we feel about being pitted against one another?" I couldn't help myself as I shifted into my full tiger, my clothes shredding and floating to the floor as I stated my mother in the face my fangs bared and my claws digging into her mahogany table

"Sky! Do not do it. It is not worth your life sister. Let her be" spoke James softly, my tiger didn't want to listen and wanted to tear into the mother that had never been there for me. Who had always caused a problem for James and I by saying we had to beat the other. Turning around I looked at James, my tiger confused and hurt but ready to strike.

"I know Sky, I'm hurt just as much as you. I know what she has done isn't right. We have the rest of our lives to know that what we do is right. Look at her! She knows you have the power to destroy her with one move. Now come sister, don't let father see you like this." Said James as he looked at me in sorrow.

Looking at our mother I bared my teeth and backed off the table, following my brothers voice of reason. Shifting human I stared at my mother, hurt broken and covered in scars letting her see all of me for the first time. Looking over I nodded in thanks as James handed me his jacket.

"Do not expect to see me back here. You didn't care enough about what happened to me as a small child you certainly don't need to care about the adult that I have become. " whirling on the balls of my feet I fled to James' room and closed the door. Laying on his bed I screamed and cried into the comforter, not even caring who came through the door or saw me into the state I was in. Sitting up I snarled and quickly recoiled as James backed away from me.

"I'm sorry James please.... Please don't leave me. Don't leave me like this" cuddling my knees I couldn't stop the tears from falling as I realized the emotional disaster that I was. Closing my eyes I felt the bed dip as James sat beside me.

"I won't leave but I must insist you either shift or put some clothes on. Please." His voice cracked and he turned away. Closing my eyes I allowed my tigress to come roaring back into form, her claws sinking deep into James bed tearing it apart as my emotions boil and explode into rage.

Roaring and collapsing an hour or so later my tigress laid panting on James floor, tired and disgruntled her form slipped away revealing my human form.  "I'm sorry James. I will restore your room to its original state but I'm afraid that your bed is beyond repair. I need to borrow a pair of pants and a shirt please"

Standing up I heard James' gasp and I spun around. "What James?"

His face was horrified but very intrigued at what he had seen.
"Sky you need to turn around and look in the looking glass.  I think you just hit what dad would call a shifting point. If you don't calm down i don't know if it will be repairable."

"What the..... " turning around I gasped. Reaching  my arms out I gasped in marvel at my skin. Running along my arms were the stripes of my tigress.

"you seriously need to speak to father Sky."