FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Marcus sat down in the dusty ground, tired. Plowing a small field wasn't easy or fun for that matter without any oxen, horses, or field hands. Being so far out on the edge on the frontier meant going to the nearest market would take days on foot. He found it funny, the border collie on the border of civilization, or at least that's what he called himself since he headed west into the giant forest region. Marcus's ears pinned straight up. Across the field walking along the edge of the forest was a native. Quickly standing up, he checked the distance towards his house.

'Only about fifty yards,' he thought watching her carefully. When he first arrived out here, Marcus planned on at least greeting one to be friendly, they were never seen in groups larger than three, but never wanted to from hearing so many rumors about them: from being skinned alive to cannibalism. This native was typical of the region, a leopard, well toned, adorned in the most basic clothing of animal skins, carrying their favored weapon of choice, a blowgun. He gripped the plow defensively as the figure paused for a few minutes to stare at him. The figure stood confidently looking at the collie as if she knew something he didn't. Standing up, Marcus cautiously watched her leave disappearing into the trees. He could tell it was female from the appearance, but this one he had seen before unsettled him the most. She wouldn't be far from his location whenever or wherever he went into the forest to trek to a nearby brook, always watching him. Of course a powerful leopard made him afraid, she was mysterious, and her eyes were some variation of red that could apparently glow in the dark. He heard it was possible while in a tavern on his way south from a pioneer of sorts who traversed the region for years.

Whatever made the eye color of a native glow was all too real from the pioneer's point of view. He never understood the natives anyway, but he didn't want to as he walked back to his small home plow in hand. The new forest region was tempting for others like himself seeking to start out new, away from the numerous crowded northern towns. Setting the plow next to the door, the collie headed inside and retired for the rest of the day. Sitting in a chair by the empty fireplace, he relaxed, something he didn't do very often out here. Looking around the den, Marcus viewed how quiet and dull the room was much to his disdain.

"At least it's spring outside," he commented seeing the wooden walls and floorboards, that of a typical frontier cabin. The rest of the evening for the collie was spent whittling a small piece of wood with a knife he usually kept above the fireplace. It was something he found entertaining enough to pass the time. Despite it all his first real year started out very well. Plowing was almost finished, no injuries while working, and best of all no contentious town to live in. It was almost surreal compared to that urban frontier that he never liked. Growing up in the north didn't bother him, in fact he had plenty of fun as a kid, but trying to make a livelihood was very frustrating to say the least. His dad, a carpenter, wanted Marcus to go into the family business like most fathers would. Considering carpentry and most other prospects in the urban jungle, the collie's only realistic option was to head south into the forests where life was less rushed. Although carpentry did come in handy for building his home in the first place when he came down last summer.

Soon two hours of whittling resulted in a smaller bumpier version of the wood he started with. Dropping the wood with a light clatter, he stood up placing the knife back before heading to the kitchen. After a preparing a small meal, Marcus retired for bed with a yawn. He blew out the candle before snuggling under the covers. The days were warm but the nights were cool enough to bundle up from the biting air, even with a full coat of fur. Finding a comfortable position, he found his thoughts returning to the leopardess who continually peaked his curiosity. He kept a small book to write in and she occupied quite a few passages and space, but now wasn't the time to worry over what to write down. Sleeping was on the forecast for tonight.

Marcus awoke uneasy. He immediately sat up in the bed noticing it was pitch black around him. There was only dead silence except for his soft breathing.

Crossing his arms protectively, 'I always wake up at dawn. Never earlier.' The chilled feeling only continued as he fidgeted with the covers. His ears could barely even pick up the chirping of crickets outside which usually helped him fall asleep in the first place. It was eerily quiet. A different noise at the window averted his attention, only to make the situation a thousand times worse. Body stiffening straight up, two dull glowing red eyes pierced through the window, almost forgetting to breath. The glow resembled two red demonic fireflies hovering in the air with their haloed silhouettes. They along with the shadowy figure creeped by leisurely, head turning trying to search for something, the red eyes giving the impression he was being watched the whole time. The same two owned by that leopard that had been watching him for the past weeks. Marcus put a paw around his jaw to stop his teeth from chattering.

'My knife, my knife! Oh god I left it above the hearth!' His other paw pulled the blanket up to his nose, but not too quickly lest those eyes see him. Terrible thoughts and images began jamming his thought process, making adrenaline course through his body. The shadow creeped along slowly out of sight only to return in view in front of the next window. The deathlike red continued to glow as the eyes moved gently up and down only to suddenly dart in any uncertain path. These demonic actions caused chills to sprint up the collie's spine as he prayed she wouldn't break in. His veil of bed sheets seemed to do the trick if she was indeed looking for him. Regardless of what she wanted, the leopard's dark figure slowly slid from the windows view and out of sight leaving the collie more afraid than ever. As the seconds ticked by he anxiously waited secretly hoping it was all a strange nightmare, but there wasn't any chance of that being true. Only a minute or so after the shadowy figure drifted away did Marcus begin to calm down and lower his guard.

He let out a big sigh of relief, 'Why should I even be afraid? There's a whole wall protecting me.' A nervous gulp was taken with a glance at the window, not everything was as thick as a wall. He laid back down uneasily bringing the entire cover above his head. The border collie calmed himself down the best he possibly could, she always followed him around and this time it was merely under the cover of darkness. So his conclusion was that she's a very shy native only letting curiosity go as far as physical boundaries allowed.

"But those eyes," he shivered at how they glowed through the window, and the unsettling fact of how close she was to the house didn't help ease away the physical signs of fear. It didn't really matter which way he thought about it, being the middle of the night, Marcus eventually did fall asleep after a long time of worrying.

Marcus woke up later than usual, no thanks to last nights potential visitor. The sun had already cleared the treetops giving the room a nice morning background of sunshine. The first thing he eyed were the windows, only to find no attempts of a break in there. The panes of glass sat in silence, as if they were keeping a secret from him. Feeling a little more secure reinforcing his claim from last night, the collie rose from bed and put on a few clothes only to pinch his nose in the process. The after effects of fear gave off an accumulated odor in the form of a heated sweat from last night.

"I need to go out and bathe anyway,' he thought going to find something to eat. Marcus readied a simple breakfast consisting of two eggs and a few thin slices of bread from a loaf. The meal was downed quickly as he brushed away any stray crumbs from the small round table. He prepared everything for the half day trip to the brook, basically himself, the clothes on his back along with a large absorbent cloth in hand. Making the trip as light as possible made it easier for Marcus to go more than once a week. Scanning over the cloth, he fluffed it out walking into the living room to rid it of any dust. Checking over everything he spotted his main safeguard, a brilliantly crafted knife. It seemed silly not to have a firearm but Marcus knew how to use it properly, even expertly, however he decided it wouldn't be needed on such a basic twenty minute journey, and loosing a knife underwater could be tricky to retrieve at best.

"All set to go!" He cheered closing the door behind him walking to the beginning of his field. The brook was perfect to relax at, not to mention for a much needed bath in any of the numerous ponds. Walking out, he crossed his field noting what needed to be planted during the next few months, but there was still a good piece of plowing left to do at one end. Turning around at the edge of the field he didn't notice the leopard anywhere nearby. For someone who was always bold enough to show herself only to disappear unsettled Marcus as he continued into the forest. Loosening up, the collie took his time walking along the forest path, a few dry leaves crinkling underneath down the trail as he whistled a cheery tune. Gradually, the numerous sounds of wildlife died down being replaced by an eerie silence. Feeling uneasy, his sight wavered left and right every now and then unaware his attention should have been directed behind him. A chill ran up his spine feeling a scary presence much like last nights, only much more real of a threat. All he could hear at the moment were his own steps being taken won the earth. Ears dialing in, he heard something attempting to be hushed. Marcus froze in mid-stride.

He spun around, jaw dropping, in the pathway was that leopard from last night, not to mention the few weeks before. In her hand half raised up was a long tube looking staff, except her mouth was holding onto a small pointed object donned with a tiny fluffy feather. He felt for his knife which was forgotten back at home, only to panic.

