The Shunned (closed for LoganDarkHolme and DarkWarrioress)

[LoganDarkHolme]

I’m coming. I’m coming already. Go. I’m right behind you. he chuffed at her response, panting as he lay behind her car, tail twitching in irritation, he caught her scent on the wind as she approached and got into her car, his back leg was burning but he felt the tingle of it beginning to heal, it had already stopped bleeding which was good, he hunkered down, his ears on a constant swivel as he listened, nose flaring as he scented the air, How the hell we’re going to get out of here without drawing attention to ourselves, I don’t know and pull your tail in. If I can see it, anyone can. yea, he had been wondering the same thing as soon as the shooting started, but he did tuck his tail around his body as he her breathing hitch, the scent of male and gun powder, damn cops, hopefully this one was as dumb as most of the others.

He lay quiet, irritated until the sound of bootsteps moving away sounded, slowly he rose, peaking through her windows at the retreating form, his eyes scanning quickly around the area, then saw her leaning towards him, his ears swiveling forward as he focused on her Alecsi, when you can change back, keep yourself between my car and the next one. I’m going to lean over and open the passenger side door so you can slip into the car. Keep low if he could have spoke, his response would probably have been…duh? He chuffed softly with a laugh watching as she cracked the door open and he pawed at it, slinking his way into her car, his tail catching the door handle he yanked it closed as he slipped between the seats and down onto the floor of her backseat, hunching low to hide, curling his body around itself he licked at the wound in his leg, his fur mated with blood.

The wound had at least sealed, with a huff he laid down again as she started driving, the fur receding as the cat withdrew, his body returning to its human size he let go a sigh “Fucking guns, damn it, they found us.” He growled “im sorry Sam”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“I’m sorry Sam.”

She screamed. The car swerved. Quickly, she got it under control without hitting the car that was going the other way and after looking in her rearview mirror to make sure they weren’t being followed, she pulled over and rested her forehead on her steering wheel for a moment, breathing deeply before she raised her head and turned slightly toward him. It was hard to think clearly when there was a naked man in the car and one she was attracted to.

“Damn it, Alecsi. You’ve got to stop doing that. You just scared the shit out of me. I almost hit that bloody car…. And shit, you’re naked. Look over the back seat. I might have a blanket back there you can use.”

What were they going to do now? They certainly can’t go back to his motel. No doubt the cops were crawling all over the place and then they’re going to figure out who those guys were but the thing they were going to question is who was this cartel after? Turning back to her steering wheel, she put the car in gear and headed for home. Eventually, and she wasn’t sure how, the cops were going to end up knocking on her door and the Institute as well. The Institute would connect the dots as well and come looking for her, thinking that the panther might just try to find her. Between the cartel and the Institute, she was going to be doing a jig, she was almost sure of that.

“Alecsi, what do you want to do now? I’m not sure how long it’s going to be before the cartel and the Institute come calling. Right now, we’re going back to my place and sit tight while we figure out what we want to do next. We can’t wait around for too long though. I have a feeling the cartel is going to find us and you know what that means.”

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

Alecsi snarled, loudly, as she screamed, a snarl that turned into an angry hiss as he rolled around on the floorboard, banging his knee against the metal support of the passenger seat trying to find a way to brace himself as she swerved, then pulled her crazy ass over, he was still hissing as the car finally came to a stop, his chest heaving he lifted his head to look between the seats at her as she slumped forward, her own breath coming heavy “THE FUCK WOMAN” he growled rising his upper body off the floor and bracing himself on his arm Damn it, Alecsi. You’ve got to stop doing that. You just scared the shit out of me he blinked, “ME!??! The hell did I do? “he peaked through the window seeing where they were at then letting himself lower back to the floor, half curled into a fetal position to fit on the floor “youll get used to me shifting eventually, but if you scream every time I sprout fur or skin, its gunna get awkward” he muttered, the growl fading from his voice. shit, you’re naked. Look over the back seat. I might have a blanket back there you can use ok, that was amusing, and he grinned, “never seen a man before Cher? Judging by your scent in the hotel, it didn’t bother you before” he teased, trying to at least ease her nerves, and he found working her up or distracting her would in a weird way help her focus more.

Alecsi, what do you want to do now? I’m not sure how long it’s going to be before the cartel and the Institute come calling yea, that was the trick wasn’t it? He knew when the cops got a look at the bodies, they’d instantly realize that an animal killed those men, his name was on the hotel room, along with his credit card. He knew the police would at least trace him back to the Distillery’s his family, and now, he owned, but his secretary was also a shifter, so she would at most delay them. But what few clothes he’d gotten from the raven’s, and he bought himself were now back in the hotel leaving him with nothing, Alecsi was quiet a while as he thought through things we’re going back to my place and sit tight while we figure out what we want to do next. We can’t wait around for too long though he grunted an agreement “I have……friends….i can call, bring me some clothes till I can buy more……I’d forgotten how much I Hate, wearing clothing, so long spent in my Fur” he half spoke, half muttered

He nodded in agreement., although she didn’t see it “my family owned a few properties, a little more remote, a little more well-guarded, throughout the country, we can figure out a place to go, it wont take the police long to search the bodies, at least they don’t know im human, makes it easier to hide”


**************Back at the Hotel**********

The officer watched Sam leave from the hotel before he turned and walked back inside, the CSI team was combing through the hotel room looking for anything, they’d already confirmed the 3 men killed were “known Cartel members” but what really had all of them scratching their heads was the men were clearly killed by an animal. But there was no sign of a dog, or anything having been registered to the room occupant. The used towels from the bathroom were bagged for physical possible DNA evidence, Detective! came a cry as one of the techs walked over with a black duffle bag we found this in the bag, it’s a pretty detailed record of a Samantha hughes, the Detective took the folder and flipped it open, stopping cold in his tracks he stared at the picture of the woman, the woman who just left the parking lot after telling him “wrong turn” well now, why would this, Alecsi, have a case file on Samantha hughes, stalker? Fed? The detective didn’t know, but he thumbed through the pages of the report, it was clearly a Federal background check case file right down to her bra size…….so what was it doing here?

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“THE FUCK WOMAN”

She heard his growl as she corrected the car and pulled over to the side of the road.

“ME!??! The hell did I do? “

She turned in her seat to stare at him. Before she could answer him scathingly….

“You’ll get used to me shifting eventually, but if you scream every time I sprout fur or skin, its gunna get awkward.”

Her eyes narrowed at him.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now? First off, you shifted. Something I wasn’t expecting. A cat’s growl, maybe. Another human voice? No and don’t you even dare to tell me I’ll get use to you shifting eventually….”

He was probably right. She would get use to him shifting. Right now, she was use to nothing. She was still trying to wrap her brains around the fact that he could shift from human to cat and visa versa. She hadn’t known there were people who could do such a thing. Something like a frustrated growl emerged from her throat. She turned in her seat to face forward and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before she put the car in gear again and headed for home.

