FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

My Dear Pantheress II

By the Nightdown fox (formerly BlackSin)

VERSION 1.60 (Improved flow, removed all adverbs, reduced clutter, removed "flashback"-style scenes.)

1.595 (Added Kisu fanpic along with link to his webpage)

WARNING: The following story has scenes of graphic sexual contact of a Semi-Zoophilia Nature (sex with talking animals, along the lines of 'Nala' from the Lion King). If you are (a) underage or (b) disgusted /angered by such content PLEASE leave now!!! This is your only warning!!! 2006 BlackSin. Any unauthorized editing, copying, or transmission for money without the explicit permission of the author STRICTLY prohibited.

INTRO: REVERIES OF LOVE

I love it when she rides me, her feline eyes staring down into mine with lustful precision. My hands flow down the black, svelte fur of her body, feeling every tensing muscle as she thrusts rhythmically on my member. I love it when she shudders and growls, speeding up her sensual dance as my surging manhood finds the spot inside her tight, kitty Heat. I love how she pauses for a sheer second and bares her teeth as her instincts kick in. I love it when she wants to make me spray so hard that I forget my own name.

Our dance is frenzied. Her tongue is lolled as she gasps for air... her claws are locked into the tearing sheets... her 'ness dripping trails of juice as it bounces off my sack... I love it when she starts to yowl, her hot breath hitting my face as our tongues meet for one last slight pause before our final crest of pleasure. I love to watch her face in the moments before her orgasm-- her short, quick gasps melding into a deep, throaty growl. I love the surging feeling that starts in my chest as I meet her frantic dance with quick thrusts of my own. I love when her legs give out and she begins to shake, squeezing my member as I plunge into her. I love it when the only thing I can hear is her loud roar as we come together, the surging energy in my body releasing into a deep, full spray. I love feeling her body as she climaxes, forcing her haunches down and squeezing out every last bit of pleasure from her quivering loins. I love it when I brush my fingers past her kitty-tits and squeeze them... and then watch her moan out my name as one last orgasm passes through her lovely body. I love it when she pulls up a little and stares down at our searing connection, squeezing her nether-lips tightly and growling as it sucks every last drop of cum from out of me.

I love it when we close our eyes, counting the stars and blips our love-making creates, panting heavily in post-bliss. I love it when she mumbles something about "seeing colors that don't even exist" as she tries to calm down. I love it when we open our eyes and stare into one another's faces, the pure silence telling the full story of how we feel about each other.

"That's the third li'l session tonight," Tasha said, chuckling as she laid down on my heaving chest. "You in estrus, too?"

I humored the idea and kissed her thin, black lips. "It's that scent pouring out of you that puts me in overdrive."

She nuzzled me and laughed, her once horny growl now a very content purr.

CHAPTER 1: PERROS SALVAJES

When the little girl woke up, the nightmare began. She cried as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. Far above her head she could see light pouring into the cavern where she fell. A day ago, she wandered off from her family while chasing a butterfly in the dense Peruvian forest. She knew that she was lost only after a few minutes. She thought that she could find her way back, but the surroundings only grew more and more unfamiliar. It was close to dusk when she walked across soft layers of underbrush and the ground gave out underneath her feet.

Now she could only cry as her senses overwhelmed her. Pain shot through her ankle as touch alerted her that she was hurt. Smell intruded next as the rash odor suggested the cavern was uninhabited. Hearing picked up both the sound of water dripping somewhere deeper inside the dark cave and the rushing wind blasting in from the hole high above her. A storm was brewing outside. Taste brought the realization of salty blood in her mouth, more injuries from the treacherous fall. All these senses overloaded the young girl, but none were more intimidating than what she saw. A black scorpion made its way towards her with curious determination. She tried to move, but her ankle did not comply.

The little girl yelled and dragged herself along the ground, but the scorpion only moved faster. She reached out as far as she could and grabbed a rock, slamming it down with all her might and crushing the scorpion.

The sudden, violent noise seemed to attract another creature and she could feel the air change in a swift moment. She felt a much larger presence behind her and she turned around, her body convulsing in pure fear. A large_pantera_ stared down at her, eyes fierce and poised in her direction. She screamed and the beast roared, the fearsome sound echoing inside the hulled cavern. The girl shook more as the large animal stepped towards her. She closed her eyes and yelled out for her mother.

The little girl opened her eyes to find the_pantera_ rubbing its head on her. She tried not to shake so she wouldn't startle the beast into mauling her. The next few seconds shocked the girl even more as the pantera looked at her and spoke. Now she knew she was mad. It wasn't a language that the girl really understood, but it still seemed... human.

The beast continued to speak in the language, nuzzling and licking the little girl's face. She motioned to her ankle as the_pantera_ tried to get her to stand. The animal's calm gaze traveled down at her ankle, and it said in broken Spanish, "No preocupe. No aqui le doler. La subida en la espalda, le tomara a la seguridad."

The little girl felt faint as she pulled herself up on the back of the_pantera_ and wrapped her hands around its neck. The pantera had spoken to her. Was the creature here to take her to Heaven? As they started to move into the darkness, the little girl fainted at the overwhelming thought that she could be dead.

A roar jolted her from unconsciousness. The_pantera_ growled as a perro salvaje stared at them, mouth salivating. This new beast had to be the creature sent to try to steal her soul to Hell, but it appeared that her original savior was trying to help her. The animals growled and snarled at each other, claws and teeth flaring. The pantera whispered "calma por favor" to the little girl as it slid her off its back, keeping its eyes locked with the other predator. Her savior seemed to be communicating with the other animal using growls and grumbles. The perro salvaje looked back and forth between the little girl and the pantera, grumbling something back. The pantera moved in front of the little girl, its eyes narrowing in anger.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the_perro salvaje_ bolted full speed at the pantera. A flurry of snarls rang out in the cave as claw and tooth erupted from the battling beasts. The perro salvaje jumped on top of the pantera, only to find itself flipped and slammed to the ground. It pulled itself up and bolted towards the girl. The pantera threw itself in front of her yet again. Deadlocked, the perro salvaje used its momentum and slammed into the pantera, knocking it back and biting into the side of its neck. The girl screamed as the pantera roared, drops of red appearing. She started to cry again, and before she realized her own actions, she picked up a rock and hurled it at Hell's attacker. The perro salvaje yelped and let go of the pantera as the rock hit its head. The distraction was just enough to allow the pantera to retaliate. Claws flared as the face and underbelly of the perro salvaje erupted in red. The pantera winced and walked over to the girl after the perro salvaje collapsed. The girl looked up at the pantera, tears still crested in her eyes, and the entire underground cavern erupted in the roars of enemy beasts. The injured perro salvaje leaned up and howled, trying to get the attention of his pack mates.

The growls and snarls started to grow closer, and everything started to move in slow motion once again as the_pantera_ slid under the girl and started running. The darkness blurred as the growls closed in, and the little girl held on for her afterlife. Dust and rock blazed past as the sound of dripping water approached even quicker than the growls. The girl bounced on the beast's back as it jumped up a series of rocks and pulled itself up onto a ledge.

Pit-pat... pit-pat... Drops sprayed on her face as the_pantera_ ran through an underground stream, the hellish howls of the perro salvaje sounding close enough to grab them.

The girl tried to open her eyes, and she could see light in the distance. She could hear the_pantera_ underneath her gasping as it ran towards the light. The girl's mind phased out again as she realized that Heaven was so very close. All she could do now was pray...

The_pantera_ exploded through the underbrush at the entrance of the cave and the little girl found herself surrounded by soldiers. Her savior dashed out of the men's way and slid the girl off its back before covering her with its body. As the pack of perros salvajes erupted from the cave, the girl heard the staccato shots of gunfire. Yelps and squeals rang out with the shots. A helicopter landed close by as the rain poured on her face, and she could hear what sounded like the yells of her mother. The pantera let her up, and she ran towards her mother's voice. The last time she saw the pantera, a man was looking over its neck...

CHAPTER 2: MOONLIGHT OVER PERU

My name is Brian Simmons. I am a respected writer and animal caretaker in the Provisional Zoo Association community. The PZA started as an organization for scientists to observe altered animals. At this time, they are experimenting with "sapianic polymorphs," animals genetically altered to speak and understand human tongue. I started working at their main site so I could make sure the scientists were not being cruel to any of their subjects.

My boss gave me the task of looking after one of the test subjects outside the gates and walls of the park compound. I became a writer after the Board cleared for the subject to stay with me, and my journals and observations have been a huge topic for debates in the scientific community for quite a while now.

Not one of these scientific journals can even begin to tell the story of how we fell in love.

Her name is Natasha, and she is a black panther. She bears no physical difference from any other black panther. Many people get scared when they see her until she begins to talk. Her thought processes are comparable to a human. She's very smart, she knows right from wrong, and she can "figure things out" quicker than some of the people that I know. Plus... she knows how to love. She expresses emotions like happiness and sadness. Rarely does she ever express anger.

Part of the scientific community says that these aren't "real" emotions that Tasha expresses. They try to prove that she is acting on instinct. I could not care less about what the community thinks, because this is all just a front. I do this everyday just so I can come home to her warm, loving nuzzles. Our little secret is fun, and she gives me more than any woman has in my entire life. I love to go to "professional" meetings with her and catch her side-glances and hidden jokes as we try to remain "objective." I remember one session when the scientists wanted to observe her while she was in Heat. I knew it was going to be hard for both of us as I watched her sway around the pen, impatieence set on her face. They asked her question after question about how she felt while in Heat, and she caught herself twice from telling them about our own "experiences." She sat down and tapped her claws on the ground before glancing over at me and licking her lips. I can tell you first hand that it was by far my longest meeting. By time it was over, we both knew that we weren't going to make it home.

"Tasha need to go to the kitty room," she said panting as they let her out of the pen. We said our quick good-byes and ran all the way down to the safest locker-room. She was on me as soon as I locked the door, and we made love so hard that the walls fogged up.

In any case, I am writing this now because I am tired of just scribbling objective bullshit. She deserves more than that. I am writing this journal just for us, and maybe people will read it down the road if our relationship is ever accepted by society. I am watching her right now as she walks by the door of the den and stops, glancing back at me. She smiles and rolls her eyes -- she knows I'm writing about her. She pads in the doorway, giving her little "movie star" pose that she always does when she knows someone is studying her. She runs and pounces on me, reading my notes...

"Brian," Tasha said with a sigh, rolling her eyes, "do you think it's safe to be writing this? What if it gets caught or something?"

"I know, but there's a part of me that just doesn't care. I'm tired of writing about you as if we weren't in love."

Tasha sighed again, grabbing the notebook in her mouth and dropping it off the side of the chair. "Tasha understands, but would so much more want to just come home and snuzzle in your arms rather than... not."

"Fine, fine," Brian breathed out. "You win. I guess I'll show it, not write it."

Tasha nodded and smiled, jumping off his lap and padding towards the Peruvian safehouse's terrace backdoor. "Now come on, you -- it's almost time!"

"Time for what, Natikitt'n?" Brian asked puzzled.

Tasha smiled with narrowed eyes and motioned outside before slipping through the silky curtains. Brian whistled and jumped up, tying up his dark robe and following her out onto the terrace. He stopped and gasped in awe as he stepped out on the sandy beach. Strands of moonlight shined down from the jungle foliage onto the beach hammock where Tasha swayed back and forth, eyeing Brian with a peaceful stare. No one could ask for a more romantic setting.

"How's your neck?" Brian asked, walking out on the beach.

Tasha smiled with a slight wince. "It's fine, just a toothy scratch really. Nothing that we really need to worry about. At least that girl is safe with her family."

Brian nodded as he stopped next to the hammock and looked down at Tasha, the warm jungle air blowing up his robe.

"Y'know," Tasha started, licking her lips, "we have about nine hours on this romantic beach all to ourselves before the seaplane comes to take us home." She further iterated her point by untying Brian's robe strap and staring up into his face, her beautiful feline eyes glowing in the moonlight. "And all that danger and fighting in that cavern pushed Tasha into a Heat you wouldn't believe..."

"I see," Brian said, grinning as he pulled himself into the hammock.

It started out simple, Brian laying on his back with Tasha laying next to him, swinging back and forth in the hammock, his robe thrown off somewhere on the beach. They kissed over and over again, Tasha's panther lips forming as best as they could on Brian's human lips. Brian moaned and kissed down Tasha's muzzle and onto her neck, nibbling and nipping the spots he knew would make her purrrrrrrr. She growled out in passion before wincing as Brian got too close to the bite on her neck. He pulled back and whispered an apology, and Tasha breathed out and urged him on.

He nuzzled the bite mark before kissing back up her face and nibbling on her ear. She giggled and licked up his neck with her rough feline tongue before kissing him and whispering soft words of love into his mouth. Another warm breeze blew past, rocking the hammock back and forth. Brian sucked Tasha's tongue into his mouth and she pulled herself into his deep, hot kiss.

As they pulled back gasping for air, Tasha laid down with her back on Brian's chest. He held her for a few minutes swaying back and forth. Tasha started playing with his hands. Brian chuckled, rubbing his fingers up and down her chest and tummy. She purred and raised her head, and Brian ran his hands through her fur. His hands explored her with long, graceful trails leading up the sides of her slender, feline body, feeling her ribs and her muscles. She slid her thick tongue into his mouth, and he pinched the pit of her forelegs before massaging the strong muscles beneath her neck.

