Xander sat on the log, dressed only in a pair of cut off sweats, shorts so old and worn that he'd been debating throwing them away. He was nervous, his fingers shredding some of the thick green moss that grew over the log, releasing it's scent into the air. He turned his mind back to how he'd brought this on himself, that he was in the middle of the forest waiting for the full moon to rise.
Waiting to see if he would sprout fur and fangs.
On reflection, he decided to blame it all on the wine. Yes, definitely on that wine. The pard had thrown a party celebrating something, he thought it had to do with Anita. Somehow, they'd ended up with the leftover wine, a half dozen not quite empty bottles. A few burning candles, feathers from a broken pillow, and everyone else gone.
Cherry had taken it to the next step though, when she'd accidentally spilled some of the wine on his arm. Instead of going for a towel, she'd licked the wine off of his arm, her tongue curling over his flesh suggestively. It had felt good, and she'd known that he liked it. That had lead to her pulling the shirt from his chest, straddling him on the couch, dribbling wine over his chest and licking it off, slowly. Naturally, the only thing to do had been to return the favor.
The feathers had been his addition to the naughty games. Dipping the tip of the feather in the wine and painting sweeping arcs over her flesh, not only had it tickled, but... well, it had almost made her purr. When she'd pulled the feather from his fingers, brushing the wine over his thighs... Well, things from there had only gotten more intense.
They'd gone from licking the wine from each other to just... licking. Teasing, tasting, lips and tongues exploring each others bodies, despite the fact that they'd already been lovers for a month. That night had somehow been different.
On the couch had been slow, he'd slid into her slowly, their bodies sticking together from the traces of wine that had somehow escaped agile tongues. Her kisses had been more intoxicating then the wine had been, and the soft sighs and low moans they had made had been sweeter than any music. Her fingers had dug into his arms, urging him to move faster, harder. Seeking more as their kisses had grown longer, breaking only to suck desperately needed air.
"Xanderrrr..." Her eyes had gone leopard golden, and she'd felt almost feverishly hot beneath him.
But he'd gotten a lesson in playing with passion that night. He wasn't quite sure how they'd made it to the bedroom without tripping over an abandoned bottle, hands sliding over naked flesh, their bodies so close that they were touching. Their lips barely left flesh as they had stumbled to the bedroom, Xander collapsing backwards onto the bed. He'd found himself at her mercy.
She'd started at his feet, licking and nibbling over his skin, creating the most delightful little stings with her teeth. She'd slowly, very slowly worked her way up and around, the trail of her attentions shifting around until she was nibbling on the inside of his thighs. It was the most erotic and torturous form of fore play that he'd ever experienced.
"oh, Xander, you taste sooo good." She'd leaned up, kissing him as she pressed her hot body against his. He hadn't even thought about the cause of her lips being so red, nor the faint coppery taste in her mouth.
That coupling hadn't been slowly torturous at all. It had been a desperate frenzy of contact, thrusts and speed endowing their passion with a raw immediacy. She'd needed him inside her, needed him to keep her grounded, remind her that she was a woman and not a leopard. And when her fingers spasmed over his ribcage, allowing her claws that had somehow replaced her fingernails to rip into his flesh, he had screamed, partly from pain, and partly... God it had been at the very moment that he hadn't been able to last any longer through the frantic mating.
"Cherry... oh... and ow. Am I bleeding?" He'd been surprised that he could manage the words.
She'd looked at him, her eyes hovering between hazel and gold, something that was almost remorse in them, mixed with lust. "I didn't mean to... let me kiss it all better for you..."
Cherry had licked at his wounds like a cat with a bowl of cream, a low vibration from her body startling him. Almost as much as it aroused him. Dazedly, it had crossed his mind that there had to be something seriously wrong for him to be enjoying this so much...
But Xander hadn't cared any more at the moment. He'd just wanted Cherry. And she'd been delighted to oblige him, repeatedly.
He'd woke up stiff and sore, muscles aching from exertion, his mouth tasting like something had crawled inside it and died. His ribs had hurt, and there had been sharp protests from his thighs and chest. Glancing down, he'd seen rows of tiny bites over his thighs, now capped with dark scabs. His ribs had long slashes over them, a reminder of the passionate things they had done the night before. Groaning, he'd allowed himself to collapse onto the bed, the contact setting lines of fire stinging on his back.
"ouch."
"Xander? Are you... awake?" Cherry's sleepy murmur from beside him set off loud echoes in his skull.
He had only managed an unhappy noise. But that noise had been enough that she'd half rolled over, looking at him. Her eyes were still half lidded from sleep, and her face was clean of make up, the way he liked her best.
"Oh no... Did I? I did all that?" Her voice was filled with dismay, and a bit of fear.
Xander had forced his eyes open again, looking at his girlfriend. "yeah. We weren't thinking very much last night. Umm... maybe some bandages for the ribs? They hurt."
"This... I could have killed you if... oh, Xander, I'm sorry." She'd looked so worried as she'd tended his wounds, wincing at a few of them. "And it's not like you heal as fast as I do... oh..."
Xander had looked at her, now worried about that last 'ohh'. It hadn't been a happy sound. "Cherry? Honey, what's the matter?"
"What if... what if I've infected you?" She'd looked horribly upset, tears shimmering in her eyes.
Carefully, Xander had shrugged. "Then I get furry with you every month. And... last night was... well, the bits I remember were fun. It's just this whole morning after part that isn't."
So, he was sitting here in the woods. It was time to find out if he would be getting furry with her. The idea was terrifying and exciting all at once.
A wave of pain crashed into him, and Xander doubled over, gasping for breath. It felt like each place where she'd bit or scratched was on fire, and it went down to his bones, spreading along them. His muscles twisted, feeling almost as if they were ripping free from his bones, and everything dissolved into a blur of sensation.
The moon shone down on a pair of leopards. The darker one was crouched on the ground, but soon stood up, a forceful shake shedding bits of shredded moss. The smaller leopard licked his face, and bounded off into the woods. The dark leopard followed, reveling in the moonlight. His mate was feeling playful tonight.