. 01

Hi,

This is a shorter chapter but it is actually about half of the original chapter. I have added in Micah's POV. I do intend to get ETC up to this chapter but it will just take me time.

Thanks for all the comments. I look forward to reading the next lot.

MYGYPSY

*

I whimper against Kell's mouth and open my legs wider as I feel Conner close his lips over my wet passage. I thrust my hips up at his face as he sucks and licks at my opening. His mouth moves and his tongue flicks my clit as his fingers invade my passage opening and stretches me. I whimper against Kell's mouth again and my eyes fly open wide as Conner stops touching me. I jerk my mouth away from Kell's lips and look for Conner over Kell's shoulder.

"No! No! No," I protest as I see Conner slipping a condom on.

"Ahhh come on Babe, you know you want it," Conner coaxes as he moves up over my body, his hand back between my thighs teasing me making me jerk involuntarily beneath him.

"Get off my sister," I hear Mitchell growl angrily and Conner freezes. We both look towards where Mitchell is getting out of his sleeping bag.

"Get off her, she said no," Chris orders and I look his way to see both him and Timny getting to their feet. I hear Conner groan with frustration and I push against Kell's chest making him release me. I roll away from him and push up onto my hands.

"Stay right there Rosy," Chris orders sharply and I look towards him aiming to crawl to him. I hear Conner's sharp inhalation and freeze to look back over my shoulder at him as I realise I am just about to get to my knees and assume the 'present' position in front of him. I roll onto my side and lay flat.

"Sam! You're needed here now! Sam," Mitchell yells and then he is with me, pulling me to my feet and shoving me behind him as he faces Conner. "She didn't mean it Conner. She barely knows of most of our customs."

"What's going on," Sam asks as he rushes to the doorway.

"Your sister wanted to stop playing around and then she presented to me when I stopped," Conner snarls.

"I was going to crawl away from him," I protest.

"She was on her stomach and looked back at me," Conner hisses.

"Rosy didn't realise what she was doing," Chris interjects quietly.

"Well what is she doing playing around when she's coming in if she doesn't know what not to do," Kell asks evenly.

"What?" Both Sam and Mitchell hiss.

"I tasted it on her last night when we where playing around," Kell is trying to explain.

"I'm not! I can't be! I have another month," I protest.

"Larnie has started to come in," Kell says. "And as I was saying, I tasted it last night but not the night before."

"And Jazzy coming in, Shit! I should have known this could happen," Sam hisses quietly. "So you'll accept this has all been an unfortunate misunderstanding," Sam asks looking at Conner.

"Yeah," Conner says tightly after a moment's hesitation.

"There's a lot who would demand you step aside and let them take what your sister unwittingly offered," Kell says real quiet.

"And have her hate them," Conner scoffs. "They'd be real stupid."

"Now you toms are welcome to keep sleeping in here but I'm coming back in and you won't be playing around with Rosy anymore," Sam says firmly.

"What about Lotty," Chris asks.

"That's up to her," Sam says then glances at me. "And Rosy will be nice to her or else."

I nod my agreement and move closer to Mitchell.

"I'll be back in a few moments," Sam tells us firmly before heading out of the room.

"I'll get Rosy's sleeping bag," Timny mutters and I watch as he unzips my bag from where it was joined up with Conner and Kell's bags. I had been sleeping with them for the last three nights and we had been indulging in a lot of oral sex. I had been surprised the first night when the two toms turned their attentions on me but when they kept to the boundaries I quickly set, I enjoyed their prolonged teasing of my body. I'd had no idea that my enjoyment and drive was linked to my coming into heat.

When Sam returns he has Lotty with him and she glances at me nervously. I lower my gaze and try to convey that I am no threat but she continues to stand half behind Sam. He sets out their sleeping bag and gives instructions for my bag to be put on the other side of Mitchell's so I am well away from Conner and Kell. I settle into my sleeping bag but it is hard to try to get to sleep. My body is still humming with arousal and there is an empty ache between my thighs.

"Chris! Timny! Get up! Wake up boys," Wade's voice startles me awake and I hiss in fear as I scoot back against the wall at the sudden intrusion.

"Boss," Chris questions sleepily. The light is turned on and the toms lift their heads sleepily; amazingly Lotty is still asleep. I sit up and look around uneasily as Chris stumbles to his feet and kicks Timny, who is slow to react.

