Three Jaguars and a Little Lady

SARAH! WHERE ARE YOU? IM GOING TO KILL YOU FOR GETTING PREGNANT!! AND WHY THE HELL CAN'T I SMELL YOU?" David yells as he hunts for me, luckily Meghan gave me the perfume to mask my scent otherwise his lion would have found me by now. "BETTER YET, I WILL KEEP YOU ALIVE IF ITS A FEMALE UNTIL YOU GIVE BIRTH, KILL YOU BOTH IF ITS A MALE. I HAVE NO USE FOR A MALE IN MY PRIDE!" I want to keep running but I know the sounds would just give me away, but the scent of fear has to be driving his lion crazy. I can't believe all of this was because I got tired of saying no to David on going out with him three months ago. He thought it was because I was playing hard to get, but he just couldn't understand I genuinely wasn't interested in him. Then the night we went out he...he...I refused to go down that path right now, more concerned with getting out of here in one piece. My little tadpole was going to need me, and I wouldn't be able to protect him or her if I was dead the second the s*x was discovered. I still remember when he showed me what he was, it was terrifying. I know shifters have been out for 5 years now but I had enough pain and fear in my life growing up. The second the doctor told me that I was pregnant though, I already knew I would die or kill to protect them. Oh s**t! There he is!! He was only maybe twelve feet away and his eyes are amber the same color they were right before his lion came out. Normally they were Grey when he was calm but now it looked like he was fighting for control with his lion. I could see his skin crawling as his beast tried to come out. Suddenly he stops, and smiles. That smile is the same sick smile he gave right before he shifted on our "Date." "Baby, come on. I'm sorry, I didnt mean to scare you. I was just surprised when I found out about the pregnancy and ran into you again. I automatically knew it was mine. My old man has been on my back for a while to have an heir, but I'm just not ready yet. You aren't still upset about our "misunderstanding" are you?" His words sickly sweet, I feel my stomach roll in protest as his words sink in. "Misunderstanding" thinking in my mind, misunderstanding is not what that was. No one misunderstands a man shifting into a giant lion then doing what you did to me. I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my stomach, no no no Baby it will be alright, just calm down.Please be okay! I have to get out of here, after he passes I softly but quickly run out of the forest that I stupidly thought a run would be a good idea in and make it to my car. It's just after midnight as I see the clock in my car as I fumble with my keys to get them into the lock. A loud roar rips through the air as I see him coming outside the forest. There is no hiding now, as I try to hurry up with the lock. Why the hell didn't I replace the key fob! Finally unlocking it after what seems like hours I quickly dive in, start the car, and put it into drive just as he makes it to my bumper. "YOU b***h" I hear as I drive away. I know there is no going home, not tonight not ever. First place I stop is my bank and withdraw is much as it will let me. Great, only $500. It will have to work until I figure out something. I toss my phone out the window, making sure he can't trace me that way. First chance I get I'm gonna ditch the car, can't take the risk. I have ripped up my roots once before, no reason I can't do it again. Changing my name is a pain in the ass though. But better that then risk David getting his slimy paws on me again. I am not going to be part of his "harem" or whatever lion shifters do. Especially not after the night of the "date." I refuse to think back on it....not yet, but putting my hand on my belly I say aloud "I promise you that you will know nothing but love, Little Tadpole. Come what may, it's you and me against the world" ignoring the tears running from my eyes. I roll down the window to let the air cool my face now that the danger is passed. Every now and I pick up the scent of a shifter, weird trait I picked up since the "date". But I don't have to worry about him following me just yet as he doesn't drive and he can't track me this quickly as I am already out of town. "Damnit" I should have called Meghan and both thanked her for the perfume and let her know what had happened thinking to myself as I hit the steering wheel with the side of my hand. Oh well, I will call her when I stop for breakfast. She is going to be pissed and worried oh and did I say pissed. After all she was the one who found me after the "date" I didn't know her back then she was just a person who saw someone who needed help and helped. Due to her lotions and creams I don't have any marks or scarring at least not externally. But inside....well that's a different matter, but since then she has become the only thing I am gonna miss about Seattle. She has been a blessing from the gods this last month and a half since that horrific night barely leaving my side and when I finally demanded