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Drowning Together, Dying Alone

by

Vaille

---

For the third day in a row, James Haddon had the nagging sensation of being watched. It was heavy. Piercing. Assessing. He didn't like it.

Overhead, the sky blazed orange as the sun crept low. It had been hot. He was tired. James wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. A dust devil swirled in the distance. Past it, huge dark clouds slowly churned, rising from the horizon like great purple mountains. Lightning danced across their tops. Rain was coming.

Pecos II was a Territories world, far removed from Sol and other places of power. The Prelature had a presence, like it did on every human world, but it was weak and corrupt and inefficient and took little notice of affairs outside of its immediate interests and concerns. The system was simply too remote, too backwater, to matter.

And that was exactly how James liked it.

He'd come to Pecos five years earlier. A native of Tyre IV in the Inner Colonies, James tried to rebuild his life on Cygnus I in the Capitol System of the Outer Territories by taking contract work with Stellar Dynamics, a personal security firm. Within 6 months, StelDyne had terminated his contract for poor performance and he was forced to leave. James didn't care. Not much mattered. The wounds cut too deep. Unable to live but not brave enough to die, James exiled himself to purgatory on the remote planet along the Vaendulian Line. It was here, in solitude between the small towns dotting the Plains, that he finally found peace he needed to heal.

A peace someone had started to disturb.

James buried his axe into the log with a hard thwack. He could feel it. A gaze. Crawling over him. Studying. Then he saw it - two glints of gold deep in the tall grass. Hand drifting to the butt of his phase revolver, he strode towards them. They vanished and he stopped. Watched. Listened. Nothing. Just the endless sea of grass, rippling with the breeze.

After putting away his tools, James went inside to prepare dinner. His place was a modest single room cabin that he'd built for himself. On one side was his bed, nightstand and chair, all handcrafted; to the other, a slate table, a friction stove and his holodisplay. The friction blocks of the stove quietly brushed against one another, heating the cooking plate. A pot of broth simmered on it. James was scalloping potatoes and marinating a steak when the sensation hit him, stronger than ever. Almost overwhelming. Slowly, without looking behind, he set the knife aside. Spun. Revolver primed and aimed before his brain even registered he'd moved.

The weapon's barrel pointed at the doorway, directly at the strange cat crouched in it. The cat was a cat but wasn't a cat. Not exactly. He was nephilim - a human-animal hybrid. A humanoid feline. And always fucking trouble, James thought.

Like most nephilim, the cougar was not clothed. A tawny pelt with a patch of white fur down his front covered his body. The feline's gold eyes flicked from James to the table back to James. His steak. Reaching for the steak with his free hand, his eyes never left the cat. The feline nephlim were military constructs engineered for war. If the hybrid attacked, it would be fast. Very fast.

His fingers skirted slab of meat. Seized it. Holding it up, he asked, "You want this?" The cat stared at him impassively. He'd come to Pecos to put distance between himself and the Prelature, it's religion, crusades and monsters; not to have one of its beasts sitting in the doorway of his home. "Fucking Prelature," James muttered under his breath.

He tossed the steak. It thudded to the ground at the feet of the puma. In one single, fluid motion, the nephilim swiped the slab of meat and bolted out the door. "And don't you fuckin' come back!" James yelled after him.

Spooling down the revolver, the James holstered it. He had no doubt the cat understood him. The nephilim were sentient and intelligent with equal parts human and animal DNA. There was also little doubt that, had it been the cat's intention, James would be dead. It was simply that stealthy; that fast. Too fast. The gun wouldn't have mattered in the least.

Returning to the stove, James hoped to never see the again. Still, something told him that would not be the case. Lightning flashed. Thunder peeled. The heavens opened up on the Plains.

(***)

Under a setting sun, the sky blazed red. The storms had been a boon. They restocked his water supplies and soaked his crops. Still, James knew better than to waste water on a shower, as tempting as it was.

Standing nude in the open-face stall of his ultrasonic shower, James washed away the sweat and grime of a hard day's work. Winter was coming. He needed to get next season's crop into the ground before it froze.

Pulses of high frequency heated waves massaged his tired muscles as they cleaned his body. It had been a week since the episode with the cougar and James had convinced himself the cat was gone. Doing whatever he does when he's not begging for meals, he thought.

