My Stray Cat

by Shelley Munro

  The path widened and Lucas and I could walk side by side. A relief since I swear Lucas had stared holes through the seat of my shorts. The prickle of sensual heat stalked my body, my erection growing enough that walking became uncomfortable.

  “How much farther?” Lucas demanded. A glance confirmed he was in the same state as me.

  “We’ve only just started. Another half an hour at least. See that small hill over there?” I pointed at a hill bearing more tussock than its neighbors. “That’s where we’re heading.”

  Lucas scowled, but I noticed his pace increased, betraying his eagerness. I was looking forward to shifting as well but also factored in sex. I suspected it’d be hot with the adrenaline of a shift still swimming through our veins.

  We left the main path and crossed the stream, heading for the top of the hill. There was a small sheltered area there with views over the entire valley where we could leave our gear and relax later after our run.

  Finally we reached the spot. I shrugged out of my daypack and set it on the ground near the base of a huge granite boulder. I sat to remove my boots and socks and the rest of my clothes.

  “Ready?”

  “Hell yeah.” Eagerness pulsed from him in palpable waves, pulling a grin from me. He vibrated with tension, tossing his clothes willy-nilly on the ground.

  I concentrated on my feline shape, pulling the image of a black panther into my mind. The prickle of the change rippled across my skin, bones shifted and rearranged in a surge of pleasure tinged with pain. I dropped to all fours, grinning in a feline smirk and swished my tail as I recalled another recent shift when I’d been visiting my uncle’s station. That time I’d faced a knife-wielding woman and turned her life upside down. Luckily, everything had turned out for the best.

  Turning to Lucas, I watched while his change took him. His face contorted in an expression of acute pain while a golden glow emanated from his body. I stared in pure awe as his body stretched and grew into a new shape. He was tawny gold with a muscular, supple body. He padded toward me, his mane moving in the breeze. I tensed, knowing instinctively this was the danger time when cats of two species faced off. In his lion form, Lucas was bigger than me, enough to give him an advantage in a fight.

  A fight to the death.

  A touch of fear whispered through me but I held my ground. Lucas kept coming. I caught his gaze, possibly not a wise move on my part. He rubbed his head against mine, the long tendrils of mane tickling. I sneezed, making us both jump.

  Lucas smirked and prowled close enough to lick my face. He flicked my rump with his long tail and leaped onto the top of a large rock. Throwing back his head, he let out a roar. Loud and powerful, it froze me in place until the final echoes faded.

  Bloody fool. I hissed, sharp and angry and growled to make sure Lucas paid attention and realize what he’d done. We’d attract attention if he roared like that again. Lion roars were the loudest in the feline kingdom.

  Lucas jumped off the rock, landing next to me. He purred, rubbing against my side. I melted inside. Damned fool. A soft inquiring grunt and a rough nudge brought me back to my senses. I growled low and ambled away, prowling back along the track we’d climbed. When I heard the thud of scampering feet behind, I quickened my pace. The scamper turned to a thunder.

  Smirking, I increased my pace until the wind whistled through my coat and the scenery blurred. I ran for the sheer joy of running, savoring the play of muscles and Lucas galloping beside me. I came to a screaming halt, taking him by surprise. He careened past me before he could stop and I jumped him. We rolled and tussled like kittens, our sides still heaving from the run. Puffed and out of breath, we settled into a pile, cuddling into each other.

  Lucas licked my face, purring loud as a motor. I allowed it for a while before grunting. Lucas bounded to his feet, tossing his head and sending his mane whipping. He padded a few steps before glancing at me, his whiskers twitching.

  Lucas was ready to go back.

  I rolled to my feet and coughed a bark of agreement. At a slower pace this time, we trotted toward the private area up on the hill where we’d left our bags. I shifted first, my chest still heaving from the exhilarating run.

