The great beast kept its gaze locked on her.
“I’m dreaming. I must be dreaming.” Convinced, she hurried to bed.
She tossed and turned for an hour or two. The only way she’d been able to get to sleep was by envisioning Connor and touching herself, coming to completion as she whispered his name. Even still, the sensation was a hollow one because the fingers at her sex weren’t his. Her spark of an orgasm paled in comparison to the lightning storm he created in her body.
The next night, she happened to see the cat again through the kitchen window. It watched her, waiting. Once again, she did nothing.
On the third night, she purposely waited up to catch it on its vigil.
A week went by. The mountain lion returned each night.
Elaine’s spirit animal was bereft, unable to get to the male it adored. Her bear wouldn’t let her sleep, it wouldn’t let her eat. It demanded she go outside and join the cat.
But she was afraid.
It had been over two months since she’d last seen Connor. She was feeling better these days. She’d made a great start in homeschooling her children, and they’d adapted well to the curriculum she’d set. They still asked after Connor every day, but she couldn’t blame them. They loved him.
What did she feel?
There was a yearning deep inside her, the sort of adrenaline-laced hunger she hadn’t known since her early days with Lloyd. Her body craved Connor. She needed to masturbate every night, just to soothe her raging hormones. It didn’t help knowing the blasted cat stalked her, just a few feet away. It would smell her arousal.Hewould smell her arousal.
Even though it kept itself hidden, only coming out at night to gaze into her window, she felt its presence. Goose bumps danced to life on her skin. Her tongue seemed dry. Her body writhed on the bed every night, lonely and dissatisfied.
She wanted him. She was just so scared to be a disappointment to him.
What if she wasn’t good enough?
A week and a half after the first cat spotting, Elaine could no longer handle the frustration. After waiting until the house was dark and everyone was fast asleep, she slipped out of bed. Although her feet wanted to lead her directly outside, she stopped at the closet, and she threw a housecoat on over her nude body. Not bothering with slippers or shoes, she padded toward the front door. She opened it a crack and peeked outside.
The mountain lion stood at the edge of the lawn. Upon seeing her, it issued a low, famished yowl. Her parents’ house backed onto a wooded ravine. As if understanding, the cat turned and disappeared between the trees and headed toward the ravine.
Elaine followed. Her ursine senses guiding her, she walked barefoot over the lawn. When she got to the ravine, the undergrowth scratched at her feet. Slipping out of her robe, she shifted into bear form and moved deeper into the wooded area.
About a hundred feet in, her brown bear confronted the mountain lion. In animal form, it was harder to fight her desire. Her human voice seemed to fade into the distance, and she couldn’t find a reason to stay away from him.
The cat’s deep rumbling breaths were the sweetest sound she’d ever heard.
Stripped of pride and all her guilt, she flew at the creature. Their large bodies rubbed up against one another. It smelled so good, like the outdoors and like him. She bumped her head against its mighty shoulders. It curled itself around her body, trying to get closer. The cat nipped her bear, nuzzling and licking, marking her with its scent.
Driven by pure, animal lust, Elaine changed back into human form. She wanted to feel its bite but not on her thick fur. She wanted to wear his mark on her fragile skin, where it would cut deepest.
She was ready.
Connor shifted too. He stood before her, cock hard as iron, his chest rising and falling. He looked so pale, even by moonlight, and it hurt to look at him.
“It’s really you.”
“I couldn’t stay away. I tried. I swear I tried.”
“I know. It’s been so hard.” Every nerve ending in her body conspired against her. Her heart beat loudly. Her jaw clenched. Even her fingernails hurt.
“Elaine.” He sighed. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too.”
His faltering half-smile was the most wonderful thing she’d ever seen.
“I’m sorry for how I left you that night,” he said. “I was hurt. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. You were right. It was all going too quickly.”