"All right! All right! I'm awake," Timny mutters angrily at Chris and swats at the leg that kicked him.

"Get up! We're heading back to our compound now," Wade orders then glances at Sam, Mitchell and me. "You three will stay here with Ray for the meeting in a few hours. When it's over you're to head back home," Wade is curt and snaps his orders before looking back at Chris and Timny.

"Come on! We don't have all day!"

"Is there a problem Boss," Sam asks getting to his feet and helping the two toms to gather their belongings.

"Wade got an emergency call from Micah that Jazzy has taken a very bad turn. One of her worst," Ray says quietly from the doorway.

"Is Jazzy all right," Mitchell demands as he gets to his feet hurriedly, worry etched deeply into his face.

"It's not looking good," Ray answers softly and a moan of pain comes from Mitchell.

"Boss please let me go back with you," Mitchell begs of Wade.

"You belong here with your sister and Ray," Wade snaps curtly. "This attack is most likely the result of that little stunt you and Jazzy pulled!"

"I need to be with Jazzy," Mitchell implores.

"No," Wade orders without raising his voice.

I climb to my feet and walk up to Wade. I put my hand on his arm and he looks at me in surprise. "Wade, my Alpha. Please, for Jazzy's sake, take Mitchell with you instead of Chris and Timny. Jazzy is in love with Mitchell, if you haven't noticed. She wouldn't have taken the risk if she didn't love him. She needs him. He needs to be there too," I say softly as I keep eye contact with him.

"No! It's all his fault my daughter is fighting for her life," Wade snaps angrily.

"Well let her see Mitchell so she knows she has good reason to fight for her life," I snap at him and his eyes narrow and his nostrils flair as he looks at me, but I refuse to blink or look away.

"Mitchell, grab your stuff," Wade hisses. "Chris, Timny, stay here with Sam and Rosy."

"Just grab what you need Mitchell. I'll make sure the rest comes home with us," I say without looking at Mitchell. I hear him scrambling to get his belongings but I don't break eye contact with Wade.

A few moments later I hear Mitchell hurry from the room and then Wade turns away from me.

"I hope Jazzy is better soon," Ray says as Wade walks past him.

"From your lips to the ears of the Almighty," I say the prayer.

"From your lips to God's ears," everyone else in the room says at the same time as me. I hear Wade pause a moment then hurry away. I take a deep breath and then my legs collapse with reaction, and someone catches me before I hit the floor. My head rests against a hard chest and I can smell Sam as he holds me.

"Don't ever question an Alpha's decision like that again," Ray orders and his voice comes from somewhere close by level with my head.

"Oh Rosy, you are a foolish, foolish brave little thing," Sam scolds gently as he rocks me.

"She's right you know," I hear Lotty say quietly. "Jazzy has been crazy for Mitchell for as long as I can remember, and if she is as sick as Wade says then she'll need Mitchell to be there for her to see that he cares about her as well."

"Rosy, lie down and try to sleep. We have a very important meeting to attend in a few hours," Ray tells me quietly. "And there are a few important cats I want you to meet."

I nod against Sam's shoulder and allow him to put me into my sleeping bag like a baby. Chris moves his bag to cuddle against my back and I lay staring at the space where Mitchell had been.

* * * * *

I sit in the front passenger seat of the four-wheel drive and watch out the front windscreen as we travel. Sam is driving with a white knuckled grip on the wheel while Chris and Timny sit in the back wearing grim looks.

As we drive through the dappled shade from the trees, I can't help but remember the conversation Lotty had with me. She'd offered some female advice since she figured I didn't have any female I felt I could turn to. She explained that all the young she-kitts worked out an arrangement with a tom they liked or trusted and the tom was given an invitation to be at the family compound while the she-kitt was in seclusion in her heat. If there were no special toms in attendance, then the tom that the she-kitt had made the arrangement with would receive the invitation into the cage. It was how the she-kitts managed to ensure they had someone acceptable when needed.

I frown as I look out the passenger side window and realise I have made no such arrangement. I had wanted to speak to Sam after talking to Lotty so he could let Conner and Kell know that they would be receiving invitations to be at the Williamson Compound during my heat. But in the rush to get back home I had forgotten to speak to Sam.

