The Rogue Stray Cat Struts His Stuff

 
Tuesday howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.

Ever hear one of those songs that just tickles you no end? Well, that's your flash scene for today. I hope you enjoy.

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The Rogue Stray Cat Struts His Stuff

"A crash course in Earth culture," Kalina muttered, practicing her use of the English language. She waved her hand over the wall-sized monitor, installing the last of the current information gathered from the world wide web, including the depths of the dark net, and all the Q-clearance intel organizations she'd discovered.

Instead of an AI assassin, she'd become more of a bits-and-bytes spy. Entering the cyberworld as frequency consciousness, Kalina hid out, observing the flash and flow of traffic. Whenever lightning-pulses of secret info appeared, she chased the signature-stamped pulses down to source.

The project to save endangered information on the internet had become a serious priority with Dante. Ever since pages he'd saved to his primitive hard drive had disappeared on the net, the alpha werewolf had become a fiend for storing every last cyber-info bit he could get his paws on. To that end, over the last year's time, he'd hired a  growing team of top-predator nerds.

Now hunting down the shadow-system perpetrators of scrubbed info, had become the favored sport of these shapeshifter nerds, and Kalina had given them tips on how and where to find their prey.

Recently, she'd helped to design the ultimate storage system, along with a secretive shifter who called himself Rogue Stray Cat. Speaking of, Kalina heard him crooning his adopted theme song as he sauntered toward the super-secured room.

"Black and orange stray cat sittin' on a fence... Ain't got enough dough to pay the rent... I'm flat broke but I don't care ... I strut right by with my tail in the air."  With that Rogue Stray peeked through the crack of the sliding door, and grinned at her.

Tall, thin, with an air of regal nonchalance, he strolled inside. The door auto-shut behind him, and he took a quick swallow of his mud java as he called his first cup of coffee. Raising his brows in question, he gaze directly at her. 

"Complete," Kalina answered, then smiled at him.

Rogue Stray flipped back a shock of black and orange hair. "Let's give it a trial run, kiddo. Then prep a program for capturing the latest and greatest on the world wide wiretap."

"Agreed. But first you have to sing... is it the chorus?"

With a smooth flourish of his wrist, he held the coffee mug like a mike, singing... "Stray cat strut, I'm a ladies' cat... A feline Casanova, hey man, that's where its at...Get a shoe thrown at me from a mean old man... Get my dinner from a garbage can."

After an affected wiggle of his dark brows, he added, "I have to tell ya, ET kiddo, the garbage cans around here are gourmet eatin'."

"I bet they are." Kalina giggled lustily. She couldn't help it around him. Even though her sweetheart squeeze, as she whispered in his ear everyday... one alpha wolf shifter, Zortega, the courageous man who had rescued her, and now possessively body-guard protected her daily... he would snarl and bare his teeth whenever Rogue Stray entertained her like this.

Learning he was all snarl and no werewolf-bite, Kalina always soothed Zortega with soft kisses on his large handsome face.

"When is that savage wolf mate of yours due today?" Rogue Stray seriously regarded her. Although, laughter shone in his moon-bright, dark yellow eyes.

Kalina well knew he feline-enjoyed baiting Zortega. With a toss of her long hair, she replied, "He has a long meeting today with Dante, and most of those in the inner circle. Those who patrol and protect Talbot's Peak Territory."

"Ah, then you're at the tender mercy of my claws," Rogue Stray bantered. He swallowed down much of his mud java, and when he looked at her again, the nerdish glitter in his eyes ignited. "Let's see what you've accomplished, little cyber miracle worker."

The next several hours flew by comet-swiftly, as Kalina demonstrated, then explained her crystal cyber library. No spider-net cloud where info could be easily hacked... no, the global information she'd collected was now permanently catalogued inside the specialized crystals she knew how to grow. The thumb-sized crystals dazzingly flickered whenever Kalina accessed them.

"Would you like to hear your theme song?" she asked, once they explored the music library. At his eager nod, she added, "Just start singing."

"I don't bother chasing mice around... I slink down the alley looking for a fight...Howling to the moonlight on a hot summer night...Singin' the blues while the lady cats cry, "Wild stray cat, you're a real gone guy."

Instantly, the immense screen displayed an icon for every recording, every video made so far, and included karaoke renditions. To Kalina's surprise and delight, the center image circled larger. And there he was, her Rogue Stray. Attired in a slouch hat, dark blue sunglasses, and a 'righteous' outfit, he stood in front the microphone. A three-piece band played behind him as he sang the lyrics in a blusie crooning yowl.

"Yep, it's me, kiddo." Pride colored his words. "You aren't going to let that singing cat out of the bag," he added quickly, but in his usual humor-filled tone.

"No. Not if you don't want me to." Kalina instantly knew she owned the image-key to discovering more about him. Perhaps to discovering his past, his origin. Who he truly was... at least, some major-star clues.

"That's the *claw cuts both ways* deal with worldwide access to info about anyone at any time, isn't it?" he quietly asked, his tone almost a purr.

"It is. Tracked, traced, and data-based, as they say." Kalina pointed to the giant monitor to mute the sound. She turned to face him. "It's why Dante examines anyone allowed to work at this level. Their character, I mean. He vetted you. Don't worry, I won't pursue more about you." She smiled to reassure him. "Although, my curiosity is high. I must admit."

"Curiosity killed the cat. In my case, satisfaction won't bring him back, kiddo. I got some mighty mean bad-ass guys on my tail. They don't give a rip or RIP who they eliminate on the way. If you get my drift?"

His words rang true as a space geyser about to erupt. "I understand. Being on the receiving end of bad-guy pursuit myself."

"So, I heard." He gave her a sly wink of comradery. "Enough of this lazin' about. Let's get some work done."

"One of these days, you'll confide in me, Rogue Stray kitty kat. I have one of those listening ears. That's what Zortega tells me."

"Someday," he promised, as they moved toward the master console.

Behind her, Kalina heard him purring-croon, "I wish I could be as carefree and wild, but I got cat class and I got cat style." 

"You do got cat class and style," she threw over her shoulder.

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Wishing you love and passion on the wild side ~

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance