To Love a Stray Ch. 18

I feel my cat take control as I step closer crowding her further into the corner.

"Werecats aren't freaks!" I snarl angrily down at her.

"That is what I believed! Why would I want the one person who made me feel relatively normal to know that I turned into some kind of thing that I felt belonged in a freak-show?" Rosy hisses defensively as I crowd even closer.

I want to hear her retract those words! I'm not a freak! I don't care how many times Edwin told me I was a freak because of my size and strength I have never believed it! Never!

I feel the snarl rumble up through my chest, and then rasp in my throat before emerging. Fury has me shifting restlessly from foot to foot as I struggle to contain the pure fury that is boiling inside me. I want to hit out and crush something, anything. I feel Rosy flinch from me as her shoulder comes into contact with my chest. Instinct screams at the cat part of me to pounce on this prey cowering before me while my human half watches in detached fury.

"Micah. Back off, Rosy is female and she is pregnant. You don't want to do anything you'll regret," Wade warns from close by.

"He had better not hurt Rosy," Sam growls angrily in the background and I hear Dwayne hissing something at him but my attention is turned back to Rosy as she continues to send furious glances my way, her top lip curled as if in scorn.

"What did you tell her about werecats?" I demand as I place both hands on the wall either side of her, capturing Rosy in a cage made by my body.

"Nothing! I swear I told her nothing," Rosy spits defensively as she presses against the wall in an unproductive attempt to get some space between us.

"I don't believe you," I growl near her left ear and she flinches away from the sound of my voice only to be pinned against the wall as I move closer.

"Micah. Step back," Wade orders sharply.

"Rosy defied me and has told more than one human about the existence of our kind," I snap tightly.

"I never told anyone," Rosy denies hotly with a scared glance towards my chest as she avoids my gaze.

"Your old lover, your uncle the vet ..." I snarl in a low undertone naming those I am sure she has told.

"My uncle already knew what my mother was! And I was too ashamed of what I often became to ever tell Lilly." Rosy spits with a mixture of fear and defensiveness.

"I told you to hang up! I told you to give me the phone! But no ... you had to defy me! Had to talk to your old lover," I hiss enraged. Some part of me warns I have just about reached my limit.

"You don't know anything about the situation. Don't know what Lilly is like," Rosy snaps but tucks her chin against her chest as a low growl rumbles from me. I lower my head so my mouth is right beside her ear.

"It doesn't matter what she is like, she's history! You are never going to have anything to do with her again." I order in a tight fury laced voice. "You will not call her tomorrow or at any other time. You hear me!"

"Lilly will call the police or rather one of her relatives who are with the Federal Police if she believes I am in danger or you are preventing me from having contact with my family or friends." Rosy says quietly.

"Family, what family? Both your brothers are here and that vet who you think of as family is too smart to tell her anything, he knows too much and he's aware of it." I tell her tightly.

"Micah," Sam growls in warning. "You had better not be threatening Rosy!"

"No threats Sam. Just making sure Rosy is aware of the facts of life," I snarl at him.

"Well then if you are as smart as you think you are you had better let me make that call tomorrow. Otherwise Lilly will be stirring up all kinds of shit and if she talks to my Uncle he will tell her the truth in that he hasn't see me for over six months, hasn't heard from me even." Rosy spits out defiantly.

I fight to contain the mixture of fear and anger that has started to grow in me. Rosy is choosing HER, a human, humans, over me!

"An accident when working with farm animals isn't impossible you know. An older person ... someone who has lost some of their reflex speed and co-ordination ... a lone traveller on a deserted road ... I will do what I must to protect the entire werecats species." I tell Rosy harshly. I will do whatever needs to be done to ensure no one outside this room learns she has betrayed the existence of our species.

"The more you say the more I find I don't truly know you," Rosy says between clenched teeth. I can smell fear coming from her now. There is a mixture of emotional scents coming off her but fear is the strongest.

"Know that I will do everything possible to protect you and our unborn child. I will do what is necessary to keep our kind safe from humans. Surely you know what they do to things that are different or that they fear," I hiss at her and she flinches back into the wall.

"Enough with the threats," Sam snaps drawing a growl that makes its way up from low in my throat.

"Micah step back. I believe Rosy hasn't intentionally revealed our existence to a human," Wade commands a touch of fear in his tone.

