To Love a Stray Ch. 04

"Shit!" I hear Doc exclaim and I turn to snarl a warning at him. All of the toms freeze where they are trying to get some distance from me, as even with one leg disabled I am dangerous to them while they are in human form. I snort through my nose and head towards the bedroom my progress made in short little hop like movements with my good front leg. In the bedroom I curl up on top of the bed and lay facing the doorway, my tail wrapped around my hindquarters. I nibble at the bandage on my foreleg until the bandage begins to unwrap and I pull at it impatiently. A knock at my door brings a snarl to my throat and I watch as the door opens slowly and Doc looks in cautiously.

"You mustn't try to go far on that leg Rosy, it's too badly broken to take your weight just yet," He tells me cautiously. I lower my head and move my weight from one back foot to the other making sure I have a good footing, my tail lashes from side to side and Doc quickly closes the door between us as he recognises my threat. It is nearly an hour later before I hear Mitchell's footsteps in the building. I ease off the bed and rear up on my hind legs to use my good paw to depress the elongated handle of the door down so I can get out. I move along the room silently and rotate my ears as I listen to the toms in the lounge room. I stop back from the doorway so that I don't attract attention and drop to my stomach to creep forward to where I can see into the room.

"You're lucky you got off as light as you did," Doc is telling Mitchell as he stitches a gash above his eyebrow.

"Well if Steven hadn't shot his mouth off like he did I wouldn't have hit him," Mitchell all but growls.

"It's not your place to say who can go near Rosy. She is under Wade's protection until such time she chooses a mate," Doc tells him firmly.

"What if she doesn't want a tom after what she's been through?" Mitchell demands hotly.

"You've got to get control of your protectiveness towards Rosy or your going to get more than a month without pay and not being allowed to be with Rosy unless someone else is present," Sam tells his brother angrily.

"That's the worst part. I don't know if Rosy will understand why things have been changed," Mitchell says sadly.

"She'll just have to cope," Edwin says from somewhere close by but out of my line of sight. I stand upright and walk into the lounge room as best I can on three paws, I walk up to Mitchell and circle him as I sniff reading the story by the scents I pick up on him.

I can smell Steven's scent on his ribs where they smell bruised and Micah's scent on one arm as if he'd grabbed hold of him for some reason. I rear up placing my paws on his shoulders as I sniff near his face; the strong mixture of the scent of his blood and the smell of Steven has my hair standing on end as I move back down to three paws. I turn and leave the room as I head for my room, everyone is silent behind me and I ignore them as I pass by them.

* * * * *

I am in human form when I walk into the kitchen for breakfast the next morning, I look around for Mitchell but he isn't there.

"Want some bacon and eggs? We got plenty here," Dwayne tells me from the counter where he is dishing up his own breakfast.

"Yeah here's a plate," Steven says as he pulls a plastic plate out of a new packet and turns around to hand it to me. I growl low and deep in my throat, the closest to a growl in cat form I have ever done.

"If you're threatening me it's not going to work," Steven says as he turns to face me cautiously.

"Threatening you? It's not a threat, it's a promise." I hiss as I walk past him to get to the toaster on the far side of the kitchen. I ignore him as I put two slices of bread into the toaster one handed, I hear his soft snort of laughter and am about to turn and face him when loud footsteps come through the back door.

"Business guys!" Micah yells as he marches into the kitchen and looks around.

"Sam! Dwayne! Alex! And Mitchell! We just got a report of a stray that has been seen several times in cat form by Roo hunters over by Westby River," Micah stops as he spots me and hesitates for a moment and then gives a brief nod. "Now is as good a time as any for you to learn how things work," he looks around just as I smell Mitchell's scent.

"You all know the protocol. And be careful," Micah orders. He looks at me where I wait by the toaster and then he glances at the cooked food by the stove, "You okay? Don't want bacon and eggs today?"

"I feel off in the stomach," I say grudgingly when he continues to watch me and I see the worry flare in his eyes. "It's just morning sickness and I'll feel better if I can eat,"

"If what you want isn't here I'm sure one of us can find it in Mum's pantry," Micah tells me quietly.

