"Have you been avoiding me, kitty?" Felix asked, stopping a few feet away from where his mate was currently leaning against a tree. Or draping – it was anyone's guess when it came to cats. They were on DarkRiver lands today, the leaves of the trees high above them, waving gently in the breeze. The heat of the warm summer day was more intense down here at the lower elevations.

Rina flicked her eyes towards Felix, then away. So. That's how she was playing it. His leopard soldier was feeling a little cranky.

"Don't flatter yourself, wolf," she said, her voice a slow, lazy drawl that did nothing to soften the bite in her words.

Okay, more than a little cranky, then.

Felix sighed, but didn't reply. Since she wasn't looking at him, he let his eyes roam over her curvaceous form. God, how he'd missed her, and it had only been a day since he'd seen her last.

Touched her last.

Kissed her last.

When the silence stretched uncomfortably long, Rina snapped, "What do you want?"

You. Always. Felix shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels, trying to look as non-threatening as possible – not difficult for a wolf in his position in the hierarchy. His wolf paced, agitated; part of it wanted to tuck its tail between its legs and not incite the pissed-off dominant any further, the other, stronger part wanted to rub its fur against its mate to soothe her anger and confusion. "I want you to talk to me. What's wrong, kitty?" he said softly.

Her eyes finally snapped to his, and he just managed to hold his gaze against the leopard that looked at him. Green-gold eyes flashed, all feral and passionate. Felix let his own wolf surface to the fore, his eyes shifting.

I see you, Rina. And I'm not afraid.

Felix hid a smile at this breakthrough. Yes, his wolf did know that his mate, no matter how angry she was, would never hurt him – even though she hadn't quite figured out what they truly meant to each other.

"What are we doing, Felix?" Rina asked, when he didn't break eye contact.

Okay, maybe she did know…

Felix shrugged. "I'm courting you, Rina. Thought that was obvious."

Rina's sensuous lips pressed into a firm line. "Felix. I'm serious."
"So am I, Rina." Felix stepped closer, closing the distance between them. But it wasn't close enough, his leopard still denying him the intimacy he craved. "Do you doubt that? Doubt me?"
Rina crossed her arms, practically shouting for him to not come any closer. "That's the fucking problem," she muttered.

Felix cocked his head, confused, waiting for her to explain.

Rina regarded him for a moment, her expression inexplicably softening for a flash, before hardening once again. The skin around her eyes was pulled taut, the muscles of her limbs thrumming with tension. "I don't really have time for something serious right now." The words were casual and sharp because of the flippant way she'd thrown them out. Her body hadn't relaxed one bit.

"So, you're scared," Felix said bluntly. Submissive he may be, but he'd never been one to sugar coat his words. It was part of the reason he'd been drawn to plants in the first place – they most certainly didn't judge you if you didn't know how to say a pretty turn of phrase.

Her eyes narrowed, and a soft growl coloured the air between them. "Watch it, wolf."

The wolf trembled, but Felix managed to hold his ground. He wasn't going down without a fight. Because he'd been waiting for her for a lifetime. "One date, and you're running away with your tail between your legs, Rina."

"Leopards don't do that!" she snapped, her arms unfolding and her hands balling into fists. "That's a canine thing!"

Felix waved his hand in the air. "Semantics, Rina. You know what I mean."

"You don't understand!" she threw her hands in the air, and then turned away from him, crossing her arms once again.

Felix dared to take another step closer. "What don't I understand, Rina?" he asked, his voice soft once more. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, and nuzzle away all her fears, whisper that everything was going to be okay. All she had to do was trust him.

"It's – this – us – it's not easy for me."

Felix snorted. "And you think it's easy for me?"

Rina turned back around to face him, and glared.

"You could eat me for breakfast, Rina."
"That's just it! I could eat you for breakfast! And yet you insist on continuing this ridiculous – thing!"

"You're worth it." That was about as close as he was going to get to admitting that she was his mate until the mating dance kicked in. He knew he had no hope of hiding what they really meant to each other if – once – that happened. She was too smart not to figure it out.