The atmosphere in the vehicle is tense. Both Chris and Timny are upset with me. I can understand Chris being upset with the attention I received from Conner and Kell, but I am at a loss as to the cause of Timny's annoyance. I can only guess it has something to do with his sister Donna. When word had gotten around that I was coming into heat

the morning after Wade and Mitchell's hurried departure, Donna had hung around me always within sight. For some reason she seemed hostile towards me but not game enough to confront me with whatever was bothering her. I heave a deep sigh as I worry about the entire situation and jump in surprise when Sam speaks.

"Don't worry. Jazzy will be fine. She has to be," he tells me and I hear murmurs of agreement from the back seat. I realise they have forgotten about my coming into heat early with the news of Jazzy's illness, and I am slightly relieved that Micah and Steven won't be alerted to what is happening as I don't know if I can handle their attentions at the moment.

"Only another hour and a half before we get home," Sam comments with a glance at his watch. The time travelling home went fast but at the same time has dragged on for what seems like an eternity. The toms have only stopped for food because I am with them, and we all chaffed at the small delay this caused. Toilet breaks have been few and far between despite the amount of fluids we have consumed.

The time away as well as interacting with other werecats has let me see many things more clearly. I now see all the things Micah's done to try to start a relationship with me: getting me to feed at his kills, the constant touching, and the way he cut both Edwin and Steven out of a lot of things to do with me. I close my eyes miserably and lean my head back against the headrest while I try to push all thoughts from my mind. I shouldn't be thinking about my problems when Jazzy is so sick.

"How long has Jazzy been sick like this," I ask.

"She was about two and a half, maybe nearly three when she started getting sick. She had bad turns every four to six months for years but she's been much better the last two years. She had been much better." Sam's voice goes quiet.

"Doc says it's her heart, congit ... congeeknee..." Chris stumbles over the words.

"Congenital heart failure," I guess.

"Yeah," Sam mutters and I clench my teeth in anguish. I am silent the rest of the journey, managing to doze for half an hour and find relief from the stress. I am wide-awake when Sam parks near the quarters and I get out of the car to stare across at the main house.

"How is Jazzy," Sam asks and I look to see Malcolm has come out to greet us.

"She's changed to cat form and is unable to change back. Mitchell has been with her since he got back. Doc says it's making her a lot more calm and relaxed but she is in a real bad way," Malcolm says quietly.

"You are to eat then go to the house so you can go in and see her when she is awake," Steven says as he comes out of the quarters.

"We've already eaten," Sam tells him.

"When and where?"

"An hour after we started out at ..." Chris begins.

"Inside and eat. Micah's orders," Steven says flatly.

I head inside hoping the others will follow. After all, the faster we eat the faster we finish and get to see Jazzy. There is cold pizza on the table and I grab a slice and bite into it chewing quickly. I eat half a pizza and wash it down with soda before turning and heading outside. Sam, Chris and Timny are still eating as I push past Steven, growling threateningly when he tries to stop me. I jog over to the main house and knock on the front door. Marissa opens the door after a minute or so and pulls me into a quick hug, clinging for a few moments before letting me go.

"This way Rosy," Marissa tells me and leads the way to an area of the house I have never been. She shows me to a room decorated in pretty pastel colours with all kinds of frills and bows. Mitchell is sitting on the floor with Jazzy curled up half on his legs, while Micah sits against the bed on the floor, looking seriously out of place in the very feminine room.

Jazzy lifts her head and I move to sit on the floor near her. She moves to push her furry head against my chest and I scratch behind her ears as she snuggles close. Even without a stethoscope I can hear her laboured breathing and see the way her uneven heartbeat shows against her ribs. I put my arms around her shoulders and bury my face against her neck as I hold her. She snorts and lifts her head to look me in the face. I see her knowledge of what is happening to my body in regards to my heat in the twinkle of her eyes. I rub her neck roughly making her purr and I laugh at her.

"You're a fine one to talk," I tell her.

"What," both toms ask in unison.

"You wouldn't understand. Just girl talk," I say with a wink at Jazzy and she snorts again before taking a sniff of me. Micah moves over to sniff and growls low in his throat as he smells Conner and Kell's scents from their goodbye hugs.

"Oh by the way Micah, Belladonna Stephan said to say hallo," I say.

