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My Dear Pantheress

By the Nightdown fox (formerly Blacksin)

VERSION 4.18 (Added artwork by Kisu , updated story flow accordingly. )

4.15 (Continued stylistic and flow updates)

4.10 (Revised plot significantly for better overall flow, updated minor mistakes.)

WARNING: The following has scenes of graphic sexual contact of a Semi-Zoophilia (sex with talking animals, think 'Nala' from the Lion King) Nature. If you are (a) underage or (b) disgusted /angered by such content PLEASE leave now!!! This is your only warning!!!

(c)2000 BlackSin. Any unauthorized editing, copying, or transmission for money without the explicit permission of the author strictly prohibited.

CHAPTER 1: RECOMMENDING A CARETAKER

"Explain this to me one more time?" Brian Simmons sighed, exasperated. He rubbed his temples and squirmed in the chair as his boss Sheila tapped a pen on her desk.

"I don't see why you have a problem," she said, shaking her head. "You have no idea how many people volunteered for this project, but as a friend I recommended you personally. You should consider it an honor."

"Then why don't you just recommend someone else to do it, friend?" Brian replied, getting up from the chair and looking out the only window in the office. He didn't see Sheila's jaw drop, but he heard the pen fall from her hand and crash on the floor.

"Listen to me, Brian. As the head of this zoo, it is my job to notice the potential of the workers and put it to good use. You might have too much of an attitude problem for my liking, but I have seen how much you really care. I'll never forget how you helped with the dolphin birthing, or the day I first met you when you carried that dog into the facility. The PZA Committee looked over your personnel file, and you're a perfect match. I put my name on the line by recommending you, don't..."

"Sheila," Bryan interrupted, walking back to her desk and glaring into her eyes. "If they reviewed my files, all they saw were doctors taking credit for everything I've done at this damn zoo. I've seen what it takes to take care of one of those animals. Look, the thing is I enjoy my job, even if I'm unappreciated. But my home is my place to get away from it all." He further illustrated his point by spreading his hands out in front of his boss as he walked back over to the window. "It's my vacation spot. Plus, I'm not making enough money to take care of myself let alone some talking panther."

Sheila rolled her eyes and rested her face against the palm of her hand. "Do you really think that the Committee would pawn an experiment off on you without an extra stipend?"

"What?" Brian asked, turning from his gaze out the window.

Sheila pulled a folder from a drawer and dropped it on top of the desk. "We are prepared to give you enough money to take care of Natasha, plus something extra for all your trouble."

Brian crept back to the desk and glanced at his boss before picking up the folder. As he flipped through the file, he sat back down in the chair and whistled. "That's... a very generous offer. It will only take half of this to take care of an animal."

"That's right," Sheila said, looking at him with stern determination set in her green eyes, "and that means I expect her to be eating more than rice and bread."

Brian flipped through the rest of the file, nodding a response. "Now I can afford that new car..."

"Hey! Are you listening to me? I'm not kidding here. I want you to make sure that you take care of Natasha exactly how the project mandates."

Brian's eyes grew as a smile creased his cheeks. "Of course I will! I'm a damn good zookeeper, remember?"

Sheila shook her head and frowned at his sudden bright demeanor. "Why do I have the feeling that you're not doing this for the right reason?" She watched him as he headed to the door.

"Take care of that little cub and get a six-speed with power everything. We both get what we want, so where is the wrong in that?" He slid out the office humming a happy tune before his boss could muster a response.

The Provisional Zoological Association's main headquarters spanned across acres of protected buildings. Known for their secretive methods, the facility always found itself in the center of negative media attention. Scientists observed different altered animals with the scope of helping humanity.

Growing up, Brian Simmons excelled in biology in school, even though he never really wanted to be a scientist. Oddly enough, the PZA hired him as a caretaker because of his detached attitude, which the animals seemed to trust more than the other "overly caring" workers. Brian saw the genetically altered mouse with the human ear in its back on the news. He wanted to make sure that his fellow human beings didn't turn other animals into freaks. During his years at the zoo, he hadn't seen anything as extreme as the mouse. He even witnessed tests on other humans.

As he walked toward the Big Cat pen, he wondered more about his peculiar assignment. He knew little about the Natasha project, just about her speech qualifications and how much all the scientists loved her. As he approached the facility, a young scientist held the glass doors open for him and glanced at his security badge.

"Ah, Mr. Simmons," she said smiling while examining the file that he held. "You will be looking after our Tasha, huh? Sometimes she can be a handful, but I think that she will grow on you like she did us. I must say that I am a little jealous of you."

The scientist led Brian through a hallway displaying different digital paintings of the feline family and down a flight of stairs while explaining the assignment. "We want Natasha to experience the real world instead of just the false one presented here in the zoo. She is smart and pretty curious, so we want to know how she reacts to the public and how the public reacts to her."

Brian listened to the rundown, trying to find the right time to ask the inevitable question. "What exactly is Natasha?" he finally asked.

The scientist stopped dead in her tracks and looked back at him, surprise set on her face. "Um, well... Natasha is a panther gifted with the power of speech. She has vocal chords to communicate with humans, and she still speaks her native 'Feline' too. She's one of our first translators, so training her is very important. Didn't Sheila debrief you?"

"Yes, she did," Brian replied, "but I meant is she a parrot that just repeats phrases or can she actually hold conversations like our dolphin society?"

"Well she's definitely not a parrot, Mr. Simmons, and she speaks English unlike the dolphin specimens. The only way to truly answer that question is for you to see her in action." The scientist led Brian into a small observation room and ushered him towards a chair.

"Is Natasha a 'morph' like the half-humans?" Brian asked, thinking of the zoo's more interesting specimens.

"Nope," the scientist replied while writing insurance information on a form, "Natasha is one hundred percent pure four-legged black panther. The only difference is that she can comprehend what you are saying and speak back to you, as you're about to see."

As soon as she finished writing on the form, an older scientist walked into the observation room and gripped Brian's hand. "You must be the lucky fellow working on our Project Tasha," he said, still shaking Brian's hand. "My name is Dr. Meare. I'm going to bring Tasha into the room next door. Feel free to look through this window and see what you can learn about our pride and joy, yes?"

Brian nodded and the older doctor shuffled out of the room. The assistant turned on the lights and speakers for the adjacent interrogation pen, and Brian stood up and leaned against the observation window. After a few minutes, Dr. Meare appeared on the other side of the glass with a lithe black pantheress trailing behind him. Brian studied the large feline as she played behind Dr. Meare. Her fur appeared soft and dark as night, camouflaging her even darker spots. Her eyes stayed stealthy and alert, yet tranquil and questioning. She padded around the room on frisky paws before following Dr. Meare, swaying as she walked like only big cats can.

"Okay, Tasha, we are going to have a little talk," Dr. Meare said, sitting in a chair in the middle of the room.

The pantheress flopped down on the carpeted floor, stretching her legs and sharp claws. "But you told Tasha that she was going on a trip," she responded, her voice light and mellow.

"Yes, you are, but first I need to ask you some questions."

Natasha sighed and yawned. "That's okay, I guess," she said in a soft and dejected tone.

"Don't worry," Dr. Meare said with a smile, "I'll make this short and painless. My first question is why do you want to live outside the lab?"

Natasha raised her head, her teeth showing as a wide smile spread across her face. "Tasha wanna see the world! Tasha wanna know how it feels to live in a place outside of the compound. So tired of living in a cage! Wanna experience freedom!"

"That's what I thought," Dr. Meare said. "Now settle down, my dear. The good news is that we have found someone that will let you stay in their home outside the compound. He will take care of you and let you meet others. But remember, there is a vast world outside of here."

"Tasha will finally see the outside? This is a dream come true! Who is the person?" Tasha asked, looking around the room with pure energy.

"Let's go meet him now," Dr. Meare said, opening the door for the pantheress.

"Cute," Brian mumbled to himself as the door closed.

The female scientist smiled. "Tasha is very lovable. She is an inspiration to all of us, and I appreciate you making her so happy."

