Stray Cat Strut by Shelley Munro Read Free Book Online

the head of my
cock to his entrance and pushed inside, past the rings of muscle. Gently, I
worked my way in, pulling another sexy purr from Lucas. My cock jumped on
hearing the sound and in that moment, I knew. During the few days we’d known
each other I’d tumbled into uncharted territory. I loved him.
    Without warning, Lucas froze. “Something’s
wrong.”
    “I didn’t do anything.” Hell, I’d cut off
my tail before I hurt this man. I really did love him.
    “Pull out.”
    Shocked, I pulled back, separating our
bodies. My cock protested with a twitch, my balls aching. “What—”
    “I’ve got to go.” Lucas fumbled with his
clothes and yanked them on rapidly. He sat to pull on his socks and boots,
laced them and ran off.
    What the fuck? I didn’t understand. I
tugged off the condom, pulled on clothes and footwear. After packing everything
up, I grabbed the pack and sprinted after him.
    The journey back to the SUV took half the
time. When I arrived, Lucas was prowling around the SUV in frustration. I
chucked him the keys and barely had time to scramble into the passenger seat
before he took off in a spray of dirt and gravel. We skidded until the wheels
gained purchase and shot from the car park. The drive back to Tekapo village
was fast. I kept my eyes closed when we slid around the hairpin bends,
especially those with sheer drops on my side. I learned something about Lucas
though. The man was a hell of a driver.
    Instead of stopping at the lodge where we
were staying, Lucas kept going. He drove along a river that fed into Lake
Tekapo. I had no idea where the hell he was going and didn’t want to ask too
many questions while we were driving at high speed. I concentrated on the stony
riverbed and hoped like hell he wouldn’t try to leave the road and drive on
that.
    Lucas stomped on the brakes. Thank God, I’d
put my seat belt on, otherwise I would have dived through the windscreen.
    “What the hell is going on?” I demanded.
    Lucas switched off the ignition and leapt
out. “Leticia.” It was all he said before taking off at a sprint toward the
river and mystified, I followed.
    Lucas paused, seemed to scent the air
before heading off on a tangent. I pursued as best I could, following Lucas’
scent trail when he raced out of sight over the crest of a rounded hill. With
no proper track, the footing on the tussock and stony ground was treacherous.
It was a wonder he didn’t break a leg at the speed he traveled. When I reached
the brow of the hill, I saw him with Leticia. They were near the banks of
another small stream. I raced to them, sliding over an area of loose schist. I
squatted beside him, gasping for breath, my lungs aching.
    “What’s wrong? Is she okay?” I had a little
first-aid knowledge. I moved closer, intending to take her pulse. “How the hell
did you know?”
    Lucas smoothed his hand over her face and
turned to me full of anguish. “There’s a sort of telepathic thing when one of
us is in danger. I guess it’s because we’re littermates. Sometimes we just know
what the other is thinking. And no, she’s bloody not all right. That bastard
gave her FIV and hung her out to dry.”

Chapter Four
     
    I gaped at Lucas in shock. FIV or feline
immunodeficiency virus was the feline version of HIV in humans. But I’d never
heard of FIV affecting anyone in the shifter community before.
    “You can go if you like. I wouldn’t blame
you.”
    “What the fuck are you talking about, man?
Why would I leave you?” I shoved him aside and took her pulse. It was slow but
not too alarming. I thought she’d recover once we warmed her. “We need to get
her back to the lodge. Is she on medication?”
    “There isn’t any. Not that we can find.”
Pain threaded his voice. “I guess we’ll wait until she recovers and move on.”
    I scooped Leticia into my arms and stood.
    “Why are you carrying her?”
    “Because you’re knackered,” I said. “Come
on. Grab her fishing line and bag. Let’s