Chapter 2

Dean's not sure how many moons have passed since he first came here. He can't see the moon in this strange and orderly forest. Time seems to have no seasons here either, it is always pleasantly warm and dry. Even the trees here seem different tamer some how.

In the wild forest of his origin, Dean could range for miles, the landscape was lush and variable. Here he is fenced in and the topography and topiary never changes. There are no other animals here either, just Dean and the odd tom cat that visits him daily.

Dean doesn't know how he'd cope here if it weren't for the odd tom cat that gave him his name. The tom is the most curious thing Dean has ever seen. He is bald, but not in the mangy sense, though he does only appear to have odd patches of thin fur, it's hard to tell under the odd artificial hides he uses to cover his form. Like a manx, the tom cat lacks a tail and unlike a manx, his ears are flat and strange and his claws are laughably short. It's difficult to tell, but Dean thinks the tom might smell delectable under the harsh and fragrant chemicals he uses to mask his natural scent. It's that faint musky odour and those incredibly, intensely blue eyes that make the tom attractive despite his bizarre deformities.

On the other hand, Dean's not sure that the tom is in fact deformed, in all his memories he cannot recall seeing another of his kind, that alone makes the tom fascinating. He did see another tom shortly before he woke up in this odd forest, but it was only briefly and his memories close to the time of his capture are rather hazy.

Another thing that Dean finds puzzling is this tom's penchant for yowling almost constantly. Compared to any other type of animal call though Dean has never heard one so versatile and intricate as the yowls of this tom. It makes sounds in a gruff gravelly tone that Dean can feel in the warmth of his belly and when he is tired of exploring his territory he likes to curl up at the tom's feet and listen.

Sometimes Dean feels like the howling must have some profound meaning that he cannot fathom, like the tom is trying to communicate something terribly important. The most Dean can seem to offer in return are sounds for simple feeling, purring for comfort and arousal and a howl or a hiss for discomfort. It makes him feel stupid, but he likes to console himself with the idea that the tom must be nuts if its thoughts are so complex that they can't be understood by normal feline methods.

For instance, ever since Dean's come to comprehend that despite their differences in appearance that he and the tom are the same species, he's been doing the mating dance, figuratively speaking of course. Dean doesn't have much to go on, just what he's seen the lynx do when in heat, but he does know it is not a dance like the bees do. The various steps and rituals play out over a much longer period of time for one thing and the ending is less clear.

Nevertheless Dean has done his best to keep well-groomed and move gracefully. He "presents" often in the hopes the tom will catch his meaning, but the sight of Dean's swishing tail and tight rear seem to cause the tom's hide to redden in an oddly endearing fashion, cough and turn from him. Dean wonders if he's doing it wrong or if perhaps the tom finds his appearance as bizarre and deformed as Dean perceives him to be? He knows that ideally he should be able to offer the tom a fresh kill to make up for his freakish figure, but there are no other creatures here. His prey comes already dead and Dean can barely summon up enough interest to eat it himself; it certainly would not impress a potential mate. The only part of the mating ritual Dean can count as a small success is that the tom is rarely able to leave this forest without smelling of Dean. Dean makes sure that whenever the tom is in reach he marks him without fail. If there are other felines beyond this forest they will know that the tom is claimed at least enough to show favour or preference if not scent-marked enough to indicate a mated pair.

If Dean is to be trapped in this forest much longer, he would at least like to be able to have a mate to show for it.