"Yeah, sure thing," Brian said, deep in thought as he played with his beard. This job was going to be easier than he first thought. A few trips to the mall and an outing to a fast-food restaurant would complete his obligation of 'taking her places.'

The door to the observation room opened and Dr. Meare entered with the pantheress trailing behind him.

Brian looked up as Dr. Meare introduced him to the feline. "Tasha, this is Brian Simmons. You will be staying with him."

The pantheress walked over to Brian and sniffed at him with an air of caution. After inspecting him, she smiled and held out her paw. "Nice to meet you, Brian."

"Pleasure to meet you also, Natasha," Brian said, shaking her paw as she sniffed his hand.

She stuck her tongue out. "Why so official? Call me Tasha!"

Brian couldn't help but smile. "Whatever makes you happy, Tasha."

"Well," the female scientist said, waiting for the introductions to end, "You two are free to go, right after I put this on Tasha." She took a white collar with a transmitter box from a drawer, kneeling down and fastening it around Natasha's neck.

"Aww," Natasha protested, "Too ugly!"

"This collar will tell Brian where you are at all times. It is for your own safety," the scientist explained.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for a while," Dr. Meare said, trying to hide a tear.

Natasha ran over and hugged him with deep rumbling purrs. "Thank you so much! Tasha never forget this!"

After they said their final goodbyes, Brian and Natasha left the room and headed for the zoo exit. As they turned around a corner, a figure appeared from the shadows and stood in front of them.

"I have a little message for you before you leave, Brian," the figure said from the darkness.

"Ah Sheila, glad you came to see us off," Brian mused. "What's with the cheesy grin?"

"Who this?" Tasha whispered.

Brian ignored the question and walked up to his boss. "I just have one little inquiry. When do I get my money?"

"Well you see Brian, that's why I'm here," Sheila said, eyes locking with his. "You see, I had a chat with the Board, and we've come up with a rather interesting plan of protecting our interests. That kitty decides if you get paid any further past today's stipend. If she likes the way you treat her, you will continue to receive funding. But, and here is where you should really pay attention. If you treat her badly, you won't get paid and it's off to clean up huge piles of elephant shit. Shouldn't be too hard for you to see the right decision."

"She's mean," Natasha growled.

"No, my dear kitty," Sheila said smiling, still looking at Brian, "you just don't know your caretaker that well."

Brian's eyes tensed as he watched Sheila walk away with a smug gait. "I thought we were friends!"

"I don't see why you so nervous," Natasha said after a moment, trying to break the awkward silence, "Meare wouldn't let me go out with anyone he didn't trust, and Tasha sure he read your file, so Tasha and you should get along fine."

Brian took a deep breath and headed for the parking lot. A guard at the front gate looked through his papers and gave him a wallet containing a P.Z.P. badge. After a few more minutes of checking, the guard let the pair leave the security station. Brian led Natasha into the huge facility parking lot, walking past a number of luxury cars until he stopped at his decrepit Ford.

"Why you so nervous?" Natasha asked. "Why you need so much of this money stuff, anyway?"

Brian sighed with a hint of irritation. "So I can get rid of this piece of shit car."

"Oh," the pantheress mumbled.

CHAPTER 2: GOING HOME

The ride home was an exhilarating experience for Natasha. She peered at every new sight and squirmed, much to the aggravation of Brian.

"Will you try to keep your head inside the car?" he asked for the fifth time, trying not to be distracted by her constant wriggling.

"So many new things! What's that place there?" Natasha asked.

"That's a supermarket," Brian answered. "It's where people buy food."

"Whoa, you get to choose? Tasha had to eat whatever scientists give her or told her to cook. What's that place?" she asked, pointing to a new building.

"That's a gas station. Look, just try and calm down for now." Brian took a deep breath and counted to ten as Natasha continued to ask questions all the way to his house.

He lived out in the suburbs in a small house that took most of his paycheck to afford. By the time he parked his car, he was a little more than frustrated. He slammed his car door and left it up to Natasha to find her way out. By the time she made it into his house, he had regained some of his patience.

"This is my house," he said with a fake smile.

"Ooh. Cozy, cozy," Natasha purred.

"Err, sure. Let me give you the three-cent tour. Den, kitchen, living room," he said, pointing out the different areas, "Your room is this way."

He led Natasha through the living room. "Bathroom, and right there, your room. Wait, they did teach you how to use a toilet, right?" The pantheress responded with a shy nod. "So you know to use the spray after number two?" Brian continued.

"What's number two?" Tasha asked.

"Ugh, nevermind." He opened the door to the secondary bedroom and flicked on the light. "Bed, closet, armoire, desk. Any other questions?"

Natasha's eyes grew wide. "Wow, an armoire!"

Brian held his head and left the room, taking a deep breath.

"Wait a minute, Tasha have a question," she said, stopping him.

"What?" Brian asked, rubbing his temples.

"Why you call that one room a den? Isn't your whole house a den? Oh, and where is that kit... kit... kit- chin again?" she asked with a careful stutter.

"Ask me all that after my head stops hurting," he replied, leaving the room.

An hour later, Natasha walked out of the room and found Brian watching TV in the den.

"Has your head stopped hurting yet?" she asked with a soft purr.

"No," he replied.

Natasha jumped up on the couch and looked at Brian. "Cause I was wondering when we were goin' exploring. Staying here is like a really big cage. Wanna see the world!"

Brian glowered at her. "Rule one, get off the couch. I don't need to be brushing cat hair off of it."

"But it's leather..." Natasha started.

"We will go out tomorrow," Brian continued, "Tonight let's just relax. You know what they say, can't see Rome in one day."

"Ooh gotta get rest if we're going to Rome!" she blurted out, laying down on the floor. "Hey, Brian..."

"A den in the human world is just a place to hang out. And the kitchen is over there," he said, cutting her off.

"Oh," she said, leaving the den. She went into the kitchen and started to explore. She had just opened the refrigerator when she heard footsteps behind her.

"You think that you can just barge in here and start digging in my refrigerator?" Brian demanded.

"No, but Tasha a li'l hungry..."

"Well, I will find something for us to eat," he said closing the refrigerator and watching Natasha pad back to the den with her tail between her legs. "And stay off the couch!"

CHAPTER 3: THE DAY AT THE MALL

Early the next day, Brian got up and made 'breakfast.' He set it out on the table in front of Natasha, who looked up at him with a soft stare.

"I thought with freedom that you could choose what you want to eat," she said, choosing her words with a careful tone.

"Well, I bet you never had Oat Crisp Cereal and milk in the compound. Just think of it as outsider's cuisine," Brian replied.

Natasha poked her spoon into the cereal. "But Meare taught Tasha how to make waffles, eggs, sausage, even hashbrowns for breakfast."

Brian poured milk on his cereal and talked as he ate. "Let's just say that freedom comes in degrees. Anyway, today I will take you to a real life, actual mall. It's a place where there are a collection of stores and people gather."

"Wow, a mall! Tasha can't wait!" Natasha exclaimed, smiling for the first time that morning.

---

The trip to the mall was a little quieter than the day before. Natasha sat with a calm stare out the car windown, trying to preserve her energy for the walking. As they entered the mall, she stood in awe at all the lights and crowds that flowed around them. Two security guards approached Brian, each trying not to get close to Natasha.

"Sir, you cannot have any animals in this area," the first guard said. "You are going to have to leave immediately."

Brian reached in his pocket and pulled out the badge with a cool chuckle. "P.Z.A., boys," he said, "I am allowed to take this animal anywhere." He nodded the two guards apologized and walked off. "That was so exhilarating! What's the matter with you?" he asked, looking down at Natasha's gloomy expression.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head, "it's just you are the first person who knows Tasha and still refers to her as just animal."

"Aww, get over it. You're an animal, right? C'mon, let's go," Brian said. Natasha sighed and followed him.

Her demeanor brightened up as she explored many different stores under the careful observation of the storeowners. Tasha popped into every shop along the strip, one after another, with Brian huffing behind her.

"Tasha, let's stop for a minute," he called after her, exhausted as she ran into another clothing store. "Holy shit, why do you keep running around like a mad creature?"