The shower sputtered, then died.

James wacked the control pad with the palm of his hand. It stayed dead. "God dammit." Stepping from the vestibule, he rounded the corner to the rear of the cabin where the generator was located. The nephilim was there, fidgeting with it. "Get the fuck away from that!" he yelled, walk becoming a run. "Get the fuck away!" A cloud of dust trailed behind him.

The puma turned to look at the human flatly, tail lashing behind him. He was not tall - 6' at the most, about the same as James. Unlike James, however, he was built. Muscle rippled beneath his fur, taught, lithe and full of power. His muzzle twitched, flashing hints of white.

A few feet from the cat, James slowed to a stop. Stabbed a finger at him. "Don't fucking touch that," he huffed. "You'll fuck up the calibration."

The cat looked the naked human over, head to toe. "I know," he growled. "That is why I am doing it."

"Why?"

"You cannot hear the sound the shower makes with your ears, because you have human ears. But I do not have human ears and I can hear it very, very well with mine. It is shrill and it makes my teeth hurt," the puma said, curling his lips to reveal a mouthful of sharp teeth. The canines were easily over an inch long. "I do not like when my ears or teeth hurt."

"I live here. I've been on this land for over five Sol standard years. I've used that shower every single day of every one of those years," James said, eyes narrowing, "and suddenly you come out of nowhere to take my food and fuck with my generator because my shower hurts your ears?"

"Yes."

James laughed. "Who the fuck are you? What do you really want?"

"702556," the cat growled. Reflex, James realized. Military reflex. The puma pointed to a low berm off in the distance. The fingers were short and stubby, more akin to a paw than a hand. "I live a half-klick past that ridge. I have lived here for seven years and for every single day for the past five years I have listened to you use that machine. I do not want to hear it any more. What I really want is for you respect my wishes and not use it."

"You're saying that you've been out here with me the whole time?" the human asked, incredulous.

"Yes."

"Then why haven't I noticed?"

"Your ears are weak and your nose is weaker. You cannot hear or smell me. I know this about humans. And I did not want you to see me. Since I did not want you to see me, you did not. But I saw you quite often. Even when I could not, I always knew where you were. I could hear you or smell you or both."

James turned in a circle, arms out. "Why now? Why do this now?" The early evening chill was starting to nip at his skin. Unlike the puma, he didn't have fur to keep warm.

The hybrid shrugged and padded away. But some intangible told James all he needed to know. He didn't know if it was the nephilim's body language, words, tone or something else, but James knew the answer all the same. He's lonely. The fucking cat is lonely.

"There is a lake two-tenths of a klick south of here. You know the place. I know you cannot drink its waters, but it is safe to bathe in. Please do so. No more sonic shower," the cougar said over his shoulder. The words were snarls, grunts and growls. Approximations of human speech. Even so, James understood them clearly.

Suddenly, the cat dropped to all fours and bounded into the undulating see of grass, disappearing into the early night.

James stood in silence for a second, considering. He looked down his front. Dust and dirt were everywhere. After recalibrating the generator, went inside and scrubbed down with warm water. He'd visit the lake in the morning.

(***)

The lake was a mirror in the early morning light. Bluish-white wisps of cloud shimmered pink, reflected on its surface. The water was warm, heated by thermal vents that fed into it through a series of subterranean tunnels to the east.

James waded into the lake. He dunked his head and waddled in further. The water was soothing, but not potable. Ingestion in moderation resulted in a kind of sleeping-sickness that lasted for days. Consumed in quantity, it was toxic. Shortly after settling his homestead, James had explored the idea of distilling it, like many of the communities in strewn across the Plains. The idea proved cumbersome, however, and was abandoned.

As he bathed, James relaxed, rubbing himself down in the mineral rich water. The cat ran circles in his head. He's lonely. That was the only reasonable conclusion. The nephilim is lonely. _ _ James didn't know it, but he was smiling. The sand was soft and cool between his toes. He wondered if the puma's fur would feel as soft. "Probably softer," he said to no one at all.

