To Love a Stray Ch. 02

"Don't tell me you had to sedate her to treat her back! It could have waited until after she ate, I was as fast as I could!" Dwayne complains, he sounds truly upset.

"She's not sedated," Sam tells him and I lift my face from the pillow and turn it towards the doorway. Dwayne is standing in the open door watching and grins when he sees I'm fully aware. He kicks the door closed without looking and holds up the box of takeaway bags he holds.

"I didn't know what you prefer so I got a variety."

"Finished, you can sit up." Mitchell announces. I sit up careful not to jostle my aching shoulder and watch as Dwayne brings the food over to sit the box on the bed in front of me.

"There's McDonalds, KFC and I even got a pizza. Go on, pick what you want," Dwayne offers. I search through the McDonalds until I find a double quarter pounder. I glance around the three expectant toms but seeing no denial I remove the meal from the bag.

"You can have one of the large drinks," Dwayne offers with a friendly smile.

I glance up from un-wrapping my food and take note of his expression.

"Not trying to get on my good side are you?" I ask suspiciously.

Dwayne blinks and the smile fades from his face. "I just thought you might like to choose what you ate," his tone is carefully neutral and I realise I have offended him.

Unsure how to take the insult back I pull my burger apart and pick the pickle slices off it. I lift them up and eat them one at a time relishing the taste. I suck my fingers before picking the lettuce and tomato off the burger; they go the same way as the pickle slices and I begin reassembling the meat patties and bun.

"You got any desert in those bags?" I ask as I eye the reconstructed burger critically.

"You haven't finished your burger yet," Sam points out to me. I look at him from the corner of my eyes with pursed lips and shake my head before turning my attention back to my food. I grab a fry and nibble on it as I study the burger. I finish the fry before picking the burger up and taking a big bite out of it. I make sounds of enjoyment as I eat the burger quickly and lick my lips before looking at Dwayne.

"You got another burger for me?" I ask brightly then frown. "What about Alex? Did you get him something to eat?"

"Yeah, I dropped his food off with him before coming inside," Dwayne answers in a reserved tone. Obviously he hasn't forgiven me for my remark about trying to get on my good side. I glance at the takeaway bags seeing they aren't empty but when no answer comes from Dwayne I shrug and turn my attention to my fries. They're too salty and I stop eating them after a few. I feel some irritation when both Mitchell and Sam retrieve a second burger each out of the bags. Deciding I can take off if necessary, I reach for the KFC bag and look in it while keeping a cautious eye on the other three. It's full of deep fried chicken and I quickly grab two pieces before placing the box back in the bag. I eat the chicken quickly. I've grabbed two breast fillets and I barely chew the tender meat before swallowing.

"Go and wash your hands," Mitchell orders as I begin licking the grease from the palm of one hand. I blatantly lick my hand several times as I stare at Mitchell before easing off the bed and heading for the bathroom. The taps are fairly quiet as I wash my hands and I can hear Sam talking to Dwayne telling him to give me time that I've been through a lot and that I'm not to know when some stranger is being nice because that's their nature. I linger in the bathroom taking time to wash any grease off my face before returning to the other room. I climb back onto the bed beside Mitchell and stretch out on my stomach. I ignore the cold fries and look at the drinks for a few moments studying the condensation on the outside of the cups. I put the fries in the box and pick up one of the large drinks and pop the straw in my mouth taking several swallows before drawing patterns in the condensation on the outside of the cup.

"Do you always play with your food?" Mitchell asks. I remember how I had cut my steak into tiny pieces before eating it the night with Pete, Steven and Micah.

"How bad is your arm where I bit it?" I ask suddenly, "I really didn't mean to bite you."

"Not too bad. By the time I've changed ... shifted form once or twice it will have healed," Mitchell explains.

"Changed ...changing, that's what you call it," I remark.

"Yeah, we change from one form to another," Sam explains. I nod as I think about it and how it makes sense. I look at Sam then glance at the other two before settling my gaze on him again.

"Can you tell me more about being a cat?" I ask quietly, "But just stop if I ask?"

"Don't go trying to knock any of my teeth loose," Sam says in a mock fearful tone and lifts both arms as if to ward of an attack.

I groan and bury my face in the bed for a few moments before lifting my head once again. "Alex was freaking me out," I mutter.

