LONTAR issue #2 Read Online Free Page A

Bong-hwa said softly. "You tried. It's time to go, Chon-ji."
    She glanced at him then turned back to Kaesong. When Bong-hwa blinked there were two tigers before him—one in the cage and one on his side of the wall. His heartbeat raced. Chon-ji had transformed again.
    She nudged the sliding bolt on the door with her nose and looked at Bong-hwa expectantly.
    "Absolutely not," Bong-hwa said. But he went to the locker on the side of the room and took out a tranquilizer gun. He checked that it was loaded and walked back to the cage where Chon-ji waited for him. He reached down and placed his hand on her head.
    "Please think about this," he said.
    She chuffed and he imagined what she was saying. You don't have to worry about me.
    "I'm worried about my job ," he lied.
    He unbolted the door with unsteady fingers.
    "Be careful," he whispered.
    He swung the door open and she slipped through, her tail rubbing against his legs as she passed. He wanted to close the door behind her, but he didn't want to lock her inside with Kaesong. That felt cowardly. He tightened his grip on the gun, palms sweaty and knuckles white.
    Chon-ji bowed her head, tail slack, while Kaesong circled her curiously. She looked tiny beside the other cat. Kaesong sniffed at her then growled.
    Chon-ji rolled onto her back and exposed her neck. Bong-hwa raised the barrel of the gun and looked through the sight.
    When Kaesong went for Chon-ji's throat, Bong-hwa aimed at the larger tiger and flexed his finger on the trigger. Chon-ji turned her head to him and roared. The force of her animal voice cut through his body and he froze. She stared him down until he lowered the gun.
    Kaesong tightened his jaws around Chon-ji's neck, but Bong-hwa didn't see the sickening spray of blood he expected. Kaesong put one paw on her flank, claws spread, and still Chon-ji didn't move, her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling with steady breaths. Bong-hwa stood in the open doorway of the cage, a foot on either side of the threshhold, wondering what he should do.
    Then Kaesong let Chon-ji go. He walked away from her and made a wide circuit of the cage. As the massive cat approached, Bong-hwa considered whether Kaesong could reach him before he slammed the door. He decided to stand his ground, both unwilling to abandon Chon-ji to her brother's anger or show his fear.
    Kaesong ambled slowly, yellow eyes unblinking and a low rumble in his throat. He held his tail high as he stalked past Bong-hwa. As he rounded the far wall he leaped to the entrance of the outdoor enclosure and left Bong-hwa alone with Chon-ji.
    She was a woman again, lying motionless in the center of the cage. Bong-hwa rushed to her. There were no signs of any serious injuries, just a few scratches on her neck and stomach.
    "He let me live," she said.
    "Why did he want to kill you in the first place? I thought he was your brother. You were trying to help him."
    "He refused. He was jealous," She looked at Bong-hwa.
    "Oh."
    She put a cool hand on his arm. "He was also disgusted. Our kind... We're not supposed to do what I did. What we did. It hasn't happened in thousands of years."
    "Those old stories... They're true?" he asked.
    "What do you think?"
    "If the punishment is so severe, then why did you risk it? Why did you sleep with me?"
    "Tigers are dying off in Choson too. The only males in my territory were my brothers, so if I had stayed home I would have been forced to mate with them. But I left before my cycle began, hoping I could find another option. I ended up here, when it was almost too late."
    "I guess you didn't have much choice," Bong-hwa said.
    "I made the best possible choice." She smiled. "I chose someone who loves Korea and its tigers."
    He helped her up and out of the cage then locked it firmly behind them.
    "You knew this would happen," Bong-hwa said. "And you came anyway."
    "I still had to try. My brother is stubborn, but I didn't think he would stay here rather than leave with me. I'll never be