After a few minutes, his hands glided back down her body, and she pulled herself up him so their faces were next to each other, both laying on their backs, and he could reach her hard feline nipples. He knew that she liked her nipples pinched at first just to make them extra sensitive, then caressed to tease the pleasure out. It wasn't long before she was rubbing her back up and down his chest, dancing with his soft touches around her black nipples... whispering naughty gasps into his ear... and licking the side of his face. He could feel the heat building further down her body and her naughty gasps turned into even more seductive growls in feline tongue.

She bit his ear, grinding her body up and trying to coax him to press his hands further down. He doesn't disappoint, and his hand just shy of the hottest place on her body. She sucked his ear and hissed. He knew she was getting high on the luscious, thick scent of her own Heat before it even graced his weaker human nose.

He drew his hand back up, touching each of her nipples again and earning a very impatient growl from her before pressing his fingers down her back and up her tail. She moved her tail out of the way, her entrance hot on his hand. He pressed two fingers in and flicked her clit, causing her to jump and shriek.

"Sensssssssitive," she hissed in his ear as she nibbled on it, "go slow......."

Brian nodded, pulling out and licking his fingers to get them nice and wet. As he pulled his digits out his mouth, she growled and leaned forward, taking his fingers into her own mouth and sucking off her own juices while getting them even wetter. She caressed his hand with her paw as she took his fingers out of her mouth, and she stared into Brian's eyes as he positioned his hand at her entrance once again. She growled out and spread her legs, hissing as he started to press inside of her. One forepaw went to massaging her nipples, and the other forepaw held her in place on the top of the hammock. Her tail swiped behind her as she whispered the horniest things she could think of in both human and feline in his ear as she suckled it. He was slow this time, pressing in and out, each time getting deeper and deeper, until Tasha just couldn't take the slow movements any longer.

"Goddammit, Brian, mate Tasha with your fingers," she growled out with hot breath into his ear.

He aimed to please, hammering his two fingers into her. Natasha squealed, and the forepaw paying special attention to her nipples now had to grab the side of Brian's face as her body locked and moved with his finger pumping. Brian moaned out and used his other hand to rub and caress Tasha's nipples while he pistoned two fingers in her hot feline 'ness.

Tasha kissed and licked the side of Brian's face as she bounced up and down on his fingers, groaning as she could feel his hard cock leaking pre onto her back. Her feline speech took over as she could feel her impending orgasm in the muscles of her fully spread rear legs. His thumb spread her round pussy pucker and found her throbbing clit, and he soaked his thumb in her Heat juices before pressing it down on top of the nub. She roared out and her body held rigid, and his two fingers inside her dug deep and gripped into her inner flesh and kneaded it out. His thumb ran circles along her clit just the way she NEEDED it, and suddenly the muscles of her vagina clamped down on his prodding fingers and her juices leaked out down his arm and dripped onto the beach. She shook as her orgasm overtook her, and she seethed and screamed out with each gasping breath. Each time he felt her orgasms clasp his fingers, he would release her inner flesh and squeeze it again, ripping more orgasms from her tensing, wriggling body.

After a few moments, the arch in her back started to lessen and her breathing started to feel a little more controlled. Brian pulled his fingers out and sucked them dry before massaging Tasha's body to try to ease her tensing muscles. Tasha flipped herself over so her tummy was on Brian's chest. She kissed him, starving herself of air for the minutes that they locked their lips, mouths, and tongues.

"I know you're close, Brian," she breathed into his mouth as they both gasped for air in-between heavy kisses, "but I need you to make love to Tasha."

Brian nodded and Tasha positioned herself over his aching cock. She dropped down and impaled herself with one quick sweep. Brian yelled out into Tasha's mouth, his cock enveloped in the thick heat and soft inner tissue of Tasha's depths.

"Mate me, lover," she breathed out into his mouth, and instincts kicked in for both of them.

Brian grabbed Tasha's back and dug his fingers into her fur as he thrust his cock up and sucked on her lips and tongue. Tasha growled into his mouth and pressed up and down, wrapping her tail around his leg and fucking him. Her forepaws locked on the hammock, and the moonlight gleamed over their tensing, wriggling bodies while pleasure and pure needing topped their heavy embrace. His hands grabbed her thighs as he forced her to rock with him, his gasps for air between kisses now animalistic grunts. He begged Tasha over and over to make him come. She squeezed and clamped down on his cock as it plunged so DEEP inside of her kitty Heat that he didn't even feel his orgasm coming on until he sprayed out of control inside of her.

He yelled at the top of his lungs as he dug his hands in her, his legs flailing underneath of them, and pulled her into a crushing hug as his balls strained and released his need into her depths, squirting out for a long time before he could gasp and let go of her.

The pair collapsed in the hammock, not able to utter a single word, as their combined juices dripped onto the beach and the noises of the jungle started to overtake their slowing breathing.

CHAPTER 3: FRIENDS FROM THE PAST

The next day, Tasha asked questions about "flying machines" as they flew back to the states in a private PZA jet. Brian answered the questions as best he could, and even took the curious pantheress to meet the pilot. After the plane landed, the pair made their way home and unpacked their luggage.

"Brian!" Tasha called out from the kitchen as he put his clothes away. "No food in refrigerator!"

He laughed to himself as he remembered how he used to get mad at her rummaging for food. How could he ever forgive himself for treating her so badly just a few months ago? "Do you want to go and get something?" he yelled out, "it's not like it's too late to go..."

"I'm right here, sweetie," Tasha giggled, sitting on the floor right behind Brian. He jerked around and she waved at him cutely.

"You know, you're way too quiet without that tracking collar on. Kinda makes me wish the PZA hadn't placed that tracking chip in your neck. Besides, I spent a pretty penny on that gold collar..."

"Awww, Brian, Tasha loves the collar. Got it in my room, only thing in my jewelry box. My first gift, hehe."

"I know, Natikitt'n, it just kinda sucks that a few months after I buy that expensive thing, they get all super technological. I think my collar would keep dibs on you better than the neck chip."

"You just tracked Tasha through half the Peruvian jungle with the neck chip. Besides, the collar isn't a 'tracking piece' to me, it's a gift of jewelry from my mate. Much would rather think of it like that." Tasha giggled as Brian nodded, further illustrating her point by leaning up and nuzzling his chin with a deep purr. "Now, let's go buy something from the grocery store before Tasha get too hungry and starts hunting you."

Brian smiled and grabbed his coat. Ten minutes later, he stepped out of the SUV and closed the door, watching Tasha cat-sway up to the SuperValu grocery store. People waved at the panther, and a kid even ran up and petted her. Brian shook his head. Months ago these same people ran away in fear.

Tasha sat down in front of the store and looked over her shoulder at Brian. "Do you remember the first time I came home with you from the zoo? We were in that crappy Ford and I pointed to this place and asked you what it was. And you were all short with me and mumbled something about a food store..."

Brian smiled and patted Tasha's side, breathing out as he reminisced. She chuckled and kissed his hand before walking into the store.

"Hey look, it's Tasha... my favorite celeb," the manager yelled out, throwing her an apple. Tasha caught the apple in her mouth and smiled back at him.

"Celeb?" Brian asked, rolling his eyes. Tasha nodded, sitting down and taking a bite out of the apple. She was about to say something when a couple of kids ran up to her.

"Miss Tasha! Miss Tasha! Can we have your pawprint?"

Brian rolled his eyes again before giving Tasha an ink pad and a wet napkin. "Remember, kids," Tasha said as she placed an inked paw on their pages and signed them 'Natasha the panther', "Tasha don't like drugs!"

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Brian said after the kids cheered and ran off. "What's with the public service announcement?"

The pantheress shrugged and handed the ink pad back to Brian. "Do what Tasha can, ya? Might as well use fame in a good way. You jealous that you're not known as well or somethin'?"

"Oh, I'm known well enough where I want to be known," he replied, pulling up his sunglasses and eyeing two beautiful Puerto Rican ladies walking down the aisle towards him.

"Hey, you're Brian Simmons, right?" one of them asked, smiling. "I've seen you on TV... I like what you do. Cute kitty."

"Thanks," Brian replied, his eyes locked with hers. They second lady blew him a kiss and they both started giggling as they made their way to the cashier. Brian looked back at Tasha with a huge smile pasted on his face. "Like I said..."

Tasha scoffed and shook her head. "Y'know, you should bring one of them home for us..."

Surprise swept across Brian's face. "What did you say?"

"You heard Tasha right, lover," she said with a quiet smile, winking and swaying off. "I'll be in the produce aisle if you need me," she cooed.

Tasha's comment obliterated Brian's train of thought. Did she mean what she said, or was she poking fun? Would Tasha be interested in messing around with another female? He had never approached her with the idea, especially with their relationship being so taboo. If anyone had even heard Tasha calling him "lover," they would be in a world of trouble.

Inside his thoughts, Brian walked down the aisle and bumped a passerby. He mumbled an apology and kept walking, not noticing the person turn around towards him.

"Brian Simmons? Boy, I never thought I would see you again."

Brian winced as he noticed the voice. Irony in motion. "Hello, Ruth. It's been years..."

"Yeah, it has, hasn't it?" The woman smiled, her grey eyes showing interest in the conversation. Ruth Jameson was the cousin of his ex-girlfriend Angela. She was the one who set them up on their first date. "So what exactly have you been up to lately?" she asked, swishing back her curly brunette hair.

"Hmm?" The question threw Brian off guard since the entire nation knew about the Natasha project. Even the most rural farms in the country had debates on whether or not the project was ethical.

"Forgive me," she replied, laughing. "I've been out of the country for the last couple of years doing a study in Africa. We've been searching for a cure for a few diseases in a village that didn't exactly have phones. I just got back yesterday, and I'm completely out of the loop. I haven't even had a chance to catch up with most of my family."

"Well," Brian started, thinking for a moment, "I'm not involved with Angela anymore."

Ruth laughed. "Now I've even heard about that one. Last time I talked to Mom, she said something about how pissed Angie was. Something about you had dumped her for another pussy."

"Another pussycat, actually," Brian said, clearing his throat and scratching his head. "Y'see, I got a job for the PZA and..."

"Provisional Zoological Association?" Ruth said, concern on her face. "That's why I'm around these parts, actually. There's a convention down the street from the park on whether or not the PZA is helping disease or creating them. You've gotta tell me more about them later. So what happened?"

"Well, she wanted to turn one of my subjects into a fur coat..."

Ruth sighed and shook her head. "That bitch," she mumbled. "Listen, I'm sorry for, y'know, hooking you two up. She just really wanted to meet you and... Well, I don't know if you've noticed or anything, but I really don't get along with most of my family. They are... idiots, to say the least." She chuckled, trying to hide her nervousness. "To tell you the truth, I didn't really think you two were going to go too far. She wanted a fur coat? That sounds like something she would say."

Brian smiled and looked behind Ruth, noticing Tasha poke her head around the corner. He gave the feline a sign with his hand. Tasha nodded and padded toward him.

"Here comes that pussycat I was telling you about," Brrian said, clearing his throat.

Ruth turned around and gasped as she saw Tasha walking towards her. "Oh my goodness, a panther!"

"Her name is Natasha, and..." He coughed as Tasha shot him a look. "Well, uh... we call her Tasha."

"Can I touch her?" Ruth asked, bending down.

"Yeah, she's friendly," Brian replied, watching Ruth gingerly reach out and rub Tasha's head. The pantheress responded by purring and nuzzling Ruth's hand.

"She's so beautiful, Brian!" Ruth said in a trance. "How the hell could Angie want to turn her into a coat?"

Tasha's eyes grew and she jerked back with a growl. Ruth gasped. "Did I scare her?"

"No no no, she just still needs to get used to you," Brian replied.

Ruth continued to stare at Natasha, her mouth open. After a moment, she took another big breath. "She's gorgeous, Brian. I have a lot of respect for big cats. They're just so sleek and... perfect." She reached her hand out again and touched Tasha's head. Tasha stared at her, not purring this time. Ruth could not take her eyes off the pantheress. "I swear I'm gonna hurt Angie the next time I see her." After a couple of minutes, she glanced back over at Brian. "You've really came a long way from what I remember. Here's my card. I'm gonna be in town at this convention for the next week and a half. Call me so you can show me what else you're studying at the park. I would love to see both sides of the spectrum first hand instead of just hearing about it at the convention. And I would love to see Tasha again." She smiled and handed Brian the card, shaking his hand.

"It was nice seeing you again," Brian said, looking down at the card.

Tasha growled as she watched Ruth walked away. "What the hell was that about?"

Brian flicked the card and dropped it in his pocket. "Don't worry... I'll explain it to you later."

---

"So what was that all about?" Tasha asked, laying back against the SUV seat and glancing at Brian, her peaceful panther eyes burning a hole in his concentration.

Brian tried to look away from her quiet stare, but failed to escape her beautiful yellow eyes. He decided to pay attention to the road instead, but still found himself checking her out every couple of seconds. "You're so beautiful," he said, chuckling as she perked her brow, "...and I love you."

"Tasha love you too, sweetie," she replied, smiling. "Story gonna be that bad, huh?"

