Secondary mutations

Peach cirrus clouds flitted across the horizon as the sun began to descend and stole all the joy with it. The winds were picking up and the second generation of the Creed clan were beginning to panic as night began to creep up on them.

The only feral son in the family, Nero, was the only visible figure around the house whilst the others hid inside. Fear percolated through the giant cabin and stank up the entire Creed territory but it couldn't be helped because God forbid something happened to Noor Creed, wife and mate to Victor Creed.

Nero carded a hand through his greasy brunette hair and muttered manically as he paced the porch, "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What the hell is going on? We're fuckin' dead! We're so dead!"

The entrance door slammed shut when Inu's nervous face appeared through the fog of panic. She punched Nero's arm when he passed her, "Calm down, nothing's wrong-"

"Nothing's wrong?! Did you hear Ma just now? She sounded like something was slowly killing her from the inside. I know you don't give a damn, but I don- I don't know what this family would do without her! What do you think Da will do if he heard her?!" he gripped her shoulders and shook her.

Another groan from the door shattered their strained moment and a third party joined, William, the most strategic brother of them all. "He certainly did hear her. His senses are getting sharper recently, and now we have less than ten minutes to find a way to calm everyone down, get our facts straight, and then prepare for the storm coming this way."

"Gods," Inu slapped her hands on her thighs as she groaned and glared heavenward, "Why are you guys acting like this is the end of the world? Dad's not going to-"

Nero shoved her roughly, "No, you don't get it! Dad's a feral and Ma. Is. His. Mate." He leaned further as his face became more savage, "You don't fuck with a feral's mate."

"Hey, hey. Let's take a step back," William pushed them apart. "Dad said he was going through a secondary mutation. Maybe Ma is also going through one as well."

"Fuck, it's terrible being a mutant", Inu laughed in their faces. "So fucking useless!"

"Inu", William called her. "Inu."

She continued to ridicule them despite the shift in energy in the air until William and Nero grabbed her and bolted inside. Inu's dark skin tinged pink when her face scrunched together in rage, however when she took a gander behind them she saw a monster barrelling down the hill behind them. A feral monstrosity that did not look like it would stop any time soon for anything. Not even if the Gods were to descend upon them.

Dylan and Jason were the first to come running, but William herded them back in where Sonya and Amelia were gathered around a soft bundle on the floor.

"What's going on?", Amelia pressed William knowing the others were useless in the moment.

"Dad's back and he's completely feral. Fuck. It doesn't even look like he wi-"

The front door splintered as the raging bull muscled through to the den where the cubs were gathered, but more importantly, where his mate's scent ended. His bare, hairy, sweaty chest was heaving and his eyes matched the deer's blood splattered on his chest and face. His teeth were bared, razor claw claws were twitching, and his nostrils flaring in an effort to identify Noor. He couldn't see her and that didn't help with the blankness that filled his mind when he heard her screams.

He took a heavy step forward but a hand on his chest stopped him. William looked his father dead in the eye and shook his head, "Father, don't-"

Victor snarled fisted his collar and tossed him aside but then the twins stood before him, "Father, you need to calm down" "No one was harmed."

He roared and pushed them aside as well but before Amelia could stand up against him, Sonya calmly walked up to him with a bundle of white cloth in her arms. Her soft and understanding eyes held his own and silently pleaded with him to reign in his anger. Unsurprisingly, with every breath his anger abated but the fire only fell to a simmer.

Victor was soft on his girls, but Sonya, of all his daughters, was the only child he could never decline.

Satisfied, Sonya gently raised the bundle of cloth to her father who looked at it incredulously. He sniffed it and took it nonetheless and almost jumped out of his skin when the bundle moved. He found the centre of weight in the bundle and held it in one clawed meaty hand while the other pinched the cloth between his claws and removed it. A small, fluffy kitten popped out of the bundle of cloth and in a rather cute manner meowed at him.

He held the cat up closer to his face and sniffed at it. He didn't know why he couldn't see it before but when the scent hit him he knew exactly what sat in his hand: a rusty spotted cat. His eyes became stable but his body remained tawny and ready to pounce.

He sniffed the cat one final time and growled softly, "Mate?"

The cat raised its small nose, sniffing as well, and meowed back in reply. His eyes became gentle and his hands caring as he brought it close to his shoulder where Noor climbed up upon his shoulder. He shot his children a hard look and they all escaped to their individual bedrooms.

