The Journey

Chapter 11

Will A. Sanborn

11/21 - 12/3/94

Looking at me, widening her smile, Marissa lets her gaze drop, her eyes running appreciatively over my nude form. Perusing the entire length of my new felenzi body, she finally returns her gaze to my face, further calming my troubled mind. Bringing a black-furred hand up, she slowly places a single finger on my nose, running it down my muzzle, sending a small tingle of pleasure through me. "You look wonderful Ben," she says softly, with the slightest hint of purr.

Looking back at this beautiful felenzi, who for the past week has been my lover during this crazy journey, my heart fills with warmth. Seeing her through a new pair of eyes, I'm reminded yet again how adorable her spotted, furry form is. Looking deep into her greenish-yellow eyes, set in a feline head, with long, black, wavy hair flowing down, partially obscuring her pointed ears, my confusion is further washed away from me.

Smiling warmly at her, my spirits lifting, calmed by her caring presence, I let a small purr escape my lips as she begins to caress my cheeks. It feels so nice to have her touch me, so reassuring. Yet it's also different now, as my face has changed its shape so drastically. Her touch feels familiar, yet subtly new and different, as she glides her fingers along the furry contours of my face.

Reaching up with one of my hands, I bring it slowly, almost tentatively, toward my muzzle, touching the side of it. Running along the edge of my muzzle, it seems so strange to have my face jutting out like this, not to mention being covered in a layer of soft and warm fur. These foreign sensations send a small tremor of distress through me; luckily Marissa's soft touch helps to soothe my aching mind.

Trailing my fingers past my whiskers, a small tickle runs through me, feeling their slight roughness, noticing how sensitive they are. As my fingers glide over the soft, moist flesh of my nose, Marissa smiles at me. "This is really different for you isn't it?" as her hand brushes through my hair, scratching my ear lightly.

"Yes, it is... Everything feels so different... But it's not all that bad... and you're helping to make it a lot better," smiling as she tickles the sensitive nerves along my ear, causing it to twitch reflexively.

"Oh Ben... you do look so cute like this," then her eyes glistening just briefly, "especially since I thought you'd been taken from me..."

Taking my hand from its explorations along my face, I bring it to her body, my claws unsheathed only slightly, scratching along her side. She closes her eyes partially at this, letting out a purr of her own, as my fingers glide through her soft fur, caressing her pleasantly-familiar pelt. Soon, bringing my other hand to her, I put it quickly to use, reacquainting myself with my lover.

Looking at her, she's absolutely beautiful, and even with all that's happened and our present situation, I can't help but be lost in the moment, counting every single spot running along her adorable body. Her tail twitches wildly as I pet her, then aware of my own tail, new sensations registering in the back of my mind, I realize it's twitching too; I can feel it connecting to the root of my spine, moving seemingly with a life of its own.

Breathing in, Marissa's scent pours across my nostrils, rich and heavy, a spicy musk that's definitely feminine and oh so alluring. Perhaps it's just that my new nose is much more sensitive than my human senses had been, but her scent seems stronger, and as I breath her essence into my lungs, I can feel arousal stirring within me.

Pulling her closer, I bring my head to hers, rubbing our cheeks together, enjoying the feel of her fur ruffling gently against mine. Then dropping my muzzle to her neck, I gently nuzzle her there, before beginning to lick at her soft fur, my nostrils flaring at her scent.

Marissa releases several heavy purrs at this, her hands coming up behind me, tracing the outline of my spine, her claws oh so lightly plucking the nerves of my skin, even through my fur. Urged on by this, and sensing her wonderful scent is stronger down lower on her body, I begin to work my way down to her chest, nuzzling and licking softly, filling my lungs with her enticing presence.

Then all of a sudden, a wave of alarm ripples through her, her body stiffening up for just a fraction of a second. Before I even know what's happening, she jerks away from me, retreating quickly to the corner of the room. Looking at me, her eyes appear slightly glazed, but also filled with alarm.

As she crouches there, panting, I stare back at her, my own eyes wide with surprise, my lips pursed in confusion. "Marissa?" my voice soft, revealing my sudden pangs of hurt.