"No no no, kitt'n, sometimes I just really need you to know how I feel." Brian reached over and held Tasha's paw before he started the story. "Her name is Ruth, and she is Angela's cousin. We met in college and we had a couple of biology classes together. She was always the super 'brainiac'- really interesting girl with a quiet personality. Anyway, before the mid-term one year, we had a class study session over in the dorms and she sat next to me. I started to fall asleep because I had been drinking the night before and I was in no mood to be studying. All of a sudden, she smacked my thigh and woke me up. Yeesh that pissed me off. So I got up and walked out the room to go get a drink and the weird fuck followed me out! I tried to ignore her as I made my way to the water fountain, but I swear the girl just followed me all the way there. So finally I just gave her this 'what the fuck' look and she glanced in my face for a moment. 'I know who wants to date you,' were the words that finally left her mouth. Of course, I get cocky and ask her when she wanted to go out because I was looking for some fun bed romps, and..."

"Tasha doesn't believe Brian would ever do that," the lovely panther interrupted, rolling her eyes. "You?! Get cocky about yourself? Never!"

Brian flicked Tasha's side. "I was young and dumb. So anyway, the girl just scoffs and tells me that it wasn't her, but her cousin Angela who had named her vibrator after me or something..."

Tasha growled under her breath and looked out the car window. Brian knew to drop the sore subject of Angela. "So anyway," he continued, "Ruth became a pretty cool friend after that, sorta my 'what the hell goes on inside the minds of women' friend. Sometime after that, we went our way and she went to Africa to continue her studies. That time before she left, though, she was like a moderator in my relationship. Angie and I really weren't compatible, but whenever something would flare up, Ruth would be there to counsel..."

"Good thing she was still in Africa when Tasha came around," Natasha muttered.

Brian shook his head. "No, I think that was the last straw. You saw the way she reacted when I told her what Angie wanted to do."

Tasha yawned and thought for a moment. "So if she doesn't hate panthers like the rest of her family, why did you give Tasha the silence sign?"

"See, that's the interesting part. Everybody knows about you, Tasha. You are like the focal point for an entire nation. But Ruth has been out of touch with what's going on here, see... and I thought it would be interesting to try a little experiment. Let's see how someone would react to you just by being a regular panther, without the aspect of communication being an issue."

"Brian the scientist, huh. This the kinda experiments you cook up?" Tasha laughed and shrugged. "Sure, Tasha will play along. I'll get to role-play as a regular panther. Can I pee in the middle of the floor?"

"Can I kick you really hard if you do?"

"Only if Tasha get to maul you afterwards," she purred, sticking out her tongue.

CHAPTER 4: CHATTING MAN TO PANTHER, PART II

Later that night, the couple put away groceries. Brian tossed fruits and vegetables to Tasha and she dropped them into refigerator bins.

"How about stir fry tonight, Natikitt'n?" Brian asked, chopping up some chicken on a cutting board.

"Mmmm, that sounds nice!" the pantheress replied, jumping up on a stool next to Brian and watching him cut.

He smiled for a moment, grabbing another knife and cutting up a green pepper. "So, about what you said in the grocery store..."

"Tasha say a lot of things there." She gave him a cute smile, grabbing a piece of green pepper and popping it in her mouth.

"Y'know, about me bringing home a woman for us..."

Tasha looked up at him and stayed quiet.

"So, uh, were you joking?" Brian continued.

"Brian, you love Tasha, right?"

He stopped cutting. "Well of course I do. Of course I do, Tasha."

The pantheress nodded her head a few times, pausing and clearing her throat before she continued. "Sometimes Tasha a li'l scared that... you miss humans and want to go back. You been with me for a while, and... dunno, just don't want you to get bored with us so... Tasha thinking of ways to spice things up!"

Brian shook his head and chuckled under his breath. "Sweetie, there's enough between us to keep things nice and spicy. Don't you worry about that. I love the ladies, I always have. That's me. But I also know that I've found the one. And I know that sounds corny, but it's true. I never had anyone who satisfied me more than just physically. But it was because I needed something I couldn't find in normal society."

Tasha grinned and clapped her paws together. "Well aren't you a happy Hallmark card?"

Brian shook his head with a snicker, chopping up more vegetables. "Oh yeah? Well I have my worries about you too, ya know."

"Like what?"

"Like whether or not you love me for who I am, or if you just started feeling me because I was the first person who really gave you the time of day."

Tasha only looked up at Brian as he chopped.

"I can be an asshole, ya know?" he said in a quiet tone. "I look at other girls, I say shitty things... y'know what I mean."

The pantheress thought for a moment. "Tasha think it was both ways. Love you for you and 'cause you were the first to open me up. That, plus Tasha know you really do want to be with me," she continued. "Just worried that human girls have me beat."

"Nah, you're really sexy," Brian said, pulling out some pots. "Just... you know... didn't think you were bi, that's all."

"Tasha bi?" the pantheress asked, perking her ears up.

"Oh, so you were joking when you said I could bring home a girl for us?"

"No, if cute girl was in Heat, Tasha would join in and experience with you. But Tasha don't dream of other girls 'n stuff. Guys not same?"

"Hell no!" Brian cringed. "That's gay!"

"So now Tasha gay too?"

"No, it's different when it's a girl. If a guy does that, he's gay. If a girl does it, she's... well, she's... cool."

Tasha grumbled in Feline. "Brian, that's just dumb."

"No it's not. See, most girls dig other girls, which is pretty friggin' cool, so it's fine. If a guy wants another guy, that's just gross and gay. Get it?"

Tasha turned her head to the side and stared at Brian, who rolled his eyes and dropped the cut vegetables in the pot.

"So what's wrong with gays?" she asked.

Brian cringed again. "Ugh, I don't even want to talk about it. Like there are gay animals out there."

"There are."

"Not talking polymorphs, Tasha."

"Tasha know, there are gay animals."

Brian rolled his eyes and turned on the stove.

"The way Tasha see it," the pantheress continued as she watched Brian, "they are like another form of Nature's population control. Everyone loves mating, but when gays mate, no cubs are made. Plus, in your society, they like to adopt the cubs that are already created so they clean up society..."

"So are we population control too?" Brian asked.

Tasha looked down. "Tasha... guess so," she mumbled.

Brian sighed and walked over to her, kissing her head. "That came out the wrong way. Listen, you're back at the PZA for the next two days, let's just think happy stuff tonight. Let this food simmer and let's play some games or something."

Tasha perked up, her face beaming. "Table Tennis on Xbox?!"

"You got it!!" Brian smiled, chasing her into the living room and wrestling her down.

CHAPTER 5: DRAMA AT THE P.Z.A

The next morning came quicker than expected. Tasha yawned as she heard a truck horn outside. She jumped up on the bed and licked Brian's cheek, smiling at his groggy mumbles. Tasha snuzzled him one last time before the horn rang out again. She scampered down the stairs and out the door, padding up to the PZA SUV. "Ma'am," the security guard greeted her while opening the door. Tasha smiled and jumped up into the SUV.

The ride over to the compound was uneventful. Tasha watched kids play in front yards and people go about their daily lives. A few people stopped and pointed at the SUV as it cruised by. The guard looked out the window with extra caution. Tasha took a long breath as the SUV pulled into the PZA grounds. She looked around as they cruised past new construction, wondering what was being built. They pulled up to a small community and the guard held the door open for the pantheress. She thanked him with a smile and padded inside the building. An ocelot met her with a quiet half smile and Tasha mewled to her in Feline. She perked up as Tasha padded over to her and the pair nuzzled.

"Nadia," Tasha said with a smile as they padded down the hallway. The ocelot giggled as she followed Tasha. They padded into a room where a raccoon, doe, and wolfess met them.

"Hey sisters," Tasha called out as she walked into the room. "And Ma," she purred at the raccoon. The room erupted in chittering, growling, and animal speech as the creatures reacquainted themselves.

"So, Tash, anything cool happen on the outside?" Da'aredia the wolfess asked with a toothy grin.

"Yes, stories!" Dawn blurted out.

Tasha scoffed at the doe with a grin. "Dawn, if Tasha had stories, wouldn't have to come back here t' hear your weekly tales."

"OOOOooooooo," all the females giggled.

"Yes, what'cha got this week, Dawn?" Nadia asked.

"Oh, nothing much," the doe grinned. "Just a tale that our lion friend Kolumba once told me about a lioness princess reminiscing about her lover while watching the sun set over the savannah... plenty of frisky mating, ladies!"

The room burst out in giggling once again. This was Tasha's "rat pack," her friends that represented the family she never had.

"Well, now that the pantheress is here, I guess I'll start," Dawn said, getting comfortable. "I can only watch the beautiful sunset and wait. Soon he will appear over the sizzling horizon, but whether he will be healthy and walking or carried lifelessly in the paws of others I do not know. He is strong, though..."

The door opened, interrupting the doe. Dr. Meare walked in with a few new faces and pointed over at Natasha. "Tasha, my dear, I want you to meet Chris, our new intern. He's going to be serving you paw and... foot-paw. I'm going to tell Brian to let him live with you guys just so you can have a personal assistant. What do you think of that?"

The other females looked around at each other and Tasha peered up at the doctor. "But why Tasha need assistant?"

"Oh come now, child, all the big stars have them! Chris is highly interested in the PZA and I think he would make quite the able assistant."

"But Tasha take care of herself and already have Brian for assistance. There are plenty of creatures here that could use assistants."

"Tasha," Dr. Meare said, shaking his head and looking back at his laughing guests. "You are the face of the PZA. You are our celebrity and this is the way celebrities are treated. You were on Leno for God's sakes, remember?"

"I remember that," the pimply faced Chris spoke up, walking over to Tasha. "My God, it's really you! I know so much about you. I've followed everything you've done and I can't wait to serve you! My favorite part of your life was when you visited the man-made beaches in Japan. I can't believe I'm going to be living with you, my friends are gonna think this is SO cool!"

"What friends?" Da'aredia growled in Canine.

"Chris, Dr. Meare," Tasha said in a careful manner. "Tasha really flattered, but... don't need someone to do for Tasha that can be done myself. Brian lets me be free to do things myself and..."

"What is the matter with you," Dr. Meare scoffed. "You're supposed to be happy with this! Give him a week, you'll see how nice it is to be served."

"But..." Tasha started.

"One week," Dr. Meare cut her off. "Chris, let me go get you some passes and information."

"Yes sir, doctor," Chris said, waving at Tasha before following the doctor out with his other companions. Tasha sighed.

---

Meanwhile, Brian tapped his foot in Sheila's office.

"I have completely reviewed Natasha's file, and I must say that I am impressed," Sheila said to Brian as she walked around her office.

Brian nodded and smiled at his boss. "I'm glad that you like what you see."

"It says here that Natasha has improved in every aspect, from education and logic skills to empathy," Sheila continued. "I don't know how you do it, Brian. Since you have become her caretaker, she now understands more about her surroundings, how to respond to others, and she's even sixty-five percent more fluent in her human language skills. Dr. Meare even noted on her file, and I quote, that 'Natasha speaks so much more intelligibly and eloquently in the last few months that we miss the baby chatter that she's had since she was a cub.' Very nice, indeed."

Brian tapped a beat on Sheila's desk as he listened to the report. "So, I dare ask, if I'm doing such a grand job, then why am I here?"

Sheila breathed out and dropped the file on a cabinet, leaning back against her desk. "Ok, then let me just cut right to the chase then. You are not here because of your own actions, but because of the actions of others. Brian, we've seen Natasha's improvement multiply at an alarming rate, but unfortunately society has not grown in their acceptance nearly as much."

"Yeah, but..."

"Let me finish. There are those who see Tasha as a threat to human life, and there are even those who believe that creating a talking panther is abusing animals. Anybody who meets Tasha can't help but like her, but those out there who only know what they read in a magazine or hear through hearsay see a completely different picture. We have even received threats, not necessarily against Natasha, but definitely against the PZA. And we believe that anybody who threatens the PZA will have Tasha in mind since she is the most publicized creature we've had so far. I arranged this meeting with you, Brian, to ask you one thing. Do you feel safe?"

Brian laughed and held his head. "I dunno, Sheila. I could use a twenty-four hour roaming security force and personalized platinum pistols."

Sheila rolled her eyes and groaned. "Well, since you're taking this so seriously, I guess the best thing I can say is keep me updated. If you feel the need for protection, just talk to me. One other caretaker query. Do you think Natasha is ready for mating?"

The question startled Brian and he squirmed in his chair. "What?"

"Is Natasha prepared to be mated?" Sheila said, a little slower. "You do realize that if there's gonna be more talking panther's running around with Tasha's intelligence, it's best to get it from the source..."

"I've... uh... I've never spoken to her about it."

"Well, maybe you should think about asking her," Sheila replied. "It's going to come up in the future."

"Maybe I will," Brian said, deep in thought. "I'll be sure to call you if I need any weapons."

---

"Goddamn asshole MALES!" Da'aredia growled out.

"I dunno, it would be kinda nice to have someone soak my hooves," Dawn said in a dreamy haze.

"...or scrub my paw pads," Ma chittered.

"But Tasha not like that!" the black pantheress said, shaking her head. "Don't like it when humans make such a big deal over me. I'm just like any other polymorph..."

"We know, sweetie, we're just kidding," Ma soothed, padding over and rubbing Tasha's paw. "You should just go home and try to find a way to get rid of this loser. Maybe Brian would know a way..."

"But... Tasha just got here," the pantheress pouted, "haven't seen y'all all week, plus Dawn's story..."

"Dawn isn't going to be able to tell a yiff story with your servant around," Da'aredia growled.