When alone, his eyes trained on the cat on his shoulder and nuzzled his furry cheek against it, "That's enough scares for this week, Mate."

Meow… Meow…

"I know, Mate. I know."

Meow.

"Woman, what do you think I'm gonna do? Roll in dirt all day! Let's go." He didn't even make an effort to sound vexed or irate.

Meow.

Softly, he padded towards the master bedroom where he deposited Noor on the bed. He made quick work of preparing a bath, stripped down nude and only returned to bring Noor with him. He cradled her in his elbow and eased himself into the gigantic bath.

Noor mewled in panick as the water rose dangerously to his chest and scrambled on top of his head. She tried her best not to scratch him up but it couldn't be helped.

"Mate" when Victor was settled he reached for her. She swatted at his hand. He attempted again, "Noor, come here."

He picked her up from her scruff and pulled her down to the top of his chest. He didn't let go though, just let his hand rest there on her back. "Ordinarily, I'd let you go on top any time" he flashed her a toothy smirk to which she replied by licking her paw and rubbing it against her head. "But I'm not yer climbing post. Not today, kitten."

Meow.

"I know yer cat but yer my kitten" he licked her face. "My little kitten."

Noor mewled again and swatted at his cheeks gently, her claws retracted, and he just laughed at her attempts. His one hand caged her entire body to the top of his chest when she squirmed too much for his liking. Eventually, she calmed and he managed to get a few minutes of shut eye. His muscles went lax one by one and even the frown on his face softened. He could have even fallen asleep if he had remained like that. That didn't last long.

Victor exhaled strongly when he felt small paws turning in a circle. He lazily opened his left eyelid and found Noor's big crystal eyes searching the landing. Curiously, he opened the other eye lid as well. Her tiny back legs were crunched together and building for a rush of energy while her front were together and aimed in one direction. Then a smirk played on Victor's lips when it clicked.

Victor held his breath knowing what would happen. Noor jumped but only went an inch high. Victor laughed deeply in his chest not wanting to upset his little Mate. His hand came up to stroke her from head to tail, "Not a good idea, Noor. You know you can't defy gravity even as a human."

The mischief was so blatant that Noor yowled at him. Her fangs flashing however, it only amused Victor. He grabbed her by the scruff and took her back to bed. He spotted her back on his shoulder as he towelled off but had to grab her again when she tried to leap off of him.

"No." He brought her to his chin, "Not goin' anywhere."

He snuggled her to his chest and laid to rest yet Noor still had other ideas. She squirmed with all her might so he let her go, only she didn't run off like he thought she would. She sat on top of his chest with a knowing look in her eye.

"Wha'chya lookin' at me like that for?" He was exhausted but not tired enough to ignore Noor.

Meow.

"They were in my way. Cubs should know not to come in my way." One of his claws stroked Noor's head in the opposite direction slowly; from the back of her skull to her forehead.

Noor's ears flattened against her head, Meow!

Victor frowned, "Noor… Couldn't find you!"

Meow! She put a single paw forward.

"Nah, when yer in trouble Noor nothin' else matters." One of his claws slithered underneath and behind one ear and scratched.

Noor's head fell forward as she turned for the right spot.

"You should know that Noor," Victor whispered. "Just yer important." Noor's body laid on Victor's chest as his scratching finger went to the other ear. "Just you."

Like a child after a glass of milk, Noor fell asleep with Victor's protective hand over her back. The behemoth man look like a child with a doll as he too joined her in the land of dreams.

Hours later when Victor awoke at dawn, his body felt heavier and when his eyes descended upon his body he found his mate splayed on his chest, nude, and in her human form with a slight addition. Her tail had remained and it was languidly swaying back and forth as she lay perched on him. His hand reached down to grasp it and wondered at its softness. He pumped it in his hand and muffled his chuckle in the top of her head. He continued to stroke and pump it in his palm and questioned the sensitivity of it as well.

He was relieved she had returned to a human form. He would have gone mad if she had remained as a cat, no, a kitten for the rest of her life. When he had heard her screams something in him dreaded that his cubs had failed him and that some great tragedy had befallen Noor. Her turning into a cat was the last thing he suspected. Still, he would have to look into this. See if it was her second mutation. Could she even control it?

He could get used to the tail but maybe not so much the ears. They flicked against his mouth and he experimentally nipped at one. Noor jumped in her sleep, shuffling on top of him, and much to his astonishment did not wake.

Oh well.

Maybe he could get used to the ears too but goddamn did that tail of hers make him so hard it hurt.