"Ben, you've got to stay away from me," almost hissing at me, her voice probably sharper than she'd meant.

"What?" my reply incredulous, blinking at her, my head feeling confused and fuzzy.

"I'm coming into heat," her voice a little softer this time. "We need to be careful... Otherwise we'll get lost in each other's scents... We need to keep our wits about us... We need to try and get out of here..."

Blinking again, trying to clear my head, the realization slowly creeps in upon me. "See Ben, you're already feeling the effects of it... as I was too... If I hadn't reacted soon... I wouldn't have been able to get you off of me... Not that I would've wanted to by then..."

Understanding the implications of this, my mind has cleared enough to think rationally, I can still smell her faintly, but I'm able to control the impulse to go her. "Marissa, how long will it last?" the idea of being swept along in a mating frenzy with her not without its merits, but it would also leave us more vulnerable to the lizards, and we couldn't risk that.

"That depends... the presence of a male can greatly affect it... I was nearing the onset when they brought you in here, and your scent sped it up... It can last for several days... It lasts a little longer if I don't get a chance to mate..."

Feeling a small shudder of excitement trickle through me, my mind reels at the notion of her being aroused for such a prolonged period of time, her wild scent pushing me on. Then looking at her, crouched in her corner, shivering lightly, sadness washes over me. Here's the woman I care so much about, and have shared so much with in the past several days; here we are thrust in this awful situation together and I can't even hold her close to me.

As if sensing these feelings stewing within me, she looks straight at me, our eyes connecting. "I know Ben... I want that too... but we can't risk it... We've got to think of something to get us out of here... We don't know what they're planning on doing with us..."

"I know..." letting it out with a sigh. Then taking one of the blankets, I move to the far corner of the room, letting her take the mattress while I hunch down on the hard, smooth stone floor. Wrapping the blanket around me give some comfort; the room really isn't all that cool, but I need it between the cool stone and my body. Marissa does the same, sitting on the mattress, the blanket wrapped tightly around her, probably more for security than anything else; also maybe to cloak herself from my wanting gaze.

Looking at each other sadly, tense and nervous, we wait. From here I can hardly smell her, and my mind has cleared even more. Now would be the perfect time for us to devise whatever brilliant schemes we could think of, but instead we stare blankly, the air heavy, weighted down with the knowledge that something is bound to happen soon.

Sure enough, not half an hour later, the door to our cell opens once again, the rock silently dissolving, but not without a hint of magic as it does so. Turning our attention to the revealed portal, eyes widening, fur ruffling, ears flattening back, we watch as a lizard enters. Walking with a determined gate, he still appears a little wary of us, and only takes a couple of steps into our cell.

Looking at him, dressed in the familiar cloak, he too appears to be sickly and malnourished, several dark spots speckling his face. Even though like the others, his cloak hangs on the skinny frame of his body, there's an air of power about him. He caries a metal tray with him, with a large lump of meat on it.

As he enters our chamber, both Marissa and I growl at him; I can feel it rumbling through me, rising up from my very core, low and ominous. Claws extending, teeth bared, crouching down into a defensive stance, we regard the intruder with cold and calculating gazes.

Staring back at us, his steely eyes cold with his own determination, his lips curl back ever so slightly, revealing his own set of predatory teeth. Then, only for an instant, the room is charged, sending a ripple of energy through us. It's more than a simple shock, it's brief, but it's also powerful enough to make every muscle tighten up, freezing us there, if only for an instant, as the cool bolt of power rushes through us.

Then, in an instant, it's gone, departing with the same speed it had flashed over us. Feeling my muscles relax so suddenly, my body sags against itself, before I manage to regain control a moment later. Panting, looking up at the lizard standing a few feet from us, I look into his steely gaze, my eyes likely awash with fear, as I fight back the tremblings within me.

Curling his lips in a slight grin, he regards both of us. "You know you can't fight us... Our power's too strong for you... If you persist, it will only hurt you..." His voice is stern, and cool, as he looks us over, much like a scientist might watch their lab rats with detached interest.

