belly.
Gathered Jane’s clothes and dropped them over the car door onto the dirt. Boots. The
gun she had killed, emptying its noisy heart out. Dropped everything and turned back
for cell phone. Bruiser was shouting for Jane on cell. Sounded angry-afraid. I looked
at it on the floor. Sniffed at it, pulling in air over tongue and roof of mouth with
soft
scree
of sound. Cell phone carried Jane-scent, and Bruiser could track her with cell phone.
Could track Jane-scent on cell from far away. I did not understand how he did this,
but Bruiser was good tracker of Jane.
I thought.
Bruiser could find Beast!
I stared at cell. Did not know what to do. I looked inside, to Jane, asleep in corner
of mind-den. I swatted her, without claws. But she did not move. I looked back outside
mind-den, at cell. I bent into floor of car and picked up cell phone in killing teeth.
Foot slipped off plastic. Teeth bit down. Cell phone shattered into many parts, broken.
Bruiser’s voice went silent. I pawed cell and sniffed. Jane had told me about machines,
like guns and Bitsa and cars, that were alive but not alive and that did not bleed
blood. I did not understand stupid human things. Cell phone had no blood, yet it was
dead. I killed it, like foolish yearling puma with first litter, killing kit with
teeth.
Stupid Beast
. I batted bloodless cell parts into backseat. Did not know what to do. Did not know
if Bruiser could track Jane now, but did not think that Jane wanted Bruiser to find
Jane-clothes and Jane gone.
Looked out at night, sniffing strange new air. New scents made Bruiser-worry go away.
Cell was dead. I could not make it alive again. I chuffed. Growled. Scented. Listening
to world. I was safe here until Bruiser sent help. Then big-cat would be prey to white
man’s guns. Again. Bruiser did not know Beast. Would kill Beast. This hunt was not
a good hunt. Beast needed Jane, but Jane still slept. I thought,
Could hide Jane!
I took boots into killing teeth and leaped up, over, and down,
lithe
and
lissome
—her words for me. Liked those words. Landed on dirt. Hunger tore into belly. Shifting
used much food, gave much hunger. But there was no meat here without hunting, and
no hunting until Jane was safe
I carried Jane’s boots across the ditch and into the dark. Went back to car, to Jane’s
bag and top-half clothes. Went back again for her bottom-half clothes. Snuffled her
pants. They were full of Jane’s blood, and spattered with her attacker’s blood. Jane
had shot him. Jane is good hunter, even without claws and killing teeth. Found hunter’s
blood on ground and bent over it, opened mouth, pulled back lips, sucking in air over
tongue and scent sacks in roof of mouth. Tasting and smelling with
scree
of sound. Learning. Scent was human and vampire and something hard and metallic and
ugly. Did not know this smell.
I bumped Jane’s pants with nose. Smelled tooth of puma concolor in small trap called
pocket inside of pants. Smelled cross and smelled magics of amulet. Jane thought amulet
was important. It was safe in pocket-trap of Jane-clothes. Beast wore one suit of
skin and fur. Humans wore skin and clothes—many clothes instead of fur. Would have
been smarter to grow fur, but humans were never smart. Walking backward, dragged Jane’s
pants along Beast’s paw-print trail. Hid paw trail. Hid her clothes. Jane was safe
now from predator who might hunt her.
Hopped on top of boulder. Studied world. Smelled for mountain lions. Jane said mountain
lions had been seen here. Two males, smart males who hunted as a pair. But I smelled
no big-cat. Only goat smell. Not far away. Wanted to eat goat. Listened for Jane in
mind. Jane still slept. I chuffed and snarled, claiming goats. And padded into night.
* * *
I ate. Long canines tore into throat of goat. Large goat still kicked, still dying.
But I was hungry. I bit into meat. Drank down pumping blood. Ripped into
Gathered Jane’s clothes and dropped them over the car door onto the dirt. Boots. The
gun she had killed, emptying its noisy heart out. Dropped everything and turned back
for cell phone. Bruiser was shouting for Jane on cell. Sounded angry-afraid. I looked
at it on the floor. Sniffed at it, pulling in air over tongue and roof of mouth with
soft
scree
of sound. Cell phone carried Jane-scent, and Bruiser could track her with cell phone.
Could track Jane-scent on cell from far away. I did not understand how he did this,
but Bruiser was good tracker of Jane.
I thought.
Bruiser could find Beast!
I stared at cell. Did not know what to do. I looked inside, to Jane, asleep in corner
of mind-den. I swatted her, without claws. But she did not move. I looked back outside
mind-den, at cell. I bent into floor of car and picked up cell phone in killing teeth.
Foot slipped off plastic. Teeth bit down. Cell phone shattered into many parts, broken.
Bruiser’s voice went silent. I pawed cell and sniffed. Jane had told me about machines,
like guns and Bitsa and cars, that were alive but not alive and that did not bleed
blood. I did not understand stupid human things. Cell phone had no blood, yet it was
dead. I killed it, like foolish yearling puma with first litter, killing kit with
teeth.
Stupid Beast
. I batted bloodless cell parts into backseat. Did not know what to do. Did not know
if Bruiser could track Jane now, but did not think that Jane wanted Bruiser to find
Jane-clothes and Jane gone.
Looked out at night, sniffing strange new air. New scents made Bruiser-worry go away.
Cell was dead. I could not make it alive again. I chuffed. Growled. Scented. Listening
to world. I was safe here until Bruiser sent help. Then big-cat would be prey to white
man’s guns. Again. Bruiser did not know Beast. Would kill Beast. This hunt was not
a good hunt. Beast needed Jane, but Jane still slept. I thought,
Could hide Jane!
I took boots into killing teeth and leaped up, over, and down,
lithe
and
lissome
—her words for me. Liked those words. Landed on dirt. Hunger tore into belly. Shifting
used much food, gave much hunger. But there was no meat here without hunting, and
no hunting until Jane was safe
I carried Jane’s boots across the ditch and into the dark. Went back to car, to Jane’s
bag and top-half clothes. Went back again for her bottom-half clothes. Snuffled her
pants. They were full of Jane’s blood, and spattered with her attacker’s blood. Jane
had shot him. Jane is good hunter, even without claws and killing teeth. Found hunter’s
blood on ground and bent over it, opened mouth, pulled back lips, sucking in air over
tongue and scent sacks in roof of mouth. Tasting and smelling with
scree
of sound. Learning. Scent was human and vampire and something hard and metallic and
ugly. Did not know this smell.
I bumped Jane’s pants with nose. Smelled tooth of puma concolor in small trap called
pocket inside of pants. Smelled cross and smelled magics of amulet. Jane thought amulet
was important. It was safe in pocket-trap of Jane-clothes. Beast wore one suit of
skin and fur. Humans wore skin and clothes—many clothes instead of fur. Would have
been smarter to grow fur, but humans were never smart. Walking backward, dragged Jane’s
pants along Beast’s paw-print trail. Hid paw trail. Hid her clothes. Jane was safe
now from predator who might hunt her.
Hopped on top of boulder. Studied world. Smelled for mountain lions. Jane said mountain
lions had been seen here. Two males, smart males who hunted as a pair. But I smelled
no big-cat. Only goat smell. Not far away. Wanted to eat goat. Listened for Jane in
mind. Jane still slept. I chuffed and snarled, claiming goats. And padded into night.
* * *
I ate. Long canines tore into throat of goat. Large goat still kicked, still dying.
But I was hungry. I bit into meat. Drank down pumping blood. Ripped into
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