'It's a blowgun!' Marcus put two and two together, and bolted off the path to the direction of his home. A whizzing noise went by him ruffling his cheek fur before a sharp thud signaled its halted trajectory by a tree. Running around foliage and ducking between low lying branches, another struck a few feet in front of his face on a tree's side making Marcus panic. Continuing his blind run, he failed to look back and see her jogging behind not too far away with ease. The whizzing around him ceased, but he knew better than to stop in such a situation. Approaching the lighter area of the forest floor, Marcus figured he wasn't far from his field. 'Yes! Safety at home!' he cheered to himself seeing the half plowed field within sight. "I knew she was going to be trouble," he told himself continuing in a somewhat straight path through the thicket. Clearing a thorn bush, a little painfully, he reached the edge stumbling slightly. Adrenaline slowing down, he paused looking over his shoulder leaning against a tree at the edge of his field. His muscles felt funny, especially his left leg. Looking down, a dart was stuck just above the back of his knee decorated with a puffy blue feather. Plucking it out, he noticed a shiny look the metal end had, making his heart sink. Hearing slow steps behind him crunching over the dry leaves, he ran forward only to fall down into the ground.

"What the hell?" He said confused. His legs didn't want to work, as he scrambled only able to weakly crawl forward. A pressure on his back stopped him completely, arms wobbling he crashed to the ground again feeling claws harmlessly flex on his back. "I shouldn't be this tired," he said wearily unsure what was going on. Strong arms pulled Marcus off the ground moving him around so he was being cradled like a baby. Looking up a pair of red eyes stared back at him triumphantly along with a scary smile.

"Your mine now," her confident female voice told him. Marcus tried moving around in her arms, but couldn't find the strength to do so. He laid panting in her grasp as she walked back into the woods, the view of his house and field disappearing beyond the tree line. Closing his eyes, desperate thoughts tried to collaborate for escaping, but nothing seemed practical in this state.

"What the hell is going on?!" he yelled frustrated at her. His captor remained silent despite how loud he was being.

The bumpy ride continued for a minute before she responded plainly, "I caught you, and my customs dictate that the captor owns the other as a mate." That wasn't an introduction to be expected. Marcus was shell shocked.

"What?" he replied not sure if he heard correctly.

"You are my mate, I own you," she stated remaining silent the rest of the way. The collie hoped it was some bizarre dream that would go away unlike last nights. Despite the whole situation, he couldn't help but looked over her features. Her fur was a golden yellow with light hues of brown, coated heavily with black spots that all leopards would normally have. The only places where the spots didn't appear, were her legs and front, both of which contained more tan colored fur than gold. Long whiskers adorned her brusquely square muzzle that was closed neatly with short fur. His eyes trailed down to the garment she was wearing strangely made from a light brown material. It barely covered her chest as the extra length flowed next to her. What made him turn away were her two red eyes, which scared him more than anything. For all he knew, strange eyes like that could read his mind, probe, breaking him from within. Leading down an unknown path through the forest, he soon spotted a large hut-like dwelling built around the base of a tree.

At first glance, he probably wouldn't have noticed anything like it before while walking to the creek. Approaching, it was composed of long flexible sticks and reeds woven together in some complex fashion. Kneeling down, she entered carrying him through two flaps that resembled a door. The inside was simple but large; the tree served as the center beam with a few gnarled roots ingrained in the ground, a few things were scattered throughout the floor, and a large group of furred blankets laid on one side. Other utensils were nailed to the tree itself. Scooting on her knees while still holding him, she set Marcus down next to the bed structure. Holding onto his shoulders, she knelt down next to him leaning forward.

"Just so you won't run anymore," she said placing her jaws around his neck, careful to avoid the jugular. Marcus panicked but couldn't move from what he guessed to be a muscle depressant still coursing through his body coupled with a pair of strong arms holding him back. He felt her canines clamp down puncturing his skin lightly. Gasping, a thin stream of cool liquid entered his body.

"What are you doing?!" he yelled in terror. Pulling out, she nosed through the neck fur lapping away any blood that might have been left behind. She finished sitting back licking her lips.

"It's the same depressant the dart was soaked in, there's a small place above the mouth where it's produced," she said opening her jaws, pointing up. Marcus could see a drop of clear translucent liquid fall from a hollow fang among many other sharp teeth, sending a chill up his spine. "I can produce enough to replace what's in your body for a few days, so I don't have to worry about you escaping." Her statement registered as he started feeling the toxin strengthen. His arms were becoming weaker and heavy, and trying to stand up would have been nearly impossible by himself. Back slumped against the wall, a firm hand tugged at his groin. "This will be mine tomorrow, making it all official for my customs." This was all a bit much for the farmer who expected a simple lifestyle out in the middle of nowhere, and grabbing below the belt through his trousers wasn't really comfortable.

Marcus shook his head, "No! Why would stalk me of all people?! Just go away!" He started panting from wearing his weak self out, "Why me," he whimpered hanging his head low. She licked his neck again, ruffling the fur, making him shudder. Marcus remained stone still as she crawled away, staring at his lap for who knows how long, contemplating what he should do. He heard a scuffling noise and looked back up, only to watch the end of her tail slip from the entrance back into the forest. 'She must've given me a high dose,' he thought to weak to stand up by himself, frustrated that he couldn't even accomplish that. Her absence left the collie to solitude, where staring at random objects was the only thing to do. It was a couple of hours, marked by a now waning sun, before he heard her outside the hut. "Time to get some answers," he muttered under his breath seeing her come back inside. Her ear flicked able to hear him. "Why did you hunt me down?" He asked her.

She responded quickly, "That's how we choose our mates, and I chose you because over the past few weeks I've seen how strong you are." Marcus was a little confused at her answer, he had a wiry frame from working hard his whole life, but nothing to him that should stand out.

"That's it?" He was too tired to feel upset, like it would make a difference.

"I chose and caught you, my custom is that the one who catches is dominant, the one who is caught is submissive," she turned, working on something with a thread and needle.

"So you only caught me to have healthy offspring then to toss me back out?" Marcus was not a fan of fathering a child, then being thrown out by the mother, a complete stranger.

"No, we are mates for life, you'll be by my side doing whatever work I tell you to do other than when I ask you to mate with me." He did feel annoyed at hearing that, being a servant to someone else was out of the question, that's partly why he left the north.

"That's just stupid, I don't even know who you are!" he spat out. She whipped around and grabbed his jaws roughly with a frown.

"You will, because I am dominant." His anger dissipated into a combination of being frightened and helpless.

He moved his eyes away from her, the only thing Marcus could move on his own, only to notice her nearly nude form adding another emotion to the mix. She gently shook his muzzle under her firm grip. His eyes were inadvertently drawn back to hers, which were already beginning to have a dull glow under the present lighting.

'Why does she have to look so nice?' he whined silently. The leopardess smiled a kind yet toothy grin pulling her hand away from his muzzle before patting his head.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to things quickly," she turned back working with the needle, "besides, there's something unique I like about you." He was left there smoldering, crying out and screaming in his head, but not openly at her, that would only reinforce her 'dominance' claim.

'As soon as she falls asleep, I'm outta here,' he watched her while formulating an idea. The rest final waning hour of sunlight was spent with his captor preparing a fire outside while cooking something that smelled good. He would have gladly gone to the source of the tasty smell, but a spider web could probably hold him without too much effort in his current situation. She finally came back in with wooden bowl full of cut cooked meat with two metal prongs laying on top. After sprinkling what he guessed to be a spice, the leopard brought over the bowl and sat down across from him skewing a piece on one of the prongs. She poked the end of his muzzle with a hunk of meat on the carved stick.

"Cut it out I'm not a child!" he moved his mouth away, despite the hunger gnawing at his stomach.

"Calm down, I was only kindly giving you some food," rubbing the cooked meat across his black nose.

"Not kind enough to let me go," he muttered opening his mouth to take an almost reluctant bite. Eyes dilated, his taste buds alone probably formed a smile. The meat he bit off disappeared in a flash, it was the most delicious thing his tongue had ever touched. "Mmm," he chewed another mouth full that she gave him. If it wasn't for being turned into a servant, Marcus might have considered 'marrying' her for a minute, or at least to not hold a grudge against her. The leopard looked happy while feeding him, proud of her 'catch' that was caught earlier. Soon when he had his fill, she switched a metal prong out for herself. She ate her share of meat lavishly in front of him, almost in a teasing way that she could do it by herself. After watching her finish, there was no candle or anything to see around the increasingly dim area as the sun was setting. Even her red eyes were barely lit enough to see, nowhere near the luminosity the previous night. "Where will I sleep?" he asked watching her put up a few things.

