Jungle Law

He growled low in his throat, and Deshi shuddered under him. They didn't need words. Sounds, scents, and heated glances told him far more than any new word could. Deshi whimpered when he shifted their position a little, and then the boy cried out with the next thrust. He couldn't help but grin ferally into the next kiss.

In the humid warmth of the jungle floor, he took Deshi, pleasure and possession dancing through his senses. Everything else fell away. His world narrowed to the sweet moans and thick musk they created together. He tried to draw it out, but the gripping tightness of Deshi's body worked against him. The fire of release rolled through him, gaining strength the longer he rocked into the boy. Deshi was firm against his belly, and he gathered his wits long enough to snarl, reach between them, and take Deshi's cock in his hand.

Deshi arched, shouted, and clawed his nails down his back. The potent scent of seed filled the air, twined with pleasure and pain within him, and the sheer joy the boy took in the coupling shoved him over the gaping precipice. He came with a roar, his hands gripping with bruising force at Deshi's hips. After a moment of bright tension, he collapsed against the boy, panting, his head still spinning. He didn't know if it was the heat of the forest or the lingering ecstasy from the rutting, but he didn't care. He felt wonderful. Deshi's fingers began to comb through his hair, and he couldn't keep his purr quiet.

He lifted his head after a moment and licked from Deshi's collarbone, up his throat, to his lips. The silly smile on the boy's face caused something to tighten in his gut. He purred a little louder and licked over Deshi's lips. "Deshi well?" he asked, the words trilling with his purr.

The flush gracing Deshi's cheeks darkened just a little. "Yes, I'm well."

"Good."

He wrapped his arms around Deshi as he pulled his softening cock from him. After pulling Deshi against him, he nuzzled his ear. Sleep clawed at him. The heat, his full belly, and their spent passions conspired against him and demanded a mid-afternoon nap. Since Deshi seemed to be in the same boat, he decided not to fight it. He'd hunt when they woke up, and he easily fell into dreams of running through the forest on four legs with Deshi at his side.

***

The scent of the forest had changed. It was a subtle thing he might not have noticed if he had spent all his time as a human. Luckily, with Deshi so receptive to his feline form, he had been hunting each day as a cat, only shifting into a man when Deshi desired a little conversation or rutting. They had fallen into a routine that allowed him more time as a cat. This seemed to be yet another reason to be grateful for Deshi's understanding. As he stalked through the undergrowth and brush of the forest, he sniffed the air again. It was slight, but as a breeze moved hotly through the semi-darkness of the jungle beneath the canopy, he caught a whiff of it.

Humans. Oh, he couldn't smell them yet—not from this distance—but he knew the changes that signaled humans approaching. From the odd birdsong above him to the scents of other animals changing their marking and hunting patterns. Beasts only changed those habits when new, powerful hunters were suddenly introduced to the area, and there was no predator more dangerous than the human.

He spared a thought for Deshi before deciding to track the humans. If there were more poachers approaching, it was best he take care of them himself so Deshi wouldn't be bothered. Close enough to cause the changes around him was closer than he liked to the den he'd made with Deshi by the lake. With Deshi out gathering more figs, he knew exactly where the boy would be for the next few hours. That comforted him, enabled him to hunt the poachers without the distraction of worry.

They weren't difficult to find. Tracking the changing scent to its source only took patience, and he had that in abundance. His ears and tail twitched when he scented the distinct musk of them, followed closely by the first sounds of human voices. The voices were joined by the sound of metal impacting the ferns and trees. The humans had weapons, then. Large ones, from the metallic clangs that raked over his ears. He growled low in his throat as he sat and waited downwind, shifting only to track their path.

It was perhaps another hour before they did as he feared they would, moving along the same path the poachers had taken into his territory. He would have frowned if his feline face were capable of the expression. Why were they following that path so closely? It was almost as if they weren't tracking prey at all, and that was odd for poachers, odd enough for him to creep closer for a better look at the party.

He was careful, remaining downwind as he silently aligned his path with theirs, glimpsing them through the trees and vines. His eyes narrowed as he took in the appearance of the group. They were clothed appropriately for the forest, but weren't armed to the teeth like poachers. They had devices he had never seen before, and they didn't reek of blood and anger. If they had hunted, they had done so carefully, or infrequently enough, for it to have been only for food.