"Yeah I realised that but he needed to find out from you how far he could go before he got himself into hot water," Sam explains patiently.

"Can we change the subject?" I almost beg.

"Yeah. We're toms, tomcats. We work as warriors; we deal with troublemakers and trespassers. Act as security for our Alpha, the dominant tom and queen. A queen is a female cat that has had at least one baby. Until she is married and has her first child she is called a she-kitt. We think you're a she-kitt," Sam tells me.

"No I'm a Rosy cause I got rosettes," I shoot back. The three toms glance at one another in shock before Sam looks back at me.

"Rosettes? Female strays are coloured like a jaguar, tawny gold with rosettes. Stray male were cats are all black with generally white patches or markings on chins, chests or stomaches. But clan were cats we're all black with no colours and very rarely markings of any kind. All clan cats are," Sam explains to me.

"I have rosettes. When I go out in the sun they can be seen beneath my fur which is black and has an almost coppery sheen to it," I explain patiently.

"You can't have," Sam says unbelievingly.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't have! I've seen them enough when I am out in the sun or on the full moon!" I snap angrily.

"Exactly how long have you been a werecat?" Sam asks tersely. I glance at him to find him watching me intently and I realise this information session has turned into something like an interrogation.

"A bit," I say in a noncommittal tone.

"Here's how this works. I ask the questions and you answer them truthfully ... or ..." Sam lets the idea trail away and I frowned as I watched him through narrowed eyes.

"I can remember a few reports of a sighting of a stray with a strange coat," Dwayne offers with a thread of excitement, "It has always taken off running when warriors went to move it out of their territory. The first one I can remember the timing of is about six months ago."

Sam is watching me closely.

"Oh I have been round long enough to have learnt the difference between clan cats and strays. Clan cats attack and chase off strays or kill them. Soon as I worked that out I knew I have to keep away from both," I say levelly.

"We got no intention of killing you or chasing you off ..." Sam begins and I sit up alertly and growl a low deep warning as I edge backwards away from the three toms. "There aren't a lot of female werecats born and you're not the first female stray I have heard of. Most of them have been discovered dead or are crazy from what strays have done to them. All the surviving female werecats strays have ... Clan cats look after she-kitts. They're our future ..."

I snarl at this and I am on my feet backing away from them.

"No one will force you or rape you. You get to find a tom you like or feel comfortable with," Mitchell says as he turns around slowly to face me. I pause in the toilet doorway and watch them closely as I search their faces. Every sense I possess is telling me they are speaking the truth and they have no intentions of hurting me but I am afraid to trust them.

"Most families have five or six sons before they have a daughter. For some reason boys tend to be born first," Dwayne offers. "And any of us, all of us have had ample chance to ... well if that's what was intended."

This sounds about right and even though I am no longer growling I know there is no escape from the cabin. It was probably chosen because it would contain me.

"Come on," Mitchell pats the bed beside him trying to coax me back.

"What would happen if I knew about another werecat?" I ask.

"A stray she-kitt?" Sam asks in surprise.

"No, a clan tom," I answer.

"Did he show you what he is?" Sam demands instantly.

"No. I was up an apple tree picking apples and I saw something move on the other side of the pond. It was a big black cat and you could say I was ... shocked when he changed and became the man," I recount as I remember that day.

"Does he know that you know?" Sam asks suspiciously.

"And get myself attacked! I'm not stupid!" I snap and begin pacing in front of the toilet and bathroom doors nervously.

"Hey Rosy you need to stay calm," Mitchell murmurs soothingly. I glance at him and see the concern on his face and realise that I am becoming anxious. I take a deep breath and stop pacing as I try to calm down.

"Was this before or after you started changing into a cat?" Sam probes gently. I'm scared to believe they want to talk about this. After all the times the need to talk to someone to anyone about being a werecat and the challenges I faced as a stray had sent me running through the forest on four feet in turmoil and misery.

"Rosy ... Rosy ..." I look towards Mitchell and realise I am pacing again. I give in to the need for comfort and rush towards him. I see the caution flare in his eyes and force myself to slow as I climb onto the bed to stretch out beside him on my stomach as I bury my face in the covers. I whimper and wriggle closer miserably. I press my side against his thigh and I am rewarded when he strokes the back of my head gently.