“It’s bad enough that it feels like some fantasy book I’m living right about now. Next thing you’re going to tell me is that there are others like you out there and then there’s the cops,” she glanced up into her rearview mirror, “you had to go and slaughter the whole freakin’ lot of them…”

“I have……friends….I can call. Bring me some clothes till I can buy more……I’d forgotten how much I Hate, wearing clothing, so long spent in my Fur”

“Well, we’re not in the jungle anymore, Cat Man…” she muttered as she pulled into her driveway, gathered her purse and keys and exited the car, looking around her.

She slowly opened the passenger door and waited for him to exit. Granted, he was wrapped in the blanket she had used in the park where they had met before she left him to exit the car while she opened the side door of her house. It led into her kitchen.

“My family owned a few properties, a little more remote, a little more well-guarded, throughout the country, we can figure out a place to go, it won’t take the police long to search the bodies, at least they don’t know I’m human, makes it easier to hide”

“Yeah, let’s hope so,” she glanced out the door before peeking back outside after he went by her, “I just hope I grabbed everything that was in your room.”

She threw everything, her purse included, onto the dining room table while she rummaged in her cupboards for a bottle of aspirin. She eyed him while getting a glass of water from the tap.

“Are you okay? And who were they after, Alecsi? You or me? Or…or… both of us?”

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

“Are you fucking kidding me right now? First off, you shifted. Something I wasn’t expecting. A cat’s growl, maybe. Another human voice? No and don’t you even dare to tell me I’ll get use to you shifting eventually….” why the hell was her temper a turn on? Although seeing the fire in her eyes instead of the fear was an improvement, at least to him. And he fought hard to keep from smiling at the indignation, yes, she would get used to him shifting eventually, whether she wanted to or not. He wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. And he was far more comfortable in his fur then in clothing, something “he” would have to get used to again he noted with an irritated sigh. “It’s bad enough that it feels like some fantasy book I’m living right about now. Next thing you’re going to tell me is that there are others like you out there he stayed silent on that question, their eyes meeting in her rearview, she would find out soon, she was smart enough to realise, if he was real, then maybe those legends and tale tales, weren’t so tall after all. and then there’s the cartel, you had to go and slaughter the whole freakin’ lot of them…”

He waited till she made sure the coast was clear before he hightailed it into her apartment, stopping briefly at a Crows rattling caw and he turned to look, arching a brow he saw the Raven sitting on the roof of her car and he sighed, Nothing like being caught with his pants down…….literally…….. he chuffed a small snarl at the bird and lifted his chin as if to shoo the bird away, and it took off, turning he looked at her confused frown, saw her eyes swing to the bird, then back to him “What? Im a cat, “ he lied, “as for what happened in the hotel, it’s us or them, babe, they weren’t there for tea and crumpets, I didn’t go through all this trouble letting your cute ass drag me back into civilization, to let them kill you now” he said, unable to stop the impulse and swatted her on the ass, that chesire grin twisting his lips up.

Are you okay? And who were they after, Alecsi? You or me? Or…or… both of us? he sighed, running his hand through his short hair as he took a seat on her couch, wearing just a towel over his hips, a towel that, didn’t cover much “im guessing its you, they don’t know me, the shot of fear and surprise in their scents when I attacked them told me they weren’t expecting the Panther to be there” her hands on her hips as she stared down at him, his eyes gleamed as he looked her over, her scent stronger in her apartment, he couldn’t stop himself from inhaling, his nose flaring and he purred, a low rumble deep in his chest as his eyes again met hers “im hungry, how about Order out? Ill pay” he muttered as he got out from the couch, choosing to change the subject, nearly 20 minutes later he heard a knock on her back patio and he froze, lifting his head he sniffed the air as Sam froze beside him “I got it, probably for me” he said, making his way cautiously to the back patio door, he spotted a black duffle bag sitting on the deck and he smiled, the angry call of a raven before feathers beat the air and he smirked,

Opening the door the grabbed the duffle bag and closed it again, turning to see Sam standing there, frowning at him, then her frown darkening as she looked to the bag “what? Told you, I have friends, excuse me, need to get outta this towel” he waggled his eyebrows at her, moving to the bathroom he closed the door, unzipping the bag he laughed at the note "You owe us pussy.....cat..., stop losing your clothes, unless its losing them with Her…..”shaking his head he dressed quickly, lamenting the loss of his hat, he stepped back into her living room once more, jeans, black button down shirt with the top 3 buttons undone, boots and his jacket "much better"

 

[DarkWarrioress]

His lack of response to certain things she had said, made her suspicious. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him in the rearview mirror. There were things he wasn’t saying. She gave a soft mental sigh and a slight shake of her head. Once more she wondered what she had gotten herself into. Her head hurt. With another soft sigh, this one aloud, she motioned for Alecsi to head into her house. Standing back, she watched his cute ass hightail it into her home. He had stopped briefly to look at the bird that had suddenly perched itself on the roof of her car. Her eyes went from one to Alecsi but she didn’t say anything and shortly thereafter the bird flew off. With a slight shrug and a quick glance around the neighborhood, she stepped into her home, the door softly closing behind her.

She almost had a damn meltdown when he sat in her couch in that damn towel that did little to cover him. Oh, Sweet Jesus, take the wheel. She slowly turned away to drop her purse on the dining room table and hang her keys.

They were after her. Crap on a cracker. Nothing like having a target on your back. Fuck.

Sam paced her living room. They were after her because she knew she could lead them to the panther. For all she knew, they thought she knew more than she actually did about their operations. The only thing she knew for sure was that the cartel knew wherever she was, the great cat was bound to be but killing her would not help them find the panther. The only thing she could think of was that they were there to kidnap her. Thankfully, Alecsi was there to stop it.

“I’m hungry, how about Order out? I’ll pay.”

“You’re always hungry,” she quipped back.

Still, she headed for the kitchen to retrieve her take-out menus. There was a sudden knock on her sliding door to the backyard. Before she could detour to see what or who, Alecsi got it. He opened the door and retrieved something. When he turned around she saw it was a duffel bag. Her eyebrow shot up.

“What? Told you, I have friends, excuse me, need to get outta this towel.”

Before she could say anything, he and the duffel bag disappeared into her bathroom. Her eyes watched him as the door closed behind him and found she had been holding her breath. Letting it out slowly, she felt conflicted for a moment. The man was just too damn good looking for his own good. She stared out the glass door to her deck. She swore she heard a raven. Sam gave a slight shake of her head.

Naw. No damn way. It wasn't possible. Was it?

Her imagination was going into overtime. Yet, there was no disputing the fact that Alecsi was a shape shifter so why couldn’t there be others out there somewhere and Alecsi knew them or least, some of them. How---no. No way. She gave a quick shake of her head as the bathroom door opened.