a couple hours to be on my own to go to the doctors she nodded in understanding. But she made me spray myself with the perfume she made for me. Promising that no shifter would be able to smell me, I didnt care about any shifter, I just wanted one to not smell me and I couldn't even avoid that. But that will soon change, I already had identification with another alias on it, I just had to pull it out of my backpack. I have to admit at least to myself that I felt this coming. I was getting to lax in my security, that horrible night was proof of that. The only things I gained from it though was Meghan and my little Tadpole. I don't know why but I already thought of my Tadpole as a girl. I just KNEW that I was going to have a little girl. All the more reason to get the hell out of dodge, I cant risk that sicko getting his hands on my Lily. I pause at that....Lily....Yes that's your name little Tadpole. I really like it, although honestly I had never given baby names any thought before. I never thought I would settle down anywhere long enough to have a family. By the time I pulled over into the hotel parking lot I just wanted food and a bed, I had driven 9 hours and I was exhausted but starving. I would figure out my plan when I wake up, thanking the gods that the hotel is serving breakfast. I use the alias to check into the hotel and then ask if I could get some food before going back to the room. The manager nods his head towards the dining room, and I let my stomach guide the way. Oh the smells are so wonderful. Oh joy it's a buffet, I quickly grab a plate and start loading it up with scrambled eggs, a biscuit, some strawberries, a banana, some pancakes, one of those little bowls of cereal, some bacon, and some ham. Thinking to myself "watch, you won't even be able to eat half of this." But lo and behold, I finished every bite. I considered going for more but decided against it. I went to the floor of my room and quickly found my room. Deciding I couldn't put it off until I woke up, I called Meghan. She picked up on the first ring, and first thing said was "what's wrong?" I quickly explained about the pregnancy and how David found me and how he threatened to kill me after the baby was born. She stayed silent until I got to that part. "That Bastard! How dare he?!?!?! I told her quickly that I didn't have much time, that while I don't think he knew about her I couldn't take the chance of him being able to find me. "I'm so sorry Meghan, you are a Goddess amongst man, but I have to say goodbye. It isn't safe for me in Washington anymore." She quickly butts in, "Are you safe?" "What? Yeah, I think so." Okay, don't go anywhere. Stay put, this isn't goodbye little sister, you are going to need me for the little one. But don't tell me where you are, I will come to you though. See you soon. Then she hangs up the phone . To tired to call her back and argue, I pass out still dressed. I wake up hours later, the sun obviously passed overhead hours ago. I can't believe I slept this long, looking over at the clock. Yup I slept for 12 hours, longest I have slept in I don't know how long, but I needed it especially after everything that has happened in the passed three months. But I can't regret all of it, I met Meghan and now I have my Tadpole Lily. I startle at a sudden ringing of the phone, picking it up I'm somehow not surprised to hear Meghans voice. "Unlock the door I'm fixing to be at your room. " Then the phone went dead. I would laugh if I knew she wasn't serious. I quickly go unlock the door as the knob turns in my hand, praying to the Gods I'm not making a mistake. I sigh in relief as Meghan bustles quickly in my room with a few bags of things. "Well, little sister. We have some work to do." I remember back to the day she found me. "Oh little sister, who did this to you? No, don't tell me otherwise I will go hunting." She has always since called me her little sister, she has been there as my healer, my guide, and my friend. She is also the only one who knows my real name. The name that I was born with, the name that I hated with every fiber of my being. She and I grew really close it was almost like the Gods DID give me an older sister after all, just a little late in life. "First off, what are your thoughts towards this child? Chances are they" I butt in quickly" "SHE." I say quickly, she c***s an eyebrow at that but corrects herself. "Chances are SHE will be a lion just like the bastard who sired her." Rage grows in my belly as I stand up quickly. "What do you mean by that? You want to know if I want to keep my daughter, LILY?" She smiles as she putts her hands up in a somewhat placating gesture. "I had to ask, sis. There are ways of giving you whatever you decide. But since you are keeping Lily, there are things you need to know. First, shifter pregnancy is shorter than human pregnancy. I'm actually surprised you aren't showing already, but then again a human female, male shifter pregnancy is not widely known about." "Wait, what are you talking