To Love a Stray Ch. 17

"Hey, you've put on weight," I say startled as I realise his bones aren't as prominent anymore.

"Yeah and you should be too, so you keep eating you naughty thing!" Donovan chastises me.

"I am eating at the moment," I say around a tender piece of chicken coated in the creamy dressing. I am aware of Donovan continually glancing my way making sure I am eating and when I finally finish the last of the food, I put the container aside with a sigh as I wriggle to get comfortable.

"Want a drink?" Malcolm asks and I look his way.

"Water for now. I don't think milk would fit in flavoured or otherwise," I tell him. Malcolm grabs the empty container and the cutlery I used before heading to the kitchen, when he returns he has a large glass of water with several ice cubes in it and I take it with a smile.

"Want to come over here so Donovan has a fair go at the game?" Malcolm asks. I groan but grin as I sit up away from Donovan before moving towards Malcolm. Malcolm quickly lifts me so I sit between his knees and he encourages me to lean back against his chest. I am getting used to this new way of leaning on the toms since returning from the strays, and have found none of them wants to touch me in any way that makes me uncomfortable.

I lean my head and shoulders back against Malcolm's chest and soon fall into the half doze now common after a meal. Occasionally I open my eyes to watch the game for a few minutes but eventually I give up and climb to my feet to move to the lounge and make myself comfortable so I can sleep.

* * * * *

Micah

I barely taste the food I am eating as I stand by the kitchen bench. I watch Mitchell and Sam talking quietly as they eat their sandwiches at one of the lounge chair and I know they are just as concerned over Rosy's refusal to eat as I am.

"Sam, Mitchell, Dwayne, I want to talk to you outside once everyone has finished eating," I say tightly as I think about Edwin still on clan grounds without permission.

Sam glances my way with a savage look on his face and I wonder if their whispered conversation is about Edwin more so than their sister. I know it would not sit well with Sam that Edwin is close by so soon after the beating he was given. Doesn't he respect Sam's fighting ability?

I wash my food down with a can of soda before heading outside, I hear the soft scuffle of movement and then the others file out the screen door behind me.

"What do you want boss?" Sam asks before he comes to a halt facing me.

"Edwin is on clan territory and I know I sure as hell didn't invite him here," I growl angrily.

"Neither did I," Mitchell says with an icy smile.

"What are we talking about here?" Dwayne asks and I look at him to see his worried frown. "He's obviously here with Mal and Angie,"

"Mal would have to be stupid if he didn't know Edwin isn't welcome here," Mitchell says thoughtfully. "Mal has four other warriors here besides Edwin and his partner."

"They're testing us to see how we react," I say with angry certainty. "They're counting on the presence of the five women to prevent bloodshed. Guess they didn't plan on Lotty stirring up this blasted trouble,"

"I take it you want the pleasure of pounding on him since you missed out when he kissed Rosy," Mitchell says and I get the impression he doesn't care who gets hold of Edwin as long as one of us do.

"Oh I got something that will be better than pounding the stuffing out of him," I say with a grin as the idea begins to form. "And it will remind him we see him as nothing more than a criminal,"

"Yeah?" Dwayne murmurs with interest as I look at the three of them.

"Who has a pair of cuffs or some zip-ties handy?" I ask casually.

A slow grin spreads across Mitchell's face and he heads back inside. "Just getting some now," he calls back over his shoulder.

When he returns he has both metal handcuffs and plastic zip-ties we use in handcuffing troublesome strays. I reach for half a dozen plastic zip-ties and grin as I flex them.

"Let's go get us a trespasser," I murmur before heading for the main house. "Sam, Dorrington is yours if he tries to interfere. Dwayne, Mitchell, keep an eye on anyone else in the room."

I lead the way in through the main door and head for the living room where I can hear voices. I pause in the doorway with Mitchell just behind my left shoulder as I take in who is in the room and their positions.

"Edwin Williamson, you are under arrest on the charge of trespassing unlawfully on McIntosh – Williamson Clan territory." I say as I march into the room towards him. The use of McIntosh – Williamson signifies that there is an engagement between the two families and the engaged couple will become the Alpha and his wife in the future.

Edwin turns to face me and his quick, unhurried reactions tell me he has been expecting some kind of action on our part.

"Turn around, face the wall and place both of your hands on the wall," I say sharply as I cross the room.