"Meare is really getting on your nerves today, hon," Dawn said, leaning down and peering into Tasha's eyes. "Just get back to freedom, we can see you another day, promise."

"Pwomise?" Tasha said, sadness set in her eyes.

"Rat pack promise!" all the girls growled, hugging Tasha.

Tasha's new assistant walked in on the warm embrace. "Whoa, what we got here, ladies? Can a man join?"

The females groaned and moved off.

"So what are we talking about, ladies?"

"You're taking Tasha to her checkup appointment," Tasha growled, looking back at her friends and rolling her eyes.

"Sure thing, Miss Tasha," Chris said, "I love to serve!"

Tasha padded out the room, her eyes pensive. Her annoyed demeanor continued as they walked to Dr. Meare's lab. Chris droned on about how many times he saw Tasha on television. A few minutes later, she sighed as she laid on her side on an examination table as Dr. Meare poked and prodded her body for tests.

"She's a lot quieter than I expected," Chris remarked to the doctor.

"Mm-hmm," he responded.

It wasn't until they walked on their way back to the female pens that Chris ran out of stories. As they walked in silence, a new feeling came over Tasha and she pranced on the tips of her paws. "Tasha gotta pee! Really, really bad!"

"Hmm, where are the closest bathrooms? By the pens, right? Do you want me to carry you?"

Tasha rolled her eyes. "NO! All that water Dr. Meare made Tasha drink for those tests... gotta pee!" She growled annoyed and ran down the hall. She slid to a stop by an open door and peered outside onto one of the compounds open-air man made forests. "Across this field are male pens, bathrooms there!" Tasha blurted out.

"You just want to see the males, don't'cha?" Chris asked with a grin.

Tasha growled yet again and ran out the door, tripping on a wooden stick holding it open. The door slammed shut, startling the pantheress. She turned around and saw Chris flailing and trying to open the door. "It's locked!" she could hear him yelling. "Oh my God, I left my keycard back in Meare's lab!"

Tasha peered to the other side of the field, where the other door was also shut.

"Oh my God, oh my God!" Chris yelled, tripping and running back down the hall.

Tasha groaned and sighed. Could this day be any worse? She still had to pee, and she pranced around in a circle. At least it was nice outside. She gasped, realizing that she was in the wild and her kind went to the bathroom wherever they pleased out in Nature. She danced around a little bit and tried to follow her instincts, glancing around for a place to relieve herself. She found a grate in the ground and looked around one last time before flagging her rear and squatting over the opening. She shuddered and purred out, satisfied as she let out a stream...

"HEY!"

Tasha peered down in the grate to find a pair of yellow eyes staring back at her. She mewled in surprise and jumped.

"Are ya pissing on me, ya whacka?!" the creature yelled from below the grate with a thick Australian accent. "Haven't ya learned about the dunny yet?"

Tasha glanced around and scampered back towards the locked door. Her sights focused on the door as she ran in a blind haste. A grate burst open from the ground in front of her and a black panther pounced out full roar. Tasha slid to a halt, her rear haunches skidding on the ground as she leaned back. Her assailant noticed her in midair and started flailing his legs. He landed in front of Tasha, their muzzles not even an inch apart. Tasha stared at him wide-eyed, and the black panther stared back at her with just as much surprise.

"Uh... uhhhh..." the Australian panther stuttered.

Tasha leaned back further as he stuttered. "Tasha didn't mean to..."

"Tasha, eh? Good to meet'cha, the name's Altair. That's Alt - tee - air," the panther blurted out, holding out his paw for her to shake.

Tasha sniffed in his paw's direction for a second before standing up and padding around him towards the locked door. Altair cleared his throat and followed her, eyeing her as she fiddled with the door knob and cursed in Feline.

"So... why are you out here?" he asked.

"Tasha got locked out here by accident, have an intern looking over me and he forgot his keys."

"Ooh, Tasha's got an entourage, eh?" Altair said with a sly grin.

Tasha sat down exasperated. "So why are you trying to escape in the drainage system? PZA just not hospitable enough?"

"Er, no, I'm playing hide and seek. But I think I'll lose now that I've been scent marked."

Tasha blushed. "Sowwy, really had to go and..."

"No worries, my dear, I understand," Altair said with a wink. An awkward silence overcame them as birds chirped and a breeze kicked up.

"So," Tasha said after a moment, causing Altair to perk up, "Australia, huh?"

"Yup!" Altair growled. "Land of the outlaws and adventurers, and I'm one of the best adventurers you will ever meet!"

"Adventurer," Tasha repeated. "Oh, Tasha get it!" She walked back over to the open grate. "So you know your way through the facility!"

"Er... well," Altair started.

"Oh please show Tasha! Need t' get away from intern and wanna show Dr. Meare that I can do something on my own!"

A nervous laugh escaped Altair. "Um, actually I came in here from the door over there... It's unlocked."

Tasha frowned at Altair, her eyes narrowing.

"But I'm sure we can go through the drains too from what I saw down there, sheila," he continued with a nervous chuckle.

"Name's not Sheila," Tasha scoffed. "That's Brian's boss."

"No no no," Altair laughed. "In Australia, 'sheila' is slang for a girl."

Tasha breathed out and padded towards the unlocked door. After a moment, Altair bolted after her. "I've been to Australia once," the pantheress said as she made her way through the underbrush. "Are you here on vacation?"

"No," Altair blurted out, startling Tasha. "I'm here for the long term, hope I don't hafta go back there."

"Why? It was so beautiful and everyone there was really nice."

"Yeah, but let's just say me and my friends were a li'l too adventuresome for their liking, eh."

Tasha looked over at him before padding through some bushes. As they got close to the door, Altair ran over and opened it, holding it open for the pantheress. "Beautiful ladies first, I insist." Tasha rolled her eyes and shook her head before walking inside. She gasped and ducked just as a figure flew over her head and slammed Altair back out the door.

A large kangaroo held the panther down and Tasha peered out at them. "Found'ja, mate! You really do suck at this here game. I think you're supposed to actually hide," the kangaroo yowled at Altair, slapping the panther's cheeks. "Say, why do ya smell like piss, eh? Did I get you that good, mate?"

Altair growled, and the kangaroo noticed Tasha staring in their direction. "Blimey, sorry 'bout the rude pounce there. I'm Dingo, and by the looks of you, you must be Tasha." The pantheress nodded.

"Lemme up, ya bloke!" Altair yelled as Dingo glanced back and forth between the black panthers.

"Oh, I get it... Altair tried to get a li'l sniff-sniff of the pantheress privates and got himself pissed on!" Dingo roared out laughing.

"No, not exactly what happened," Altair growled as he pulled himself up.

"Eh, you're lucky it was just liquids, mate!" Dingo laughed. Tasha's face cringed in disgust and Altair groaned.

"Well, you two might hafta explain yourselves later," Dingo said, "'cause there's an entire battalion of PZA scientists coming this way that I bolted in front of..."

"Oh no," Tasha groaned.

"Tasha!" Dr. Meare yelled as he ran down the hallway. A door burst open on the other side of the field and Chris ran through yelling Tasha's name. "What happened?" Dr. Meare yelled as he ran up to the panthers. "Are you ok?"

She nodded with an exasperated sigh. Three scientists prodded her and she growled and moved away.

"I lost her, sir," Chris squeezed out as he ran up huffing and puffing.

"You lost your job, too!" Dr. Meare yelled. "How hard is it to transport Natasha from the waiting room to the female pen without 'losing' her? Something could've happened to her out here walking around all alone!" Altair and Dingo stared at each other while Chris stuttered out an apology and walked away.

"Doctor, he's just an intern," one of the scientists said.

"Well then you take him on your damn team. I don't want him dealing with the most important creature on this site so carelessly. C'mon, Tasha, I'll walk you back myself."

Natasha grumbled under her breath in Feline as the doctor held open the door for her. "Er, Tasha!" Altair called out to her. The pantheress turned towards him and perked her ears. "I really don't mind when beautiful sheilas have to pee on me. You have a really nice scent," he said with a grin. Tasha flicked her whiskers and nodded before following Dr. Meare.

Dingo glared down at Altair as he stared after the pantheress. After a moment, the kangaroo smacked Altair's muzzle.

"Hey!"

"Reeeaaaal smooth there, mate!" Dingo grinned. "Oh well, chin up, she really is quite the looker."

Altair looked down at his paws.

"So what's the point of escaping if they don't even recognize that we're missing?" the kangaroo continued, looking around the field.

Altair sighed and shrugged. "Looks like we're all alone in the wild, just like that one time in the Outback."

"Oh yeah," Dingo grinned. "Let's see what we can get into, mate!"

CHAPTER 6: BRIAN'S CURIOSITIES IN MOTION

With each dejected step Tasha took down the hall, Dr. Meare mumbled about careless interns. She couldn't take it anymore. "Meare, Tasha ready to go home," she said.

"But you just got in. We never really see you anymore. I'm sorry that intern scared you, we'll replace him as soon..."

"Tasha don't want him replaced. That was proof that they're not needed."

Dr. Meare nodded. "Fine, fair enough. At least spend some time with your pack tonight. I could share some more ideas I've been having with you..."

"Tasha gotta go home. Brian has plans for Tasha to meet some more people in public for the project."

"Brian didn't tell me about any plans before he left today..."

"Yeah, he likes to play scientist and come up with safe scenarios for me in public. He's prolly too shy to tell you about 'em because you're a real scientist."

"Oh, I see, well I'll call the SUV, I guess. Tell Brian that it's never too late to get a PhD."

Tasha nodded with a fake smile. She was learning that lying was a necessary trait to have with humans. She tried to relax during the ride back to Brian's house. She kept mulling over the various incidents that happened that day and grumbled as she thought about missing Dawn's story. As they pulled in front of the house, she noticed that it was dark. She looked under a rock and pulled out a key, letting herself inside and waving goodbye to the guard. She sniffed the air as she closed the door behind her and peered around the house. The rooms were dark, but she could sense Brian's presence. She peered upstairs and listened before her nose told her that he was up there. She prowled up the stairs and placed her ear on the closed computer room door. She heard moaning and gasped, throwing open the door and catching Brian masturbating. His jaw dropped and they stared at each other for a few moments.

"Tasha knew it!" the pantheress yelled.

"You're back early," Brian gasped, frozen in mid-jerk. He jumped out the seat and pulled up his pants as Tasha padded over to the desk.

"Tasha knew that you still liked human women! Why you lie?"

"Uhh, Tasha..."

"The way you look at the girls in the supermarket, or just out in public... Tasha shoulda known she couldn't hold your interest forever." The pantheress swept past Brian as he ducked back and turned the computer screen off. She jumped up in the seat and pouted at him. She turned the screen back on, and her eyes grew in surprise.

"Tasha, let me explain," Brian started.

Tasha turned her head sideways and mewled in confusion. "Is that... Nala?"

"Natikitt'n, I was," Brian stuttered.

"From the Lion King?" the pantheress continued.

"Y'know," Brian said as he cleared his throat. "I should be pissed that you just rammed in here and started accusing me of everything under the sun. Oh yeah, just keep looking through my pics. That's cool too."

Tasha paid no attention to Brian as she clicked through other files. "Lady and Tramp? I don't know if I should be relieved or scared. What does rule 34 mean?"

Brian rolled his eyes and turned the monitor off. "Tasha, ever since I've been with you, my disposition has changed."

She folded her forelegs and perked her brow. "Disposition, huh?"

Brian took a long, deep breath. "I've been honest with myself, and I like... talking animals. Nala is WAY hot, and with you not home, I kinda... well, y'know... and tell me that Lady isn't hot either with her ear-styled hair..."

Tasha's brow furrowed as she stared at Brian.

"Plus, Lola Bunny? Oh c'mon now, why would they draw such a sexy character with those boobs and that ass if they didn't... well, now I'm off on a tangent. What I'm trying to say is that being with you has opened my eyes. I look at different species now like I used to look at different races of human girls. Before it was about Spanish or exotic Asians, now I'm about the exotic felines or canine chicks."

"Have you been drinking, Brian?" Tasha asked, scrunching her nose up as she sniffed an empty whiskey bottle.

"Yes I have! I started missing you and you weren't supposed to be back for two days, so I did some drinking and started looking at Nala, who's still a second place girl compared to you, sweet Natikitt'n."

Tasha laughed as she watched Brian. "Wow, really wasn't expecting this, but Tasha was just gonna suggest going to a strip club. You know, if you really wanted human interaction. But that was before I found out you were looking at Nala porn."

Brian started wide-eyed at her. "Go to a strip club with you?"

"Sure, Tasha always wondered what all the fuss was about."

"Y'know, that should seem like a bad idea, but I'm buzzing and that sounds really fun. Time to show Tasha the world, WOO!"

The pantheress shook her head and smiled.

CHAPTER 7: THE STRIP CLUB

Fifteen minutes of careful driving later, the pair arrived at the town's gentlemen club. Tasha waited in the alley while Brian checked for shady characters. He stumbled back into the alley and motioned her to follow. Tasha blushed and giggled as she saw the erotic posters lining the club. "Isn't there somewhere... classier?"

"Those classy places are way more expensive and the chicks don't get buck naked like they do here. The way these girls spread, you could reach out and touch their assholes if the bouncers weren't there to stop ya."

Tasha rolled her eyes. "Sounds fun."