about? How short?" I ask with dread, thinking there is nowhere I am going to be able to get to soon enough if I am going to be showing soon. People will start to ask questions. She nods knowingly, "they are roughly 6 months" I drop back down onto the bed like a weight. "I'm almost a quarter of the way through my pregnancy already? why couldn't the doctor tell me for sure that she is a She then?? "Probably because your Lily wouldn't cooperate." She said chuckling. "Okay, so our tadpole is going to be here sooner rather than later, what else do I need to know?" I ask. She smiles at the term "OUR" before saying "You are going to need lots of protein and nutrients for Lily. You will also have to have a cesarean. The reason why human female, male shifter pregnancy is not widely known about is because the mother and child usually dies in child birth. She looks at me sadly. "The child is usually abnormally large and with the shorter term of being pregnant your body doesn't have time to adjust to the size, and either the umbilical cord wraps around the baby's throat killing the child and the mother usually has complications during delivery so while rare it is common practice now to do the c-section."I drop to my knees in front of her quickly with tears in my eyes.."please, Meghan, please I'm begging you....Save my Lily no matter what. If it is a choice between me living or Lily, pick her!" She gets tears of her own when she nods her head silently. She clears her throat, and quickly wipes away the tears. "Now, we need to decide where we are going to go?" I prayed to the Gods for guidance and I used scrying to find a place you could be safe from all threats little sister. And I found a place that while it will take around 40 hours to get there though but it will led to a safe haven for you and I and our Lily." Nodding, "the first thing I did besides toss my phone as go to the bank and pull out money. I was only able to get $500 though. And I was so tired and hungry that I pulled into the first place that had a clean bed. So I'm afraid I used most of it but I figured that I could probably withdraw cash one more time before I have to stop." "Well down the street is your bank, you were probably so tired you didn't realize you drove right past it. So why don't you just close the bank account and get everything in the account. Between what I have and what you have, we should make it there no problem. We can concentrate on me getting a job so I can take care of you while you are pregnant and beyond if needed." The tears finally fall in both pain and joy. " Oh, Meghan! I'm so sorry, I have fallen again and now you not only have to pick up the pieces but you have to uproot your life to protect me and Lily. But I am so grateful to have you in our life." She starts crying to as she grabs me and hugs me quickly then let's go after she remembers I have an issue about being touched. "Oh, come here you!" I grab her into a hug and we just sit there crying and hugging before I start hiccuping. "Okay, so show me where we are going and let's figure out the driving situation. We now have two cars here." She nods quickly before wiping away the last of her tears and grabs her bag that she had set down next to her. She walking over to the dining room table and pulls out a map of the US. "I scryed twice, both times I got the same result. How do you feel about Mardi Gra?" Because according to the Gods I need to get you to New Orleans." "Well I'm not a fan of big crowds, does it have to be IN New Orleans or can it be in the outskirts?" She closes her eyes momentarily before she opens them again. "The outskirts are fine, I promise you little sister I will keep you two safe." We decided after the bank that we would sell both cars, mine because of how small it was plus it was the last vehicle HE had seen me in, and hers just to be certain so we bought a used van. We take turns sleeping and driving, stopping only to eat and use the bathroom, which is more and more often for me due to the pregnancy. We would drive straight though to New Orleans and we should have enough to get a put a good down payment on a place with what we have left. I was in Washington for 4 years and made bank waitressing all four years. I kept all my bills to a minimum and picked up extra shifts every chance I got. Mike the club owner would surely miss me but I don't have a choice, it literally was a matter of life and death after all. And I have no plans on dying anytime soon and the last thought I have before going to sleep while Meghan drives is neither does Meghan. Meghan drives in silence, as Sarah sleeps beyond furious of the life Sarah has been given. I know the Gods wouldn't of given her a life she couldn't handle, but damn....first her childhood then the....rape, then the threats to her and her unborn child. When would the hits stop coming? She is only 24 years old for goodness sake. I can only thank the Gods for putting me in that park when she was laying there broken. She wouldn't admit it but