She turned from the hole and growled across the clearing where he lay behind a bush. She didn’t approach him but bounded deeper into the woods. Jason followed her at a safe distance making sure to keep her scent within reach. She needed to turn around. The bobcat ran too deep and his worry urged him closer to her. A faint scent of wolf reached his nose. He pushed faster to catch up with her and the scent disappeared.
He spotted her lying down by a shallow stream of water her glistening gray fur spotted with pale orange rosettes nearly hidden in the dry needles. He circled around her to stay up wind of her and sat and watched her as she rested her chin on her paws. Something about her worried him. She acted hurt, and he wondered if he should go to her. He’d made one step towards her when a scent reached him. He raised his head to sniff deeper and recognized the scent of wolf.
Gail must have scented it at the same time because she jumped to her feet and threw her nose into the air. Before she could move, a wolf bounded out of the brush to her left and attacked. She screamed, rolling with the wolf and then, once free of him, she ran towards home. Another wolf joined the pursuit and Jason cut between them to draw them away from her. They peeled off and soon growled at his heels. He focused on a tree and reaching it, scrambled up only to have one of the wolves lunge and catch his hind leg. It struggled to pull him down but lost purchase on the trunk, and Jason pulled his injured leg up with him to the closest limb.
The wolves howled at him, jumping at the tree until one of them smelled something and they all took off. He lifted his nose and caught the scent of another wolf close by and hoped it managed to escape.
Jason’s leg throbbed with pain, and blood dripped from the bites. As much as he didn’t want to climb down with his injured leg, his need to be sure Gail made it home safe overruled his sense of self preservation. He backed his way down the tree with is injured leg almost worthless.
The run back to their edge of the woods took longer than he would have liked. He couldn’t put weight on his back leg and ran on three legs with his injured leg catching on everything along the way. The pain tore at him, but he needed to make sure she’d made it safely back home. He tracked her to her door, relieved to smell no hint of blood along the path.
The sound of wolves fighting reached his ears and he hesitated before limping towards home. All that mattered was that she hadn’t been injured. He’d have to call into work for the next few days. His leg would require several changes and rest. His cat would have a tough time during the full moon. The need to run would gnaw at him as would his need to find his mate.
He slipped around the edge of the house next door to him and smelled her as soon as he did. She sat on his back step waiting for him. It pained him that she would see him limping, knowing she’d see it as being weak instead of the dominant she insisted she needed. He walked past her on three legs without looking her in the eyes.
****
Gail panted as she neared the safety of her house wishing for the first time she had a cat door to rush inside. Instead she paused and sniffed the air around her to be sure no wolf still followed her and called her change, hurrying through it despite the pain. Once she’d put on her clothes she ran into the house and leaned back against the door of her kitchen, her breath coming in quick gasps.
The cat had run between them to draw them off her. She couldn’t believe he’d done it. He didn’t stand a chance with the wolves and she felt the first tear slide down her face as she sunk to the floor. He’d had to prove to her he could take care of her, and she’d pushed him into doing it. All because she’d been brushed off by a cougar as being too weak and more prey than predator. She’d thought herself in love with the cat at the time, but realized later it had only been lust. She’d never forgotten the snub. And now she’d done the same thing to Jason, probably getting him killed by her insensitivity.
She couldn’t stand it. Gail pulled herself up and ran out the door and towards his house. She had to know if he had made it back or not. The thought of him being dead ripped at something inside her. The house looked dark and empty and when she pounded on his door, he didn’t answer. Tears blurred her vision and she slid down the post to wait on him. She’d know if he were dead. Mates knew if something happened to one another, didn’t they?
Three hours passed and she decided she needed to look for him. She should have done that in the first place. Then she saw him. His hind leg torn and hanging uselessly at his side. He hesitated and then limped up the steps and disappeared through the cat door without looking at her. Gail stood up, not knowing if she should knock on the door or just leave. When the sound of his pain reached her through the door, she knocked and then banged when he didn’t answer her or open the door.
“Jason, let me in. Let me help you.” She couldn’t stop the tears and knew he would hear them in her voice.
He didn’t answer and she used both fists to pound, crying as loudly as she pounded. He still didn’t answer. Fury that he would ignore her when he needed help spurred her to strip on his back porch and call her change. She didn’t care if someone saw her. She needed to get inside to see about Jason.
She had to squeeze to get through the pet flap but managed to manipulate her body until she did. Her gaze landed on the pool of blood in the middle of the kitchen floor. God, it was so much. A trail led into the hall and towards the back of the house. Gail ran down the hall to find Jason lying on the floor in the bedroom, his face pale with pain and blood loss. He needed pressure on his wounds so she changed back oblivious to the pain and weakness from changing so many times so close together.
“Why wouldn’t you let me help you?” She sobbed, her hands hovering over his thigh and calf. She didn’t know what to do.
“I don’t need your help. I’ll change again in a few minutes. It will stop the rest of the bleeding. Go home, Gail,” he ground out through his teeth. “I can handle this without you.”
