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One moment, the male was watching her and the next, she was looking into the deep green eyes of a huge, gigantic King-Cougar.

Her third encounter with the big animal, Ismena thought. Its color was tawny, silvery-grey, with claws that looks very sharp. It was even bigger than she remembered. Like a huge lion. Or a very huge cat.

The fear she'd thought she'd suppressed came rearing back, almost choking her throat. The animal looked both terrifying and magnificent.

Instantly after shifting, the cougar threw its head back and let out a very loud roar.

Ismena almost passed out there and then. She wanted to say something—anything at all—but her throat wouldn't work. It's as if every part of her has frozen, rooted in spot, in sheer terror.

Following the roar, the wolf in her bedroom uncurled itself and straightened from the floor. It growled as it glided forward until it was standing beside her, but a few steps ahead .

The cougar let out another roar, but cut off mid-roar as its beady, green eyes settled on the white wolf.

Ismena has always taught that the Wolf was big, but standing so close to the cougar now, she couldn't help seeing the obvious difference in their size.

The cougar was so much bigger, larger, than the wolf.

That analysis was not helping her terror. Oh God, what did I do...? Why in the mermaid's coven did I ever think that I could do something like this!? Maybe I am crazy!

The mountain lion snarled, snapping her attention back to the present. Little growls emitted from its throat as it surveyed the wolf which was doing the growly thing too.

Then it took a step forward. And another step. It stopped right in front of the wolf, focusing all its attention solely on the white wolf. Its big head lowered and bumped the wolf's. It was a gentle movement, almost tentative.

The wolf whined, positing its head so that the cougar rested on it. They made occasional sounds.

Ismena was almost sure that some kind of communication was going on between the two. She remembered what Wolfaraine said about the cougar's protectiveness of Nalaila and its behavior of always inquiring if the wolf is alright. Is that what is going on here?

For a moment, her fears were forgotten as she watched them in curiosity and awe.

It's as if she was no longer in the room. The cougar made a move of stomping its paw, and the wolf repeated the move. They rubbed their heads together affectionately, growling in such a low tone that it sounded like a rumble .

Ismena gasped when the cougar raised its paw, and the wolf raised hers, and they touched paws. They let them hang in the air like that for a while before dropping them.

Her heart warmed in her chest and at the same time, she felt a twinge of envy. She can practically feel the love the cougar has for the wolf in her heart. It was so beautiful. She longed to feel what it was like to be loved like that by the big cat too.

She stilled when the two animals swiveled their heads in her direction, staring her in the eyes.

The cougar bared its teeth and growled menacingly. Her breath almost left her body at that moment.

The wolf grunted, bumping the cougar's head with hers.

The cougar growled menacingly again.

They are talking about you, her mind screamed at her. Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod ohmiGAAAARD!!!!!!!!

The wolf left the cougar and glided right back to her. It bumped its head on her belly—a move she always interpreted in the past as the wolf wanting to be petted. Even with the terror riding through her, she found herself automatically responding to the wolf.

"Hey, love..." The whisper left her mouth as she caressed the wolf's big head.

The wolf pulled back and swiveled its head towards the cougar.

The mountain lion let out what she could only interpret as an angry grunt.

The wolf turned its head again and rested it atop her left breast .

"That part of y-your brother does n-not like me very much, Aila.

I d-do not blame him." she found herself saying as she stroked the soft fur of the wolf's head on her chest, "It h-hates the scent of me.

It hates my kind, just like you do. My kind treated you both monstrously and I will forever be sorry about that.

But I am not like them. I will never be like them. "

The more she talked, the more the tremors left her voice and her body. She felt less scared as she spoke to the wolf while caressing its body. It is something she has done a lot of times, so it almost felt natural.

She spared a glance at the big, angry mountain lion and saw its ears twitch again. It started the twitching thing the moment she began talking. Almost like it recognized her voice.

But, Ismena was not sure, and wishful thinking like that might get her killed. So, she killed that thought and continued talking to the wolf.

"I love your brother, Aila." She admitted to the wolf, and not for the first time either.

Her eyes rested on the cougar, "I love him so much.

So much that I don't think I can live without him.

I know he is angry at me and it loathes everything about me and what I represent, but I still love him.

Every part that is him. I will never hurt him. Ever."

The cougar's ears twitched again, but that was where its reaction ended.

