by D N Simmons
He looked over at the clock, noting that the time was 1:45 P.M. He composed himself then crawled out of bed. Feeling the urgency of his needs pressing him, he made his way to the bathroom. Afterward, he stood over a porcelain pedestal sink with round porcelain ball handles and began to brush his teeth. Turning on the porcelain and gold handles in the shower, he adjusted the water temperature and pressure. He liked the water to hit him hard, it relaxed his muscles and felt like a massage. He prepared his towel for afterward, stepped inside the steamy shower, closing the door behind him. Letting the hot water pour over his body, he lathered up his smooth, olive colored skin. Once his hair and body were clean, he rinsed off. Stepping out of the shower, he dried off. Wrapping the towel around his narrow waist, heading toward the closet. He pushed clothes backward and forward on the rod, looking for something comfortable to wear. He would really have to go shopping soon, this was getting ridiculous.
He found a pair of black jeans and a red v-neck t-shirt. He pulled it on and checking himself in the mirror. He looked down and adjusted “the boys”. He never wore underwear, so he preferred to have himself tucked comfortably in the left. Many of the female leopards had chosen him when they were in heat. Not only was he well equipped, he knew how to brandish his sword. He wanted to show Elise, more than anyone, that he could contend with the best of them, even Darian.
Satisfied with his appearance, he decided it was time to find Elise. He walked across the black carpeted floor past his king-sized bed, through the double doors and into the active hallway. Two members of the Pride were walking past, talking about movies they had seen at the theater, which movie they were going to see at the theater and which movies that should never have been made. The hallway was brightly lit with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The floor was covered with beige carpeting all the way down the stairs. The carpet ended at the main floor where it met the beige and white marble tile. The entire room was decorated with cream and tan French furniture with wood trim.
Elise loved the craftsmanship of the French, since she was French herself. She would go out of her way to obtain the most exquisite and rare pieces of furniture she could find, the best money could buy. She would pay craftsmen to design all types of furniture, just for her. She was a fan of art and adored the works of several French painters. Many of the walls were decorated with their paintings. She had marble statues decorating the hallways and main parlor. The Pride enjoyed her famed sense of taste in both fashion and furnishings. There were times the more masculine of the Pride, such as Sergio, thought the house was just too feminine and needed to be toned down.
Elise resented having to remove even the smallest bit of furniture to appease the other Pride members, but it was her duty. Her role was to keep the Pride together and take care of them. So as it was, she had to make their living quarters bearable for all. Pity. Sergio once made her get rid of a pink fountain that she had installed in the main parlor. The fountain had several naked cherubs floating on clouds, surrounding and looking adoringly at a life-sized replica of Elise herself, carved in alabaster. Sergio had declared it was “over the top” and “in the way”. She protested, but was finally outvoted by everyone in the Pride. Thus, the fountain now adorned the garden patio.
He made his way to the kitchen, he was starving. Sleeping the day away hadn't helped his appetite, it was raging. Poking his head inside the den, he said hello to Pride members in the room. Some lay stretched out on the soft, thick, brown carpeted floor or divans as they watched TV, others wrestled with each other playfully or napped. When he reached the kitchen, he headed straight for the refrigerator. The kitchen was state-of-the-art, a master chef's dream. Everything, from microwaves to the electric stove top, separate broiler, oven, and roaster were built-in. The refrigerator itself was built into one wall and wooden cabinets covered the other three walls. Sergio opened the refrigerator, searching for something quick to fix and good to eat. He spotted the lunch meat, cheese, milk and fruit. He pulled it all out, making himself two triple-decker sandwiches stacked with several thick slices of chicken, turkey and beef lunchmeat. Three slices of cheese per sandwich, with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, mustard and mayonnaise. He filled a twenty ounce glass with whole milk, grabbed a pear and apple from the package, and headed into the den to eat his meal.
