Micah:

 “Rosy come here!” I repeat my command but Rosy continues to pace, her ears are back and a long low snarl rumbles from her ominously. She stops once or twice to scratch the ground with her front claws before moving forward to kick up the loosened dirt with her hind feet. I catch sight of a glistening patch on her side and reach out to catch hold of her scruff as she stalks by but Rosy snarls and lashes out with a front paw, claws fully extended.

 “Calm down Rosy!” I order but she snarls at me as she stamps her front feet. I stumble backwards several steps and give a gasp as she lunges at me, luckily it is only a mock charge but I withdraw further, clearly she is in no frame of mind for us to approach her.

 “Rosy, Steven’s been shot!” Malcolm exclaims and Rosy looks his way sharply. “I think it might be real bad!”

 Steven groans and slumps to sit at the base of the tree he had been leaning on, I turn to go to him but Rosy leaps towards him and nudges past Malcolm roughly. I see the way Malcolm moves, quickly scanning the far side of her before leaning back slightly as he runs his eyes over the side I saw the patch on.

 “Ouch, that’s gotta sting,” Malcolm mutters quietly. Rosy’s ears flatten and she moves her head to look Malcolm in the face, her top lips curls baring her long canines and then she opens her mouth wide as she roars. Her fur stands on end making her seem much larger than she is and she swings away from both Malcolm and Steven before taking several leaps. She pauses a moment, looks around assessingly then swings into a smooth flowing trot around the group. I watch her as she moves, her head is low and she moves it towards any bush or long grass she passes.

 “A nasty graze across her ribs,” Malcolm says quietly. “Think she was leaping as it hit, bullet tracked along a rib or between ribs. Came out up high near the backbone where the last rib joins. The bullet might even be in the fur there,”

 “Donovan race back and let them know we don’t need reinforcements and get Mitchell to call Doc we’ll need him to remove a bullet or possibly two. And take that damned gun with you!” I order as I look away from Rosy reluctantly. I can’t get the sight of her changing and charging towards a pointed gun out of my mind. My stomach still churns sickenly with the knowledge I could have lost her in less than a heartbeat, one bullet was all it would have taken.

 I glance back down at the redhead at my feet, the colour is returning to her face and she is glancing between everyone with fear on her face. There is only a slight smell of blood on her and she seems relatively unharmed as I grasp both of her arms and lift her onto her feet. 

 “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” she exclaims breathlessly in an almost nonexistent voice as she watches Rosy.

 “Shut up! I don’t want to hear a sound out of you!” I snap and tear a strip off her already ripped jacket and use it as a gag. Rosy snarls, her tail lashes wildly as she watches me do it and suddenly my heart aches for her. Hadn’t she said this human was important to her? Hadn’t she credited her with saving her sanity at some time?

 “I’ll carry Jazzy back,” I say and glance at Dwayne. “You take this one back, we will have to work out what to do with her later. Malcolm help Steven back,”

 “I can make it on my own feet,” Steven says standing up and taking a step forward, Malcolm close by ready to help if needed. Dwayne comes over takes hold of my prisoner leaving me free to go to Jazzy. Carefully I lift my sister into my arms and turn for home. I glance towards Rosy every few minutes, she is trotting along side us,

a bit out from everyone and seems to be searching for signs or scents of intruders. A few minutes later and she has disappeared, I halt as I look around for her frantic not to let her out of my sight.

 “Mikkarl go with her,” I say loathe to let her be alone. “I think she feels she needs to make sure it’s safe for the boys …” 

 “Yes Boss,” Mikkarl says and seems to dissolve out of sight as he heads into the bush.

 The walk back to the house seems to take forever even though we travel as fast as Steven can manage. Jazzy is content to be carried, her head resting against my shoulder as she closes her eyes with a grimace every now and then. My mind is full of the image of Rosy charging into the enormous mouth of that gun, the memory won’t leave me.

 We are just reaching the edge of the trees at the clearing when the fast approaching sound of a vehicle can be heard. I smile grimly as I see a four wheel drive hurtling down a track towards us.