"Much better."

Her eyes swiveled to Alecsi. Her eyes passed over him slowly from head to foot. Oh damn. The man was dangerous enough dressed in only a towel. However, the figure standing in front of her now dressed in form fitting jeans, a black button down shirt with a jacket and wearing boots, was simply just as dangerous as the man who was simply wearing a towel wrapped around his waist. Her tongue slipped between her lips and moistened them. Why was her mouth suddenly so dry?

“Um. Yeah. Here.”

She held out the menus.

“When you figure out what you want to order and from where, we’ll Door Dash it.”

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

Stalling was only going to get him so far, he could see the gears pinwheeling in her head, the shifts in her mood, in her thoughts, the rapid fire changing in her scents almost too much for him to keep up with and he found himself having to rub his nose, trying to clear the acrid scent of her frustration, fear, confusion, anger, hestation, and litany of other emotions bombarding her. For better or worse, he brought all this on her. She didnt deserve any of this, and playing Coy was only going to put her in more danger. He let go a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping as he exhaled, trying to force his own hesitations out, the flirty smile fading as she turned her back on him and they moved back to the living room

When you figure out what you want to order and from where, we’ll Door Dash it. he caught her wrist, his grip was gentle but he stopped her, all pretense draining from his features, becoming serious, his eyes shifting red, slitted, the hint of his cat peaking through as her eyes met, the slight widening as she took in his serious gaze "im sorry" he said, his voice serious, deadpan, the edges of his eyes crinkled slightly from the pain of the words, and his actions, his chest and shoulders rising as he took in a deep breath "about everything, Sam. Im sorry, you dont deserve to be kept in the dark" his thumb traced along the inside of her wrist as his grip loosened, and he held her hand now "ive been away from humans so long, held secrets, for decades, its........hard.....to readjust to my humanity, to........trust...........but....i..........." he sighed "i did this to you, and its not fair, you deserve, truth, keeping secrets at this point will only hurt you more"

he lifted her hand to his lips, brushing his lips across her knuckles "im not really hungry, but its wrong to try and distract you any more, not after today. so...............ask............ask what you want, " his eyes broke from hers, and he closed them, a shudder rolling through his body, and when he opened his eyes again, they were human once more, his tongue tracing along his bottom lip he let her hand go and moved passed her, tossing the duffle on a chair he let his body melt into a recliner, closing his eyes again for a moment before they open and look to her

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Still trying to not only wrap her head around the fact that Alecsi was a shapeshifter there was also the fact he had contacts here in the states that were also shifters. Where was she, in some science fiction fantasy novel? Her mind was still telling her that it was not possible, yet, here he was, standing before her and she knew damn well he shifted, she had witnessed it. She gave a little shake of her head and went to brush past him but he caught her wrist and she stopped. She listened to him speak, her eyes on his face. Her pulse jumped as he brushed his thumb along the inside of her wrist. Sam couldn’t say if she was relieved or disappointed when he stopped and held her hand instead. Her eyes softened however.

“Look, Alecsi…..”

She swallowed hard as she felt his lips brush across the knuckles of the hand he held.

"I’m not really hungry, but its wrong to try and distract you any more, not after today. so...............ask............ask what you want.”

As she watched him, his eyes returned to, well, human and her pulse jumped again as she watched his tongue licked across his bottom lip. She almost moaned at that one. Sam bit down on her own bottom lip to keep that from happening. He dropped her hand and brushed past her to throw himself into a nearby chair. Her hand was shaky as she brushed it through her hair before finding the end of her sofa to sit on, putting some distance between them.

“First of all, quit blaming yourself, Alecsi. None of us foresaw this happening. The key thing now is, how are we going to handle this mess?”

She could tell he was contrite and could appreciate that. However, contrite was not going to resolve their dilemma. In order to lighten the mood just a little she continued…

“And since when aren’t you hungry? You’re always hungry,” she eyed him with appreciation and slight playful disgust, “how you manage to stay so slim after eating what you do, is beyond me.”

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

“Look, Alecsi…..quit blaming yourself. Neither of us foresaw this happening. The key thing now is, how are we going to handle this mess? his head cocked to one side as he watched her, his nose flaring as he inhaled, the spicy scent of her arousal was teasing him, he hadn’t missed the hitch in her breathing or the increase of her pulse when he’d touched her. The softening of her gaze when she’d looked at him, yea, she was attracted, and damn if he wasn’t rock hard at the scent of her, Shifters by nature were tactile creatures, used to casual intimacy, it was a need like anything else, he was just glad the way he splayed himself on the couch relieved that pressure trapped behind his zipper. He blinked as he refocused on her as she sat at the other end of the couch from him, his eyes traveling over her body.

“I did” he spoke quietly, “I did see this happening, its why I let all of this happen, why I let you bring me back here, so I could find you, because they wouldn’t let you get away, not after what happened back in the forest” he sat up some “something about you from the first minute we met, won’t allow me to walk away, i cant let you die because I killed for you” he said, a low rumble in his chest making his words vibrate “even if I hadn’t have attacked them at your camp, they knew why you were there……there for me………and I’ve been on the cartel’s shit list for a lotta years, I’ve cost them a lot of money, and men, even if they think I’m just an animal” he watched as she looked away, “I cost them money, they wont let that go, “

He fought a laugh however as she decided to change the subject on him, she blinked once then her smile returned, their gaze meeting once more as she quipped since when aren’t you hungry? You’re always hungry, ok, that caused a bark of laughter, his eyes lightening in amusement as her mock disgusted glare narrowed at him, he’d let her change the subject for now. For now, they were safe, he’d know if someone came around. He’d need to shift later that night and mark his territory, anyway, give himself a lay of the land. how you manage to stay so slim after eating what you do, is beyond me. he mustered a Smug smirk as he cocked an eyebrow at her, a crooked grin twisting his lips “It wasn’t a total lie, back in the diner, being a 700lb cat, my metabolism is closer to 12 times faster than a normal humans, it takes a lot of calories and energy to shift back and forth, I’m used to eating my cats weight in meat every day, but the more I get reacquainted with my human form my appetite will settle, but ive been doing a lot more shifting then normal recently, so I wouldn’t be surprised if ive actually lost a bit of weight since the clinic”

His eyes skimmed her in appreciation “Although, I could just…………eat you…” he teased, his words ending on a heavy growl and there was more then enough lust coating those words for the meaning to be clear, not that he’d actually “eat her” well…………….

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She stared into his eyes and shivered. Sam kept forgetting that this person, this cat, Alecsi, wasn’t only human but also a jungle cat and with a cat’s senses. How could she be upset with him for wanting to protect her to the point he was willing to leave the jungle for her? Now that, made her feel worse. Maybe she had gotten caught up in his path of life in the jungle, but if it wasn’t for her coming to the jungle to hunt and capture him to bring back stateside, they wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with. It was all giving her a huge headache.

