Enter the Cat Ch. 04

Mitchell has obtained his full size but still is a good two inches shorter in height than his brother while in cat form. But to look at him in both cat and human form he appears much larger than what he is in reality. I have heard Wade frequently refer to Mitchell as a large cat in a medium sized body, and I agree with the sentiment.

Steven and I are not far from the large saddleback boar while Edwin and Malcolm are matched against the large white boar. The other four are positioned where they can make a rush for the mature pregnant sows. Edwin makes the first move launching the attack as he lunges for the front shoulder of the boar as it turns away.

Pigs squeal and rush into the water. My claws find their purchase in the back of the boar as I go for a neck bite. I can feel the rear of the pig go down and know that Steven has achieved his objective of crippling a back leg. I am almost thrown clear of the beast as a large female crashes into the other side of the boar. I try for another bite hold on the boar's neck and feel the beast surge forward as he drops his head and lunges.

I feel my teeth sink into flesh and blood oozes into my mouth. There is resistance as my teeth find bones and I bite down hard. I feel the snap of breaking bone and the large body beneath me shudders. A scream of pain reaches my brain and I brace myself as I shake my head like a dog. Every instinct screams at me to release my prey and rush to the aide of my clan mate but I know I must ensure this large boar is unable to injure anyone.

I hear Wade, Sam and Edwin roar with rage and I am able to release the dead pig. His neck is broken and only my hold was keeping him on his front feet. I glance around looking to see who needs help. Mitchell has a death grip on the black sow while Sam and Wade are on the far side of her facing off against a huge black feral boar, commonly referred to as a razorback.

Edwin and Malcolm are busy finishing off their boar and I know Steven is somewhere close behind me. That leaves only Dwayne unaccounted for. I see Edwin rush away from the downed boar and launch himself on the back of the razorback as it makes a

charge at Sam and Wade. Both of them meet the charge headlong and I realise that Dwayne is down injured somewhere behind them as Mitchell is trying to drag the dying sow forward and away from the fight.

All this takes only an instant to register and then I am charging towards the melee from a side angle as I skirt the others. I hit the razorback on the side of his front shoulder and my weight knocks him off course. I am aware of Edwin securing a grip high on the back of the pig's neck just in front of the massive shoulder muscles as the pig starts to go down beneath our combined weights.

I claw at the far side of the face hooking my claws in deeply as I secure a hold to stop the pig moving towards Dwayne or falling on Edwin who is hanging from his far side. I feel my muscles writhing under the strain; the razorback is larger than me and nearly half as heavy as me again. It is no easy feat to hold him on his feet but somehow I manage with the help of Wade and possibly Sam and Steven.

I feel the razorback stiffen then slowly begin to sink down onto his chest and stomach. I don't slacken my grip until I feel the last movement of his chest cease and then I release my hold ready to grab on once again at a moment's notice.

I can hear Wade grunting heavily with concern and when I am sure that the feral pig is dead I turn to look behind us. Dwayne is down on the ground on his side changing back to human form from cat form. Blood mars what had been his left front shoulder. It is smeared on his side as if he has been pushed around violently.

Wade is standing over him grunting and chuffing as he sniffs above the injury, careful not to touch Dwayne. Edwin moves to Wade's side grunting and giving cough like calls as he sniffs at the corner of Wade's mouth and then at Dwayne. I move closer and sniff at Dwayne's legs and lower stomach while he finishes changing.

I can smell blood and fear and pain. I raise my head and curl my lips back as I draw air into my open mouth tasting it as I read the messages it carries. The injury is not serious, painful and temporarily debilitating, but nothing more serious. I give a deep grunt and look to Wade.

"What are your orders?"

"Make it safe," he chuffs and turns his attention back to Dwayne.

I glance around as I begin a drawn out coughing call and all the warriors except for Edwin and Dwayne look at me expectantly. I jerk my chin towards where the remaining pigs fled and lead off at a steady trot. The fight could not have lasted more than thirty seconds yet it seems like hours have passed. I know that the pigs will have run fast for a distance before they begin to slow down. We will soon catch up with them and then we will finish removing all the mature pigs.

Over the next week or ten days we will systematically scour the surrounding land to ensure we get rid of all of the pigs. Even half grown pigs can do extensive damage in the nearby National Park and will grow to become dangerous to our vulnerable members.