 “Good,” Malcolm mutters behind me and I glance back. He is supporting Steven on his uninjured side. Steven is very pale and a lot of blood covers his chest but it is hard to tell how much with the sheen on sweet on him as well. I glance at Dwayne and he is walking steadily with the redhead tossed over one shoulder, he gives a slight shrug as he meets my eyes.

 “She didn’t want to walk and I couldn’t be bothered dragging her,” Dwayne says tightly.

 Moments later the vehicle pulls to a stop and Kirby hurries from the drivers seat to open the rear of the vehicle up. Inside are a mattress, pillows and blankets. I put Jazzy inside and get in to make her more comfortable. Malcolm helps Steven in, hops in and takes hold of the redhead as Dwayne passes her to me.

 “Put her in the containment cage when we get up to the buildings,” I say curtly. “One of us can deal with her later,” The knowledge of what one of us will have to do weighs heavily on my mind but we can not chance her exposing the existence of our kind to the world.

 “Cantrell Yates and Marcus Farlow are here as Board members. And Mal Inness is here with Kurt Black, Edwin and his partner,” Kirby says without preamble. “Mitchell, Baxter, Wade and Marissa are entertaining them at the main house. Sam has the little ones at the quarters,” Kirby pauses and looks around as he realises two of the party are missing. 

 “Where are …” he asks uneasily but is unable to finish his sentence.

 “Dwayne do you want to drive,” I say, not ask. Dwayne shuts the back door of the vehicle and gets into the drivers seat while Kirby climbs into the passenger seat. Dwayne glances back at us and I give a quick check everyone is relatively comfortable before nodding. The drive to the buildings is much quicker than walking but it still takes too long giving my mind the chance to relive that horrible moment yet again. I close my eyes, lean my head back, take a deep breath and open my eyes as I exhale slowly. I find Steven watching me with a clear and steady gaze.

 “She was still on her feet mate,” Steven says trying to sound reassuring but I hear the tremor in his voice. I glance at the redhead where she sits motionless, staring out the rear window at the retreating trees. Her composed exterior does not fool me, I can see the terror lurking in her eyes. We reach the large shed and Dwayne puts the vehicle out of gear and pulls the hand-break on.

 “Kirby, you take it from here,” Dwayne says before getting out and coming around to the back of the vehicle. He opens it without a word and reaches for the

redhead, she screams behind her gag and begins struggling but he is much stronger than her and soon has her out of the vehicle and slung over his shoulder as he heads for the shed.

 I pull the door shut and Kirby settles into the drivers seat, the time it takes to reach the quarters is short and Kirby parks close to the door. Mitchell comes running over from the main house as Malcolm helps Steven out of the vehicle while I carry Jazzy inside. I hesitate for a moment at the end of the hall, the sunroom or the lounge room? It only takes me a moment to opt for the lounge room, it’s closer to the kitchen if hot water is needed. I ease Jazzy down onto the lounge and turn to find Chris handing me a button up shirt. I frown as I recognise it is one of Justin’s but then it suddenly makes sense as Jazzy tries to sit up.

 “Just relax and let me do all the work,” I tell her as I slip one of her hands into a sleeve.

 “How is she!” Mitchell demands as he burst into the room.

 “I’ll be fine,” Jazzy says faintly and grimaces. “Ouch! My head hurts!”

 I step aside and let Mitchell ease her into the shirt. I find Chris pressing a pair of jeans into my hand and take them as I glance around.

 “Timny and Justin are at the main house with Baxter,” Chris says as he helps Steven into his jeans. 

 “Justin stepped up,” Mitchell says glancing away from Jazzy for a second. “He made it clear he is representing the Williamson family, not Wade, since you, Dwayne and Donny weren’t here.”

 “Good,” I say and glance up as I hear the screen door and several lots of feet.

 After a few moments Dwayne comes through the door with Marissa’s hand on his arm, behind him Wade moves in that awkward gait he now has and Edwin and his partner follow at the rear.