"I've brought you some food..." he says, stooping down to place the tray on the floor in front of him.

"You don't expect us to eat that do you?" I growl back at him, eyeing the slab of meat on the tray, "we know where you're getting it from..."

"So why should that matter?" turning to look at me almost quizzically. "It's protein and nourishment... It will do..."

"But, you're growing it in a vat... You're using your dead... for food" my voice becoming unsteady.

"Like I said, it's only protein... Why shouldn't we re-use those empty husks? They have no further use to us... and some of our resources are limited... There's only so much we can generate..."

As a tiny shudder ripples through me, repulsed by his callous attitudes, he turns as if to leave our cell. "Wait..." my voice a little pleading.

Stopping, he looks at me, perhaps his eyes showing a glimmer of interest, watching me, waiting for me to speak. My mind crying for information, any answers that might help us, I ask "who are you? What are you going to do with us?" hearing my heart pound heavy in my ears.

Smiling at this, his teeth once again exposed, he replies "our race is known as the dracmars... We're not from this world, as you've probably guessed... As for you... well we can't have you messing any more with our setup... You're lucky to even be alive after what you were playing with... and thankfully nothing was harmed in the process..."

"Can't you just let us go then? It's obvious we can't stand up against you..."

Chuckling at this, "yes, but you might try and bring more of your kind next time... and we can't have any more interruptions... Besides, from what we've got from testing you, we've managed to advance our work tremendously... You're bodies are so well adapted for channeling magic... They wouldn't suffer nearly as much damage from absorbing the energy as our bodies do... We're keeping you here in case we have further use for you..."

Growling at this, his threat striking chords deep within me, my body stiffens once again, crouching low in a fighting stance. "We won't let you get away with this... We'll die fighting before we allow you to use us for your gains!"

Waving his hand in my direction, another short burst of energy ripples through me, paralyzing me, then dropping me to the floor. "I don't think so," is all he mutters before turning and walking through the door, the stone forming back together behind him, confining us once again.

Lying there panting for a minute, I pull myself together, looking over at Marissa as she's cowering on the mattress, shivering lightly. "We'll think of something Marissa..." say, cutting the silence of the room, neither of really believing it. Oh how I wish to embrace her, for both our sakes, losing ourselves in one another's presence.

Crawling over to the tray, I inspect the large piece of meat, several pounds worth, lying there. If not for its odd shape, it does appear to look like any other slab of meat, however knowing its source of origin, my stomach churns queasily. Sniffing at it, lightly at first, the aroma isn't bad, a bit like beef, but a little different, more so since it's been served to us raw.

Still, as I take another couple of whiffs, I realize my body is betraying me, going against my thoughts, as my stomach, empty for several hours, growls at the scent of food. Reaching out and taking the meat in my hands, feeling it squirm against my fingers, my claws come unsheathed as I grip the artificial flesh and tear it into two large chunks.

Taking one of the pieces, I slide the plate a few feet towards Marissa, then moving back to my corner of the room, sitting down on the blanket. She gets off from the mattress, crouching over the tray, as suspicious as I was, she takes her half of our dinner and brings it to her muzzle, sniffing it as intently as I had.

Taking a small bite, the taste isn't so bad, even if the texture squishes against my mouth and tongue. Fighting back squeamish thoughts, I'm reminded of when I'd tried sushi a few years back; the taste had been interesting, but it had been very hard to get over the sensations of the chewy fish. Looking up at Marissa, she seems to have enjoyed her first bite and is hungrily munching away at it.

Taking another small bite, and swallowing it quickly, my stomach reacts to the food, increasing my hunger. A third and fourth bite soon follow, allowing myself to experience the flavor; it's not so bad, once I get used to it, keeping my mind off of certain thoughts. Giving into my hunger, I soon join Marissa in the ravishing of the meat, ripping off chunks with my teeth, gobbling it down in only a few minutes.