When the bubbles started, James did not notice them. They started slow before quickly boiling to a frenzy. Without warning, the lakebed gave way. A sinkhole opened beneath his feet. It sucked him under. Furiously James thrashed, trying to swim up. It was no use. The current was too strong and it dragged him down into the deep, dark void below.

The warm water grew hot. James' vision faltered. His struggle grew weak, halting. He inhaled. His lungs burned. In the seconds before the darkness took him, James felt something. Tugging. Pulling. And then there was black.

(***)

It was four days later when James finally woke. He was in his bed, the cougar sitting next to him in his chair. James buried the backs of his fists into his and rubbed. Blinking, vision blurred, he tried to get up. A big paw-hand planted itself against the middle of his chest and pushed him back into his pillow. "No, you do not get up," the puma growled.

James' chest was impossibly tight. It was hard to breathe. "What happened?" The question was hoarse; barely a whisper.

"You inhaled water. I dragged you from the lake. The current was strong. We barely made it out." The cougar's words were flat, impassive. Completely matter-of-fact.

"You were there?"

"Initially, no, I was not there. But I was nearby. When I heard the commotion, I came to investigate. I could smell you and hear you, but I could not see you. Then I saw the bubbles and realized that you were under the water and needed help." In his paw was a woodcarving. He etched it with a claw as he spoke. To James, it resembled a feral big cat, perhaps a tiger or a jaguar. The hybrid brushed it. Wood shavings fluttered to the floor. "When I found you, you were not moving. I did not know if you were alive or dead, but what I did know was that I would not leave without you." The cat placed the carving on James' nightstand. "That is for you." He then continued. "Taking you under my arm, I tried to swim to the surface but could not. The currents were too swift and I was not strong enough with your added weight. Instead, I swam along the bottom of the lake where the currents were weakest. Before it was over, I, too, swallowed water but was able to cough it up when we reached the shore."

"How long-- A coughing fit interrupted James. He pounded his chest with a fist as he cleared his throat. "How long was I out?"

"Half a week."

"And you've stayed here the entire time?"

The nephilim nodded. "Yes."

James felt nauseous. Weak. His head pounded and his temples throbbed. He had a raging hard-on, the result of a full bladder. Again, he tried to get up and again the puma pushed him down. "While I appreciate the concern, I really need to..."

"Mark your territory?"

James rolled his eyes. "Something like that." Using the blanket to cover himself, the human swung his feet to the floor and stood, swooning. The room spun. Stars filled his vision.

The cat sprang up, catching James before he could fall. He ripped the blanket away. "To start, get rid of this," he said as he tossed it on the bed. "I need to be able to hold onto you and I cannot if you insist on covering yourself. I do not care that your male part is standing up. I have already seen it stand up many times while you were unconscious. Here..." The hybrid slid his arm under James's left armpit and lifted, letting the human's naked form rest against his own, hip to hip. Slowly, steadily, he guided the James outside, stopping a short distance from the cabin. Immediately, James began relieving himself.

"Thanks..." James said tiredly.

"You cannot walk. You need the help. I do not mind."

"Just so you know, I don't 'mark my territory.' I urinate. You know, take a piss..." James gave his penis a couple of shakes.

The cougar's nose twitched as he scented the air. "It smells like you mark your territory, though," he said with a shrug. "Anyhow, before I return you to bed, do you need to lift your tail? I know you do not have a tail, but I do not know what to call--

"No!" James' reply was sharp and quick. "I know what you're asking and can take care of that later. By myself."

Again, the big cat simply shrugged.

(***)

The nephilim handed James a bowl of stew as he settled into the chair, tail wrapping around the backrest. Together, they ate. Although he was still largely bed-ridden for over a week, James strength was recovering.

At first, it was odd having the cougar around. James had grown accustomed to being alone. But the company was nice. He'd never realized just how much he'd missed having somebody else to talk to, even if that somebody was a humanoid cat. He scooped up a chunk of potato. It dropped back into the bowl, his hand shaking.

"Give it time," the puma rumbled without looking up from his meal.

"Shit on it..." James muttered. With his fingers, he nabbed the potato and tossed it into his mouth. He looked at the hybrid. "You remember that night by the generator?"

"Yes."

"You told me your name is 702--

"702556"

"That's military."

