The Cat's Meow

Hi everyone! This is my first submission here, I hope you enjoy it. The story is a long series that I'll be working on in my spare time. If you find any grammar or spelling errors please let me know, I proofread but things often escape me. Thanks!

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Raven

March 22, 2018.

Today would mark the first day of Raven's 30th year on this planet, a day that several years ago she thought she'd never see. Of course, those were darker days, days filled with uncertainty, depression, and an overwhelming sense of loss. She had conquered that, however, and now here she was, commemorating this moment with her husband by taking a month-long vacation at their newly constructed "cabin." It would be their home away from home, their little summer house located in the woods of northern Pennsylvania. Several years back, when Raven and her husband were in their 20s, they lived in the Pittsburgh area where she attended graduate school and he built up his career. They had fallen in love with the mountains, the untouched expanse of forest nestled away within the three dimensional landscape. Sometimes, when time permitted, they would drive through the back roads, winding their way through steep mountain passages. While gazing out the window she used to imagine she was a panther, dark as night, elegant and graceful... bounding through the mountainside at an incredible speed. She huffed at that thought, as it crossed her mind yet again, she was neither fast nor graceful, and never would be. She looked forward to today with a sense of excitement bubbling through her. They had always wanted to have a remote getaway, a place where they could go from time to time to escape from it all... to live off the land... to be "off the grid." Not just physically, however, but socially as well. Raven, admittedly, was never the most social one... A wall flower, the strange girl with the unconventional upbringing... She was usually ignored or regarded with a sense of curiosity. She was the girl who spoke softly, who rarely made eye contact, and who preferred her computer, books, and cats over human company. Of course, there was always him, the only one who managed to keep her attention, to hold her affection, and to win her heart. He was the only one she could truly tolerate; he was hers and always would be.

Back to the present, however... They were driving through that slow and winding road that led to their "cabin", the one they had designed and built to their own personal specifications. Being architects, naturally, that was the way to go. They had always wanted an off the grid house in the woods, a modern and contemporary gem nestled in the forested mountains. Alas, they finally had just that. They drove and drove for quite a while, but Raven and her husband filled the space with conversation, as they always did, since they first started dating almost 10 years ago. The asphalt road eventually became a dirt road, a dirt road that wandered through the woods, twisting and turning here and there. He drove recklessly, he always did; Raven chided him about it but said nothing more in regards to the subject. It didn't really matter; they had yet to see another car on this road in all their visits to and from the house for construction. The road led to their little home away from home. If it were completely up to Raven, however, the road would have terminated early on, long before the house... Forcing visitors to trek through the woods by foot on perhaps, on horseback... Unfortunately, the construction of their "net zero off the grid modernist forest gem" required construction equipment and materials. To get those things there, they needed a road... So a road they built. Luckily it still felt isolated though, just the way Raven wanted it to be. It was as they drove up to the clearing that it struck her – their life was perfect, the way she had envisioned it would be all those years ago. Back when she was a starving college student with a flickering hope of a promising career in a field that, at that time, was faltering. The sound of the engine stopped, snapping her attention back to the moment. They sat inside the car, staring wordlessly at their second home. The road stopped just short of a clearing, a wild flower meadow nestled in a densely forested landscape with the picturesque sight of mountains in the distance. From this perspective a visitor couldn't really see the house, per say, rather all one could see would be a field of flowers that rose up what appeared to be a sloped plane of earth. Just what she wanted, a house nestled in the landscape.

