In the dim light of the summery forest, a hushed atmosphere prevailed.
It was as if every animal, critter, and even insect understood that someone was now in the forest who did not tolerate disturbance.
It was better to remain quiet, stay out of the way, and let him do whatever he was doing.
A rustling sound announced the arrival of a majestic, huge violet-black lion as it walked through the forest, seeking various things.
Sometimes, it carried something in its powerful jaws and buried it deep within the woods, covering and marking it so no one would discover its secrets.
On other occasions, though unseen, its mighty, low, rumbling purr could be heard throughout the forest.
Simultaneously, a man would walk, carrying a female, his eyes blazing as golden as the lion’s, as he sought the next nesting spot.
Sunlight penetrated the canopy somewhat, but the forest remained quite dim.
The trees, old and bushy, offered shelter from the scorching heat, strong winds, and heavy rain, some of which occasionally fell to the forest floor when thick clouds erupted.
This was not a new phenomenon for the forest creatures; this was their home, and they knew that “She,” the mother, had approved of this, smiling gently as if it were a good omen.
A large, old sambar deer, the king of his herd and the biggest, strongest male for years, ambled through the forest.
He had the right to breed, possessing large horns, considerable muscle, and years of experience; no newcomer would overthrow him anytime soon.
The old bull walked with his head held high, eventually stopping to graze on the new, lush grass and flowers that had grown within the forest.
These were very nutritious and much-needed after a long and tedious rutting season, during which he had once again proven himself, and several does were now carrying the next generation from him.
However, the bull had no time to escape when a black blur suddenly attacked.
Its powerful jaws gripped the bull’s throat and bit down, and it wasn’t long before the bull stopped moving, its eyes glazing over for the last time.
His time had ended, and this generation would be his last legacy.
The black blur then slightly changed shape, becoming a lion with violet-black fur and huge, feathery wings.
It gripped the bull and dragged it away, recognizing its utility for its own intentions and purposes.
In the forest, no one feared death; it was simply nature’s way.
When some creatures died, their end gave life to others, a natural rhythm and reason.
This was the case for the old, strong bull; he had met his end in glory, more or less.
There was no need for him to grow old and feeble, to struggle for food and wither away.
Instead, being taken by a predator in his prime was a fitting end.
He had sired many generations, ensuring his genes would live on, having fulfilled his duty.
The lion dragged the carcass to a sheltered cave, where it opened it up.
After removing most of the organs, it ate what it could, prioritizing its mate sleeping in the cave, hidden from view.
Once the great lion had eaten its fill, it transformed into a man.
He then proceeded to remove the hide, spreading it on the ground.
He sprinkled it with plants and a type of ash, a method to prevent spoilage, essentially tanning it.
He aimed to keep the leather as soft as possible, knowing the fur would provide excellent warmth.
After the hide had been spread and prepared, the man turned his attention to the rest of the meal.
He placed some of the meat into jars, pouring a liquid over it to preserve it.
This ensured he would have food for about a week, eliminating the need to hunt.
The cave offered sufficient security, and the summer warmth maintained an ideal temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.
Within an hour, some of the meat, specifically the fattiest parts submerged in a thick, light yellow, passionfruit-scented liquid, had transformed. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
It was now almost a puree, and the man grunted happily as he turned the jar a few times, mixing it all up.
The meat had been predigested, making it ideal for his sleeping mate.
He was providing her with nutrition while she rested, as she needed healing, rest, and love, all of which he was giving her.
After half an hour, as he saw that the meat was right, he took the bottle and tiptoed to the hidden part of the cave, where his mate was sleeping.
He watched her, bundled up in animal skins; there was a pillow under her head with rabbit fur, and he sat next to her, reached, and picked her up gently in his arms.
He had a special bottle, kind of a baby bottle, where he poured a meat concoction, and once he got her in a good position, he placed the nipple in her mouth and used his telepathy to activate her suckling and swallowing.
She would not wake up, but she was eating.
He was choosing only the most suitable parts of animals for her, and it depended almost entirely on what she needed.
He murmured calmly to her, “That’s it, darlin’. Have at it. I’ve got you, always and forever.”
For him, nothing was more important than her; no promise bound him, and no choice mattered.
Only this moment, only her, and only the bond they shared held significance.
As an alpha pair, he was truly embracing his feline side for the first time, embodying the true alpha male whose sole priority was his mate, the alpha female.
He felt her slight weight in his arms, her bony body, and her gaunt face, and he swore to himself that a better future awaited them.
He was learning what was truly important to him, distinguishing it from old habits that creatures like him possessed.
However, one can unlearn those habits, leading to a new life for his pack, and he has many plans for the future.
Each day spent embracing this wilder side of him had brought a deeper understanding of his mate.
She had always been more attuned to her feline side than he had ever been; for him, it had long been merely a tool, a facet of his being, but not his entire self.
Now, everything had changed, and despite how grueling and distressing change could be, it was also very necessary for growth and improvement.