“Although, I could just…………eat you…”

She shot off the couch and began pacing. He was teasing, wasn’t he? She snatched the menus off the table and tossed them at him.

“Here ya go, big boy. Have at it. You got a credit card on you or are you dealing strictly in cash?”

Sam wasn’t worried. They’d sort all that out later. Right now, she was trying to figure out how they were going to deal with the law, the scientists and apparently the drug cartel all at the same time. She whipped around and stared at him only to find him staring directly at her. Time just seemed to stop all of sudden as she stared into his eyes. Everything she had been wanting to say aloud, simply flew out of her mind.

He came. Just for her. How was she suppose to deal with that? All she could do was swallow and clench her fingers into tight fists.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

He watched her face, watched her watch him, watched the very light tremor shiver through her body. She was such an open book, her scent, her trepidation, fear, and again that slightest tingle of arousal peppering the air. the thoughts whirling a million miles a minute through her mind. Snarling a little as she suddenly bolted up from the couch like her ass was on fire and started pacing like he’d done when in that damn cage. The animal in him was pressing closer to his skin, her confusion, all her mixed emotions triggering his need to hunt, to stalk, the skittish ones were always the most fun to catch because they were unpredictable, and predictable at the same time. Her world was realigning, even as she paced, he watched her face, watched her slowly rebuilding her understanding, he should say something, he should. As much as it amused him, and fascinated him to watch her try and work things out, she was only making his animal instincts hungrier.

He moved to sit forward, his mouth opening when she suddenly turned, throwing a handful of menu’s at him, her voice even, but there was a hint of panic as the menu’s flew everywhere Here ya go, big boy. Have at it. You got a credit card on you or are you dealing strictly in cash? ok, so she managed to catch him by surprise with the sudden change in topic, his mouth opened and closed a few times, their eyes met as the last menu settled and she froze, time, froze, it was there in her eyes, she was almost at the point where she was comprehending things, understanding the situation, understanding him. But she froze, he saw her hands clench, she wanted to run, wanted to scream at him. She was about to have a mental breakdown……….

A low growl rumbled from him, unable to help himself, the man wanted her, the cat, wanted her, her scent was heavy in his blood, and he was on his feet, smooth as silk in a blink, he felt his eyes shift, heard her breath hitch, her eyes widen, his lips parted as that growl continued, the barest hint of his fangs peaking past his lips, and she bolted………..he gave chase, she was quick, she was up the stairs in a flash and he was fast on her heels, she tried to slam her bedroom door in his face but he caught it with a firm grip, pushing her back, his eyes glowed red as they shifted to feline slits.

His tongue, licking along his lips he watched as she looked around, saw her eyes go to her bathroom door and he lunged, catching her around the waist and popping her off her feet, he pinned her to the door jam, her chest against the door frame, , his chest pressed at her back. his hands pinning her wrists to the wall beside her head as he growled again low, hungry, drawing his nose along her neck, purring in her ear as he inhaled, her body writhing against his as she struggled mightily against him, he pressed his hips firmly against her ass, were she would no doubt feel what she did to him “in answer….” His voice was gravel, deep, carried by a purr “cash, or card……..i have either” he trailed his lips along her neck, tasting her skin as she froze, feeling his hard on pressed to her ass and lower back. “you…smell…….delicious….” he purred, seductive, his lips finding the hallow beneath her ear, he nipped her, ever so gently

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Flight or fight. Every human being experienced it in some form or another at some point in their lives. Well, this was one of hers. She turned tail and ran up the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her. She could hear him behind her, coming up the stairs after her. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest. Her breathing was certainly labored. Dashing into her bedroom she whirled about to slam the door behind her. Too late! She faced him, her chest heaving. It was odd how she could hear the silence around them. Between them as he pushed the door open forcing her to back pedal, still staring at him. She saw the emotions in his eyes. Watched his eyes change to that of the great jungle cat. She saw his tongue lick along his lips causing her to swallow. Hard. Sam could feel the tension growing between them. It was so thick, heavy and urgent. Her eyes shifted from his and landed on her bathroom door, she must have made a move toward it, though she didn’t remember doing so. The next thing she knew she was airborne. Her feet kicked instinctively in the air as he pinned her to the bathroom door frame. She felt the pressure of his body pinning her there. His hands encircling her wrists, pinning them to the wall as his body pressed into her. Her forehead pressed into the wall. She could feel her own breath against her face. His nose travelled along her neck. Seductively. Slowly. She could feel and hear him inhaling her scent. Her body struggled against his as she fought to find a way to escape him. All it served was to push her backside against his front. She froze. She could feel his arousal press into the curve of her ass.

“In answer….” Oh dear god… his voice was rough and deep, yet he managed to carry a purr as well. It made her gulp for a breath as it feathered along her skin, “cash, or card……..I have either.”

His lips along her sensitive neck made her shudder. He wasn’t only inhaling her scent, he was tasting her as well. Her eyes closed as her forehead continued to press into the wall in front of her.

“You…smell…….delicious….”

Her breath held as she felt his lips find the hollow behind her ear and she thought she was going to faint when she felt his teeth gently nip her there. She cleared her throat and tried to speak but nothing would come out. She tried again. Now she knew what it was to go down on a sinking ship because she was rapidly going down on hers. Again. Now.

“Alecsi….” Her voice came out as a harsh whisper, “please… don’t. We have…” she cleared her throat again, “too many complications as is. I can’t…” her voice nearly broke, “I can’t deal with all this too.”

Sam wanted nothing more than to turn and face him. To kiss him. To fall onto her bed and make love with him. She was as drawn to him as he was to her but not now. They simply had too much to deal with at the moment. When they were on the other side of the tunnel, then. Then they would have the time to indulge themselves. She also silently cursed herself a fool. Every nerve ending in her body was on fire. Every nerve inside her body throbbed and ached. Somebody had to be the voice of reason. She didn’t want to be looking over her shoulder constantly wondering when the bad guys were closing in on them. She wanted it to be just the two of them. No outside interferences. She would make him a promise. When this was all over, they would go back to the jungle, just the two of them. Where they had first met.

“Alecsi…. Please….”

Her voice was desperate and her mind felt like a kaleidoscope.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

Her scent spiked, a mix of fear and that heady tingle of her arousal, and he purred louder as he kissed down her neck, sucking at a spot at the base were her shoulder met her throat, his breath caressing over her skin as he felt her trembling against him Alecsi….” her panted plea caused his hands to flex against her wrists “please… don’t. We have…” it took him a minute to shove aside the instinct riding him for her words to register “too many complications, I can’t…I can’t deal with all this too.” he snarled as his instincts surged again, body clentching, muscles tensing, he pulled his lips away from her neck, panting hard, he snarled and forced himself away her, releasing her as he stalked across her room to put some distance between them. He knew she was right, the human side of him knew this was not the time, but it was hard to control his beast after so many decades. He let himself fall to the ground, panting hard, teeth pulled back exposing his pointed teeth and fangs. “Alecsi…. Please….”he twisted his body so he sat on his ass, his back to the wall, his chest heaving he ran his hands through his hair, his slitted eyes staring up at her, slowly, returning to normal.

