It was unexpected to say the least. Bagheera could not recall a time when Shere Khan held the slightest extra interest in him, and vise versa. Nor could he recall a time when the tiger knowingly trespassed onto his territory.
Yet here he was, lounging on a particularly soft patch of grass, waiting, if his expectant gaze into the foliage was anything to go by.
Tensing, Bagheera stepped out of the jungle's cover and into the open, stopping and sitting stiffly a few paces away from the orange jungle cat, whose only response to him was a smirk and a shifting tail. "Any particular reason you're in my territory Khan?" Bagheera questioned, barely keeping a growl out of his tone.
"Why else but for the reason of meeting your alpha male resistance to my presence?" Shere Khan replied with a deviously snarky grin.
"Is that a challenge?" Bagheera retorted, tail bristling slightly as his golden eyes narrowed to glare at the tiger.
A small hum filled the panther's ears as Shere Khan lifted himself from the ground as sauntered toward the other cat, making Bagheera instantly tense and rise to his feet.
"More of a curiosity then a challenge" purred the tiger as he began circling Bagheera, who mirrored his movements, never turning his back on the fellow hunter. At the panthers questioning expression the tiger added, "I wonder… which of us is the dominant alpha…? While I admit you are formidable Bagheera… can you really hope to beat the 'King of the Jungle' as I am called?"
Such an insult to his pride did not slide well over Bagheera, who growled in response, despite his better judgment, "Care to wager on that Khan?"
Another fang filled grin split the tiger's face, as a light of triumph sparked in his eyes, making Bagheera regret his rash words, "it would be a pleasure actually, though I must warn you…my stakes are high" he stated with a gruff purr. Taking the black cat's silence for confirmation, he added, "If I win; you must adhere to my requests…"
"And if I win, you leave my territory and not set paw in it again" Bagheera growled back, the want to wipe that smug grin off the tiger's face overshadowing his reason.
"Agreed. What shall the game be?"
Bagheera remained silent for a moment; a direct fight would be pointless against the large tiger, a hunt similarly so, all that remained was his best bet, "Would you oppose a chase?"
"Not if I am the one chasing."
"Very well then. You have until sundown to catch me. rest assured I will not leave my territory" and with that, the cat turned and bounded into the jungle, not seeing the wide grin that slid into the tiger's face as he watched his prey's back end disappear into the green.
Generously (by his standards at least), Shere Khan waited an entire two minutes before going after Bagheera, nose close to the ground, searching for the other cat's trail.
Surprisingly enough, he did not find it immediately, and when he did it was faint.
Bagheera's scent lingered lightly on the ground and bush as he seemed to glide through the jungle, never pausing long enough to leave a thick scent, and constantly taking wide leaps to leave holes in the trail.
Bagheera knew his territory well, well enough to know its tricks and traps, pathways that lead to cliffs and rivers, trees with thick trucks or leaves. The best hiding spots and the hardest trails. Moving swiftly, he climbed a rocky hill, leaping from boulder to boulder as he headed for the stream on top, hoping to make the tiger lose his scent, at least for a while.
The panther was taking no chances, thought Shere Khan some while later. The chase had gone on longer then he expected, though he was not complaining. He had lost Bagheera's trail at the river, but picked it up again a short distance from the first trail. He followed its soft scent for a time, before falling into another of the panther's traps. The black jungle cat had entered the valley, but crossed it in such a way that his trail crossed over continuously, making it difficult for Khan to find the freshest one.
Golden eyes spied the orange cat as he found his way to the cliff wall, an almost vertical slab of solid stone, un-climbable. Or so he hoped the tiger would think. He had had several close calls with Shere Khan, spotting the tell-tail orange fur minutes, sometimes seconds, before he was spotted in turn, forcing him to hide until the tiger passed. Now, he sat on a tall branch of a thick leaved tree, a few feet away from the dead end and the king of the jungle.
