Cat Nipped Ch. 05

Tara squeals like a kid at Christmas and I realize that far from being overwhelmed, she is ecstatic. "You are so getting laid tonight," she whispers.

I'm on cloud nine, my head swimming like I've been drinking alcohol. It's only when Carmen squeezes that I realize she is still holding my hand. I turn to look at her. There are tears standing in her eyes. "You really do love her, don't you?"

"I really do," I answer.

"That's fantastic," Carmen replies. "I'm so happy for you both."

"Thanks!" I think the moment is over, but Carmen continues.

"You did lie about one thing though."

Carmen's eyes bore into me. Vaguely I hear Sydney yell, "Carmen. No!" In the periphery of my vision I can see Mike holding the table with a white knuckled grip and poor Tara has wrapped her arms around my waist like she is trying to protect me. These things barely enter my awareness. Everything that I am is focused on Carmen. When she cuts her eyes to see her friend's reactions I somehow catch a fleeting glimpse of her emotions. Carmen is hurt. So when she turns back to me I find I'm clutching her hand as tightly as she is holding mine. When she speaks I don't even try to fight the compulsion. "You told Tara it didn't matter where the two of you live together. That's a lie. You do care. You care a lot. If you had your choice honey, where would you and Tara live?"

My voice is quiet, but I answer nonetheless. "If I had my choice we would stay at Tara's place."

"Why?"

Carmen's focus leaves no room for dissembling. If my voice was quiet before, it's damn near a whisper now. "Because Tara's place feels like home."

Carmen squeezes my hand and says, "Good girl." Tara hops into my lap, completely eschewing the chair beside me. The kiss she plants on my lips is soft and slow, building in intensity until I lose all track of where I am or what I'm supposed to be doing. Its only when the kiss is over I remember that we are out in public and not the privacy of a home. Oh well!

Beside me Carmen is trying to wipe away her tears without smudging her mascara. "I ought to kick both your asses for making me cry," she says. The way she cocks her head and the focused look makes me believe she's more than half serious. That's the moment when I finally recognize where it is I know Carmen from. She was one of the Olympians from 2012. Aikido or Judo or something like that.

"I know you," I say. "You were in the last Olympics; you got the silver medal. I remember there was some controversy in your last match."

Mike's face is a thunder cloud and Sydney looks at my like I've picked my nose at the table and flung my boogers into her meal. I can feel Tara's prickliness. The same group that two minutes ago was frightened of Carmen are now circling the wagons around there friend. Touchy subject, huh.

Carmen on the other hand gives me a fierce smile. She pats Mike on the shoulder then blows Syd a kiss. Apparently she's noted their reactions as well. "That little wench was so nervous about fighting me she was sweating buckets. She was running scared and got her nasty sweat all over the mat. I was winning late in the match when I slipped on a wet spot. The judge awarded her a fall giving her the win 4-3. Our team submitted a formal protest, but it never went anywhere. So silver medal is what I got."

I say, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up such a sore subject."

"Don't sweat it," Carmen says. "I think the loss was harder on my friends and my Mom than it was on me. I'm a competition junkie; winning's not the most important thing to me. Interesting that you should bring up my Taekwondo though, as it's the reason I wanted to see you all tonight." Carmen stops to take a sip of her wine before continuing. "You all know, well everyone except for your Jennifer, know that I've been training hard the last couple of years. You were confused when I passed on the Olympic trials even though I was working my butt off. The reason is I was working on a much bigger challenge. I succeeded too! Starting tomorrow I leave for Antarctica; I'll be teaching Taekwondo to the Ska'a."

Tara is a nervous wreck. Her hands are shaking so badly she spills her soda all over the front of her blouse. Mike's face, which had been a storm cloud before, turns red and grows darker by the moment. I'm afraid he's going to have a stroke or an aneurysm right here at the table. Clearly Carmen is elated, but no one else seems to know how to feel. The silence is awkward and uncomfortable.

Not knowing what else to do I say weakly, "Congratulations."

"C'mon guys," Carmen says. "This is a good thing!"