Tasha stopped and sat down, giving the surprised cashiers an inquisitive glance before looking over at Brian trying to catch his breath. "Brian, Tasha confused."

"OMG, it talks!" one of the cashiers yelled.

"Yeah, that never gets old," Brian coughed, slapping his legs as he caught his breath. "PZA, she's allowed to be here, blah blah blah."

Tasha smiled and waved at the cashiers, who all looked at each other before smiling and waving back.

"So yeah, Brian, I thought all stores were different," the pantheress said with a cute growl, her tail bapping behind her.

Brian looked out the door with a confused look on his face before looking back at Tasha. "Um, they are."

"But this is like twentieth clothing store Tasha seen!"

"Yeah... but.... they are all different clothing stores. This place sells women's clothing."

"Yah, yah! But so does that place over there!" Tasha blurted out, pointing a claw across the strip.

"But, that's a different store than this one," Brian repeated with forced patience.

"What's different?" Tasha asked with her brow furrowed in confusion. Brian breathed out and held his head.

"Our clothes are, like, SOOO much better than theirs," one of the cashiers said with a laugh.

"No no, please, you're really not helping," Brian said, holding up his free hand as he rubbed his forehead. He counted to ten under his breath before he continued. "Tasha, humans have different companies that produce the same product and they try to attract other humans to their side." He looked at Tasha's bleak expression and thought for another minute. "Ok, it's like this. Humans have to do different jobs in order to make money to do things. That's what makes up society. It's like... Think of companies as different prides of lions, or something. And the prides each hunt and catch prey and then sell it to other creatures. Each pride thinks their hunt is the better quality, and the better the quality, the more they can sell or trade for it."

Tasha's eyes grew and she nodded as she started to understand. "Yes!" Brian said as he saw her expression, giving himself a mental high-five.

"But Brian, how do humans hunt clothes?"

"No," he retorted, grabbing his forehead again as the cashiers behind the counters laughed.

"Plus, Tasha don't see nearly as many hunting or food stores as clothing stores. Don't get this whole clothing thing that humans do. Why do you put things on and change them so much?"

"Because," one of the cashiers giggled with a fake gasp, "you put on clothes to cover up and keep others from seeing your privates."

Tasha's eyes grew and her jaw dropped. "Do Tasha have these privates?"

"Ok we're out of here," Brian said, tripping out the store and motioning for the pantheress to follow.

"Tasha so confused," she said as she walked out, shaking her head.

"What can I say, you're not exactly human," Brian shrugged. "Animals just don't need clothes." Behind him, Tasha looked up at him with sad eyes before dropping her head again. "Tasha still want to learn though," she muttered under her breath.

As they walked down the strip, people gasped and whispered among each other, giving the pair a wide berth. A giggling child ran smiling up to Natasha, and the mother pulled the child up in her arms, glaring at Brian. Natasha followed Brian as she gave the mother a sheepish glance.

"My God," a foreigner crooned in a thick accent from a jewelry store. "I haven't seen a black panther since my homeland. Please come into my store!" Brian shrugged and followed Natasha into the jewelry shop as she started looking at everything. "It's been such a long time," the store owner continued, "where did you find her?"

"Do humans hunt for this stuff too?" Tasha asked, leaning up with her paws on top of the showcases and peering in.

"It... talks?" the owner stammered.

"Yep, still not old," Brian said, shaking his head. The store owner kept staring at Natasha with his jaw dropped.

The pantheress pawed at the top of the jewelry case, her tail playing behind her. "Brian, these gold strips are pretty!"

"Well what do you know," Brian mused, "no matter what species, the females are still drawn to diamonds and gold."

"Brian, do we use the... money thing that you were talking about earlier to get some of this pretty gold stuff?"

"Uhhhh," Brian started, clearing his throat.

"Well of course you can," the owner said in his thick accent, snapping out of his reverie. "I'm sure we could find something to make for the pantheress. What is that white box around her neck?"

"A radio receiver," Brian replied.

"Well, if the panther likes gold, we can transfer it into a gold collar. I've done it for other pets, and gold would go really well with her pelt. For her, I could even do it for about fifteen hundred dollars..."

"Fifteen hund... Tasha, let's roll!" Brian said, bolting out of the store. He turned around to find Tasha still staring at the gold, her green eyes large and curious. "TASHA!"

The pantheress shook her head, thanking the owner before running out to Brian. Brian glared at her and turned around, running right into two women.

"Is that your panther?" one of the ladies asked.

"Yeah," he said, clearing his throat. "I found her abandoned in Indonesia. I knew that I had to give her a home, so she is here with me. You should have seen the opposition I got when I came into the mall. Fifty armed guards came after me because of the panther. So I told them to back the hell up, and they all went running scared. So, anyway, if you ladies would like to come over to my house and help me take care of my cute panther..."

"Oh but you're already doing such a great job of that," the other woman said, rolling her eyes and laughing. Brian shot her a funny glance before looking around. "Where the hell did she go? She was just here a minute ago..."

The two ladies pointed down the strip and laughed before walking away. Brian cursed and ran down the mall, stopping in each store and asking about a talking panther. Each store had a different answer, and each person pointed further down the mall. A loud voice emitted from the mall intercom. "Would Brian Simmons please report to the security desk?"

Brian stormed to mall security kiosk, cursing the entire way. The same guards that he saw when he entered the mall sat with Natasha as they smiled and played a game of cards.

"Your little kitty scared some people in a fragrance shop," one of the guards said as the other one laughed.

Natasha looked up as Brian seethed. "Sorry," she whispered.

CHAPTER 4: ANGELA AND THE MOVIES

Day three of the project found Natasha and Brian eating another bowl of cereal. Brian sat giving Natasha a pensive stare as he thought about the incident the day before. He tried to hide his anger with a new plan.

"Okay, Tasha. Today we are going to a movie with my girlfriend. I doubt that there is much trouble that you can get into while watching a movie."

The doorbell rang and Brian left the table to answer the door. After a moment, a pretty blonde entered the kitchen and looked at Natasha.

"This is the animal that the zoo made you babysit?" she asked Brian.

"Yeah. Tasha, this is Angela. She will be going to the movie with us."

"Pleased-to-meet-you-little-cheetah," Angela said with slow deliberation.

"Panther," Natasha corrected.

"Whatever. Brian, are you ready to go?" Angela asked, hugging her boyfriend and not noticing Natasha rolling her eyes behind her.

During the mystery thriller 'Down to the Bone,' Natasha kept prodding Brian and asking him questions. "Why did he kill that man? Who is that woman? Is that how humans mate? How do they do those weird effects?"

Brian, who was busy rubbing Angela's leg trying to turn her on, looked down at the pantheress. "Look, would you quiet up and just watch the movie?" he asked with a fake smile.

Natasha nodded and Brian again turned his attention to pleasuring Angela's neck. Two minutes later, Natasha poked him again.

"What?" he asked, almost yelling.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she whispered.

Brian sighed and moved so Natasha could get out. "Finally," he said to Angela when Natasha left, "We can get some privacy."

He ran his fingers up Angela's leg and put his hand into her jeans, eliciting a soft moan. His other hand loosened her bra and fondled her aroused nipples as he continued to inch his fingers down her underwear. She rocked on his fingers, her juices moistening her laced panties. Her hands opened his zipper and teased his cock through the slit of his boxers. She bent over and licked the head of his member, making him breathe out. This was the first time he would get a blowjob in a movie theater, but somehow he couldn't focus. He kept staring back at the exit.

"Hey!" Angela hissed out, snapping to get Brian's attention.

"I can't just let that panther walk around the movie theatre. She's kinda my responsibility."

"But," Angela started as Brian growled and zipped his pants back up.

"Just hold that thought for a second, I swear I'll be right back to finish this up." Brian jogged up the aisle. As soon as he pushed the theatre doors open, pandemonium met him. A woman screamed and held her child close, backing up into Brian. He cursed and ran around the corner, finding a security guard aiming his taser at Natasha.

