“Are you okay?” demanded Antonio, running his hands over his little cheetah’s body. He covered every inch of her, but he didn’t do it for his own enjoyment, no, he had to make sure she was okay. The thought of anything happening to Hester hit him like a thunderbolt to the chest.
“I’m fine,” she hissed, angry, though not with him anymore. “You okay?”
He nodded in the darkness. It was getting late, but there were still numerous leap mates milling around the compound – mostly the jaguars who could see just fine in the dark, so they didn’t bother with flashlights. He had thought nothing of running into the darkness to follow Hester, and she probably thought nothing of it too. But someone was out there, someone who could see them.
The leap had a close call a month ago. Hunters had veered onto their land and took pot shots at some teenagers who were enjoying themselves, shifting and chasing one another. None of the cubs were hurt, but Roberto raised holy hell with the local town’s chief of police, and although the actual perpetrators were never caught, no one had tried anything since. Nobody thought any hunters would be bold enough actually to make an attack against the whole leap.
Roberto burst out of the food hall, roaring and shifting to his enormous jaguar. Bullets whipped through the air, but Roberto didn’t even pause as he tore towards the direction of the shooter.
“Stay down,” ordered Antonio, tearing at his clothes.
“Like hell,” snapped Hester, leaping to her feet.
His jaguar snarled but he didn’t have time to argue, and he knew that with Hester the argument with be lengthy and loud.
“Just stay behind me.”
He shifted to his beast and seconds later, Hester followed suit, taking on the form of a small but sleek cheetah.
The bullets had stopped, but that didn’t mean the danger had passed. He sped after his prime, aware of his mate keeping pace and ignoring his order to stay behind him completely. In fact, there she went. The faster cheetah outpaced him, her sinewy limbs flying through the air as he pounded the ground after her. If the circumstances were different, he might enjoy the glory of her lovely beast, but she was deliberately ignoring him and putting herself in harm's way.
The cheetah hurled herself over the wall, barely missing a step. Antonio pushed his jaguar, trying and failing to keep up with her.
Thankfully, the danger had passed. Seconds later, Hester skidded to a halt, and he did too, bumping into her and sending her sprawling as she clacked her fangs at him.
He realized what had made her stop. The large form of his prime was batting and sniffing at a gun that had been discarded. The leap owned no guns – they had no need of them, but even Antonio could tell it was a hunting rifle.
The prime flattened his ears and looked around the area accusingly.
Still panting, Antonio struggled through his shift, his spent energy making it difficult.
“No scents,” he growled.
In fact, there was something new there that shouldn’t have been – a soapy smell, but it wasn’t strong enough to follow. The huge jaguar grunted as he looked around.
Antonio kneeled on the ground and placed a hand on the cheetah’s flank. She curled a lip at him, but she didn’t bite. That was something.
Other leap members approached, not quite at the breakneck speed Antonio and Hester took – they were warier and perhaps smarter in their approach. He noticed Tomas, Lorenzo, and Diego among them. They were all shifted, but on seeing the prime, they became human again and waited for the prime to shift too. After a few moments, the fur under his hand rippled and Hester shifted as well. Though she was careful to stay kneeling and quickly covered her ample breasts – breasts that he wished he could spend a second enjoying, but he couldn’t – duty called.
“Any idea who was shooting?” she asked.
“We had a problem with hunters a couple of months back. Might have been them.” Though he had his doubts.
Hester gave him a sharp look, and he knew she didn’t entirely believe that theory either, but she didn’t say anything.
The prime finally shifted too, standing big, naked and proud before the assembled jaguars, and one cheetah. Roberto was in his fifties, but while his face was weather-beaten and his body scarred and callused from years of hard work, he was still as strong as he had ever been. Perhaps Valentina ought to have been angling to become his mate. It was doubtful he would step down for a long time.
Antonio’s jaguar grumbled as he scented Valentina approaching too. She was still human, but naked, and accompanied by her mother and the leap’s second, Daniel.
There were murmurings from the jaguars.
“The trail is too well covered, we will not be able to follow it,” declared Roberto. “I will talk to the police chief tomorrow. For now, Lorenzo, take the gun and lock it away. Daniel, see to it that there are patrols organized for the rest of the night. Marta, ensure that everyone is informed of the event, but do not let them panic. Tomas, escort our cheetah guest home.”
Antonio growled, and Roberto narrowed his eyes. “Nephew, a word.”
Antonio didn’t like it, but Hester didn’t look all together put out, and he didn’t think she would be in any danger in Tomas’ company.
The other jaguars started filtering away, gossiping amongst themselves. Valentina gave Antonio a look and tried to press her breasts together. She stopped on seeing the bored look on Hester’s face.
Antonio looked down at Hester, wishing he had thought to bring her something to cover up. He shouldn’t be complaining really. He’d already seen her naked twice – they were making excellent progress. Shame that both times he couldn’t really stop and enjoy the sight. But he couldn’t fail to notice the way her skin flushed as she looked him up and down. It was pretty damn chilly out there, and he was heating up something fierce.
Hester was about to argue, but he cut her to the quick. “Make sure my mother and brothers are okay, and the other new females.”
She frowned a little as if she wanted to be angry with him, but she stopped and gave him a half-nod before joining Tomas and slowly walking away. Thankfully not walking too close to the larger, younger male. His jaguar was already riled enough and itching to put the hurt on something, and Tomas looked like he had a nice, spongy face that would just soak up the bruises.
Roberto’s expression dimmed as they were left alone.
“You think it was the hunter again?” asked Antonio.
“Unlikely.”
Antonio grunted in agreement. The hunter only shot at the cubs when they were shifted. Probably thought he’d managed to find some wild jaguars; probably thought it was his lucky day. Whoever did this was shooting at them while they were human.
Roberto stared after Hester.
“Maybe someone the leap did business with,” suggested Antonio without much conviction.
“Doubtful.” Roberto gave him a sidelong look. “Why would they aim at you and Hester?”
His jaguar roared. “That can’t be…”
“Saw it with my own eyes. I heard the first shot, and when I came out the food hall, all the bullets were headed your way.”
“You think someone’s after me?”
Roberto shrugged nonchalantly, but he couldn’t hide the tension in his shoulders. The two males may not get on, but that didn’t mean he wanted Antonio gunned down. “Or your mate. Keep her close.”
Antonio snarled. Because convincing her to stay wasn’t already hard enough.