Maybe she's right. I've heard about the Ska'a challenge. The Ska'a select humans who have shown mastery in their fields: music, art, science, physical prowess. Those persons selected are given the opportunity to live with the Ska'a for six months while they teach the aliens. If they stay for the full six months they receive a million dollars. If that person is able to stay for a full year the payoff balloons to a cool ten million. Here's the other shoe though: since the Ska'a began offering the teaching challenge three years ago a grand total of twelve people have been strong enough to stay for the six months. Only three made it for the full year. To be fair, those three chose to stay with the Ska'a even after their year of teaching was finished.

Still I wouldn't give Carmen the best odds on getting that money. Fear is the problem. Most of the people who have gone to live and teach down in Antarctica say the Ska'a were wonderful hosts. The overwhelming majority say the living conditions are excellent. The one thing all of the people say is that the fear is constant. Not because the Ska'a are different, not because they go out of their way to be intimidating, but because unless the Ska'a choose to control "it" they affect something like 97% of humans causing panic attacks, vomiting and diarrhea. I glance at my mate sitting next to me. Well not all Ska'a have that effect.

"I need to go to the restroom and see if I can get this soda out of my top," Tara says.

"I'll go with you," I chirp anxious to remove myself from this situation.

Carmen grabs my elbow. "Stay! Please," she says. It doesn't feel like a request. She continues, "Maybe Sydney can help you Tara." Carmen gives her a pointed look and Sydney is out of her seat almost before Carmen has finished speaking.

"I'm going to outside to clear my head," Mike says.

Alone. How freaking awkward is this? I'm all alone with the sometimes scary, sometimes sweeter than cool whip on cotton candy Carmen. Question is, why me?

"So," Carmen begins, "the reason I asked you to stay behind is you were watching me pretty closely tonight. Did you see it?"

I saw lots of things tonight, none of which I want to share with a virtual stranger no matter how much I like her. "I'm not sure," I hedge. "What exactly are you referring to?"

"My best friends are afraid of me. I've never given them any reason to be afraid, but still they treat me like I'm a bomb that hasn't been diffused. Can you even imagine how terrible that feels?"

"I did notice that they were a little nervous, but I also noticed how much they care about you. Did you see how they reacted when they thought I'd hurt your feelings. They adore you. Tara said that you, Mike and Sydney are her family."

Carmen sits back in her chair with a nostalgic smile. "Yeah my friends can be sweet," she says. She leans forward, pinning me with that intense stare again. "But it's not enough. I don't fit in. Not anywhere. Never have. I'm a good person, but sometimes I feel like a monster because of how people react to me. If I going to be a monster I may as well live with other monsters."

There it is. The reason I was cordoned off so we could talk. She thinks I'll understand her decision better than Tara, Mike or Sydney. Funny thing is, I think I do. "It probably doesn't hurt that Father is so stinkin' hot," I answer.

"I know right," Carmen says with a smile. "You're a strong woman Jennifer." She reaches out to me, pulling me into a tight hug. "You're one of mine now," she whispers into my ear. "That means you have to watch out for Mike and Syd the same way you watch out for Tara. Just like I would if I were here."

I hesitate because I know Carmen has actual expectations I will watch out for her friends, keeping them safe and happy in her absence. I check my conscience; I can do this. "I'd be glad to," I say.

There's really not much more to dinner. Carmen picks up the check and slides out a side door before any of the others return. Mike is first to make it back. I wonder if he'll be upset that Carmen has left. He isn't. Apparently this is fairly typical behavior. I can't imagine what it must be like to feel so out of place even with people you love.

***-----***

The drive back to Tara's place, our place I guess, is relaxed and upbeat. We talk about moving my stuff, setting up joint accounts, even about taking a vacation. Domesticity has never felt so wonderful. When we finally get home Tara unlocks the door. Before I can enter, she hoists me in her arms and carries me over the threshold.

"You're supposed to wait until we're married to do that," I say.

"Whatever! What we have is stronger than a ring or a license from some municipality. You're my mate!" 'You're my mate!' God, how I love hearing those words. My nipples get hard and I start to squirm to keep from sliding my hand into my jeans.

Tara continues, "I love how calling you my mate turns you on. It's like a Pavlovian response."

"Hey," I say. "You're pretty easy to turn on yourself, slut."

"Takes one to know one," she says with a grin.

