Opposites Attract
© 2008 by Mary Alice Pritchard
All rights reserved
First Edition September 2008
DCL Publications
36 Monash Street
Melton South
Victoria
Australia
3338
www.thedarkcastlelords.com
ISBN 978-1-921347-65-8
PUBLISHED IN AUSTRALIA
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information and storage retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
Author: Pritchard, Mary Alice.
Title: Opposites attract / Mary Alice Pritchard.
Edition: 1st ed.
ISBN: 9781921347658
Dewey Number: 813.6
Chapter One
Gail looked up at the brilliant stars and the silver of the crescent moon in the cloudless sky. She had struggled all day to keep her cool at the office. Her boss seemed to have it in for her over the last week, handing her one project after another, barely giving her time to finish any of them. Finally quitting time came and she reveled in a weekend to do as she wanted. And she wanted to run.
She stripped out of her clothes once she made it far enough into the trees and kneeled to begin her change. Gail stretched and let it flow through her as fur rippled along her back covering her body. Bone and sinew reshaped making her the animal she became - bobcat. She shook herself, and after licking a sore spot on her shoulder, took off at a lope. Running settled her mind and stretched her body until the kinks of the day fell away.
The tangy smell of a rabbit caught her attention, and she followed the scent to a strand of briars. The blood coursing through the animal’s body called to her as did its fear. She paced in front of the prickly vines, stopping to push at them, but wrinkled her nose at the thorns. Eventually the rabbit would panic, and she could chase it down. Maybe she’d make it her kill, and maybe she’d just release it. She wasn’t particularly hungry, but the thrill of the chase ate at her.
Another scent perked her nose – different yet familiar. She crouched, unsure if she wanted to leave her rabbit to follow it or wait on the rabbit to run. Poking at the briars again she ended up with a biting prick on her nose, and whined at the insult. She pawed at her nose and made her decision, the new scent claimed her curiosity. It wasn’t the nasty briar. Just her natural need to know what ran in her woods.
Gail eased through the underbrush crouched and slowly followed the strange scent. Something moved ahead of her so she stopped and waited, sniffing the air. Still she couldn’t place the odd scent. It wasn’t another bobcat or even a lynx. What strange cat dared to enter her territory? She would make it leave. No one ran in her woods.
Slowly she snuck up on the animal. Her ears picked up the sound of fur against bark. The bastard was marking her land. She marked her land and wouldn’t have another going behind her. She’d tear him up before running him out.
Gail advanced through the leaves making no noise as she moved closer and closer to the trespasser. Crouching behind a clump of hedge, she waited for the animal to show itself. The pungent smell of urine and his male scent met her nose. He padded closer to where she waited then stopped. She wondered if her scent reached him. She was down wind and had made sure to circle wide of the intruder. Then he moved into view. Finally the scent made sense. He was a weir. A weir cat no less.
A cat. A common, everyday Tom cat. A large one for sure, but just a simple black cat stood sniffing the air not ten feet from where she lay waiting. Where had he come from? There were no cats in her neighborhood that dared enter her woods. She’d seen to that. It hadn’t even taken killing one to run them all out. But a weir cat put an entirely different spin on things.
The black thing moved towards her with its back up and tail bushed. She would have laughed had she not been in her bobcat form. He actually thought he could attack her and live? She strutted from behind the hedge growling deep in her throat at the scrawny thing in her way. He didn’t budge but hissed and growled back. Was he daft? Did he realize what she was? Maybe he was from the city and didn’t recognize her as the predator. She’d have to educate him then.
His back bowed and he came sideways at her, baring his teeth. She could do nothing, but oblige his challenge. Charging the cat, she swiped at his nose but only managed to rip through the air. He’d turned and attacked her rear. She felt a sting on her upper thigh. The cat had drawn first blood. This was impossible. Again she lunged and made contact, this time scoring a slash to his side as he jumped back. They both jumped forward at the same time and rolled along the deeply padded ground of leaves, a tangle of flying fur and lashing claws.
The cat’s fierceness and fighting ability astonished her. He turned out to be a formidable opponent and didn’t back down. She found he made contact with her body nearly as much as she made contact with his, and both of them finally jumped back to pant and lick their wounds. The growling cat backed up until he reached a tree and marked it, his tail twitching before racing off towards the tree line.
He’d sprayed her tree! She’d never cover up that pungent scent now. She’d have to wait and mark it later. His parting insult infringed on her victory. She’d find out where the cat lived and warn him to stay out of her woods, or next time she’d go for the throat.
It occurred to her as she made her way back to her house that she’d never come across a cat who changed. What a sorry piece of luck it was that he turned into prey. No wonder he was such a good fighter. He’d have to be to survive another weir. Even she had to be careful around the wolves and the larger cats. She didn’t back down easily, but she did when the predator was larger. This cat didn’t.