As he entered the den, four pair of eyes looked up at him, two of them silently begging for just a small taste. Sergio threw them a stern glance, sat down in a comfortable, tan recliner and began eating the first of his sandwiches. He glanced up to see what was playing on the television. Although it was a rerun of the Dave Lappelle Show someone had recorded, it was a new episode to him. He enjoyed the variety comedy show, liked the daring comedian whom the show was named for. Laughter erupted from everyone in the room as a sketch played out. Right away, he knew either Devin or Arianna had recorded this show. They loved watching the skits on the Dave Lappelle show.
“Can I have some?” asked a greedy fifteen year old of the Pride. It was Sebastian, Sergio's son. He wasn't a full-fledged leopard yet, he hadn't come of age. When he hit maturity, he would experience his first change, which would be complete, marking him as an adult. As it stood now, his senses were more acute than any human his age. His speed was faster, but not abnormally so, as was his strength. He stood at five-feet four-inches, fair of skin with freckles sprinkled over his cheeks, arms and legs. He was wearing a pair of cutoff shorts and a wrestling t-shirt featuring several of his favorite wrestlers. He brushed dark red bangs away from his gray eyes as he focused on the sandwich as it went toward Sergio's mouth.
“I was waiting for one of you cats to start begging for my food,” Sergio chuckled. “No, no and no! No one can have a piece or just a little bite or a taste, none of that! If you're hungry, there's plenty left, make yourselves a sandwich just like this one,” he said firmly to the entire room in his thick Italian accent, hoping he got the message across that he was far too hungry to share. There were a few disappointed looks from the potential beggars.
“Dang, Dad!” Sebastian exclaimed as he rose to make himself a sandwich. He knew his father was the dominant male in the Pride but sometimes he thought he was too possessive, he could have given him a bite, dang it! Two more rose and walked out of the room. They all returned ten minutes later with two huge sandwiches apiece. Sergio chuckled to himself. It wasn't until someone else made something look good, then everyone wanted a piece of it.
He rose from the chair and stretched again. It felt great to him to tense then relax his muscles. He felt like going for a run. After his talk with Elise, he may do just that. He was dreading the talk he had to have with her. She had a way of tuning out the things she did not want to hear, making excuses for things she wanted to do or had done, trying to get people to see things her way. Well, he wasn't going to see things her way. Not about the issues he needed to discuss. He left the room and headed for her bedroom, hoping she was still there.
He knocked on her bedroom door. When there was no answer, he wondered if she was still asleep or just ignoring him. He knew she could smell him outside her door, because he could smell her. He wondered if she was still sulking about Darian's dismissal from the night before. He would be, if it were him. He wanted her to understand a dismissal was something she would never get from him. He knocked harder and waited...no response.
“Elise, let me in,” he called. Nothing. “Elise, I'm coming in,” he said as he opened the door, saw her laying on the bed, not even pretending to be asleep. He sat on the edge of the satin and lace covered bed. He looked down at her. He brushed the brown curls from her beautiful aqua-green eyes. It was as he hoped and feared, she was thinking about the dismissal. Darian had hurt her feelings and for that, he wanted to kill him, even if he was already dead.
“Elise, please tell me you're not sitting in this room, sulking over him. Fuck him! Baby, I'm here for you, always, always.” He stroked her cheek softly with the back of his fingers. Her eyes settled on his but she didn'
t move. He fought the urge to grab her and shake her. He wanted to slap her face to bring her out of this stupor, even if it meant getting the shit beat out of him afterward. Elise was stronger than him physically, now he wanted her to be stronger than him in spirit. She was the Queen of the Pride, her crown was a heavy load to carry.
“Elise, come run with me, right now. It would make you feel better, get your mind off of things you don't need to be worried about. Come on, I'm not opposed to pulling you out of this bed,” he said as he stood up, holding her hand lightly in his. He looked down at her and smiled. “Come on,” he urged. He tugged a little on her hand, pulling it toward him, lifting her slightly from the bed. She groaned and tried to pull her hand free, but his grip tightened. She didn't fight when he reached down, scooped her into his arms effortlessly, plucking her out of the bed.