* * * * *

I prowl the quarters restlessly. Steven is in the lounge room sprawled on the floor playing solitaire while Edwin and Malcolm are in their room with their heads together muttering about something.

I walk from my room out to the lounge room and pause as I watch Steven calmly playing cards. I growl low in my throat before heading to the kitchen and opening the fridge to stare into it without actually seeing what it holds.

"Pacing is not going to make her ask for someone, you know," Steven says lightly from where he sits.

I slam the fridge door and stalk back to the lounge room to glare at Steven. He barely glances up from the cards before going back to studying them.

"I still can't get over the fact Rosy wanted Pete to bring her here," Steven says evenly.

"I can't believe I acted like an arsehole," I snarl as I fling myself into my favourite chair and stretch my legs out in front of me restlessly.

"All you did was flirt with her," Steven points out reasonably. "And I'd never seen a she-kitt before who objected to a tom having a good smell of her when she is so close to coming into heat."

"I should have known," I say my voice thick with frustration. "I knew she was repeatedly mistreated by toms."

"What do any of us really know about stray females," Steven asks and pushes the deck of cards aside before turning and facing me. "We know not many of them survive. Look at Alan Cumming's wife Darcy - she's all over any tom she sees. Although rumour has it if any try to follow through on it she'll fight them every step of the way. She can't be trusted around another female werecat; she has attacked several she-kitts,"

"Yeah, I guess we're lucky Rosy is showing no signs of jealousy or aggression with Jazzy," I admit quietly.

"I reckon if Rosy learns she can trust us she will probably stick around," Steven says. "You saw how she was clinging to Mitchell and even Sam. And believe me it wasn't either of them she was studying when she thought no one was watching her."

"I might have a word with Doc about her attachment to Mitchell and Sam. It could be that they are distantly related. There are some old rumours that Kurt Black's father had a human girlfriend," I say.

"Rule them out as competition, hey," Steven laughs.

I can't help the slight laugh that escapes me. I noticed the way Rosy was sneaking looks at Steven, Edwin and me three nights before when Pete turned up out of the blue bringing Rosy to join in with our usual hunting excursions.

It wasn't unusual for she-kitts to want to go hunting in the company of the toms they are interested in when they are just about to come into heat. The hunting excursions often ended in the she-kitt sneaking away with her preferred tom for a session of feline sex. All care needed to be taken so that these impromptu sessions of sex did not end in an unexpected pregnancy.

Once again my mind strays to the fact that Rosy is inside the main house, in the secure room for her heat cycle. She must be in full heat by now, so why hasn't she asked for one of us?

Steven gives a slight laugh as well and grins to himself. An amused smile spreads across his face and he shakes his head before chuckling.

"Something amusing," I ask curiously.

"You wouldn't find it amusing," Steven says with a wide grin and turns away as he reaches for the cards. He laughs again as he begins shuffling the cards and I raise an eyebrow when he glances my way.

"You going to share," I ask dryly.

"You can't say I didn't warn you that you wouldn't find it amusing," Steven grins.

I scowl at him and he gives a shrug.

"Okay," Steven agrees, "I can't stop remembering how funny you looked when Marissa came over here with the razor strap once Rosy was safely in the cage. Boy did she give you a hiding!"

I regard Steven silently as I remember the way Marissa marched into the quarters and proceeded to lay about me with the razor strap. Even though Marissa hit me a dozen or more times around the shoulders and upper back, the punishment had been more humiliating than painful. I had no option but to cower in this very chair while my mother dished out what punishment she felt I deserved.

Marissa had been very thorough in telling me off for scaring Rosy by catching her and holding her close to take a good smell of her before trying to scent mark her. She punctuated each mention of my error with a hit or two of the strap leaving me in no doubt as to why she felt so strongly as to administer punishment.

Steven, Sam and Dwayne witnessed the incident and found it amusing. I certainly had not.

"The last time Marissa hit me with that strap I was twelve and I had punched Edwin in the mouth, knocking him out of the loft in the old hay shed. He broke his collar bone," I say tightly.

The sound of footsteps just outside on the gravel have us both on our feet and heading for the hallway but Edwin beats us there making me wonder if he had been listening in on our conversation.