*****
Jason Fields tore through the cat door of his house and changed once safely in his kitchen. Where had the bobcat come from? He’d smelled another cat on the trees but figured it to be an animal. But a weir? She was a beauty, but she was dangerous. He’d been lucky to come out relatively unscathed. The minor cuts had healed with the change, but he had a nasty slash on his side and another on his ass. That would be hard to explain when he couldn’t sit down at work without wincing.
She had to live somewhere around the circle. He’d have to find out. See if he could strike a bargain with her. He needed a safe place to run. She needed a much larger place than he did, but surly she’d allow him a small area.
The house backed up to the woods had seemed a Godsend when he’d found it. His move to Mountain Hallow with his new job forced him to give up his sanctuary outside of Jackson. But the new job seemed worth it. More money and flexible hours meant he didn’t have to worry about the moon run each month. The full moon forced his change and made all weir run. Only after the full moon could he control his change. He needed space to run.
Finding a suitable weir to mate with would be much harder since weir cats were rare. He’d crossed one by accident as a teenager. The cat nearly clawed his eyes out. The next full moon he turned. The change nearly killed him the first couple of times, but he finally learned not to fight it.
Jason showered to soften some of the soreness and tried to come up with a plan to find the other weir. He would change into his cat the next night and walk around the circle until he caught the scent of the weir. He needed to catch her at home right after she’d changed from her cat when the
scent would be strongest. Once he knew where she lived he could go back the next day to talk with her. It would be much safer than trying to reason with her as a cat. As natural enemies, she wouldn’t allow him the chance to communicate.
“Shit.” He toweled off and wondered how he’d managed to move into a neighborhood where another weir lived. Life had a way with kicking you in the ass when you least expected it.
*****
Gail cursed as she examined her wounds. How the damn cat had managed to score so many hits was beyond her. Maybe she’d lost some of her edge with no one to challenge her. She’d have to venture deeper into the woods to find an occasional foe to keep her in top form.
The scratch on her low back seemed the worst and stung like a son of a bitch. Most of her other injuries healed with the change, but this one felt deep. It would clear up in the next few days, but until then she’d have to dress with care. No tight clothes until it was gone.
She needed to find the cat and warn him out of her woods. She really didn’t want to kill the thing, just make sure he knew to keep his distance. Her best bet would be to walk around the circle and sniff him out. She’d wait until the early morning hours when most humans would be in bed and not see her in her bobcat form. Once she had his home she could corner him there the next day and let him know he wasn’t welcome.
“Stupid cat,” she muttered as she twisted to get the antibiotic salve on the scratch. “He probably has rabies or no telling what in his claws. I bet he even has a litter box.” She snorted at the thought.
Finally satisfied she’d covered the scratch, Gail settled down to watch the late show before going to bed. She planned to sleep late and be lazy all day watching DVDs. Monday would come around too soon for her comfort. She really needed to find another job. The moon run made her groggy and uncomfortable for three days at work. She couldn’t call in or she’d loose her job. She’d look for another one and change as soon as she could. First she needed to take care of that freaking cat.
Chapter Two
Gail awoke to the sound of someone knocking on her door. Pounding really. She cracked one eye open to look at her clock. Christ’s sake it was only nine in the morning. Cursing, she nearly fell out of bed, her legs tangled in the sheets. She grabbed her robe and shoved her hands in the sleeves stomping to the front of the house. God help whoever stood on the other side of the door. She’d give them a piece of her mind.
She almost tripped over the muddy shoes she’d left on the rug at the door before grabbing the doorknob and yanking it open. She should have taken the time to sniff the door before she’d opened it. The scent hit her as soon as she did. Weir. Probably that damned black cat she decided. The smell seemed familiar
“What the hell do you want? It’s nine in the freaking morning.” She blocked the doorway and glowered at the man standing on her porch.
Rich black hair flowed around his shoulders. Eyes as dark as his hair peered into hers. His face had an interesting shape with a narrow nose that looked as if it had been broken once or twice. Muscles rippled under his t-shirt with a chest as wide as the ocean that tapered to narrow hips and long legs. He had to be six two or three she decided. He dwarfed her.
“Sorry to wake you so early, but I think we need to talk.” He didn’t smile.
It irked her he’d come to her before she’d gone to him. “No, we don’t need to talk. You need to stay out of my woods. End of discussion.” She moved to slam the door, but he stuck his foot inside the door.
“I’m not asking for much. Just let me in and let’s talk about it. I don’t want to take up much of your time, but we do need to talk.”
“Like I said, stay out of my woods. Now get your fucking foot out of my door.” She gave the door a shove but couldn’t push his foot out of the way.
“I’m not leaving until you let me in.” He snarled back at her.
She sighed and weighed her options. If she were going to be able to sleep any later she’d have to let him in and get it over with. Huffing out an annoyed breath, Gail opened the door and threw up her hands.
“By all means, come inside and let’s talk about you keeping your mangy hide out of my territory.” She stomped across the room and shoved her hands in the pockets of her robe.
