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Tala sat on the edge of the couch and looked down at the wolf. Relaxed in sleep, he was actually handsome. His face was strong and had a look of hunger about it, not as if he was not fed, but as if he was missing something. His face was clean shaven, which surprised her. Her eyes wandered down the face of a gentleman, to his lips. Those were not a gentleman’s lips. Those were the lips of a rake, a man who got which ever female he set his sights on and relished in it. His were devilish lips that called out to her own and begged her to kiss him. They appeared to be indecently soft and tempting.
For a moment, she thought she might not mind falling prey to this wolf. She corrected her thoughts immediately. He was a dog and she was a cat. The two did not mix. Some could co-exsist and she had no issue with that, but not under the best of circumstances did they do what she was thinking. She returned her mind to its previous venomous state. Why not ruffle his fur a bit?
She shook the wolf awake with a smirk. “Hey, sleepy head, how are you?” She asked, shockingly chipper as he slowly opened his eyes, looking round in confusion. She watched his eyes as she smirked darkly. He had such beautiful eyes they took her breath away. He pulled away, instinctively and her smirk widened. “Do not worry, little wolf. I have no intention of harming you and keeping you here any longer than is necessary.” She made her way into the kitchen and opened her fridge.
“Of what do you speak woman? I do not wish to remain here.”
“You know the customs as well as I. When two of our kind fight together, blades both drawn for the same cause, any wounded must be nurtured back to health. The least wounded must nurse the most.” She pointed the blade of a perilously sharp knife at him. It was a gesture of disdain and only the slightest bit of concern. “You would be the most grievously wounded and I am the least.” She tapped the side of the blade to the bandage at her shoulder.
“Of what breed of cat are you? Are you a common tabby or perhaps something bigger?” She set her food on the stove with no regard to him. She poured two glasses of wine and brought them into then living room. “Here, little doggie. Drink up.” Rodolfo fought not to lunge at the bitch. How dare she insult him, call him a dog? He would have killed her on the spot if the wounds she had inflicted upon him did not burn to all hell. At least he had his wine. It would soothe his pain and help him heal.
He snatched the cup off the table and Tala shook her head at his barbaric behavior. Wolves were not known for their table manners, but the ones she had observed had at the very least eaten with dignity. All were animals behaved in a more dignified manner that the savage on her couch. It was animals humans tried to imitate. The grace and dignity of were-felines, the cunning of were-reptiles, and the bravery and loyalty of were-canines were things they imitated. Though their imitation was still poor, they had come a long way.
She drank her wine, looking over the rim of the glass at him. It was a careless gesture, with no concern, no emotion. She was simply studying him, with the cold, detached way of a scientist. He realized how he was eating, how his mother would scold him. By the gods, he was eating like some common alley dog. He promptly adjusted his mannerisms and she raised a curious brow. “What breed of cat are you?” The cat stood and smiled.
“I’ll tell you if you can guess it.” She said with a small smirk. She stepped forward and leaned over him, placing her hands on the couch. “Your first clue is that my breed loves to get wet, but we hate to be blinded.” She said before moving to the kitchen again. She grilled both steaks over the next short time and she could all but hear him trying to figure out the clue. She had made it just ambiguous enough to keep him in the dark and just specific enough that he didn’t realize it. She sat the steak in front of him, and then sat in the recliner on the side of the table next to him.
“So, tell me your name, if you won’t tell me your breed. I believe it to be a part of normal conversation for the two people conversing to introduce themselves. Swans first, if it doesn’t displease you too very much.” He said, with none of the malice she had come to expect form the wolf.
“I am Tala.”
“I am Rodolfo.”
“Now, answer me this, why do you care what my name is?”
“If what you say is true, I may be here for a while, yet. You managed to damage my ribs, again. Thank you so much for that, by the way.” Rodolfo said and she smirked. The cat, which he would now have to remember to call Tala, leaned back in her chair as she ate. She said nothing more until he was done. She washed both sets of plates, then returned to his side.