"Toast will do," I mutter and turn away, I'm not about to tell him I want pancakes dripping in syrup. I long to follow after Mitchell but I know that it would cause more problems for him. I am chewing half heartedly on my buttered toast when the four toms walk by on their way outside, they are all carrying some kind of bag with spare clothing in it and I put my toast aside to follow them outside. I watch as they pack their bags in the back of the van I first arrived here in and I rush forward to grab Mitchell's arm.

"Hey Rosy. I got to go away for three or four days but don't worry I'll come back," He tells me with an easy grin. Ignoring Wade who is walking towards us from the main house I throw my arms around Mitchell and press my face against his chest as I hug him.

"Be safe," I tell him before reluctantly letting go and stepping back.

"Do I get one of them too?" Alex jokes lightly. I turn my head to glare at him but I only see my Alex who is off to face a stray. I walk over to him and cuddle in close breathing in his scent, "Be safe," I tell him as well. As I step back I find Sam and Dwayne standing close by and I cuddle them telling them to be safe before I release them and step away. I glance nervously at Wade who is now waiting to talk to the four toms and I move off a bit unsure if I am allowed here.

"I'll phone you as soon as I have more information. You might as well detour via Southrock on your way home and see if that stray we've chased on and off is still roaming around there. And as Rosy said, be safe." Wade tells them. I watch as they climb into the van and Dwayne drives off, I wonder if I should mention to Wade that the stray won't be at Southrock as she was right here. I turn away to head back to The Quarters but stop at the sound of Wade's voice.

"Good morning Rosy, Marissa would like it if you wanted to visit with her today," He invites me in a friendly tone.

"Maybe later," I say and walk away.

"She said she has morning sickness," I hear Micah explaining to his father.

"Or she could just be sulking," Steven puts in.

"I can't afford to let Mitchell get too protective of her. When the top warriors and toms start coming around there're several who'd be likely to kill him for it, I'd loose a promising warrior and Rosy would be terribly upset by it," I hear Wade saying as I go in the back door. I pause just inside to keep listening but the sudden clenching of my stomach has me running for the toilet.

I am on my knees leaning against the wall beside the ceramic bowl weak with having been physically sick when I smell Edwin, I turn my head towards the doorway ready to warn him off but he wordlessly offers me a glass of water. I take the glass with a slight nod and rinse my mouth before resting against the wall with my eyes closed and my head bent for several minutes.

"Do you feel up to going to the lounge room now?" Edwin asks softly.

"My bed, I need to rest." I mutter and make no argument when he lifts me in his arms. His smell is much stronger than Mitchell's and muskier I can't help noticing, he is more muscular and thicker through the body.

I sigh with relief as he carefully lowers me onto the bed but jump when I hear Micah's yell.

"Edwin! Where are you?"

"In here!" He calls back but stays to cover me with a blanket that he tucks around my feet gently. "Don't want you getting cold," he tells me softly.

"What are you doing?" Micah demands as he strides into the room.

"Rosy was sick so I'm just helping her to bed so she can have a rest," Edwin says with a glance at his brother.

"You alright?" Micah demands with a frown of concern and I glimpse Steven and Pete hovering just outside the door.

"I just need to rest for a little while," I say as I close my eyes.

"I'm going to have a chat with Mum maybe she knows something that will help you." Micah tells me firmly.

"Pancakes. Pancakes and honey," I mutter.

"You just spewed your guts up and now you want to eat?" Edwin asks in disbelief.

"Hmmm, that's the way it works apparently," I mutter then yawn, "But first I want to have a nap," Already I can feel the welcome of sleep and relax even though I know the toms are still in and around my room. I wake to unusually muted noise and I lift my head warily to look around. Feeling much better than when I first woke this morning. I sit up and stretch, lifting both arms above my head and bending first to one side and then the other. I slip out from under the blanket and get to my feet. I walk silently to the toilet and visit the bathroom before heading for the lounge room. The four toms are spread around the room in different chairs talking in quiet voices with no one playing the inevitable x-box game. The very lack of noise must have been what woke me I realise.

"Hey you're awake!" Pete exclaims with a grin as he gets to his feet. I ignore him as I head towards the kitchen following the appetising aroma I had followed down the hallway. In the microwave I find a plate heaped with fresh pancakes still slightly warm, I take the plate in my good hand and carry it to the table where I sit down and quickly roll a pancake into a long tube that I begin eating.