  “Saul.” Lucas’s soft voice came from behind me. “Thanks. That was awesome.” His hands curled around my shoulders and his breath feathered across my neck. I turned to face him, a pulse firing to life on seeing the heat in his tawny eyes. I touched my lips to his. Our mouths clung before I angled my head and took the kiss deeper. The wet rasp of Lucas’s tongue, his potent heat kindled a fire inside me. I stepped closer. Chests touched. Erections brushed together. Tension simmered along with the fire. His hand swept over my back, his callused fingers branding my flesh.

  “I want you,” I muttered against his mouth.

  “Yeah.” Lucas turned away and grabbed the pack. He pulled out lube and condoms. I loved a man who prepared. He handed them to me with a slight grin.

  Ah, my turn.

  I pressed a line of kisses on his spine and massaged his buttocks. After setting the lube and condoms aside, I succumbed to an urge to bite that fine butt. I knelt behind him, sinking my teeth into his muscular arse. Lucas yelped, but I held him and rasped my tongue over the red mark before giving him a smacking kiss. I reached around and grasped his dick in my right hand. A slow pump brought a contented purr.

  “You’re easy,” I said, repeating the move.

  His intake of breath was loud. “I trust you to make it good.”

  Trust. God. His words struck like a dagger in the chest. Lucas made me feel needed—wanted—instead of a stray cat forced out in the cold. How the hell was I going to survive when he left?

  I pumped his cock again just to hear his sexy purr before giving in to the urgency thrumming through me. I flipped the top off the lube and squeezed a dollop into my hand. After nudging his legs farther apart, I ran a finger down the crease of his butt and teased his puckered entrance. Lucas purred. God, I loved that sound. It tugged at me deep inside, made me hot. I dipped my lube-coated finger inside, stretching and working him, enjoying each lusty purr my lover made.

  Lucas shifted slightly and curled his fist around his cock.

  “Wait,” I commanded.

  “Too slow,” he griped.

  “You didn’t think so when you did the same thing to me last night.”

  “This about payback?”

  I grinned but he couldn’t see it. “Nah, it’s about pleasure.” I wasn’t lying exactly. I slid another finger inside and pushed deeper, skimming across his prostate. Lucas hissed and my grin widened.

  “I ache,” he complained when I kept teasing.

  Me too. I drew my fingers out and smacked at Lucas’s hand when he tried to gain relief. I grabbed a condom and rolled it on, greased up. “Hands on the rock in front of you,” I ordered.

  Slowly Lucas obeyed, leaning farther forward to open himself. “Yes, master.”

  My loud snort rippled between us. No way was he a submissive. That was what made our relationship interesting. We were both stray cats but strong, with the will to survive. I pressed the head of my cock to his entrance and pushed inside, past the rings of muscle. With gentle strokes, I worked my way in, pulling another sexy purr from Lucas. My cock jumped on hearing the sound and in that moment, I knew. During the time we’d known each other I’d tumbled into uncharted territory. I loved him.

  Without warning, Lucas froze. “Something’s wrong.”

  “I did nothing.” Hell, I’d cut off my tail before I hurt this man. I really did love him.

  “Pull out.”

  Shocked, I pulled back, separating our bodies. My cock protested with a twitch, my balls aching. “What—”

  “I’ve got to go.” Lucas fumbled with his clothes and yanked them on with rapid jerks. He sat to pull on his socks and boots, laced them and ran off.

  What the fuck? I didn’t understand. I tugged off the condom, pulled on clothes and footwear. After packing everything up, I grabbed the pack an
d sprinted after him.

  The journey back to the SUV took half the time. When I arrived, Lucas was prowling around the SUV in frustration. I chucked him the keys and barely had time to scramble into the passenger seat before he took off in a spray of dirt and gravel. We skidded until the wheels gained purchase and shot from the car park. The drive back to Tekapo village was fast. I kept my eyes closed when we slid around the hairpin bends, especially those with sheer drops on my side. I learned something about Lucas though. The man was a hell of a driver.

  Instead of stopping at the lodge where we were staying, Lucas kept going. He drove along a river that fed into Lake Tekapo. I had no idea where the hell he was going and didn’t want to ask too many questions while we were driving at high speed. I concentrated on the stony riverbed and hoped like hell he wouldn’t try to leave the road and drive on that.