She sat by his side and touched the bandages. “You’re not very good at this. Lie down.” She demanded and he looked at her as if she was insane. “Don’t make me put you on your back again.”
“You never know. I might like it.” Rodolfo tempted and she smirked. Tala ran her hand up his arm, and then flipped him over, onto the floor. She followed him down, sitting on his chest and leaned over him. Her eyes became golden slits as she brought her face within inches of his.
“I don’t give a damn what you like, as long as you do what I say and don’t blow your load on my floor.” She taunted and he growled. She boxed him in the jaw. “You don’t growl at the person who provides your meals, now do you?” She asked and he bared his fangs back at her, with malice. He threw her off and climbed on top of her. She was a wicked little cat and he would be sure to show her why cats ran from dogs.
“I can provide my own meals, you little pit viper. Now shut up with your insults, tabby.” She kicked up, tossed him on his stomach and placed her knee in his back, pulling on his left arm and the opposite leg. The wolf howled in pain as she pushed her knee farther into his back. When she let go, she climbed off of him and stood.
Tala fixed her skirt and sighed. She regained her composure, opened her bandages and tore off the ones on his torso, gently replacing them with hers. She carried him to the couch and laid him down, as gently as she could. “Now behave, little wolf or I’ll call your mother on you. I’m going out. I expect that bottle to be done when I came home, little wolf.” She said, making her way back upstairs to get changed.
When she returned, she was in a gorgeous little dress that showed her figure, without giving away too much. It was just enough to entice a man to her side without seeming like she was giving herself away. Now that he had no intension to hurt her, mostly because it was a physical impossibility in his state, he allowed himself to be convinced that she was indeed very attractive, for a cat.
She grabbed her coat, winked at him, then left. The wolf lied on his back and growled to himself. If they kept up like this, he would never be able to leave this damned house. It reeked of cat and it was an irritation. How did she know his mother, anyway? She had to be referring to his true mother, not his birth one. How would some cat know where to find his mother, anyway? He didn’t even know where she was sometimes.
Tala came home late in the day and plopped down on the arm chair. “Has my pretty little wolf behaved himself while I was out?” She asked, looking at the almost empty bottle that sat before her. The wolf rolled over, on the couch and looked at her, with glazed eyes.
“This wolf is drunk as can be. Now let me alone so I can heal.” She stood and the wolf flinched as she reached down to mess his hair.
“I’m going for a nap. Don’t wake me.” She said and this time, the wolf decided to heed this warning. Rodolfo rolled onto his stomach; it hurt less than his back, and returned to sleep. He didn’t know how long he would get, for cats only slept as long as they thought was necessary to revive them. Lord knew once she woke, he would get no more sleep. He simply had to pray not to get injured, again.
This time, he woke first. If only to win the favor of the animal that ran the house in which he was apparently trapped, as was the custom in packs, he paid his respects as best he could. He made the insane cat a grand lunch of meats, vegetables, and fruit. All he could do was hope she would not mind too much that he had used so much food.
Tala purred and rolled on her back, pawing at the air a moment. Her senses were blinded by the smells wafting up through the house. It was absolutely delicious, meat and vegetables, and spices that made it all the more delicious. As she stood and pulled on her robe, Tala remembered that only a broken wolf lay downstairs. There was no one else in the house, but them. She ran down the steps and into the living room, curious as to who had come over and decided to cook for her.
“Dallas, is that you? You didn’t tell me you were coming by.” She said as she turned the corner. The wolf, Rodolfo stood in her kitchen, placing the last steak on the plate.
“I thought you might be hungry, so I decided to cook. Does it please you?” Rodolfo asked as Tala walked over, inspecting all the food before her. There seemed to be more than had initially been in the house and it all looked tauntingly delicious. The man was really a good chef. She bit her lip, indecisively. She was trying to be good about what she ate, but this wolf was making it hard.