He looked into her eyes and smiled. His gaze lingered on the aqua green of her eyes, then to her full shaped lips. He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her slender nose. His gaze traveled over her complete form, he tried hard not to smile at her nakedness, but failed. He couldn't help it. Normally, it didn't bother him to look at the others naked, but it was her he desired. The things I would do to that flesh if she would only let me, would blow her mind, he mused. He led her out of the ultra feminine bedroom with the lace curtains, satin and lace bedspread and pink satin sheets, into the hall.
“I was going to go running alone to get some exercise, but it'll be way more fun if we go together,” he said as he led her to the back of the house. He opened the door onto the huge piece of land they owned. Elise had bought the mansion because of two things: the many bedrooms and the large private forest behind it. It made for safe hunting, never having to leave the grounds. They stepped outside, the cold freezing winds of the winter didn't affect them, their bodies could acclimate to almost any temperature. Sergio ran off first, hoping Elise would give in to the temptation to chase him. It worked. The more she ran, the more she began to enjoy herself and grow into a more playful mood.
She caught up with him in a patch of bushes. She pounced on his back and they both tumbled to the grass. They rolled several times with Sergio ending up on top, just as he had planned. His legs were tangled with hers, his elbows resting on the ground beside her head. Sergio gazed at her, he wanted to swim in the deep ocean of her aqua-green eyes. The moment froze between them and their heads gravitated towards one another, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. Sergio's tongue entered her mouth and delicately brushed her tongue. This kiss lingered for a few moments and they ended it with two soft pecks.
Sergio rolled away from her and stood up. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and slowly slid it over his head, making sure she could see the muscles of his torso flex with each movement. He pulled it off, tossing it aside. He looked down at her. She laid on her side, legs folded together, bent slightly, ankles crossed, hands resting on the grass. She gazed at his body. She had always loved his light olive complexion. She wanted to run her hands over the smoothness of his flesh, to feel the heat rise from it. She wondered what his body would feel like if they made love.
His fingers undid the buttons of his jeans. He rolled the zipper down slowly and parted the flaps to show a tuft of his dark, curling pubic hair. He watched her expression as every part of him was slowly revealed. He tugged on the waistband of his jeans and slowly slid them down to his feet. He pulled off his shoes and threw them aside. He stepped out of the jeans, picked them up, tossed them with his shirt and shoes. He stood before her completely naked, erect. His body temperature had risen, his skin had darkened with lust. Her own body was reacting to him. Her nipples had hardened, she felt a wetness between her legs, which she knew he could smell. Her heartbeat had become rapid. She crawled to all fours and began her change. She mentally prepared for the amount of pain the change always brought, the excruciating pain that was almost crippling.
Sergio dropped down beside her, willing his change to take place. He growled low in his throat, feeling his body temperature rise to a fever pitch. Sweat poured from his pores, the skin beginning to vibrate. He grimaced and looked at Elise, who was almost through with her change. Her body was fully covered with black fur. Her nose had turned into a snout, her whiskers continued to grow to their full length of four inches. Her mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, her canines two inches in length, and as sharp as daggers. She could change in an instant. It took him a few moments to complete his transformation. Black fur began to sprout from pores all over his body, he could feel his insides churn and constrict, his intestines reformed themselves to mold with his new form. He could feel nothing but pain as his mouth and nose compressed together as fur covered his face, his teeth grew from his gums, becoming sharper and longer. He felt the bones break, muscles reform in an instant to accommodate his animal form. A long, fur covered tail sprouted from his tailbone. His hands grew wider, fingers receding, turning into paws, his nails turning black then growing into thick, strong, three-inch claws, that retracted into their sheaths. He could feel his whiskers grow five inches from his cheeks and eyebrows.