“yea………….” He panted, his voice soft, till he cleared his throat “yea……..uhh……..i need a minute……..” he let his head fall to his knees, chest still heaving but slowly his breathing calmed. When he looked to her again, his eyes were once more human, he he forced himself to his feet, licking his lips, “well………” he cleared his throat again, his voice still slightly roughened “since…………..youre….off the meal plan…………………for now” he growled “How about steak?, and ice cream……..” he made for the door, his hand idly caressing along her back as he passed her, and made himself downstairs, finding a menu on the floor for a local steak house. Putting in a large order for steak and their best ice cream.

While he waited for the food, he opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto her patio, closing his eyes he looked to the skies, just breathing in the clear air

 

[DarkWarrioress]

The arousal, his as well as hers, was thick in the air. Sam leaned her head against the door frame as she felt him fall away from her. She could still feel his lips on her skin. Could still smell his scent in her nostrils. DAMMIT! This was a complication neither of them needed right now. She breathed air into her lings harshly as he stepped outside and stiffened as his hand moved along her back as he passed her, headed downstairs to regain some control himself. In the meantime, she forced herself to move and strode into her bathroom, locking the door behind her before stripping off her clothes and turning on the shower. Her fingertips touched the shower spray and she shuddered as she felt the cold water just before she forced herself to step into her tub, closing the shower curtain behind her.

Dammit, the water was super cold. Still, she endured it for a minute or two before she leaned down to adjust the temperature to a warmer adjustment. With a sigh, she lathered up her hands, running them over her body.

Dear god, she could still feel him touching her. Whispering in her ear from behind. A fine tremor went down her spine as her soapy hands cupped her breasts. Her thumbs floating over her nipples.

“Dammit Alecsi,” she whispered aloud in the steamy room.

Leaning back against the cold wall, with her legs slightly spread apart, her hands traveled all over her body, moving slower between her thighs. Her body arched up into her fingers. The man was an animal. Literally. Would he fuck like one as well? Oh, dangerous thoughts there. It didn’t deter her fingers from working her body feverishly to rid herself of the growing need inside her. Her body arched up into her fingers, sending them deep into her body. She let out a small whimper that was lost in the spray of water still hitting her body. It was all she could afford herself. She knew his hearing was keen and she didn’t want him back in there with her. She knew damn well what she withheld from him and why. It was not yet their time. Her body arched away from the wall in culmination of her release. Her body stood arched, away from the wall, trembling for a moment or so before she sagged back against the wet tile, breathing hard. Her fingers slowly eased from her body before Sam forced herself up and back into the shower’s mist. Her hands raked through her wet hair and shakily she forced herself to soap her body before she stood mute and tall under the spray.

After a few minutes, she turned off the water and reached for a towel to dry herself. Reaching for a dry towel, she wrapped it around her body, tucking the ends between her breasts. Another towel she used to dry her hair as she opened the door and stepped into her bedroom for some clean, dry clothes. Glancing around, she noted he was still downstairs and she hurriedly donned fresh clothes and then padded downstairs to join him.

She stopped in her tracks as she spotted him, seated, wolfing down what looked like a fourth stake.

“Hey, did you order anything for me?”

She wrapped the towel around her head, putting her hands on her hips and mockingly glared at him.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

Aleci stood there, his eyes closed, his face raised to the setting sun, trying to breathe, to clear her scent from his nose, every muscle in his body was twitching he wanted to go back upstairs and see what it would take to make her scream his name in pleasure, her scent was like straight catnip to his senses, as stupid as the analogy was. His ear twitched as he heard a car door from the front of the house and he talked to walk back inside, his senses hyper focused as he listened, he heard a stifled cry from upstairs and froze, tilting his head as he listened, nose flaring he caught her scent, her cry from the shower, and he snarled, the air scented of sex, wafting down from upstairs, the woman was Gunna be the death of him. Stomping to the door pissed off now, as a knock sounded he scented at the door, smelling cooked meats he popped the door open handed a wad of bills to the driver, he took the boxes and moved to the kitchen, finding a bottle of air freshener, he sprayed the nasty scent around the house, trying his best to cover the scent of her arousal, and he gagged, artificial smells never sat well with him, too chemical in nature it stung, but it allowed him to breath, ish.

He heard the water shut off and quickly went down the line of her cabinets and found the plates and silverware, he opened the boxes and plated up several large steaks, licking his lips as his mouth watered now for an entirely different reason. He polished off 3 of the 32oz T-bones within minutes, tearing into the meat with a single-minded focus. He was hungry, he’d burned a LOT of calories shifting back and forth so rapidly over the last several hours. And had finally slowed down and was starting on his 4th when he heard her steps coming down the stairs, the scent of clean skin, water, body wash wafted to him as he turned to look at her, watching her rest her hands on her hips, staring at the empty boxes he’d laid aside "Hey, did you order anything for me?” the faux indignation in her voice succeeded in making him smile despite the fact his body was still seriously primed up, and staring at her now wasn’t helping but he laid the half-eaten Prime rib on the plate, licking his fingers clean his eyes fell to a few still closed boxes at the end of the table near her “I got you salad” he said flatly, the barest hint of his lips twitching as he said it dead pan.

Reaching over he flipped open the remaining boxes “didn’t know exactly what you wanted, so i just got a spread for you to chose from” he opened a box with veggies, then steak, then another with some pasta selections and motioned to the 6 2-liters of different sodas since he hadn’t looked in her fridge for drinks. “feel better after your………………..shower……” for an instant he felt his eyes shift as an image of her naked and wet flittered across his mind then they returned to normal, but the slight widening in her eyes told him she caught his meaning behind the question.

“The sun will be down soon, what do you think we should do? I don’t think the police would come bother you again, but they will be looking for me, the room was under my name, but I used my company credentials, so management should give them the run around for a while, I left my phone and everything behind, and just gave the driver cash so if they were watching my cards for activity, it couldn’t be traced”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She came downstairs with a towel wrapped around her head feeling a lot more refreshed than she had in awhile. Her kitchen table was spread out with an array of foods and she found Alecsi sitting in one of the chairs, chowing down.

“I got you salad.”

Her eyes went over the food containers before she looked at him.

Salad? Was he kidding?

He flipped open the containers. She didn’t speak. Yet.

“Didn’t know exactly what you wanted, so i just got a spread for you to chose from.”