I am aware I am out of control but I can't seem to reign myself in. I know I am going way beyond a boundary I should never cross with Rosy but something drives me on.

"She defied me, questioned my authority, and not for the first time either." I snarl as Sam pushes me aside and pulls Rosy out of the corner. He keeps his body between her and me.

"What the hell did you think you were doing refusing to hang up the phone or hand it over to Micah? Why were you even talking to that woman?" Sam demands as they head towards the hallway door.

"Sam, are you planning to lock me up in that cage?" Rosy demands as she stops abruptly.

"You know, that might just be a good idea to guarantee you do as you're told," I tell her tightly as I turn to face her. "There is no way you will be allowed to call her or take a call from her!"

"You can't tell me what to do! You don't own me! You can't control me like some ... some ..." Rosy yells, her tirade ending on catlike spits of fear as I take several steps towards them.

Sam grips Rosy by her upper arm tightly and steers her out through the hall to outside.

"Micah enough!" Dwayne yells at me as he grabs me by an upper arm when I go to brush past him.

"Micah! Stop it! For God's sake think rationally," Wade says firmly as he catches my other arm just in time to prevent me punching Dwayne.

"You don't want to scare Rosy, I know you don't." Malcolm says stepping up so he is nearly eye-to-eye with me. "Just give both of you time to cool down ..."

"We have to talk this out between us! Rosy and I," I say angrily. "I am sick of her not talking to me, "

I try to jerk free but find myself slammed back against the wall with Dwayne and Wade holding me there while Malcolm and Mikkarl stand directly in front of me.

"Letting her go out there is a bad move," I say tightly. "Rosy will just run off somewhere by herself like always and stay away until she thinks things have blown over and you lot are letting her go!"

* * * * *

Rosy

I walk swiftly in the cool night air. I am well away from the quarters before I stop and turn to face Sam.

"If he thinks he owns me now, and can control who I talk to, who I see, then after getting married he will be a lot worse. I have no intentions of letting that happen to me," I say with a shake of my head as I take a step back from my brother.

What have I gotten myself into, what have I agreed to?

"Tell me you don't mean that Rosy," Sam says shocked.

"That was a side of Micah I've never seen Sam, it was not the ... that is not the Micah I know and trust. Which one is the real him? Dr Jeckle or Mr Hyde?" I ask with a quick glance towards the quarters.

"Cut him some slack Rosy. He thinks you've endangered our kind. He is only trying to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Ones like Marissa and Jazzy," Sam hisses and runs a hand through his hair. I watch as the long strands fall onto his shoulders as the band holding it back breaks.

"Getting married to Micah doesn't seem like a good idea any more Sam. It all comes down to trust. He doesn't trust me to tell him the truth and it is as clear as day he doesn't trust me as far as Lilly is concerned! A relationship without trust ... I've seen plenty of those Sam, it's not pretty and I have more than just me to think about now. I will not raise a child in that type of environment! I've seen the results of that in the human world and it aint pretty," I say and turn my face away as I bite my bottom lip to stop the tears that start to burn the back of my eyes. "I won't do that to my baby Sam. I won't do that to me. I can't marry Micah,"

I need you Micah. But I have to look out for me - for my baby and me.

"Okay, okay! Just give me a few days okay. This is not going to be easy to work so you can get out of it but ...Engagements aren't called off. I'll call Kurt and Ray, they'll sort it out," Sam tells me with a worried frown.

"This puts you and Mitchell right in the middle of a bad situation doesn't it?" I ask softly.

"It's not going to be good but we'll survive it. The hard part will be where you end up going, or if you stay here ... that kitt carries Williamson blood and you can be sure the Williamson family members will want to keep in contact with it." Sam says quietly. "Are you okay? You seemed to be really attached to Micah. I had thought that you were developing feelings for him."

"That person, that tom would have to exist for that to happen. He only showed me what he wanted me to see, the real Micah came out tonight and he's not someone I'd like or care to be around." I say in a tone barely above a whisper and turn away. I watch as a shadowy figure comes out of the quarters, pauses and looks around before heading towards us. I lift my chin slightly as I search for any scent on the breeze and I hear a slight noise of irritation from Sam not far behind me.

"Donny," Sam tells me quietly.