 “Micah you’d be better letting Edwin take over,” Wade says as he stops and surveys everyone in the room. I hear Sam start growling over near the window where he is with Wynn, Terry, Dacey and a pale Donny.

 “Edwin was always better at organising helping the wounded,” Wade says gruffly. I take a deep breath to control my anger. Dwayne is turning to face Wade, a black look on his face but it is Edwin who steers Wade towards the kitchen forcibly.

 “No Wade,” Edwin says firmly. “ I was always too busy worrying about doing things to suit you. Micah puts everyone else before his own interests. The best thing I can do here is get the kettle boiling,”

 I am shocked by the self-assurance in Edwin as he easily handles Wade despite Wade’s attempt at a protest. I am surprised Edwin doesn’t try to work things to his own advantage as he usually did, instead he is working as a part of a team, putting everyone else first. I look away from Edwin and Wade, to Edwin’s partner Jacob Dorrington.

 “Would you like me to stand by the front door and keep a watch to let you know if anyone is heading this way?” Jacob asks. I notice he is avoiding looking where Marissa has sat on one end of the lounge pulling Jazzy to rest against her side.

 “That would be a good idea,” Mitchell says tightly from near the lounge. I notice he too didn’t like Wade's attempt to control the situation. Suddenly he tenses and his eyes sweep the room quickly.

 “Where is my sister!” Mitchell demands as he meets my eyes. There is fear and fury in his gaze and I am hard put not to drop my gaze. “I was told she’d been shot!”

 “Rosy disappeared into the bush,” I say tightly. “We think she only has a bullet graze but she is too agitat…”

 “Only a bullet graze?” Mitchell demands in a roar. “There is no only about any bullet wound!”

 “She was too agitated to let anyone close enough to check the injury,” I grit from between clenched teeth. “Only reason we know anything about her injury is because Malcolm tricked her into getting close enough to him so he could have a quick look …”

 “Rosy won’t be back until she is sure there are no other threats so close to her newborn kitt,” Marissa says firmly from her seat on the lounge. “She won’t be able to help herself, the drive to protect her young will keep her out there.”

 “I knew going for a run this morning of all mornings was a bad idea! You should have had better control over her and made her stay near the buildings! Edwin should have been here and in charge! Would have been no problems then!” Wade snaps from the kitchen. 

 “When I took Wynn inside, handed him to Sam and told him what was going on you said a run was an excellent idea!” I snarl from between clenched teeth. “So do not start with me about …”

 “Wade enough!” Edwin snaps pushing Wade down onto a kitchen chair and leaning close over him. “You are not going to set Micah and I against each other like every other time something has gone wrong! If you want to blame someone blame the idiot with the gun! They were deep in home territory. Now leave Micah alone so he can take care of his responsibilities.”

 “Who do you think …” Wade begins indignantly.

 “One more word and I swear I will drag you over to the house and lock you in the secure room!” Edwin snaps angrily. “So sit there and be silent!”

 “Rosy was still on her feet, upright and moving freely when we last saw her Mitchell, Sam,” Steven says reassuringly and I turn my head to look his way.

 “If there was any signs her injury was serious I would have dragged her back here screeching and clawing if necessary,” I say as I glance between Rosy’s brothers. I wait for the refuting comment from Wade but there is silence, I glance towards the kitchen and see Edwin glaring at Wade clearly just waiting for him to make a sound.

Rosy:

 I make my way back to where Lilly had found us, I pace around the small clearing in agitation. So many thoughts and feelings are bombarding my mind I am not sure what I think or feel. The confusion sets me on edge and I snarl as I glance at Mikkarl. I lower my head and sniff along the ground, my top lip curls and I snort as I come to a spot thick with the scent of Steven’s blood. The image of how he had been moments before being shot floods my mind and I can once again taste him, smoky and spicy. A growl of frustration escapes me as heat fills my body and a sense of wrongness fills my mind. 

 Both of them … No!

 I bound forward with a burst of speed lashing out at a bush as I pass. Leaves and small branches go flying and I turn my head to watch them flutter on the faint stirring of a breeze. I glimpse Mikkarl following not far away and circle around to come up beside him.