It took him a minute to identify what he was looking at, but the realization finally hit him like a blow to his sensitive belly. This was a searching party. They were probably looking for the poachers' remains, perhaps even looking for Deshi. His tail drooped a bit at that thought, and he felt a pit begin to form in his gut. If they were looking for the boy, then the kind thing to do would be lead them to him. Deshi might have begun learning to take care of himself, but the deep wilds of the jungle were not Deshi's home. This was his home, his world, and the boy had just fallen into it with those poachers. This was Deshi's chance to return to his own world, maybe even to his family now that he was free of the poachers.

The thought of losing Deshi nearly stopped him in his tracks, nearly sent him running away from the party of humans, but he couldn't just leave the humans to wander. They would find nothing, and eventually give up and return wherever they came from, but could he live with himself if he forced Deshi to stay? Could he live with himself if he selfishly kept the knowledge of this search party to himself?

He deftly moved through the jungle again, this time, he intentionally made noise. It took the idiot humans several minutes to catch the sounds, to begin following his trail. They would call out after every noise he made, but he kept leading them along. Any other beast would know it was being led, but not the humans. They believed themselves to be the top of the food chain. If they'd seen what he'd left of the poachers, maybe they'd be a little more wary of sounds in the jungle. For now, their arrogance served his purpose, and he made sure his tail and paws left markers behind for the humans to follow.

The closer he drew to the copse of fig trees, where Deshi's scent was strongest to his nose, the doubt began to claw at him. Did he truly want to give the boy up? Deshi was his, wasn't he? He'd taken the boy in, ensured he'd survived, even taught him about the food and forest itself here. Yes, should Deshi return with the humans, his life would return to the pattern it had, protecting the leopards as a leopard once more, but... was it enough anymore? He loved the leopards, loved the jungle, but Deshi... did he also love Deshi?

It didn't matter. The jungle wasn't the boy's place. Deshi should be with his own kind, thriving with a wife and children, working fields and growing old in the safety of a village. The forest was unsafe, and he needed to protect the leopards; Deshi made it difficult for him to think of anything other than Deshi. He growled softly the minute the boy came into sight, and the smile Deshi offered him—his arms full of ripe figs—nearly broke his heart. The humans weren't far behind, and he had to make sure they found the boy.

"Kaanan!" Deshi rushed to him. "Figs all over."

He chuffed and looked over his shoulder as he heard another shout from the humans. The boy's head snapped up, his brow furrowed as he looked out into the jungle.

"Kaanan?" Deshi asked, dark brown eyes darting to him.

He couldn't explain, but padded around Deshi and gave him a hard nudge with his head.

"Humans." The boy turned around. "Humans coming!"

He chuffed again and nodded as best he could. Yes, humans were coming. They were coming for Deshi. The boy glared at him, and he decided staying as a leopard wouldn't help explain to Deshi. He willed the body of the cat away, replacing it with the body of a man, and then he opened his eyes and stared at Deshi. "Go with humans."

Deshi's eyes widened, the almond shape of them disappearing with how much white showed around the expressive, dark depths. "No!" Deshi gasped, dropping all the figs to the forest floor and gripping him tightly by the forearms.

Kaanan frowned at him. Why was Deshi panicking? "Deshi go with humans. Home with humans."

Deshi's grip on him tightened, and Deshi shook him, actually shook him. The boy's voice was soft, though, hushed as if he were afraid speaking would alert the approaching search party. "No! Home not with humans. Send them away, Kaanan!"

Send them away? After leading them all the way here, Deshi wanted him to lead them away again? He growled in his confusion, glancing behind Deshi at the trees that still stood between them and the humans. "Deshi not want humans?"

"No, I don't want the humans. I don't want to go!" Deshi released him, but the boy stepped in half a dozen directions, obviously unsure what to do or where to run.

It made no sense, but he knew they had to act quickly. He gripped Deshi's shoulder tightly enough to make him stop moving about like a bug stuck in a spider's web. "Tree. Climb. Now."

"Kaanan..."

"Go!" Kaanan hissed, pushing Deshi toward a suitable tree and scattering the gathered figs so they weren't such an obvious marker. He followed Deshi up the tree and motioned for Deshi to climb higher, supporting the boy when he hesitated to go higher. He hugged Deshi against the trunk of the tree when he heard the humans break through the tree line of the more wild forest surrounding the fig trees. They were high enough for the branches and foliage to mask them, but Deshi's skin was so pale that he did his best to cover the boy's limbs with his own, just in case the humans happened to look up.

