“Interesting. I told you, we’re not that far advanced. But certainly a lot more civilized and knowledgeable than the savages you told me about. Everyone knows there are still big parts of the Amazon that haven’t been explored, and there are native tribes who have never seen a white man. It is almost impossible to get close to those areas.”
Tirzah pointed ashore. “I was there.” She was happy she recognized a village. It was a good sign.
“In the village?”
“No. I hide and watch. Cain, I cannot sleep.”
“Why?”
“I look to where I left river and find big water. I sleep, we go wrong.”
“Ah, I see what you mean. That probably won’t be for a day or two. You’ll be safe sleeping tonight.”
“Boat swim fast.”
“You’re utterly delightful.” He planted a kiss on top of her head. She looked up at him. It was a foreign word.
“I love you.” He chuckled again and she wondered if he was laughing at her.
* * * *
After several days and nights, Tirzah stood at the railing and suddenly yelled. “Cain, come. See.”
“What’s the matter?”
“There. We go there.” She pointed at the fork. “I know. You tell man.”
She knew she couldn’t sleep anymore then because she’d taken several different forks when she was searching as cat. If the boat missed any one of them, she’d be lost. She heard Cain talking to the captain and the other man. Soon he returned.
“The captain doesn’t know how far he can go,” he told her.
“Oh. But he wait?”
“Yes. I told him to wait until we return and promised him more money. He will go to one of the more civilized villages for at least two weeks, then he’ll go back to the point where he drops us off.”
“What if boat not come back?”
“Then we’ll have to continue as cats, like you did. Don’t worry. I promised him a lot of money, but he said he’ll wait no longer than four weeks because he thinks we will die in the jungle. After two weeks he will come back every day to see if we’re here waiting for him.”
“Forest. Jungle. Amazon.” Tirzah repeated the words several times. “We will not die. All savages, animals and creatures afraid of big white cat.”
“Black cat?”
“Many black cat in forest. Not big like Cain.”
“Well, that’s a plus. But I guess I’ve got you to protect me.”
Several times, she recognized a fork and the captain changed course until he suddenly approached Cain and spoke to him rapidly. He spoke too fast for her to understand and his language didn’t quite sound the same as Cain’s.
He turned and faced her. “Honey, the captain says he can’t go any farther. This is where we get off.”
When the captain asked them about their bags, Cain shook his head. “No, we don’t need them. They can stay on the boat. I’ll just take the backpack.”
Tirzah forced down a giggle when she saw the man’s face. He probably thought they would die. The captain demanded his money then, but Cain didn’t have that much cash on him. Instead, he took off the gold timepiece he wore on his wrist and gave it and his cell phone to the man who seemed to take it reluctantly.
The captain walked away muttering. “Crazy people. Crazy…crazy…crazy out of their minds.”
“What crazy?”
“Mm, stupid, dumb.”
“Oh. We swim?”
“No, the captain is lowering a small boat for us, like a canoe. It’s too dangerous to swim here. We’d surely die.”
Tirzah had seen many such small boats moored near the villages on the river’s shore. She stepped into it gingerly. Cain grabbed his backpack. The canoe was wobbly and she quickly sat down. Cain sat opposite her and after waving to the captain, he put his back into paddling.
“I help.”
“It’s okay. We’re not that far from the shore.”
After they got out of the canoe, Cain pulled it onto the narrow strip of shore. Below the seat was a red piece of cloth on a stick. He planted it in front of the boat. “That’s so the captain can see the canoe easily.”
They waited until the boat was out of sight before they removed their clothing and put everything under the seat in the canoe. Then Cain pulled big leaves of a nearby tree and hid the canoe until only the flag showed.
He was smart, Tirzah thought as she shifted into her cat. How could she communicate with Cain as cat? He didn’t possess the art of telepathy. He hadn’t shifted yet, so she quickly shifted back. “Cain, how do I talk you as cat?”
“How do you usually speak as cat?”
“In here,” she pointed at her head.
“I haven’t got that capability. Don’t worry. I’ll be close to you all the time.”
Tirzah stood on her toes and wound her arms around his neck. She pressed against him and felt his cock rise. If only she could have him one more time before they headed into the forest. He kissed her, long and lingering, his cock throbbing against her belly. Reaching down, she touched it. It was so soft, the skin very silky. She traced the thick veins with her fingers and felt the blood throb. He was so beautiful, this mate of hers. All the females were going to be jealous.
A sound followed by a soft growl, broke the kiss.
“It’s a black cat,” Tirzah, her jungle instincts on full alert, whispered. “Quick. We have to shift.” She regretted having to shift, but it was much too dangerous to remain in human form. To consider mating was stupid of her, but she desired him so much. Even as cat, she was still in heat with every fiber of her muscular cat body. Cain nuzzled her, licked her face, until she loped off along the shoreline, sniffing for her scent.
Every now and then, she made sure he was right behind her. It was quite a while before she found her scent, but happiness flooded her when she did. She easily followed the trail she’d left for herself.
