The Cat's Meow

She rose from the bed, the sheets falling away from her nude form. Her skin was a dark cocoa, tanned from living and working in the sunshine state. Her build was average; she was neither lithe nor voluptuous, her breasts were small but perky, a full B, but not much more. She stood just over five feet tall and had a slight flare to her hips; her stomach was smooth but not toned, while her arms almost appeared flimsy. Her legs, unlike the rest of her, were slightly built, almost athletic – she was an excellent swimmer if she had fins on. Her small hands rose to her round face to brush away strands of brown-black hair. Her hair was silken and impossibly straight, falling down the small of her back like water. Her husband always referred to her as beautiful, though she never thought herself to be. No one ever asked her out in college, and she had only ever dated two men in her life, the second of which she was currently married to. She stretched her arms high and let out a yawn, a yawn that was greeted by the needy and hungry meows of her two cats. They had bounded into the room upon hearing the alarm clock; she assumed they were up earlier, watching the birds feeding from the various feeders Raven had placed around the house. Miko, her Norwegian Forest Cat mix, purred and rubbed, occasionally licking her legs with her rough sandpaper like tongue. Milo, her black cat, just sat and stared, letting out long and needy meows that echoed through the house. The noise of the cats and her own shuffling did nothing to awake Raven's husband... He always slept like a baby. She smiled at his sleeping form before diverting her attention to her cats.

"Shh, you'll wake daddy." She cooed, before reaching down to pet Miko and gently pat Milo on the head.

She quietly walked down the stairs and into the main room, passing through the open living area and into a large and airy kitchen. The house layout was simple and very open - there were no dividing walls between the spaces. Why did they need the privacy anyway? No one was out here watching them. She started her daily routine which was rather mundane – feed the cats, get ready for the day, eat breakfast – nothing extraordinary, but very relaxing... An hour had gone by before she stood quietly by the glass panes overlooking her garden, contemplating a solo ride in the forest... She wore her typical outfit – a pair of baggy cargo shorts, a tank top without a bra, and her glasses. Her sight wasn't the best and to this day she had yet to try contacts, the thought of placing a foreign object in her eye frightened her. There was no need to bother with appearances anyway... no one was here to see her. She stood there, braiding her hair absentmindedly as Miko and Milo lay at her feet.

"I'll be back in a few hours. Take care of your daddy, k?" She looked down at her two cats, both of whom tilted their heads in response. Miko let out a soft coo, Raven responded with a light purr of her own. Before leaving she made sure to write a note and leave it on the kitchen counter.

Morning Sweetie,

I've decided to go for a quick ride. I'll be back before you know it... In fact, I'll probably be back before you even get a chance to read this letter.

Love you always and forever,

Raven

With that she made her way outside, careful to shut the doors behind her. The last thing she wanted were her two babies romping around outside, getting ticks and fleas, or worse yet getting eaten by a bobcat. The thought made her shutter. Raven made her way to the stables where she lightly cooed to make the horses aware of her presence. Her young gelding responded with an eager neigh and a bobbing head, clearly aware he was about to be free.

"Are you ready nighthawk?" She spoke softly, rubbing his head with her hand lightly.

Nighthawk, contrary to his name, was not a solid black horse, but rather your standard brown fare. Raven just thought the name suited him for reasons she wasn't even sure of. She got Nighthawk ready for the day before leading him outside the gated enclosure and into the open meadow. Once the gate was secure she pulled herself onto his back and the two trotted leisurely into the forest...

****************

Mikel

March 30, 2018.

He followed the scent through the woods, never once stopping or thinking of turning around. He had to know what this was and why it had such an effect on him. Never, in all 156 years of his life, had he ever smelled something so beautiful, so alluring, and so downright intoxicating. As he pushed onward the delicious odor was soon accompanied by the scent of water; whatever it was, it was near the river. The large cat paused for a moment, lifting his muzzle into the air. His mouth parted slightly, allowing air to flow over his tongue, enabling him to smell things just a tad bit better. He could smell the forest, the moist earth, the musk of a male deer, the river, and a horse... None of this really mattered to him so much as the tantalizing foreign scent; he could taste it now, it was almost sweet... He shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment, clearing his thoughts. Jade green eyes reopened slowly before he continued traveling toward the scent... It wasn't long before he hit the rocky drop just before the river.

Edging on the side of caution, he carefully stalked his way to the edge of the overhang. His large black form slunk close to the ground as he moved slowly and silently, like a domestic cat stalking its prey... Whatever it was wouldn't even know he was there. He reached the edge of the drop off, his green gaze piercing down below and what he saw made him catch his breath.

It was her.

Her... The one he dreamed about continually for years on end... He stalked her dream after dream, but for every step he took toward her, she somehow always managed to get a little further away. Never was she aware of him, never once did they ever hold each other's gaze. She was always so distant, so far, and no matter how hard he tried he could never make her aware of him.

But she was here now. In the flesh and blood... it was her.

He let his eyes roam over her tiny form. Her cocoa skin glistened with droplets of river water... Her hair, thick and almost black, clung to her small frame in straight long locks that ran down to her firm, supple buttocks. Her breasts were small and pert, hanging proudly from her chest. The chill of the river water made her nipples erect, perfect little pins centered on dark chocolate skin. He could feel himself responding, lengthening... hardening... his inner cat was wildly pacing inside his mind... fighting to be free... It was her! She was real... a real, living... individual... She wasn't a fanciful figment of his imagination, or a made up desire, she was just as tangible as him, and oh so beautiful... so ripe...

The sweet smell whisked past him again and he realized then, that the scent was her. She teased his senses; her scent was delicious, the very sight of her was breath taking. He didn't know what to do, for once in his life he had no clue how to act, what moves to make. Take her! His inner cat roared, clawing at his mental controlling, fighting to be free. He pushed him down, he fought, he needed to... He needed to be careful. He needed to be sure.

He began edging closer when he stopped suddenly, his heart skipping a beat, time just froze. She looked up and they met each other's gaze, his solid jade eyes met with her amber brown ones. He could see flickers of gold interspersed in her irises, one of the signs of a Were. Her lips curled upward in, what he could not believe, was a smile. A charming, beautiful smile... A smile that made his heart leap... She had fangs like any other Were in human form, long and abnormally sharp... perfect for biting. The way she smiled was as if she could almost see right through him, straight into his heart. His human-self rejoiced while his cat paced with anticipation and need.

He had to have her. She was his... She was theirs...

Mine... He thought to himself, gathering the courage to approach. She was a were, they met each other's gaze... She knew he was here for her... She could probably smell him, just like he smelled her. They were meant for each other... the stars had aligned... the fates had decided. He was hers and she was his. It was a wondrous moment of happiness, but unfortunately it was short lived. She had since turned away and went about her business, wading in the shallow river waters. Had she not seen him? No, she saw him for sure, she smiled even... Surely she would approach him, not pretend he didn't exist. It was one thing for a female to be aggressive... to fight... but to flat out ignore? That was uncalled for. The game didn't work that way.

He growled a little, annoyed at her behavior. She was his, couldn't she feel it? The pull, it was there... like the moon to the tides... it was there. It was time to take matters into his own hands... or paws for that matter. If she felt it was right to ignore him, then he was going to make her more aware of his presence. He began descending down the rocks to the river bed when a blood curling scream caught him off guard. His head jerked to the side, catching a quick glimpse of his beloved standing face to face with a black bear.

Oh, silly kitten. He thought to himself as he slowly descended down the rocks, closing the gap between him and her. Then it all played out, and it all played out wrong. Instead of shifting to defend herself, as any level headed Were would, she just stood there, slowing backing up as the beast inhaled her scent and began moving closer.

[Shift dammit!] He screamed into her mind, but his telepath was met with nothing but an invisible wall... a block... he wasn't even sure she heard it. What happened next happened in a flurry. The bear charged at her, he raced forward, faster than he ever thought possible. The next thing he knew, he was in the air, his claws extended as he hit his target. His teeth sunk deep into the beast's neck as his claws dug into the animal's flesh. Blood trickled down the side of his mouth as he clamped down hard, crushing the smaller beast's indpipe. The beast struggled under him, gasping for air, trying desperately to shake the large cat off. It ultimately failed, slumping to the ground, blood spilling down its neck like a river... He released his grasp, his jade eyes rising to meet with hers. There she was, on the rocky shore, having just fallen flat on her ass. Fear emanated off her in troves, her small frame quivered... her heart was beating a thousand cycles a minute... and she just stared, frozen and wide eyed at him...

[Shhh my little kitten... It's alright... it's alright...] He cooed into her mind, but all he was met with was emptiness. A block... a void... some sort of invisible resistance...