How to Tame a Cat (ManxMan)

Chapter Eight: Mistaken Identity

~Chapter Eight: Mistaken Identity~

That's it. That is the final metaphorical straw.

Large claw marks scar the trees near my property. While they were not the trees in my immediate area, this still counts as marking my territory. He even peed on some of the trees, which makes me very reluctant to replace the marks with my own. It would be as gross as stepping in an unflushed toilet.

Sadly, though, it is Saturday. Any complaints I have will have to wait until tonight when Ryland is not trying to woo his lady, as there is no way I am approaching him when he is with a prospective mate, broken promise or not. And if he is not in town, I will find him tomorrow afternoon, as, if she responds to his flirting attempts and they end up in bed, it would be bad form to interrupt their first night together. Either way, the next time I see him, I am going to politely ask him to get the hell off of my property.

This might not have been a direct challenge, but it is insulting. I thought we were at least getting along, but that no longer seems to be the case, so there is no more reason for me to pity his mate situation and let him stay. He made his choice, and he will have to live with it.

If he fights me on it, though, I don't know what I'll do.

I take one more deep breathe of the fresh scent markings, frowning. Why is Ryland drunk so early in the afternoon?

Like yesterday, the scent is practically smothered in cologne, but it is not just the alcohol in the cologne that I am smelling. Maybe his attempts to woo her failed, and he decided to get drunk? Since he is such a composed man, it does not seem likely that he would drown his sorrows. Still, though, it is not like I can claim to know him well enough to be sure. 

It is tempting to call him to make sure he is not terrorizing the town, but I know better than to do that. Either something went wrong or it didn't, and I will probably find out later, but I promised him I would stay out of town, and I believe that agreement bans calls as well. Just because he is a deal breaker, that does not mean I will stoop to his level.

Also, if he's still in lion form after messing up my trees, calling him won't do much good since he can't answer.

Instead, I start walking back to my cabin. Having a normal, quiet lunch is now at the top of my to-do list, and I intend to keep up the illusion that my relaxed cat life was never invaded by a mateless lion or a temperamental wolf. That illusion will likely be shattered tonight or tomorrow when everything probably goes south, but at least I can live the next few hours in peace.

Why me?

I barely make it to my porch before the scent of lion hits my face as the wind changes directions, putting me downwind instead of upwind. Pausing with my hand on the doorknob, I sniff the air, confused. Did he take a bath or something?

The alcohol and cologne from earlier are gone, leaving only the faint hint of both mixed with Ryland's scent. He must have cleaned himself off in a river or one of the nearby natural hot springs because the scent is merely a lingering attachment to his. And, thanks to the light breeze, I also know which direction he is in.

I could track him down for a nice, long chat, but he is probably a lion right now, and if I was to walk up to him without claws and tell him I wanted him to leave, he would probably make me regret it. And it is for this reason that I toss my modesty aside and start undressing on my front porch in the middle of the day. If someone was to stumble across my property in the next few seconds, explaining why I am naked would not be fun.

The shift takes about a minute, as it has been a while since I ate, but since I am not all that keen to approach the lion, I am not going to try to rush it either. If I find him and can convince him to talk to me, I will have to make sure he changes back first, as I will probably be too tired by that point to shift fast, which leaves me open for an attack. And since he is probably still drunk, it is very possible that he might take the opportunity.