She shrugged, "Since you can't move yet, I guess you can stay put." Marcus wasn't too surprised to hear her answer, and only some strength was returning to him. Barely able to shift in place, he moved to where he could lean back and at least try and get comfortable. The light continued to fade as she busied herself for sleep, even poking Marcus to see how well he would react to the touch. Satisfied no one was going anywhere, the leopard readjusted the pelts on the ground and plopped down with closed eyes sighing loudly. As her eyes closed, the dim glow vanished as well giving him a sense of security despite being in a sticky situation. It wasn't long until the glow of the moon became the only source of light he could use to see with. The area almost had a surreal touch given from it like a frozen picture. It was hard for him to imagine how such a beautiful untamed scenery could spawn this terrifying leopard who wanted to domesticate him.

A few hours passed as he barely attained sleep for maybe thirty minutes, the only positive thing was that he was steadily returning to normal as the poison wore off. He jumped up in his seat, careful not to make a noise, feeling a sharp item nip at his rear. Moving a hand, Marcus was able to locate the burdensome thorn that was situated below him. Flicking it across the hut, an airy noise caught his attention. It was his captor snoring quietly in the furred blankets, sprawled out in the nude without a care in the world. Marcus rolled his eyes at her openness, only sneaking a small peak.

'Wait! I can escape!' he formed a smile looking towards the exit. Moving onto all fours, he crawled doing his best not placing too much weight on a hand or knee, the last thing he needed was every joint popping next to her. Able to hear faint chirping of crickets and not see much except for darkness, it must have been the middle of the night or later. 'Time for me to slip away,' he silently thought with a grin starting to traverse her across the ground. Setting one knee in front of the other, he felt unsteady but made it towards the entrance with a grin on his face. Ducking through the flaps she called doors, he took his first crawling steps outside taking a deep breath. The outside fresh air just felt more free to him as he ran over the untempered leaves and ground. Continuing to crawl out further away from her hut, Marcus judged that the distance was far enough. Beginning to stand, his joints popped and crackled reaching his two legged stature feeling blood rush away speedily. Seeing spots form in front of his eyes, he held onto a tree for balance waiting for his head to clear. He felt the dizzying queasiness wear off slowly as his sight returned to normal.

_ 'This must be what it's feels like to drink too much_,' he endured the waning side effects. A step here and there and Marcus was walking through the leaves back to the pathway leading him back, albeit very wobbly steps at that. Nearly losing balance from a few roots or fallen limbs, he staggered on. The moon provided ample amounts of light shining past the trees down to the forest floor as he found the trail leading back this home, away from that crazy leopard. Despite the spooky scenery, he could see why natives like her would live out in forest, other than it being their habitat. The connection with nature was much stronger, and during the day the whole place seemed like a description for a fairy tale. His walking grew stronger as he felt the last of that toxin being filtered out his body. Along the way, the moon started to fade as the sky turned from a spooky black to more of a sluggish grey, signs of the sun on its way. The trail's lighting also improved as the canopy of treetops above grew more sparse and as time continued. Pretty soon his walking turned to a complete normal, save for some tingling in his legs from under usage. The sun was just starting to rise as the feint rays passed through the trees and clouds as he reached the end of the tree line.

'Safety,' he reassured himself stumbling across the field one step at a time to his home. Approaching the door, then opening it, the Border Collie started forming up a plan. 'I'll stay inside for a few days, there's plenty in the storehouse to live off, and if worst comes to worst I can sneak out at night to the market.' Walking uncomfortably, but walking nonetheless, he entered in the doorway happy that nothing would be out of place. Lighting the lantern at the wall, he shut the door only for it to be blocked by something, swinging back open. "What the-" he was cut off as a pair of hands grabbed his waist yanking him back through the doorway. He looked back before quickly holding onto the doorframe itself, red eyes scowling at him in annoyance. His arms felt like they were being ripped out of socket. "Can't we just talk something out?!" he pleaded hanging onto the frame hearing her growl at him. To Marcus's surprise, her grip loosened, then let go of him altogether and with a thud he landed on the ground.

"Fine," she said dryly walking in past him.

"You could've at least helped me up," he shakily stood from the ground. Regaining his composure, Marcus closed the door securely and followed her into the large den with a fireplace taking another lit lantern with him. Both took a seat at a small table on two rickety chairs facing each other. From the limited light, Marcus could tell her face expressed annoyance at him with a deep red glare. "So... you won't stop chasing me for anything?" he asked dreading the obvious answer.

She replied a simple "No" with a smile that could almost be called cute for someone so dangerous and powerful. Marcus frowned, he didn't want to fight her over something that should easily be compromised on, but what could he do? She was stronger, lived nearby, and only had to bite or hit him with a dart to bring him down. The leopard impatiently thumped her tail on the wooden chair, hoping he would just give up already. He dimmed the lantern as the sun began brightening the house.

"How about this," he started out slowly getting her attention, "For a week, each of us will live with the other in their home under their rules," she nodded listening to him with a toothy grin as he continued. "No foul play of any kind involved," he added quickly thinking. "If all goes well without any complaints... I guess... we can work something out." She stood up from the small desk.

"Deal!" the leopard proclaimed and he shook her extended paw. "And to make it fair, I'll drop the whole dominance thing if you can show how able you really are." Marcus was surprised to hear the generous offer and gladly agreed, finding it strange that she would abandon a piece of her culture so readily. But he wasn't going to dare to begin asking why.

"We'll start here, at my house," he added pointing a finger down to the floorboards. She scuffed at the relatively new flooring with a look of disproval,

"Not as soft as the ground, but it'll do," she added with a shrug.

"Then seven days from now we go to your hut," he reminded her. The leopard smiled at that and started looking around the room with those curious red eyes. Marcus watched her careful perusing before moving to the other end of the room where the sunshine filtered through the glass panes. Looking out a window, the clouds resembled a brilliant fiery orange and docile salmon mixture, moving through the sky ever so slowly as if it were a painting by a famed artist. The beauty in nature made Marcus take a step back and think over what he just did. 'If she harms me the deal is off, if not then at least I won't have to serve someone on hand and foot,' he stared out thinking seeing the situation knit out perfectly in his favor as long as the leopard kept her word. A yawn interrupted his stare as he turned his attention towards his room. Without hardly a blink of sleep last night, Marcus really could go for a long nap as he semi consciously walked over to where the soft bed waited for him. Doing work in the afternoon wouldn't be easy without energy to spare.

"I'll be taking a nap," he halfway yawned out to her exploring in another area. Entering into his room, the bed looked so much more valuable knowing how uncomfortable the hard ground could be. The plain white blanket decorated with a very basic floral design along the edges gladly conformed to his body as he sunk into the mattress with a content sigh. Barely a minute passed until he actually fell asleep desperately needing to recharge for the afternoon. His thoughts unwound into the sub conscience, a complete stranger in his house for a week? It sure sounded crazy to him, but there wasn't really any other way around the whole alien matter to him.

The nap lasted longer then Marcus expected, and he remembered leaving his guest to her own devices in his own home. Opening his eyes, she wasn't anywhere in his room at the moment.

'Where could she be?' He thought standing up from bed not able to hear any footsteps around the house. "Hey-" his call was stopped realizing he didn't even know her name. Exiting the bedroom, the collie heard a clunk outside the front door and rolled his eyes approaching the source. The wooden door was quietly opened as he took a soft step outside seeing her by the wall of the house. Arching a brow Marcus watched the leopard moving around the plow, touching it, and maneuvering it. "What are you doing?" he asked making her jump before turning around to face him.

"I've never seen it up close and wondered what it was," she stated holding the machine awkwardly.

"I'm sure you have already seen me use it to work," He said knowingly going over to the standard farm tool. The leopard only gave a sly grin following him. Marcus literally took the plow, dragging it to the edge of the field and dug in. He did need to start finishing up the rest of the field anyway. It usually helped when a good rain came by to make the soil softer, but he wasn't going to let some dry dirt make him look weak in front of her. The first pushes were always the worst. The edges of the field usually had rocks in the way and you had to take your time so that your body wouldn't be worn out quickly. The collie drove the plow onward splitting the topsoil in two matched by his plodding footsteps. Taking a look behind his shoulder, the leopard was revealed to be following him step by step. He noticed that she was still watching carefully behind him, only a step or two away. Marcus paused to take a quick breather, 'If we're going to share homes, we might as well share work.' The collie liked the idea and quickly made it public. "You could help instead of standing around idly," he sounded off stretching his back.

"It doesn't look too difficult," she thought aloud approaching the contraption with confidence, not wanting to be bested by him. Backing out of the way, he watched her grab the handles and with a firm step continue the line that he started in the ground. He followed leisurely behind her, impressed by the leopard's physique being put to use bunobler lack of experience with the farm tool was quickly shown. She wasn't quite driving it in a straight line and he approached to correct her.