Tara walks us over to the couch, depositing me therein, then backs away until she is standing in the middle of the floor. "You've been a real trooper so far," she says. "I hate to do this to you, but its important that you see me for who I'll be when I become fully Ska'a." Tara closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Here goes nothing." Tara opens her eyes. She pins me with a hazel-eyed stare while rolling her neck. Her hands each make two quick twists and between one heart beat and the next Tara transforms into one of the Ska'a.

Her hair, still long and dark chocolate with dirty blonde strands throughout, is still the same. For the most part so is her figure. Her breasts still seem enormous on Tara's tiny frame, which if anything is even leaner. She maintains a sort of slender curvature, but where there had been a softness about her slim body, lean muscle is now visible in her forearms and calves, the only parts of her body not currently covered by clothing.

Tara's hazel eyes appear to be slightly larger and a little more almond shaped. They dominate her face, drawing my eyes with their mysterious appearance. Triangular tips top the ears which still sit on the sides of Tara's head. The cute button nose I remember is gone completely, replaced by a tiny pink protuberance that lies nearly flush against what can only be described as a muzzle. Tara's tiny pink nose sits above an upper lip that is bisected in the middle with two curving edges that form a rounded W. Her lower lip, like Tara's nose is a soft pastel pink and sits above a slim triangular chin. Three very fine whiskers sit to either side of Tara's mouth. Though individual aspects of her face have changed I can still see Tara in this new face. It's almost like she is wearing an exceptionally good Halloween cat mask that is molded to her features.

The biggest change though is the pale fur that covers Tara's body, with lighter gold markings that are unmistakably the same color as my own dirty blonde locks. The fur lies somewhere along the color wheel between blue and silver. It looks so impossibly soft; I can't wait to run my fingers over it!

Tara looks down at her fuzzy arms, tracing an index finger along the blonde markings that dot her forearms and legs. The spots look something like a scrunched up infinity symbol set vertically in the fur. "That's new! My spots used to be the same color as my hair. Guess you've marked me for good, Jenn." Tara's voice has developed a throatiness, a hint of a growl that has me pressing my thighs together in anticipation.

I stand up from the couch, unbuttoning my blouse as I move toward my hot alien girlfriend. Can't believe my girlfriend's a furry! "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," I purr.

Tara laughs. "You are so weird."

"I'm not kidding," I say. I toss my blouse onto the couch behind me leaving me in a black chemise and tight pencil skirt. Even as I move toward Tara I'm shedding the skirt. "I want to see all of you!"

"You aren't afraid of me at all, are you? I can't believe how dominant you are."

"Are you going to get naked or not?"

"I will, but I need a second. I'm a little nervous."

What!? "Why would you be nervous?" I ask.

Tara clasps her arms behind her back. Her breasts strain at the fabric of the Wonder Woman t-shirt she is wearing. "When you look at me Jennifer," she begins, "it makes me feel like the most gorgeous woman in the world. I don't want you to see anything that might change the way you see me!"

"Honey, I think you are the sexiest thing I've ever seen." I move closer until I'm standing in front of Tara. I lean down and brush my lips across hers. "Kiss me," I moan. Tara doesn't respond, but she doesn't pull away. I put my hands against the rough weave of the cotton capris she is wearing. I'm more insistent with my next kiss, pulling Tara's lower lip between mine. "C'mon," I mumble against her lips, "kiss me!"

Tara slowly warms, moving her mouth against mine as our kiss heats up. When my tongue slides over her pink lower lip, Tara opens her mouth and lets me in. I let my tongue trace along the edge of her raspy tongue hoping I will get to enjoy its bumpy texture on a different pair of lips soon! Tara presses into me with a moan that triggers the same response from me. I pull back a little. "Show me," I say.

Tara slides down her pants zipper. I can tell she is still nervous about my reaction. "Remember the first night we had sex?" I ask. I take her right hand off the button she is reluctantly trying to work, bringing it up to my mouth. I move Tara's hand to my stomach, then lower, moving her hand into my panties where I press her fingers into my moist quim. "This is what you've done to me and all I can see is your face and a little of your arms and legs. You look absolutely gorgeous. Don't keep me waiting baby. Show me your goodies!" Tilting her chin up, Tara silently asks for another kiss. I'm more than happy to oblige. Our kiss breaks and Tara finishes undoing the button on her capris.