She shook her head and ran to the bathroom to find towels. When he would have protested, she covered his wounds and applied as much pressure as she though he could handle. He hissed and growled, but he didn’t cry out.
“You need a doctor.”
“Don’t know of a weir doctor, do you?”
“Damn, I’ve never needed one before. I can call one of the wolves to find one.” She didn’t let off the pressure though she wanted to check and see if the bleeding had slowed down any.
“No. I’ll be fine. I just need to rest before I change again.” He closed his eyes and Gail worried he’d passed out.
“Why did you make them follow you like that? I could have climbed a tree if I needed to.” Her voice caught in her throat. She didn’t expect an answer.
“You can’t climb as fast as I can. Bobcats aren’t made to climb trees. They would have been on you before you made it to safety.”
“Jason, they damn near tore your leg off!” She grew angry now, realizing he’d sacrificed himself to save her. She’d rebuffed him, telling him he wasn’t dominant enough for her and he’d risked his life knowing they’d probably catch him.
“They didn’t. I’ll heal. Have some dandy scars, but I’ll be alright. No more running until they stop the wolves.”
“You don’t need to run for awhile anyway. God, what are you going to do about the full moon?” It hit her that it was only a few days away. He’d have to change, which would be good for him, but he couldn’t run in the shape he was in.
“I’ll be fine. I don’t feel like running anywhere at the moment. I’ll get by.” His voice sounded weaker.
Gail swallowed hard and lifted one of the towels to check his wound. It had stopped bleeding for the moment. She carefully removed it and then checked the other wound higher on his thigh. It seeped but didn’t bleed. She could see bone and it made her nauseous. She jumped up from the floor and got a pillow to put under his head. He needed to rest but he needed to change again soon. Changing would help heal the wounds faster and she was afraid if he didn’t do something they’d get worse ag
ain.
She lay down beside him and watched him until he stirred again. When he opened his eyes, he stared into hers. They seemed to struggle to focus for a minute.
“What are you still doing here?”
“Watching over you. I was scared you wouldn’t wake up after awhile and change again. You need to change while you’re awake.”
“I don’t need you to take care of me. I can take care of myself even if I’m not dominant.
The barb hit her hard. She’d hurt his pride and she couldn’t blame him for the comment. “I know you can but you saved my life. I have to know you’re okay.”
He didn’t say anything but drew away from where she lay watching him. She felt him pull into himself and prepare to change. Scooting back she watched him as he became the Tom cat and marveled that he could change into something so small as large as he was. She’d never thought about her size since she barely stood five two. He towered over her and yet he changed into something so much smaller.
The black cat drew himself up and walked around the bedroom, his back leg still dragging but not nearly as mauled as before. He edged closer to Gail and nosed her hand so she ran it softly down his back and then held his head in her cupped hands. His dark eyes glowed as he looked up at her. Then he pulled away and limped into the kitchen. She realized he kept cat food in a bowl on the floor. It surprised her. She watched him eat the entire bowl of food and then sit one sided to rest.
“I’ll cook you something for when you change back. You’ll be hungry again. I hope you have steak in your freezer. If you don’t, I’ll run over to my house and get one.”
She opened the freezer and peered into the crowded contents. She pulled out a piece of meat she thought might be a steak, then grabbed a plate out of the drainer and opened the package, plunking the meat on the plate. Microwave, he had to have one somewhere. She found it above the stove and set it to defrost while she searched for a pan to cook it in.
The cat hissed at her from where it lay in the middle of the floor. The pool of blood stood not far from the door. She grabbed paper towels and cleaned the mess up using a wet dishcloth to mop up the dried blood. Jason never took his eyes off her. When the microwave announced the meat to be thawed she pulled it out and turned the cook top on to cook the meat to a nice medium rare.
She heard the pat of soft feet behind her and when she turned around, Jason was gone. She nearly collapsed from the stress once he left the room. It all hit her and she finished cooking the meat with tears running down her face. God, she had been so stupid. What could she say to explain? How could she say she was sorry without him thinking her a liar?
Taking the meat off the stove, she walked down the hall to his room and stopped outside the door. He’d closed it. That meant he’d changed. What did she do, knock? Gail lifted her hand to do that but hesitated. He’d told her to leave but she couldn’t. He’d probably tell her again. Turning around she decided to take the steak to him so she’d have a reason to go back to his bedroom.
This time she did knock and a muffled go home reached her ears. “I’m not going anywhere. I have your steak, and I’m bringing it in.” She turned the knob and opened the door. Jason lay naked across the bed. He didn’t open his eyes when she walked into the room though he would have heard her.
“You need to eat something to replenish your strength.” He still didn’t open his eyes.
“Leave it on the table and I’ll eat it in a little while. I’m tired right now.”
Gail set the plate on the bedside table and checked his thigh. The bone no longer showed but the edges of the wound still gaped open, raw and angry looking. The one on his calf had almost healed other than a small area near his ankle.
“It looks better but you need to cover it until you can change again. Where are your first aide supplies, and I‘ll put a bandage over it.” She waited for him to speak but he didn’t, and she realized he had drifted off to sleep.