Satisfied with the meal, happy my felenzi constitution accepts raw meat better than I'd thought, I lick my fingers clean, gathering up every last drop of fluid left behind. Leaning back against the cave wall, I smile a small and contented smile, momentarily forgetting our troubles.

Closing my eyes partially, I rest my eyes, breathing softly. Then, rising softly up in the background, Marissa's scent seeps lightly into my nostrils. Opening my eyes, looking at her, her scent seems to be increasing, quicker and stronger than I'd thought. Breathing in again, the spicy smell piques my interest, even at this low level.

Gazing at her, my lover who's so far away from me, her eyes register my glimmer of arousal. "Ben, you've got to try and hold out against it..."

"I know Marissa... but couldn't we just hold each other... I want to feel you so much..."

"If we did that, we'd get lost in our scents... We'd be even more vulnerable than we are now... We need to keep our wits together... to try and get out of here..."

"But what can we do? You've seen what they can do with all the power they have? We're helpless anyway..."

"Maybe not totally... maybe if we both use our magic... from different directions... we just might have a chance... more of a chance than we'd have if they came for us and we were busy mating... Ben, I care for you a lot... you know I do... and if things were different, I'd be there purring against you... letting your wonderful new scent wash over me... but now with the things the way they are, we can't risk it..."

Crestfallen, I stare back at her, my aching gaze desperately trying to probe through the blanket she has around her, the light fragrance of her pheromones urging me on. "Couldn't you just use your influence on me... and just let me hold you... keeping me from going further?" remembering how she'd been affected by the tiger's scent back at the inn, and how my mind had clouded before when we were embracing.

"It doesn't work that way Ben... while your scent makes me docile... my scent will make you aggressive... Yes it arouses you, and at first you'll be open to any suggestions I may have... but soon your appetite will be awakened and there's no way I could control you... Your scent would be getting stronger too, and we'd both be driven to mate... Once we got started, there'd be no stopping it... not until I come out of heat..."

Shivering at this, the thought of the two of us wrapped together in our scents, caught up in a wild and passionate frenzy, for as long as she was suggesting, triggers off several fantasies, my mind reeling at the implications. Then forcing control over myself, clamping down with my will, I concentrate, holding out against temptation.

Looking at her, her eyes are tired, confused and scared, much like my own, under the gleam of my arousal. Grasping the blanket in my hands, balling it up in frustration, desperation takes over me. This is torture, having her near me, yet unable to go to her, held back by fear and her nervous insistence. What's more, we're virtually useless like this, we couldn't even plot effectively; 'how does she expect us to be able to do anything?'

Succumbing to these gloomy feelings, I mutter, "maybe we should get some sleep... I feel exhausted... and we'd be able to think better in the morning..." Marissa numbly aggress and curls up on the mattress, the blanket tucked firmly around her, quickly falling into slumber.

Watching her, I'm tempted to creep towards her, taking her while she sleeps, but manage to drive that thought to the back of my mind. Instead, I lie down on the floor, feeling the cold, hard stone beneath me, even with the padding of the blanket. Sleep takes its time coming to me, my mind tortured and my heart heavy. Remembering the night we'd spent out in the rain storm, I'd thought that had been miserable, but at least then I'd been able to huddle against Marissa, now I'm alone, or even worse than alone.

* * *

Marissa's purrs increase as I stroke the soft fur of her belly, relaxing and sinking into the mattress beside me. Gliding my fingers through her downy fur, soaking up these familiar sensations, my muzzle purses into a grin. Inhaling deeply, her musky essence fills my lungs, seeping into my bloodstream, clouding my brain with desire, setting my loins on fire. Extending my claws, I rake them down her sides, not hard enough to hurt her, just enough to get her attention; she lets out several long purrs at this, as I tease her sensitive nerves.

Bringing my head down to nuzzle where her neck meets her chest, my nostrils flare once again, drawing nearer to her spicy scent. As soon as my muzzle makes contact with her, she lets out a loud groan, closing her eyes; I feel her toes curl against me. That's better, this kitten had finally let me near her, now I'd show her just how good it could be.