She turned to face him, her husband, and the love of her life. He looked to her, his light green eyes sparkling with anticipation and excitement. His skin was a pale white, she would often say "piel de leche" or "skin of milk" as they laid nude, admiring each other's forms. Unlike her, he was unable to tan and remained quite pale throughout their years. Raven always thought their skin contrasted beautifully, her cocoa brown to his ghostly white. He was a handsome man in her eyes, not a muscular playboy by any means, but a moderate height individual with a lanky but slightly athletic build. He was what many would consider a "nerd", but then again, that's what everyone called Raven. They exchanged smiles – bright, wonderful, loving smiles. His was always wide, it consumed his face almost like the Chester cat in Alice in Wonderland. Raven's smile, on the other hand, was lopsided and toothy. Her upper canines, which were abnormally long, would protrude out from under her lip every time she smiled. She remembered as a kid thinking she was abnormal, a vampire, or maybe even a werewolf. From time to time she would still entertain those thoughts.Regardless, they both smiled brightly as Raven reached over and took hold of his hand, squeezing it gently, excitedly.

"Excited?" He said with his typical wide grin, his larger hand holding hers tightly.

"You bet!" She exclaimed, tearing her amber-gold gaze away from him to the clearing and then back again.

With that they both got out of the car and started walking toward the house, which from this vantage point looked like nothing more than a small hill covered in grass and spotted with wild flowers. As they walked through the field, hands clasped tightly, Raven led her remaining free hand graze over the taller strains of grass. They eventually came upon a set of stone stairs at the side of the "hill." It was clear now that the hill was not actually a hill, but rather, a sharp and jutting roof plane that emerged from the earth and extended outward, resting on panes of clear glass. The south side of their house was solid glass, floor to ceiling, two stories tall. The earth was piled high on the north side so that the green roof appeared to be a change in topography rather than a roof. In front of their south facing panels of glass were several garden beds. Ones they intended to fill with various vegetables and fruits. A little beyond their garden was a small orchard in the works. It had a handful of apple trees, a few peaches, and two cherries. Raven and her husband always loved fresh fruit and wanted to have several fruit trees, unfortunately their main home was in the city, an urban area with little room for trees and large garden plots. They were excited to finally have a few trees, and hopefully, soon, loads of fruit that they could eat, cook, and can...

Off to the side of their house, equally nestled into the landscape was a small stable, one that housed two horses – a young gelding and an older mare. From the looks of it, it was as if they had lived here for a while now. That was actually the truth, and while today was a significant day, being Raven's 30th birthday, and the "unveiling", if you will, of their new home, it was certainly not the first time they had stayed here. They had been in and out of here fairly frequently, with construction and moving, landscaping and gardening. Today, however, was the first day not a single construction worker, landscaper, mover, or other human being was on their property. Today was the first day of a series of days in a multitude of years, years that they hoped they could come here and be isolated from the world. Minus, of course, the occasional visit from their house sitter who managed the horses and the land while they were away, working in the city, in another state, further south from here.

Today, however, was the day! The start of a nice long month of relaxation and decompression... Days were to be filled with horseback riding, hiking, gardening, and picnics. They would stay in bed late, cuddle, and take the days as they came. They were lucky, fortunate, blessed, whatever you would deem to call it. For them, life was perfect.

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Mikel

March 30, 2018.

The pride grounds were alive with an early spring; the trees were blossoming, the sun shining in a cloudless cerulean sky, and the new cubs were playing. The massive black cat reclined in the grass, watching silently and vigilantly. His long whiskers would twitch from time to time as a light breeze blew through, ruffling his thick sheen coat. The pride was well now; they had endured some hard years, years that with them carried some difficult decisions. All things were settled now, however, and for once the big cat could relax. Relaxation, however, for Mikel did not consist of lying idly in the grass, lapping at the fur of his large paws Relaxation, instead, consisted of patrolling the pride grounds, taking a mad run through the woods, feeling the air whip past his thick fur. That would hit the spot right about now, he thought, as he rose from his reclining position, pushing large paws forward in a long and enjoyable stretch. He let out a yawn before padding over to where the cubs were play fighting.