"I'm sorry, just need to go to the bathroom!" Tasha blurted out, holding up her paws. Her speech startled the guard and he pulled the trigger of his taser. The weapon clicked and malfunctioned. The guard dropped it and ran backwards, tripping over his feet. Tasha took the opportunity to bolt away into the screaming crowd as people tried to get away.

"Tasha, wait!" Brian yelled after her, pushing through the people. The pantheress only continued to run, straight out the front doors and onto the sidewalk outside. Brian's eyes grew and he ran as fast as he could, knocking someone's popcorn into the air as he burst through the doors into the sunlight.

"NATASHA, stop NOW!"

The pantheress slid to a stop at the corner. In front of her, a car blasted through the intersection without even hesitating to stop. Tasha stared into the road panting before hearing Brian's quick footsteps behind her. Brian grabbed her and held her head, looking into her face.

"Natasha, don't EVER run blindly like that into a street, you can get KILLED!"

"Tasha so sorry, just had to go to bathroom and people wanted to shoot me and I freaked out and Tasha just... Tasha..."

The pantheress burst into tears and Brian held her as he panted.

"It's not your fault, I shouldn't have let you leave alone. I'm... Shit, I'm sorry."

Tasha blinked and sniffled. "You... sorry?"

"Yeah, I am. C'mon, let's go back in. Just promise me that you won't do something like that again and I'll keep better tabs on you."

Tasha nodded, sulking back towards the theatre as Brian followed her. People stared at her and moved away. Bryan held the door open for her, and Tasha padded back inside with a sheepish gait. The security guard took a step back. Brian touched the pantheress' side and nodded in their direction.

"She's with me. It's cool. I told your bosses about her before we even bought tickets here, so what the hell is the big issue? Oh, and learn how to shoot a taser for God's sakes."

"She.... can talk!" the guard stammered.

"Yep, now it's officially starting to get old," Brian mocked, rolling his eyes.

"Why don't you take that freak of Nature back to that damn zoo and burn her," a voice yelled out from behind. Brian turned around with a slow determination into the upset glare of the mother. "She nearly started a stampede and my kid almost got hurt."

"I'm sorry, who do you think you're talking to?" Brian asked as he took a step towards the mother.

"I'm talking to your sorry ass. I've read the newspaper articles about you and that freak. She's yet another excuse for man to play God. You knocked the popcorn right out of my son's hands, where do I talk to a PZA official to get another one?"

It took every ounce of Brian's mind to hold his cool. He pulled out his wallet and handed the lady a five dollar bill. As she reached for the money, Brian dropped the bill on the ground and stepped on it, kicking it towards the kid. He glared at the mother as her jaw dropped.

"C'mon, Tasha, let's get you to the bathroom," he said, motioning for the pantheress to follow him. He led her upstairs and asked a female usher to clear out the bathroom. He waited outside for Tasha, deep in thought.

After a few minutes, he saw Angela walking over to him with an air of annoyance. "They stopped the movie because of some incident. I hope it has nothing to do with your damn cat."

"Of course it does, we should get out of here," he replied. She rolled her eyes and walked away. After a few minutes, Tasha emerged from the bathroom.

"You ok?" Brian asked. Tasha looked down and nodded. "Good, let's go," he said, walking her out of the theatre.

CHAPTER 5: CHATTING MAN TO PANTHERESS

That night, Brian and Angela sat in the den, staring at Natasha.

"What's with the ugly collar?" Angela asked.

Brian chuckled. "Oh, that thing is for me to tell where she is. It is kind of hideous isn't it?"

Natasha looked up, her eyes wide. She lowered her head and walked towards her room.

Brian sighed as he heard the door close. "Well, now can we finish what we started?"

"I wish I could, but I have an early appointment tomorrow," Angela said, grabbing her purse. "Maybe we can do something tomorrow night?"

"I'll pick you up at eight," Brian said, kissing her goodnight.

As he closed the front door, he put his hands in his pockets and walked to Tasha's room. He paused for a moment before opening the door and glancing inside. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, Tasha comfy," Natasha whispered.

Brian opened the door a little further and stepped inside. "You sure? You seem quieter than normal."

"Nope. Everything fine..."

"Whoa, you're eyes look really cool in the light," Brian interrupted with a distant tone, noticing her pupils glowing in the sliver of illumination.

Tasha blinked and smiled. "Thank you, you like?"

"Yeah, they're really nice, especially when they light up like that," he said, stepping into the room. After a minute of staring, he cleared his throat. "So, nice fur."

"What about it?" Tasha asked with a confused look on her face.

"I dunno, is it soft? I mean, like, really soft?"

"You can touch. Not every creature with big teeth bites, y'know."

Brian smiled and took one of his hands out of his pockets, walking over to the bed. He held his hand out and touched Tasha's head. She smiled back and nuzzled his hand.

"Wow, that's pretty soft," he said with a smile. "So why aren't there any panther-fur sweaters?"

Tasha rolled her eyes and returned the smile. "No one gonna take Tasha's fur to make silly privates clothes."

They both laughed and Brian sat down on the floor beside the bed. "The sad part is there are actual panther jackets out there. We don't even need fur anymore. There are synthetic materials and everything else. There is absolutely no reason to kill an innocent creature for its skin."

"I still don't get the whole clothing thing, but no one gonna get Tasha's fur."

Brian chuckled again and silence encompassed the pair.

"Brian, can Tasha ask question?" She watched Brian nod before continuing. "Why that lady call Tasha freak? She don't even know Tasha and yet she say that."

"You have to realize that people are not used to seeing a walking, talking panther in open society."

"So she hate Tasha like you hate Tasha?"

Brian's eyes grew. "I don't hate you, Natasha."

"Don't lie, Brian. You talk of the fur clothing with such passion but you treat Tasha like... like..."

Brian breathed a long sigh. "Tasha, I don't hate you. I'm just jaded with disappointment. And that's my own fault, but this life outside the compound... it's hard."

"Tasha not dumb. You look at Tasha like the lady, it's just that she could say it out loud. You call Tasha animal, but humans just as animal as we are."

"Tasha... it's not that... it's just that trying to explain things gets rough and I'm impatient and I was forced into..." Brian shook his head as his voice trailed off.

"Forced, huh? Guess that Sheila lady was right about you."

"Listen, Tasha..."

"It's ok." The pantheress turned away and stared out the window.

He sighed again and tried to change the subject. "So, uh, what's it like being a panther?"

Natasha rolled her eyes and glanced at Brian. She forced a laugh and thought for a moment before laying her head down. "Life pretty cool, but every creature always think we killers and savages. Panthers only sometimes kill for food, not for fun like some humans. Tasha ne'er killed in life, but some still look at me like I'm a savage. And it even harder being me because I don't really fit in anywhere."

"Really? What do you mean?" Brian asked.

Tasha sighed and rolled back over on the bed, pawing at the air. "Both sides of the spectrum don't wanna be around weird, human-tongue panther. Humans scared of me and other panthers don't take me seriously."

Brian perked an eyebrow. "So you feel like an outcast."

Tasha nodded and thought for a moment. "So why did you become an animal caretaker? You don't seem like..." She caught herself before she finished her sentence.

"...the type, huh?" Brian chuckled. "C'mon, I put the care in caretaker!"

Tasha glanced at him for a moment before pawing at the air again.

"Well," he started, thinking. "Don't tell anyone this, but I've always liked biology. I was a bio geek in school, but I didn't wear glasses and I spoke the cool kid's lingo, so I didn't get picked on. When I graduated from college, the only choices that I had were more school until I got my PhD, researching, or caretaking for a zoo. I'm just not the school type. Well the public zoo only had an opening in cleaning up shit, so I decided to weigh my options."

Brian shifted his stance and sighed. "The day I finally swallowed my pride and went to interview at the public zoo, a car driving in front of me hit a dog and just kept going. They didn't even stop to see if it was alright. The dog was pretty badly injured... broken up. Somebody helped me scoop him up and put him in my car. I could tell that he was still breathing even though he was unconscious. I pulled into the PZP thinking they had a vet or something. At first they wouldn't let me in, but luckily there was a scientist at the entrance that day who couldn't turn me away. I stayed at the park all night and watched the scientists use stem cells and new technology to repair the dog. But it still died at the end of the night. Believe it or not, something touched me about the way they didn't give up. I met Sheila for the first time that night. She wandered in asking about the good samaritan who went out of his way for a half dead dog. They thought I would be an asset, especially since I saw some of their secrets while they operated on the dog. So... yeah, that's why you freaked me out when you were about to run into the street today."