 “What is it Rosy?” Mikkarl asks softly. “What’s wrong?” His hand rests briefly on my head before his fingers reach behind my ear and begin to scratch gently. I stand still for a few moments under his soothing touch before moving off to drop my head and sniff the ground before finding a footprint. I begin to back track where Lilly came from and I am glad of Mikkarl behind me when minutes later I find an empty sleeping bag and a large backpack.

Mikkarl starts going through the contents and exhales loudly as he finds a packet of photographs he looks through, he glances at me and takes the time to reach out and scratch behind one ear before beginning to pack up the camp. Shortly Mikkarl and I are on our way back towards the building, me still in cat form and Mikkarl on two feet carrying the sleeping bag and backpack. I break into a trot and glance back at him several times but he sticks to a steady walk and I slow my pace since he failed to get the hint and begin jogging after me.

When we reach the clearing around the building we both quicken our pace, I begin a steady lope while Mikkarl breaks into a run. As we get closer I can hear Wade and Marissa inside the quarters and I rush at the screen door grabbing it in my mouth as I attempt to open it, A strange tom is inside and I snarl at him curling my top lip menacingly as I push past and hurry to my room. My change back to human form is fast leaving me gritting my teeth from the pain across my ribs as I reach hurriedly for clothing. I run down the sunroom ignoring the way my t-shirt start to cling to my bloody ribs.

“How’s Jazzy and Steven?” I demand as I burst into the lounge room and push my way past several toms without taking notice of whom they are.

“Rosy just stand back and let Chris see to them,” Sam says quietly and I hurry to him reaching for Wynn.

“Give me my baby!” I demand fretfully, the irrational fear that someone might have hurt him while I was away gnaws at me and I check him anxiously. He wakes as I open the blanket and check his little arms and legs, he takes several deep breaths before whimpering then letting out a distressed cry. His crying quickly escalates and I jiggle him as I croon to in an attempt to soothe him.

“What’s wrong with him?” I ask anxiously as I glance towards Micah as he approaches me. Just seeing him and Steven bring the confusion and overload of thoughts and feelings rushing back. I can’t think straight as fear overwhelms me and both my human and feline sides bombard the other half with thoughts and sensations trying to be in control.

“You’re upset and injured and Wynn can sense it,” Micah says gently, “You need to wash the blood off and be treated so you stop bleeding.”

“No! Wynn needs me!” I deny hotly as I continue to jiggle Wynn and try to get him to stop crying. The maternal part of both sides of my nature demands I tend to my son but he doesn’t respond to my efforts to comfort him. I give a startled gasp as Micah grabs me by the upper arms and then Sam slips one arm around Wynn and begins squeezing one of my wrists to loosen my hold on Wynn. 

“No! You can’t take my baby! I won’t let you!” I cry out in distress as Wynn is taken from my arms. Large hands grasp me around the upper ribs and I begin to struggle only to be hauled up against a hard body, I try to stamp on feet or bite the restraining hands but have no success.

“Rosy let your brother take Wynn so I can see to your injuries,” Micah says firmly from just behind my head and I give a wordless cry of distress as Micah hauls me further away despite my struggles.

“No-no-no!” I sob. I can hear Micah’s soft grunts of effort as I am half pushed, half dragged up the sunroom and into the bathroom. The door clicks closed behind Micah and I continue to struggle, suddenly I find Micah crowding me into the shower cubicle beneath a spray of cold water. I stop fighting as the coldness shocks me and reaction starts to set in. I can feel myself shaking as Micah strip my hastily donned clothing from me. Somewhere in the back of my mind it occurs to me that I shouldn’t be letting him take such liberties as he turns me while he surveys my body. I begin shaking my head in denial, I can’t handle this at the moment. My confusion and feelings of being overwhelmed are being intensified by his attentions. It seems surreal as Micah strips his wet jeans off and joins me beneath the spray as he reaches for the taps to adjust the temperature.

“Go away …” I mumble as I turn away but Micah’s hands are on my shoulders as he tries to turn me to face him. I am shaking my head and pushing at his chest as he attempts to gather me into his arms.