As his shadow fell over them, they paused, looking up slowly to face the much larger cat. Toothy grins came over their faces; well, at least as toothy of a grin as a little kit could give in their animal form. Mikel let out a low purr, which they responded to with purrs of their own. After that he padded off, nodding his head to members of his pride as he passed through. Some were in their human form, others in their animal form, but all were going about their day, enjoying the moment. His pride, the Deltarii Pride, lived peacefully in the rural mountainside of northern Pennsylvania, in the least populated county, closest to the largest "town", which in itself consisted of maybe 200 people, 50% of which were Werecats in the Deltarii Pride. While a portion of Mikel's pride chose to live with him, more intimately, in his large timeless bungalow nestled in the forest, the other portion chose to live amongst humans. Many owned their own homes, worked, and went about their daily lives much like the humans around them. Some even took humans as mates and raised children, otherwise normal humans with the recessive Were gene. The Deltarii pride had been here for generations, cycling through the years relatively peacefully. Mikel was born here, raised here, and eventually took over as Alpha here, after having fought his own father tooth and nail... to the death... It was a necessary evil as the old Were had lost his sanity, his human half ripped away from him after the death of his life mate, Mikel's step mother, Alesa. Those were troubling years, years of fighting and bloodshed. Years he spent asserting his dominance over the pride, forcing rivaling males into submission while defending their lands from neighboring Werewolf packs and rogue Werecats. He had the scars to prove it, scars that only another Were can give. Scars that ran deep, cutting long pink gouges into his night black fur. Scars that, however, paled in comparison to the mental ones he had sustained in the same period. Alas, however, things were better... The days were brighter... The forest seemed almost happier. It was as perfect as it could get, for someone like Mikel anyway.

He ran as fast as he could, his long and muscular legs carrying him through the thick underbrush of the forest. His form, like a blur of black, whipped through the woods, dodging trunks of trees both erect and fallen. He loved to run, to feel the air thick with humidity rush past him as his paws dug into the moist earth with every step. He would run to the ends of the pride's territory and back, looping around the perimeter before patrolling the inner sanctum. It was quite a run, given that the Pride owned several thousand acres of forest... Well, technically the government owned it as a state park, which was useful – it prevented anyone from buying the land and developing it. Perfect territory for a Were, or a pride of them, for that matter.

Lost in his thoughts, he continued to run, stopping occasionally to scent the air and remark the boundary lines. It was important to clearly mark the pride's perimeter. Mikel could remember the days he used to run with his father, they would mark the perimeter together, almost ritualistically. In Mikel's mind, it ensured the safety of the pride by letting other Weres know of their claim to the land. He was sure it prevented many unnecessary fights, though there were always the ones who thought they could waltz right in and take over. He pitied them for their stupidity... He sighed inwardly, if he had a cub of his own, he would be teaching him the ropes, showing him what it took to be an Alpha. For, when the time came, Mikel was thinking of walking away from it all... Going rogue, perhaps... Travel the world... Who knew, he had a lot of time on his hands, or paws if you will. A few centuries more, if not a few millennia... As far as his kind knew, Weres didn't die, at least not naturally. Of course, they had their own set of checks and balances, mainly the Head Council and its decrees... That, however, was a story another time.

Mikel hit the southern perimeter faster than usual; the wind must have been carrying him he mused. After all, Mikel was not the fastest cat in the pride, the strongest, yes, but certainly not the fastest. Regardless, it was as he was marking a few saplings that it hit him, the most intoxicating smell he had ever scented in his life. A smell so strong, he could have sworn it would have knocked him flat on his ass had he been in his human form. It was alluring, strange, unlike anything he had ever smelled before. To describe it would be next to impossible... It was, if a scent could be described this way, absolutely beautiful. The source of the mysterious scent originated beyond his territory, into adjacent land, land not owned by the state park, but rather by individual humans. Mikel tried to shake it off, to remind himself he had rounds to complete and a pride to protect. This was no time to be running off into surrounding turf, especially since the peace of this time had been hard won with his own sweat and blood. He tried to turn, to disregard the odor that invaded his senses; but it was clouding his thoughts, almost like a drug. Only thing is, most drugs have no effect on Weres. His inner cat was wild, clawing at his human side, demanding complete and total control of their physical form. Mikel pushed him down, hard, attempting to assert his human intelligence over his animalistic nature. This was more difficult than usual... He tried to fight it... fight it for a grand total of sixty seconds that felt like nearly an hour... but ultimately he lost.