I hear footsteps enter the kitchen and I hunch over my plate, my injured arm on the table above the plate and my other hand just above the plate as I chew hungrily. Someone walks behind me and I growl a possessive warning as I turn my head slightly to listen to them go past.

"Woe! The stray is in a bad mood," Edwin comments as he grabs himself something out of the fridge. I hear the soft hiss of a can of soda being opened and take another mouthful of pancake, jerking the bite off with an exaggerated movement.

"We're going for a stroll in the trees later, Steven and I are going to hunt do you want to come for the walk?" Micah asks.

"I'd be helpless as a cat," I snap at Micah.

"You don't have to change you can still go for a walk on two legs. Edwin and Pete will keep you company," Micah tells me.

"What so they don't get stuck in the house with the stray?" I ask sarcastically.

"Oh don't worry. I wouldn't mind being stuck in the house with the she-kitt," Edwin purrs at me.

"You need fresh air and exercise don't you?" Pete asks as I turn my head to growl at Edwin.

"At the moment I need to eat!" I growl as I hunch over my food.

"You don't need to guard your food," Micah chides gently, "No one is going to take it from you," I ignore his comment as I continue to eat and hunch over my food. I know what he said is true but it is sheer perverseness on my part that makes me over react to having them in the room.

"Ought to take it from her every time she acts like a damned stray," Edwin growls and I snarl back at him.

"Stop stirring her!" Micah snaps at his brother.

I use the last pancake to mop up the traces of butter on the plate and pop it into my mouth, when I swallow it I look down at the plate thoughtfully. "They didn't have any honey on them,"

"Well if you hadn't been growling at everyone you could have asked for honey and one of us would have got it for you," Pete tells me slowly as if I might have trouble understanding him. I give him a dirty look as I get up and check in the fridge to check for fresh juice, there are several small bottles of it and I grab one and use my teeth to hold the lid as I turn the bottle and open it. I drop the lid onto my injured arm and lift the bottle to take a deep drink.

"You could have asked one of us to open it," Micah points out.

"And then it would have smelt like whoever touched it," I say and snort with distaste.

"A bit strange being able to smell so well?" Micah inquires softly.

"It has its uses," I say with a shrug, "So when are you going hunting?"

"We can go as soon as you're ready to go for a walk," Micah says levelly. I hesitate a moment, so far I haven't been anywhere that Mitchell hasn't been with me.

"I can go as soon as I finish this," I say as I lift my drink and take several deep swallows. "Just one condition, yous don't run at me while you're a cat 'cause I've been chased a few times and I don't like it," I warn.

"You promise not to try to run off?" Micah asks. I nod guardedly; I know I am in no fit state to be by myself.

"Fair enough," Micah agrees. "No chasing you but try not to run from us. A cat's natural instinct is to chase anything that flees." I turn my full attention to finishing my drink and put the empty bottle and lid in one of the many rubbish bins around the house.

"This place is really disgusting you know. Rubbish and dust everywhere," I comment.

"If it bothers you so much you can clean it," Steven tells me and I snarl at him.

"So Mum tells us," Edwin says and heads for the door. I hesitate a moment before following him, he leads the way outside and turns towards the closest tree line. I glance quickly over my shoulder at the sound of footsteps behind me and then turn my attention back to the tree line because I don't want to think about the fact that both Micah and Steven are now only wearing jeans and whatever they have on underneath them.

I lengthen my stride and take deep breaths of the fresh air, I smile to myself with pleasure at being outside after days of being cooped up inside. Pete jogs past me followed by Micah and Steven then the race begins as they really begin to run. I glance at Edwin and see the longing in his face to be running with the others but he keeps to my pace. I watch until the three disappear into the dapples shadows and I turn my attention back to the ground in front of me. When we reach the trees we soon find Pete picking up discarded jeans but there are no big black cats in sight and for that I am thankful.

"They've gone hunting," Pete says lightly as he rolls the clothing into a bundle and uses a short piece of rope to make a handle to put over his shoulder. I follow as he starts along a trail and I glance over my shoulder when I don't hear Edwin following, I catch sight of him just about to urinate on a tree and look away hurriedly.