Brian beamed as he held the door open for the pantheress. "When's the last time you were here?" Tasha asked, looking around the dark corridor.

"It's been a long time. Before you and I got started."

"Let's see if they still remember your name," she winked as she padded towards the pay booth.

One of the girls gasped and jumped behind the counter. "Oh my God, is that..."

"It's ok, ladies, she's here with me," Brian said with his chest flared out. "Yes, it is Natasha."

"Wow, like, I've always wanted to meet'cha, Natasha! Please don't bite!"

"Tasha won't," the black pantheress assured her.

"Whoa! That's so freakin' weird that she talks," another girl said, her eyes wide.

"Ladies, ladies, how much for us to come in and enjoy your quality entertainment?"

Tasha rolled her eyes at Brian's 'cool' air.

"For you two, free," a calm voice said from behind the counter. An man in a black business suit stood up and smiled at the pair. "You two can go on in. Ladies! Quit dawdling and let's show our guests a good time!"

"Wow," Brian beamed, "This is almost as good as when you got us those free tickets to Disney World. God, I love you."

Tasha smiled and took a few timid steps into the dim club. A topless dancer waved at the crowd, grinding the pole through laced underwear on the bright main stage. Only a few middle-aged men sat around the stage, not paying any attention to the booming club music. As Tasha swayed in, wide eyes turned to watch her. She padded up to a chair at the front of the stage and glanced around with a shy mewl. The topless dancer on stage waved at the pantheress, and one of the spectators pointed at her from the other side of the stage. "Is she gonna strip next?" he laughed. Tasha eyed him, and he cleared his throat before looking away. She smiled to herself.

The dancer swayed over to Tasha, squatting down and petting her head. "Hey there, beautiful kitty, here for a nice show tonight?" she crooned.

Tasha purred and nodded. The dancer winked at her, spreading her legs in front of the pantheress and humping the air. A couple of the guys cheered and the dancer twisted around to collect money.

"I see you made a friend," Brian said, grinning as he dropped down in the chair next to Tasha.

"She's courting me," the pantheress whispered to Brian. "What should Tasha do?"

Brian laughed. "No, she's not really courting you. She's just flirting with you to coax more money out of those guys. All the girls are going to do that tonight. Guys like it when girls flirt with other girls or dance with wild animals. It shows that they are wild in the sack."

Tasha nodded, watching the patrons put money in the dancer's garter. "But why she still wearing underwear?"

"Because guys want what they can't see the most. She uses that to tease so they can coax her to take off her panties with money. A woman in lingerie is always sexier than a naked woman. It leaves so much more to the imagination."

"But," Tasha's eyes grew as the obvious question hit her, "Tasha always naked. Tasha not as sexy?"

Brian looked down into the pantheress' concerned eyes. "I didn't say that, sweetie. Your spot is different. Even when you're horny it doesn't really open up, on the outside at least. You're pretty much always hidden, especially with your tail. Besides, you would look out of place with clothes on."

Tasha nodded again, still confused.

"Alright," Brian said, clapping his hands together. "This is what we came for! Do you see this?" He dropped a stack of one dollar bills on the lounge table between them. "This is what they're working for. Whenever they do something you like, reward them. The better they do, the more you give them. Were you impressed with that little showing she gave you?"

Tasha nodded and grabbed a pawful of dollars.

"No, no, sweetie," Brian laughed. "Start with one and work up. If you start low, it will entice her to work harder. If you keep the money stack high, the next set of dancers will see it and flock over to you. So it's a balancing act, you see."

"But aren't the girls gonna flock to Tasha anyway 'cause Tasha exotic animal female?" the pantheress asked with an innocent mewl.

Brian chuckled. "Well, yes, that's an advantage that you have. But it's still good to play the game right. If a dancer is afraid of you, the money stack will attract her over."

"So it's like hunting, gotta attract the prey to the best water hole or feeding grounds before you pounce."

"Well, kinda. It's a hunt for pussy watching," Brian grinned. "Just hold the dollar in your paw, she'll come over"

Tasha nodded, still confused but going along with it. She picked up a dollar and watched the dancer sway and shake her way over. "Use your mouth, kitty," the stripper cooed. Tasha looked back at Brian, who urged her on. She glanced back up at the stripper, leaning up on the stage and pulling the garter with her teeth before sliding in the dollar. The audience cheered and smacked the top of the stage, and the dancer did an extra little shake for Tasha. A couple of the guys threw dollars at Tasha, and Brian picked them up and added them to their pile.

"Exhilarating, isn't it?" Brian beamed.

Tasha grinned. "Yeah it is kinda fun, actually. Do you ever get to mate with the female?"

"Nope, you either go home to your mate or masturbate," Brian said as he relaxed in the soft chair. "I guess it doesn't make sense when you think about it, but oh well."

"Can I get you two anything?" a cute server asked them, resting her hand on Brian's shoulder.

"Gin and tonic please," Tasha said. Both Brian and the server looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"What the hell?" Brian asked.

"I hear that all the time," Tasha said, blushing. "What exactly is it?"

Brian shook his head. "If you want to try alcohol, you gotta start slow. I'll have a Bud, she'll have a couple of white Russians."

The server shrugged. "Well I guess she's legal."

The next dancer on stage strutted straight over to Tasha and shook her ass. Tasha slid a dollar under her garter, and the men yet again went wild. A few minutes later, two drinks rested in front of Tasha and Brian sipped his beer. Tasha picked up a cup and sniffed it. She reeled back and coughed, giving Brian a crazy look. "Usually it's best not to smell the vodka, just drink it," Brian laughed.

Tasha took a small sip and shook her head. "Bleeehhhhh!"

"Oh I can only imagine you with a gin and tonic. Stir it up a little more, then try to drink it."

Tasha pouted and mixed the drink with a claw. She stared at the concoction for a few minutes before glancing up at Brian. In a flash, she swooped up the cup and gulped down the entire drink. Brian's eyes popped open. "Impressive."

"Taste better when drinking faster," Tasha said with a small cough. She mixed the other drink and it disappeared as well.

"Uh, Tasha, you just might want to slow down with those," Brian warned.

The pantheress swiped Brian's beer away and took a swig. "Ugh, that's horrible!"

"You get used to it," he replied, grabbing it back.

The server walked over and patted Tasha's head. "Anything else, sweetie?"

"Two more Russians!"

The server glanced at Brian for permission and he waved it off, staring at the full rack display on the dancer right in front of him. Two white Russians later, Tasha felt nice and mellow. She leaned back in the lounge chair, resting her head on her forepaw. Most of the crowd stared back and forth between her and the dancers.

"I toldja she was here," one guy yelled to a group entering the club, pointing at Tasha. "Where's my fifty dollars?"

The group walked over and stared at the pantheress. "No fucking way."

The dancer on stage swiped the fifty dollar bill and spread her legs mere inches from the winner's face. "A snatch for a snatch, baby," she cooed. Tasha rolled her eyes and laid back in the chair, her head buzzing. Brian sighed and threw a dollar on stage.

Tasha was right about to say something when their server put her arms around the pantheress from behind. "You two better watch out for the next lady. She's a southern girl that loves animals. No doubt she knows there's a panther out here..."

Tasha and Brian eyed each other as the song ended and the dancer swayed off the stage. The lights around the club dimmed away and black light accents turned on. The white and green bikinis on the servers started to glow. Gradual illumination graced the stage and a light, sensual beat started to play. Everyone eyed the curtains as a curvy silhouette appeared. A red head with green eyes stepped out from behind the curtains. She wore a black see-through blouse and a short black skirt. She was a mature beauty, not one of the cutesy 18-year-old dancers that bounced around the club. She stepped out on the stage with a smirk and narrowed eyes, staring at Tasha like she was the only one in the club. The pantheress gulped and glanced over at Brian, but his eyes stayed fixated on the dancer. As the dancer swayed across the stage, she twirled a silver leash and collar in her hand. A slight smirk pursed her lips as she saw Tasha notice it. The crowd cheered as the dancer bent over on all fours and crawled to Tasha with the leash in her mouth. She took the leash and whispered to Tasha, "Hey, sugah, you're in my den now. Why don't'cha come up here on stage for the dance of a lifetime?"

"But..." Tasha started.

"Don't be nervous, sugah, let those feminine instincts tell you what to do. My name's Marla. Come dance with me."

Tasha, enticed with her buzz, gave a shy smile and let Marla put the collar around her neck. She stepped up on stage, bapping Brian with her tail as he gawked. The dancer gave him a wink before walking Tasha around the stage. The crowd cheered, beating on their chairs and the stage. One guy reached out to pet Tasha and she turned her nose up with a smug smile before swaying away. Marla leaned back against the pole and spread her legs, and Tasha sat down right in front of her. In her buzzed stupor, everything moved in slow motion as the dance began.

Marla slid down on Tasha's back, working her hips in and out before running her backside up the pole again. Tasha glanced around the stage as Marla humped the pole behind her. The pantheress laid down and Marla squatted over her, letting the guys get a peek at the lacy pink panties under her skirt. Marla ran her hands up her body and grabbed her breasts, pouting at the crowd. They threw money up on stage and Tasha collected it in a pile for Marla. The dancer crawled over to Tasha and stroked the pantheress' back. "Rip off my shirt, sugah," the dancer whispered.

Tasha looked back at her with question in her eyes, and the dancer nodded her on. "Go ahead, do it nice and slow, it's ok." Marla folded her knees under her, her hands flat on the stage as she gave Tasha a sly grin. The pantheress obliged and padded over to Marla, nuzzling into her neck. "That's it," the dancer cooed, "nice and slow... give the guys a show."

Tasha purred and nuzzled the dancer's cheek before looking out at the crowd with a grin, raising her forepaw and unsheathing her claws. The crowd gasped and stared. The pantheress purred out as she held the thin cloth in her claws, feeling the material start to split as she traced her claws down. Marla let out a loud moan and danced with her rear swaying against the pole. Her round breasts popped out of the torn material, and Marla ripped what was left of the shirt off. The dancer jumped up and spun around, grinding her back against the pole and showing off her breasts as Tasha glanced around the stage, feigning disinterest. Money flew up on the stage as some men yelled in a drunken craze while others just stared in complete disbelief. Marla grabbed the leash and walked Tasha around to collect the money as the pantheress tried her best to be feral, growling at the nervous crowd. One of the men held up a twenty, and Marla dropped on all fours and crawled up to him, collecting the money and shaking her boobs right in front of the lucky man's face. She winked as she stood back up and led Tasha to the center of the stage.

"Jump up on my skirt, sugah," the dancer whispered and Tasha followed the order. They slid the black skirt down together and Tasha laid on it as Marla crawled around the stage on all fours growling like an animal. The lacy pink panties formed over the dancer's ass, and Tasha watched as the dancer crawled back over to her. She spread her legs in front of Tasha and thrust up, the intoxicating scent of human female and perfume whisking into Tasha's flared nostrils. Marla kicked her leg over Tasha's head and humped the floor, shaking her ass right in Tasha's face. The pantheress licked her lips for the crowd. The crowd roared and Marla twisted herself over onto Tasha's back. The pantheress stretched up and moaned while Marla ran her crotch up and down Tasha's back while holding her boobs. Tasha growled at the crowd in a playful manner and Marla jumped off her back, landing on her tummy and spreading her legs again in front of Tasha. The dancer shook her breasts for an old man, and Tasha licked up Marla's thigh to her ass in her buzzed stupor. The dancer jerked around and stared at Tasha with narrowed eyes, crawling back over and kissing Tasha fully on the lips. Everyone in the club gasped in pure shock and Tasha's eyes popped open wide. Somewhere in the club, a bottle hit the floor and exploded into a million pieces. The dancer chuckled as she leaned back and stared into Tasha's surprised face. She laid on her back with her crotch raised and her legs spread. "Take my panties off with your mouth, sugah."

Tasha gulped and stared down the dancer's legs with a nervous daze. Marla tugged on the leash gently. "It's ok, sweetie." Tasha ever-so-gently leaned down and nipped the frilly edge of the panties with her teeth, pulling them up . Marla moaned out and pulled her panties off her ass, letting Tasha take them off. She spread herself open for the dazed pantheress before rolling over and letting the guys peek inside her. The room spun around Tasha as the panties dangled from her mouth. The overbearing cheers and yowls made the room spin faster, and Tasha shook her senses back, feeling faint. She dropped the panties next to the pole and ran over to Marla to continue the dance. Marla held herself down in a pounce position at the end of the stage with her legs spread wide, working her hips up and down. Tasha sat down on the stage next to the gawking men and took another look inside Marla. As the dancer thrust her rear in and out, Tasha realized that it was the first time she had seen human tailhole. Tasha stared at it with a smile, liking the clean, little star puckered between the striper's ass. It was just as welcome as the spread, tight pussy that the dancer showed off. One of the guys got a little too forward and reached for Marla's ass, and Tasha growled and snapped at him. Marla teased and held up her forefinger, shaking it "no" in the guy's face. She pulled at the leash and spread herself open for the other side of the stage, and Tasha noticed Brian stand up and lean over on the front of the stage. Tasha padded and Marla crawled over to him, and the pair cuddled. Brian pulled out a hundred dollar bill, and Marla's eyes lit up. She pulled the leash tight and kissed Tasha again, pressing two fingers inside herself and letting Brian put his head between her legs. Marla pulled her fingers out and put them in front of Tasha's face. The pantheress sucked them clean while the dancer humped Brian's face for a moment. After a minute, Tasha snatched the hundred from Brian's hand and put it in Marla's garter, letting it snap back on her thigh with a wink. Marla stood up and bowed for the crowd before taking the collar off Tasha. The pantheress collected the dancer's money into a pile and picked up the panties in her teeth before padding over to Marla. The dancer laughed, kneeling down and petting Tasha's head. She kissed Tasha's cheek and winked.