I remain silent as I hug myself, rocking back and forth slightly on my feet as the enormity of what I am about to do hits me fully.

"Just don't say anything until Mitchell is back in the quarters and I get Kurt and Ray here," Sam warns me.

"Hey Sam, Micah wants you both back inside." Donovan calls, as he gets closer. I watch as he glances between us worriedly and I have to look away unable to take his distress.

"Tell Micah we'll be in shortly," Sam tells him firmly. I hear Donovan's breathing stop for a moment then he takes a deep breath and clears his throat.

"Micah wants you both inside now," Donovan says more forcibly and I glance his way uneasily, he avoids meeting my eyes and looks away. I inhale deeply to check what his scent can tell me, it smells of distress. I turn my head and listen intently as something niggles at the back of my mind, no alien sound reaches me but unease tingles up my spine.

"Come on Rosy, we'd better go back." Sam tells me evenly.

"Hmmm," I murmur in annoyance but don't resist as he puts his arm around my shoulders and guides me back towards the quarters. Donovan grabs my hand beside him and lifts it to rub his cheek against my knuckles as he walks.

"I told Micah you weren't going to try to run away, but he wouldn't believe me," Donovan says innocently and I stop in my tracks with a low growl.

"Now there's a thought," I exclaim bitterly but it comes out sounding nearly hysterical.

"Calm down Rosy, calm down." Sam soothes as he turns to face me. I feel Donovan release my hand but I am busy trying to avoid Sam's hold as he tries to take hold of my upper arms.

"He's pushing me Sam. I feel like he's crowding me into that corner again with nowhere to go," I hiss with anger and fear. I can feel myself hovering on the edge of panic.

Micah had wanted to hurt me ...

"Donny, tell Micah we'll be in in a few minutes," Sam says tersely as I back away from him and cross my arms over my ribs and hug myself in misery.

The more I think about it, the harder it is to take in the fact Micah hadn't trusted me. He had refused to take my word when I answered his questions, he couldn't seem to understand I wouldn't lie to him.

"Rosy calm down, think of your baby. Surely he feels it every time you get excited or upset, just calm down." Sam says using a low and soothing tone but I shake my head and turn away from him pacing back and forth distractedly.

"Sam?" Donovan queries softly.

"We will be in in a few minutes," Sam hisses at him and I glance towards them uneasily. Donovan glances between us worriedly then heads back towards the quarters at a fast walk.

"Rosy unless you want to deal with Micah or maybe one of the others in your face I suggest we go inside," Sam urges quietly. "We'll just walk in and I'll take my mattress to my room and you can curl up and try to go to sleep."

"Micah's not going to allow that. He'll want me where he can keep watch on me and his preferred way to watch me at night is to hold me. I am not going to let him touch me Sam, just the thought of it makes me feel sick." I warn. I hear Sam take several deep breaths before he gives a low growl.

"Ready to go in?" Sam asks gruffly.

"No but I'm not waiting for him to make my decision for me," I say quietly and head for the screen door without letting go of my own ribs. Sam falls into step beside me and I can almost feel the aggression coming off him.

When we walk into the lounge room only Dwayne, Donovan and Wade are in human form. All the others are large black cats that are positioned around the room, I catch sight of Micah close to the small back door of the kitchen and I glance at it noting it is slightly ajar.

"If I was going to run I would have been gone before any of you even realised it," I snap tightly before turning away from the room and heading towards Sam and Mitchell's bedroom.

"I'll be in bed Sam," I call back over my shoulder. I hear a low growl from Micah but in cat form he can't voice his objections and I am left to retreat to the illusion of safety of Sam and Mitchell's room.

"Where the hell do you think you're going Micah?" Sam's angry tones reach me and I glance nervously back towards the lounge room knowing that Micah has not had time to return to human form yet.

"Micah! That is enough," Dwayne yells. I turn and face the bedroom door tensely and when Sam walks in unharmed I breathe a sigh of relief.

"No trying to run off while I'm asleep hey," Sam says quietly with a crooked smile as he shuts the door behind him. I force a smile through the tears that well in my eyes as I look down and cradle my swollen stomach in my arms before opening them wide and looking at Sam. I can feel my lips trembling and the tears that spill onto my lashes.

"The master plan has finally started to work ..." I bite my lip as I look away from Sam.