Licking her soft fur, then lightly nipping her tender flesh, another low and drawn-out moan escapes her open mouth. Her arms snaking around me, trailing over my back, she gropes at me and pulls me down, closer to her. Surrounded in her heat, her scent grows even stronger, my purrs joining in with hers, rumbling up low from deep within me. My mind burns at this, lost in her consuming presence, only a single thought left within me.

Pressing against her with desperate insistence, she acquiesces and I slip inside her, letting out a satisfied hiss, intermingled with her single growl of pleasure. Lost in the heat of her scent, desire overwhelming me, our bodies become one, pressing against each other, purring incoherently.

* * *

Smiling to myself I slowly open my eyes, as the remnants of the dream still cling to me, slowly realizing where I am. I'm still here in my corner of the room, splayed out on the cold floor, still so far from my beloved mate. The understanding that it had only been a dream, sends pangs of sadness through me. It had felt so real, it had been so wonderful, only to wake and find us back in this torturous hell. Yet still, some of the feelings from the dream still linger on, and after a moment or two of dazed confusion, I realize Marissa's beautiful fragrance still permeates the room, at least that part had been real.

Slowly coming more awake, my mind clouded over, I gaze over at her, sleeping almost peacefully, her sexy body cruelly hid from me, seeking refuge beneath the shaggy blanket. I don't know how long I'd managed to sleep, but it probably wasn't the whole night; I still feel tired, nowhere near as rested as I usually felt upon waking, even considering all of the stress we're under.

Resting my head on my furry arm, I close my eyes and try to relax my consciousness, pleading for sleep to wrap me in its gentle arms yet again. It doesn't happen though, for even with my weariness, my mind is too busy and erratic to retreat into unconsciousness. Marissa's scent burns its way into my thoughts, having grown stronger, further wielding its fiery influence over me.

Giving up on sleep in frustration, I finally pull myself back up to a seated position, resting my head back against the smooth stone wall, my eyes locked on her, still lost in slumber. Looking at her, lying there so peaceful and vulnerable, lecherous thoughts surface in my fuzzy mind, feeling a low growl pour forth from my lips. Somewhere, a glimmer of rational though springs forth, keeping me in check, reminding me of the precarious situation.

"Marissa," I hiss, hoping to wake her with out too much alarm. Waiting a few seconds, I repeat the request, raising my voice, as it comes out with a slight growl. This works, as she slowly stirs, her eyes fluttering momentarily, then opening them, turning to look at me. Watching the sleep drain from her eyes, understanding creeps across her face as she looks at me. "What is it Ben?"

"You're scent, it's getting stronger... We need to do some planning fast..."

"I know... I can feel it too... Okay, let's try and think of something..."

Slowly sitting up, I watch her as the rest of her mind unclouds, looking quite adorable as she rubs the sleepiness from her face. In getting up, she hadn't bothered to pull the blanket around her, it's hanging on her shoulders, but only loosely so, parting in front to give me an unobstructed view. Stopping in mid-thought, my gaze is drawn to her soft form, my eyes running over every supple curve, her body even more beautiful than I'd ever remembered; her scent rippling out to me, ticking my sensitive nose.

Purring in spite of myself and feeling my tail twitch lightly behind me, Marissa looks at me, her gaze quizzical for the briefest of moments, before nervous understanding darts across her eyes. Hurriedly pulling the blanket around her, clutching it firmly, she withdraws from my wanting gaze. "Ben, you need to control yourself..." as her eyes look nervously at me.

There's something else to her stare though, more than fear and tension, as I look at her, her eyes dart slightly around about me. Glancing down, a small chuckle bubbles up within me. In getting up, I'd let the blanket fall down to my waist, so now my white furry chest and golden arms lie out in the open to her gaze, nicely muscled and drawing her attention to me. She must be nearing full heat with the way we're acting. 'We'd better hurry up and think of something quick... Otherwise we're gonna end up as nothing more than two alley cats going at it...' Still, I don't bother to cover up, enjoying the idea that I'm getting to this sweet kitten.

"What do you think they're doing Ben?" her voice concerned, trying to change the subject, not quite succeeding in averting her gaze from me, still letting furtive glances slip by.