Brian paused with a long sigh. "But that was years ago, and since then I've become more than a little angry with my job. I don't have the credentials to go any further and really become something. You think I hate you, but I'm just not satisfied with my situation. I'm a lackey who is only worth doing work that other people will be recognized for. It pisses me off."

"But Brian, you are something if they trust you with Tasha," the pantheress insisted.

Brian shook his head with a smirk. "No, you're just too innocent. Why do you think they put you with me? Why not have Doctor Meare be your caretaker? They knew that Meare would spoil you stupid, so they get someone who's less than enthused with their job to give you a clear view of reality. Then when you see reality and don't have fun, they have reason to fire me. Two birds knocked out with one stone."

Tasha looked up, her eyes saddened. "Is reality that cruel?" She shook her head and looked back down. "But if you know that's what they want, then why don't you do what it takes to prove them wrong?"

"You're such an optimist," Brian said, shaking his head. "It's simple. There's no way for anyone to change their fate. I've tried my best before for the P.Z.A. It all winds up just like that hit dog. Everyone does their best, but it all doesn't matter in the end."

Natasha sniffled and looked down at her paws.

Brian stood up, noticing her sudden quiet demeanor. "Well, if you need anything, I'll be in my room. And please believe that I don't hate you, it's just... I dunno."

He walked over to the door and looked back one last time at the pantheress, walking upstairs to his room.

CHAPTER 6: FEELING GUILTY

The next day, Brian sat in the kitchen eating his breakfast. Natasha padded in and sat at the table, still looking dejected.

"Tasha need to go back to compound," she said.

"You're not going to quit already?" Brian asked, not looking up from his newspaper.

"No. Tasha just doesn't feel well," she said, poking at her bowl of cereal.

Brian looked up with a touch of concern. "Well, you'll be back, right?"

"Of course," Tasha said, putting her spoon down on the table. "Tasha..." she looked down and closed her eyes. "Tasha wanna see the world," she said.

"Ok, I'll take you back," Brian said, grabbing his keys. "You're not going to throw up are you?"

When he got back from taking Natasha to the compound, Brian sat down in the den, flicking on the television. "Finally," he said, "I can get some peace and quiet."

After an hour, he turned the TV off since there wasn't anything on. He sat and tried to get some sleep, but his eyes just wouldn't close. He stood up from his chair and went into the kitchen, but he wasn't hungry.

"Kit-kit-kit-chin." Brian laughed at Tasha's words for a moment before he realized what he had just said. A confused look spread across his face as he thought, walking back into the living room. It was really quiet in his house. A little_too_ quiet. God, that pantheress had been so much trouble... he didn't really know why he had taken her in the first place. Oh yeah, the money... Nevertheless, she was cute and harmless. Oh well, she had just been too much trouble, that's all.

A knock at the door broke his thoughts. He answered it, hoping to talk to anyone. It was just the mailman.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Simmons. You locked the storm door. How is Tasha?" the mailman said with a cheerful tone.

"She is at the compound," Brian replied. "I finally have a little peace since she got into so much trouble."

The mailman mumbled something and gave Brian some envelopes.

"What?" Brian asked.

The mailman looked up and sighed. "Have you ever thought that Natasha got into so much trouble because you haven't given her the attention that she deserves? Every single day she would come to the door and get the mail. She asked me to stay for a few minutes just to have someone to talk to her and tell her about life with freedom. The fact that a panther came to the door and scared the bejesus out of me pretty much says it all."

The mailman turned and left, leaving Brian speechless. He retreated into his quiet house and closed the door behind him. The mailman was right. He thought over the last two days. Natasha just asked someone to spend time with her. He didn't even know what was wrong with Tasha; he just left her at the compound. What if she was sick? He went into the bedroom where Tasha stayed and sat on her bed, still thinking of her words. "If you know that's what they want, then why don't you do what it takes to prove them wrong..." A year ago, he had helped a sick dolphin give birth to triplets. The scientist in charge of the dolphin society took all of the credit and Brian didn't even get a single thank you. Then, five months ago, he performed CPR on a monkey choking on a toy. His boss Sheila even recognized him for saving the monkey's life. When he applied for a promotion to work in the primate department, he was denied. They wound up hiring some blonde instead. Brian was sent back to be the "cool friend" of the animals, where he would probably be for the rest of his career. They expected him to be the pantheress' friend so the doctor in charge would escape with all the credit yet again.

Maybe his date tonight with Angela would cheer him up...

That night, Brian stopped the car on the side of the road. "Angela, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Your cat gone yet?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's what I want to talk to you about," Brian replied.

Angela looked into Brian's eyes. "I think I have an idea for what you should do with her since she always finds herself in trouble."

"I'm starting to feel a little differently about her. I feel like I've treated her so badly," Brian said with a grimace.

"Listen to me," Angela said, "How about next time you don't save her life? You should let her die accidentally."

"What?" Brian asked surprised.

"I always wanted a panther fur coat. And it wouldn't be your fault," Angela continued.

"Get out," Brian said, disgusted.

"What are you talking about, baby? We are miles away from my house..."

"Get the fuck out of my car. How dare you even... get out!"

Angela gave him a puzzled look and opened the door. "Fine, you weren't anything but a fuck anyway. Why don't you go fuck your piss 'n shit panther, asshole?"

Brian gunned the engine, leaving her right there. That night, he paced around his living room. He was determined to get up early the next morning and go see if Tasha was all right. His conscience was attacking him. She did not deserve the hell that he had given her just because he was upset with his position at the P.Z.A. When he got in the bed, he didn't get any sleep. He kept seeing visions of Tasha sick at the compound with no one there to comfort her. Her words kept floating back into his head...

"Both sides of the spectrum don't wanna be around weird, human-tongue panther."

CHAPTER 7: LIES THAT SAVE

The next day, Brian got up at dawn and shaved his grizzly beard. He looked in the mirror and smiled for the first time in a day, liking how he looked clean shaven. Not bothering to eat anything, he jumped out in his car and hit the highway before any signs of morning traffic surfaced.

When he got to the zoo, he ran to the 'Big Cat' pen and almost slid into Dr. Meare.

"Brian, what are you doing here?" the doctor asked, surprised. "You don't need to be working here while you are on Project Tasha."

"Doc, let me explain. I am sorry for treating Tasha the way that I did," Brian stuttered, looking at his feet.

Dr. Meare looked at Brian, confused. "What are you talking about? Taking her to see the statues downtown was sheer genius!"

Brian looked up. "Huh?"

"She always liked the statues in this town that she read about in magazines," Dr. Meare continued, "Sheila had told me that you might be a problem, but Tasha seems to be very happy. Thanks for your hard work. Come back next week, we're doing an article in Modern Science and they want to interview you. We're taking the Tasha project public, and you're going to be the face for everyone to see. Congratulations."

Brian stared at the doctor with both confusion and gratitude. "Thanks, I don't know what to say. You want me there for the interview?"

Dr. Meare chuckled. "Follow me, my boy." The doctor led Brian back to his office and sat down in his chair, taking a sip from a coffee mug. He pulled out a photo album and handed it to Brian. "This is my life, Brian."

Brian looked up at Dr. Meare while holding the album.

"Well, go ahead and open it," the doctor said.

Brian opened the photo album slowly, looking through pictures of Natasha when she was just a cub.

"She's a test tube cub, Brian," Dr. Meare explained. "Do you know why I became a geneticist? My wife... I love her to death. We were married way back in my college days, but she was born with a rare genetic disorder. She is barren and we can't have any kids of our own. I met her while doing research on her disorder. But I just couldn't say no to her beautiful eyes. She deserved to be loved even though she couldn't give me any children. Anyway, my wife has always suggested that we adopt, or get a surrogate mother. But I don't want that."

