Kitty Outwits the Nude Serpent Man

After the Harvest Moon howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.

So, yesterday Pat introduced us to Itzcoatl, the Obsidian Serpent. The audacious demigod is naked and walking through Talbot’s Peak... well, what does a kitty shifter girl do when she catches sight of this potential danger to everyone she loves?
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Kitty Outwits the Nude Serpent Man

Instinctively, Kitty ‘Katrina’ Collins backed into the tight space between the library she’d just left, and Talbot’s Peak’s post office, a recent victim of the cutback. Not that postal mail delivery really mattered anymore. The town had already made plans at the latest meeting, hiring the Pony Express family as they were fondly called, to pickup and deliver everyone’s mail.

Unable to believe her eyes, at first, still Kitty squeezed herself in more tightly. The odor of serpent assaulted her nostrils. Aware she scraped her bare shoulders, she kept her gaze locked on the nude human striding boldly down the middle of the street, as if he owned the place. No, she corrected herself, as if he believed he was about to conquer the world.

Having not much use for the world at large, Kitty hardly cared about that. Talbot’s Peak, her friends... Dante, that’s who she cared about. That’s who she would claw-raking fight to defend no matter what.

Her hands flexed like cat paws, and her fingernails scraped the stone wall before she knew it. Nude man never broke stride despite several qawking stares. And, despite the mothers who sheltered their children against their bodies, blocking their view.

Where in the -- but then Kitty remembered. Most of the wolf packs were hunting for winter meat, and training their cubs in survival.

Obviously a serpent shifter of some kind, ‘nude self-important man’ was no Lamar. While slippery-dangerous, and entirely cunning at times, Lamar’s level of power paled in comparison. Switching to her feline vision, Kitty watched shimmering waves of energy emanate from the man’s centerfold-impressive physique.

Of course, he couldn’t compare to Dante, her alpha werewolf. Kitty trembled wantonly inside with the memories of their times together, and with their most recent contact -- what could only be called super amazing phone sex. Yee-ows, mee-ows!

As Kitty continued observing nude man’s progress through town, she had to wonder if his power rivaled Pasha, White Fang’s cat goddess lover. Not two days ago she’d met White Fang at the coffee shop, and they’d spent a pleasant hour or so chatting. He’d wanted to let her know that he had to leave for a few days, and Pasha would be watching over her.

Soon enough, it became apparent brazen serpent man followed his nose, searching for someone. Even though, he didn’t appear to be hungry, or to be an immediate threat, Kitty’s hackles raised. And with over half the town gone...

She stripped off her clothes and shoes, stashing them inside her large library bag. After shoving the fat bulky bag deeper into the narrow space, Kitty initiated her shift. It was her fastest way to Dante’s Pleasure Club.

Gaining her paws, she peered outward before bounding full speed across the library’s lawn. Now all she had to do was avoid the wolf shifters and the big cat shifters hunting in the forest -- avoid the wolfs, the coyotes, the bears, the raccoons -- any fearsome creature who wanted to make a meal out of a fluffy kitty cat.

Lord love a cat, she hoped the human hunters had been driven out by now. She’d had a few narrow escapes over the years with bullets singeing her fur. And, once her shoulder had been grazed.

Peaking back as she dashed into the woods, Kitty made certain Serpent Man wasn’t on her tail. She didn’t want to make the mistake of leading him to Dante, and everyone at the Pleasure Club.

Good thing she’d kept her exercise routine, Kitty decided as she raced pell mell along the barely visible path. Dante had shown it to her recently, during one of their brief telepathic connections. He’d insisted they keep some mind contact just in case. He’d also insisted she should know the shortest route to the Pleasure Club in case of an emergency.

Concentrating on the trail, and looking out for predators, Kitty couldn’t afford to lose her focus by mentally speaking with Dante now -- assuming she could make contact. Usually, she meditated first, or Dante entered her mind with his alpha forcefulness.

