Author's note:
Hello again!
I've been a bit slower at getting this chapter out, due partly to a bout of bad health and not wanting to a repeat of what happened with the last chapter. That brings me to my second point of address; I realised too late (due to my own silliness) that I left behind some errors in the last chapter which may have confused some of you.
By this I'm referring to the mix up of names with a couple of characters. I had originally intended for the characters to be named as follows Nathaniel (Jackson), Jackson (Nathan), Chloe (Brook) and Brook (Chloe). However between starting to write chapter 2 and doing the final edit to chapter 1, I decided to swap them around and despite heavily editing chapter 2 I missed a couple of mentions of their previous names, thank-you to all the readers who took the time to let me know.
I apologise if this has caused any confusion to anyone following my story -- rest assured that I don't plan to change any more of the names of the characters introduced thus far.
Meanwhile I wanted to get a little more creative (adventurous?) with chapter 3. Rather than just giving you all the same old thing as other stories in this genre. I wanted to try and see if I could push the boundaries a bit more. Sadly I fear that I may just end up shooting myself in the foot while I attempt to breathe life into my ideas.
Oh and since a couple of readers have pointed out that the change of POV was sometimes hard to decipher I will - from here out - be using an * to break the text when the POV changes between characters in the same scene, I will continue to use the ~ ~ for when the scene or group changes. Please let me know if this makes it easier or harder to follow.
But without further ado - Here it is!
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Animal Instincts Ch 03
The mammoth smoky black canine restlessly paced the track - the sleek outline of muscles tensing and relaxing rhythmically with each stride, leaving behind indents from paws the size of saucers well imprinted into the soft carpet - from the window to the closet door, around the bed to his man's side, back to the window again. He was as nervous and as agitated as James was at the turn of events; he had personally thrilled that the woman had so eagerly allowed James to bring her to their home, even more so as James seduced her. But what happened after that was inconceivable.
Skye - as his man had called her -- had been writhing beneath them, lost in bliss when suddenly her entire body coiled as tight as a spring and the horrible convulsing had started. Her thrashing had inadvertently broken James' nose, smothering them both with blood, but that had healed in the long hours since.
Returning to James' side, Ka'tah dropped his broad head to rest against the arm of the chair, a low whine escaping his chest. He could feel James' despair filtering through their connection; after she had first slipped into unconsciousness she had at least made twitching movements every so often, however it had now been hours since even her eyes had fluttered. Something was very, very wrong.
*
James sat slumped in the chair, the constant bouncing of his knee and the incessant drumming of fingers on the arm rest and the desperate way he clutched the soft blue dress belying his anxiety for the woman tucked up in his bed. It was twelve hours ago that she had had her eyes open and had been moaning her pleasure underneath him; now she lay unconscious, her face drawn and slightly pale. How could things have gone from utter perfection to this, disaster?
"I don't like this Ka'tah, why won't she wake up?" The beast lifted his huge head and eyed the outline of the small woman.
I know no more than you see James, as far as I can tell there is nothing physically wrong with her
James nodded wearily he knew better than to question the judgement of his familiar, standing awkwardly he groaned as he stretched the stiffness from his limbs; he had barely moved an inch from the moment this nightmare had begun. Hell he hadn't so much as left her side for a single moment, instead he and Ka'tah had cleaned her up and settled her as comfortably as best they could then began their long wait.
He felt Ka'tah making a gentle reminder to run once the situation had improved -- whenever that would be. Draping the crumpled blue cloth he had been clutching across the foot board of the bed. "I need to make some calls, call me if anything changes."
With a soft huff Ka'tah shook himself as he shifted; his size decreasing dramatically, as with one last wiggle he took on his favourite wolf form, before bouncing lightly up onto the end of the bed. Settling himself to keep watch, his nose nuzzled into the folds of soft fabric of the dress -- the delicate fragrance of her scent teasing his nostrils and placating their wrought nerves.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It had been a quiet day in the clinic; the only even of any interest being two very flustered mothers each dragging their bedraggled and scuffed offspring into the waiting room with a fractured jaw and a sprained wrist, after patching the two boys up and arranging follow up visits the following morning with their mothers rounds with the less hostile patients continued.
Rachael Martin moved methodically working her way around the cages lining the surgery walls -- a slender creamy-gold feline with feathered black ear tips and darker gold and black rosettes down its sides gracefully following at her heels -- checking on the various animals in her care.
Bending down to a large ground level cage, she inspected the latest edition to the clinic, a small creature -- no larger than a small dog with a bear-like appearance she had learnt was called a Fisher. He had been brought in by a local ranger, although sporting some minor injuries the largest concern was how desperately malnourished and underweight it appeared.
Even as skilled as she was, the poor wretch just didn't seem to respond to any of the treatments she tried; if there was no sign of improvement soon her hand would be forced to euthanize the sorry thing, something she had strong views about and only turned to as a very last resort.
"What do you make of him Indra?" The feline edged closer to the enclosure lowering her broad head below her shoulders, muscles and whiskers twitching as she scented the creature balled up on the other side of the bars.
It is a pathetic thing, all I smell is fear. It's not even worth eating.
Rachael frowned slightly at Indra's comment, while absently running her fingers through her beasts' soft fur. She loved Indra more than life itself, there were no words to describe her appearance she was beyond beautiful; but the coldness of her personality was something else. At times Rachael wondered if she had a caring bone in her body, but then she would recall how strongly Indra had pushed her to fight for her place within the pack, not to mention that of her boys.
Rachael?
"Hmmm?"
Your phone is ringing
"Oh" Rachael quickly snapped out of her distraction and crossed to her desk, as Indra sat to bathe herself, checking the call id she wondered briefly why the Alpha was calling her.
"Afternoon James what can I do for you?"
"Hi Rachael, sorry to bother you but is there any chance you could swing past the Manor?"
"Sure, when would you prefer?" Rachael wondered at the obvious tiredness in James voice, but didn't get a chance to question it further.
"It's kind of urgent. I have a bit of a situation." Rachael's eyes widened in surprise, Indra paused mid-lick to watch her; that James had a situation of any kind meant bad news. A nudge at her thigh, found Indra with her medical bag gripped between her incisors; Rachael tossed in a few more supplies then zipped it closed, "I'm on my way."
Twenty minutes later she pulled her car -- a sleek black Cadillac SRX - to a stop in the driveway of her Alphas residence. Although she had abandoned her physical form, Rachael could feel Indra's curiosity strongly through their bond and couldn't help quickly baiting her beast, 'curiosity kills cats Indra,' no sooner had her thought left her did she felt the cat prickle with annoyance.
Rather than wasting time with your ridiculous comments shouldn't you be seeing what James wants?
"Yeah, yeah, come on sour puss," she grabbed her carry bag and stepped from the car; Indra sprang from the car as soon as the door was open, lightly padding across the light grey gravel towards the entrance, tail flicking as she waited for Rachael to open the front door.
Making her way into the spacious kitchen Rachael paused; Indra instinctively leaping up onto the nearest bench top dropping into a defensive crouch, as the unmistakable warning growl reverberated in the air, Ka'tah stalked a few paces into the room hackles raised and ears flattened against his skull.
"Ugh, James?" Rachael dropped her eyes away from the agitated wolf before her, keeping her gaze on his paws. She had never seen Ka'tah so worked up before and immediately her nerves were on edge, if the wolf was this high strung then what of the master?
Moments later Ka'tah gave a low huff, before disappearing back around the corner from which he had appeared; Rachael looked quickly at her cat and gulped as she saw and felt that Indra had also grown more concerned at their unsettling greeting. Stepping into the hall she kept her fingers buried in the cat's fur as they made their way to whatever mystery lay before them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Looks like she's coming to" Skye sucked in a breath, and found herself wracked in a mild coughing fit. She felt utterly exhausted.
"Skye! Skye can you hear me?" she tried to open her eyes, but found herself blinded by bright light.
Ugh... Who turned on the light?
"Shit, the blinds..." She heard the soft thud of footstep, a soft whirling hum then footsteps again "Skye, can you hear me