Brian nodded as he glanced through pictures of smiling feline cubs.

"These are my children, Brian. They are my legacy," Dr. Meare continued. "Yet the P.Z.A. won't allow me to take them home and care for them because they think we would spoil them. Which, I have to admit, I most assuredly would. But as a father, I have to appreciate those who work to put a smile on my children's faces. Seeing Natasha come back here so very happy and telling us story after story... how could I possibly take the credit for that?" The doctor shook his head. "I'm not like my colleagues, my boy. They're all about making discoveries and getting their names into the history books. I'm about caring for my children. Anyway, I know that Sheila is your direct boss, but you have the job here too. You're going to be somebody as long as you keep looking out for my daughter's best interest."

Dr. Meare finished his coffee and stood up, walking over and patting Brian on his shoulder.

Brian closed the album and put it back on Dr. Meare's desk. "Where is Tasha?" he asked with dazed concern.

"Oh, don't worry. We will bring her back to you tonight," Dr. Meare answered. "She was just having a few panther problems. Nothing serious. Here, you deserve this money. Thank you for taking care of my daughter." Dr. Meare handed Brian a check and walked out of the office, leaving him speechless.

CHAPTER 8: THE GIFT

"That's right, Mr. Simmons," the dealer said in the showroom, "This coupe comes with power everything, leather seats, sunroof, and a smooth twin turbo V6 engine. Everything that you wanted."

Brian stared at the beautiful black coupe, but his mind wasn't on it. Tasha lied because she cared for him and what he wanted. What had he done for her?

"Mr. Simmons?" the dealer asked, trying to get his attention.

"I'm sorry," Brian stammered, "I just don't think that I can get this right now."

The perplexed dealer watched Brian walk out the showroom. "What's come over him?" he asked himself.

That night, Brian paced in his living room, waiting for the doorbell to ring. He walked over to the wrapped box and inspected it. Brian continued to pace back and forth until he heard the sound of a truck outside. He looked through the blinds and smiled as he saw the P.Z.P. logo on the side of the truck. Brian opened the door before Natasha could ring the doorbell. She glided into the living room on her delicate paws and glanced sideways at Brian.

"Are you okay, Tasha?" he asked, sitting down on the floor beside her.

Natasha smiled. "Yeah, Tasha fine. Why you speak like that? What did Tasha do?"

Brian grabbed her paw and buried his face into it, letting the words flow. "Tasha, you didn't do anything. Not a thing. I've... I've been such an asshole the last couple of days and I really want to apologize. You didn't deserve the stuff that I did to you. I don't deserve such a wonderful creature like you. All that you wanted was someone to care for you and show you things and I... I couldn't even do that for you. I'm sorry for treating you so badly. And... And you just took it with a smile... you didn't even let it phase you... You just... I can't..."

Natasha rubbed Brian's head with a gentle paw, purring as his voice trailed off. "I forgive you."

"Really? You really mean that?" Brian asked, looking up. "I mean, I will do anything to make it up, anything you say..."

"Tasha honestly forgive you," she said with thoughtful eyes. "Besides, what else am I gonna do? Maul you? You really were one mean smelly ass, though."

"Yeah, I know," Brian said, looking down at his feet.

"Brian, you don't have to feel bad 'cause Tasha lied for you," Natasha said, smiling.

Brian shook his head. "No, I started to feel bad yesterday after you left. My conscience took a three-day vacation for some odd reason. But I'm still in shock that you would lie for me. No one's ever done that, and I owe you... I, uh, got a little something for you... to show my appreciation." Brian got up and went into the living room, reaching for the gift.

"Wow, and it's not even Christmas!" the pantheress exclaimed, gleaming at the wrapped box.

"You know," Brian said as she inspected the package, "That really is an ugly collar. White just isn't your color."

Natasha looked up at him, her lower lip trembling.

"No, no, don't cry," Brian said, holding her, "Just open your gift."

Natasha unsheathed her claws and tore open the box. Her mouth opened as she saw the jewelry box beneath the wrapping. She peeked inside the box...

"It's a gold neck collar!" she gasped, hugging Brian.

"Yep. Real gold, too. It cost a pretty penny for that guy to make it so quickly, but it's worth it for you. I had him put the radio transmitter chip into the gold, but I don't think I will need the transmitter. I trust you."

Natasha buried her face into Brian's chest. "Tasha so happy!"

Brian held the beautiful black panther in his arms. "I used some more of the money to buy some new foods for you to try too. My house is your house, and you can go into the kitchen or do anything else that you want. You deserve it." He held Natasha and rubbed her soft fur until she started falling asleep in his arms. Her fur really was soft... he didn't know why it took him so long to touch her. He laughed at her little purry snoring noises as he carried her to her room, tucking her in the bed. He watched her sleeping from the door before closing it for the night.

CHAPTER 9: FANTASY AND REALIZATION

Early the next morning, Sheila opened her office door to find Brian sitting at her desk. "How did you get in here?"

"I want to adopt Tasha," Brian interrupted her.

"Yeah, right. You do look better clean shaven, though," she replied, inspecting his face.

"Thank you. I'm serious, though. I want Natasha to move in with me." Brian looked Sheila deep in her eyes.

"I'm sure you thought this over while cruising in your new car," Sheila said with a sarcastic tone.

"No, I bought Natasha a gold collar that she wanted. I used some of the money for her food, and I'm spending the rest on our travel around the country. I want..." Brian stopped for a minute. "I want to show her the world."

Sheila gawked at Brian, surprise set on her face. "Wow, what has come over you? I knew that you would grow up some day. Fine, you can keep the cat. I'm proud of you. Although I know that it was a heartbreaker not taking the car."

"Yeah," Bryan mumbled.

Sheila walked over to her window. "Well, I'll tell you what. If you like SUVs, the zoo just got a shipment of Nissan Armadas, and we have two extras. If you give us your old car, I will let you have one since you are taking care of zoo business."

'Wait, really? You're giving me a new SUV?"

"Well that all depends on how true Tasha's report was," Sheila said with a smirk.

"It's going to be a helluva lot more true now, that's for sure."

"Good answer, Brian," Sheila replied, tossing him a set of keys.

---

An hour later, Brian cruised home in his new Armada. He couldn't wait to tell Tasha...

As soon as he opened the door, an odd scent hit him. He couldn't tell what it was, but when he sniffed around, the smell went away. As soon as he stopped paying attention to it, the scent came back with full force. It was as if he sensed the scent instead of smelling it. Whatever it was, it made him feel a little euphoric.

"Tasha?" he called out. No answer.

He closed the door, the scent hounding him. "Tasha," he called again, still without answer. He heard a sound coming from the den, a sound he had heard before somewhere. Brian crept along the wall and peeked into the den.

In the center of the room, his TV played a dvd that he had recorded of different animals mating at the Provisional Zoological Park. Brian gasped and his eyes grew. How did that she find that dvd?

Years ago while he was on a field trip at a farm, a horse whiney woke young Brian up. He dressed and made his way outside to the horse stalls, opening the large door and peering in. Another whiney spooked him. He pulled a flashlight from his back pocket and walked inside. He took slow, careful steps to the stall where he heard the commotion. He peered in and saw a black mare standing, her tail raised and backside pointed towards him. Her genitals were soaked and dripping, and her thick labia opened and closed. She was 'winking' at him.

The mare neighed as the human teenager watched estrus drive her mad with lust. He reached out in a daze, and she backed up a little to get the touch she so desperately needed... and that's when the front door of the barn slammed in the wind, startling them both. Brian bolted back to the house while the mare neighed out unhappy whineys. That night sparked a curiosity deep inside of Brian that he did not want to admit. Years later, he joined a team at the P.Z.P. that recorded animals mating. One night before he left the campus, he "borrowed" the DVD from the library.

Now, Brian watched as a lion sniffed the backside of a lioness, about to mount her. He glanced around the room, and saw Natasha sitting on the couch with tears streaming down her face.

"Tasha, what's wrong?" he asked, walking over to the couch.

She looked up, startled. "Oh, sorry I'm on the couch."