She grabbed a plate and started to serve herself. For added measure she speared a thick steak with her fork before plopping it onto her plate. Then she reached for some salad. Picking up a knife, she started to cut into her steak and had just lifted a piece to her lips when he spoke again.

“Feel better after your………………..shower……”

If she had been eating anything at that moment, she would have choked. It took her moment or two before she slipped the cut of steak between her lips and started to consume it.

Damn cat! Of course he would have figured it out. His senses were finely attuned to her. Her cheeks burned crimson. Fuck.

She got up and opened her frig, rummaging around for some salad dressing. Turning back to the table, she sat down and dressed her salad. She speared some of it on her fork before looking across the table at him.

No sense in poking at him. Not now. He had managed to get himself under control but it was a fine line, she knew.

“I do. Thank you for asking.”

They were silent for a bit.

“The sun will be down soon, what do you think we should do? I don’t think the police would come bother you again, but they will be looking for me, the room was under my name, but I used my company credentials, so management should give them the run around for a while, I left my phone and everything behind, and just gave the driver cash so if they were watching my cards for activity, it couldn’t be traced.”

She paused in her eating and blinked.

“You have a company? What?”

What else didn’t she know about him? Damn it.

Casually, she went back to eating but she felt anything but casual.

“They might, you know. Come looking for me. Remember that cop that took my information as you were trying to get into the backseat of my car? Who knows for sure? They may want to question me further. Personally, I think we should lay low for the moment. Get a good night’s sleep and see where we are in the morning.”

How she got her meal down was a mystery to her. Everything seemed to stick in her throat and she had to forcefully swallow every bite.

“So, why don’t you tell me about your friends, Alecsi.”

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

His lips twitched and he chuckled as she glared at him about the salad comment, the “are you fucking kidding me” look, was adorable on her, he settled back as she loaded her plate, then sat down and began eating, he grabbed his napkin and wiped his mouth and his goatee, before setting it on his empty plate. His eyes watched her, his head canted slightly to one side, watching her face flush at his words, he grabbed the bottle of soda and took a long pull, heaving a heavy sigh, letting the silence stretch between them as he watched emotions flit across her face as he spoke, her fork pausing as she looked at him with a frown “You have a company? What?” he canted his head again as he frowned “I suppose, with everything that happened in the hotel, was easy to miss just before guns destroyed my room. “ he growled the briefest moment “My family……..or whats left of the main bloodline, own a world wide chain of Vineyards and distilleries. As the last surviving son of the founder, my father, im technically CEO of Varenov Distilleries and Spirits, while I have access to company accounts, money, perks, and what not, my Cousin Seth is actually running the business. Im more……” he waffled his head back and forth as he searched for the word “just the Figure head, my name on the Letterhead ya know.” He shrugged some “ive kept in touch over the years, ive traveled and mailed letters, the occasional phonecall, let them know im still alive so they don’t write me off, Seth has a much better head for business then I do”

He grew silent as he watched her contemplate what he’d said, wiping her mouth and taking a drink, They might Come looking for me. Remember that cop that took my information as you were trying to get into the backseat of my car Alecsi stiffened at those words, realization kicking him in the nuts………how the hell had he forgotten……………..then the color drained from his face………the file……….the file he had on her that he used to find her, was in his duffle bag…….if they searched the room….yea…….they’d come asking questions…….she knew why he was here, would it really matter? He was here for her, it shouldn’t come as any surprise IF they come asking about it……….. he finally exhaled and finished his soda with 3 deep pulls, then set about gathering the left over food “there a place to put this?” he asked, motioning over the left over fixings, meats, and various other tid bits……..

As she moved around the kitchen, his eyes more then once fell to her ass, and he closed his eyes, shaking his head trying to keep from jumping her, he looked out the back patio door into the woods, the light dimming fast as the sun set. “So, why don’t you tell me about your friends, Alecsi.” his head swiveled around as he looked at her, arching an eyebrow “well……….i dunno if I would actually consider them friends, Birds and Felines don’t actually get along well, but for the most part, shifters work together, and “most” of us, help each other.” He sighed, scrubbing his face “you had my pack, when we came back to the states, so I needed new ID’s, credit cards, phone, there is a flock of ravens that live in and around this city, good friends with my father so im “tolerated” the crows you’ve seen, at the park, here, the one on your back porch, was a shifter, but considering how many sets of clothing ive lost and/or destroyed shifting, their patience with me is quickly dwindling.” He chuckled “I sent a text to my Cousin while you were in the shower that I was back in town, so he is getting me new cards and account books.”

He grabbed up an unopened bottle of soda and followed her into the living room, his eyes going over the room, checking windows, doors, exits, before he slipped down into a recliner, one leg over the arm of the chair as he slouched

 

[DarkWarrioress]

When his family business came to light, she merely stared at him and even managed to blink. Once.

“I sent a text to my cousin while you were in the shower that I was back in town, so he is getting me new cards and account books.”

She was still trying to process that him, Alecsi, the one who had spent a great deal of time in the Amazon jungle as a cat, owned a company business. What. The. Hell. She almost missed his last. She cleared her throat and headed into the living room, stopping to get her iced tea as she did. She flung herself into one corner of her couch and watched as he lobbed himself into her recliner. Her eyes stared holes into him as he slouched, throwing a leg over the arm.

“So, Alecsi….” She cleared her throat, taking a sip of her tea, “tell me about your family.”

And since he didn’t take a clue from her stare, she added...

“And please don’t slouch in my recliner. Feet belong on the floor.”

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

Don’t slouch in my recliner. Feet belong on the floor he blinked at her a few times, honestly surprised by her statement, an eyebrow slowly arched as he looked at her, canting his head to the side, staring at her, nose flaring, he caught the hint of distaste and irritation in her scent telling him she wasnt joking. so, slowly, he shifted and straightened himself in the chair, chosing instead to cross his legs at the ankles as he stretched out his legs, giving her an imperious look "better?" he quipped, trying to maintain as deadpan a tone as she had taken with him, but he felt his lips twitching just the slightest bit, she was damn cute when she got ruffled. Sighing he scrubbed at his face before he took his soda and downed it like he was dying of thirst, setting the empty bottle on the table beside him. she was as confusing to him as she was interesting, her moods swinging violently from one emotion to another in the space of minutes, maybe he had been away from humanity too long if he was having this amount of trouble readjusting...