"Hey! You can't do this," Mal protests as Edwin faces the wall.

Edwin isn't moving fast enough for my likings and I slam him against the wall with a rough shove from behind. I place a hand between his shoulder blades and lean my weight into his body as I roughly kick one of his booted feet forcing him to spread his legs. He gives a soft grunt of pain as he moves and I grab his right wrist and twist his arm behind his back. I hold his arm in place hoping he will fight or resist but he allows me to grab his left wrist and bring that arm behind his back as well to fasten his wrists with a zip-tie. I use three to ensure he can't break free before I grab him by the shoulder and spin him around to face me.

"Strange, looks like we are doing this to me," I say to Mal as I look him in the face.

"You had this tom come onto our territory with you even though you saw what transpired last time he was here." I say tightly. "You knew he would not be welcome and yet you still have him in your escort. Not him, not you, no-one bothered to ask permission for him to come here, so you have some explaining to do when he is locked up."

"I contacted Wade, he gave his permission for Edwin to come onto clan land." Mal says tersely.

"Wade is no longer Alpha, he is merely an adviser. In future it will benefit you to clear everything with either Mitchell or myself," I tell him firmly.

"Frankly Mal," Mitchell says in a level tone that has me glancing his way. "The prisoner here is lucky we tolerate him working so close to our territory. It is mainly out of respect for Marissa that we don't run him from the East Coast of Australia."

Mitchell's tone of voice has Mal and Wade glancing at him warily and Mitchell bares his teeth in a parody of a smile.

"I will be back to talk to you once I have the prisoner locked up securely," I say to Mal evenly. "He shall stay locked up until you leave and he shall not venture back onto our territory without permission."

"I would ask that you have your warriors wait out by your vehicles," Dwayne says, "being that my sister, Mitchell McIntosh's fiancé is confined to the secure room."

"I'll attend to that immediately," Mal says with a slight nod of his head.

"We can talk over in the stone shed?" Wade offers, his tone questioning.

"That would be a good idea," Mitchell says. "That way we can keep track of where all the visitors are."

* * * * *

Rosy

The sounds of movement in the kitchen wake me and I sit up sleepily to glance over the back of the lounge and towards the kitchen. Sam and Micah are working at the sink and I catch glimpses of vegetables being prepared for cooking, I frown and glance at the clock only to be surprised by how long I have slept after having eaten my late lunch.

"Rosy's awake," Donovan calls and I glance at him where he sits on the floor by my feet.

"How are you feeling Rosy?" Micah asks.

"Pretty good. Need to use the toilet in a minute though," I say. "Why do you ask?"

"If you feel up to it we can go on a twilight hunt." Micah tells me.

"Of course I feel up to it," I say abruptly as I sit up, dizziness hits and I wait a few moments before getting to my feet.

"We're just about to fill up several of the slow cookers and put them on and then we'll be ready to go." Micah says with a glance over his shoulder. "Remember you have to take it slow changing,"

"Okay," I call back over my shoulder already on the way to the toilet. I retreat to the bedroom to strip off and sit on Steven's bed for a few moments before taking a deep breathe and concentrating. My inner cat is happy and I have no trouble achieving a steady change, I yawn and stretch before stepping down off the bed sedately and walking out towards the lounge room. I purr loudly as I walk towards the door and hear the toms pause briefly before returning to their activities, I stand in the doorway with my head held high as I look into the room.

Malcolm and Chris are changing while Donovan stands watching me guardedly, I give a small purr before heading for the kitchen where Micah and Sam are still in human form and finishing cleaning up after starting a 'just incase' meal cooking.

"Hey Rosy," Micah says as he goes down on one knee and I rub my head against him as I reach him. He scratches behind my ears and then down along my spine before lightly closing his hand around my tail and letting it slide through his fist as I flick it lazily. One hand skims down my side lightly to run over the fullness behind my ribs before stroking along my belly making me wriggle as it brushes my teats.

"Our baby boy is in there," Mica murmurs on a note of awe and I turn to stand up on my hind legs with my front paws on his shoulders as I rub my face against his cheek.

"Hi Rosy," Sam says and I hop down to walk over and greet him with a purr as I rub against his legs. His hand glides along my back as I move and I return to Micah who has stood up. Micah pulls his shirt off over his head and reaches for his jeans waistband causing me to step back and growl impatiently, he chuckles softly as he sheds his jeans and I don't look away.