Tara drops her pants, but I still don't get to see much because her T-shirt falls nearly to mid-thigh. Next Tara slides off her panties, still keeping herself hidden underneath her shirt. Fuck! If I had some ink or a sharp pair of scissors Tara wouldn't wear that Wonder Woman tee again.

"Are you sure about this, Jennifer?" She asks.

I purse my lips and blow Tara a kiss. "C'mon babe, trust me everything will be okay."

Peeling the shirt over her head, Tara strips down to a black lace bra, which she removes as soon as that annoying shirt has been tossed. Wow! I thought she was gorgeous before, but nothing could have prepared me for this. Beneath her clothes, Tara's fur stops an inch or so below her collarbone, leaving cerulean blue skin exposed in an hourglass pattern. Her nipples and areolas are slightly darker. Pale silver-blue fur encroaches on Tara's belly, narrowing the strip of exposed skin to a width of about four inches before retreating again to leave Tara's pubes hairless, smooth and inviting. No wonder she's so enamored with my bushy taco; the Ska'a don't have any pubic hair!

I step closer, dropping my palms on Tara's furry hips. "Oh!" I moan. The dense fur is even softer than it looks, seeming to slip beneath my hands like liquid. Without pausing my hands wrap around Tara's hips and over her buttocks, which like her torso are mostly furless. I caress my girlfriend ceaselessly: running my hands up and down her back, over the toned shoulders and forearms, gently sliding my palms down the satiny skin of her chest and belly, before resuming my trek over the thick fur of Tara's thighs and calves. "Damn kitten, you might be even sexier than before," I whisper.

"We might look it, but Ska'a are not cats." Tara is very serious.

I move in tighter, so that now my body is pressed against Tara's. Her heavy breasts rest hot and full against my belly while my height means my own sensitive nipples rest next to Tara's mouth. I tease her by rubbing my aching buds along the stark line of her jaw, then raise her chin for another sizzling kiss. By the time I pull back, Tara's eyes appear a bit unfocused and her breathing is shallow. I kiss her jaw, her cute pink nose, and each eyelid. I trail my tongue along the crest of Tara's left ear. The tall, pointed earlobe leaves my tongue tingling like I've been eating Pop Rock's candy; a strange sensation, but entirely pleasant.

"You'd be my kitten though, right?" I ask.

Tara closes her eyes, but not before I see the entire socket ignite with liquid gold. "OK, that's enough," Tara huffs. "Give me a second to concentrate so I can turn myself human again."

"Mmmmmmm," I purr into her ear. "I don't think so, kitten. I'm pretty sure I want to have my way with you just the way you are." Even though she groans, Tara must be kind of intrigued because her pelvis presses into me forcefully. Keeping my body flush against my girlfriend, I walk us both over to the near wall, making sure Tara's back is solidly against two unyielding surfaces: my body and the apartment wall.

I continue to ply my sweet girl with kisses and flicks of my tongue on her sensitive earlobes. I wait until she is completely hot and bothered before I ask again. "C'mon, Tara! Say it; say you'll be my sexy kitten." I throw caution to the wind and slip the tip of my tongue into Tara's ear. She shudders, jogging her hips back and forth in a quick cadence.

"Jennifer... That's not fair," she whimpers.

My hands glide up from Tara's hips, my thumbs dancing over the now well-defined abs, to lovingly heft the heavy globes of her breasts. I knead, squeeze and fondle those succulent globes the way I know she likes before I lower my mouth and blow soft breaths over Tara's engorged nipples. "Please cutie. I need you to be my naughty kitten!"

Tara pants. A low, soft sound somewhere between a purr and a growl escapes the minute opening between her lips. "Ohhhhhhh! Oh, oh, oh. You win, Jennifer. I'll do it."

I use my tongue to make wet, velvet circles around the puckered flesh of Tara's areolas and nipples. I take those sweet, satiny nubbins into the warm, wet cavern of my mouth, sucking and flicking my tongue gently. I start out slowly, than increase the pace of my suckling as I intersperse light nibbles with my teeth. "Say it out loud," I command.

Tara huffs, "I'll be your naughty kitten!"

"Good girl," I say, happy that she has finally agreed. Laying my head next to Tara's, I take a deep breath, inhaling the fruit and hot caramel scent that is uniquely hers. I sniff some more, recognizing the fruit and musk scent of Tara's aroused pussy. Hmmmm! And this little treat is all mine.