"Hold on a second," he patted her shoulder before flatly telling her, "You aren't doing it quite right."

"Then how about you show me," she retorted, her tail lashing out behind. He smirked stepping up close to her back, and reached his arms around her to grip next to her golden paws.

"Like this," he said starting to move with the plow as he bumped into her back. She moved along with him as he guided the machine while she used her power to move it forward. Marcus took a nervous gulp being so close to her, feeling the strong muscles in her back at work. They finished the line in good time and Marcus decided to help her through the last ones he had planned on doing. Neither wanted to look weak in front of the other and continued plowing the field without skipping a beat. To his surprise, they completed the rest in easy time compared to what it would have normally taken him, and with an abrupt halt the task was completed. 'At least her back was warm,' he thought taking a step behind as they finished with her stopping at the end of the row. She gladly gave the plow back to him as he reached for it. "Oh, I forgot to ask, but what is your name?" Marcus asked her as he dragged the plow back.

"Zena, and yours?" she huffed looking over at him.

"Marcus," he replied cooly. Silence returned as they made their way over to the front door. He opened the door for her and she gave a quick thank you before heading inside. Marcus walked over to the spot where he kept the plow and returned it, this time leaning against the wall for a moment. Seeing the entire field plowed made him happy because he would now have spare time the next day. He scratched his head looking up at the horizon. Enough sunlight was out to cook and eat with ease before dark would approach. Giving a last little admiration for the beautiful sky, he went back inside to where Zena had gone. She was sitting in a chair smoothing the fur on her legs while he approached.

"That wasn't too bad for a first timer from the forest," he congratulated her with a pat on the back. Zena rolled her eyes at him and grumbled something rotating her shoulders. He couldn't blame her for being cranky, it was getting late and the night before didn't go over so well for either of them. After the small dinner, an early retire to sleep sounded appropriate for their first day. Marcus showed her to the kitchen before quickly preparing a few preserved meats. They ate their share silently and when they finished he gathered the plates to be washed another time. Marcus sat back down across from her not too sure what to do with the leopard until they went to bed. Looking around the kitchen didn't help as the scenery was always the same. There wasn't a window facing the setting sun making the kitchen darker than it should have been, which meant her eyes started their dim glow on cue. He noticed this time, however, that the low glow radiating from her eyes wasn't anywhere as powerful as two nights before. It was more like a firefly, easily canceled out whenever she blinked.

"Why aren't your eyes glowing as bright as they did the other night?" He asked perplexed. The leopard perked up staring at him with a look of surprisal etched into her face.

"So you were awake when I looked around your home! I couldn't find you through the panes of glass, they always fog up my vision by increasing the glow." Marcus was dumbfounded. Looks like the supposed pioneer from the tavern wasn't right about that or probably anything else he had said.

"Then how do they glow?"

She shrugged, "I was surprised as a cub when finding out your people didn't have glowing eyes." The world suddenly shrunk a tiny bit in Marcus's eyes as he was asked a question. "I've also heard the reason your people live in big closed huts is because you all fear the forest, which I have to admit is partly why I tracked you in the first place," she looked at him with curiosity.

"No, that's the kind of home I live in. Besides you have seen me in the forest plenty of times." They continued their chatter finding out that the myths surrounding the other were very far fetched. Although neither went too detailed on their specific pasts, still feeling like strangers in each others eyes. Their conversation lasted longer than expected where Marcus had to light a candle to help see around even with the moonlight pouring through the windows.

"Want to go to bed?" he yawned out breaking a quick silence that formed as they ran out of things to ask.

"Sounds good to me," she replied standing up, cracking a joint or two. Candle in hand, Marcus led her to his room across the house. The candlelight gave the bed chamber a cozy glow as they entered. "Where will I sleep?" Zena looked around his chamber not knowing much about anything when it came to a furnished room, albeit a frontier bedroom. Marcus didn't want to, but being mean to her certainly wouldn't bid him well in the near future.

"In my bed if that's fine with you," he stated changing around a dresser into a thinner pair of white cotton sleep pants. She was utterly lost until he came around with the candle pointing to the place of nocturnal rest.

"This is your bed?" she asked patting the soft surface with her black spotted golden hand.

"Yes, now let's please get some sleep. I haven't had much in the past few days," he said blowing out the candle and setting it on the nightstand before climbing in with an ample amount of moonlight to guide him. The leopard followed on her side of the mattress scrambling under the covers before finally straightening them out. He did his best to make himself comfortable under the sheets despite knowing that someone else was close by. Both kept their distances from each other as sleep eventually took both of them away into the realm of dreams.

He awoke on his back with a yawn, the sun piercing at his eyelids. Turning his head away from the bright rays, he stretched his sprawled out arms and one surface felt softer almost squishy. It wasn't uncommon for him to wake up in various positions, especially this morning finally catching up with some sleep, but remembering that he was in the same bed with Zena made his eyes open up quickly. Turning his head, Marcus swallowed a nervous gulp seeing his arm contently resting on top of her chest. Looking over directly at her, she was in a deep sleep and he didn't want to disturb that. A silent prayer was given under his breath that the leopard wouldn't be woken. He retracted his arm carefully and slipped out of bed, wide awake now, heading over to the kitchen for something to eat.

'Why did I agree to let her sleep in with me?' he rubbed his head preparing the smaller kitchen fire. Retrieving a few items, he cooked up quite a few appetizing aromas that didn't go unnoticed. Pretty soon the smell of food had drifted away and attracted his predatory partner. While humming a small tune, Zena walked in and caught his attention rather abruptly. She hadn't put on anything to cover up her body and was oblivious to the effect it had on Marcus as her hips swayed over to the table before taking a seat. Shaking his head, he pulled the hot pan away from the fire to prevent burning what had been cooked. Filling her set out plate, then his, Marcus felt nervous and mustered a strong voice hoping to not look like a fool.

"Could you please get dressed back in the bedroom?" he asked straining his eyes to not grope her presented form. Zena muttered something before standing back up and scraping the chair across the floor to the table. The collie blew a sigh of relief as she headed back to put on her clothes. If Zena knew how his body reacted to her so quickly, she just might throw the deal out the window and use force. The remainder of the day was used leisurely. With Zena having finished the rest of the plowing yesterday, he was in no rush to plant nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. The only work, if it could be called that, was mostly dusting off the furniture with a rag to keep any form of a runny nose at bay that would've made life hell. Then a regular distant sleep in the same bed. The next day consisted of chopping wood for a few hours then taking a break, only to continue chopping for the evening leaving both exhausted. It was mostly to have something for a cold night, but he also didn't want to forget about it until late fall froze his fur.

"My arms feel like they've been torn off," she grumbled walking in the front door before finding the nearest seat to rest in. Marcus closed the door behind her feeling pretty worn out himself.

"We can go to one of the streams tomorrow to cool off if you want," he suggested receiving a groan as she nodded her head slowly. After Marcus plodded into the kitchen he made a filling dinner for both of them and quickly retired to the bed, even though the sun hadn't quite finished setting yet. Without much thought, the collie stripped down in front of her before jumping in. She didn't seem to take notice as neither could care wanting a good nights sleep. Zena plopped on her side of the bed, and Marcus followed suit. After a few quick adjustments, their backs bumped into each other but neither had enough energy to care as they shared body heat. The gentle pattering of rain on the roof helped the duo fall asleep as the mild storm went overhead.

Waking up to greet the sun for another morning, 'Day four already,' he stretched only to feel an arm tighten around his midsection. Struggling a little only made the grip stronger. Looking around, Zena was right behind him holding his body close to hers.

'Is she having a dream?' he thought while listening to her mumbling, almost in a humming drone like voice. Looking down, Marcus could see her arms wrapped greedily around his nude form, and from what he could feel, she was just as naked as he was. He shuddered feeling a cool nose press against the back of his neck inhaling sharply as a wet tongue licked the fur.

"Zena?" he whispered confused. The tongue was soon replaced with sharp points closing in around his neck, causing him to pull forward without any luck. "Zena stop! Wake up!" he yelled afraid to move any more. Her jaws froze around his neck as he felt and heard his heart beating with force inside his chest. The teeth moved back as he heard a tongue briefly swipe over them.

"Sorry about that," she said with a yawn cracking her jaw. Her hand moved away from his belly as she stretched sitting up, "Just yell or pinch me awake if it happens again." Marcus got out of bed and rolled his neck.