"Hmmm... I don't know..." pausing to contemplate this for a moment. "It seems whatever machinery their using is mostly devoted to increasing the strength of their magical power... giving them more energy to draw from..."

Thinking for another moment of two, I continue, "but the dracmar mentioned their bodies are having trouble absorbing that much energy... which could be what's making them so sick..." 'Does this mean that we could die if we're left here too long?' aware of the increased level of magic flowing throughout the air around us, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Maybe we can use that to our advantage... if they get weak enough so we could fight them..."

"Maybe Marissa, but they seem to be dealing with it... They're keeping themselves running on sheer magic... probably pushing themselves until they collapse... but that will probably be too late for us... A few of them have died already, but we don't know how many of them there are... Also, we don't know if the power will begin to affect us too... by the time they're that weak, we might be just as bad off... "

Then another disturbing fact crosses my mind, which still feels a little a dazed from Marissa's powerful scent. "They're also doing something with trying to transform their bodies... I've already shown them the device works somewhat... Maybe they're trying to alter their bodies so they can withstand all of this energy... If they succeed in that... there'll be no stopping them..."

Seeing her shudder briefly, considering this, she then replies "well... then no matter what, we've got to try and stop them... If you could get back to their machinery... do you think you could shut it down?"

"I guess so... if nothing else, some brute strength could smash some of the controls... Maybe without their power source they'd be weak enough so we could fight them... but how are we going to get out of here? Just one of them is hard enough to fight..."

Contemplating this, she offers "we know their magic is strong... and they've been able to block any spells we've tried on them... but what if we both projected something at them at once? Maybe two spells from opposite directions would catch them off guard..."

Nodding slightly at this, I look back at her, feeling so helpless like this. Her idea is worth a shot, but I don't hold all that much stock in it, especially since the last dracmar had seemed quite capable of broadcasting a wide wave of energy, flooding both of us at once. I don't bother and mention this though, it's our only chance, and we might as well try it; perhaps catching them off guard could work, especially if they're becoming cocky about how powerful they are.

As I'm considering this, another disturbance in the magic flow attracts our attention. It's like the rest, a surge rising up from the background levels, but this time it lasts longer, reaching peaks much higher than before, even taking into account the elevated ambient energy levels. The flash of power ripples through me, coursing through my internal channels, pushing the boundaries of my skill at controlling it, feeling every nerve in my body prickle at its presence.

Then its gone, having flooded over us to dissipate into the ether from whence it came, leaving me breathless. The moment of straining to control the extra power had taken some of my reserves, sapping my magical strength. The resulting fatigue felt physical as well as mental and ethereal, my entire body reeling from the experience.

Slumping over, onto the floor, panting, it takes a couple of minutes, fighting against the fatigue, feeling it in every breath, before my strength begins to return. Glancing up, over at Marissa, she too has been affected, lying there splayed out weakly on the mattress. Lying there another minute longer, as my breathing returns to normal, I slowly pull myself together, pulling myself back up to a sitting position, Marissa doing the same.

The surge had also managed to disorient me, losing some of my concentration. In doing so, it had left me more vulnerable to Marissa's bewitching scent; unable to stop myself, I breathe in deeply, savoring her rich aroma, letting my mind cloud further.

"Ben, are you okay?"

"Mmmm..." I purr in response, looking back at her, felling that familiar burning desire, my lips curling back into a snarl of a grin.

Crouching down, getting on all fours, I slowly crawl from my blanket toward her. "Ben, stay away," her voice a sharp hiss, I continue to crawl another couple of steps toward her.

Then while looking at her, locking her in my lustful gaze, a ripple of cold energy blasts through me, my skin crying in the quick, and almost painful discomfort, my fur standing out on end. Her spell has the desired effect though, snapping me back to consciousness, at least partially so.

"Ben, you can't get near me... We need to be ready the next time one of them comes in here... Get back to the your corner..." her voice caring but also strongly insistent.

