All Chapters of THE TIGER WOMAN: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Pain.That was the first thing Alina felt when her consciousness returned.Not the pain of falling. But a dull ache. Like every bone in her body had been crushed and put back together again after that night from hell. Especially after her body was thrown into this ravine.But strangely... she was still alive.A strange scent filled her nose. The smell of wet earth, moss, and something wild. The smell of animals. The smell... of tigers.Alina opened her eyes slowly.The ceiling above her was not a house roof. Nor was it the sky.It was stone. Huge black stones carved with symbols of claws and tiger skulls. From the gaps, golden light streamed in. Like sunlight filtered through crystal. Around her, blue torches burned without smoke.She was lying on something soft. Not a mat. Not a bed.Fur. The thick, warm white fur of a giant tiger, covering the cold stone floor.Her body... was clean.Her red kebaya was gone. Replaced with a thin ivory-colored gown that was too big for her body. The

After the matter with the villagers was temporarily put on hold, that night happened to be _Malam Satu Suro_ — the night when demons, spirits, and ghosts performed their sacred wedding.That same night. The Tiger King's palace was crowded with demonic guests.The entire palace was lit by torches and blue fire. Today was _Night one Suro_. The night when the barrier between the human world and the spirit world was at its thinnest. The night when an oath could never be broken.Alina stood in the center of the main hall. She wore a new gown. No longer the ivory dress. This time it was blood red, embroidered with golden tiger motifs. Her hair was braided and adorned with tiger fangs and red flowers.Her heart pounded. Not from fear. From anger and anticipation."Are you ready?" Draven's voice came from behind her.In truth, Alina was still nervous and afraid. But for the sake of avenging her dignity, she was willing to go through with the marriage to the Tiger King. Draven wore black armor

"My father used to be the richest man in that village," Draven began. "His name was Surya. A spice merchant. Every time the harvest failed, he was the one who gave out rice. Every time someone got sick, my mother was the one who treated them. For free." "But there was one person who couldn’t stand to see us happy. Raka’s father. His name was Darman." Draven’s fist clenched. "Darman was jealous. He was poor. He was lazy. So he spread lies. He said my father practiced dark magic. That he used sacrifices. That he used black magic. He said if our family wasn’t killed, the whole village would be cursed. Maybe all the villagers were scared, and they fell for his instigation." "Those stupid villagers believed him," Draven hissed. "They forgot who had been helping them all this time." Alina clenched her hands. She could feel Draven’s anger down to her bones. "It was raining that night," Draven continued. His eyes stared off into the distance. "I remember. I was 10 years old. I was asleep

It's been 3 days.3 days and Rawabengek feels like a graveyard.It used to be loud at this hour. People selling stuff. Kids running. Now? Nothing. Just dogs barking somewhere far.Everyone's hiding. They say it's because the goats keep dying. The fields are burnt.Everyone blames Alina. But no one says it out loud."RAKA! OPEN UP!"Darman has been banging on the door since dawn. His knuckles hurt.From inside, a shaky voice. "Dad... don't... she's on the roof... the woman in red..."Darman just slid down to the floor."Surya's kid..." he whispered. "You're really back..."That night he forced everyone to the village hall. Said it was important.They lit torches. Even though the lights worked. "Just in case," he said, nervous."So what now, Pak?" The village chief looked like he was gonna cry. "My fields...""SHUT UP!" Darman slammed the table. "This is all because of that devil's spawn!"Mak Temi spoke up. "But Pak Surya helped me before...""YOU SHUT UP!" he yelled. But his voice cra

East Forest was pitch black. The only sounds were crickets and Raka’s ragged breathing.He left the old bike by the edge. Raka bolted into the bushes. Thorns ripped at his calves. His breath tasted like blood and vomit.The torch behind him kept getting closer. Not fast. On purpose."Raka..."Alina’s voice. Closer now. And she was smiling.Raka stopped under a big banyan tree. The blade of his inherited machete was shaking."You... you’re dead!" he yelled.From the darkness, Alina stepped out. Her hair was soaked. Her clothes were torn. But her eyes... they were red. Her nails were long, black, like claws."Finally," she whispered. "You called for me, didn’t you?"She didn’t even finish talking before she lunged. One swipe and her claws tore open Raka’s back."AAARGH!"Raka hit the ground. Heat. Blood. The world spun. The machete slipped from his hand.Alina sat on his chest. She raised her claw, aiming straight for his heart."Enough," Alina hissed._Grrrr..._From all four sides, ye