Chapter 9

Words between the asterisks * indicate the pack bond speak.

*QUIL QUIT CHASING CATS YOU IDIOT* Leah's shrill voice snapped me out of my daze, and as soon as I heard her two things happened. First, something small and fluffy ran between his legs and up the tree behind me quickly followed by a shocked looking Quil. I quickly braced myself, *Oh, fuck* and then Quil's big ass barreled me over and we both go tail over snout finally coming to a rest under the tree the tiny little cat ran up. Leah's mocking laughter almost drowned out Quil's embarrassed apology but my attention was on the cat in the tree, there was something off about it. Oversized paws swung on either side of the branch it lay on, tail curling in what seemed like an amused manner. *Hey guys, is it just me or does it look like that cats smiling? *

*That's what I was chasing it for it doesn't just smell like cat, it smells like a cat the way we smell like wolves and do either of you notice how it kind of has vampire lingering on its fur? I figure those blood suckers eat animals and if that is a shifter like us they may have attacked it and broken the treaty. The things so small and cute it doesn't look like it could do much in a fight anyway so whether it's a threat to the pack or not we can take it. *

Jake looked up at the little cat and lolled his tongue at it in a friendly manner, *D'ya think we should shift back? At least one of us? *

*You don't do anything Jake I'm almost there* the disgusted look on Leah's face showed exactly how excited she was at the prospect of our pack alpha Sam showing up and didn't try and hide it as his huge form burst through the bushes followed by the rest of the pack. *One of you should have called me as soon as you thought something was us, you're lucky I don't beat your ass right now but I have better things to do right now Quil. * Soon in the place of a massive black wolf stood a massive and naked Sam, 'Man I hope that cat doesn't end up being a girl 'cause that would be awkward.' Watching Sam wasn't nearly as interesting as looking at the little cat who at some point during our brief conversation had gotten even higher into the trees, I wouldn't have been able to see it if I wasn't in my wolf form and even then, I could just see its scared glowing eyes. 'Damnit Sam's just going to scare the little guy off its obviously still a baby with those oversized paws and ears…' grumbling in my head I catch Leah's eye of course she would have been focusing on me rather than Sam, sighing I shift back quickly pulling on some shorts before Sam turned a hateful glare at me.

"Sam before you say anything I know you can't see it now and you didn't see it before but the cats a baby, yelling at it won't do anything but scare it and we really need it to come down if we want to talk to it ok?" I could see him thinking it over but I didn't wait for a response before I walked over to the base of the tree and looked straight up. "Uhh, Hey little kitty. Well, you looked more like a baby leopard which would be cool, we could tell that you're not a real animal like us so if you could maybe change back into your human form so we could talk we don't mean any harm. We've never met a different kind of shifter and it would be really cool if we could swap stories?" Everyone could see its big eyes peering down at us a few branches lower than it started before.

Sam stepped forward picking up on how Jake was getting the cat to come down and using a gentler tone he started talking. "My names Sam Uley I'm the pack leader. If we could just start with some basic yes or no questions to build up some trust between us?" A squeaky little meow answered his question and he could hear several of the pack, who had shifted back during the conversation, aww at the cute noise which was promptly followed by a hiss. "Okay, so one for yes two for no?"

"Mew" The cat had jumped down a couple more branches and was now fully visible, he could tell it was young and he made a note to thank Jake for helping him not scare the cub off.

"Now I'm assuming that you are able to shift between a human and an animal?"

"Meoww"

"Do you know that we have vampires living around here?"

A bit more hesitant this time a quiet "Mew"

Quickly sharing a look with Sam Jake asked the next question, "Have you met them, did they cause you any problems?" The answering hiss set Paul off and he and Quil both excitedly exclaimed about how we could finally finish off the blood suckers for breaking the treaty and before Sam or I could get them to shut up the cat gracefully landed on Paul's chest leaving deep claw marks down his chest before leaping on Quil who quickly shifted into his wolf form and charged the puffed-up cat. Like it had done to me it ran between Quil's legs clawing them as he went and shifted back leaving all of us speechless, stopping Paul and Quil in their tracks. In the place of the wild little cat stood a young girl? Or boy? I couldn't tell the kid was maybe 5'4 long black hair half braided in some sort of crazy curly crown thing. The pieces that had fallen all the way out reached narrow creamy shoulders easily seen with the oversized gray t-shirt covered in blood hanging off them, little bunny footy socks encased tiny little feet and long pale legs covered in cuts and scrapes could be seen up to mid-thigh where the baggy shirt ended. "If you don't stop bloody staring at me like I'm a fucking piece of meat I will shift back and tear someone's throat out." The soft English accent broke me out of my trance but Sam's Alpha couldn't let someone speak to his pack like that and always having a problem keeping shape when angry he shifted. Seeing this 200-pound black wolf standing in front of this boy who barely came up to its shoulders put my heart in my throat but when faced with an angry alpha the little cat was quickly on its knees baring its neck and Sam gently grabbed it with his teeth surprisingly initiating a pack bond before shifting back leaving a very awkward and blushing stranger eye level to Sam's suddenly interested cock.

Noticing this Sam quickly retreated and hastily pulled on his shorts after he cleared his throat he looked everywhere but the still kneeling boy who seemed too exhausted and embarrassed to get up. "So I uh, take it that you're a uh… natural submissive? I don't think I've ever met anyone who smelled quite like you even under the stench of vampire you kind of smell like imprint." Coughing awkwardly Sam turned around, "Jake if you could help the boy up we should take him to the Rez and alert the elders."

"Call me Harry please. I don't like being called boy." He sounded a lot less ferocious and a lot more tired and I quickly knelt in front of him offering him my hand, "My names Jacob but everyone calls me Jake. You mind if I carry you back your legs look pretty bad and it'll be faster this way yeah?" Harry nodded his head and I quickly picked him up, "Kid I think we need to feed you cause I've eaten meals bigger than you." My attempt at a joke just received a small huff and the rolling of his big green eyes as I sped through the forest toward Sam's house on the Reservation.