Suddenly hearing the swift chase of a wolf pack, then scenting a rabbit, Kitty veered off the trail. She bolted alongside it through bushes heavy with huckleberries. Damn, she would be a mess once she reached Dante, her pale coat stained by all the purple-red juice.

Dismissing her vain silliness, Kitty kept a sharp lookout and a sharp nose for bears. Likely they would be nearby gorging themselves. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, than the bushes jiggled wildly before her. A giant of a bear reared up, sniffing for her.

Relying on her reflexes, Kitty dashed between the beast’s hind legs, and hoped her long bushy tail didn’t get swiped. Free and clear, she thanked the One Spirit, and listened to the bear bellow with outrage.

Figuring, she’d run on the trail again, since she might lose her way, Kitty dodged around several huge pine tree trunks before her paws landed on the path. Lowering her head, she stretched out, and lengthened her stride.

With her breaths coming faster, Kitty struggled to keep her pace as she sprinted up the steep incline. Still, she kept her senses honed. Within moments, she caught a whiff of tiger, one of the Tiger Yakuza, who had shifted to big cat. Her adrenaline spiked, and she flew over the pine needle-covered ground.

Dante, Dante, she chanted in time with her racing stride. She had to tell him about Serpent Man -- she had to! She couldn’t face it if any harm came to him. If any harm came to those she loved in Talbot’s Peak. She just couldn’t.

Kitty bore down, forcing herself to race the last mile as if her life... no, as if Dante’s life depended on it. When she heard the yip-yip excitement of coyotes behind her, she knew they’d scented her fatigue, and decided she was an easy kill.

Her heart hammered as fear stabbed through her. Ignoring it, she hoped for another adrenalin rush.

Instead of evading the coyote’s pursuit, and looking for a hidey-hole, or climbing the first tall tree, Kitty stayed on the path. Since they weren’t shifters or supernaturals, she still had a good chance of outrunning them.

Do not fear me, the feminine voice encouraged. I am Pasha. I will protect you.

As if she formed herself from the very air, Pasha appeared as a big cat before Kitty -- a lioness breed she didn’t recognize at all. But then, as White Fang had explained Pasha was an ancient Egyptian goddess with strong magickal powers.

In the next instant, Pasha ran beside her, saturating Kitty with revitalizing energy. Thank you. Do you know where Dante is?

I have informed him of your arrival. He is returning to the club now.

I must tell him. We may be in danger.

You caught me unaware, Katrina. I would have assisted you sooner. Danger?

A Serpent Man. A conqueror. He is walking through town. Nude.

I will investigate once you are safe with Dante.

With the biker bar now in sight, Kitty felt her heart soar. Her body followed, and she flowed over the ground, feeling liquid and hardly noticing the rapid strike of her paws.

Within moments, Dante roared toward them on his Harley. He slid to a fast stop in the bar’s parking lot. Once his boot hit the kickstand, he launched off and headed toward her, all in one smooth powerful motion.

“Kitten. Katrina,” he shouted in his low, melt-her voice. Jogging toward her, he opened his arms.

As her heart leaped toward him, Kitty leaped. She felt herself gathered against Dante’s hard-muscled chest. Collapsing into his arms, she felt the loving warmth of his embrace.

“Don’t you dare shift,” he growled affectionately. “Not until we’re alone. No other man sees my woman naked.”

Kitty smiled inside as she nuzzled his neck. Dante. I couldn’t... couldn’t let you... the Serpent man... he’s coming. No, he’s here.

“Shhh, tell me all about it once we’re inside. Once I get you clothed, so I won’t be distracted by that beautiful body of yours. Hear me, Katrina?”

Hear you, she purred.
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Authoress news ~

The Kougar is also posting at the HAPPILY EVER AFTER BLOG today. The title is: Envisioning Beautiful Worlds for Romance Novels.
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Have a Magickal Shapeshifting Week!

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
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