"Getting bold now that you're going to be a mother are you?" He asks before kneeling on the kitchen floor. "Remember no touching while I change." He cautions me and I lay down on my stomach while my tail flicks impatiently. I watch as he moves to all four before starting his change, I tilt my head as I watch with interest. Finally, Micah completes his change and I get to my feet as he comes to greet me.

Shyness suddenly grips me and I tremble as I extend my nose for a sniff, Micah's nose touches mine and I chirp like a kitten and dash behind Sam who turns and looks at me with surprise. I rub my head on Sam's shoulder and press against his side as Micah watches me with interest, feeling bold once again I inch forward to sniff his nose and allow him to rub his head on my shoulder. Micah purrs loudly as he begins to groom my shoulder and I chirp once again as I press close. The screen door bangs and I chirp with alarm as I dash beneath the table, Micah turns towards the lounge room and stands in the doorway with his head down and ears laid back.

"Hey, what are we doing?" Justin asks as he stops in the door into the lounge room.

"For a start you're moving so I can get past," Dwayne says and Justin moves aside allowing Dwayne, Mitchell and Doc to walk into the lounge room.

"Look at you Rosy," Mitchell exclaims and strides towards the kitchen. Shyness and caution hits me and I chirp several times, as I hide behind Sam. Micah growls and blocks the doorway into the kitchen and Mitchell comes to an abrupt halt as he looks in at me in surprise.

"What's wrong with Rosy?" Mitchell asks in concern. "Why is she so scared?"

"She's gone all shy and nervous because she's so obviously pregnant, what's your instinctive reaction to her behaviour?" Doc asks.

"Protect her, look after her," Mitchell says bewildered.

"More than usual?" Doc asks.

"Of course! She's pregnant and might not be able to look after herself." Mitchell says with a worried look my way.

"Most she-kitts and queens don't change this late in their pregnancy because they feel too vulnerable. Rosy's reaction is a natural ploy to ensure protection from the toms of her clan and to provoke protective instincts rather than hostility over her obvious 'difference' to normal," Doc explains. "Look how protective both Micah and Sam have become."

I am listening to Doc as he talks to Mitchell with interest and I glance at Sam to see he has his ears laid back and his hair is standing on end making him seem much bigger as he glares at the toms in the other room. Mitchell is watching me with a worried expression and I chirp to Micah who looks over his shoulder at me and calls reassuringly.

"What's that funny noise she's making?" Mitchell demands and I see both Dwayne and Justin moving closer behind him to look my way and I press against Sam's side once again.

"Rosy is chirping like a kitten, it's a noise similar to a baby bird's call. Werecats when they manage their first change call like that for a few months. It is another instinctive bid for protection. Hormones are making Rosy do it now," Doc explains.

"That's right. I remember Jazzy and Donovan had that funny call for a while. Jazzy had it for a lot longer," Dwayne says with a laugh as he shakes his head.

"How about we change? Rosy must be feeling uncomfortable with us talking about her like this. Don't worry, she'll soon warm to everyone when she sees she's in no danger." Doc informs them as he begins to strip his jacket off.

Micah comes back to sniff at me as I press against Sam and I recognise him immediately, I walk forward swishing my tail and sniff him over before purring and rubbing myself against his side enthusiastically. A soft call catches my attention and I look that way to see another cat just inside the doorway and two more behind him. I give several chirps of alarm, and both Micah and Sam rush towards them but all three cats lie down on their stomachs with chins against the floor and ears flattened to their heads as they close their eyes.

I chirp curiously and move until I am right behind Sam and Micah as I lower my head to regard Donovan, Malcolm and Chris curiously. I weave back and forth behind my two protectors as I study the three prone cats. I am nearly ready to sneak closer when another cat walks past them boldly before laying down and rolling onto his back, Micah snarls in rage but I lift my head as I sniff this new cat with interest, it's Mitchell. I give several little chirps and rub my head against the hindquarters of both Micah and Sam as I sneak glimpses of the cats on the floor, finally curiosity gets the better of me and I sneak forward to sniff at Mitchell where he lays on his back. I chirp in excitement as I ease forward to sniff Donovan, Malcolm and Chris before returning to Mitchell and nudging him with my nose with growing confidence.