Dawn broke and she stopped. Cain sidled up to her and licked her face. If only she could talk to him while in cat form. She climbed a tree and found a sturdy branch then lay on it. Looking down, she watched him do the same, although he was awkward. Living in a big city, he wasn’t used to climbing trees, she guessed. She could hardly imagine life without being able to shift into her cat except in the privacy of one’s home.
She and Cain were panther shifters and the small black and spotted cats that lived in the forest were panthers. Possibly, he was a descendant from cats mating with other cat species but, for some reason, only he had become a shifter.
She watched Cain sleep and tried desperately to send her thoughts to him, but he seemed oblivious. He couldn’t hear her. Now that all was quiet and only the night sounds of the forest whispered around her, she thought about Cain and his cat. Was it possible he came from a planet like hers? Had there ever been black cats on her planet? Cain had told her he didn’t know of any other cat shifters. Was he the only one on this whole planet? She’d learned the planet was big with many populated regions. He couldn’t have searched everywhere.
Still pondering, she felt exhaustion wash over her and she closed her eyes, although her ears were perked and always on the alert for predators.
Chapter Six
As always, the little furry creatures wouldn’t leave them alone. When Cain woke, he shifted to human form and sat on the branch looking at her. She shifted out of her cat and told him, “Cain, it is danger. Shift back.”
“The monkeys are a nuisance,” he told her. “I’ve never been a cat for this long.”
“Monkeys?”
“The little animals that keep following and pestering us.”
“Oh. I learn new word. We call them sheeboo. It mean funny one.”
He shifted into his cat and they continued their journey, stopping only to drink and to eat some fruit or bananas. When the river became quite narrow, Tirzah knew they were getting close to home. She didn’t want to sleep anymore now, she wanted to continue, but Cain let out a growl when light filtered through
the thick foliage up above.
She turned and looked at him and he had stopped, his tongue protruding, indicating he was very tired. Of course, he wasn’t used to his cat for such a long time or traveling at such speed. She had to remember that, but now she could smell home and was anxious to get there. Maybe they could rest just a little while.
They found a very thick branch high up that could hold both of them. They lay lengthwise on it, but Cain shifted out of his cat again so she had no choice but to shift, too.
“Cain, many small things will bite you,” she warned him.
“Like what?”
She made a buzzing sound like the bloodsuckers.
“Mosquitos. You’re right. I’ve been immunized against malaria, so I’m safe there but they do cause bumps that itch. What other small things?”
“I do not know name. They go under skin. Do bad things. Change to cat. Please?”
“I love you,” he told her and quickly kissed her on the lips before he shifted. Tirzah sighed as she shifted back into her cat. Cain had no idea of the dangers of the forest, and they were still too far from the compound for immediate medical attention. Over the years, the elders had carefully guarded their medical supplies, but they had also discovered many plants and roots with healing properties. They’d made antidotes against some of the dangerous bites they often suffered as humans while scouting the forest.
She dozed for a while, growling every now and then at the curious monkeys. Waiting impatiently for Cain to stir, she finally growled loudly, startling him. He almost fell off the branch. She climbed down indicating she wanted to continue and she didn’t think he’d be too happy with her, but the sooner they got to the compound the better. She needed to be with him, as humans, not as cats. She needed him badly. Now that he’d awoken every grain of sexuality within her, she seemed to be in heat all the time and it was uncomfortable.
It was close to nightfall when they got to the fence around the compound. Tirzah walked through the water around it, and loped onto the sandy bank of the pond. Her people were at dinner. She walked toward them, Cain behind her. Before she had a chance to shift out of her cat, someone shouted loudly.
“It’s Tirzah and she has a black cat with her!”
Tirzah quickly shifted out of her cat and so did Cain. She reached out to him and took his hand, then pulled him toward the dinner tables. Most of her people were standing up by then. Her mother ran to her and flung her arms around her neck.
“Daughter, you caused me so much grief. We thought you were dead,” she said.
“What did she say?” Cain asked. “I have no doubt this beautiful woman is your mother. You look like her. Matter of fact, everyone sort of looks alike with the silver white hair and all and the same color eyes.”
“Mother thought I die,” Tirzah told him.
“She didn’t know where you’d gone?”
“No. I leave night. Only friend know.”
“Then I can understand your mother’s tears.”
“We cannot go dangerous zone. We stay close. Old ones have rule.”
“The elders, you mean?”
“Elders,” she repeated.
“Tirzah, who is this man? Where did you find him?”
“Mother, there is much to tell. We are very tired and hungry. Is there food for us?”
“Of course, child. Come and sit down. What is his name?”
“Cain. He is my mate.”
“There are many like him?”
“No. He doesn’t know. Mother, he has taught me much of his language and I have wondrous things to tell everyone. Can you call a meeting of the elders so I can tell all at once?”
“Yes, child. Tomorrow.”
Tirzah noticed her mother’s flat belly. “I have more brothers or sisters?”
Calira nodded. “One sister.”
“Cain, my mother is Calira and my father is Henke. He watch us with angry face.”
Cain held his hand out to shake Calira’s, but she ignored his friendly gesture, much to Tirzah’s disgust. They were wary of Cain and she had expected it. There would be opposition to their mating. She didn’t even want to think about what her father would say to her once he got her alone.