"Yes. 702 Hellcats, 1st Battalion, Taunalas Division."

James slurped broth. The puma was a hell of a cook. "That's SpecOps. That's not something you can just walk away from. The Prelature doesn't let its property go."

The cat looked up, locking his gaze with the human's, ears back and eyes slitted. His muzzle twitched. Muscles tensed beneath his fur. "I am not property."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that..." the human replied, holding his hands up as shields. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, then set the bowl aside. "How'd you end up here, anyways?"

The cat drew in a deep breath and relaxed. "My unit was on Camae Gadonis when the aliens attacked. Most died during the initial ground assault. Squad Leader 702336, Heavy Gunner 702752 and I attempted to regroup with a surviving contingent of 31stDevil Dogs a klick south of the Tau Prime Spaceport. Squad Leader and Heavy Gunner were killed by snipers. After they died, I abandoned the mission. There was no point continuing; the planet had been lost within a matter of hours. There was no orbital support. When I spotted an alien wartransport, I killed the Vaendulian officer and its Xantanin honor-guard.

James rocked forward in bed, elbows coming to rest on his knees. "You took a Vaendulian and its Xantanin guard alone?"

"Yes."

The human blinked. "You? Alone? By yourself? My God, the Xantanin are practically 10 foot tall walking tanks..."

"Yes."

"I get that you're... were... a Hellcat, but there's no way--

"Do you remember when I told you that you will not see me if I do not want you to see me?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I did not want the Xantanin to see me, so it did not. I slit its throat."

"And the gas bag?" James asked, referring to the Vaendulian.

The cougar flashed a toothy grin. Holding up his paw-hand, claws slowly extended from the tips of his blunt fingers. They were savage hooks. "Depressurized."

An image of the Vaendulian, its strange organic-metallic sphere punctured with the gaseous lifeform inside hissing into the atmosphere, its circle of light-eyes burning with rage, flashed through James' mind. He chuckled. "You know what?"

"What?" the cat replied.

"You need a name."

The nephilim tilted his head to the side, ears flicking. "I have a name."

"702556 isn't a name. It's a designation. A property tag."

"I am not property," the cat growled.

"I know. I know." James replied, arms crossed. "That's why you need a name."

"Like 'James'?"

"Like 'James," the man replied with a nod. "Although that I'd suggest something a bit more original. How about Sven? It's sort of like 'Seven,' but is an actual name.'"

"I would like that name.

"It's yours," James said, holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Sven. I'm James." After a moment of confusion, Sven took James' hand into his paw. As they shook, he was all teeth.

(***)

Over the next half-year, Sven rarely left James' side. They had bonded, grown together. It had happened naturally, subtly; so much so that neither realized it. Sven abandoned his den south of the lake and moved into the cabin with James. He found he did not miss it in the least.

"Ok, I want you to tell me what this says. No pressure."

The puma tapped his nose pad with a finger as he concentrated. "The b-b-be... the b-bear c-caught the sal-mon i-in the r-r-river."

James laughed, taking Sven's paw and squeezing it. He stroked the back of it. "That is great!"

Pride beamed from the cat's eyes. "Who knew I'd ever learn how to read."

"Or use contractions!" James quipped.

Sven growled, though James knew it was the puma's way of laughing. "Or that." A paw touched the back of James' hand. "After the accident at the lake, I told you about myself and how I came to be here."

"I remember."

"How did you come to be here? Why did you come out here by yourself? Yes, it's peaceful, but it can also be dangerous. It would worry me to leave you here alone."

The smile faded from James' face.

Though it had initially proved challenging, Sven had started to understand the basics of reading human facial expressions. "Did I... Did I say something wrong?"

The human shook his head. "No, Sven. You didn't." He gave the big cat's paw-hand a squeeze, stood up and left the cabin without a word.

Sven sat alone, surrounded by silence. His expressionless face masked the turmoil raging inside his mind. A knot had formed in the pit of his stomach and his tail laid limply across the floor. He'd touched something, something he knew he should have left alone. Why'd you do that? he thought, then sighed.

It was night. Pecos II's twin moons were high and bright in the sky. When Sven went looking for James a half-hour later, he found him in the short, damp grass at the edge of the lake. "I'm sorry," the cat said quietly.