“You went to school for this?”
“No. Does it please you, Tala?”
She nodded and stood at the breakfast bar. “It pleases me very much. Did you make all of this just for me?” She asked and he nodded. She shook her head as he brought over the steak and veggies and Rodolfo looked upset. “There goes another diet, down the proverbial drain.” She said, picking up her knife and fork. Rodolfo gave a small smirk and went for the next plate.
“You’ll have to eat something. I’ll feel horrible eating like a-” Tala looked up at the man who sat before her, who had spent quite some time cooking, just to please her. “pig. I was trying to stick to my diet.” She said and Rodolfo scoffed, then laughed outright. She looked at him as if he had sprouted a second head.
“My apologies, Tala, but you tell a very amusing joke, my dear.” She did not join in his laughter and continued to look at him as if he had gone mad. “Oh, you were serious.” He set down the second course and leaned on the kitchen counter, ashamed. He should not have laughed at her so. It was terribly rude of him to do such a thing. In all honesty, he had thought she was making a joke of some kind. The mood of the room went from polite welcoming, to an icy coldness. After a long pause, he looked up, nervously. “I do apologize, but that simply begs the question; why were you on a diet?”
Tala raised an eyebrow and he waited silently. “Are you serious, really?” She asked in honest disbelief and Rodolfo nodded. She shook her head and stood. “I think I should go.” Tala said, standing and Rodolfo walked over quickly, touching her arm.
“I apologize if I upset you. I simply do not understand. You do not appear to need any diet.” Rodolfo said, looking down at her with oddly sincere eyes. She looked up at him, quizzically. She didn’t understand what he was trying to say. “You’re more lean than most of the wolves I know. If you’re going to be upset with me, at least explain to me why.” Rodolfo said and she rolled her eyes.
“I may be lean for a wolf, but I am not nearly as lean as I feel I should be.” Tala said quietly and he smirked.
“What could you possibly find wrong with your form? I see no flaws.” He asked and she paused, confused.
“That is none of your business, wolf. Sit down so we can eat. You did put a lot of effort into this meal, did you not?” Tala asked, seating herself. Rodolfo sat across from her and ate in silence. “It’s comforting to know you find me attractive wolf.” Tala said, voice gentle and unassuming. She covered her mouth to hide a laugh as the wolf choked on his steak. He floundered for words, but eventually settled for silence.
Tala smiled and continued to eat, allowing the silence to stretch until the wolf began to squirm. She looked up and took mercy on him. “How did you learn to cook all this?” She asked and could see his form relax just a little at the change of topic.
“My pack mother taught me to cook some of it and later, I continued to learn on my own. I had to learn to be self sufficient, if I was going to survive and I most certainly will not eat anything that is not of proper quality.” Rodolfo said and a small smirk came to her lips. She looked at him over the rim of the wine glass and inspected him. Now that he was no longer struggling for every breath and every bite of food, he was eating with an unusual amount of decorum, especially for a wolf. His manners were almost perfect, almost.
Still, some aspects of him were bestial. He kept most of it under control, but when he glanced at his food, a spark would light in his eyes. The urge to simply devour what was in front of him was hard to contain. It was as hard for him as it was for her. The beast within did not understand these small bites, so evenly spaced when he could have long since finished her meal, if he would only eat more quickly. Suppressing the urges took a will power most were-animals lacked, or refused to use. They went to their own diners where they would all eat like animals out in the wild, faces in their plates.
Tala looked down on such animals and she suspected Rodolfo did as well. She smiled to herself at this and drank her wine. “You are a peculiarity, wolf.” She stated gently, placing down her glass and taking another bite. Rodolfo looked at her, confusion sparking in his sharp eyes and she smirked at him. The door bell rang as he opened his mouth and she stood gracefully. The cat made her way to the door and opened it slowly. “Hello, Dallas. What are you doing here?”
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Call of the Night ~~~ 3
