Chapter 587: Niva

The tiger’s name was Niva.

Sebastian had chosen it, which Dean learned only after Theo had spent nearly a full minute standing several steps from the reinforced boundary, staring through the bronze bars while the enormous white animal regarded him from beneath one of the trees.

The garden was quiet around them, illuminated by low lamps set into the stone path and discreet fixtures hidden among the winter shrubs. Beyond the enclosure, mature trees broke the darkness into long shadows, while the shallow pool near the far wall reflected narrow strips of light whenever the wind disturbed its surface.

Niva sat beneath one of those trees, enormous even at rest, her coat nearly pure white except for faint silver-grey stripes that became more visible along her shoulders and flanks whenever she shifted. Her eyes were the strangest part, a deep purple beneath the garden lights that looked almost unnatural against the pale fur.

Theo stood very still.

That, more than anything, relaxed Dean.

His son was curious about almost everything, but curiosity had never made him reckless. He understood animals better than many adults did, probably because he had grown up with Boreas occupying half the floor and twelve former infected beasts learning how to exist as dogs around him. Theo knew affection did not equal permission, and he had learned early that even the gentlest animal had boundaries.

Niva rose.

Dean felt Arion move beside him before he even looked, one hand settling lightly against Theo’s shoulder without pulling him back or restricting him.

Nero stood on Theo’s other side, unusually quiet, while Sebastian remained slightly behind them with his arms folded across his chest.

Every adult was watching the same things: Niva’s ears, the slow movement of her tail, the position of her head, the tension through her shoulders, and whether Theo understood that several hundred kilograms of interested tiger still required respect.

Theo lifted one hand, stopped before moving any closer, and looked toward Nero.

"Can I?"

Nero glanced toward one of Niva’s handlers standing several meters away.

"Let her come closer first," the woman said.

Theo lowered his hand immediately.

Dean smiled.

Niva crossed the enclosure with slow, silent steps, her paws barely disturbing the grass before she reached the barrier and stopped directly opposite Theo. She sniffed first toward Nero, apparently recognizing him from the previous visits, before her attention shifted fully toward the child with the wooden dragon tucked beneath one arm.

Her ears tipped forward.

A low chuff left her.

Theo’s entire face brightened.

"She said hello."

Sebastian looked toward the handler.

The woman smiled.

"Close enough."

Theo looked back at Niva.

"Hello."

The tiger lowered herself beside the fence.

Arion’s hand remained on Theo’s shoulder, and although his face stayed calm, Dean could feel the tension through him. Apparently, surviving infected beasts did very little to make watching one’s four-year-old stand within touching distance of a tiger feel reasonable.

Theo crouched slowly.

Niva watched him.

When she moved her head, he stopped without being told and waited until she settled again before edging closer.

Dean glanced toward Sebastian.

"He does live with Boreas."

"Boreas would let him sit on his head."

"That is a separate problem."

Theo finally extended his fingers through one of the safe openings in the reinforced barrier, exactly as the handler had shown him.

Niva leaned forward until her nose touched his fingertips.

For several seconds, nobody seemed to breathe.

The tiger pressed the side of her face gently against the bars.

Theo giggled.

Dean’s shoulders loosened, while Arion exhaled beside him and Nero’s expression softened into something openly pleased.

"She likes you," Nero said.

Theo carefully stroked the small section of fur he could reach without forcing his hand farther through the opening.

"She’s soft."

"Most cats are," Sebastian said.

Theo looked up at him.

"She’s not most cats."

Sebastian had no useful answer for that.

Niva gave another chuff and shifted closer, pressing her cheek against the bars again while Theo smiled at her with complete concentration.

A few moments later, his attention settled on her eyes.

His head tilted.

Dean recognized the expression immediately.

Something had occurred to him.

Theo turned toward Nero.

"She has Papa’s eyes."

Silence settled over the garden.

Nero looked at Dean.

His gaze moved to Niva.

Back to Dean.

Dean narrowed his lighter violet eyes.

"Do not."

Nero laughed.

The sound carried across the garden so suddenly that Niva lifted her head, while Sebastian covered his mouth and Arion turned toward the trees with suspicious speed.

Theo frowned, confused by the reaction.

"They are purple."

"They are," Nero agreed, still laughing.

Dean pointed at him.

"Yours are more similar."

Nero’s eyes were darker and more saturated than Dean’s, but apparently genetics had lost the argument the moment Theo made his observation.

Theo looked between them with serious consideration.

"Papa’s are lighter."

Nero laughed harder.

Dean closed his eyes.

Arion finally slipped an arm around Dean’s waist, though the movement of his shoulders betrayed him immediately.

"You too?"

"I am doing nothing."

"You are terrible at it."

Theo had already returned his attention to Niva, who appeared entirely unconcerned with Dean’s dignity and stretched one enormous paw toward the fence before resting it near him.

Theo looked at the paw, then toward the handler.

"Can I touch it?"

"Not yet."

He accepted the answer without complaint.

"All right."

Niva stared at him.

Theo stared back.

After a moment, he placed his wooden dragon carefully on the ground beside himself, keeping it well outside the enclosure.

"This is Dragon."

Dean sighed.

Niva leaned forward enough to sniff toward the toy, while Theo watched her closely without pushing it any nearer.

"She can’t have him."

Nero crouched beside Theo.

"Important distinction."

"He sleeps with me."

Niva gave another quiet chuff.

Theo smiled.

Dean watched the interaction for several more minutes, increasingly reassured by how natural it felt. Theo never pulled at the tiger, raised his voice, or attempted to cross the limits the handlers established, while Niva showed no signs of discomfort and seemed, if anything, increasingly fascinated by the calm little boy sitting outside her enclosure.

When Theo eventually stood, Niva rose with him.

He walked a few steps along the fence.

She followed.

Theo stopped.

Niva stopped too.

Dean glanced at Arion.

Arion’s eyebrows rose.

Theo continued another few steps, and Niva paced beside him again, matching his movement from inside the enclosure with her head slightly lowered toward him.

Sebastian exhaled.

"Oh, no."

Dean smiled.

"You see it too.

Nero looked delighted.

"She adores him."

"She met him ten minutes ago," Sebastian said.

"That was enough for me."

Sebastian looked at him.

Nero smiled.

Dean decided not to involve himself in whatever that statement implied.

Theo returned to the section of fence nearest the others, and Niva followed until she was sitting directly across from him again.

"Can I see her tomorrow?"

Sebastian glanced at the tiger, at Theo, and finally at Nero, whose expression made it perfectly obvious what answer he expected.

"Yes."

Theo smiled.

Nero looked far too satisfied.

Dean understood, watching the way Niva’s purple eyes remained fixed on Theo even as they began walking back toward the palace, that the tiger had already become far more than a wedding gift.

She was becoming family.

And judging by the way she followed Theo along the boundary until the garden gate closed behind him, Niva appeared to have made that decision herself.