His legs had long since lost feeling in them, they ached and begged to move yet he refused to move, to do so would disturb the slumbering woman in his arms. She had sobbed and cried until she could no more, her body relaxing into his as her voice fell silent, her breathing evening out as slumber finally claimed her.
Still he could hear her reply in his head. 'Yes, yes, yes.' She had repeated the word like a mantra, each new word that tumbled from her mouth only resolved his desire to stay by her side. Even if she never saw him as more than a friend he knew he was ruined for any and all females. No one could ever hold a candle to the woman in his arms.
Ever.
It was a shocking and sobering thought, he had lived his life knowing that one day he would become the leopard king, he would have his pick of a female and have litter upon litter of cubs with her. Just as his own father had done with his mother, yet here he was ready to give all that up just to stay by her side.
He knew if he never took a mate he would have to give up his position as heir, for it was a patriarchy, passed from father to son, least the title be won via a challenge from someone outside of the bloodline, and if he had no son he could not pass it on...and oddly enough he didn't really care. Yes, he wanted Kagome to choose him, to return his feelings and bear him cub after cub but it was plain to see she wasn't ready for that and like she had said she might never be ready for that and even if she was one day there was a chance that it wouldn't be with him.
The thought hurt him on a physical level yet he knew it would be childish to not consider that turnout as a possibility just because it wasn't the way he wanted things to turn out. Sighing he leaned back against the tree behind him, his legs cramping at the movement, pinpricks jolting up and down them as they started to regain feeling. He shifted again, biting back a whimper as the tingles started to become unbearable.
Kagome groaned in her sleep, shivering as the cool night air wrapped around her. She snuggled deeper into the warmth under her, the woodsy scent wrapping around her pulling deeper into her dream of golden eyes, wheat-colored hair, and a spotted leopard tail.
Parker knew he should get them back to their hut, while they were close to the village they were out in the open...yet he knew Kagome needed the rest, so as another shiver racked through her body he sighed and allowed his beast form to take over. His body was long and sleek, dwarfing her own human form. Curling around her he purred as she snuggled into his fur, a content sigh escaping her as he rested his head on his large paws, his eyes cracked open.
He would stay up all night keeping watch as she rested, he wouldn't leave her side for anything.
The next morning found the two waking up in a tangled mess of limbs and fur. Kagome groaned as she felt a hot furry pressure on her stomach. "Ngn Buyo move...to hot..." She shoved at the ball of fur yet was surprised when it didn't budge, sure Buyo was a bit over weight yet he normally jumped off when she shoved...
Cracking blearing blue eyes open she winced, they ached from all the tears shed from them the night before. Slowly she recalled the events and flushed, she had meant to shove Parker away, to scare him off, and instead, she had relented and pulled him even closer...god she was a mess...
Blinking she glanced down at her stomach and blinked at the large feline-shaped head resting on it. She was on her back, pinned under the large sleeping leopard, his head resting on her stomach, the rest of his body was between her legs and her upper body was flanked by paws the size of her head.
Normal people would have panicked waking up pinned under such a large lethal animal yet she merely smiled, her hand rising to run over the sleek spotted fur that covered his head. She had never seen him in his natural form, he was always in his human one. Even when they went hunting he had kept his humanoid appearance, so this was a pleasant surprise.
Her gaze flickered to his ears, they were even more prominent in his natural form and she was hard pressed to not touch them...yet the longer she looked at the harder the urge was to fight down...
Adverting her gazing, hoping that if they were out of sight they would be out of mind...nope. It would seem that the absences of seeing them made her heart grow fonder and with a devil may care attitude she decided why not? They had already crossed so many of her boundaries last night...why not indulge in a quick ear petting session?
Fingers twitching she gave in and physically shivered as her fingers came in contact with the soft appendages. They twitched in her hold, flickering back and forth as she rubbed them from base to tip, they were so warm and the fur covering them was short but so much softer than the rest of the fur that covered him.
She rubbed and flicked them, loving the way they twitched in her fingers, it was so cute!
So lost in her enjoyment she didn't notice his eyes crack open, their gaze heated as his body shivered at the ministration of her fingers. With a shift of power, Parker was once again in his human form, laying on top of her as naked as the day he was born.
Leaning down so his breath ghosted across the shell of her ear he couldn't help but enjoy the small shiver that tore through her body. "I'd stop that if I were you." His voice was a low strained grumble that made her fingers freeze as she opened her eyes to meet his heated pools of honey.
Uh oh...of course his ears would be sensitive...her face flushed as he shifted, his hard member pressing into her thigh.
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid Kagome! She should have known better! Flushing she stopped her petting and let her arms fall to rest on either side of her head, her neck tilted a bit in submission. A habit picked up from all the times she found herself kidnapped and pinned to the ground...which was far too many to count.
Best to play the submissive female then have your throat ripped out. Not that she thought he would hurt her...it was just she wasn't stupid. He wasn't human he was so much more and she had pretty much stirred him into a pot of sexual frustration...
"S-sorry..." Her voice was meek, it made him shiver as he pressed closer to her, his length rubbing against her thigh.
She could feel herself grow slick with want, a familiar stirring in her lower stomach. An ache blooming to life that only he could make go away...
He knew he needed to pull back, this was far too dangerous a game they were playing. Their emotions were still raw from their talk last night, now was not the time to give in to instincts and undo everything they had built so far...
Yet she was so soft and warm under him, her throat so sleek and unmarked...her scent was so sweet...so sweet- was that blood?!
He pulled back from her as if burned, his gaze frantically searching her person for the source of the scent of blood. Had she somehow gotten hurt last night after he had passed out? If so he would never forgive himself!
Kagome could only blink as he began to frantically sniff at her, moving from spot to spot on her body. Moving she sat up a bit, her elbows supporting her upper body as she watched him fret about her.
"What's wrong?" Any and all sexual atmosphere that had been between them was nipped in the bud, she could feel his anxiety and fear rolling off of him.
"Blood, you're bleeding, where are you hurt?" Blinking she ran her powers over herself searching for a cut or wound of some sort yet she didn't find one...furrowing her brows she sat up fully. Slowly it dawned on her...she'd been in this world for a little over a month now...glancing down at her lap she felt more of the wetness settle in her loincloth and it was then that she realized.
She'd just gotten her period.
Fuck.