for the first month and a half after it happened she couldn't stand to be alone, she would have panic attacks. if she was. That's why it was such a shock that she wanted to go to the doctors on her own. I could have told her myself that she was pregnant but I knew she needed to do this on her own. For her own sake, I said okay. I just didn't know how screwed up it would turn out otherwise I would have insisted on going, even though she told me the perfume is what saved her. How he was only a few feet away and he couldn't find her. He must have seen her come into the forest, but how did he know she was pregnant? She hadn't even told me yet, and because of the perfume he shouldn't of been able to smell it. The doctor she went to...That's the only way, either that or someone else in the clinic but that is the only thing that makes sense. I plan on finding out how, but not at risk of Sarah and our little Tadpole Lily. While I am not completely positive the child is female, I have heard of stranger things than the mother instinctively knowing the s*x of the unborn child. But I am going to have to make sure we are near the Swamp, as the Gods have shown me where we will live and where we will be safe. "Because I will die to protect them." Meghan thought silently. Swearing quietly, as Sarah begins to whimper in her sleep, I grab her hand and gently use my thumb to rub her awake, damning the bastard to hell for what he did to her and what he is continuing to do to her. It is nearly Sarah's turn to drive anyways as I pull over to the side of the road. Nothing in sight for miles, I quickly glance in all directions to make sure we are okay but knowing we won't be truly safe until we get to New Orleans. I gently shake Sarah awake, "sweetheart, come on it's your turn to drive. I'm beat." She quickly wakes up and shakes her head and rubs her eyes. "Yeah, sure no problem." We both glance around to make sure we are alone before quickly exiting the car and switching sides. As I get into the driver's side, I glance at Meghan eternally grateful that I'm not going through this alone this time and hope and pray to the Gods that we will be enough to keep each other safe, because I honestly don't know what I would do if I lost her especially because of HIM. I refuse to call him by name, my pain and fear slowly shapes its way to anger and rage. How dare he threaten us after what HE did! Don't worry my little tadpole, I say as I rub my belly. I will die or kill to keep you safe. First things first after I give birth which apparently is in a couple months, I am going to start taking more self defense classes. I'm sure they have them in New Orleans. I refuse to live in fear anymore, from now on I will be vigilant about my safety and those I love. Once we get to New Orleans I am sure there are shifters there who can show me how to fight shifters. Like the night HE turned into the lion, it's not like I could of just kicked him in the junk. All that probably would of done was piss him off then I would be dead and I wouldn't know about the joys and well fears of carrying a child and loving that child more than there are stars in the galaxy. Grateful again I'm not alone, I quickly glance at Meghan again before I stare back out at the road. By Google maps we should be getting to New Orleans in a couple of hours then it's just a matter of finding the place that Meghan had told me about. I can do this I tell myself, I have a lot to live for now. And as I peer at Meghan again I have a true family. Us against the world Baby. Us against the world. I think back to the dream again. As HE is doing what he did, there is another there. A voice coming from just beyond my line of sight. Whispering to me that I was so strong, that I could do this. That I could continue to live, that I have to continue to live. I gave a little growl myself at what sounded like an order. But I shook it off as I went back to the dream, I could feel his rage and anguish at what was happening to me, but his voice almost never changed from a soothing calming voice. He seemed almost like he was trying to distract me from what was happening. I whimpered at the part that was fixing to happen but I forced myself to continue just so I could continue hearing the strangers voice. HIS teeth bit into my the back of my neck as the stranger roars out his rage. This part always gets him to lose control, the roar though both frightens me and for some reason excites me. I know in my dream that the stranger is not human, that should frighten me sure but excite me? That part I'm not so sure about. But then again, it's just a dream. It's not like the stranger is real?.... is he? It doesn't matter, this is just another reason why I can't trust males. First my family, then HIM....I don't need to learn from that mistake again. I wonder about the delivery, it's going to have to happen in the hospital. Even though I am using an alias, can I be tracked still? Will HE find us when I am at my most vulnerable? I can't lose Lily not