"You've been alone too long without any friends haven't you," Mitchell commiserates gently.

"How have you avoided other werecats? Have you been lucky enough to smell them first?" Dwayne asks. I climb to my knees and glance at Mitchell. He is watching me with a compassionate look and I move to press my face against his chest. The feel of his arms coming around me is comforting and I hesitate a moment before gripping the sides of his shirt as I snuggle closer.

"You alright Rosy?" Sam asks and I nod as I turn my head to look at him.

"Pretty scary huh?" Mitchell asks and I nod as I ease back to sit on my thighs even while keeping hold on his shirt. I look down as I blink to control the tears that want to flow then I swallow hard.

"I saw that cat ...change a while after ... after I started changing but I never said anything to him. Never let him or anyone know," I murmur.

"Good girl, that was smart thinking," Sam praises and I lift my head for a moment to smile tremulously at him.

"You not so scared of us anymore?" Dwayne asks and I catch the slight tone of yearning in his voice. I glance his way and give a small shake of my head before looking down at my hands. My knuckles are white from the tight grip I have on Mitchell's shirt and I force myself to loosen my hold.

"You want to try to have a bit of a sleep before we hit the road again?" Sam asks softly and I give a faint shrug.

"You'll need to use one of the other beds because your drink got spilt on this one," Mitchell cuts in and I look down at the bed to find what he had said was true.

"Oh," I say faintly. I allow Mitchell to coax me onto one of the other three twin beds where he pulls the covers over me tucking them around me as if I am a child. I snuggle down into the bed pulling the covers up over my head to cut out the light, the covers are lifted and I recognise Sam's silhouette.

"You okay in there?"

"The light's bothering me," I explain.

"Ok," He arranges the covers so a gap lets in fresh air before he moves away. I close my eyes and quickly drift off into a warm and hazy kind of limbo. I can hear what the others are saying and I can hear them moving about now and then but it doesn't worry me as I lay in a haze of pain and fever.

* * * * *

I wake with the sense that something has changed. I moved slightly and become aware of a warm pressure against my left side that is moving slightly. I tense but a quick sniff tells me it is Mitchell stretched out on top of the blankets and lying against my uninjured side.

"I'd appreciate it if you could change over with Alex. Rosy doesn't seem to like him and at the moment we're just trying to keep her calm and get her back where we can get her medical treatment," Sam is explaining.

"No problem. So we have finally come across a live female stray."

I attempt to sit up as the new voice reaches my ears but Mitchell moves beside me with a mumble and I am pulled up against his body by his arm as he rolls onto his side.

"Trouble over there?" Sam asks quietly.

"She jumped again," Mitchell murmurs in soothing tones from behind my head.

"She restless?" There's that voice again and I tense beneath the blankets.

"I think she's woken up," Mitchell says as he sits up and eases the blankets away from my face. I am motionless as I take a deep breath checking for the scent of this new presence in the room. I am aware of Mitchell murmuring to me as I tense even further as I identify the scent. Micah!

"She hurt badly?" Micah asks.

"She has an infected bite on her shoulder that seems to be very deep and she's pretty unstable with her changes," Sam clarifies. "Alternates between aggressive and submissive."

"Not good," Micah says quietly.

"Rosy you ready to meet someone new?" Mitchell asks gently as he brushes stray hairs back off the side of my face. The light is turned on and I jerk my face into the pillow as the light hurts my eyes.

"I hear you smacked my brother in the mouth and I can't say I blame you. There's been a time or two I've wanted to do worse," Micah says in a friendly tone as he begins walking toward the bed from the front door. I clutch at the pillow and a hand covers mine lightly.

"If you're getting too scared remember deep even breaths, okay," Mitchell murmurs near my ear. I nod and ease back from the pillow and begin to ease myself into a sitting position, I flick a quick glance Micah's way and tremble with a mixture of fear and excitement as I chance a look at his face. I duck my head and turn my face toward Mitchell as Micah nears the bed. I can hear Micah's heart begin beating faster and the deepening of his breathing as he inhales my undisguised scent.

"Rosy?" There is a hint of question in his tone and I am not sure if it is because he wants my attention or because he has recognised me. I glance his way nervously and see the growing recognition in his eyes. I hold his gaze for a few moments as he studies my face.