"Keep 'em, sugah," she said with a sexy grin. "Let 'em remind you to come visit me, maybe for a little more private time in the champagne room. Thanks for the dance." She blew one last kiss at Tasha and stood up, waving at the crowd and swaying off the stage. After the guys settled down, they watched Tasha sway off the stage and plop back down in her chair.

© Kisu, with much thanks!

CHAPTER 8: PANTIES AND BEADS

The club owner stopped Brian at the door and motioned in Tasha's direction. "You two gave me a helluva night! Have you ever thought of letting the cat dance more often?"

Brian appeased him a little, but Tasha knew that this night would be a one time affair. The owner pointed at the club's store. "Pick something out for your girlfriend at home, free of charge. You come back anytime. Everything will be free. We can rename this damn club 'Panther' for all I care."

Tasha followed Brian into the neon-lit shop, holding the pink panties in her maw.

"So, are you... curious about anything?" Brian asked. Tasha gave him a sheepish grin and pointed at a silver bullet vibrator and some beads on a string. Brian eyed her for a moment, a smile crossing his face. "Do you know what those beads are?"

The pantheress shook her head and stared up at Brian with curious yellow eyes.

"They make your butt feel good."

"Ohhh..." Tasha's wide-eyed gaze rested on the different sized beads hanging on the wall. "So, um... how do ya use 'em?"

Brian laughed, making Tasha a little nervous. He hummed to himself, picking out some medium sized beads and a shiny bullet vibrator. He waved them at Tasha and walked out the store whistling an energetic tune.

Tasha followed Brian out to the parking lot, still buzzed. "Brian, are you ok to drive, 'cause Tasha not!" He laughed, holding the passenger door open for the pantheress. Tasha tripped and scampered up into the vehicle, watching Brian walk around the SUV. He pulled himself up into the driver's seat and stared into the pantheress' eyes.

"Oh my God," he blurted out, "my girlfriend freak danced with a stripper! I can't friggin believe it!"

Tasha smiled in her daze, feeling warm that Brian called her his 'girlfriend.' Even in her hazy buzz, she knew that she loved him with all her heart.

"You ok, Natasha?" Brian asked. "You got kinda quiet there."

The pantheress looked over at him, her yellow eyes glowing in the dim moonlight. In one graceful move, she crawled up Brian and held her gaze mere millimeters from his face. She leaned in and gave him a slow, passionate lick up his face. She nuzzled into his cheek, her purr vibrating through his entire body as she whispered into his ear.

"I love you."

Brian put his arms around her, pulling her into him and resting his head against the side of her face. "I love you..."

Tasha smiled and sniffled, a tear running down her cheek. She wiped the tear away with her paw and stared into Brian's eyes, turning the key in the ignition with her backpaw. "Take Tasha home, sweetie."

After they got home, the pair laid down in bed and gazed in each others' eyes.

"So, how was your first drinking experience, Nattikitt'n?"

The pantheress gave a woozy purr in reply.

Brian laughed and kissed her nose. "Well on that note, I've gotta take a leak..." He hopped off the bed and took his shirt off, tripping as he tried to find his way to the bathroom in the dark. Tasha found herself alone in bed with the room spinning in circles. She mulled over the night's experiences, her eyes opening and closing. She felt alive having all those guys gawking over her and thinking she was sexy. She thought about the cute stripper who was so open with her and had no inhibitions. Tasha held the panties in her paw and rubbed the lacy fabric in a daze. She held them over her muzzle and took a deep sniff, purring like a perverted cub. She felt so naughty, the scent of human female smelling so good to her. She licked the crotch of the panties and reveled at the taste of the stripper. As she took another deep, intoxicating sniff, she remembered what Brian said about humans wearing panties. She started to get an idea.

She nibbled and clawed the lacy fabric, making a hole for her tail. She slipped them over her haunches and pulled her tail through the hold. Tasha jumped off the bed and examined herself in a mirror, wiggling her rear. She_loved_ the look. As she heard Brian shuffling back down the hall, she pounced back on the bed. He came in the room singing off key and dropped a pack of babywipes on his nightstand. He turned on his bedside lamp and saw Tasha's form under the bedsheets.

"What a lightweight."

He pulled back the covers from the pantheress' body and her eyes popped open. She growled, staring at Brian with pure bloodburning lust. He took a quick gasp and his body went rigid, prey caught in the hunter's sight. Tasha leaned up and stared at him before putting her forepaws on his shoulders. She shook her rear and showed off the panties, purring and straddling him.

Brian took in the scene, his maleness growing rigid and poking Tasha from under his boxers. The pantheress purred out and danced on him with slow, fluid motions, sensing his body tense up. She teased his lips with her tongue and kissed down his neck, feeling so surreal in her buzzed head. She licked his cheek and slid her rear up his crotch, laying back on the bed. Her tail swayed out from the lacy panties as she stared up in his face. Brian looked down and ran his hand down her purring tummy, grabbing at the lacy material covering her area. She pulled away and nipped at him, baring her teeth. Her purr deepened and she kissed him, fighting his slender tongue with her thick cat tongue. She_loved_ his taste.

Tasha pulled Brian's hard maleness out the slit of his boxers, running her muzzle up the bottom of his shaft. He cried out, his pre-juices spraying out. She licked them off her nose and engulfed his cock with one swoop. Brian gasped at being taken so suddenly in the pantheress' hot mouth, and she slurped up his length with a deep, pressured suck. He groaned in pleasure and thrust up while Tasha paw-massaged his balls. She grinned at him, pulling his length out her muzzle with a satisfied 'pop'. She narrowed her eyes as Brian's breathing returned to normal, her quiet stare and sensuous purring making him nervous. Tasha licked her lips as she thought, playing her tail back and forth behind her. She decided to show him something he had never seen before.

She jumped off Brian and pranced around the bed, flaunting her covered rear in his face and swaying her tail in front of his nose. He ran his hands down her side and she purred out, laying on her back with her tummy up. She curled over, licking and bathing her nipples with her rough tongue, massaging them just the way she wanted. She smelled her own Heat penetrating her nostrils like a luscious perfume, her very wanting essence pouring out from her openings. She gave into her indulgences and curled tighter, licking her Heatsource with her tongue through the panties.

Brian whistled and watched Tasha move the fabric out of the way with her tongue. She grabbed her rear legs with her front paws and licked herself off. She made sure to keep her 'ness hidden with her tongue, lapping her slit up and down while Brian watching wide-eyed. She mrrrrowled, opening herself and licking her aching clit. Pure Heat released into the room as Tasha rocked on herself, swallowing her flowing juices and penetrating deep with her tongue. Pleasure exploded through the pantheress as she drank her own sweet nectar and lapped at her clit faster and faster...

Tasha stopped herself from overindulgence and pounced back on Brian. He cried out as she started slathering her entire muzzle up and down his length. The sweet scent of her pussy seeped from her mouth, and he grabbed her head and fucked her face. Her saliva thick like her nectar, her hot breath like the steamy air quelching out of her 'ness. As she felt his thrusts get frantic and the taste of his preseed getting richer, she pulled her muzzle off him and gasped for breath, her lungs surging for both air and the need to be satisfied. She growled and curled back up, pulling the fabric out the way and lapping inside her own slit. She mowwrrrr'd out, her clit burning and shooting bolts of pleasure throughout her entire body.

That's when she felt Brian start to rub her tail.

She stopped and stared up at him, her lungs heaving with pure animal instinct. He pulled her slender tail out the cut in her panties and slipped them down over her rump. She gave him a warning growl, but he only stared at her exposed tail-hole. Tasha perked her ears in interest and mewled, her body crying out for sweet, sweet release. The pantheress closed her eyes and drifted off into her own world of pleasure as she pleased herself with her tongue, her rear legs straining in her paws. She felt Brian tug at her tail and she opened her eyes. He leaned down and sniffed before lapping her warm tail-hole. She groaned out as he licked and explored her rear pucker, and it tensed on his tongue. He licked it up and down and followed the lines, his saliva lubing it just enough for the tip of his tongue to dip inside. Tasha mewled out, feeling on the brink of an orgasm. She stopped her lapping to let herself back away from the edge.

Brian gave her tail-hole one last, deep kiss and pulled himself up, leaning over the bed and grabbing the beads. Tasha gasped as she saw his crazed grin, feeling nervous yet exhilarated.

"Please," she begged him. "Please show those to Tasha." He only chuckled and cleaned the beads with a babywipe. "Please," she begged him in Feline.

Brian smiled and grabbed a bottle of lube from the nightstand. Tasha went back to licking and sucking her Heatsource as he leaked a few drops of cold lube on her hot tail-hole. The cool liquid dripped down the folds of her rear pucker, warming as it soaked the entrance. Brian lubed one of his fingers and pressed it into her tail-hole with care. Tasha gasped at the painful pleasure and breathed out over her slit. He kneaded his finger inside and found the underside of her G-spot, pressing up into it. Tasha seethed, giving her clit little short licks and begging out in mewls. Brian slid his finger out and started to lube the beads up while Tasha lathered long, slow licks on her slit.

"Take a deep breath," he ordered, holding the dripping beads over her tail-hole. Tasha watched the beads in a daze as he let them touch the searing rear pucker. She took a deep breath just as he commanded. He pressed the first bead against her tensing rear and she winced in pain, whimpering as it started to press in.

"Shhhh," he cooed, "the first is always the hardest one. Just relax."

Tasha tried her very best to relax, letting her ass give way to the round orb. The second one pushed right in, and Tasha started to feel the pressure of beads filling up her tight rear space. Her breathing was short and she penetrated her kitty-lips with her tongue, lapping around the inside of her entrance and teasing the sensitive flesh. Brian pressed in the last three beads and tugged at the string. One of the beads threatened to come out, and the pleasure of her tail-hole holding them in made her head spin. Brian tied the string around his finger, tugging at the beads and grinning as her tail-hole squeezed against the penetration. He looked into the pantheress' blinking eyes, his demeanor calm and serious as she breathed in quick pants.

"Make yourself come, cat."

His command was short and quiet, but to her instincts it was so very loud. Tasha obeyed her male, lapping her clit with skilled passion. As she licked, Brian amused himself by tugging the string and watching her ass. The string teased the pantheress as it rubbed against the lines of her tail-hole.

"Tell me when you're about to come," Brian breathed into Tasha's ear, just as a bead started to press out. She mewled and yipped, pleasure storming through her entire body. The pressure in her ass touched her sensitive areas as the brink of climax rushed towards her.

"Tasha come, Brian... TASHA COME!"

Brian held her backlegs locked as Tasha roared out. Her tail convulsed as her pussy closed on her tongue and sprayed out juices... her entire body rocking as orgasm ripped through her.

Brian pulled the string and the first bead squeezed out. Tasha's orgasm pushed past the bead and into her head... her brain about to explode as the second bead tugged at her ass....

The pink flesh of her ass swelled as the next bead pushed out. Tasha's 'ness clamped down again, its hot steam burning in her face, her lungs heaving as she roared. Another bead slipped out from her tight round ass and Tasha was delirious, seeing colors that she couldn't even name as she ate herself out, her entire muzzle engulfing her source.

The final two beads popped out at once and her ass convulsed with pleasure. Brian made the mistake of chuckling and Tasha roared, pouncing up and pressing him back on the bed. She pulled the panties out of the way and pressed her quivering, still orgasming pussy right down on his cock. She needed it...

Tasha rode him up and down, her powerful haunches pressing against his thighs, the thick pink flesh of her soaked rose squeezing him with each thrust. She roared and slammed his body against the bed, breathing her hot, wanton breath in his face. She was insatiable, one long orgasm flailing through her as she mated him so hard... her thighs rocking up and down on him, her hot inner flesh squelching as it sucked and squeezed him off.

"Kitt'n, I'm close... slow down...."

"I don't care, Brian... Come on my spot, lover... Please come on my spot..."

Brian blasted in her and she kept riding... Thick human seed shot so deep inside her and she kept riding...

Brian yelled out and Tasha roared back, her mouth right in front of his. They yelled and came and screamed at each other. His hands dug into her back, her claws digging and ripping into the headboard, her body begging for the come to go on, to never stop...

CHAPTER 9: THE BEGINNING OF THE DESCENT

"What the_fuck_ were you thinking?" Sheila yelled at Brian the next afternoon.

"I guess I wasn't really thinking."

"You're gonna have to tell me more than that if you want to keep your fucking job, Brian."

"Ok, ok," he started, rubbing his temples. "I guess I was thinking that it was our project to show Tasha all aspects about our society. I just wanted to give her an idea about what she would be up against once she has to think about having cubs..."

"By taking her to a fucking strip club, Brian? What the hell would she learn there that would help her have cubs? How to straddle a pole and get syphilis? So are you telling me that if she wanted to experience the drugs, you would let her shoot herself up with God knows what?"

Brian sighed. "Sheila, I wasn't thinking about all that..."