With his change now complete, he shook himself all over, from head to tail. They stood side by side, their sleek, black bodies touching. She was three and a half feet from the ground up, while he was four feet in height, a full sixty pounds heavier than she was. Fully changed, a shape-shifter leopard could weigh anywhere from two hundred pounds to three hundred pounds. In rare cases, one could weigh up to four hundred pounds. Elise turned to him and licked the side of his muzzle. He returned her love by brushing his body alongside hers and rubbing his head down her neck. She growled low into his ear and licked the inner shell. His head tilted towards her as he growled softly before pulling away from her, running after a white rabbit. The change had taken a lot of energy and he was hungry again. The rabbit ran as fast as it could but Sergio closed in on the hare, catching it by the back of its neck. He shook it twice in his powerful grip, breaking the tiny bones in the rabbit's neck. Its feet jerked three times, before going limp in his mouth.
Walking back to Elise, he knew she was hungry as well, dropped the dead rabbit at her feet, and licked her muzzle, one side then the other. She leaned toward the dead rabbit, sniffing it. She pawed it then held it to the ground. Elise bit into the rabbit's furry back, ripping at the flesh, tearing it from the bone. Blood spurted from the wound as she ripped the flesh, swallowing it in one gulp. Sergio went off to find a meal for himself as Elise ate. He caught another rabbit, brought it over by Elise and began eating it as she finished her meal. When she finished with the rabbit, she snatched the remains of his from his grip and ran off to eat the rest. He chased her, stopping as he saw her ripping at the meat. He walked behind her and stuck his nose into her crotch. She batted him with her paw, hooking her claws in the fur on his head and dragging him to the ground. They wrestled and rolled around on the ground. He stood up first, grabbed his rabbit and ran off to eat the rest. Elise let him eat in peace.
After he finished the rabbit, he walked back to Elise. He stuck his nose against her crotch. He could tell she was coming into heat. In the past, she wouldn't give herself to him for mating. She would allow him to grind against her as his fingers played with her, but it never went past making out. He wanted so much more. He licked her crotch and sniffed again. She pawed his head away and laid on her side on the grass. He walked around her one time then laid next to her, resting his head on her ribcage. They drifted off to sleep under the late afternoon sun. Three hours passed before they woke up.
Sergio woke first, raised his head and licked Elise's muzzle several times, cleaning the blood away from her face. He stood up and stretched his huge feline body, arching his back completely. He would love to go hunting now that the sun was down, but he wasn't hungry. He really wanted to talk to Elise, He had postponed the talk earlier because she was upset, but he didn't forget that he wanted to have it. He willed himself back into human form. The process reversed was much faster but no less painful. Elise saw t
hat he had changed back so she followed suit. They sat on the grass, panting and sweating. He spoke first when he was more composed.
“Elise, this Pride, it needs a protector. It needs its king, and you, you need a mate.” He leaned closer to her, their cheeks brushing. He rubbed his cheek against hers. His hands encircled her waist, pulling her closer to him. A low growl vibrated from his throat. “Can't you see...look at me.” He pulled away, taking her chin into his hand guiding her face to his. His eyes stared deeply into hers. “Look at me,” he whispered sensually. She looked into his beautiful grey eyes. She raised her hand and ran her fingers lightly through his black silky curls. Her fingertip trailed over his muscular jaw line. She was looking at him in a different way, in a way she had never allowed herself before.
“I am your mate, Elise. Don't push me away, don't deny us. Together, we could care for this Pride. I have fought to maintain my presence, I am the most dominant male, is it my duty to protect the Pride. It is my honor! Elise, the Pride should not be only yours to deal with. I love you, Elise...look at me.” He forced her eyes to focus on him once more. She had looked away, trying to hide from his words. “I am all the man, the only man, that you will ever need.” He let her go, looking at her. He wondered what she was thinking. She sat there quietly for a long time. He watched her, never moving.