"I'll have to keep that in mind," he said. The collie quickly changed into a simple pair of day clothes with his back turned to her. Taking a look out a window, the weather showed that the day was expected to be muggy. It had also been raining most of the night, leaving a few stray puddles in his now soft field. Clouds still claimed most of the sky gently rolling by with some unknown predestined route in check. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her lacing up the outfit she had, politely doing his best to keep his eyes averted. A few moments later and both were all set. "Ready to head out?" he asked seeing that she had her clothes on now.

"Yep," she replied rubbing her arms hardly able to wait in relieving her muscle tension. After a quick breakfast of sorts, they left the cabin and started walking on the damp ground across the field. Their feet made squishy noises as the soft earth left behind their paw prints. Mud puddles marred the landscape as they were mostly avoided except for one unlucky step Zena made onto a slick spot. Her foot slipped and before she knew it, her back was in a large murky puddle. After hearing the loud splash, Marcus looked down seeing her priceless expression of utter shock with embarrassment, and busted out laughing. He curled slightly forward slapping his knee as Zena folded her ears back laying there surprised at how fast she fell. With a frown, she stood up and at full speed threw a handful of mud right at the laughing Collie. At least his cackling was ended with a cool wet splat. Marcus stumbled back wiping most of the cool debris from his face to see Zena grinning back at him.

"I think we both need to clean up as well as cool off," he remarked looking over her dirty fur then his. Her golden and light brown coat now stained with a mucky red brown texture dripped droplets of cool water while walking next to him towards the forest.

The soft leaves crinkled under two sets of paws making their way to the stream where a nice pond would be to take that much needed bath. The pond itself wasn't very large or deep for that matter, but it would be plenty of room for the two of them. Pretty soon they approached the watery sanctuary with relief. The sun may have been hidden by trees and clouds, but the heat was strong for the late morning anyway. Facing away from her, Marcus shucked his clothes off and and walked into the cool water quickly. He didn't want to be seen in the nude which would make her stay that much more awkward for him. Tensing up with each deeper step in the sandy floor, he sighed with relief from escaping the heat. He moved out and turned around taking a seat in a shallower end only to see Zena beginning to undress. His eyes couldn't help but watch her removing those skimpy form of clothes. In two swift motions, the thin garments were pooled around her feet revealing her gorgeous body to Marcus.

He bit his lip staring at the firm round breasts that stared right back with pink nubs poking out from the tan fur. Being alone did have its disadvantages.

"Why are you staring a me?" Zena asked breaking his trance.

"Uh... pardon me?" his ears pinned back looking at her face that was blushing a soft pink.

"You're staring at me as if I started chasing you again," she said. Marcus was bewildered that she didn't have a clue for someone so sly.

"Well... I have to admit it, you do look very beautiful Zena," Marcus said sinking lower to his neck letting the chill stave off any unneeded blood flow down south. She appeared a little surprised looking down at her feet, cheeks reddening.

"Oh... umm, thanks," she replied taking cautious steps forward. She certainly wasn't shy about her body, then again natives barely wore clothing as it is anyhow. The leopard quickly joined him in the small pool as both waded out the awkward silence. Nothing was spoken as both avoided eye contact despite being only a few feet apart from each other. Stirring the water slightly, he decided to wash as if it were a normal bath with the exception of remaining concealed waist down in front of his guest. Water was generally good enough to clean with, and Marcus saw no point in traveling to a small town miles away just to buy a thing of cleaning soap. So he scrubbed over his skin through the fur with his fingers and nails, cleaning himself off without a hitch. Zena simply remained submerged to her cheeks, ears flattened out, enjoying the cool sensation of the water. The leopard watched him occasionally, satisfied with the water soaking into her fur causing a wonderful relaxation effect. Soon he was only left with his back not cleansed but was having a difficult time getting to it. He tried reaching behind to it, but was quickly frustrated that his arms wouldn't bend the way he wanted.

"Need help?" he heard her ask over his shoulder.

"No, I can manage myself," he grunted clearly unable to properly reach behind to the final area to clean. The fabricated image he thought of her silently laughing at him made him frown in frustration. Marcus tried once more without any luck, before conceding to her offer. Zena stood from her relaxed position against a large boulder and waded out to the frustrated collie. He felt like a little pup as she came towards him before stopping.

"Only if you wash my back too," she stated tapping his shoulder with a claw. Seeing no other way, he agreed turning his back to her a little afraid that she may pull a trick on him. No backstabbing occurred much to his relief as she started moving her nimble fingers throughout his back fur. It did feel really good while her hands worked over him so perfectly where had no chance of reaching. Her cleaning didn't last long and she quickly finished up. The collie was a little disappointed when she stopped but was glad that Zena offered to help in the first place. "Your turn," she presented her back to him. Marcus turned completely to her to return the favor. Pressing his hands against her fur, he liked how soft it felt under his palms. He began washing her back simply enough running his fingers through the wet fur, circling around a few black spots for a bit of his amusement. Zena let out a low moan of approval as his motions broke the tension in her muscles. Marcus paused hearing a rumble noise coming from deep within her, back vibrating in tune with the strange sound.

"Why did you stop?" she turned her head back as the rumble faded.

"What was that noise you made?" Marcus asked, hands pressed against her back expecting it to return any moment.

She giggled, "It's only purring, a feline like me will do it whenever we're happy." He paused before slowly continuing between her shoulder blades through the soggy gold fluff.

"Happy?" he questioned thinking it was more of a lung problem, but continued to her delight. The leopard practically melted into his touch, gently swaying from the influence of his hands nearly losing her balance a few times. To Zena, his hands danced wonderfully in a waltz making time seem irrelevant. The only problem for the momentary masseuse was her swaying which caused both to perform a strange slow dance of sorts. Marcus wasn't oblivious to this and finished up the last space as her body leaned towards him again, no hand to rebalance her. She continued to lean back without knowing he stopped, and she fell on Marcus as he took a step back. The collie unconsciously wrapped his arms around her torso and closed his mouth and eyes shut as the water enveloped his upper body. The quick plunge was ended as Zena gripped his wrists and pulled him back up to surface where he took a fresh gasp of air.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to-" her apology was cut short by a few quick sputters and waves from his hands.

"No it's alright, I'm fine," he reorganized himself wading to the shore feeling the mud and silt squish under his toes with the cool water. Rubbing his eyes Marcus shook his fur scattering water droplets everywhere on the shore. Zena simply waited for his little water show to end before gathering her things alongside him. Zena walked proudly and normally as if she had her native clothes on so Marcus didn't bother covering himself up either, besides it was almost fair since he practically groped her figure with his eyes. It was hardly more than a minute walk when they reached a small field fully bathed in sunlight. Finding a nice spot, each set their things on the ground. They laid in silence next to each other using the warm rays to dry off in the grass. Time slowly wandered by when Zena asked Marcus a question he wasn't prepared for.

"Did you mean it when you told me I was beautiful?" she turned onto her side facing him.

"Well... yeah, uh I mean you are," he stated unsure how to form the words gazing at the clouds leisurely rolling by.

"But did it have something to do with me taking my clothes off?" She asked as his brow furrowed in thought.

"Well my people normally stay fully clothed because they only share their body with whoever they are married to and deeply love," he tried explaining to her knowing that the concept of large towns and cities were unknown to the leopard. She remained silent trying to arrange all of what he said into perspective.

"It's not uncommon for any of us to go about without clothes on, but we aren't in contact with those outside of direct family, and besides bodies are only different among males and females," she gave her insight on the matter. "But I'm flattered that you see me as desirable," she grinned at him making the collie feel a little nervous wanting to change the subject.

"Uh, why do you only stay in small groups? I imagined large families." It was a sensitive question based on her fading grin as she turned onto her back.

"We do that for tradition above all else, and only a mated pair and their kit stay together." Marcus was surprised hearing her continue. "The dominant and submissive behavior helps reinforce strength as a valued trait to the kit because miscarriages and death at birth usually are caused from a contentious mated pair who vie for dominance at once," she did her best to explain it to him hoping he would understand. Marcus drew his arms under his head trying to see how he would've fared growing up in her place, living off the land to be the strongest and smartest.

"How did your parents work it out then?" he asked only seeing complications erupting from their social statuses.

"My mom caught my dad, so he was submissive, and they never argued and did their best to raise me. I always viewed capturing the toughest male as the greatest prize of life, and my mother taught me to strive in what I wanted, so when I was old enough to take care of myself I headed east and soon found you and built my home nearby to learn as much as I could from an outsider." This time Marcus turned towards her as she reminisced past times in front of her eyes. He politely waited for her daydreaming to end until she turned on her side facing him. The collie kept enough willpower from staring at her chest to ask a bugging question.