Flattening my ears and feeling my tail droop, I turn and slink back to the blanket, sitting down on it, my arms locked around my knees, looking at her sheepishly.

"Ben, I'm sorry... I had to snap you out of that... I know this is hard for you... Especially since this is all so new for you... Please try and concentrate..."

Trying to do just that, my mind feels fuzzy, almost drunk; closing my eyes partially I lean against the cool wall and try and summon any mental abilities still left with within me. "Marissa, how is this affecting you?"

"I'm beginning to lose control Ben... just being in heat will do that, making me more aroused... but I can handle those impulses pretty well... It's your scent that's getting to me, even if it isn't that strong yet..."

Fighting to understand her I ask, "what do you mean, I thought a male's scent was always potent?"

"Yes, but you can control it somewhat... also, when a female's in heat, her scent is much stronger than a male's... Once a male is near enough, he becomes aroused, and his scent increases... If you can keep your distance, I should be okay..."

Why didn't she want to mate with me? We'd been lovers for the last several days, enjoying each other's bodies; now that I was a full-fledged felenzi, why didn't she like me? 'Perhaps she needs to be taught some respect...' Fighting for control, my mind aches, struggling to keep my feral impulses in check.

"Isn't there some way you can control me, with all of the magic you have?"

"There's nothing I can do to counteract the effect of my scent Ben... all I can do is try and keep you alert, like I did before... but if you can't hold back, these efforts will have to get stronger... I could knock you out, but I need you here to help me..."

Squeezing my hands around my legs, forcing my claws against them, small prickles of pain stab me, disrupting the cobwebs in my head. Even with all of my desire for her, the last remnants of rational though keep me on my toes, still aware of the dangers the dracmars pose, scared of what plans they have in mind for us.

Fighting to keep my wits about me, most of my better judgment subdued, I sit there, leaning back against the wall, my eyes closed, trying to keep my breathing slow. Struggling like this for perhaps ten or fifteen minutes, it's becoming apparent that I'm losing ground; not that I care all that much, the welcomed thought of taking her rising slowly from the corners of my mind, supplanting my will with it.

While sitting there, my mind clouding steadily, I'm aware of the familiar presence of the doorway opening once again. Opening my eyes, some of my wits returning, my mind still feeling sluggish; both of us watch the doorway, waiting for the dracmar to enter.

Except, it isn't a dracmar, as unbelievable as it seems, it's another felenzi, dressed in one of those familiar cloaks. Blinking in disbelief, I look him over, he's another cougar, just like me. Marissa growls at him, trying to get off a spell, but failing miserably. Looking at her, her eyes are wide in surprise, darting back and forth between him and I, fear and revulsion flashing in them.

Looking back at the new felenzi, surprised by Marissa's reactions, my jumbled mind struggles for understanding. He's a cougar, just like me, pausing, then thoughts flashing, 'just like me... he looks exactly like me...' My mind reeling at this, realizing they've cloned my new form, used my body like that without my permission, for whatever goals they might have. Aghast at this, anger boiling within me, I also notice that while the dracmars all had appeared to be ready to collapse and die, this new body of the dracmar-felenzi appears perfectly healthy.

Fear and anger coursing through me, my eyes narrow, focusing in on him, I rise up just slightly, my claws extending. Feeling my ears press backwards, I expel a snarling growl at him, threatened by his presence. Crouching forward, pressing my legs downward against the floor, ready to strike if need be, I rest my weight on one hand, the other free to swipe with. My tail twitches nervously behind me, in expectation of a fight.

"Easy now," are the first words out of his mouth, his voice sounding almost identical to mine, unsettling me even further. "I'm not here to hurt you... I came to let you know how much you've helped us..."

"As you've seen, our old bodies are having trouble absorbing the vast amounts of energy we're flooding them with... We can use the power, but it shortens their life span... Your bodies are better adapted at channeling and controlling the power than ours... We were then able to copy them, transferring our life force over... Now we can absorb more energy and finish our goals much quicker... Your intrusion has turned out to work greatly in our favor..."