"I told you, you didn't do anything."

Sven settled in the grass next to him. Reaching beneath himself, he pulled his tail free and got comfortable. "And I told you, I'm sorry. It is not for what I did or did not do, but for whatever happened to you in the past, James. For whatever hurt you. I'm sorry."

James smiled. "I had a partner. A mate. This was six years ago. We lived on Ixton Prime in the Tyre system. I ran weapons to the Secularists. I smuggled. It was good money." The human scratched his neck absently. "One day, I took a contract. I knew it was a set-up. I just knew it. I could feel it in my bones, but it the credits were good and I took it. I took it..." A paw found his shoulder. "I led them to my home, Sven. Right to our home. The Harbingers didn't ask questions when stormed our house. I killed two of them, but not before they killed my partner. I fled as my home burned."

James through a rock into the lake. Ripples danced in the moonlight. "After that, I couldn't stay. I just couldn't. I left Tyre and the Origin Systems. I hypered around the Inner Colonies for a few months before coming here."

"Your mate...did you love her?"

James looked the cougar in the eye. He could see himself reflected in those pools of deep gold. "Him. My partner... my mate... his name was John, and yes, I loved him very, very much."

Sven's paw found the human's hand. Their fingers laced together. "I can never replace John, but I can try to be your mate, James. I would at least like to try if you'll let me."

James closed his eyes. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He'd made a promise to never let John go. To never replace him. That was why he'd come to the quiet solitude of Plains in the first place, to be alone so he could honor his promise and serve his penance. Finally, when James spoke, his voice was a whisper. "You're right. You can never replace John." His grip on the cougar's paw tightened. "You don't need to try to be my mate, hon. I think you already are." And with that, James reached with his free hand behind Sven's neck to grip the scruff of the cat's neck. He leaned in as he pulled the cat forward. Their noses touched, followed by their lips. "I love you," he whispered.

(***)

That night, next to the lake, they made love for the very first time.

(***)

It was morning. They lay side by side, exploring each other in intimate detail. Sven stroked James' erection, rolling the foreskin back and forth between his fingers as he played with it. He loved how it made James shiver. "It's weird how humans evolved," the puma growled. "You have sheaths that aren't sheaths.

James jerked as the cat massaged the sensitive underside of his cock. "It keeps things sensitive..." His hips bucked involuntarily. "God d-damn."

"It's different," the big cat said as he stroked his own hard-on. A low rumble rose from his throat. "But I still like mine better."

James arched his brow. "Oh really? Why's that?"

"Because it's attached to me, that's why!" the cat growled.

Laughing, the human pounced the puma. They tussled through the grass, touching and feeling, tasting and smelling. When they rolled to a stop, Sven was on his back and James was on top. Against the sensitive skin of James' cock, his mate's fur felt exquisite.

James slid his hand behind Sven's head and cupped it in his palm. Slowly, very slowly, they touched noses before falling deep into their kiss. The cougar's paw traveled down James' front, tracing through the human's fine hair with his leathery paw pads.

James tongue darted into Sven's muzzle, tasting the sweetness there. Their tongues caressed. Sven's paw brushed down their cocks. Rubbed them together gently. Wrapped around them, gripping. James groaned. Sven breathed him in. Covering the cougar's paw with his hand, James thrust. The cat followed. Together, they frotted, fucking into Sven's paw.

Hips rocked in union, fur stroking skin. James cock leaked and Sven shot a rivulet of pre into his fur. James could feel himself growing close. His cock was as hard as iron. A twang of orgasm bolted spastically through his body, followed by a second. "O-oh god... S-s-stop, hon. Stop-p..."

Sven's eyes cracked open, but he continued to fuck his mate. "Hmm?"

"Stop. Or.. or I-I'm g-gonna cum..." James rolled off the cat, flopping to his side. He was panting. Shuddering. Precum trickled from his dick.

The cougar rolled to mirror the human, the tips of their cocks touching. The beads of pre on each mixed, forming a single, clear drop that ran down the cat's shaft before it dripped into the grass. "You're ok?" Sven asked.