  Lucas stomped on the brakes. Thank God, I’d put my seat belt on, otherwise I would have dived through the windscreen.

  “What the hell is going on?” I demanded.

  Lucas switched off the ignition and leapt out. “Leticia.” It was all he said before taking off at a sprint toward the river, and mystified, I followed.

  Lucas paused, seemed to scent the air before heading off on a tangent. I pursued as best I could, following Lucas’s scent trail as he raced out of sight over the crest of a rounded hill. With no proper track, the footing on the tussock and stony ground was treacherous. It was a wonder he didn’t break a leg at the speed he traveled.

  When I reached the brow of the hill, I saw him with Leticia. They were near the banks of another small stream. I raced to them, sliding over an area of loose schist. I squatted beside him, gasping for breath, my lungs aching.

  “What’s wrong? Is she okay?” I had first-aid knowledge. I moved closer, intending to take her pulse. “How the hell did you know?”

  Lucas smoothed his hand over her face and turned to me full of anguish. “There’s a telepathic thing between us when one of us is in danger. I guess it’s because we’re littermates. Sometimes we just know what the other is thinking. And no, she’s bloody not all right. That bastard gave her FIV and hung her out to dry.”

  Chapter Four

  I gaped at Lucas in shock. FIV or feline immunodeficiency virus was the feline version of HIV in humans. But I’d never heard of FIV affecting anyone in the shifter community before.

  “You can go if you want. I wouldn’t blame you.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about, man? I’m not leaving you.” I shoved him aside and took her pulse. It was slow but not too alarming. I thought she’d recover once we warmed her. “We need to get her back to the lodge. Is she on medication?”

  “There isn’t any. Not that we can find.” Pain threaded his voice. “I guess we’ll wait until she recovers and move on.”

  I scooped Leticia into my arms and stood.

  “Why are you carrying her?”

  “Because you’re knackered,” I said. “Come on. Grab her fishing line and bag. Let’s get her warm. There’s a blanket in the SUV.”

  Lucas ran beside us, toting her possessions, confusion covering his face. “But aren’t you worried you’ll catch it?”

  I kept walking when Lucas would’ve taken his sister from me. “From memory, feline AIDS is spread via blood and saliva in bite wounds. She’s not conscious, so she’s unlikely to bite me. She’s had plenty of chances to bite me this week and she hasn’t.” I increased my pace, and we soon arrived back at the SUV. I climbed into the passenger seat, still cradling Leticia in my arms. Tenderness swam inside me as I glanced at her pale face. The two siblings had wound their way into my heart and there was no way I’d walk away.

  At the lodge, I took her to our room while Lucas parked the SUV. To my relief she stirred.

  “Into the shower,” I said. I stripped off her clothes and turned on the shower, pushing her beneath the water once it had heated to a comfortable temperature. She was beautiful, although the large scar on her shoulder appeared recent. It looked ugly, the edges uneven as if she hadn’t received proper medical attention.

  “Stop looking at me,” she snapped.

  “I’ve told you before I’m more interested in your brother. I want to make sure you don’t fall on your shapely backside.”

  Footsteps behind alerted me to Lucas’s presence. “How is she?”

  “She’s conscious and whining about me looking at her butt. You’d better ring the bed-and-breakfast to let them know she’s here,” I said, instinctively knowing he needed to feel useful. “You warmer now?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  I flipped off the water and handed her a thick honey-colored towel. “Dry off while I order you soup.” Although I worried about her falling, I let her dry herself. She didn’t seem comfortable with me being in the room. “Use the robe,” I added.

  I strode out to the bedroom where Lucas perched on the bed and spoke into the phone.

  “Is she going to be okay?” he asked the second he’d hung up.

  “I think so. How often does she get sick?”

  “Not that often. It presents like a case of the flu. But she’s been under a lot of stress and that makes it worse.”

  “Ring room service and order chicken or beef soup,” I said. “Then you can tell me what happened.”

  “Want to hear the juicy details?” Leticia asked, overhearing. Bitterness coated both her words and face. “I can show you my medical records.”