The wolf pulled away from her, padded back to the cougar, and bumped their heads together again. The wolf growled. The cougar growled right back.

Ismena watched the exchange that seems to go on for much longer like a sacrificial lamb. It was like communication of some sort. A raging husband and a calm wife trying to soothe came to mind.

Finally the wolf moved back, its amber eyes focused on the door behind the King-Cougar. The huge animal stepped out of the way and the wolf padded towards it. But the door was closed so the wolf got to it, stopped, and swiveled its head towards her .

Ismena's head has gone offline so she did not think, instead she was aware of rising from where she'd knelt, moving past the cougar towards the door and opening it. Almost like she was operating on autopilot.

The wolf glided past the door, it moved away from them without looking back. She closed the door.

And that was when her brain came back online and she became aware of the fact that she just let the wolf out. That she was now alone with the King-Cougar.

She stood there in stark fear, staring at the animal that has not moved an inch from where it stood, proud and dominating, peering at her through those beady green eyes.

For a second, she contemplated the fight-or-flight mode again. Her mind was seriously rooting for the flight mode. Desperately rooting for it.

But she has come so far already to simply give up now. So, she forced her frozen legs to work. Walking back towards the bed, she assumed her previous position again. This time around, there was more space between her and the bed.

You are too far away from your defenses, stupid!!! Her mind screamed at her. But it was too late for her because the mountain lion was already moving.

Ismena was rooted at the spot as the cougar glided towards her, stopping right in front of her but only for a moment. Then it circled her like a predator would do its prey before pouncing.

Ismena held her breath as the King-Cougar prowled in circles around her, growling audibly under its breath. Finally it stopped right in front of her. She forced herself to raise her head and look at the animal .

It was glaring at her with what she can only describe as distrust. It was no longer the I-want-to-eat-your-bones-and-drink-your-blood-for-days kinda look (thank God) but the I-do-not-trust-you-at-all kinda look.

Right?

Maybe I'm getting these signals crossed, Ismena thought uncertainly.

Just then, the cougar raised its huge paw and in a swift movement, it came in contact with her left hand before it dropped.

Ismena saw the blood dribble down before she felt the whiplash of pain. The cougar has scratched her!

Her first impulse was to scream and run, but she fought against it. Hard.

The cougar was watching her closely. Examining.

She forced herself not to react, just returning the animal's stare.

The animal narrowed its head to the side, growled menacingly, and scratched her right arm in the same swift motion it had used before.

It hurts. It does hurt.

But, she forced herself not to react, except to blink so hard to keep her eyes from watering.

Forcing herself to see beyond the act, she discovered that the two scratches were enough to break her skin, but they weren't deep. It was methodical.

The animal was in fact testing her, she realized. Almost as if It expected her to show her true colors and react. Attack.

"You can scratch me up all you want but I'm not going to attack you." She said out loud, looking the animal in the eyes.

Its ears twitched again. It drew back two steps, watching her with an expression she could not make out. Then it did something that utterly shocked her.

The King-Cougar bent its head towards her lower belly and inhaled deeply. Ismena was shocked still.

It bumped its big head there, growling so close to her skin that she felt the rumble vibrate all over her body.

" Nadigyà ," He rumbled.

What does that mean?

Unbelievably, she was getting wet. Like her body recognized its owner right there and not even the terror she was feeling could stop that reaction. With every inhalation the cougar took, her body responded with more liquid until she was practically dripping within seconds.

" Nadigyà, " Another deep rumble.

Ismena gasped. She did not like where this is going. She did not like it at all.

"Uhm...buddy, I think we should talk about this..." She began.

The cougar raised its head, brought its face really close to hers, and bared its teeth at her.

"Or then again, maybe not!" She shrieked, her eyes going so wide they were like saucers. This is the closest she has looked at the enormous animal's face and she was sure she will shit herself if it bared its teeth at her again.

All of a sudden, everywhere burst with movement.

Ismena yelped when the mountain lion suddenly scooped her up into its paw and in rapid movements—before she could process what was happening—she was being bent over with her upper body resting on the bed, her knees solidly planted on the floor at the foot of the bed and her back being cushioned by the softest furs she has ever felt before. As soft as the wolf's.

Oh my God, the cougar wants to mate!

The huge, feral animal is gonna mate with me!!

The King-Cougar threw its head back and let out a very long howl.