"What made you stop from taking me there and then? And when we made the deal, you gave up the whole dominance issue when you could have easily wrestled me down." Her red eyes surprisingly looked innocent, she was raised in a very different culture compared to him an it confused him that it was so easily foregone.

"I could tell you weren't of any affiliation to any tribe like region, but there was something that made me feel good in being around you so I thought by capturing you I would have a strong mate and stay happy with him by my side," she paused rethinking whatever she had planned next. "But when I had you in my home, your eyes shouted unhappiness and discomfort. The only guarantee would have been that you hated me forever." The ice finally felt cracked and he gave her a kind smile that she deserved when they first saw each other. The significant moment ended when gave a brief chuckle after looking down.

"What's so funny Zena?" The leopardess smiled, " Your male parts look funny just hanging there." A light blush ensued as the collie rolled back and stood up. Gravity couldn't be helped when he was reclined.

"If you are dry enough, ready to walk back to the cabin?" he asked extending a paw to the gorgeously exposed lady laying below him. Laughs aside she nodded grabbing his paw as he hoisted her up to retrieve their things. The walk back to the cabin was lighthearted and nowhere near as isolated as the previous days. Along the way she reached out and held his hand. Marcus firmly held on as his heart warmed inside its bony cage.

"Ready to start a week in the woods?" Zena shook Marcus awake.

"Just a couple more minutes to sleep," he mumbled nowhere near ready to leave his comfortable bed. She pouted and continued to shake his shoulder. He instead, grabbed Zena and held her in a tight embrace to physically hold her down with him. Puzzled for a moment, a smile crept along her muzzle thinking of how to get him moving. She licked her lips and bent down opening her mouth so that her teeth poked his skin around the neck. His reaction was immediate and comical. "Okay! Okay! We can go!" he clamored out of bed to retrieve his clothes. Half an hour later they were outside heading down the trail in the woods. The past three days were that of more openness, a few awkward moments, and a healthy optimism allowing the two more comfort around one another. Zena continued and led Marcus back to the hut where she called home, opening the first flappy door for him. He entered and sat down near the center where the tree was located remembering how unpleasant his first stay was.

But now without fear of captivity holding him, he could see it was a homely space. Zena spruced up a few things before she searched through a large stack of pelts and other miscellaneous items before returning to the collie with something in her arms. She presented him a tribal style of clothes which took him a moment to figure out they were for him to wear. "You're kidding right?" he said looking at the revealing outfit. Her stance didn't waver holding the brown leggings and small leather jacket towards him.

"Either these or nothing," she gave a small grin as he took the better of the two options. Stripping off his regular clothes, he put on the native wear while she helped with the lacework. Surprisingly it was quite comfortable. The leggings were smooth and didn't rub the wrong way against his fur, albeit his outer length of legs were clearly visible from the lacework that held them together. The jacket part exposed most of his belly and lower back fur while the top went around his shoulders for the best flexibility possible.

'I feel naked,' he thought to himself. All in all, he felt more maneuverable and free in the air than his regular stuffy clothes. "Did you make all this yourself?" he wondered how long it could take someone to make the entire outfit.

"Mostly when I lived with my parents. I finished the rest here," she said looking him over drawing a paw down his arm making him take a nervous gulp and move a step back.

"What was that for?" he asked in a voice that should've sounded more authoritative.

"You are very handsome with it on," she commented making him give off a nervous laugh.

"Thanks," he replied taking a seat looking for something else to talk about. Zena frowned briefly at his disinterest and decided to give him some space. She sat down to work on her blowgun and finish up a few darts for hunting. Marcus watched her working over them with detailed swiftness that only years of practice could master. "How do you prepare the darts with the venom from your mouth?" he asked holding the intricate object inspecting it.

"It's easy," she demonstrated picking one up. "Hollow out a thin hole in the middle and needle and fill it," she pressed the opening with a fang as a few drops poured in. She licked her lips, "Easy," placing the weapon in her apron like skirt.

"Makes hunting easy," he added knowing how useful the toxin was.

"Tracking and practice make hunting more efficient," she stated with a grin, remembering her first tries at hunting.

"It sounds more fun than difficulthoughts aid thinking of how taking care of a giant field was extremely time consuming.

"Okay, if you feel so confident, then let's hunt and catch something to eat," she replied handing him a spare blowgun with a few darts.

"Deal," he said getting up as each made their way to the entrance. Marcus was ready to bolt off in some random direction but turned to Zena, "What and where are we hunting?"

She shrugged before motioning to her right, "How about down this trail depending on what we see?" Marcus nodded and they both walked with extra care after they were out of sight from the hut. It was interesting to say the least having to obtain food everyday by hand rather than grow or barter for it. Marcus dialed his ears in, hearing every leaf crunch and branch rustle from even the slightest breeze. He definitely didn't want to act like a fool in front of her, especially when potentially not eating for the night was a consequence. A hand shot out in front of Marcus stopping him in mid-stride. Zena pushed down on his shoulder so that he was squatting down next to her. Looking ahead through a low lying branch he could see why she acted so fast. There in front of them was a nice looking pheasant oblivious to their whereabouts or intentions. "Don't aim for his head. Too small of a target," she whispered to him. Marcus nodded and loaded the dart into the weapon, slowly moving it up. He had to shove the blowgun halfway into his muzzle to form a proper seal. Aiming carefully, he could feel the adrenaline rush from the excitement cause his body to tremble. Inhaling a deep breath, he shot forth a powerful blast of air and watched the dart fly to the pheasant, wedging itself below the neck on its back.

"Gotcha!" he shouted triumphantly watching it scurry away.

"Well done, now let's go get it," she stood nearly dragging him to his feet after the bird. He thought of proving her wrong but realized cooking the bird wouldn't go well by himself and kept his mouth shut. They both ran over to where they saw the pheasant start to slow down around a bend in the trail marred by a few big trees. Zena rushed forward drawing a knife and bent down to the prey that was breathing heavily but otherwise motionless on the forest floor. The leopard looked expectantly at him as he remained standing a step away. "You got him, don't you want to deliver the final blow?" she asked with the obsidian knife held out towards him.

"Uh, no thanks. I'm fine." Marcus never had an iron stomach to blood and gore no matter how necessary. That's why all the meat he had was purchased from the market. Zena shrugged and bent down ending the pheasant's suffering with a quick blow as he turned his back to the scene. Standing up with the bird slung over her shoulder, Marcus turned back and walked beside her to the hut. He couldn't help looking at the limp bird hanging over her shoulder. The glazed eye didn't tell a painful death, but the red stain on its back certainly wasn't relaxing. After a good walk, they arrived back home going inside the front flap. Marcus sat down facing away from Zena as he placed the blowgun and darts by the tree base. His eyes were too focused looking over the basic pattern to see anything else around him, including the stealthy leopard. Marcus tensed up feeling pinpricks around his neck. The familiar feeling of a cold stream of liquid entered into his bloodstream. Blinking a few times, he watched her pull back only to move down to his exposed belly. Marcus grabbed her shoulder, "I told you back at the house a few days ago not to bite me!" Zena paused briefly looking at his hand, then his worried dark brown eyes.

"We're doing this my way, remember, 'their home under their rules,'" she smiled at him, her red eyes dancing in the light with mischief as she moved back to his midsection. Another bite ensued but he couldn't help stifle a giggle that escaped his lips as she licked away the small wound with her ticklish tongue. Feeling weak, Marcus was on his hands and knees, then flat on his front before he knew it. Zena carried him over to her small area of furred blankets, keeping him face down.

"What are you going to do anyway?" he was a little anxious hearing her crack her knuckles, but didn't feel that deadly fear he once experienced.

"Just relax, it's called a massage," Marcus heard her state before feeling a pair of warm hands press into his fur, reaching the skin below.

"You could've just asked," he grumbled feeling foolish for being afraid.

"The toxin helps relax your muscles, and I wouldn't have been surprised if you still didn't believe me." Her hands pressed cautiously feeling the tough fibers underneath the fur before slowly working out a rhythm that both were comfortable with. "And from your lifestyle, you could use it," she added patting his cheek. He felt her hands return to his back, softly pressing and rubbing into the muscles with a delicate yet firm touch. Low growls of approval passed his lips as she continued all over his body for quite some time until it all ended way too quickly for him.

"Where are you going?" he mumbled noticing her move away.