"No, Brian, of course not. You were drunk! Somehow, someway, that shit made fucking sense! Let me guess, you also didn't think about the fact that we live in the world of the Internet, camera cell phones, and tiny video cameras that might be larger than your brain! Tasha dancing with a stripper surpassed the Paris Hilton getting fucked video, just so you know. We have news stations all the way in Slovakia contacting us for comments. Oh, and this is looking great to the other PZA organizations across the globe that have sent us their hopeful suitors for Tasha. The USA PZA lets their subjects go to strip clubs to eat the panties off of fucking South Carolina whores!" Sheila threw her coffee mug and it slammed against the wall behind Brian. He shrugged away as it broke into a million pieces behind his head. "What the_fuck_, Brian? Do you not know what kind of society that we live in? Every single newspaper known to mankind is all over this, and they all say the same thing. You're fucking Natasha."

"But I'm not!" Brian stammered.

"No shit," Sheila yelled. "But when you get drunk and take high profile animal subjects to strip clubs, the media doesn't report that you went to church and fed homeless runaway children, you dumb fuck!"

Brian's mind raced as Sheila paced around the room.

"And as much as I want to fire you, Brian, and then beat you with my high school baseball bat, I'm at odds. If I fire you, then it will show you were fucking the pantheress and we didn't know about it, which will just show the world that we don't know our shit. No one will respect us. The only thing we can do is back you up, protect you, and dispel all this shit floating around the media. We've gotta somehow make your dumb ass plan look like it makes sense, and that we planned on it, like some failed publicity stunt or something. Oh, this is gonna be wonderful."

"Sheila, I..."

"Get the fuck out of my face, Brian."

CHAPTER 10: ENTER ANDREW CREST

They met at the Galaxybucks, a local coffee shop and haven for all the "free-thinkers" of the town. Members of the Animal Freedom Association used the coffeehouse to plan media attacks against the PZA. The contact sat where she said she would be, checking her email on a laptop and wearing a pink bandana around her neck as promised. He eyed her up and down as he approached her. The dorky glasses were a nice touch, but the curly hair and curious arch of this techno geek suggested there was more here.

Andrew ordered a black coffee from the counter and walked over to the redhead's table. "Are you Ruth?"

The lady perked an eyebrow and adjusted her glasses. "Yes, I am. And you come very recommended, Mr. Crest. Thank you for meeting with me. I think I have information that you will be interested in."

One of the servers brought over the coffee and Andrew took a careful sip. "Why would I be interested?"

"Because the PZA is harboring a sick bastard who dropped my cousin for a four-legged panther."

"Ah, the Brian Simmons fiasco? The entire world is on that bit. You've gotta have something more to get me to bite."

"I saw him in a supermarket a few days ago," Ruth continued, "then I went home and found out what happened to my family. My cousin got a new boyfriend. She didn't know he had a thing for beating women. She tried to leave, asshole shot her, she's in a coma now."

Andrew didn't know what to say.

"Bring what Brian and panther are doing to the public," Ruth continued, "and I'm sure it will be nice advertising for your business."

"Well, I don't work for just advertising I'm afraid," Andrew shrugged.

"I transferred the preliminary fifteen hundred dollars into your account as you were walking in. You will get five hundred a day, and when the full truth is brought to the public's attention, another five thousand dollars is waiting for you courtesy of the AFA's donation funds." Andrew nodded as he watched Ruth type away. She looked up and closed the laptop. "Do you take your job seriously, Mr. Crest?"

"I do, as well as my time. And I could've swore I agreed to a thousand a day due to this high profile case. Now you're a cute girl, unless you can suck five hundred dollars of my dick a day, I don't think we have a deal."

Ruth licked her lips and laughed. "Well, I'm glad that you take your work seriously, because I will not tolerate any mistakes. If there are any fuckups or I learn that you are milking my group for the money, I will bury you. Now, it has come to my attention that your agency has been struggling, and your love of technology in your investigations has landed you in debt and trouble. That said, you can contact me when you have something interesting." Ruth gave a sweet smile as she stood up with her laptop and walked out the coffee shop.

Andrew shook his head and rolled his eyes. Dames. He looked over the folder that Ruth left for him. There was more than enough information for him to get started including schedules and recommended times to spy, plus people to interview that had raised suspicions about this "Brian and Natasha" couple. He grabbed his cup of joe and made his way back to his car. It would take a lot more coffee with all the work he had ahead of him.

---

"Apparently, our agents within the Animal Freedom Association are saying that they've hired this big shot private investigator," Sheila said while debriefing the PZA security personnel. "We've received reports that a few of our vehicles have been followed and some of our employees have been photographed. It's our intent not to cause further controversy by smashing up this investigator, as much as everyone in here wants to do. We must simply show him that there isn't anything worth investigating." Sheila pinned a picture up of the investigator on the board behind her. "They said his name is Andrew Crest, an investigator that's been on the FBI watch list for a while now for apparently trying to assassinate one of the people he was supposed to be investigating."

"I've seen that guy," one of the guards said.

"Yeah, so have I," another one nodded. "He's followed me home one night."

"I've seen him too," Brian said, raising his hand from the back of the room. "He's been at the grocery store that we usually go to, and a few times he disguised himself as a reporter and approached me on the streets."

Sheila nodded as she listened to Brian. "Well, due to these events, we are now under a higher security alert. Brian, do not go to that grocery store anymore. We will bring you food straight from the complex. As of right now, we're going to keep the project going in full swing, but if things get worse, we will have to bring Natasha back to the compound for good. We will be changing everyone's various patrols and running more random scans of the facility. We've changed Brian's cell phone since it was bombarded with calls from reporters, but we ask that you still go to him on a priority basis..."

"I'll go to him the next time I want to go to a strip club," one of the guards spoke out. Laughing erupted around the room.

Sheila waited for the laughing to end. "While I personally cannot stick up for Brian's actions, I will say that it is still your job to protect the PZA's assets, even though he is an idiot for what he did." Sheila took a second to shoot Brian an icy stare and he shifted in his chair. "Reporters are another factor we need to consider," she said after a pause. "They have been disguising themselves and popping up around the facility. If they can get in, assassins can too. If a reporter approaches you, it is the PZA's official stance not to comment. Do not allow reporters to talk to Tasha, as their involvement is already mucking up the entire project. Letting cruel reporters get to Tasha is not good for her psychologically. Are there any questions?"

Everyone in the room stared back at Sheila. She waited in silence for a few seconds before continuing. "The PZA will overcome this scandal, and we ask that everyone do their jobs to the best of their ability. If you see this Andrew Crest, do not do anything that would make us look bad in the newspapers. That is all, you are dismissed."

###

©2010 Hyhlion, used with permission.

CHAPTER 11: "Tasha's Poonie Pics"

Brian pulled into the driveway and breathed a sigh of relief. For once, no reporters or private investigators met him. No protestors yelled at him. No religious fanatics cursed him. He looked around just to be sure as he closed the truck door and walked into the house. "Ohh, Natikitt'n!" he yelled out as he closed the door behind him.

A warm rumble was the lone reply. Brian chuckled and threw his coat on the chair, following the sound of the feline. He found the pantheress sprawled out in her favorite chair in front of her computer. He leaned against the doorway and peered at her as she nodded up in his direction.

"Lethargic day, huh?" Brian asked, laughing at Tasha's lazy movements.

She yawned out and growled, stretching out a paw and clicking on a news webpage. "Yeah, very lazy, and Tasha love it. Finally able to relax..."

"My, my... that doesn't sound like the Tasha I used to know. The one that never laid around and wanted me to explain what the hell a refrigerator was."

She laid her head back and stuck out her tongue before clicking on a headline that caught her eye. "Animal Freedom Association cites caretaker's time spent with PZA animal as proof of inappropriate relationship," she read aloud.

"Are you kidding me?" Brian asked, exasperated. "I'm a caretaker, my job is to be with you! Especially with all this shit in the news."

Tasha nodded in silence before she continued reading. "An AFA member released a statement citing Brian Simmon's around the clock surveillance of PZA panther Natasha as evidence of deeper involvement. The member was quoted saying that Mr. Simmons has had no relationships or romantic contact with others at his home or anywhere outside of his job. The fact that the panther lives with Mr. Simmons and spends most of her time with him leads to further evidence. The member also talked about Mr. Simmons taking the panther on romantic dinners and trips under the guise of showing her human society."

"Speculation, speculation, fucking speculation," Brian breathed out.

"Maybe," Tasha mumbled, "But you're looking at the situation as someone inside trying to justify stuff. If you drop our relationship and look at it as someone on the outside, you can see why they might find it strange."

"Drop our relationship? Well I guess I won't be able to see from that perspective..."

"You should be," Tasha said with a pensive growl, "considering you deny it everyday in public until you get home and we're alone."

Brian sighed and stared down at his feet as Tasha's tail swayed back and forth at the base of the chair. He didn't know what to say.

The awkward silence broke after a moment as Tasha mewled out. "The picture they have of Tasha in the article is really goofy!"

"Well, I'm convinced that they get goofy shots of us on purpose."

"Lemme see what pics of me are out here," Tasha said, grabbing her keyboard and typing away. "Tasha dun like the way the media show her!"

Brian laughed before his mind wondered back to Tasha's reaction moments ago. He knew she realized that he had to deny their relationship in order to keep her, but he hoped that the denials weren't taking a toll on her. If he could, he would tell everyone how he really felt about the pantheress.

"Brian," Natasha asked as he continued to think, "what's zoo... zoo...feel... zoo-phil-ia?"

If she had asked him before he fell for her, he would have had no idea. "It's like having a deep relationship with an animal."

"Kind of like... beast-i-ality?" she said with slow deliberation.

"Well, it's a little different, and it's pronounced 'best-i-ality.' Bestiality is more about the sex rather than... wait, why are you asking me about that?" Brian looked up and caught an odd expression on Natasha's face as she stared at the computer monitor. "Oh boy, what is it?"

"Um..." Tasha shook her head and her jaw dropped. Brian sighed and ran over to her, groaning and grabbing his forehead as he looked at the monitor.

"Tasha's... Poonie Pics?" the black pantheress read aloud in disbelief.

"Ok, Tasha, let me explain something..." Brian started.

"What is..." Tasha's face twitched with disbelief. "Poonie Pics?" Before Brian could explain, Tasha scrolled down the page to the 'Panther Poonie Pic of the Day.' "That's... that's my..."

Brian groaned again. "I thought the PZA IT department had snuffed out all of these sites."

"Welcome to the site dedicated to the naughtier bits of our favorite big feline," Tasha read, "We all love her 'poonie,' the best word that can describe her pink pucker of a pus..."

"Yeah, ok, Tasha, you don't have to read all that."

Tasha still had disbelief set on her face. She stared at a picture of her tail raised and giving a direct view of her netherregions. "That's when I met the French president! Do people really..."

"Yes, Tasha, they do."

"Here's one where I met the pope. Interesting."

Brian sighed. "Tasha, let's close the page."

"Wait a second. Tasha confused and all, but still a little flattered. Humans find me... attractive? Here's a couple of me at the mall we always go to."

Brian cleared his throat as Tasha clicked through the pictures. "Y'know, maybe you should walk around with your tail down."

The pantheress only flicked an ear. "But it's more comfortable with it up and curled when I walk around sometimes."

"But wouldn't gravity make it more comfortable..."

Tasha leaned her head back and smiled. "You tell Tasha when you have one."

Brian nodded and leaned down, kissing Tasha's lips as he chuckled. She closed her eyes as she kissed him. She purred out, noticing the kiss starting to get more distant. "What's the matter, Mr. Simmons, cat got your tong..." She opened her eyes only to see Brian staring wide-eyed at a picture of her licking her backpaw and flashing her rear.

"Brian!" she scoffed, smacking his shoulder.

"I know, but you have to admit that that's a really nice shot."

The pantheress rolled her eyes and shook her head before clicking further into the site. She clicked on the 'Pantheress in Heat' section before confusion once again crossed her face. "This isn't me. Well it's my face, but that's not my body!"

"Sometimes when people don't have real pictures they turn to Photoshop and make fake ones."

"Here we see Tasha in Africa give into her instincts when she thought no one was looking," Tasha read. Her eyes grew as she clicked on a picture of her being mounted by a lion. "They make fake pictures of Tasha with lion?"

Brian cleared his throat and tried to grab the mouse from Tasha. The pantheress jerked it away and clicked on the next photo. "Tasha goes down under in the down under. Whoa! Tasha wouldn't mate three kangaroos at once!"

"I think you're missing the point, love," Brian said, clearing his throat. "It's all about fulfilling a fantasy."

"Have you guys seen that sixty-nine pic by Hyhlion?" she read aloud, clicking on another section, "it looks exactly like Tasha going down on a white tigress." She clicked on a link below the comments and her eyes grew. "Whoa..."

"Wow, that's a... really well drawn pic," Brian stammered out. "Yin and yang." Tasha nodded, still staring at the picture in a daze as she clicked and saved it. "So, uh," Brian continued, "do you know any white tigers back at the compound willing to do a live action shot of that?"

Tasha only bobbed her head in concentration. She clicked on the comments under a photoshopped picture of her spreading her legs for the camera. "I wonder what her poonie scent is like," she read aloud, "it's gotta be like musk and honey." Her jaw dropped as she read the next comment. "I once shook her paw in public and sniffed the musk she left on my hand. I masturbated three times in a bathroom while sniffing my hand, it was incredible."