If you only knew Sam, if you only knew how I long to be able to run from here before it's too late for me.

"Oh Rosy," Sam whispers softly and I feel the warmth of his body a fraction of a second before he wraps his arms around me in a hug.

* * * * *

Micah

Rosy lies stretched out on the lounge using Sam's lap as a pillow while watching an old western movie on TV, it is mid-morning and breakfast still sits like a hard stone in my stomach. I sit in the chair nearest the hallway door and I glance her way every ten minutes or so. I have hardly spoken to Rosy today, she has been distant and silent, avoiding talking to me as much as she can.

The sharp ring of the phone in my pocket has me jerking upright abruptly. I turn my head to watch Rosy glare at me as I pull the phone from my shirt pocket, check the display screen then slip it back into my pocket even though it still rings. She looks away from me without saying a word and I feel my irritation start to rise yet again.

"What, not going to ask who it was?" I finally break my silence.

"I have a different ring tone set for different people," Rosy snaps tightly. "That was my Uncle's office."

"You still watching the movie?" Sam asks quietly.

"Yeah, I love this movie." Rosy tells him in a friendly tone. Sam smiles slightly in reply and brushes her hair back off her forehead before turning his attention back to the screen.

"Someone needs to do a food run, seems like you haven't done one in a while Sam." I tell him lazily. I figure if I can get him away from her I can talk some sense into her, make her see how I felt last night.

"Let someone else do it I can do the next one," Sam says tersely.

"That's not the way we work around here and you know it," I say evenly even though my temper threatens to rise. I start as the screen door slams noisily but look towards the door as I recognise the footsteps along the hall.

"Hey! What's everyone doing?" Mitchell asks as he struts into the room.

"Go and have a shower," I order. He reeks of sex.

"Hey Rosy, Sam, Micah. Where is everyone?" Mitchell asks with a frown.

"Out and about. Go have that shower and you can come give me a hand in town, I got to do a food run." Sam says with a glance over the back of the lounge.

"I'll go too," Rosy says sitting up.

"Two toms aren't enough for you to go to town, you can go another time." I tell her firmly.

"You wouldn't want to go, Mitchell will he staring out the window sighing most of the trip and besides you look like you need a good sleep." Sam tells Rosy firmly as he looks down at her.

"A shower won't take me long," Mitchell announces and heads towards the other end of the house.

"I'd better go make a list," Sam says and eases out from behind Rosy's shoulders.

"Need my help?" Rosy asks.

"I'll be right. You curl up and go to sleep," Sam orders quietly and heads into the kitchen.

I watch Rosy get a pillow off the floor and slip it under her head before making herself comfortable. Her phone starts emitting its shrill demand and I check the display screen.

Lilly.

Rage shoots through me at the mere sight of the name and I pull my lips back from my teeth in a snarl. The phone falls silent but a few minutes later the same tune starts again. Rosy growls as she rolls over to face the back of the lounge and pulls the pillow over her head.

"If you insist on having that phone in here either turn it off or give it to Rosy," Sam's angry voice comes from just behind me.

I am up and out of the chair before I realise my own intentions. I give Sam a hard push backwards and am surprised when he instantly comes back fighting. Suddenly I want to fight, I want to smash my fists into his face and hurt my long time friend. He is keeping me away from Rosy and it makes my blood boil as it crosses my mind.

The fight fills my mind, I am driven to punish and subdue him, every instinct in me screams in my head and I go after him with a fury I am surprised to find he matches.

I feel my fists find their targets in hard muscle and sinew, his fists strike me and I feel furniture beneath us as we tumble to the floor straining for a hold on each other.

I am faintly aware of background noise but the fight fills my concentration as I land blow after blow. Surprisingly Sam keeps coming back for more and I snarl with rage as he refuses to back down.

Suddenly hands are pulling us apart and I struggle as I am dragged away from Sam and towards the kitchen.

"Stop it! You will not fight in my building!" Dwayne is in my face yelling at me and I take several deep breaths. I look past him to see Wade and several others restraining Sam.

"What are you two idiots doing upsetting Rosy?" Jazzy demands as she marches into the lounge room. "Both of you have more sense than to be brawling like a pair of teenagers! Whatever has you both so mad can be sorted out outside or over in the gym shed!"

"Yes, what the hell is this all about?" Dwayne demands.