by Celine Yorke
CHAPTER FOUR
Chan was worried about the other women taken prisoner. I want to talk this over with Gonzo and get his advice. He climbed up on the dais to talk to Gonzo. "What do you think of the other women's situation in the camp with the thugs?" Chan said.
Gonzo had a faraway look in his eyes. "Not good. I see the women being tortured and roughly treated. They need our help. You should get the warriors together and go and rescue them," Gonzo said
"Yes, that's what I think I should do. I can't stop thinking about them," Chan said.
A little party of warriors from the den set out to help the women. They were all athletic and each one of them had been trained by Chan. He was very disciplined, and pushed them all to be in top shape. As they got nearer the camp, they climbed the trees surrounding the area to check it out. It was late at night, and the only light was from the huge fire in the middle of the camp. The men were lying around the fire, either sleeping or high.
Chan sneaked into the camp to find out where they kept the five women. The jaguar warriors shifted into their human form and climbed the trees. They had their bows and arrows ready to strike in case Chan should be attacked.
Chan soon found the tent where the five women were kept. He crawled into the tent and saw all the women tied up together. He quickly put his hand up to his mouth and whispered, "Shhhh, I'm going to get you out of here, be very quiet and I will cut you loose."
"Oh, thank you," they all whispered back
After Chan cut them all loose, he told them, "Wait here. I'll be back. I have to go and alert my helpers, who are waiting behind the trees."
Chan sneaked back to let the warriors in on the situation. "I found the women, and they're waiting for me to come back. You all need to move a little closer to the camp so you can get a better shot at the thugs if they should give us trouble. We'll take the women out quietly, one by one."
The women were scared, and whispered to each other, "Who is he? Can he really help us? Where is he taking us?"
"We don't have any other choice than to follow him. It can't be any worth than staying here with those wild and brutal crooks," Anne said, trying to calm the other women down.
Then Chan came back to the women. "I'll get you all to crawl behind the tent one at the time." One of the men got up from the fire and walked over towards the women's tent. Before he'd reached it, an arrow went straight through his chest, and he fell to the ground. One of the other men saw one of the women crawl out of the tent and grabbed his ax to stop her. He didn't get far before an arrow went through his chest too. Soon all the women were hiding behind the tent.
"So far so good. Now, everyone run as fast as you can over to the trees and hide behind them. Don't worry, people are watching out for you in case one of the brutes try to harm you," Chan said.
All the women got safely into the jungle. They gathered together around Chan, and his warriors circled around them.
"We'll take you to our den, where you'll be safe until we can find a way to get you out of the jungle," Chan said.
Each of the five women said, "Thank you for helping us." They looked around at the big muscular men standing around them, but they couldn't see too much of them in the dark.
"You're welcome, but we still have to get to our den. It's a long walk. You must stay close together, because it's now hunting time for the big cats," Chan warned them.
"Oh, will it be safe?" one of the women said in a shaky voice.
"You'll be safer with us than with those natives," Chan assured her.
They walked all night, and just before sunrise, they heard a roar. Chan and the warriors stopped dead in their tracks.
"Get back in the bushes and hide," Chan yelled to the women. Right before their eyes, he shifted his form to a jaguar, as did some of the warriors. Three big cats appeared on the scene, ready to fight. Some of the warriors climbed the trees with their bow and arrows ready. The women ran for their lives into the bushes and hide. They watched the big fight taking place between the three cats and the jaguars through the leaves of the bushes. The roars and growls coming from the cats made them shiver. But the cats were outnumbered, and soon retreated from the fighting grounds, back into the jungle. Nobody needed to be killed, which was a relief for Chan; he only killed when it was absolutely necessary.
The women stayed in the bushes, shocked over what they had just witnessed. "What kind of creatures are they, to be able to transform into an animal just like that?" Patricia asked.
"They must be shape-shifters," Anne said as she shook her head. What have we gotten ourselves into now?"
"This might be a dumb question, but what are shape-shifters?" One of the women whispered in a shaken tone of voice.
Chan changed back into his human form again and came over to the bushes where the women were hiding. He called out, "It's safe to come out now; we've chased the cats away."
Shocked and exhausted from the long walk, the women came crawling out of the bushes, not sure what to expect next.
"We'll stay here and rest for a while," Chan said. "Come and sit down over here on some of the tree stumps, I need to explain our situation to you." Chan led them over to a group of fallen trees.
"We are nearly at our den now, but as you just witnessed, we're not the ordinary people you might have thought we were. We are all shape-shifters, but we are peaceful people. You are safe; you don't need to fear us."
"I've heard of shape-shifters, but I have never met any before," Anne said.
"If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them," Chan said.
"Maybe later. We are too tired to think of anything now," Anne said.
After they had rested for a while, Chan got up and said, "We better get a move on; it may not be safe to stay here for too long."
They all got up and started to walk the last little distance to the den. When they arrived, Romina and Candela waited for them at the entrance to the den to welcome them.
