Tiger Lily

Seven

"What the-Zavier?" I spluttered. "W-what are you doing here?" My eyes widened with realization. He knew. I was doomed. No more freedom, no more life. I was doomed to be beaten until they broke my spirit. I lifted my chin proudly, and faced him down.

"No matter what you think, you won't be able to break my spirit. No matter how many times you beat me, or whip me, or- or anything like that!" I told him. Dea nodded with appreciation, although her tail flicked back and forth with agitation for going against her mate.

"Well, that's...kinky, but that's not what I came up here to talk to you." He grinned wickedly at me, and sent me a sexy grin. I rolled my eyes, fighting the stupid blush that was rising to my face. Ew, were all boys like that? Gross. "I just wanted to ask: are you my mate?"

"Hahaha, yeah, about that," I said nervously, giggling with whites of my eyes showing. I stood up, brushed off invisible dirt, and scooted closer to the open window. "You'll have to catch me to find out."

And with that, I vaulted out of the window.

-----

I heard Zavier yell as I fell, whistling to the ground. I loved the feeling of the wind in my hair. Sometimes, Dea and I wondered what it would be like to fly like a bird. This was as close as we got. About 10 feet from the ground, I shifted, and Dea hit the ground running.

I didn't pause to know that, although he saw me make it safely, he didn't dare jump from the window. Good to know I had at least one escape route at all possible times. Make a mental note: Zavier doesn't seem like much of a dare devil. Ooh, and stay near windows always. I felt my inner self nod with appreciation, and Dea just shook her head amusedly at me. I giggled, but forced her to keep moving. At the edge of the water, I rolled in sticks, mud, and leaves, then leapt onto the other side. I wasn't sure where Zavier was, but I was sure that he was far behind me. Dea and I had been working on speed drills, to make sure that we were agile, fast, and powerful. No way was some stupid rogue going to catch us. We were Luna's after all!

After letting the mud dry, I used my camoflauge to blend into the scenery. Looking up, I found I was at the base of a whole bunch of old, thick, strong trees.

You thinking what I'm thinking? I asked Dea.

Duh, I'm in your head, she replied. Being the child I was, I stuck my tongue out at her mentally. She gave a cat grin, and I tensed her muscles, then sprung.

Tiger's have really good jumping skills, so we sailed a good distance into the air before landing on a tree branch at least 10 feet off the ground. We may have combined power to leap that high, but what the heck? We were escaping from a possible boring life style. I then leapt from tree to tree until we were back at the river bank. I saw Zavier's tail flicking into the trees at a really fast pace, but I disregarded it and leapt a couple trees to the left, to make sure that Zavier wasn't going to be able to pick up my tracks.

After a run downstream, to furtherensure I was safe, I ran through the woods, in the direction that was calling me home. As soon as I got into the edge of the woods, I changed, after making sure that no prying eyes were watching me. Zavier must have caught up to me after I was changed yesterday and tracked me inside. Stupid, stupid me for not covering her scent. I zagged through the woods before doubling back and running inside the house.

"There you are!" I jumped guiltily when I heard April's accusing voice. Was I really that guilty for running away from our mate? I ignored Dea's immediate response and thought about it. I had no clue what would happen, but from some stories I had heard, there was a good chance that once Zavier got to know the real me, he would scorn me and reject me. I was afraid of the unkown, as ashamed of myself as I am to admit that. It wasn't okay to be afraid of something I had never tried, but I had always been like that.

Turning to face an angry April and Nicole, it was all I could do to fight the urge to snarl at them and pounce. Stupid tiger/Luna side. I hung my head in mock shame.

"Oh whatever have I done to offend you, oh mighty ones?" I asked sarcastically. They both shot me deadly glares, and I replied with one of my own. "I actually have a life outside of what I do with you guys, you know." Although right then, I would have gladly gotten rid of that outside life. "Let's go to my room and discuss this recent event."

I mocked them as I walked up the stairs, and I felt someone's foot connect with my butt. I reached around and snatched it before they had a chance to retract it, and pulled, yanking them out. I was out of patience, out of hope, and out of- luck! Right then, I heard a loud yowl. I left Nicole, the butt-kicker (of course) on the stairs, winded, and April staring confusedly at Nicole. I started up the stairs, faster.

"What the-?" April asked Nicole. By then, I was dashing up the stairs and locking myself in my room before barricading both the doors and the window. I shoved the dresser in front of the door, then pushed my bed in front of the window, before pulling it back. If he came jumping up from some werecat/human ladder, I didn't want him to have a soft landing. I needed the air knocked out of him so I could make my escape!

Ooh, that was kind of sadistic...

But, anywho, I figured I could just lock the window, pull down the blinds, close them, and close the curtains, as if it were a rainy day. Indeed, it was looking a bit cloudy and overcast...

But I ignored that when, as I was closing the curtains, I saw a tiger, Kronos, come bounding out of the woods, almost barreling into a young girl walking into the house. He must have communicated via specific mindlink, because I was not getting anything. I saw the front door open and a bunch of pride trackers come running out of the house. And then one of them targeted me, and I'm guessing me alone.

Lily, Dea, please, come here. I don't know what I did to scare you like this, but I promise, I will cherish you as my mate and my wife, my lover and my beloved. Just please, come back, Kronos pleaded. It was so sweet, I was tempted to come down right away, and have Dea throw herself into his paws. But she argued that that would be undignified. We would walk to them instead. I agreed, and we started towards the window, intent on making an entrance.

And then Zavier had to ruin it. I could sense the fight Kronos was putting up against Zavier, trying to make him stop from saying these words. But the human half was slightly stronger than the cat, and so he overcame Kronos and said it. And it was not nice.

Get your a$$ over here before I hunt you down like the tiger I half am and chain you to my side so you can never leave. You have thirty seconds before the game starts. He started counting down.I snorted at this. Yeah, right bub. Not happening. I'll take my chances with my room and the comfort and safety it provided.

Dea was also offended, and we severed the slight link. And then mentally looked at each other with a frightened look. Zavier had done that to sense where we were. He had been stalling. You see, the mind link also came with a sort of GPS system: you open your mind to the link, they can tell exactly where you were, granted enough time. And I had almost allowed him to pinpoint our exact location. The basement (or pantry- it had both food and water, granted the water may be luke warm, but water was water, and if I was hiding out, there was no way I would complain) was starting to look really good to me right now, but I was afraid that if I left my room for even one moment, Zavier would scent me, and/or be right outside my door and carry through on his threat. I wouldn't even make it ot the kitchen for food.

So instead, I locked myself in the bathroom after grabbing blankets and a pillow. Running water would keep me alive for at least two weeks without food, and I could sleep for a really long time-lots of cat naps to waste time. I could find a trap door in the bathroom by then to go down to the kitchens and get food. Thank goodness this was an old house, one that had lasted through the Prohibition. It was bound to have trap doors and secret passageways. I was going to outlast him, and he was going to regret being so rude and crude.

I was going to win this game, and he was going to apologize. Kronos was sweet, and he wouldn't have to-and I'm rambling again. But, I was going to make Zavier pay for doing this. I was going to fare so well, as if it were a zombie apocolypse practice drill. I was going to win.

So, come and get me if you can, Zavier.

The game is on.

Haha! Take that overcocky, self-righteous, arrogant Zavier frickin' Alexander! Take that I say!

Anywho, another chapter finished and uploaded! You're welcome. I think...