James smiled and nodded. "I wanted to finish a different way, that's all. I really want you to feel something."

"What?"

With a hand to Sven's shoulder, James nudged the cat over onto his left side so that his back was facing James' front. "You'll see." Gently, he lifted Sven's tail. Tickled his thighs. Fondled his balls and massaged his shaft. Sven was purring. "This is going to hurt," James said as he smeared pre across the hole beneath the puma's tail. "But it'll pass."

Though they had made love the night before, kissing and touching and stroking until they came, neither had felt the other from the inside. For James, this was the ultimate expression unity, sharing and togetherness. It was vulnerability and trust. It was love. He wanted to take Sven to a place he'd never been before. To the heights of anticipation, pleasure and release. He wanted this for his lover and would give anything so that Sven could have it. "Do you trust me?"

"I trust you," Sven replied.

James pushed. At first there was resistance, but it gave way as James' cockhead, slick with pre, slid into Sven's asshole. The cat went tense in his arms. "Okay?"

Biting his bottom lip and wincing, Sven nodded.

"I'm going to go in a little more." Another few inches slipped into the cat. James could feel Sven clamping down around him, trying to force him out. Instead, James pushed again. Sven yowled as James hips came to rest against his ass. His tail danced across James' belly and their balls touched, back to front. "Relax," James whispered soothingly into Sven's pointed ear. "How's it feel?"

"It hurts." Sven's voice was strained.

"It'll pass. I've got you," the human whispered as he found Sven's shaft and gripped it. He hugged the cat with his other arm. "I've got you." He started jacking the puma in long, soft strokes. "Focus on the feeling. That's all I want you to do, okay hon? Just focus on the feeling. That's all there is. Just you and that feeling." As he spoke, he started to slowly thrust, drawing himself out half-way before slowly pushing his cock back in. Sven felt like tight velvet around his cock. "Only that feeling..."

James found himself drifting. Rocking. Feeling. Heat. Fur. Wet. Musk. An image of Sven's cock with its short spines flitted into his mind. It was in his mouth. The taste. Salty. A boy he knew from school. He'd had a crush on him. Saw him naked in the shower after swimming. That small cock. The slit. Balls. He imagined what it'd have looked like erect. Ejaculating. Dribbling semen. The smell of it. Playing with it on his tongue.

James jumped, the sensation in his cock yanking him back into the moment. Though they had only been fucking for 15 minutes, to James it felt like hours. Sven was rigid in his arms. Heaving. James buried himself deep into the cat's ass, searching. He found it. That hard little nub. Drawing most of the way out, he shoved himself back in, spearing it. The cat yelped. Pre squirted from his cock. James did it again, and again.

Sven's breathing became ragged. It hitched in his chest. His tailhole bore down. Tail lashed. James knew the cat was there, at the edge, about to tumble over. The human smiled; he'd stopped jacking the cat minutes ago, instead bringing him to the cusp of orgasm with his cock alone. He let him hang there, in that stew of rock hard pleasure, twitching muscles, endorphins and dopamine. Then he drove it home.

As James' cock slid into Sven's prostate, the cat made a cute chirping noise followed by a chuff. "Ngggg.... Arrgg...." The cat's hips suddenly shot forward, bucking wildly. James rode him. Around the humans' cock, the cat's asshole clamped down like a vice. His legs kicked. Toes curled. There was a soft thwat thwat thwat twhat into the grass. The cat had come.

With his index finger, James caressed puma under the chin. Taking the cat by the hips, he rolled him onto his front and pushed his legs open using his knees. Sven was spent and James wanted to finish before the bliss of his orgasm faded. He fucked into Sven's ass, hard and fast, the cat groaning weakly with each thrust. It didn't take long; James was already worked up. His cockhead flared. His pace quickened. He was so hard it hurt. Beneath him, Sven was writhing. The cat's asshole clenched and relaxed, clenched and relaxed from the onslaught. "Oh God. Oh God.. Holy fuck. Oh God, Sven. Uh... Uh..." And then it was there. He buried himself under Sven's tail and came hard, unloading rope after rope of his thick, hot seed deep into his lover's ass.

James collapsed forward. Paws found his hands. Clasped them as Sven drifted off to sleep, James following right behind, still inside him.