Shere Khan's massive paws padded the dry ground at the edge of the cliff wall as he paced, he had followed the panthers trail here, but could not find the panthers trail leaving, and it was still too fresh to have been made long enough ago for the panther to have doubled back and not crossed paths with him…so he had to be here…hiding…
The sun was close to setting, his time was almost up, but he was so close! With renewed vigor he scanned the nearby trees, trying to spy a patch of black in the green, sniffing at roots, and checking trunks for claw marks.
Overhead, Bagheera cursed softly to himself. With the way Khan was moving it would be minutes before he was found. He suddenly remembered that he never heard Khan's request if he won, and grew fearful, claws clenching the wood under him, he forced himself to calm down, but the urge to flee was not completely suppressed. He had to move. Rising slowly so as not to creak the wood or shake any leaves free, he padded towards the end of the branch, watching the tiger below for a chance to cross into another tree.
Despite his silent treading, a leaf fell to the ground, and Shere Khan looked up. With a wide grin, he leaped onto a low branch and clawed his way to Bagheera. "I've found you…" he purred, as he stood on the end of the panther's branch.
With a quick glance at the setting sun, the bright orb barely touching the far away mountain range, Bagheera spoke softly, "…but you've yet to catch me" and leaped into the neighboring tree, moving quickly along it's top branches to leap into another. The jump had caught the tiger off guard, but only for a moment, as he swiftly gave chase to his fellow jungle cat.
The reachable trees cut off a bit sooner then he would have liked, but when they did, Bagheera jumped down to the ground with a soft thump, and ran into the bush, the heavy sound of the Tiger's paws following close behind him.
Shere Khan could not help but appreciate how nimble and lithe Bagheera was as he ran through the foliage with speed and grace. The thoughts of his prize sent speed to his paws, and his thick purr erupted.
They leap into an open field and the tiger used this ground to pounce on the panther, sending then tumbling into the soft tall grass for a few rolls, before he trapped Bagheera under his massive body, paws on either side of his head.
As they panted from their run, the sun set, and the tiger leaned down to whisper in his captive's ear, "…I've caught you…"
With a repressed shiver, Bagheera nodded, "yes…you have…and I'll not break our bargain…what do you request of me?"
The purring grew louder as the tiger grinned, "…that you run when told…and respond once we've started…"
An adorable puzzled expression filled the Panther's face as he mulled over the odd request, "started what…?" he asked. His only answer was a kiss as the tiger pressed his lips firmly against his own, making him gasp and giving the tiger's tongue unintended access into his mouth.
His mind stopped. THIS was what the tiger wanted from him! His first instinct was to fight back, his paws batting against Shere Khan's hard chest, but he had made a deal, and he was a cat of his word…and it was only once…so with a troubled heart and mind he did as told and hesitantly responded, pushing back slightly and giving the larger cat better access to his mouth.
With a pleased purr, Shere Khan pulled away to nip and lick along Bagheera's neck, pulling soft gasps and smothered moans from the black cat.
The sounds made him harden even faster, and without warning he ground into the panther beneath him, groaning with the pleasure the friction brought as he felt Bagheera harden as well. Their scents thickened in the air, and heat flooded them, making their minds fog with pleasure.
Pulling away reluctantly, Shere Khan padded Bagheera onto his paws, lapping at his backend while the panther's moans grew louder. He was gentle, sure that the other cat had never been mounted before, though it was difficult to resist thrusting into the warmth that enveloped him.
The pain faded and pleasure took its place, both cats moaning as the pace and strength continuously increased.
Bagheera remembered begging for release, and he remembered both of their roars as they came together, the tiger inside of him. The memory he was not sure was a dream or real was the tiger telling him to "remember their bargain."
He awoke a bit before dawn, sore, but clean, and alone. Shere khan was gone, but he pushed the rather disappointed tone of his feeling out in favor of relief. It was over, and it could have been worse. With a rather contented sigh he rolled over and headed for the river, certain the experience over and done with. Whatever interest Shere Khan had gained for him, it was surely expelled from his systems now…
Just out of sight of the clearing, Shere Khan watched Bagheera walk away. His lust had been momentarily sated, but it was nowhere near satisfied. After all…he had merely gotten a taste of the panther…