|
|
|
Myths and Legends: Puma Judy Mays All rights reserved. Copyright ©2005 by Judy Mays An Authorized Excerpt This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers. “Ouch!” The exclamation -- and the curse that followed it -- woke him. Rising, Karrak yawned, dug his claws into the hard wood beneath his paws, and stretched back out on the branch again. An errant breeze brought the faint, coppery scent of blood to his nostrils along with the sweet, musky scent of woman. He flared his nostrils and looked down. A dark-haired woman had her hand braced against the trunk of the tree while she stood on one foot, rubbing the side of her ankle. “Stupid stick,” she grumbled. He pricked his ears forward, his curiosity piqued. Who was this woman? What was she doing so far from the human’s town, here where this rocky hill rose above the jungle? He sniffed again, and the pungent odor of freshly harvested herbs reached his nose. Then he spotted the large basket half full of plants, flowers, and leaves sitting on the ground in front of her. Ahhh. Gathering medicinal plants. She was a healer. As she bent over to pick up the basket, her white cotton shift stretched tautly over her back and buttocks. Looking closer, Karrak swiped his tongue over his jowls. Nice rear. Almost as shapely as a cat’s. Straightening, the woman tilted her head to the side, listened for a moment, then followed a faint trail northwest. He sat up, ears cocked forward, following her progress through the undergrowth with his sharp hearing. She must have heard the waterfall. His cat curiosity getting the better of him, Karrak leaped to the ground. Landing lightly, he stretched again, each toe and claw separately, then trotted after her. When he reached the edge of the clearing, she was already standing before the pool at the bottom of the small waterfall. Setting her basket on the ground, she threw a couple of stones into the pool. When nothing moved, she loosened her colorful belt, pulled her shift over her head, and stepped into the water. Sighing with pleasure, she splashed water on herself. Karrak craned his neck to get a better view. Well now. Things were getting interesting. Staying hidden in the underbrush, he circled the clearing until he was as close to the woman as he could get without revealing himself. He shifted his weight while he eyed her form. Very nice. She was young -- and shapely. She’d loosened her hair from its braid, and the silky, black cascade fell over both shoulders almost to her waist. Joyful laughter bubbled from her throat as she splashed. She turned toward him. He licked his jowls again. Better and better. He let his gaze wander down her body. Her breasts were high and full -- the kind a man would enjoy cupping and massaging. The brown nipples, surrounded by warm tan areoles, were pebbled to hard nubs -- the kind a man would nuzzle and suck into his mouth. Her belly was slightly rounded with a large jade bead piercing her naval, the perfect toy to carefully flick and pluck to send stabs of pleasure straight to her loins. Her hips flared gently, perfect for cushioning a man’s as he slid his cock between her legs. And the neatly trimmed dark curls formed a triangle between her plump thighs. Perfect for caressing and kissing, before a man turned his attention to the pink lips and musky honey he’d find between them. She turned around again and her buttocks were visible. Karrak smiled a cat smile. Plump and firm -- just the way they should be for a man to caress then grab onto, and hold as he pumped into her from behind. A fly buzzed close to his face, and Karrak shook his head. Yes, this woman was the kind to haunt a man’s dreams -- another man’s dreams, not his -- not yet, not while his life was dedicated to revenge. Years ago, he’d sworn to avenge his mother’s death at the hands of the man who’d sacrificed her in the name of his religion, and to protect any other innocents this man might seek to murder. He centered his attention on the woman again. Watching her was a nice way to pass some time, but she could be nothing else to him. His oath precluded everything else, including women, no matter how beautiful and tempting they were. For ten years, he had done nothing more than observe women if they happened to cross his path. None would tempt him from his task, neither human nor shape shifter. A bevy of multicolored butterflies fluttered to the far side of the pool, and the woman laughed with joy. When the music in her voice wrapped itself around him, Karrak froze. The heaviness that had lain on his heart since his mother’s death lightened. The woman reached behind her and lifted her hair off the back of her neck. Her breasts bounced. He lashed his tail. Something about her… Snarling softly, he closed his eyes and shook his head. No! This woman was nothing to him. He was a shape shifter. He had absolute control over his body and emotions. No female could tempt him from the tasks he had set for himself. Opening his eyes, he focused his attention back on the woman in the pool. However, just because this female wasn’t meant for him didn’t mean he couldn’t admire her. She’d stopped splashing and was making her way back to the bank. For the first time he got a good look at her face. The two blue vertical lines on her chin accentuated her full red lips. A tiny polished jade bead matched the larger bead in her naval, and sat on the left side of her nose. More jade dangled from her ears. Tiny green leaves tattooed in a straight line from one ear, across both cheeks and the bridge of her nose to the other ear drew attention to her deep, dark eyes -- eyes that held secrets, secrets he wanted -- no, needed to know. The puma sharing his soul began to purr. Jerking his gaze away, Karrak blinked and shivered. Another snarl rolled from his throat, this one louder than the first. The woman covered her breasts with her hands. “Hello. Is someone there?” He froze. The last thing he wanted was to reveal his presence. A macaw called. A howler monkey answered. She dropped her hands, splashed out of the pool, grabbed her shift, and pulled it over her head. Picking up her basket, she headed back into the forest the way she’d come. Once she was gone, Karrak stepped from beneath the undergrowth, his mind troubled. Why had her eyes pulled at him? Why couldn’t he dismiss her from his mind as he’d been able to do with all the other women he’d observed in the last ten years. Her belt still lay on the ground, and he batted at it. Tail whipping from one side to the other, he lowered his head and sniffed it. Golden mist swirled. The puma disappeared and he stood in his human form. Bending, Karrak picked up the belt. The secrets he’d seen within the depth of her dark eyes remained in his mind, taunting, teasing. He frowned. Why should he care what she was thinking? He rubbed the soft belt against his cheek. Her scent tickled his nostrils, soft, flowery, sexy. He inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled again. Then, revelation blasted his mind; his balls contacted and blood rushed to his cock. Gasping at the sharp stab of desire that exploded in his stomach, he fell to his knees. The puma in his soul screamed in triumph. She is mine! Karrak pounded his fist against the ground. Not now, not when he was so close to exacting his revenge! No! Why did he find his mate now? And human! Why human? Few women could understand or cope with what it meant to be mated to a shape shifter. Karrak closed his eyes for a moment. Now wasn’t the time. What was he supposed to do? A vision of her taut breasts and plump thighs appeared in his mind. His cock jerked. The puma in his soul screamed again. Find her! Now! Cursing, Karrak seized control of his body, leaped into the pool, wading over to the cascade. Sucking in a deep breath, he leaned forward and braced his hands against the rocks. As he gasped and cursed his fate, the icy water of the cascade pounded against his chest, stomach, thighs, and cock. His erection vanished almost immediately. Still, he didn’t deny the longing that surged through his body. The woman who splashed so innocently in the pool was meant to be his. |
|
copyright 2010 Changeling Press, LLC |