It is Wade who comes through the door, much to my disappointment, and he halts just inside the door as he looks at the three of us blocking his entry.

"You boys are mighty eager," Wade says with a grin.

"Who is she asking for," Edwin demands.

"Marissa will come down here when it is time," Wade scolds with a trace of amusement. "I decided to spend my time here. I forgot how the smell could work its way past double doors."

I turn back towards the lounge room and my chair. I sit down once more and stare at the blank screen of the tv set but I have no desire to turn it on even though it is usually on whenever someone is in the building. Waiting the few minutes or hours, even a day or two until Rosy asks Marissa to invite one of us to join her will be some of the hardest waiting I have ever done.

* * * * *

Why the hell had I done that? I know Rosy dislikes being sniffed, but I lost control to my cat and grabbed Rosy to sniff her as soon as I was in touching distance after she left the secure room. Like a hormone crazed teenager I lost control to my cat, grabbed her and sniffed her!

Even when I was a teenager I was in complete control of my inner cat. Now the blasted tom seems hell bent on challenging my self-control every chance he gets. I no longer have the control I have always prided myself on over that other part of me. My inner cat wants to control me whenever we're physically near Rosy, getting me in trouble at every turn.

Before I could think about it I grabbed Rosy and took a long deep sniff, longing to find the sweet spicy scent of her heat still lingering. Neither my inner cat nor I could believe she was still so scared of us that she would choose not to invite a tom, any tom, to visit with her. So I hauled her close and pressed her soft curves against my body. Her startled struggles along with her sweet, clean scent only increased my feelings of uncertainty about my worthiness of her affections.

I regain control of myself and release her. I don't need Wade's stern reprimand; it is Rosy's protest of my treatment that reaches me. I am stunned to see her allow Edwin his sniff without protest before she greets Sam fondly.

Stupid, insecure words escaped from my mouth; even I winced inwardly to hear them. "I had better not smell any toms from any of the other clans having been here." I couldn't seem to regain control of myself, much to my own embarrassment, as my inner cat writhed in the uncertainty of Rosy's approval.

But Rosy had been magnificent. Spirit and fire had shone in her eyes when she yelled at me and punched me in the stomach.

Awed into submission by her fiery display, my inner cat surrendered control to me, leaving me to face Wade's wrath and the ridicule of the other toms.

"Why didn't Rosy get angry with Edwin when he sniffed her? How come she didn't hit him like she hit Micah," Donny asks confused.

"So Micah remembers not to annoy her like that again," Jazzy says with a wide grin.

"No, Rosy hit Micah because he overstepped his bounds," Wade says tightly.

"Wade ..." Marissa begins only to stop speaking as she looks past him at the quarters.

I turn my head to glance at the door to the quarters at a slight sound. It doesn't quite fit in but it also isn't alien. The silence is complete as Rosy pushes the screen door open with her head and walks out into the sunshine. Gone are the sexy clothes she was wearing earlier, and in their place is the sleek fur of her cat.

The sun glints off her coat showing her rosettes as she demands the attention of Mitchell, Sam and Dwayne. She moves off before looking over her shoulder enticingly.

"I'm going too," Edwin says and I glance his way.

He is just reaching for the hem of his t-shirt but mine is already on the ground and my jeans and underwear are quickly following. I yank my joggers off and fall to all four, my change starting before my hands touch the ground. Adrenaline speeds my change and soon I am stretching hastily before dashing after Rosy.

She turns to face me as I approach and rebuffs me with a snarl and a soft slap before extending her nose with a friendly sniff. Sam arrives but I snuffle around her ears and nip at her shoulder. She makes no complaint and I use a full body rub on her side to leave my scent on her. Mitchell arrives but I don't bother with him as she stays beneath my chin making him come to her.

She is quick to lose patience when the rest of the warriors arrive and crowd close in excitement. A snarl makes them calm down and she whirls away heading for the trees, her tail trailing against my jaw as she leaves.

I am startled by the speed at which she moves and as the chase begins to stretch longer I start to worry this is more than a simple game of cat and mouse. I catch clear sight of her, poised on a fallen tree before she disappears over the other side and is soon out of sight.