"See, this is why we try to protect you in public," Brian said, disgust set on his face.

"No, no, it's not that. Tasha just surprised she makes people feel that way." She sniffed her paw and made a face. "Does my paw smell like my musk to you?"

Brian sniffed her paw and made a face. "Eww, did you scratch your ass?" He laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him. "Seriously, though, these sites worry me. If we aren't careful and you're kidnapped and raped..."

Tasha's brow furrowed. "But who would rape Tasha?"

Brian breathed out and rubbed his forehead.

"Humans put a lot of... emphasis on mating and physical," Tasha continued, shaking her head. "To animal-kind, we like it, especially if in Heat, but it's not the focus of our every breath. That confuses Tasha."

Brian reached over the pantheress and closed the webpage. "I'll have IT get rid of it tomorrow. It might be hosted overseas, so they might take longer."

"No, Brian, you're not getting Tasha's point. Let the page stay. They are fans of Tasha, and I'm flattered. Even if they are fans of an area that I don't understand why they would be a fan of."

Brian nodded. "Well, I guess. Plus I suppose we can watch the site to see if any of your 'fans' get too obsessed and want to make a more personal appearance."

Tasha perked her ears and stared up at him, concerned. "Do you really think someone would want to hurt Tasha?"

Brian sighed, kissing his partner's forehead. "Not as long as I'm around. I'll go make some dinner."

Natasha nibbled a claw, deep in thought. As soon as Brian left the room, she bookmarked the Poonie Pic webpage. She muttered to herself in Feline before leaning back in her chair, thinking.

CHAPTER 12: A DEADLY PLOT REVEALED

Ruth looked over a few pictures and nodded in approval. "I'm impressed, Mr. Crest. But nothing here truly answers the question if he is fucking the kitty."

"Well unfortunately he doesn't keep the blinds open while he's drilling her," Andrew replied with a smirk. "Besides, I thought we were getting evidence and letting the public make up its own mind."

Ruth grinned and shifted her body. "Yes we are, but if they do make the mistake of leaving the blinds open..."

"Then I'll be there with my camera, I assure you. These are the best pics you'll find out there."

"Well I admitted that I was impressed," Ruth said, tapping away on her notebook. "The money is sent. How did you manage to get the pics of them inside the SUV?"

Andrew flipped open his cell phone, checking a text message alerting him about the money transfer. "A magician doesn't share his secrets. They're trying to be careful, but they still make mistakes. Why are you interested in the SUV?"

"Because if we choose to have to get a little more drastic, it will be nice to see the modes of transportation that she uses."

"Drastic, huh?" Andrew said as he looked into her face.

"Mr. Crest, one of the reasons why I hired you is because I've seen your records and your methods of interrogation. The public loves a scandal, almost as much as they love to see a dramatic ending. The animals of this world need protecting, even if man's tragic creations need to be removed. I want Brian to suffer, Mr. Crest, for doing that to Angela. I hate my cousin's decisions and her unintelligent ways of life, but she did not deserve to be in a hospital bed unconscious to the world."

"You don't have to go into your spill for me, I really couldn't care less. I'm sorry about your cousin, but I'm just here for the money, and to clear my record. I would highly prefer not insinuating that I'm gonna assassinate anybody with the FBI looking so closely into my background."

"Who said anything about assassination?" Ruth asked with a coy grin.

"Well, this all brings me to my next point," Andrew said. "I've noticed that I'm not the only investigator working for you. The others aren't as skilled as I am, and a lot of them are fucking up. It's making my job that much harder."

Ruth laughed. "So you want me to fire the other investigators?"

"I would think that I'm the only investigator that you need."

"Well, Mr. Crest, in the spirit of competition, let's just say that whenever I find the investigator that's willing to go the distance that I'm going to need them to go, they will be my one and only. Until then, I appreciate these fine pictures that you keep bringing to me."

"And I appreciate all that fine green you keep putting in my account. Have you explained to my competition your potential ulterior motives?"

"People in other countries understand the need to sacrifice one for the good of many, Mr. Crest."

"Well, when will you know if I'm the one? I don't like wasting my time with all these other assholes cramping my game."

Ruth nodded. "Well, rest assured that I have removed all of the inexperienced candidates already. Tell me, Mr. Crest, what changed you from an investigator to a mercenary for hire?"

Andrew took a long, deep breath as he thought. "Child rapists," he replied. Ruth's concerned nod coaxed him to go on with his story. "I was first hired by parents of underage teenage girls to take pictures of who their daughters were dating. Older men always make mistakes, so it was easy to catch them in the act. As time went on and my name got around, I was hired to investigate younger and younger victims and I started getting deeper into the realm of abusers. Finally I saw this old guy force this kid to do... some things, and I snapped. I gave the guy a knife, let him swing on me, and I shot him in the head. Cops ruled it out as self defense, but the second time it happened the Feds started watching me."

Ruth rested her head on her hand as she listened. "So someone taking advantage of an innocent is what finally got to you. An innocent that might think they know what they want, but doesn't really know the full implications of their actions. That's like what we have here, wouldn't you say?"

Andrew started down at his cup of coffee. "I'm not gonna be a martyr for your cause. You people think going to jail is a badge of honor."

"If you want to save your ass, I have worked all around the world. I'm sure we could make a good plan of escape. But let's not worry about that now, let's just keep getting these pretty pictures."

Andrew nodded and finished his coffee.

CHAPTER 13: DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD

The next day, a whole new set of scientists and investors watched Tasha prance around the pen while Dr. Meare ran the same tests that he always does. Every so often, Tasha would give Brian the same glances that only he could decipher. Brian breathed out as he ran Dr. Meare's same presentation through his mind. Soon the doctor would ask one of the scientists to have a conversation with Tasha, everyone would chuckle at Tasha's charm, and afterwards a few investors would shuffle up and ask Tasha for a paw print for their kids.

It was a good life with all of its parallel simplicity.

"Natasha," Dr. Meare said, "would you mind reading the names on our visitors' tags?"

"Sure thing, doctor," Natasha said, smiling.

"Er, before you do," Dr. Meare interrupted, "Notice how well she speaks. Her manner of speech has gotten better with her experiences with her caretaker Brian Simmons. You'll notice that the only real technical speaking problem is that she still refers to herself in the third person. We've tried to counsel her out of this bad habit, but she's explained that this mannerism extends back to her native tongue. Tasha learned how to communicate in Feline before she learned English. Very few subjects suffer from this deficiency, and we're still trying to figure out a way to resolve it."

Dr. Meare droned on about Tasha's dialect before again asking her to read the small name tags around the room. Brian perked an eyebrow as he listened to Tasha read the tags. She even read the French and German names with ease. She spoke more languages than he did. After she finished, Dr. Meare noted to the crowd her keen eyesight while reading the tags from the back of the room.

"Now Tasha," Dr. Meare said, "This may be uncomfortable for you, and you don't have to do this if you do not want to, but would you turn and raise your tail for our scientists?" Natasha stared up at the doctor surprised and Brian choked on his coffee. Now_this_ was different. Fate always seemed to be fickle whenever Brian felt too comfortable. Tasha started to mumble something and the doctor cleared his throat. "It is not..."

The pantheress shook her head with a nervous smile, turning and complying with the doctor's request. As her tail rose, a rambling of conversation rushed through the room. Dr. Meare forced an uncomfortable laugh as he addressed the scientists. "As... you can see, her vagina is shaped very similarly to the native panther. The chemistry is extremely similar as well."

Tasha looked back at Brian, who was glancing around trying his best to look casual. She glanced back around with a dejected sigh.

"Thank you, Natasha," the doctor said, "you can sit down now. As you all can see, her DNA is high quality to say the very least. This is why the PZA has hired you, the top specialists in your fields, with our newest project to help Tasha have cubs."

Tasha squealed in surprise. "But Tasha not ready to have cubs!"

"Now, now, I know the thought of motherhood can be quite daunting. Don't worry, we have a fine list of male feline suitors lined up from all over the world, you won't be disappointed."

The scientists around the room laughed and Tasha looked back at Brian once again for reassurance. He only stared down at his coffee.

---

"You could at least tell Tasha you were planning this!" Tasha yelled. Brian stood at the door after the meeting while Dr. Meare and Tasha went back and forth.

"Tasha, I thought you loved new experiences."

"But that's a huge step for Tasha! I'm scared!"

"The PZA has spent close to $8 million for this project. I didn't tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise. I thought you would like it!"

Tasha glanced down at her paws and shook her head. Dr. Meare sighed and motioned towards Brian. "Talk some sense into her, would you, Brian? Tell her about how people love the experience of having children."

Brian cleared his throat, "Uhh, well, yeah... I don't have any children, but I can imagine that it's quite the feeling and..." He stopped talking as he noticed Tasha about to cry. "Doctor, can I see you privately for a moment?"

Brian pulled Dr. Meare to the corner of the room. "Listen, she's really scared."

"Brian, I trust you more than most men, and I've trusted you with Tasha, my life's work. I want to see my work succeeded into more life. You know how having cubs can be very important for her. See if you can talk to her."

Brian nodded. "Yeah... ok."

Dr. Meare walked back over to Tasha and patted her head. "Tasha, would you mind giving Brian and I a few minutes? Maybe you should go back and talk to our investors for a few minutes and give some autographs?" Tasha looked over at Brian before padding back off to the meeting room.

The doctor closed the door behind Tasha, his demeanor more serious. "What have you done to my girl?"

"Doctor, I don't think..."

"What... the fuck... have you done to my girl? Is what the newspapers say true?"

"Look, she's just scared. She's about to be stuck in a pen doing something she doesn't want to do."

The doctor took a few steps away from Brian while rubbing his jaw, deep in thought. In a split second, Dr. Meare darted back and wrapped his hands around Brian's neck, slamming him against a cage. "You had better hope my theory is false you son of a whore!"

Brian grabbed the doctor's hands and tried to push him off as the scientist choked him harder. PZA guards heard the scuffle and ran in the room, pulling the doctor off. "Strong for an old guy," Brian coughed, gasping for breath.

"It's not my strength that will kill you if what I'm thinking is true." The doctor pulled himself away from the guard and walked back down to the meeting room.

"What happened?" one of the guards asked, helping Brian up.

"Nothing important. Thanks for the assist."

---

Later that night, Brian sat with Tasha in her room watching a thunderstorm outside. "It actually came up before today, but I wasn't expecting them to make a move so quickly and without my further consent."

"What?" Tasha asked, an awkward look spreading over her face.

"Sheila... asked me if you've ever considered mating. You know... with... another panther. So you can have cubs. I know how you feel now obviously, but have you ever thought about it?"

Tasha looked outside, watching the rain pelt against the window. "What's going to happen to us, Brian?"

Brian stared confused as Tasha sighed and continued. "You are my chosen mate, and we can't have cubs together. Tasha accepted that. We can't even speak of what we have together outside of privacy. Tasha accepted that too. But now this? What would you have me do?"

"If they say you have to do it, then you should do it," Brian said after some thought, his voice straightforward.

"Excuse me?" Tasha perked her ears and turned away from the window, her eyes cold.

"Tasha, we cannot risk anybody knowing about us. What are you going to do, tell them that you are in love with me and you're not going to mate with anyone else?"

"Um, Brian, this got personal a long time before we handled things by the book. Do you have any idea how much first conception is going to mean to Tasha?"

"I know, but..."

"Do you? How would you feel about some creature getting t' screw your Tasha nilly and having their... stuff be the one that gives me the conception?"

Brian rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Tasha," he started, reaching out for her footpaw. She recoiled her foot from his reach and looked back out at the stormy weather. "Tasha, if it makes you feel any better, it would make me feel like shit. But I know I would accept the cubs as my own. I wasn't ever thinking about children, but if there's a way to have them between us, I would want to take that chance. Especially if it keeps people that far away from suspecting something between us."

Silence landed on the pair, thunder rumbling in the distance. Each time lightning flashed in the distance, Brian could see Natasha's face reflected in the window, her expression held in anger. If he couldn't tell her mood by her expression, then her tone of voice reflected the message.

"Do you understand the code of the feline, Brian? When we are in Heat and desire a mating, anybody can mate us. Not just our lovers. Anybody with the honest desire to fulfill can mount the female. Sure, we have a choice to a certain extent, but for the most part anyone who wishes to please the Heat bearer has the chance."

"Then I would suggest following your code if the PZA officials ask you," Brian whispered.

Tasha stood up and nodded, leaping from the windowsill without looking at Brian and padding off to her room.

The next morning, she met the PZA vehicle outside before Brian even woke up. She had stayed in her room all night instead of meeting Brian in his bed as she contemplated all the questions in her relationship. She slipped into the SUV and it whisked her back to the compound.

Ten minutes later, Brian awoke with Tasha's name on his lips. "Tasha!" he called out, but only silence met him. He sat up and held his head with a light groan, noticing the bed covers lay unruffled where his pantheress girlfriend usually crawled in. He laid back down and sighed, knowing that it would be a few days before he saw her again. He didn't even have the chance to tell her goodbye. The way fate was progressing, who knew what would happen in the meantime. As he stared up at the ceiling and mulled over his situation, he tried to come up with a plan to set their lives straight. He reached over and picked up Ruth's business card from the nightstand, realizing with sudden dread that things would never be the same again...