He could feel Deshi's heart pounding, could scent the fear on him. The boy began to open his mouth to speak, but he pressed his finger to Deshi's lips, simply whispering into Deshi's ear. "Safe. Wait."

Below, the humans milled around. He couldn't understand their words. The language was fast, trilling to his ears. They looked up into the canopy, but only briefly, and then they were moving on. The humans turned from the direction of the home he'd made with the boy, wandered deeper into the forest. He waited until his muscles ached and sweat dripped down his back, and then he began to shimmy down. He tugged at Deshi, encouraged him to follow. Once they were on the ground once more, he pointed toward their home. "Go. Wait."

"Kaanan!" Deshi hissed. "Talk."

"Go. I will follow humans. Keep them away." It was so strange using that singular word, but he understood it now. "Go. Wait."

Deshi glared at him once more, and then turned toward their camp, ran through the brush. With a thought, he shifted from man to cat and, on four paws, ran after the humans. He snarled, growled, circled them, frightened them. The humans shot their rifles, shouted in their odd language, but he was faster than they were. He chased them, drove them far from the home he'd made with the boy. If Deshi wanted to stay, if he and this forest were now Deshi's home, then he would ensure no one came close enough to threaten them.

It was almost nightfall when he padded from the tree line to the soft, sandy land their home was built upon. The boy had already started a fire, and the scent of cooking fish flesh tickled his nose. He growled, and Deshi's head snapped up from watching the fish on the fire. The boy's cheeks were damp, and it broke his heart that he'd made Deshi cry. He padded over and nosed Deshi, licked at salty cheeks.

"Kaanan." Deshi stroked his fingers through his fur. "You would have sent me away." Desperation tinged the boy's voice, and he licked at Deshi's face again. "Do you not love me anymore?"

Love? Love. He loved the leopards. He loved the jungle. He loved Deshi! He chuffed, stepped back, and shifted from leopard to man. "Deshi," he said, voice gruff, thick with emotion. "I... love Deshi."

"Then why send me from our home?" Deshi demanded, giving his chest a weak shove. "Why bring humans to our home?"

He frowned. How could he explain it all to Deshi in words Deshi would understand? "Deshi human. Deshi home always with humans. Lost in Kaanan's home. I hear humans; I think humans help you. Be Deshi's home again."

Deshi sniffled and shook his head. "Deshi's home not with humans. Deshi's home with Kaanan. With you. I want my home to be with you!"

Heat moved through Kaanan, settling in his chest and belly. He tightened his grip around Deshi, not letting Deshi's weak protests succeed in separating them. Why did Deshi say he wanted to be close, but then push him away? It didn't make any sense to him. What made sense was the love he felt, that warmth and desire to keep Deshi safe and close to him. He tried to think of the correct words, form them in his head before speaking them carefully. "I... want Deshi—" He paused for a moment, trying to use the words Deshi was teaching him. "I want you... to stay."

Deshi stopped struggling against him, and he leaned in to lick away a couple more tears as they fell down Deshi's cheeks. "I stay, you teach, and I learn?" Deshi asked, his voice soft. When he leaned in close to sniff along Deshi's skin, he smelled that sweet fear again, the kind that was softer than survival. It was more like hope. Deshi was hoping for his answer.

He purred as he smiled, brushing Deshi's hair back from his face. "Yes. Deshi stay and learn." He liked that thought. "I protect you."

"No bringing humans back," Deshi said, leaning into his touch.

"No more humans," he promised in return. Deshi smiled faintly. The boy brought a hand up to stroke along his chest, and his eyes closed for a moment. "Deshi help protect cats."

Deshi's smile broadened. "Yes. Protect Kaanan, cats, and jungle."

It was a sweet promise, one he knew Deshi could hardly keep. The boy was perhaps a hundred pounds soaking wet. But that Deshi wanted to... that was worth everything to him. He took Deshi's mouth in one of those hungry kisses the boy liked so much, and he pulled their bodies together. Deshi fit in his arms as if he'd been made for him, and he couldn't help but deepen the kiss. Soft sounds of want filled the kiss as Deshi moved against him, and he quickly bore Deshi to the ground.