  “Leticia,” Lucas chided.

  “I’m surprised he hasn’t left like Gerald did,” she said, hanging her head.

  “Gerald Baxter was her fiancé. He belonged to a pride from near Cape Town. Leticia met him at a party and they paired up.”

  “We had much in common,” Leticia said. “We were both lawyers, both shifters. I loved him.” Tears glistened in her eyes, making my heart ache for her.

  “The male had a secret life.” Lucas took over the story. “And his family had a few skeletons in the closet. Several of the males mated with wild lions. Gerald’s mother was lion, but she wasn’t a shifter. Gerald liked the rough stuff and because of his higher proportion of feline genes he picked up FIV.”

  “We had a fight,” Leticia said. “He was drunk and raped me. He ripped a chunk of skin off my shoulder, passing on the infection.”

  The bastard. I went to her and pulled her into a loose hug. Anger pulsed through me at the thought of her pain. I pulled away and drew her onto the bed beside Lucas.

  “Gerald must have known the truth would come out. He jumped in first, spreading rumors of Leticia having FIV and giving it to him. He called off their engagement, made a big deal about her illness.” Lucas jumped to his feet and paced, his steps agitated. “He spread rumors. Our pride…our pride is a conservative one. They were having a hard enough time accepting me but Leticia—”

  “They kicked us both out,” Leticia snapped. “Our pride forced us to leave. Our relations in Perth refused to have us.” She bowed her head, covering her face with her hands. “No one wants us.”

  Her whisper hung on the air. Lucas cast a frustrated and uncertain glance at me before resuming pacing.

  I grabbed the phone and rang an order through for soup. “Get into bed, sweetheart. Keep warm.” I tested her forehead. It was warm, but not too hot and her color had returned. Once she was in bed and the soup had arrived, I glanced over at Lucas. He didn’t look much better than his sister.

  I took the tray from Leticia and helped her settle. “Will you be okay if I take Lucas for a drink?”

  She reached out and touched my cheek before tucking her arm under the blankets again. “You’re good for him. I haven’t seen him so happy for ages. I wish…” she trailed off, a flicker of pain bringing a frown. “Leave me to sleep.”

  “We won’t be away for long. I promise.”

  Leticia’s expression was intense. “Do you keep your promises?”

  “Yes, sweetheart,” I said, maintaining her gaze. “I keep my promises.�
��

  I dragged Lucas off to the bar, even though he protested every step of the way.

  “Leticia needs sleep,” I said.

  “How do you know what my sister needs?” Lucas snapped.

  I released his arm and opened the door to the lodge bar. With a shunt, I directed him over to a private table near the window and pushed him into a seat. “I don’t, but I care for her. Both of you. I’ll get the drinks.” I strode over to the bar, taking a deep breath. Lucas hadn’t reacted, hadn’t even moved a muscle when I said I cared for them both. I sighed heavily, my gut roiling with disappointment. Hell, what had I expected? We’d only known each other for a short time.

  I ordered two beers and a plate of chicken sandwiches because we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. A wave of homesickness engulfed me. I wished I could talk to Felix and Leo Mitchell. Frowning, I picked up the beers and headed back to the table where Lucas slumped in his chair.

  “I’m handing in my notice and going home,” I announced, placing a handle of beer in front of him.

  “I’m pleased for you,” Lucas drawled, South Africa heavy in his tone. “You’re lucky you have a home to return to, friends and family.”

  I sat and leaned back in my chair. “You’re coming with me, Lucas. And Leticia,” I said before he could reply.

  “I—” Lucas broke off, his mouth opening and closing so much he reminded me of a fish.

  “Things are slackening at work with the colder weather. They can do without me now. I’m taking you home.”

  * * * * *

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” Leticia said from the rear of my SUV. She leaned forward between the seats, worry puckering her brow.

  “It will be fine,” I said when I turned left. A right turn took us parallel to the railway tracks with the Middlemarch pub on the other side of the road. At least I hoped it’d be all right. I pulled up outside our feline doctor’s house.