I can hear Edwin not far behind me and further back the faint grunts of effort from Dwayne. A leap over a fallen tree and I hear the heavy rustle in the leaf litter and a thud as someone goes down. I skid to a stop and I am nearly hit by Edwin as he

almost fails to stop. I turn around to find Sam and Mitchell making their way back to Dwayne who is just starting to sit on the ground.

I smell him thoroughly when I reach him. It just seems to be soreness and stiffness left over from the wound from the razorback. Reassured he will be fine I turn away and find Edwin has already left. Mitchell is right beside me as I begin to gather speed once again. The undergrowth thickens and I can only watch as Mitchell begins to make up ground on Edwin fairly quickly.

Soon I lose sight of them and slow to a steady trot, searching for some sign of recent passing. Finally I hear Edwin calling and speed up once again. I am relieved when I come across Edwin, Mitchell and Rosy. Edwin is clearly displeased with Rosy who is busy trying to placate Edwin by grooming his shoulder.

I greet her with a purr and a quick nose sniff then Sam is there expressing his displeasure to Rosy before everyone else starts to arrive. Steven is the last on the scene and clearly unhappy about being last to find Rosy.

"Silly girl," Steven snarls even though he knows Rosy has no understanding of feline vocalisations.

I give Steven a hard slap around the ears and he hisses at me before moving off indignantly. The rest of the toms are set on showing Rosy they hold no hard feelings over the long hard run and she begins to get aggressive.

"Calm down," I order and grab hold of her as I try to find a way to silently convey the meaning of my soft grunts.

I only have my teeth or claws to grip with so I bite firmly on the scruff of her neck in a calming hold. I am shocked when she squats down, her back feet moving in place for a few seconds before she stills. I feel my cat take control at her submission; he moves over her and she lifts her tail obligingly. Pleasure floods us as we loosen our grip on her neck and thrust into her eagerly.

Soft faint grunts come from her in time to our thrusts; the feeling swells and we push deep as our essence pours into her. Rosy leaps away with a screech and slaps our shoulder admonishingly. I am left to stare at her, stunned, as my cat settles down with a contented purr, happy to surrender control once again.

I watch as Rosy cleans herself and rebuffs both Chris and Mitchell when they approach her. Deciding to chance a rebuff I follow her as she moves away. She lays her ears back as she curls her top lip but I sniff around her ears apologetically. This seems to pacify her and I head off at a steady trot in search of prey. I know from experience that she-kitts are very hungry after their heat.

I soon find some deer by a small stream and drop into a stalking crouch. Rosy is beside me and I nip her flank to catch her full attention.

"Let me catch you lunch." My soft purr is lost on Rosy as she keeps her attention on the deer.

A few more long moments and then my prey is on the ground dead beneath me, its lifeblood sweet on my tongue as I raise my head and look around. Rosy has made her own kill and Sam is watching her proudly as if he taught her how to hunt himself. I turn my attention back to my own kill and move over slightly as Steven comes up beside me to eat.

I eat quickly, taking the edge off my hunger. I keep checking on how Rosy is with her kill. Sam is feeding from the kill as well but Rosy has her ears back flat against her head. Her tail is lashing from side to side vigorously and one foot, with claws fully extended, keeps being lifted as if she intends to rest it on top of the carcass between her and Sam. Their posture says a lot for the amount of trust between them. Clearly Rosy has never had anyone else eat at her kill and is trying to control her instinct to hoard the meat for herself. Sam is obviously aware of her unease but is managing to appear and act non-threatening enough for her to be able to tolerate his presence.

When I finish my meal I see Rosy has left her kill. She is by the stream and Edwin is trying to cosy up with her. Annoyed at his attentions to her I stalk over to them and rub my body against hers before moving between them to force Edwin away from her. Rosy leans into my side and I rest my chin on the back of her neck in a gentle question. When she shows no interest in a repeat of our earlier liaison I walk to the waters edge for a drink. I return to her side and wait patiently for everyone to finish eating and get a drink before I give the signal to head home.

Rosy's antics on the way home are amusing. She is clearly tired and well fed, wanting nothing more than to rest for a while before returning to the quarters. I keep her moving with gentle coaxing and watch with satisfaction when she races ahead of us all to reach the quarters and hide away so she can change.