“Oh God, I thought I’d lost you,” Micah mutters as he crushes me against his chest despite my struggles. I feel his cheek rub against the side of my head, feel his breath against my cheek as his breathing gives a weird little catch. He grasps my shoulders tightly as he steps back to look at my ribs where they burn and sting, his breath catches in his chest and then he is pulling me tightly against him. I continue to struggle, my mind is in turmoil, and being in his arms is all I want yet it is too much. I need to be free, I need to be by myself so I can work out how I feel. I need to be held while I hold my son.

“Stop struggling,” Micah grunts with the effort of holding me. I almost slip free then he is lifting me in his arms as he steps beneath the spray turning so the water runs over my wounded side. I hiss with pain and frustration and he moves so I am trapped between his body and the shower cubicle wall. The wall is cold against my back as I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist. 

Micah:

 I feel Rosy’s body slide against me as I pin her against the wall with my body. I catch a handful of hair at the back of her head and hold her still as I rest my forehead against hers. My cat is screaming at me to make her ours as I stand there, my chest heaving as I breathe heavily, her scent all around me.

 “I thought I was going to see you die,” I say tightly and then I am searching for her lips. I kiss her hard, desperate to reassure myself she is okay, that she is still alive. Her lips cling to mine, her hands no longer pushing against my chest but rather grasping at my shoulders and pulling me closer as she moves restlessly against me. I feel her slip slightly in my grasp and she gives a sharp cry as I feel the hardness of my cock slip inside her. I know I should withdraw, I should wait and take the time to ensure her arousal and pleasure but something is driving me and I begin moving against her as I continue to kiss her roughly.

 It is all over in a matter of seconds and I am left shaking as I struggle not to squash her against the wall or sink into a heap on the floor of the shower pulling her down with me. Gradually I become aware of the way she is holding herself stiffly in my arms, and I straighten a bit to look down at her. Rosy has her face averted, her eyes closed and I can hear her ragged breathing as I step back allowing myself to slip out of her body.

 “Rosy I …” My voice trails off, I don’t know what to say. She hadn’t been ready and I had taken her roughly against the wall regardless of her lack of arousal.

 “Leave … me … alone,” Rosy says through gritted teeth.

 “I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry, I …” I begin remorsefully. Rosy turns her head and opens her eyes to look at me. Something dark and dangerous burns deep in her eyes as she meets my gaze levelly.

 “Back off and stop pushing me,” Rosy warns in a tight voice. “Push me any further and I guarantee you will not like the consequences,”

 I open my mouth to speak but no sound comes out and I close it once again. Slowly I withdraw my support from her body and slowly back out of the cubicle, I hesitate a moment before picking up a Teatree body wash and placing it in the cubicle near her feet. It is anti bacterial and antifungal hopefully she takes my silent hint and uses it. I reach for a towel and wrap it around my hips as I back up further without breaking eye contact. I don’t take my eyes off her as I back to the door, open it and slip from the room. I realise I am shaking with reaction as I shut the door and pause a few moments before heading for my room for dry clothes. As I pull on dry jeans and a t-shirt I begin to get the sinking feeling that I just blew my last chance with Rosy. Not knowing what else I can do I head for the lounge room where everyone else is gathered.

Rosy:

 I stand beneath the cold spray of water and stare at the closed door. I am numb, shell shocked and completely overwhelmed at the same time. I feel like I lost myself totally when that door closed shutting Micah from my sight. I can feel panic starting to build somewhere deep inside me, and something starts to shake, and I know it will only stop when I have shattered into a million or more tiny pieces. Those voices begin in my mind once more, both clamouring to be heard, to have control. It is threatening to tear me apart and the more I try to blank my mind, block out the voices, the more insistent they become.

 When I am with Micah I loose myself, it’s like I become an extension of him and I hate it. I can only move when he pulls the strings, can only do what he wants but that’s not me and I fight it every step of the way. The more I fight, the more things go wrong, but I am not content to fade away and become a shadow within him. I feel like I am disappearing, ceasing to exist!

