Gypsy Moon

Chapter Thirty-one: Dei

. . . . . . (early July)

This was by far the strangest dog I had ever encountered. His willingness to share his life confused me. And the longer he talked, the more I understood his point. It really wasn't the oddest thing that had happened in the last week to this dog.

"My entire life has been less dramatic than your last week." I laughed softly. "I feel like I should make something up, rather than the truth, so my life seems less boring." He chuckled and leaned against a tree, stretching his legs in front of him.

His posture was distracting, to say the least. His ability to adjust his body language to be non-threatening and comforting to me was alarming. The knowledge he had of certain body cues that would relax or alarm a feline was... intimate.

"I could use a little boring, embellish as little as you want." He actually closed his eyes for several seconds and I was so startled by the gesture of trust I didn't even realize I had started talking.

"I grew up on a reservation with my family. We've been kinfolk for generations. Almost every generation bore a Puma, as far as tribal records go back. I was the Moon Goddess's chosen from my generation." He tilted his head.

"Wait. Chosen? Aren't your parents like you?" I shook my head.

"No, we are rare by design. Most kinfolk families only produce one or two Chosen per generation. My tribe's Puma before me was one of my mother's cousins. Shouldn't your cat friend have told you this?" He shook his head, his expression sad suddenly.

"He hates to talk about his past and I don't bug him about it. Anything he wants me to know, he'll tell me on his own." I laughed in spite of myself, and he raised his eyebrows at me.

"That is such a dog answer." He shrugged, grinning at me, and I shook my head. "I had a fairly textbook childhood, I even broke my arm wrecking my skateboard when I was eight and everything. Hardly cat-like grace on that one. Definitely didn't expect to be Chosen." He chuckled.

"I never had a skateboard, I caught pneumonia, because I can't be normal ever." I shook my head again; his grin was infectious.

"The Goddess brought my cougar when I turned sixteen and I left my family to live with the tribe's Puma for a year before she passed the title to me and now, I'm here." I snorted. "The end. See? Boring." He pulled his brows together in thought.

"Wait, I didn't know there was a reservation nearby."

"There isn't, my tribe lives outside Reno." He coughed.

"The hell are you doing this far east? What is it with cats and never staying home?"

"What do you mean? We are only in Illinois, and I'm on my way back from Vermont." He stared at me agog.

"You are traveling across the country on foot?"

"Yes, spoiled dog. I happen to like using the gifts the Goddess gave me, rather than sitting in one of those foul-smelling, poison-belching, death machines." His laugh surprised me, considering I just insulted him.

"You sound just like Bryce." He sighed fondly. "Okay, but why so far from home?" I shrugged.

"I had an errand I needed to attend to."

"I will take it back. If 'boring' means an errand can take me across the country, I'll pass." He grinned at me. "I am WAY too spoiled for that. Even dogs have limits on our car rides." I shook my head and chuckled, he held up a hand slightly as his eyes clouded over.

His eyes darkened and a growl rumbled in his chest that was so suggestive it was lewd. I could feel a blush heating my cheeks, and his smile was decidedly predatory when his eyes cleared, and he looked at me.

"So, my mate is awake." He stood up and I had to glance down, so as to not be eye level with the most obvious indication of his current mindset. "I'm going to go feed her and wear her back out in time for bed." He shifted swiftly to his wolf and bounded away from me.

/:Oh my, Dei, such a PRETTY dog.:/

/:Tell me about it, Inage.:/

/:Shame, you forgot to tell him your name.:/

"Oh, son of a..."

. . . . . .