A man. A tiger. A tornado. Jared Montaine owns a big cat rescue in Florida and faces financial pressures, getting over his ex-wife, and the challenge of suburbia creeping ever closer to his enclave for the animals. But when a tornado wrecks part of the refuge, Jared's worst fear comes to life: his Siberian tiger, Sultan, escapes. It's a big cat handler’s nightmare: a tiger on the loose, confused, lost -- and hungry. Jared races against the police, the media, and the hysterical public, all of whom are clamoring for the tiger's hide. He must re-capture Sultan before the cat is killed -- by traffic, by SWAT, or by a civilian who just wants to shoot a tiger. With fellow wildlife handlers at his side, Jared fights desperately to find and capture Sultan before the tiger injures or kills a human. Because that would lead to his worst nightmare -- having to kill the tiger he hand-raised from a cub. Jared’s commitment is tested -- to his animals, his refuge, and his belief that saving the life of even one tiger is worth losing everything.

The Tiger Whisperer

He liked the order in her voice and his heart beat faster. “Sultan, see you in the morning, big guy. I love you.” He grabbed Sultan’s face ruff and waggled it. The tiger chuffed back at him, then loped over to the fence to plop next to Eloise.


Getting through the lockout seemed to take a long time. When he got outside the fencing, Valerie looped one strong hand around his neck and pulled him into a fresh kiss, soft at first, then harder, her lips against his and then her tongue. He tugged her to him, belly to belly, the fit of her slim body nestled against his in all the right places, a perfect fit this woman.


Weyerhauser Pine Flats, 33 miles west of Gainesville, FL


Chapter 101