Mitchell stands up and I back off as I chirp uncertainly once again and Micah is suddenly there between us with his hair standing on end as he lowers his head and growls at Mitchell. I chirp again and shove my nose against Micah's as I try to tell him not to hurt my brother, Micah turns his head and rubs it against mine before sparing Mitchell a glare. Mitchell extends his nose and I take a step forward for a sniff and chirp encouragingly as I flutter my lashes at him. I seem to have forgotten all I learnt about communicating vocally in cat form.

Mitchell moves to rub his head on my shoulder and purrs comfortingly as he rests his head on top of my back. With Micah on one side and Mitchell on the other, I advance to sniff noses with Donovan before moving to those behind him. Dwayne, Justin and Doc are waiting for me in the lounge room and I chirp nervously but can't retreat because of the toms behind me. No one approaches me and I am left to approach them in my own time. Doc hangs back and because I am not familiar with him in cat form, I am loath to get too close to him.

Outside the air is sweet and I dash away with a burst of speed, my body reminds me of the precious cargo I carry and I slow quickly before turning and waiting for the others to catch up. Micah snorts gruffly at me and I purr as I rub against his side before nipping his ear gently to remind him I make my own decisions. We have not reached the tree line before the rustling in the grass alerts me to the presence of prey and I slow slightly as I rotate my ears to pinpoint the source of the noise, a second later I snatch up a fat mouse chew once and swallow my snack.

My hunting slows the movements of the group as I catch fat mice, lizards and finally a rabbit. Near the stream, I flush a hare from the long grass and growl in frustration as Micah sprints after it when it dashes almost beneath his nose in a blind panic. A few seconds later, he trots back to me carrying the freshly killed hare and drops it at my front feet. I snatch the hare up in my teeth and growl in warning before dropping it to the ground to put a paw on it and tear it apart as I bolt it down. Once it is gone, I look around for more but everyone is watching me with interest and I head towards the stream with a little huff.

A small drink of water cools my throat and annoyance so I seek a shady spot and stretch out on my side as I swish my tail contentedly, Micah comes over to nose me curiously and cool water drips from his muzzle onto my ear making me shake my head. He smells my ears, down along my neck and shoulder before carefully sniffing my exposed belly taking particular notice of my teats where they peek from the longer hair on my stomach.

The others settle in a loose circle around us and I close my eyes knowing that I am well protected. I doze off for a few minutes and wake to Micah snuffling around my ears, I open my eyes and sit up to find two more freshly killed hares awaiting me. I glance around and find Donovan and Mitchell watching me expectantly. I eat the hares slowly savouring the taste of their sweet flesh rich with the stored fat for the start of winter. Another drink fills me and I retreat to the shade to flop out on my side once again, this time I am full and soon roll onto my back with all four legs in the air as I let the cooling breeze drift over my distended stomach while I begin to digest my meal.

Soft sounds wake me and I roll onto my stomach before lifting my head to look around. Dwayne, Malcolm and Sam are dragging deer carcases into the shade by the stream and I sit up alertly trying to work out when they went hunting. Sam immediately calls to me and I make my way to his deer carcase where I begin feeding, it is not long before I move away from the carcase full. I watch as the toms take turns feeding, sharing the food and the duty of guarding me between them all. Night falls as the toms tear at the meat and it is not long before the carcases are stripped and all that remains are the odd bone or small piece of hide and a hoof or two.

Moonlight adds a silver sheen to the coats of those not in shadows and I get to my feet to sniff them curiously before glancing up to look at the moon. Micah nudges my shoulder as I stand in the glow of the moon, entranced by the play of moonlight I look towards the stream and see the moon reflected in its surface. I slink towards the water and bat at the silvery surface playfully before splashing in the stream. Shadows dance as leaves sway in the breeze and I skitter in the leaf litter trying to catch the shadows only they continue to move and dance across my forelegs despite my best attempts. I pause as I hear something in the distance and I stand still as I lift my head to scent the breeze.

A shiver runs through me and my legs tremble, it takes me a moment to realise that I am tired and my cat wishes to return to human form. I nudge Micah's shoulder before starting towards the home compound at a fast trot that eats up the distance swiftly. Micah is almost immediately at my shoulder and he keeps pace with me as the other toms catch up to us. I break into a slow lope and I soon reach the tree line around the compound, Micah is still beside me but I notice he is breathing heavily. He purrs to me and I follow his lead as he slows to a walk, I swish my tail impatiently but continue as we approach the buildings.