when I just got her! I shake those thoughts out of my head, I don't need to be stressing out about something like that right now. But I will need to talk to Meghan...If he couldn't smell me, how did he know I was pregnant? I'm not showing yet, and outside of work I usually wearing somewhat baggy clothes. it's only at work do I usually do the makeup and the works. I chuckle as I remember "You look good, you act better, and you will bank" Stefanie, my trainer told me. But that still doesn't explain how HE knew. Someone at the clinic....He must have someone at the clinic, someone who has access to medical records. How else would HE have known?...Knowing that answer isn't going to be answered right now, I decided will talk to Meghan later to see what she says and to make sure I am going in the right direction. I am following Google maps but I am nervous about going to New Orleans I guess. I have never been this far south before, the scenery is pretty but the temperature is really warm compared to what I am used to. I hope I get used to it quickly. As we drive through another town, I see a book store with what looks like a bear paw on it. If I remember correctly, any establishment with a paw on it is owned by a shifter. I pull in. Deciding to act quickly, I gently stir Meghan and tell her I am going in the book store, I will be right back. "Hold on, I should come with you." She says trying to sit up. "No I will be quick I promise. Get some rest while you can, it's almost your turn to drive." She closes her eyes for a minute, then opens them again. "Okay but be quick." I quickly jump out of the car after putting it in park. I walk into the bookstore knowing that I am already safely behind the scent of the perfume, I start quickly looking around for what I need. I find one of the books I am looking for..."What to expect, when you are expecting" but I can't find one for shifters...Sighing in annoyance, I guess I will just have to ask someone. I find a male in the back of the store stocking books on the bottom shelves of the bookcase....I smell a bear... "Excuse me...But do you have a shifter version of "What to do, when you are expecting?". The male stood up, and up, and up. "I am so sorry I don't mean to gawk." The male smiles gently, "It's okay, I'm used to it. As to your question yes we do, if we have it at the moment is another story though. Let me check for you....Ah yes, we do have one more in stock, let me grab it for you." He goes to the row I was just on, but grabs it from the other side of the row. "Apparently the Gods have decided to make me rude and blind today, I didnt see it over here." "It's okay, it was behind another book. And you weren't being rude, it's not everyday you see someone Seven feet, eight inches tall. I imagine you may get people who ask you how tall you are, young lady." I chuckle at that, "Yes, all the time. I am five feet tall. So it gets asked alot. I decided a long time ago that I am not short." He c****d an eyebrow. " No I'm not short, I am vertically challenged." I say with a grin. The male laughs a big booming laugh, and then asks "Is there any other books you need? " I shake my head no. "So I will go ahead and ring you up if you like."I smile again and reply "Yes please." He chuckles again at "vertically challenged" as we get to the register. He quickly scans my books as he looks confused. I hadn't noticed that as he chuckled he had taken a couple whiffs of the air but couldn't find a scent.."Look, you can tell me it's none of my business...but if you are going so far as to hide your scent, I feel the need to offer my assistance. I once had a employee here who I didn't know had a stalker. If I had I would of insisted that she wait until I was done and could take her home myself. If I had done that....he gets a sad look in his eyes. "she would still be here." I take a step back from the counter, suddenly worried that I had made a mistake wanting these books. He holds his hands up, his large hands capable of who knows what up in the air to try to placate me. "I swear I am not a threat to you. But with you being pregnant, and a small human female I can't help but offer. I am a kodiak bear in my other form, it's why I am so big. Here....I put my card in the bag take the books free of charge. I promise you are not in danger here, I only want to help." I shake my head, "I'm sorry I can't risk it" I whisper nearing a panic attack. Damnit, he was like someone's grandfather you would see on those hallmark movies....wait maybe he CAN help..." I have a question...no wait two questions....One, how did you know I was pregnant?" He motions towards the books. "Oh...yeah...umm...Two, is there a way I can protect myself and my Tadpole from a lio...shifter?" "Yes, buy a gun. Learn how to be proficient in them." He slowly gets from behind the counter, he grabs another book and sticks it in the bag." "Call me if you ever need my help and I will come." I nod as I take the bag and back out slowly. For his sake, I hope I don't have to.