tell me about your family yea, he saw that question coming as soon as he mentioned his father, the confusion on her face spoke volumes. but they really hadnt had the time to actually get to know each other had they? However his mood sobered as memories long since buried returned, the fight he'd had with his father, and his mother, those last angry words he'd never be able to take back, he bowed his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose before he cleared his throat. "ahhh.....there's.....not really much to tell, i grew up in a small Pride in southern Cali, Mom, dad, a sister and 3 brothers, other felines, aunts and uncles, mountain lions, tigers, panthers" he trailed off for a moment, his face pinching "i hit puberty young, had my first shift when i was only 10, at that age, shifting is addicting, the adreneline, the heightened senses. the more we shift, the more features/aspects of our beast we take on, by 11 i could hear conversations nearly a mile away if i concentrated enough, same with my eyesight"

he shifted his postion, picking at non exsistant lint on his jacket sleeve, frowning "i spent more time in my fur then i did as a human, even back then. my father would always scold me, we'd fight, but i felt more comfortable in my fur then i ever did as a human. i hated school, even though i excelled, it helped i could read the teachers lesson book from across the room and stole the answers from their textbooks. yay for stadium seating style classrooms." he shook his head "one evening after getting into a fight with my brothers over dinner, i took off into the woods, shifting, spent hours just sniffing around, till a drunk hunter took a shot at me, caught me in the shoulder, i was too panicked that i ran home, the hunter called a few of his buddies and they tracked my blood back home. Dad and mom confronted the hunters when they approached our house and we thought we'd scared them off. Dad was furious that i'd been caught, we argued and i told him off, i was 18 at the time and thought i knew everything."

he sighed heavily, shaking his head, cursing himself for being so stupid back then. "dad and i had a cat fight, i challenged him in front of the family, he whipped my ass, Pride hierarchy? ya know?" he looked at her then, unable to hide the pain and shadows in his gaze, his face taking on a sour note "i told Dad off, i wanted nothing of pride life, i wanted to live in my fur, shifters often do, but at that age " he shrugged "so i took what money id had at the time, and i left, an angry teen ager with claws and a roar to shake the world. later that same night the hunters came back, but they had a lot more of their "friends" turned out they were poachers and were convinced my parents were hiding the "trophy panther" of their dreams, i guess dad shifted when they threatened mom. and the group of hunters had more firepower then brains, they killed everyone that night, mom, dad, my sister, 2 of my brothers, 1 died later of his injuries in a hospital, everyone else had shifted to fight.........their bodies were......taken.......when a shifter dies, we remain in whatever form we were in at the time of death, so mom, dad, my sister and brothers, all in cat form. " he left that sentence unfinished as he rose from teh chair and began pacing, he felt his eyes shift as his anxiety spiked "when i got the phone call from the hospital that my brother was killed, i came home, only.......................with nothing to bury but my brother, i tracked and killed every single one of those hunters, i had their scents, they'd been all over our house, i tracked them, gutted them. "

he snarled softly "after my brothers funeral, i found out mom and dad had left their controlling share of the family distilleries to us, my brothers, sister and I, well, Me......at any rate, but i was too angry, too ......lost......after the fight with Dad, told him he was................was...............................dead.......to me..........." he stopped pacing, his eyes closing, his head shaking "so i ran, i left a note for my cousins and my Aunt's who were board members, left them in control, and ran...."

he moved to the window, his back to her as he just started outside, his eyes unfocused as he remembered back to that day

 

[DarkWarrioress]

The man was annoying her and she wasn’t sure why. She had always seen people who just draped themselves all over her furniture as disrespectful. She knew she had to cut him some slack. He spent more time as a beast than a human. After asking him about his family, she sat quietly, listening. Not only did she take in his every word, she watched his face, watched the emotions that played across it.

"After my brothers funeral, I found out mom and dad had left their controlling share of the family distilleries to us, my brothers, sister and I, well, Me......at any rate, but I was too angry, too ......lost......after the fight with Dad, told him he was................was...............................dead.......to me..........." he stopped pacing, his eyes closing, his head shaking "so it ran, I left a note for my cousins and my Aunt's who were board members, left them in control, and ran...."

She set her drink aside and gazed at him, her head canted slightly.

“So, forgive me for saying… asking this, but can you trust them? The family you have left, that you let be in control?”

Sam frowned. She didn’t like where her mind was taking her. She hated being suspicious.

“Alecsi, what if all this isn’t about the cartel? What if….”

And she hated to bring this up but all considerations have to be brought to light and hopefully dismissed. She cleared her throat and continued softly. Trying to tread gently. However, she couldn’t see a way of doing so. It was what it was.

“What if someone in your family is behind all this? Is it possible that someone is working with the cartel? Or… the cartel is working for them?”

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

So, forgive me for saying…or, asking this, but can you trust them?it took him more then a few minutes before her words got passed the haze of memories, he turned, his brows drawing down as he frowned “what?” he asked softly, still blinking a little more then he should, shaking off the pain he still felt to this day can you trust them? The family you have left, that you let be in control?”his head cocked to one side, he frowned still. His jaw flexed as he watched her face, watched as regret soured her face, What if someone in your family is behind all this? Is it possible that someone is working with the cartel? Alecsi immediately began shaking his head, “no” he stated, an automatic denial, “Shifters may look human, but we are at our core, animals first, and we don’t do that to each other, no” although he denied it, he was ruffled enough that there was a niggling in the back of his mind. Could they? They had full run, he was really only a figurehead.

Yes he technically had controlling interest in the business, but they ran it unimpeded, “No, it wouldn’t make any sense, its not like we are a large wine maker, we bring in only 20 million a year in sales around the world. Our vineyards are situated on some of the most fertile Volcanic soil in the world.” But still he frowned, a low growl rumbling his chest in irritation “If that were the case, then why you? Why target you? “ he shakes his head again as he again begins pacing, like………..well…a caged cat “One of only a handful of laws shifters follow, is we never reveal ourselves to humans. Some of the Governments are aware of us, and we have our own ruling body, the shifter council made it of 8 heads of shifter kind. It is forbidden to expose ourselves”

Finally he stopped pacing, but his breathing was still heavy, someone might say he was having a panic attack, but he kept replaying the last month in his head, she’d planted that seed of doubt………scrubbing his face “what about your job? Or, the scientists? What if they suspect im with you? Or, rather the cat is with you? Suspect you of staging the escape? Im surprised you haven’t had a visit or call from them yet?”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She knew she had rattled him.

“You may be animals but you live in the world of humans as well. For years and years. Do you seriously believe that the human race hasn’t rubbed off on them? As for me, I brought you back from the jungle. You have been tracking me. They probably have assumed there’s a connection between us.”

“One of only a handful of laws shifters follow, is we never reveal ourselves to humans. Some of the Governments are aware of us, and we have our own ruling body, the shifter council made it of 8 heads of shifter kind. It is forbidden to expose ourselves”

She watched him pace back and forth like a caged cat. She could tell he didn’t like what she was saying but it needed to be said. Quietly she added something more.

“Yet, you exposed yourself to me.”

“What about your job? Or the scientists? What if they suspect I’m with you? Or rather the cat is with you? Suspect you of staging the escape? I’m surprised you haven’t had a visit or call from them yet.”

She shrugged, “They may have been. I haven’t been answering my phone. I’m sure they are blowing it up by now. It would be a passing thought, I’m sure.”