She rummaged around in his bathroom and came up with a roll of gauze and paper tape. The tape would be difficult to work with since his legs had hair on them. Dark silky hair she thought as she wrapped the gauze around his thigh. He didn’t stir as she ran the tape around the bandage a few times to keep it in place. He wouldn’t have to take it off when he changed, it would fall off. She put away the supplies and wet a towel to clean up the rest of the blood in the bedroom and down the hall.
She heard him moan nearly an hour later and rushed to the bedroom to check on him. His eyes opened when she approached the bed on tip toe. His eyes hardened and his face changed to a blank expression.
“I told you to go home.”
“I ignored you.”
“I can see that. I’m fine so go home. I can change without your help.” He attempted to sit up and turned white when he put pressure on his thigh. “Shit.”
She winced and hovered close by in case he needed help. Not that he would have taken it from her, but she’d do it anyway. He managed to sit up on the edge of the bed after a few false starts. Once it looked like he’d be able to sit for awhile she retrieved the steak.
“I can warm it if you want me to.” She held the plate out to him.
He looked as if he’d refuse the meat, but his stomach growled. With a scowl he picked the meat up and tore at it with his teeth. It didn’t bother her at all. If she had been forced to change more than twice in a day, she would tear into a piece of meat the same way. Thinking about it she realized she had done just that by changing back and forth to see about him. Her stomach growled at the sight of the bloody meat. She’d be fine until she felt sure he would be alright on his own.
“If you want some you can have it. I know you’ve got to be hungry as well.” He held out the remainder of the meat, but she shook her head.
“I’m fine right now. I’ll eat in a little while.” She waited on him to finish then handed him a wet towel and took the plate back to the kitchen.
“I’m sorry about what I said – before. I had no right to say that to you. Someone said it to me once and I should have known better.” He didn’t look at her. He closed his eyes and sank back on the bed.
“It’s okay. Just leave. I need to rest and I’m fine now. Thanks for seeing about me.”
Gail bit her lower lip and let out a breath. He didn’t want her around. She couldn’t blame him but it still hurt. Just like you hurt him when you told him he wasn’t dominant enough for you. She pulled one side of the cover over him and walked back down the hall and let herself out the back door, naked and hurting. She’d done all she could for now. He wouldn’t want her around him anymore. Somehow the thought tore her up inside.
Chapter Five
The moon called to her. In another two hours it would be high in the night sky, and she’d change and run with all the other weir. Gage and his pack had eliminated the rogue wolf pack the same night Jason had intervened and probably saved her life. They’d surrounded them not far from where she lived and buried them at the back of the woods. She could run anywhere she wanted to with no one to bother her. She couldn’t help but wish Jason would show up to harass her about her woods.
The next few days passed in a blur with all her thoughts returning to Jason and if he was alright alone in the house. Her body remembered how his had felt inside her with his hands on her breasts and his mouth hard against hers. She wanted him so badly her heart ached. She needed him, crying because she knew he wouldn’t want her.
Gail stripped down just inside the tree line and changed. She ran until the moon moved down. Her cat knew what she wanted and while she was still in cat form, she went to Jason. The pet door hadn’t gotten any larger but she squeezed through and padded across the kitchen floor and down the hall. Jason sat on a chair in his bedroom with the window open to let the night air in. She jumped into his lap making sure to use his uninjured leg and leaned against his bare chest.
“What are you doing here? Someone might decide to shoot you if you keep wandering around in the neighborhood. You’re too
big to be a common cat.” He didn’t look at her – just sat staring out the window. She pushed under his arm and did her own version of a purr, burrowing into him until she lay curled in his lap.
“Watch out with those claws.” He winced as one dug into his bare thigh. “What do you want anyway? I’m managing to handle the moon fine. I changed and changed back so you can go run.”
She ignored him and stayed where she was. If it was as close as she’d ever get to him again, she’d take it. He’d have to throw her out to get her to leave. She could stay in her cat form forever if it meant she would be able to be near him.
“Look, you need to change and I don’t have anything for you to wear. Why don’t you go home?” He still didn’t look down at her.
An inkling of an idea formed in her cat mind and Gail liked it. She jumped down and called her change.
“Don’t do that here!” Jason jumped up from the chair but it was too late, she’d already started.
Worn out and hungry, she stood up and waited for him to say something. When he didn’t she sat cross-legged on the bed and waited for him to look her in the eyes. Finally she gave up and started talking.
“I’m so sorry I said those things to you. I had no right. You’re right, it was racist and I knew better. The thing is… I care about you more than I ever thought I could. This…” she threw her hands up and huffed out a breath, “…thing between us is real and I can feel it. Hell, I can feel it when we aren’t around each other. It hurts to be away from you.”
She watched for some sign he was listening to her and felt the first hint of desperation flood her heart. She’d lost him. She knew he had to be her mate now, and she had lost him. Her soul died a little bit with the knowledge, but she didn’t have anything left inside her to cry. He’d taken it all with him when he’d walked away that night. He didn’t say anything for a long time so she stood up and walked into the kitchen to change and leave.
Opposites Attract Page 4