"I'm going to prepare the bird to eat for later, you just rest until I want you to move around," she said leaving him to his own devices. Seeing nothing better to do as relaxed as he was, the collie closed his eyes and took a nap. Meanwhile Zena began de feathering the pheasant while humming a quiet tune. He had no idea how much time had passed when he was shook from his slumber by a firm hand. Eyes opened seeing the ground shake in front of him before the golden hand stopped only to be replaced by something smelling very strong.

"Mrph," he spoke out feeling the edge of a cup against his lips.

"Drink. It will help nullify the depressant," she told him starting to pour. Keeping his neck high, he downed the liquid that seemed to bite back. When the cup was emptied, he rolled onto his back and sat up. His muscles could be felt coming back to life much more quickly than waiting for a couple of hours. After a few minutes of stretching and attempts of ridding his mouth of the gruesome aftertaste, Marcus was able to stand hearing more good news. "I have our meal already cooked and prepared," she added returning through the flap over to the bed of pelts. Sitting down she waited for him to join her to eat. Zena had two bowls set out on the bedspread of furs each with their own set of metal prongs to eat with. Marcus sat down enjoying the wonderful aromas bombarding his senses. "Dig in!" she happily proclaimed reaching for her pair of prongs as he soon followed suit. Marcus wasn't disappointed either, it tasted similar to what she had fed him about a week ago which really pleased his taste buds. At the bottom of the meat tray was a small pile of pink berries that were juicy and very sweet, contrasting perfectly with the tender pheasant. "I take it you had a good nap," she said with a smile looking back up at him from her bowl.

"Best in a very long time," he admitted popping a few berries in his mouth. The remainder of the meal was largely eaten in silence due to their mouths being stuffed full of food. Pretty soon the heavenly meal was emptied from his bowl as Marcus's last bite tasted just as good as the first, except the last one left him more full much to his satisfaction. "That was amazing!" he congratulated her fine culinary abilities.

"Well thank you," she said happily chewing through her last piece. Neither were quite ready for bed, especially Marcus who had a nap already earlier. "Want to take a walk before we head in for the night?" she asked with an ear turned towards the door flap.

"Sure," he put the empty bowl down getting up from his comfy seat. The cool air was refreshing as he took a deep breath and adjusted his eyes to the darkness. He picked up a strange illusion of shadows from the beams of light able to penetrate through the treetops. The glow of her eyes redirected his attention as she held out a hand to him to help guide him wherever she wanted to take the collie. The first few steps weren't difficult for Marcus, but pretty soon getting slapped in the face by at least ten different branches became a boring annoyance to him. The continuous obstacles prevented him from being able to tell where he was going, or even ask Zena the question. She seemed to hurry leading him over a series of gnarled roots, twisty turns, and what felt to him to be dead ends until they finally reached a small clearing where the moon shone uncensored onto the small section of forest floor. Marcus always admired the nature with a distant attitude but couldn't help but feel closer as he stared at the moon and stars, mapping out their independent shapes across the inky sky. His star gazing was soon redirected down to Zena, who stood by him without ever letting go of his hand. Her red eyes glowed just like the full moon above.

They even looked like little moons themselves. But the moon in the sky couldn't twinkle with life in such a way or accompany a smile as hers.

"Isn't it lovely out here?" she asked gazing right back at him.

"In more ways than one," he said before being interrupted by a yawn. She giggled squeezing his hand before turning back to the hut.

"Sleepy?" She asked. Marcus nodded as another rocked his jaws. Zena led him back through the tricky forest slowly so that he would not fall over any hidden object. Without any incidents, both made it back without too much time lost. Filing through the entrance, Zena wasted no time stripping down before crawling into bed. The night wasn't very cool and Zena's bed would most likely be more than enough to warm him, so Marcus followed suit disrobing the comfortable clothes. She opened a few "covers" and he promptly laid down with some distance between them. The furs were soft and a few were sewn together to make a kind of blanket that was very convenient. Both were on their sides facing each other. The leopard stared at him as he tried adjusting himself to a more comfortable position. For Marcus it wasn't easy being on the edge of the fur rug where the cold collected on his back. Whenever he opened his eyes her red ones barely glowing were open staring right at him letting the collie know his movements couldn't have been silent. Finally fed up with the discomfort, he rolled onto his back.

"Do you have an extra blanket?" He asked. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the leopard prop herself up and reach out towards him. Marcus was pulled up against her a she wrapped her blanket over them both.

"It's not far enough to reach you over there," she whispered into his ear bringing an arm around his chest. Marcus stiffened feeling her legs curl around him as she nuzzled into the back of his neck purring quietly. "Dream safely," she told him closing her eyes. Despite how close and naked they both were, Zena was very warm and even her side of the fur bed was more comfortable.

"Good night," he whispered back, the fuzziness of sleep almost literally encompassing him.

Marcus woke up well rested hearing the sounds of nature all around him from outside the hut. He liked the warm snug feeling that the blankets and Zena gave him. He wanted to stay in the wonderful embrace and fall back asleep but the need to empty his bladder was much more necessary at the moment. Carefully unbinding himself from her grasp, Marcus quietly made it to the entrance before heading out. He walked outside too flustered to figure out the complex lacework in the clothes. Ruffling over his fur it was cool out in the open air without anything covering him, yet it was another sensation that proved to be indescribable to the collie. The gentle breeze between his legs did make him a little self conscious as the wind twined through his softer downy fur. He quickly relieved himself by the back of the hut and returned to the front leaning against a tree staring out into the wilderness. A light rustling made him turn his head to see Zena approaching him from the hut, only half dressed waist down.

"It really is beautiful out here. Too bad I don't see it as often at my home," he stated staring off into the well knit forest. Zena leaned against him resting her chin on his shoulder quietly purring a low rumble.

"Come on, let's sit back down in bed before we do anything else," she suggested tugging at his arm. He followed her back in through the flaps and promptly sat back down on the blankets with her. Zena started talking about something but Marcus's eyes were locked onto her naked front and her voice became white noise in the background. The leopard took notice and giggled at his blank stare, still unsure of how it was a symbol of attractiveness to him. "You're always staring at me," she teased him interrupting his thoughts by shaking her chest slightly. Cheeks reddening from embarrassment, he looked back up to her smiling face.

"How did you and your family even handle nudity?" he asked unsure of an answer could even be given.

"It didn't matter unless they wanted to mate whenever I happened to be around. Then I would find something to do elsewhere," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Well it's distracting," he glanced down happy to see his bulge hidden very well by the leggings. The leopard shrugged and decided to change the subject for him.

"Want to hunt again?" she asked with a grin. He readily accepted and went over to retrieve both blowguns before they set out side by side through the forest.

Days passed quickly and the two were now laughing by an open fire talking of everything that happened over the day and much more. They were acting as if they had known each other since childhood, nothing but smiles shining on the faces. The joking and storytelling lasted another good hour into the night before one went to put out the fire. Both then went back inside the hut after the flames vanished from the nightly forest. The two made themselves comfortable in the shared bed finally calling it a day. The night passed over far too quickly for both, becoming the final seventh day, two whole weeks of being together. A day that both dreaded deep down, but had largely forgotten. Over the past week alone Marcus was shown everything from everything from climbing trees to tracking animals and even star gazing for specific formations. Fun that he couldn't of had by himself or without her. Since the "Deal" was over, could he really just decide to live with her and expect everything to stay bright and cheery?

These were the thoughts going through his mind as he stood facing the trail that led back to his original home. Zena approached the collie deep in thought, bringing a hand out to grasp his.

"Why didn't you wake up with me this morning like yesterday?" she questioned before yawning out standing next to him. He turned to look at her briefly before gazing back at the open forest. For once the leopard was fully clothed to his relief, although that probably wouldn't have been able to distract him now.

"Two weeks ago I would've been surprised to say this, but I've had a really great time with you," he admitted nervously rubbing the back of his head.

"I've come around to enjoy your company as well," she added with a smile. He returned a grin briefly before biting his lip. Marcus didn't want all the fun they had to end, and the obviousness that they would remain equals wasn't quite enough to reassure him. What if something bad happened to one of them, or if they wanted to have a child together, would their polar cultures come back to haunt one another? He was simply afraid of something he never had to go through before. She could tell he wanted to say more and waited politely, her tail swaying anxiously behind.

"Your wonderful in my eyes... but," he hesitated hoping to word his conflict without misinterpretation, "I'm still afraid of what the future might hold... it's just unknown to me." She wasn't exempt from problems or stress either, but had all his thoughts viewed in a different light.

"How about I make a counter offer?" Zena remarked turning him around so that she was behind his back.