Lotty had informed me Donna invited Micah into the cage with her twice. Micah flushes red but says nothing as he moves back to where he was. Mitchell glances at my face and I give him a tight smile before turning back to Jazzy.

"Donna, Celeste, Larnie, Lotty and Adriana said to say hallo," I tell her. Jazzy lies down with her head resting on Mitchell's lap and I can't help but notice how laboured her breathing has become. I glance towards the door at the sound of footsteps and want to beg Doc to help Jazzy as he walks into the room followed by Wade.

"How are you feeling now Jazzy," Doc asks quietly. "Ready to try to change back yet?"

"Jazzy has tried not too long ago. She only managed to wear herself out even more," Micah tells Doc, trying to hide the concern in his voice.

"She's happiest like this," Mitchell tells Doc and my heartaches for the pain in his voice.

"Why don't you change to be with her," I ask Mitchell and a hard hand descends on my shoulder pulling me to the doorway away from Jazzy.

"My daughter is still on heat! Your brother is not going to get another chance to jeopardise her health," Wade tells me pushing me out of the room.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I say desperately, but Wade refuses to let me back into the room.

"Shhh!" Doc snaps and I look past Wade to see Doc listening to Jazzy's heart then her lungs and her heart once again. "If I didn't know better I'd say there was some kind of growth in her heart causing a partial blockage," Doc mutters to himself.

I watch as Jazzy yawns, noting the colour of her mouth and gums, her laboured breathing and the evidence of her heartbeat on her ribs. An idea slowly begins to form and I back away before hurrying from the house. A faint memory teases at the edge of my mind and I frown as I try to remember the details more fully.

"Are you okay," Sam asks quietly making me jump nervously and I grimace unhappily.

"In trouble again I'm afraid. I can't seem to stop putting my foot in my mouth. Look I need to go somewhere. Can you take me," I ask.

"I'm not going anywhere until ... one way or the other. Whatever it is it can wait," Sam tells me coldly and pushes past me to head to the house.

"Sam ..." I am just about to tell him where I want to go and why, but he turns around outraged.

"No Rosy! And I mean it! Now get to your room! We are going to have serious words when I get back," Sam snaps and I am left to stare after him shocked by his temper.

I stand there silently as Chris, Timny, Malcolm and Steven file past and head into the house. I turn away disheartened but resolved to do whatever I have to. I decide against going back to the quarters and start looking for a vehicle with keys in it or one I can easily hotwire. Unfortunately the only one I find with keys in it is Wade's personal car, a neat little sports model in shiny metallic blue. Deciding it will have to do and that what I am about to do will either earn me total forgiveness or end my time here. But if Jazzy dies I don't want to be here to see Mitchell's pain so I swallow my misgivings and slip behind the wheel of the car.

I hesitate a moment as my hand hovers over the key in the ignition and I look at the quarters and then at the main house one last time. Micah and Steven are coming out of

the house and I bite my bottom lip as I turn the key and the engine roars to life. I see both of them turn towards the sound and I fumble nervously as I slip it into first gear. I hear Micah yell and then I gun the engine and send gravel flying as I shift quickly through the gears. I am halfway down the driveway when I look in the rear view mirror and see Micah's car speeding after me. I chance a bit more speed on the unpaved road and groan as a four-wheel drive turns in the drive way. I lean forward over the wheel glancing between the vehicle behind me and the vehicle in front of me. At the last second I drop the sports car back a gear and rev the motor as I take it off road and around the four-wheel drive with Dwayne at the wheel.

The car fishtails dramatically as I speed out of the driveway and onto the main road, heading in the opposite direction to where I want to go. I refuse to look in the rear view mirror as I push the car faster and faster. I speed through intersections relying on my cat reflexes and begin to take a far ranging round about route to where I really want to go.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I look towards the doorway as I recognise Rosy's footsteps. She follows Marissa into the room and with a quick glance rushes straight to Jazzy who is curled up in cat form against Mitchell in human form.

It is astounding to see how close Jazzy and Rosy have become in the short time Rosy has been here. It is obvious in the way Rosy carefully cuddles Jazzy who is now extremely weak. So weak that the scent of her heat is nearly non-existent and all of us are able to visit with her.

Jazzy's soft laugh in cat form catches my attention. "What," I ask.

"You wouldn't understand. Just girl talk," Rosy dismisses.