When he came in and shut the door behind her it hit her. The full scent of forest and leaves assaulted her nose. Not the pungent odor of cat, but of him. She felt the urge to run her hands through that wave of black hair and rub her face against his. It frightened her and made her take a step backwards before she caught herself. Evidently he felt the same pull since he stopped at the edge of the den. His eyes widened as his brows pulled together. Then he regained his composure and closed down his expression.
“I don’t want free reign of your territory. I just want a small piece to run on. Nothing big. Just a section behind my house and I’ll stay out of yours entirely.”
“And if I don’t let you have a spot?” She asked.
“I suppose we’ll fight every time we meet. I can’t not run. You know that.”
“Run on the other side of the street. Maybe you won’t get run over crossing the road,” she sneered at him. It infuriated her she reacted so strongly to him. He was a damn cat for God’s sake.
“I don’t want to run over there. The trees aren’t thick and the brush is kept mowed down. I want a small sliver of your land, that’s all.”
What would it hurt to let him have a small area? She could make it close to the edge of the woods. He could run behind people’s houses to get to it and that would satisfy his needs without inconveniencing her. Perhaps a wolf would happen by when he was out running. The thought didn’t sit well with her and this angered her even more.
“I’ll give you an acre wide space at the north end of the woods. You can run at the edge of the woods to get to it, but stay out of my territory.” It irked her she even considered the option much less caved.
“That’s all I’m asking for. I won’t bother you. Since I’m a cat, it won’t seem odd for me to run along the back of the yards.” He cocked his head and smiled though it didn’t reach his eyes. “How do you keep anyone from shooting at you?”
“I stay in the woods to change. I don’t run to my house as a bobcat. I’m not stupid.” Her eyes flashed at him.
“I didn’t say you were.”
“Now that it’s settled, get out of my house. I don’t want the stench of cat in here.”
He laughed, amusement sparking in his eyes. “You’re a cat too. Just a larger one, that’s all.” He turned to leave and she noticed he winced when she growled at him.
She watched him walk out the door and wanted to scream when her chest tightened as he left. Why was she reacting to him? She had her sexual partners when the heat came on her. She didn’t want another and most especially not a mere cat, even if he was easy to look at in his human form.
*****
Jason strode back to his house thinking about the reaction he’d had to the little bobcat. It wasn’t possible. He couldn’t feel so attracted to her. She couldn’t be a mate to him. She was a predator and he her prey. He couldn’t deny the quickening of his pulse or the desire that centered in his groin. He’d smelled her arousal as well. She wasn’t immune to the draw.
Her rich reddish blond hair curled at the slope of her shoulders. Swinging in an arc of fire when she’d turned from the door. It took his breath away, and he had to force himself to regain his composure. The rounded curve of her ass and the ample mounds of her breasts teased his senses and aroused the male in him as well as the cat. He longed to run his hands down her body to see if she felt as muscular as her bobcat looked the other night.
How would he manage to avoid seeking her out? Reactions like theirs would cause them to gravitate to each other. Something he knew she’d fight with every breath. She’d hate herself for wanting him and fight to stay away from him. He wondered how she’d feel in his arms, his hands on her, his mouth taking hers.
“Son of a bitch.”
Once he reached his house, he didn’t go in right away. The crisp morning air helped to clear her scent from his nose, but it didn’t do anything for the desire burning through him. A cold shower wouldn’t help this. Only mating would cool the heat building in his groin. She’d refuse, but could she fight the attraction? He hoped not. He planed to have her beneath him by the next full moon.
It occurred to him even as he turned from the amazing fall morning that he didn’t know her name.
*****
Gail waited until she was sure he’d left her porch and grabbing up a pillow, threw it across the room where it bounced off the edge of the fireplace. She wanted to break something, preferably his neck.
“Bastard.” She kicked the chair and cursed again when it shot pain up her leg. “He’ll expect me to jump on him when the heat comes on. Well he’s got another thing coming. I’d as soon fight a wolf as fuck him.”
Stomping back to her bedroom she rummaged through her closet in search of her favorite pair of jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. She needed groceries and since there would be no more sleeping after dealing with him, she’d shop and then read a while to calm her down. A good book would keep him out of her head.
Two hours later Gail put away her groceries still trying to cool down her hormones. They raged at her for not taking him to bed. It wasn’t even the heat. She had nearly an entire month before it burned in her again. She growled, shoving the meat in the refrigerator, knocking over a jar of jelly in the process. She needed to get control of herself before she had a stroke. Why was she so upset over a stupid cat – just an everyday house cat of all things?
The groceries put away and a new book from her favorite author in her hands, she curled up on the couch to read. Aerosmith played in the background and a glass of wine sat on the table next to her. She should have been able to banish the man to the back of her mind, but he didn’t stay there. She had to fight to follow the plot in her book, and finally she slammed it down on the table and took a long drink of wine.
Opposites Attract Page 1