[Jax, I've come across a foreign scent on the southern border, outside our territory. I'm going to investigate... You'll be taking over from here, scan the remainder of our perimeter until I return.] Mikel telepathed to the nearest Beta of his pride, a strong Were-panther by the name of Jax... Jax was one of his closest and most trusted Betas, having stood by and fought alongside Mikel during the transition from his father's reign to his own; for that reason he had more than earned the cat's trust over the past few years.

[Sure thing Mike! You think it's another Were?] His mental voice entered Mikel's mind causing the cat to pause for a moment. He mulled the idea through, letting the intoxicating scent fill his nostrils.

[Not sure Jax... If it is a Were, it's unlike any other I've scented before] He responded, curiosity peaking in the deepest parts of his mind. If this was a Were, he definitely never came across one that smelled quite like this before. The effect of the scent was almost dangerous, pulling at his inner cat in a way more powerful than he had ever felt before

[If I'm not back in a couple hours, bring a few of the Betas here and follow my trail.] Mikel sent another mental command before stepping one large paw past the marked bounds of the pride's territory. It was like crossing an invisible wall or passing through a door... Only a handful of times had he left the territory to scout in this direction of the forest, and quite frankly it was rather uneventful. Just forest that bled into forest, with a small river that ran through the terrian some ways from here... Cliffs and valleys, steep drops, and crumbling shale overhangs... A few meadow clearings and occasionally, but rarely, a human hiker... No houses, no towns, no roads... Quite frankly, he had contemplated annexing this bit of turf onto their already expansive territory, but that would require buying the land outright to avoid any development, something he never quite got around to.

[Hm, okay Mike. Be careful out there.] He physically nodded a response to Jax's mental comment before silently padding outside the Pride territory. "Curiosity killed the cat", he mused to himself.

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Raven

March 30, 2018.

She ran through the woods, muscles tensing and releasing beneath a thin layer of skin and ebony fur. Her lithe form moved with grace, a grace she never possessed as a human. She ran, for what felt like an eternity, before slowing her pace and padding to a complete stop. She looked down, lifting one of her paws to visually inspect it. The pads beneath her feet were a leathery black and her claws were long and sharp... she flexed them out and then retracted them back, repeating this process a few times over. She loved being a cat... There was nothing in the world like the feeling of moist earth beneath her paws, the wind in her fur, the twitch of her whiskers. She smiled inwardly, admiring her paws for a little longer before slowly walking through the forest.

Her surroundings were familiar. She had been here before... She walked until she made her way to the edge of a small shale cliff, one that dropped off into a river about twenty feet below. With a fluid grace she climbed down the side of the crumbling rock, making sure to have good footing with every step. It didn't take long for her to reach the bottom; with every motion forward there was an eagerness building within her, an excitement bubbling to the surface. She had never seen herself before, what did she look like as a cat? What type of cat was she, a panther she presumed, but something told her she was more than that. Slowly, cautiously she padded to the water's edge, perhaps today she could see herself. See the cat beyond the human. Her sharp golden gaze lowered until she stood there, staring at the water, but what she saw was nothing.... absolutely... nothing.

Brown eyes shot open as she quickly sat up from the bed, the sound of her alarm clock beeped annoyingly in the background. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before diverting her attention to her clock, dismissing the alarm before registering the time. It was 7:00 AM. A few rays of golden sun filtered in through the windows adjacent to her bed, casting warm beams of light onto the sheets. She turned to face her husband, sound asleep, a pillow over his head to block the intruding sunlight. He was always a late sleeper. She could wake him up, but why bother? It was their vacation, after all... If left to his own devices he wouldn't be up till 11AM, or maybe even noon. Some habits never change, Raven smirked at the thought.