"Oh, you made it here, Candela. We have been worried about you!" Patricia called out.
"Hi. I'm so glad to see you guys. I was hoping you'd all made it out of that camp before those brutes started to hurt you."
"We'll tell you all about it later on. We're worn out after the long trip through the jungle," Anne said.
The jaguar women helped the human women settle down in the main cavern. They brought them some warm soup and spread out a lot of pelts on the floor so they could sleep comfortably. They were all grateful to be rescued from the natives.
The next morning, Candela joined them in the main cavern. She wanted to have a good talk to the women. She was anxious to find out what had happened to them.
"They mistreated us and were very rough towards us. We didn't dare to stand up to them, because as soon as we didn't do as they demanded, they hit us and kicked us around. Then they would all laugh at us. We were terrified of them. Candela, you were so lucky you got away from them and found those nice people to help us out of there. You showed a lot of courage, taking that trip through the jungle by yourself. We are grateful to you," Anne told her.
"Thank you. But I'm so sorry to hear what you had to go through. I feel very bad for you! How terrible," Candela said
None of the women cried. They just sat there looking at Candela, their faces were more or less without any expression. They had been through terrible suffering and it left some deep emotional scars on each of them--she could see it on their faces. They stayed in the den for a few days, and the pride did what they could to make them feel cared for.
Philippe had been in the den for a month; it was time for the helicopter to come back for him. To his surprise, the pilot brought him a letter from his father.
Philippe had promoted one of his trusted employees to be the manager of the den, ensuring that the other shifters would be safe whenever he was away somewhere. He hasn't any worries, and could stay out there in the jungle for as long as he liked. But to be safe, and in case there was an emergency, he told the pilot to come bac
k in another month to check on him.
He didn't really want to go back yet, so he was happy to let the women take his place. It was a bit crowded with the five women on board, so Candela was happy to give up her seat too.
CHAPTER FIVE
Romina and Candela sat at the fire, chatting in the big cavern, when Romina felt a strong pain going down her back. As she began to rub her spine, a painful expression flickered across her face.
"Are you okay? Are you in pain?" Candela asked.
"Yes. Could you please rub my back? I don't feel too well."
"Sure, of course I can." She got up and started rubbing her muscles.
"Oh, the pain seems to be getting stronger. I feel very uncomfortable. Maybe I should go and lie down."
"I will help you back to your room," Candela offered.
"Thanks you, I might need a bit of support."
Candela followed her back to her room and helped her to get into the bed, then made her comfortable.
"Romina, I think you might be in labor."
"Yes, I think you're right. Can you please go and let Nandi now?"
She hurried back into the cavern to find Nandi, the pride's nurse. "Nandi, Romina has strong pains in her back. She is in her room."
"Sure, you better come with me. If she is in labor, I'll need an assistant to help out."
They both went back to Romina and came into her room just as she was having a strong contraction.
"Let's get you out of bed and do a little walking around in the room to ease the pain," Nandi said.
"Okay, if you think it will help." Romina made an attempt to get up, but it seemed to be difficult for her. Nandi put an arm around her shoulders and helped her out of bed. "Here lean on me while we walk around the room." Romina leaned right into her for support, and it did help to take the pressure of the womb.
As the contractions got stronger, Nandi spread out a cotton rug on top of the pelt and ordered Romina to lie down on it.
"Candela, go and get a bucket of hot water and some soap," Nandi said.
"Yes, soap and water coming up." Candela hurried out in the corridor, where she ran into Chan on his way to check on Romina.
"Oh good, you're here. Romina is having strong labor pains. I think your little cub will soon be ready to be born."
"Is she okay?" Chan looked both excited and worried.
"Yes, but in pain. I need to get some hot water for Nandi; where do I get that?" Candela asked, still new to living in the cave.
"I'll help you." Together, they carried the water and soap back to Nandi.
Romina was relieved to see Chan. He went over to bend down beside her. Small drops of perspiration sprang up all over Romina's hot body. Chan wiped her face with a small towel and sat down next to her, holding her hand.
"Is it nearly time?" Chan asked Nandi.
"No, he's not quite ready to come yet. Romina will still be in labor for some time," Nandi answered.
"Is it a BOY?" Chan said, with surprise in his voice and a smile on his face.
"That's the vibes and the scent I'm picking up," Nandi said.
Chan was delighted.
Romina's contractions were getting stronger, and she was now in a lot of pain, hanging on to Chan's hand and wouldn't let it go. She hunched over and let out a loud whine. "Please don't leave me," she pleaded with him.
"No, don't worry, darling. I'll stay here with you as long as you need me." He kissed the top of her head and kept rubbing her back to release some of the pain. Chan felt awful; he wished he could take some of her pain.
"Ohhhh, it HURTS...oh my God, I feel as if I'm going to split open! Auuuugh!"
"I have to do an examination of Romina now, so you'll have to get out of the way," Nandi said, pushing him away. She ensured the baby was in the right position. "Everything is ready, and he could come any time now."