“Sit down and eat, daughter. And your Cain. Tell him to sit and eat. He is welcome, but you understand we have to be careful.”
“He is perfectly harmless, Mother. You will find out tomorrow when I tell everything. Sit,” she said to Cain in English. “Eat.”
“I’m rather amazed at everything here,” Cain said as he sat down. “Metal tables?”
“From the ship. The elders take all from ship to build house and table.”
“Fantastic work. I wonder how long ago they actually crashed,” he said while wolfing down the fish on his plate.
“Many moons ago.” She held up her fingers several times.
“Wow. And they are still alive?”
“Our people have very long life.”
“Will we sleep together?”
“No. The elders will not like. I sorry,” Tirzah said between bites. “Mother, where will Cain sleep tonight?”
“I don’t know, child. I’ll discuss it with the elders. I’ll tell them you trust him.”
“I have been with him for a long time. Yes, I trust him. He is safe and not a flesh eater. He is a very kind man.”
“Daughter, you haven’t known him long enough to judge that,” her mother told her tersely.
“Believe me, he is good. I have given my heart to him.”
Her mother’s sharp eyes bored into her. “What else have you given him?”
“Myself.” She wasn’t going to lie.
“Girl, I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into. But there will be no sleeping together until your mating ceremony. The Festival of Flames is soon. I will talk to your father when he’s in a better mood. Maybe we can hold the mating ceremony that same night. That’s if the elders will allow your mating. That is to be determined yet.”
After they ate, she walked to the waterfall with Cain. “Mother say we have mating ceremony first if the elders allow.”
“They are your parents. I can understand it. What if they don’t allow us to marry?”
“I will go with you.”
“You would go against your family and the elders?”
“Yes.”
“Honey, while you were talking with your mother, I was thinking about a lot of things. I have no idea how to get you a social security number, a birth certificate, even less how to procure those items for so many people. On Earth, in America, people have to have those.”
“What is that?”
“Paperwork to prove who you are. When a baby is born, the government gives you a birth certificate and a social insurance number. You need those to get a driver’s license and other things.”
“Oh. We cannot live your city.”
“I don’t know what to do. I have to make some inquiries.”
“Your elders? They help?”
“You mean our government. The dudes who run the country. Oh, my darling, you would have no life left and neither would your people. You’d be questioned, probed, examined and whatever else. They would probably hold you in a special place. No aliens have ever visited Earth, so you and your people would be very special. TV, newspapers, the tabloids, they would hound you if they could get near you. No, no one must ever know where your people come from.”
“Do people know you are cat?”
“No.”
“Your mother and father? Brother? Sister?”
“I am an orphan. I have no family.”
“Orphan?”
“The name for a child with no parents.”
“You have name, Cain.”
“Yes, that is what the nuns named me when I was found.”
“Where?”
“Apparently some old homeless man found me in a park and took me to a convent.”
“Sorry. It not good no family.”
“I survived. Th
at waterfall looks inviting. Is it cold?”
“Yes, but it clean.”
They stood under the cascading water together. Cain kissed her several times, but that was all. It wasn’t fair. The heat within her raged and she wanted him desperately. How to find privacy? Where? Unless they could sneak out late at night and go beyond the fence. Too dangerous. They would have to wait.
“Mother say we mate Festival of Flame in two nights.”
“I can wait,” he told her and patted her bottom. His hand left a burning imprint that surged into her abdomen.
Arms around each other, they walked back to the compound. Reluctantly, she kissed him goodnight and watched him walk toward his designated sleeping quarters. After he’d entered, she turned and opened the door to her parents’ home to find her mother waiting for her.
“Mother, you’re still up.”
“Of course, child. We need to talk.”
“If it is about your Cain, I don’t want to talk.”
“Indirectly, it is. It’s about his species. Pour yourself a cup of tea and come sit with me. I’ve missed you, daughter.” Calira patted the bench invitingly.
Tirzah hesitated. The last thing she needed or wanted was a lecture from her mother about her mate. “Where is Father?”
“He has to get up early. They are going on an expedition to find material to build more houses. When they return, you have to appear before the elders and report everything you’ve learned during your absence.”
“Mother, there might not be a need to build more houses. I have so much to tell you.” Tirzah quickly poured a steaming cup of tea made from a root her mother had discovered in the forest. She joined Calira and sat cross-legged on the bench made out of two tree stumps with a tree trunk split in half making up the seat.
She sipped her tea and allowed it to soothe her. Its herbal effect was calming, soothing her adrenaline into submission. “I’ve seen so much, Mother. There are people just like us far beyond the forest. They have different skin colors, hair and eyes, but they dress in clothing and they live in cities not unlike the ones on our home planet.”
Calira looked at her daughter, her face showing obvious interest, her eyes alert. “Go on.”
“When I came closer to the city, the villages and natives changed. They did not behave like the ones we’ve studied. I continued and arrived at a vast sea like the ones you’ve told me about. Then I came to a city with buildings and houses, shops where people bought food, clothing and other things. People ride in transports that move on four wheels, and some on two wheels. Mother, it’s something to behold. You see, you never explored far enough.”
TirzahsAllure Page 5