"See how easy it is to meet someone new Rosy," Mitchell soothes softly.

"I'm not someone new, am I Rosy? We've met before haven't we when you used a different name," Micah murmurs evenly. I flinch back against Mitchell but nod affirmation to Micah's statement.

"And you were a cat back then too weren't you," Micah's tone has changed slightly. I cower against Mitchell and grab hold of his hand as I watch Micah terrified. I am aware of Sam moving closer where he can get a better view of my face and Dwayne moving to where he can see me as well.

"How do you manage it? I can smell you now but I couldn't smell you then, not even when I ..." Micah's musing breaks off as he watches me closely.

"You know her?" Sam asks in surprise.

"She was living next door to Pete Willoughby," Micah informs them.

"Pete had to have known what she was!" Dwayne exclaims.

"Oh Pete had a few questions when I was there like how come she just happened to drop the theory that the cattle kills were done by exotic cats, the photos she let him ... you were keeping strays away from your home territory! You already new what they..." Micah's voice trails off as he stares at me with dawning understanding, "You had already learnt what they do to you if they catch you. Damn!"

I flinch and turn to Mitchell to burrow against his chest desperately.

"What the hell are you going on about?" Mitchell demands angrily.

"How many times have strays caught you Rosy? How many times have you suffered through what they do to you?" Micah's voice has taken on a timber of pain as he asks me the question. "Rosy?"

"I don't want to talk about it, I just want to forget," I whimper against Mitchell's chest.

A growl starts rumbling low in Micah's chest and the rage and intensity in it send so much fear shooting through me my body loses the ability to change. As the warm wetness begins to soak my sweatpants I realise with humiliation that I've voided my bowels and bladder in terror. My heart is pounding so rapidly and hard my chest hurts and I gasp for breath. I can hear Mitchell growling something in a low tense voice but I can't understand it past the buzzing in my ears.

My sight has gone black and fuzzy. My hearing is lost beneath the roar of my blood in my ears but I am aware of the warmth of a body against me and the soothing feel of arms around me. I drift in and out of sleep or consciousness several times before I return to full awareness. A finger brushes hair back off my face and I grimace as I turn my face into the pillow beneath me. The finger returns to trace circles on my upper arm and I whimper as I shudder in fear helplessly.

"Rosy, Rosy look at me. Look at me Rosy," Micah's voice has taken on a slightly teasing tone and I chance a quick glance his way before hiding my face again.

"Come on Rosy. You're real clever at hiding to survive by yourself. How did he find you?" Micah asks after several minutes when he realises I'm not about to co-operate.

"Can't you leave her alone?" Mitchell demands aggressively.

"How about you and I step outside?" Micah asks and a strong pungent musky odour reaches me. I hear Mitchell and at least one of the others coughing as Micah gives a short growl.

"What? I thought not," Micah murmurs in a hard voice. There is silence for a minute or two before he starts talking again. "How did he find you Rosy?"

I feel his breath brush my ear and flinch, "He smelt me. He must have tracked me, he smelt me," I sob miserably.

"Help her get cleaned up if she'll let you. We need to get moving." Micah orders quietly.

I find myself carried to the bathroom and placed on my feet with care before Mitchell urges me to have a quick shower. When I get out of the shower I feel more normal and hurry to dress in another lot of clean clothes. I leave the bathroom and hesitate in the doorway looking around feeling scared. The room is empty with the door standing open and I move towards it cautiously suspecting a trap of some kind. Dwayne heads towards me from the vehicle and I watch him warily. He motions me forward with a smile.

"Come on Rosy," he encourages me. Too physically and emotionally exhausted to argue I follow him without complaint. I climb into the back of the vehicle and settle myself in my previous seat. Dwayne is gentle as he tucks a blanket around my shoulders to keep me warm and I pull my feet up under it.

"Thanks," I mumble uncertainly.

Dwayne smiles at me, "It's okay," He looks as if he wants to say more but moves away. He returns after a few moments and looks in the vehicle at me watching me for several minutes before moving away again. He repeats this process several times until Sam appears around the side of the cabin with a grim look on his face.

Sam climbs into the back of the vehicle and studies me where I am seated, "Comfortable?"