 My frustration builds and I lash out at the bottles of shampoo and conditioner on the shower caddy. They go flying, smashing against the walls and falling to the floor. I kick out them sending them skidding across the floor and out of the cubicle. A scream is torn from me. Part frustration part fury and a lot of pain, I am loosing myself! I still as it hits me, in all of this it will be Lilly who pays the ultimate price. 

 I know without being told she cannot be allowed to spread what she saw this morning and there is no way to keep her here a prisoner for the rest of her life.

 The door bursts open and I whirl to face it, Sam is in the doorway with a tense look of worry on his face. I take a deep breath and find I can’t catch my breath.

 “Rosy!” Sam says worriedly but doesn’t come any closer. I can see the wariness on his face and reach for the taps turning the flow of water off before stepping out of the cubicle and reaching for a towel.

 “I can’t do this Sam, I can’t do it!” I say flatly in sudden exhaustion. I wrap the towel around myself and reach for a second towel to dry my hair, I glance at my brother and he manages a shadow of a smile. Irrational fury washes over me and I turn away so I have my back to him.

 “I’m not coping Sam,” I say tightly. “I need some time alone so I can try to … try to get it into some kind of order. Work out how to cope. I need food, I need to be able to change back and forth from a cat. I need to be alone,”

 “What about Wynn?” Sam asks quietly. The sudden need to hold my son washes over me leaving me shaking, then comes the knowledge my son does not need my confusion and erratic emotions. 

“Can you look after him until he is ready for his next feed?” I take a deep breath as pain infuses me. My son needs me but at the moment I am like poison for him.

“Where will you be?” Sam asks quietly. “In your old room?”

“Yes,” I agree. “I want you to lock the door when I am inside,”

Sam is silent for a few moments and I glance his way once again, he gives me an uncomfortable smile but nods after a few seconds hesitation.

“Cooked or raw food?” Sam asks gruffly.

“Raw, I need … “ I stop as I mentally search for words to explain to my brother. “ … I need the balance, control and objectivity of being my cat. I need the peace to work this out,”

“I’ll go get a feed for you,” Sam says unhappily. I look at him and give him a tight smile, I can feel everything building up again, threatening to tear me apart.

“Lock me in first,” I say and brush past him roughly. I stride into my old room and stand stiffly as I wait for the door to close behind me. It seems to take for ages but I only manage two breaths. A feeling of relief hits me as I heard Sam hesitate then walk away. I smother the rather hysterical laugh that wants to bubble up, once the slamming of a cage door had meant danger, terror and pain. Now it means safety, for both me and those I care about.

I toss the towels aside and welcome the rush of pain as my body begins its change. The burn across my ribs and the deeper ache tell me the bullet cracked a rib. A corner of my mind is functioning enough to tell me it is some kind of miracle that the bullet skidded along my rib not busted through it into my body to rip and tear at my organs. I stretch and yawn as I feel the last of the change take place. I flick my ears back and forth before pacing around the room on silent paws. Interesting scents fill the room but I don’t take the time to explore them as I step up on the bed and circling to find a comfortable spot.

Micah, Steven, Lilly …

 The names roll through my mind and I lift my head as I stare at the locked door pensively. A sad sigh escapes me as I accept the inevitable, Lilly will need to be sacrificed to ensure the safety of those I care about. Excitement tingles through me as I remember those moments in the trees before we were interrupted. I lick my nose and I can almost taste and smell both toms as I lay down on top of the bed. In this form I have the control to stop the thoughts that are torturing me. No longer do they bombard me making me feel overwhelmed and out of control.

 “Hey Rosy,” I look up as I hear the two sets of footsteps approaching the room. I am in the process of getting off the bed when both Sam and Mitchell appear in the doorway, Sam carries a plastic container filled with a variety of meats. I lay my ears back and snarl, I am not in a pleasant mood and want to be left alone. Sam is quick to toss a thick steak between the bars and after a few moments hesitation while I eye my brothers I turn to snap it up with a quick bite.