Her shoulders dropped. "How can you be so sure?" she whispered.

He couldn't hold himself back anymore. He closed the distance between them in one swift stride, and wrapped his arms around her body. The wolf inside instantly calmed at the skin-to-skin contact, despite the fact that Rina didn't relax. But even she, stubborn, headstrong cat that she was, had to see, had to feel, how well they fit. Her head tucked under his chin, her supple strength a delicious frisson against his front.

"I just am, Rina," he murmured, stroking the softness of her hair. The sun shone down through the canopy of the trees, revealing hidden hints of auburn glinting through the weave of her tight braid.

"I'm not," she muttered. Despite the bad-tempered words, her body finally, finally relaxed, her arms coming to rest around his waist.

Her leopard, however, held itself aloof. So not quite a full victory, but progress all the same.

"I'm not giving up," Felix continued, his voice determined, for all he said the words softly. This moment was too special to mar with hardness. And to be honest, Felix just didn't have that hardness in him.

Rina sighed. "That's what scares me. You should. Before you get hurt."

Felix smiled, glad that Rina couldn't see it. No, both man and wolf knew the leopardess wouldn't do that.

"Kitty, I'm a predatory changeling. You know that's not how it works."

Rina huffed cantankerously, but kept herself tucked against him. Felix's smile widened.

"Plants are my life. Which means I know the value of patience."

Rina pulled her head away from him and scowled up at him. Her eyes had gone back to their usual pretty hazel. She looked ready to shoot lasers out of her eyeballs. "I am not a plant!"

Felix grinned. "No, you're not." His arms tightened around her, his hands moved up her back – even though he really wanted to move them down – and tugged her closer. He leant down and brushed his lips against hers. Felix was gratified to hear her breath stutter, and her pulse pound. He pulled away though after just that brief brush of lips, and watched as Rina's dark gold eyelashes fluttered open to reveal that they were a jagged green-gold again. His wolf rumbled happily to have her leopard reaching out to him.

Felix could have stood there with Rina in his arms for an eternity, but unfortunately, she chose that moment to push at his chest. He noted that she didn't push all that hard – just firm enough to let him know to let go.

"I just need… some time," Rina muttered, her eyes flicking up to meet his once there was an entire foot of emptiness between them. She chewed her lip as she waited for him to answer, and Felix had to fight a stab of jealousy. He wanted to nibble on that lip.

"Okay," he answered, reaching for her left hand. "You come to me when you're ready." He'd known before he'd started his courtship that he'd have to be persistent, but she had to come to him willingly. He had every faith she would.

He rubbed his thumb lightly over her knuckles, and frowned. Something wasn't right… he looked down at the back of her hand, and his frown deepened. Before Rina could snatch herself away, he grabbed her other hand too, and brought them closer. The skin over the knuckles of both her hands was the pink of newly healing skin, as if she'd grazed them recently.

"What happened here?" Felix asked, gently covering her hands with his own, much larger ones.

Rina tugged half-heartedly again, but not nearly hard enough to make Felix let go. He had no doubt that she was more than strong enough to do it.

"It's nothing," Rina muttered.

Felix raised his eyebrows. "Of course it's something, Rina. You're hurt."

She sighed. "I was boxing yesterday, that's all. I went a little hard."

"Don't you wear gloves?"

"I need new ones," her brow furrowed for a second, as if she were surprised that she'd said that.

Felix grinned slyly. "Haven't had the time to get new ones, Rina?" He brought her left hand up to his mouth, brushing a gentle kiss over the healing hurts, before doing the same to her right hand. It was his way of letting her know he was only teasing. He knew she was a soldier, and that injuries such as these were everyday occurrences, but his mate needed to be more careful.

"Something like that," she said, this time pulling away and breaking all physical contact. She softened the blow a little by giving him a small smile.

Felix answered her smile with one of his own. "I'll see you soon, Rina."

With one lingering glance at his mate's face he turned around and headed deeper into the forest, not once looking back. But he could still feel her standing there, watching him leave.

He had a lot of planning to do if his leopard was going to walk back into his arms.