"What do you have in mind?" he asked unable to see her happily lit eyes. She reached around giving him a hug resting her head on a shoulder. Marcus gave a slight grin having become used to, and liking, the close contact she provided.

"The only problem I see is which home do you want us to stay in?" she asked lazily drawing a claw under his neck. Marcus broke into a smile as his heart skipped a beat.

"I think I have an idea," he added placing his paws over hers, intertwining their fingers into a firm lock.

A week or so passed and there was a new addition to Marcus's house. It wasn't exactly a perfect fit, but it was something he thought of an was proud of it. A small section of wall had been removed where a nearly complete circular hut was built attached to the house. Marcus kept the removed piece of wall to plug it up again for winter, which thankfully was a long time away. Zena certainly loved the idea by occasionally dragging him over to her bed for the night. And most of the field was sewn with seeds already as two figures were quickly running through the planted rows heading for the house. The front door opened quickly as the two figures dashed inside, the latter of the pair closing the door before following the first.

"I would've caught that rabbit if you hadn't scared it on purpose!" Zena yelled at Marcus between laughs chasing him around the kitchen table. He quickly broke off the circuit dashing back into the living room carefully avoiding the leopard.

"You're the one who made noise startling it!" he called back slyly dodging a chair.

"Yeah right!" she gained on him nearly within reach as he darted into the bedroom for a last stand. Zena followed cornering the collie in the bedroom, both wearing confident smiles across their muzzles panting hard from the run. Step by step she approached him as he willingly resigned to his fate by holding his hands innocently in the air continuing to show that smug smile. With one final step the predator was right in front of her prey. She grabbed his waist before picking him up and tossing him onto the bed. Marcus didn't even bother moving after he crashed back down, simply closing his eyes as the stealthy leopard crawled towards him on the soft surface. Zena plopped down with a little space between them as they recaptured their breath, cooling down for a moment.

"Life is great," Marcus mumbled to himself only to be heard.

"How so?" Zena asked making him chuckle. They both rolled onto their sides looking at one another, a silence that wasn't minded until Marcus spoke up.

"When you first caught me, I started to think being with a pretty leopard wouldn't be so bad," he placed an arm around her shoulder pulling her close.

"Well now that I think about it, having you tied up or bitten constantly would've made me worse off than you," her head leaned towards his causing their lips to touch briefly. As if pulled by magnets, their mouths drew back opening slightly and kissed. The feline's rougher tongue contrasted greatly with his smoother one as the two appendages dances within the confines of their conjoined jowls. Her hips ground against his, making the pants he wore feel tighter than normal with an organ becoming aroused. Their passionate kiss only ended to breath some much needed air. Marcus opened his eyes only to find her red ones half lidded staring right back, slowly drawing near as her mouth began opening up again. They could practically read each others minds for what they both wanted. The leopard's next move caught him off guard with quick speed. He stiffened seeing her jaws start to wrap around his neck. Zena paused seeing his hesitation, "Trust me," she reassured him as her pointy canines pressed into his skin. Relaxing, Marcus nodded and felt her puncture through, but this time felt only a few tiny drops enter his bloodstream.

"You barely put anything in me this time," he felt her licking at the tiny puncture sites. She sat up and flicked her tongue over her teeth in his view, showing a few trace amounts of blood from finishing.

"It will help pace you while we mate," she explained. He had a small feeling that she had her own personal reasons for doing so, but wasn't going to complain. Sitting up next to her before he lost the ability to do so, his hands traveled around to her back fumbling around with the lacework quickly undoing it. She loosely crossed her arms around his neck while occasionally licking his cheek, but not enough to impede his work. The top of her fabric fell to the covers and was quickly discarded. Zena started purring as his hands wandered around her front without restriction. He gave generous amounts of attention to her breasts while toying with the pink nipples that topped each one receiving a low lusty growl from her. The mounds were very firm and sensitive as her grip tensed around him while the collie played with them. A broad flat tongue brushed over the pink delights a few times as she whimpered and moaned out.

"I-I always knew... That you liked my chessst," she hissed as he gently nibbled on one, telling her to be silent. Little squeals and moans were given to him as he played with them. Moving lower, he traced her firm yet slim tummy where the solid tan fur was, feeling the soft texture between his fingers before going lower still. His advances were halted by her lower garment, and with a growl he undid the lacework speedily. Setting on the floor below, a finger stopped him before poking him in the chest. "Mmm... You should disrobe. Getting too hot can be an uncomfortable problem," she cooed to him. A few seconds later both his pants and shirt were pooled n the floor on top of hers before he turned his attention back to her. His hardened red member poked into her belly fur as they kissed again briefly. Zena broke off the kiss laying down onto the bed looking back up at him with her legs spread.

"Do you really want to have a child with me?" he asked awaiting her response.

"More than you can imagine," she smiled at him wholeheartedly. He hugged her before moving back into position feeling his muscles already growing weak. He adjusted and lined up to her opening eagerly awaiting with the dew like moistness glittering in the light. Her hands rubbed along his thighs as he spread them slightly going forward.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered looking at his lover under him. She smiled with her eyes absent from their unique glow and moved her hands to his rear to help him along. His red tip glided through the entrance like a gentle kiss, entering slowly. Inching forward, the heat was incredible as her walls gripped him in a vice. He could feel himself throbbing inside the new confined environment lustily pressing in the last inch. Their hips were now joined save for his growing knot. Using slow motions, he drew out while her muscles tugged back to keep him before he returned to her hungry walls. He desperately wanted to go faster, but he knew his muscles were at their limit with that depressant coursing through his system. She purred loudly only breaking into a moan each time he pushed back inside, giving a quick prick with her claws on his rear when he pulled back out wanting him to stay in. He shook a few times trying to speed up, the slow rhythm couldn't seem to increase in tempo. For Marcus the flexing claws gave him more speed to buck back into her velvety passage, but no where near enough. He whined loudly as he nearly stopped in blissful frustration which caught her attention.

"Pacing," her voice quivered as her hands moved to run along his back ruffling the fur. He grunted a complaint and she decided to ease his immobility issue. Her legs wrapped around the back of his to help his slowed thrusts hit their mark. Even with the extra help, her "pacing" was agonizingly slow for the canine. His arms and legs were already feeling worn out and used from the effective toxin. Their bodies brushed over one another in a rhythm of love as his developing knot pushed at her passage. With a strained thrust, he popped inside causing both to moan loudly in unison as his muscles seemed to find a little bit of hidden strength to pound harder into her tight body. Zena held onto him as the bed creaked and groaned with them, her passage wonderfully full. Both could feel the pressure sneaking closer to a release with each slick motion that passed. Both could feel that it wouldn't last much longer as their passionate moans increased, especially the leopards. A loud growling wail blew past Zena's lips as she reached her climax. The noise would've scared Marcus stiff if he didn't know where it had come from. He continued his slow knotted thrusts only to be sent over the edge himself as her muscular walls contracted around his length.

His body felt as if lightning had struck him as he unloaded his seed into her. Panting, he fell on top of her while hips were still weakly bucking dribbling out white. She clung onto him, her hot breath blazing his ear as they basked in the heated afterglow. They both laid there holding each other until his knot finally shrunk, which was followed by his member shrinking and retreating out back into his sheath. A tiny amount of combined liquid drizzled out of her opening. Zena was a little disappointed but knew it couldn't take much for a male to become aroused again, no matter how long her walls held him.

"Why pacing?" he asked still breathing hard.

"So the most amount of seed will come out," Zena said giving him a kiss, "and I know it felt great so don't argue with me." Marcus grinned because it was true. She smiled warmly at him scratching behind his ear. "You remember when I told you how difficult it is for a female to become pregnant?" she asked only receiving a mumbled no from him. "Well even with you I think we might have to spend more time in both our beds just to be on the safe side," Zena said grabbing his sides rolling so that she was on top of him. He was a little surprised seeing her snake down to his waist, but quickly figured out what she had in mind.

"Wait! I still might have at least half an hour before the toxin runs through," he said propping himself up onto his elbows only to easily be pushed down by her.

"That will be plenty of time for me to have fun with you," she nestled between his legs spreading his thighs. Marcus could only watch and groan as she re awoke his organ with that raspy tongue of hers delicately pulling along his sensitive skin. He didn't know her black lips were that supple from just kissing her.

"But now we can't finish planting today," he said writhing from her ministrations thinking of a last in vain effort to refocus only to easily succumb to her lustful advances.

"That's the idea," she cutely remarked to the farmer, returning to her work and the soon to be father.