"No, no, stay. This is your house, too," Brian said. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing," Natasha started, hiding her face.

"Tasha?" Brian asked again. "Talk to me. Is everything okay?"

"Well... um... You see, that's why I had to go back to the compound. For the past few days, I was having my... my period, and right after it's over, I come into my Heat. That's why Tasha a little sad. Tasha never been... well, the thing is, none of the other big cat males at the compound wanted anything to do with me. They thought I was a freak because I spoke human tongue." She stopped and chuckled as she watched the TV with intent. "I never told anyone this, but one time I mated myself. It felt so good releasing so many unspeakable emotions. And then I bled. But Tasha was smart about it. Told the scientists that it was part of my monthly cycle thing."

"Tasha," Brian started.

She looked up and smiled, rubbing her eyes with her paws. "Oh, don't feel sorry for Tasha. Always get a little depressed during my Heat. Don't worry, in a few short days, Tasha will be normal self and can go explorin' again. Looking forward to Rome!" She winked before peering over at the television with a slow glance. The lion had mounted his lioness and pumped into her with furious energy, roaring out in passion. The female raised her haunches and rocked with the lion's thrusts, tongue lolling from her mouth.

Brian sighed. "Tasha I dumped Angela. She wanted to make you into a coat. I couldn't stand that. Do you know what that means?"

"I think it means that you care more for Tasha... than for Angela," the pantheress answered. "And that you don't like fur coats. You really broke up with Angela?"

Brian looked down in thought. What was he doing? Was that the scent of her Heat? He looked into Tasha's dark, yellow-green eyes. That gold collar really made her look beautiful. He loved her odd way of speaking. He loved her soft fur, and the way she shook her head when she was annoyed. He loved the curious sway of her tail. He loved...

"Brian," Natasha said, the tiniest hint of desire in her voice, "the way that you're rubbing Tasha... really feels good."

Brian glanced at his hand. During his thoughts, he didn't notice that he started to rub Tasha's thigh. She responded by softly rubbing his hand with her tail, a purr rumbling deep in her throat. Brian couldn't ignore the butterflies spinning in his stomach. Ever since that night as a teenager, he had a particular curiosity that he never chose to ever admit to, even to himself.

On the television, the lion roared out with carnal aggression. The camera closed in on his pulsating penis, spraying his seed into the female. The female roared also, legs tensing as the camera watched her vagina closing, massaging the length inside of her. Brian swore that he felt the room start to get hotter. His mind raced around why he even had that video at his house in the first place.

"Tasha," Brian heard himself say, "I don't know how to say this, but what if I told you that I had... feelings... that I couldn't explain?"

Natasha began to purr deeper as she continued to rub his hand with gentle swipes, playing the tip of her soft tail along his skin. "Feelings? Tasha saw the way that humans mate and pleasure each other on TV one night... but think you're talking something... else?"

Brian rubbed her ear, making Natasha's purr even deeper and she lowered her head with his soft stroking. His thoughts centered on the gorgeous panther, and the mare neighing for him to come back. Could he admit to himself that he did in fact want to go back, just like he wanted to be here for Tasha? He raised his head and kissed Tasha's cheek as a deep purred rumbled through her body. She responded in an instant, sliding off the couch and into his arms. She nuzzled him with her nose and leaned up, kissing Brian's lips as delicately as she could, trying to learn just how to share lips with him. Brian was surprised at how gentle a supposed predator could be. Their kiss intensified, Tasha pulling his tongue into her mouth. The feeling was indescribable for Brian as he savored her rough tongue, quivering with her deep purring. Tasha played with his tongue, kneading it in her mouth. Then, just as innocently as it started, the kiss broke as the pair breathed. Brian's eyes grew wide and he looked away.

"You don't have to do anything. Tasha understands how humans feel when it comes to doing some things with animals," Tasha said, resting her head on his neck, "Besides what will your friends say?"

"No," Brian said with pure honesty, "No, Tasha. You said it best. Humans are animals, too. I know that animals have feelings just like we do. And even though I don't truly understand it, my feelings are telling me that this is what I've been looking for. You are the one I want. I don't care what my friends say, I only care about you."

Tasha raised her head and smiled. She laid back on the floor, tail covering the source of her Heat. "This is what other felinesses call teasing," she said, beckoning to Brian. "Come here, lover. Teach Tasha how to mate..."

Brian crawled over to her, running his hand down Tasha's chest and stomach. On the TV, two antelopes started mating, but neither Tasha nor Brian paid any attention.

Brian leaned down and kissed Tasha again, her Heat scents encompassing him. Tasha moaned as she purred, rubbing Brian's back. Brian ran his hands along her thighs before tracing his fingers around her kitty nipples. She uttered something in an unintelligible language, breaking Brian's concentration. "What was that?" he asked, gasping.

"Oh, sorry," Tasha giggled, "That was Feline, my native tongue. I didn't mean to..."

"That's okay, it's kinda sexy," Brian breathed out, staring into her eyes. He kissed her neck and nibbled it the way he had seen other big cats do.

She gasped with pure lust and ran her paw up his thigh. The scent of her Heat now overwhelmed the room and Brian couldn't hold out much longer. He kissed down her body until he reached her nipples. As he tasted each one, she groaned in ecstasy, paws squeezing his shoulders as she held him. Brian looked up into her eyes one more time as he realized just what he wanted to do next. He placed her tail, still hiding her entrance, in his mouth and sucked on it. Her body tensed as she said something else in Feline, her tail moving away from her tight, round Heatsource.

Brian leaned back and gazed at the beautiful sight. Natasha looked up at Brian with a lustful smile, breathing erratic with her desire. She opened her legs, giving Brian a full view. Brian gasped at the beautiful sight -- her tight, little excited 'ness small compared to a human. Her round labia thickened with her Heat... her exposed vulva dampened with her sweet juices... It was so much to take in at once. Brian leaned down to her netherregions, and as he sniffed, surprise spread across his face. Her little cunny had a light, exotic aroma that smelled just as sweet and welcome as her Heat. It wasn't anywhere close to the fishy odor that Angela's sex had. Now, his want drove him further. He wanted to please Tasha... he wanted to suck on her kitty clit...

"Brian, what now?" Tasha asked, unbuckling his belt with her hindlegs.

Brian's eyes locked with hers. He responded by pressing his hands around her mound, watching it open and spill out a little nectar. As he saw pink, he leaned down in a daze and caressed her small kitty clit with his tongue. Tasha's head snapped back in pure pleasure as a passionate growl elicited from her throat.

"Sensitive?" he asked with a hint of challenge.

The pantheress looked down at him in euphoric disbelief before twitching her whiskers and shaking her head "no". She raised her rear haunches toward Brian's face, her deliberate panting pounding with her heartbeat.

Brian ran his hands behind her and lifted her rear as he played his little game of 'panther-lingus.' He fully engulfed her tight cunny with his mouth, pushing his tongue deep within and licking at its walls. Tasha's legs flexed as Brian's mouth explored, her copious juices running down his face. Brian's tongue stressed as it probed her folds, trying to excite as many nerves as possible. Tasha clenched her teeth as the impending release neared, surprised at how fast Brian was making her lose control to her Heat. Her hips rode upward on Brian's mouth, and her mind lolled off with the intense pleasure. Brian lodged his tongue deep inside of Tasha and kneaded her backside with his hands. He sucked her entire kitty hole with his lips, paying special attention to her clit. He moaned out as her 'ness squeezed his aching tongue and squelched her juices down his throat.

"Ohh, yes, lovurrrrrrr," Tasha moaned, "Deeper! Make Tasha's dreams come true..."

Brian drove his tongue as far inside her as he could manage, pinching and rubbing her nipples with one of his hands. Tasha took a deep breath, her tight, round folds blooming and quivering in a pre-gasm... She roared out in carnal bliss as her back arched, her vagina clamping down on the tongue probing her. Brian pumped her with his mouth, trying to draw out her orgasm. Tasha's round continued to squeeze his tongue, spraying more of her luscious juices into his mouth. Brian took his other hand and pinched her burning tail-hole, causing another growl of ecstasy to come from her. The sound of her claws ripping through the carpet almost mimicked the strained, curdling roar of orgasm that gushed from her gaping mouth. Tasha's panther body felt like electricity, she nearly passed out as surges of True Orgasm splashed over her. Finally, her hips began to slow, and she collapsed back against the floor, her head turned to the side as she panted over and over, not being able to catch her breath.