With a swipe of his large hand, the cloths they used to cover themselves were cast aside. He let his weight settle against the boy, and he thrust, rubbing their bodies together as he devoured every little whimper and cry Deshi offered him. It was base and hungry, careless and thoughtless, and he would have simply turned Deshi onto his belly and taken him if Deshi hadn't stopped him in the middle of doing just that.

"Wait!" Deshi panted. He frowned as he watched Deshi crawl to their shelter, motioning for him to follow. He growled, stalking into the simple hut, and Deshi waited, holding up the small clay pot of oil they'd been adding to each time he'd found some coconuts. "I don't want to hurt," the boy murmured, kneeling on the pad of grasses they used for a bed.

He growled and chuffed, joining Deshi on their mat. He took the jar from Deshi. "Kaanan will not hurt you," he swore before drawing Deshi into another heated kiss.

Deshi melted against him, slowly crawling back into his lap. It was like the boy accepted his promises without a moment's hesitation. To be given such faith, such utter trust and submission, was one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs he'd ever experienced. He wouldn't betray that trust. Deshi was his, and he would take care of the boy, tonight and always, be it lovemaking or teaching Deshi to hunt and gather.

He wrapped an arm around Deshi and dipped the fingers of his other hand into the small pool of oil in the pot. He curled his tongue around Deshi's, nipped his lower lip, and reveled in the soft, desperate sounds Deshi gave in return when he brought his fingers to the boy's hole. He pushed two fingers inside without too much trouble and made swift work of spreading the oil, adding a bit more to his fingers before pressing a third digit inside Deshi as well. The foreplay was delightful, and the way the boy moved against him was almost sinful.

"Kaanan," Deshi whimpered, burying his face against his neck. He purred, nuzzling and nipping at Deshi's earlobe to try to distract from the momentary discomfort. They so rarely needed words in moments like these, and he liked it that way. It allowed scent and touch and taste to become just as important, and he could feel when Deshi began to open to him, relax into the gentle thrusts of his fingers.

It was when Deshi's hand snaked between them and stroked him lightly that he groaned. A low, possessive growl escaped him as he nudged the pot of oil toward Deshi. The boy needed no more instruction after that, oiling a small hand. Deshi's grip was blissfully slick after that, and he shuddered, shifting up into Deshi's hand. He could easily have spent himself just like that, but as his need became more acute, he pulled Deshi closer and positioned himself, unwilling to wait any longer.

Deshi sat back onto him with a cry, and he stared up at the boy, the line of his neck, the arch of his beautiful body as they joined. If there was pain for Deshi, it must have been lost under the rush of pleasure for the boy to make such sounds. He arched his own neck, nipping his way up Deshi's throat and jaw until their lips closed in another consuming kiss.

With the slightest encouragement of his hands, Deshi began to move against him. The boy rocked in his lap, and the movement brought a growl rumbling up out of him. Every sound he made was devoured by Deshi's eager lips. As Deshi adjusted to him, the rocking turned into bouncing, and kissing became impossible as Deshi moaned and moved on him.

Despite the boy's eagerness, he grew frustrated. The cat within him wanted to take, to lay claim to its mate, and with Deshi astride him, it was impossible to fulfill that need. He snarled, bit at Deshi's throat, and then rolled their bodies. In the blink of an eye, Deshi was sprawled across their sleeping mat, and he was buried balls-deep inside the boy's squirming body. Deshi's cry echoed in his ears, and he licked at the indention left by his teeth. He gave them both just a moment to gain their bearings, and then he let the cat have sway.

His hips were powerful, his thrusts hard and fast, and his mouth left several bright marks behind on Deshi's throat. Deshi was wanton beneath him, nails scratching down his back, urging him onward. The scent of sweat, musk, and coconut filled his nose. Teeth and tongues, nails and the squeeze of thighs, everything compounded to drive him mad with need. The boy's shouts and whines did nothing to help him bite back the oncoming storm of pleasure building within him. He took Deshi's mouth in another searing kiss, and he felt the boy's hand worm between their bodies. He opened his eyes, gazed down at Deshi's flushed, damp face, and when he saw his own pleasure mirrored in those dark eyes, he let himself go.