(***)

Sven held up the shirt, then the pants, then the boots. "You're sure these'll fit?"

"Uh huh," James replied. "I took the measurements myself."

"When?"

"When you were napping the other day?"

"You mean sunning," the cat growled.

"No, I mean napping," James laughed. "You fell asleep. Don't deny it."

Holding up a foot paw Sven splayed his toes and wiggled them. "I'm still not convinced the boots'll fit. I mean, look at how wide my feet are and how narrow the boot is."

Leaning in, James started to massage the cat's toes and pads. Sven started to purr. "They'll fit."

"You know, I always thought you liked the fact that I don't wear clothes. Most nephilim don't, you know."

"I know."

Sven smiled. James smiled back.

"Happy fifth anniversary, hon. I love you."

"Love you too."

(***)

Sven was behind James, hard and inside him. The human was on his hands and knees, grunting and close. The cat had mounted him. His strokes were short and powerful as he held the back of James' neck between his teeth. His tail was as rigid as his cock, twitching violently.

Beneath the cougar, James shudder. "God I'm gonna fucking cum. I'm gonna cum. Oh fuckin G--

It happened fast. A blast. Red mist. Sven was blown backwards. He crashed against the table, flipped and hit the wall hard. He blinked, momentarily blinded by the brilliant flash of light. Move! something screamed inside his brain. It was instinctive. Kicking the wall, he rolled for cover behind the table. Glanced around it. In the doorway stood a figure in Prelature-issued tactical combat armor. His face was covered by a black mirrored mask. In his hands was a phase rifle. He stepped inside, followed by another and another. They were Harbingers.

Then it hit him. "James!" Frantically, he scrabbled to his mate. Cradled him in his arms. Touched his head. Sven looked around. Looked around. Looked around. Back to James. "James, please..."

The high pitch of the primed rifles whined in his ears. "Get up. Turn around. NOW."

Paw shaking, Sven touched his muzzle. His face. "James, please. I- I need you. Please." His whole body was shaking.

"Get the fuck up!"

Sven closed his eyes. When they opened, they were trained on the closest Harbinger. Silence. Silence. Then, with a scream of pure rage he leapt at the nearest human. Before any of them understood what was happening, the Harbinger was already dead. Sven buried his fangs into the Harbinger's throat and with a jerk of his body removed the man's head. Blood sprayed. He kicked the body away, using the momentum to whip around and slash upwards, claws bared. They found their mark, driving straight into the second human's belly. With a savage snarl, the Sven tore upwards and ripped out. Intestines and organs spilled to the floor, followed by their owner.

Another blast. Searing pain clipped him in the left shoulder.

Turning, Sven bared his teeth. The surviving Harbinger pointed the rifle at Sven's head. The cat leapt, and was on the human before he could pull the trigger. Blasting the Harbinger out the door with a body-check, Sven swiped and knocked the rifle away. The harbinger punched with a right cross, then spun with a backfist. Sven blocked both and kicked. Toe claws found their mark and the human was a man no longer. The puma kicked the Harbinger again and he tumbled backwards, groping at his ruined groin. Sven loomed over him, snarling. The human scrabbled away.

"I had a life here!" the cougar roared. "We had a life here! But you had to come here and take it all away! Why?!"

"You belong to us!" the human yelled. "You are ours!"

"You, your religion, your guns, your death. You killed the only thing I ever cared about!"

"You're a filthy, fucking ANIMAL!"

Dropping to all fours, Sven circled. "You're right. I am." And then he pounced and tore the man to pieces.

(***)

Sven squatted in front of the remains of the cabin, ashes in his paw. Though there were no tears, he was crying. He stood. In his other hand was a bundle. The clothes James had given him for their fifth anniversary together. Sven had considered burning them but couldn't bring himself to do it. Other than the memories, it was all he had left of James. Of his mate.

He would scatter James' ashes into the lake, the lake that had bonded them and brought them to love. After that, all bets were off. Sven still had his ship. It was safely hidden away. He was a Hellcat and someone, somewhere would learn exactly what that meant. They had fucked with him, killed his love and in the end, he would make sure they understood what a terrible mistake they had made.

Sven turned and walked away.