"Oh, my Nature, Brian," she whimpered between fast breaths as he pulled his soaked face from her, "Tasha never felt that before... so... good."

Brian nodded, deep in thought. He watched the pantheress' chest heaving up and down, mesmerized. In his daze, he leaned over and kissed her excited chest, and her breathing started to slow down. After a few moments, Tasha wrapped her forelegs around Brian's head, holding him close against her as her breathing calmed. Brian could hear her quick heartbeat beating in time with her bated breath.

Natasha looked down and smiled, gently rubbing his face with her paw. "You have a big job ahead. Some lions can mate a hundred fifty seven times over two and a half days. And we have yet to truly mate..."

"Jesus," Brian said into her chest. He pulled himself up and gave her a nervous glance in her eyes. "But.. but I thought you said you weren't a killer..."

Natasha leaned up and kissed him on his cheek before pulling herself from underneath his body with graceful feline precision. "Come here, sweetie," she growled out in pure Heat, motioning him towards the bedroom. She padded out the den, swaying and moving her hips with her Heat. She stopped and looked back at Brian with narrowed eyes, a deep yet dangerous purr rumbling from her body and echoing off the walls of the den. In the dim light, Brian could see the glistening of her still wet 'ness as the pantheress' tail teased in front of it with each slow sway. With that, the powerful black feline padded off in silence and lustful determination towards her room. Brian only watched her haunches sway with her powerful gait as she disappeared into the shadows of the dim house.

"What do I do?" he asked himself over and over. A low rumbling growl snapped him out of his reverie, and he jumped up from the floor. The one thing he couldn't do was make her wait, and he pulled all the confidence he could muster and followed Tasha's trail. When he peeked inside the bedroom door, he saw her standing on the bed with her rear facing him. As he stepped into the room she looked back at him, stretching out and spreading her legs, her tail raised to tip, to give him another look at her succulent area. He walked over to the bed, his dick about to rip through his pants. Even a slamming door wouldn't break his concentration from this beautiful sight. Natasha raised her rear even further as he stood before the bed and rubbed her haunches on his crotch. When he tried to grab her, she moved away with skillful precision, staying just shy from his reach and growling out at him. He knew in a heartbeat that she was teasing him. She sat down in front of him, pulling off his belt with her front paws. As Brian watched in pure euphoria, she opened his pants and pulled down the zipper in a slow, gradual movement. She unsheathed her claws and began to pull off his boxers with the same slow tease. Finally, his boxers fell to the floor and his cock was loose, trembling with his heartbeat.

Tasha sat on her haunches, peering at his manhood. "Mmm... That's gonna be great... Lion dick not as big." She slid her forepaw down her body until it rubbed her tight area, kissing the bead of precum that appeared on the head of Brian's manhood. "That's gonna be a tight fit..."

Brian made another move to grab her, and she once again evaded with a cute snicker and purr. He landed face-first on the bed, turning around and sighing as Tasha giggled. There was nothing he could do but play her little game. Luckily for him, Tasha's Heat was tormenting her even more. She turned her rear to Brian and held herself in place, glancing back at him with a sudden serious expression. Her deep, rumbling purr further illustrated her dangerous lust. Brian grabbed Tasha's tail and held it up. The pantheress stared deep into his face, giving him a full view of her exposed nether-regions.

Artwork © 2011Kisu

Brian had watched other cats and he knew what he had to do next. He rubbed his nose down Tasha's tail, enjoying the svelte feeling of her fur. His nose hit her clean tail-hole, and he sniffed, causing it to clench as she gasped out. He kissed down the slim area between her ass and vagina as she expressed her content with yet another rumbling purr. Finally, Brian pressed his nose against Tasha's hot opening and sniffed. She pushed back as her instincts drove her, letting his nose enter her. Brian pulled back and looked over into her face, a drop of her dew left on his nose. Tasha whimpered, resting her head on the bed and flagging her rear in front of him.

Brian leaned up on his knees behind her and pressed the head of his cock against her vulva as he prepared to penetrate her. "Ready?" he asked, breathing with harsh impatience.

She growled out and raised her head, pushing back and forcing the thick cock deep inside of her as she winced in painful pleasure. They both sat moaning as they adjusted to each other -- Brian the searing heat and Tasha the size. The pantheress looked back and squeezed her aching vagina muscles to show that she was indeed ready.

Brian started to thrust into her warmth, holding on to her body. She cried out and moved with him, raising her head to keep her balance. The pain was unbearable, but it was the type of pain that she wanted -- a real male finally opening her up. Her vagina walls tried to release enough natural lube, and she worried about bleeding again. But she didn't care... She was getting mated! Somebody finally wanted her... Wanted to mate her... Wanted to fill her... wanted to make her roar out! She cried out in Feline and pushed back fully on the rigid cock, feeling Brian's sack bounce under her haunches.

Brian took one of his hands and kneaded her tail-hole, feeling its tightness, while caressed her nipples with his other hand. Tasha was so tight, trying to hold back was absolutely not an option. He never thought he would ever be in such a position with a feline, but this was amazing. He wanted to make everything right again, he wanted to show her that he cared. He wanted to make love to Natasha.

Tasha's body sped up, her slick slot pulling Brian's cock deeper still. Brian groaned as the feelings in his stomach started to surface and found their way to his dick. Tasha wanted to scream, the pain that she had dreamt about becoming intolerable, opening her fully. Mate the pain... She wanted to mate the pain just as much as she was making love to Brian...

"Mate me," she growled out, "Mate me, lover!"

Her leg muscles gave out and she was forced to ride Brian's powerful thrusts. Brian raised his head and yelled, his dick trembling inside of her panther vagina... And then she felt it... Brian's dick exploded and thick semen sprayed deep inside of her awaiting wombs. The walls of her 'ness tensed, searing heat flowed deep inside with each load of seed spraying out. The pleasure was indescribable and her body started to shudder and quiver... Her mouth gaped open as a feral roar erupted from her depths... her entire vagina clamped down on Brian's manhood, milking it for more of his seed. The sudden barrage of her orgasm forced Brian over again, and her body's wish was granted. They both sat there as their bodies pleasured one another, their orgasmic grunts unrelenting as Brian continued to spill into her. Finally, the pair collapsed on the bed, still connected. Brian laid on Tasha's side and listened to her excited breathing. With every move that he made, her 'ness squeezed him and let him know that they were still connected.

"Well?" he asked, kissing her side.

"That," Natasha started gasping for breath, "That was great. Once with you like ninety with a lion."

"Oh? So, we have a few more to go for today and tomorrow," Brian said with a grin while teasing her ears.

Tasha looked back at him. "A few. Although, I have to say that I didn't expect you to be the one the way you acted the past few days."

Brian buried his head into her fur. "Tasha, I am so sorry." He looked back up into her eyes. "Kitten, give me a chance to make you happy."

The pantheress smiled with a sheepish grin. "Tasha never had a mate before. But won't this be hard with me having to stay at the zoo?"

Brian rubbed her side and kissed her chest. "Oh, I never got to tell you the good news. I talked to my boss. You can stay here as long as you wish."

Natasha's eyes grew wide, and she hugged Brian. "Tasha so happy! Tasha want to be your mate and be with you so much!!"

She kissed Brian's lips in pure ecstatic bliss. When the kiss broke, she looked at her lover, eyes half-closed.

"So, where are we going if Tasha stay here?" she asked with an over-dramatic tone.

"Well," Brian said, kissing her lips, "I think we should go see the statues." He kissed her again. "Then we can travel around the country. Then we can go to France and England off the money the zoo gave me. And I really want to see those pyramids... We've got a whole world to explore."

Tasha shook her head and smiled. "Don't forget Rome!"

She pulled Brian back down to her, moaning as she felt his cock growing hard inside of her once more...