Growling at him again, furious that he'd have the gall to thank us like this, my mind burns in rage. Also, sensing the presence of another male in the room, I become even more aggressive. 'What does he think he's doing? I'm not going to let him have my mate!'

Uncoiling my legs, I let loose a mighty roar, leaping at him, my arms extended, claws ready to strike. As I'm flying toward him, his muzzle curls in the tiniest of smiles, a gleam sparkling in his eyes. Opening his arms, he allows me to make contact with him, my claws sinking into his flesh. Then, with lightning reflexes, his own arms snap around me, holding me fast against him.

In a split second he holds me in his mighty grasp, then magic washes through me, a calming and draining effect. Holding me there, my struggles useless against his additional strength, in a matter of moments the power is sucked from me, leaving me weak and listless.

As he continues to hold me, I notice a streak of movement off to my right. In an instant Marissa is leaping for him, her own felenzi battle roar shaking the chamber. With only so much as a glance in her direction, I can feel the power as he sends a sharp blow towards Marissa, and a moment later she lays crumpled on the floor.

Turning his eyes back to me, his teeth showing in a slight grin, he looks into my angry and terrified eyes, regarding him coldly. "You can't fight us... you know that..." his voice is calm and stern. "Soon this all should be over... We'll keep you until we're finished... in case we need your for something... Don't fight us... it just makes it harder..."

Ignoring my weak growl, he releases his arms around me, letting me slide to the floor. "I'll leave you for now... when you're more civilized, perhaps we can talk more..." Saying that, he turns and exits, leaving Marissa and I lying tired and panting on the floor.

Lying there, weak from his spell, it takes several minutes before I can summon the strength back into me. My mind numb from the confrontation, angry at his treatment of us and frightened of their powers, my breathing is slow to return to normal. In doing so, I become aware once again of Marissa's powerful essence, strengthened by her proximity to me.

'Marissa,' her name filling my mind, how was she? Concerned for my mate, having seen her fall so roughly to the floor, I roll unto my hands and feet, crawling over to her, only a few feet away. She's lying on her side, her eyes closed and panting heavily.

Reaching out to softly stroke her shoulder, she purrs softly, opening her eyes partially, looking at me, a little confused. "Ben..." she lets out in a long breath, as if uncertain of the situation. Breathing in deeply, her musky richness floods over me; this kitten is so beautiful. Turning her gently on her back, my paw cups one of her firm breasts, softly caressing her.

She lets out another purr at this, as I trail my other hand up from her shoulder to her cheek, stroking her soft fur there. Gliding along her cheek, down to her muzzle, I finally rest near her mouth, as her eyes watching me, dazed slightly. Lightly grasping her whiskers with two fingers, lightly pulling along them, my thumb moves to the front of her muzzle, just below her nose. As I'm stroking her soft fur there, she purrs again, increasing in volume. This is so much better, now that she's letting me close to her.

Then a spark of surprise dances across her eyes, her pupils widening. She shakes a little against me, bringing one of her hands up, trying to grab my hand away from her muzzle. I react Instinctively, growling softly and grasping her muzzle harder, forcing my palm over it. Hesitating a moment, still struggling weakly against me, she slowly takes in a breath, then another, more deeper one. Her surprise abating, she continues breathing, coming back to her natural rhythm.

Her eyes becoming dreamy, her consciousness clouding over slightly, her faint struggles die down. Loosening my hold on her muzzle, her hand relinquishes its grasp on me, snaking up my arm to my back. At the same time, I feel her rough tongue dart out from her open muzzle, slowly and gently lapping at the fur of my palm. She continues her satisfied purrs once again, and I join her, smiling warmly down at her, she's being so much nicer to me now.

Moving my muzzle to her neck, nuzzling her with insistence, she takes me in embrace, and I slide between her legs, growling with her in pleasure. It's so simple, and feels so nice, my body and mind finally satisfied, yet still burning with this feral desire. Wrapped up in the moment, lost in her heat, her scent pushing me on, we move together with fiery passion, the room alive with our wild cries of pleasure.


Copyright 1994, Will A. Sanborn - was1@shore.net