He swore to himself once more that he would do better, become more feline, and his plans—one of which would be the right step—would encourage others to embrace their feline sides as well, uniting them as a pack of felines, not just shapeshifters.
After she had taken her dose, he placed the empty bottle aside on a carved stone imbued with magic, preparing it for the next step.
They could remain in this place a little longer before he felt the urge to move again.
It was his feline side, always seeking new locations and never staying in one place for too long, ensuring no other shifter could catch a scent of his mate while she was still healing and exceptionally frail.
He was protecting her in every possible way.
He placed her back in her bed and then transformed into an enormous lion again, curled next to her, covering her with his huge wings, and let his enormous head rest near her, purring to her all the time.
His purr had a healing frequency, his scent kept her safe, and his wings provided warmth and comfort.
He too fell asleep next to her, caring for her, feeling his heart sing louder than it ever had.
This was what he was supposed to be doing; this was so perfect, being in harmony next to her, smelling her strawberry scent and other pheromones, which told him how her healing was progressing and what needed to be done next.
What she needed, he was willing to provide by any means necessary.
He could smell in her pheromones if there was anything that he needed to address medically, like lingering metals in her system or some kind of organ damage or infection.
But most of the things that she needed, he could provide with his care, his purrs.
He had a few different ones and his love; there was no need to be clinical or humane right now when old ways were much better for him as well as for her.
This was an intimate, delicate time that belonged only to these two, no one else.
As I woke up slightly, I was groggy, and I was not entirely sure if I was dreaming or not.
Well, my gaze was blurry, but I managed to see near me a bit more sharply, and I stared at a patch of moss where one shiny green beetle walked.
I could smell forest and moss, and I heard distinct birdsong.
But my mind was in such disarray; this felt so much like a dream, so I did not take it too seriously.
My blurry vision noticed movement further, and I struggled to see what it was.
Hmm.
Weird, it was Damon’s lion form, and he was carrying it in his jaws.
Some kind of bundle; he stopped in one spot and seemingly dropped the bundle into the hole.
Then he proceeded to cover the hole and squat at the end, marking it and also nearby trees.
As a warning, so no one would go digging around there.
This dream was surreal.
I had no memory of our mission or anything; I was warm, and as I moved, I felt as if a thick covering of moss fell off of me—a really weird dream.
I mean, I was on the forest floor, buried in moss, and Damon was burying something in the forest and making sure no one would go near it.
Was this some kind of warning dream or what?
Soon exhaustion took over once again, and darkness took me with it.
Leaving only a vague memory of what I had seen, my mind still had the notion that it was just a dream.
Time went by, and I sometimes woke up again.
Once again, I was on the forest floor, covered with fur and moss, and I was lying in a nest.
I could smell Damon’s pheromones, so strong that he had never done anything like them before.
He was declaring his territory, his claim over me, and no one in the forest dared to challenge him.
My vision was still quite blurry, but this time he was walking in human form, wearing just a T-shirt and shorts, picking up berries after he had once again buried something.
I guess it had to do something with me, and if I were to take a guess, I would say that he was getting rid of old nesting material, anything with my scent on it, as I felt his claim so damn strongly in my mind as well.
He turned his head as he noticed I was awake, and a strong, gentle flood of purest love flooded my mind with the suggestion that I was still exhausted and I should close my eyes and rest a bit; there was nothing to worry about, and everything would be just fine.
It was not just a suggestion but a pretty strong directive, and soon exhaustion overwhelmed me, pulling me once more into deep, healing sleep, with no memory of what had happened or what the future might bring.
He was still caring for her after months, a few months at least, but time was not important; she was now better, and soon she could wake up, and then it would be time for them to begin a new chapter in their lives.
Big surprises were coming for her, and he knew very well that surprises were something she could not deal with very gracefully.
But he would not give her a chance right now, or ever, as she would have to accept this new way of life, this new version of him, and all the oh-so-glorious plans he had come up with.
He was most in love with her; he never wanted to let go of her, and the mere idea that Pack’s other males might claim her, sometimes her body, sometimes her heart, made him even more possessive, loving, and caring, and he was doing everything he could to bind her tightly to him.
So they would be together forever.
A sting in his chest signaled how his tattoo had grown; it had grown steadily over this time, and it told him he was doing what he was supposed to be doing.
Her tattoo had grown too; she would then see it once it was time for her to wake up to a new morning and to a better life, and then the pack would be part of it.
He had been in contact with Number Two, so he knew where Pack was.
Not yet fully healed, they too needed time and therapy to get their fitness under control, as well as get the rest of their darkness and rage out of them.
Salvatore had taken most of it out; it had not been easy, and those powers were now stored in crystals.
She would not get them back, but they would be used as the pack’s benefits in the future.
Sure, they would replenish within her, but now she had given quite a hefty donation, and with that, the pack’s powers would be even greater.
It would be time soon to start anew as a true pack of chimeras.