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

You may be animals, but you live in the world of humans as well. For years and years. Do you seriously believe that the human race hasn’t rubbed off on them Alexi shook his head, but he was grinding his teeth so hard he could have cracked a molar. “no” was all he said, “we. don’t. do that. To each other, “he began pacing again, but his mind was going back over the conversations he’d had, but she’d put that worm in his ear, sure his cousin had seem distracted, but he’d been at distillery office, or so he’d said. He scrubbed his face, then ran his hand through his hair, in the forest he’d always been the ones to stalk and kill the cartel members that trespassed, they’d never actively hunted him.

its forbidden, Yet, you exposed yourself to me that brought him up short, and he turned to look at her again, “i…………..i had no choice, I couldn’t let them hurt you, couldn’t be hurt because of me, all of this” his shoulders slumped, all emotion draining from his face “I’d watched you for over a week, from the minute you entered my territory, thought you were a threat to me, but……….your scent, it called to me, made me curious about you. So I watched you, hunted you. Watched you talking to your coworkers, heard the concern in your voice. The things you said. You were gentle, showed concern about not wanting to hurt me.” He had to sit back down, elbows on his knees he scrubbed his face, when he looked at her again, his eyes had shifted, the red of his iris glowing in the low light, the cat staring at her.

“I should have run, I never should have let things get to this point, now its too late, “he finished his drink and set the empty can aside “I wont let anything happen to you, not because of me” his voice hardened, resolved “we should get some sleep, i assume im taking the couch?"

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She hated to fill his mind with such thoughts, but they needed to be said. Sam watched him pace back and forth. She could read the tension in his body. As much as she didn’t want to do it, she spoke again.

“Alecsi,” she started out as she got to her feet and approached him, “I know they are your family, but just how loyal are they to you?”

“I should have run, I never should have let things get to this point, now it’s too late,“ he finished his drink and set the empty can aside “I won’t let anything happen to you, not because of me,” his voice hardened, resolved “we should get some sleep, I assume I’m taking the couch?"

Perhaps she had said enough. For now. She stepped back and turned from him with a slight smile.

“I think that would be for the best. I’ll get you a pillow and a blanket.”

She moved off toward the hallway closet and softly opened it, removing an extra pillow and blanket for him. Returning to the living room, she set the items on the couch.

“Alecsi, you did what your heart told you to do and that can’t be wrong. Have no regrets, this will all work out in the end, I promise you. We’ll deal with it together. Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She wanted to go up to him and kiss his cheek. To offer him some form of comfort, but she knew it wasn’t a good idea. Things were brewing between them and they needed clear heads to deal with whatever it was they were dealing with. So, she turned from the living room and headed up the stairs to her room. Her head was still trying to deal with the whole shape-shifting thing. Sam closed her bedroom door softly behind her and began to undress for bed.

Unknown to the both of them, dark, sharp eyes watched the house from the safety of the bushes at the back of house. A very soft growl came from the intruder’s throat before they backed away into the growing darkness.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

I’ll get you a pillow and a blanket Before he could say he didnt need one she'd walked away, with a sigh he picked up the suit jacket from the back of the arm chair he'd been sitting in and folded it neatly before laying it on coffee table. Scrubbing his face he forced himself to release the tension he'd been holding onto, his shoulders unlocking and slowly letting them droop, how could he go from wanting to bend her over the couch and seeing how loud he could make her scream his name to wanting to bend her over and spank her ass for putting the seed of doubt in his ear. Shifters were not human, they didnt snipe, and snip, and cheat. Since before human recorded time, when shifters were created as the Bodyguards of the ancient gods, One law, the core of every Shifter born today, be true to the species above all.... shaking his head he was too twitchy and began pacing again. Had his cousin sounded off when they'd talked? Was that distraction he heard in the males voice? or hesitation that Alecsi had called at all?

Alecsi, you did what your heart told you to do and that can’t be wrong. Have no regrets, this will all work out in the end, I promise you. He paused his pacing as her words broke through the haze of his slowly rising anger. nearly 20 years he'd spent alone in the jungles of brazil, at peace, finding his own amusment and not having to worry about such things. Until her, god damn it why did her scent fucking drive him nuts? he wasnt some horny cub anymore. We’ll deal with it together. Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning. "yea, i uhh....ill be up for a while yet, im too restless to sleep, good night" christ, even to him his voice sounded like he'd gargled a Rock slide, his eyes falling to the sway of her ass as she headed up the stairs, then slapped himself, his skin was turning hot, irritating, his rising frustration fueling his beast, and he itched to shift.

Moving to the back porch he slid the door open quietly and stepped out into the cool night, lifting his face to stare at the moon, it was nearly full, he closed his eyes and sighed again, once more trying to force himself to relax then opened his eyes looking around. for a human she had a nice place, he'd admit that. living in the outskirts of the city gave her a lot of space between neighbors. stripping off he shifted, leaving his clothes in a neat pile beside the door he silently launched himself into her backyard, and into the tree line, his ear catching movement he froze, ears twitching he sniffed the air, but the wind was at his back blowing any scents away from him, but he thought, he'd heard something. He sniffed around, caught of whiff of........jaguar? no, cougar..........more then likely the big cat had been hunting when it'd caught his scent and hightailed it the hell outta his territory. He didnt know how long he'd spent wandering around but finally he'd returned, nudging the door open with his muzzle he picked up his clothes in his muzzle and carried them in, using a back paw to slide the door shut before he hopped up on the couch, laying his head on his muzzle he huffed and closed his eyes.

***morning***

The sound of a Car door slamming woke him and his head shot up, ears pearked forward, sunglight just beginging to shine through the curtains, he caught the crackle of radios, the jingle of clothing. he cocked his head looking at the slightly parted window blind catching sight of the cop car in the driveway, with a short snarl he quickly grabbed his clothes and his duffle in his muzzle the blanket and pillow still folded and sitting where Sam had left it, he shifted long enough to throw his stuff under her sink cupboard to hide it, he slipped out the back door just as the door bell rang, and he leapt high into the closest tree and into the foliage hunkering down to hide as a cop came walking around the back. his ears focused forward he caught the faint chime of the door bell again, the second officer continued snooping around the back of the house.


*******police*****

Detective Travis Allen patiently tapped the file folder in his hand as he rang the doorbell a third time. hearing movement in the house he stepped back as a female opened the door, "Morning ma'am, Detective Travis, we spoke yesterday at the hotel, at the time, you told me you had no idea about the man whose hotel room was attacked" Travis watched her with keen eyes as she nodded, appearing to have just woken up, "well, see, after going over that hotel room with a fine tooth comb. we found this" he held up the file and held it out to her "Mind telling me why he had a Government File with all your information tucked inside his duffle bag? along with a large wad of cash and your address scribbled on a piece of paper?" the cop crossed his arms an eyebrow cocked at her