"I'm so scared." Romina was in terrible pain. Tears were running down her face. She cried out, "I don't even know how to take care of a baby."
"Don't worry, we'll all help you," Nandi said.
"Keep pushing. I see his head now, pushing through. Oh, here he comes!"
Nandi cleaned and wrapped the little baby boy in a blanket, then handed him to Romina. She looked lovingly down at her baby, lying in her arms. Chan stood next to the bed with a big smile on his face, feeling very proud to be a father.
"It has been such an honor to be part of this birth. I love little babies, so I will be happy to help you take care of him," Candela said.
"Thanks for your help," Romina said. "Chan, do you want to hold him?" Romina passed the baby over to him.
He carefully took the baby with a loving smile on his face and held him. "He is so gorgeous. I think he is going to be as good-looking as his father," Chan said with a laugh.
"He needs a feed now, and after all that, I think both mother and baby need a sleep." Nandi took the baby and put him to Romina's breast. "There will be plenty of time to show the little fellow off. By the way, what are you going to call him?"
Romina and Chan looked at each other. They hadn't thought of a name for him yet.
"How would you like to call him Thomas? It's similar to our friend Tom, but not exactly the same."
"I like that. It's sweet," Romina said.
"Okay Thomas it is then," Chan confirmed.
He looked at Romina as she sat there nursing their baby. Her long dark hair fell down over her face. He pushed a strand of it back behind her ear. She is so beautiful. I'm so lucky to have her as my mate.
"Everyone leave the room now, because it's time for the mother and baby to rest," Nandi told them after the baby had been fed. "I'll sleep in here tonight so I can help Romina with the baby when he wakes up and wants a drink," Nandi said, her words brooking no debate.
Chan and Candela left the room and went into the cavern. Chan beamed with happiness, busy telling everyone he just had a son named Thomas. Everyone congratulated him, happy for the new addition to the pride.
The following days centered around showing baby Thomas off to everyone. Romina soon got used to handling little Thomas, especially with Nandi's help. Excited to be a father, Chan took pride in doing his share of taking care of Thomas, so Romina could get some rest and recover from the birth.
Whenever he had to attend to his duties as an alpha, Candela was happy to help looking after Thomas. She enjoyed the new experience of looking after a baby, and took her babysitting duty very seriously. She took many pictures of little baby Thomas.
Philippe looked at her and smiled. "It suits you, having a baby in your arms."
CHAPTER SIX
The award for the best women's fashion designs of the year was coming up. Serena had already been nominated. She had been working for the famous fashion designer Jock Lassalle for quite a while now. She had listened intensely to everything he taught her. She had come a long way and now she wanted to show the world how far she'd come. She drew up a few silhouettes and showed them to Jock.
"I'm impressed with your designs. Would you like me to help you choose the most suitable material for the outfits, Serena?"
"Oh yes, please Jock I need your advice," she said. Delighted, he went to help her with the project.
They went over to the fabric storehouse. She had designed three eye-catching outfits for young adults. The first one consisted of a retro-cut sports jacket and narrow jeans. Jock suggested she should use a light and soft material in a sky-blue color. It would be practical as well as looking smart. For the short, tight cocktail dress, they chose a navy blue material with a purple sheen to it. The third design was as an informal sleeveless dress. They chose a cherry-pink soft material for this outfit. It had thin shoulder straps and was fitted around the bust, with a short, flared skirt and a light jacket to match.
Isabella, the senior dressmaker, helped Serena out with the creation of the three outfits. She had picked Yvette to model her designs. They were friends from Serena's modeling days, and they had kept in contact ever since.
"Your designs look amazing, Serena. I'm so proud to be modeling them," Yvette said.
Everybody in the work room was busy for the upcoming event. They all tried to be helpful and were always willing to offer suggestions whenever their opinions was needed.
Andre, the fashion manager from Jean La Belle's fashion store, and Gaston, the producer for the yearly award fashion show, arrived at the same time at the luxurious Hotel De Triomphe. Jock, the owner of Jock Lassalle's fashion house, was already there waiting for them. He got up from his chair to welcome them.
"Hello, my friends, so nice to see you. I'm glad you could both come. We need to go over the plans and make sure we've thought of all the details involved." Jock shook hands with both of them, and they got seated in the comfortable lounge chairs. "We want this fashion show to be an evening for everyone to remember."
"Yes, I'll make sure of that. Here are the drawings of the floor plans. I've got a team of people ready to start setting it all up," Gaston said.
Jock looked at the drawings. The catwalk would be set up as a T-formed stage so the models could walk down the stairs at the end of the catwalk, and walk around among the tables. The round tables would be covered in white tablecloths, with eight guests at each table.
"That all looks fine to me," Jock said. "Andre, you will do what you do best; be the backstage manager for all the models."
"It's all under control. The dresses and outfits are all finished and ready. The models are picked out, and we've rehearsed them all on the catwalk. It went well."
