A Panther in Colac

CH.3 Day One

I sighed as I dropped the dressing gown onto the floor. The material bunching up around me, as I ran a hand through my hair. I was bare skinned underneath, a side effect of shifting, I didn't get to keep my clothes. Thankfully the dressing gown had simply fallen off, instead of tearing. I winced as my fingers touched the large burn on my arm, and thought about that woman.

It turned out my sense of smell had failed me when I'd recognized Carly as being human. Her mother was a dragon. Dragons are extremely territorial, especially over their kin. When she had slapped the girl I had lost it. Hurting children just was not something you did around me. What can I say? Kids are my weakness, I can't stand to see them hurt. As soon as I had realized what had happened I had shifted, scared the bajeezers out of Carly, caused the other girl to run screaming back into the room, and attacked the woman who turned out to be less than human. She had been more than ready to defend herself, her claws extended and the simple flame becoming more of a flame thrower. She had grabbed my panthers forearm and thrown me into the wall just outside of the door. Hence the burn.

It had taken a furious Casey to break up what could have been a potentially fatal fight. Not for the dragon. But for me. It had been obvious to everyone but my panther that I was going to lose. Every time I had tried to go on the defense and submit, my panther had taken just a little more control, and thrown us back at the dragon, and closer to a painful death. Casey had given me more than an earful for that.

The only reason I knew of dragons, was because I had been found by one as a young child, they had helped me return to my parents, after getting lost. They'd explained to me what they were, and that they were few and far between. It was very rare to run into a dragon, rarer still to find one that could shift. Thankfully Carlys' mother had not been one of the few shifting dragons.

I huffed as I looked at the bed, wondering if I should aid the maids by making the bed myself. Shrugging I decided I'd have a shower before anything else. That should help my burn to heal faster.

It was perhaps two hours later when I walked down to reception with my stuff, planning on heading off again. Casey was once more at her desk, smiling at me as I handed her the room key.

"You are going to visit me aren't you dear?" She asked me, seemingly having forgotten about my run in with the dragon.

"I'll do my best Casey, but I won't be able for a while. When I head back this way I'll drop in, wha'dya say?" I said, tilting my head with a small smile. I was going to miss the oversized bear. Even if I'd only known her for the equivalent of a day. She nodded in reply, before moving around the desk and pulling me into a bear hug. Pun intended.

I managed to save myself from suffocating in her embrace, and sent her a smile in fair-well.

"I'll see you another time, Casey." She sniffed and nodded,

"Of course dear, have a good trip!" I waved to her as I walked outside, shutting my eyes against the cool wind that blew in my face.

It was six in the afternoon by the time I reached I reached Geelong. I'd passed Winchelsea the day before, about four hours before I'd found Motel with Casey, Carly and the crazy ass dragon. I knew I'd be hard pressed to find a cheap motel here in Geelong, but I refused to let that get to me. I wasn't yet in the city itself, just the outskirts, the motels would be cheaper here, but I needed to get into the city. Alpha Jack had told me I could meet a man there named Andora, who would give me more information on this Darren guy. The address he's at for example. You know, the stuff I should've already known.

I shook my head. It would be too late by the time I reached the city. Besides. I was starved. I tapped my foot as I waited for the lights to change, so I could cross the road. There was a Maccas on the other side, and I felt like having one of those McSpicys. They were apparantly 'limited time only' but they'd been there for ages. Either that or I was behind, and they were being kept on the menu now.

Princes Highway was the road I'd been walking on, the view was gorgeous. On both sides there were paddocks, and old houses that looked just too cute! The cows had moved away from the fence as soon as they'd caught my scent, as did the sheep. But it didn't bother me. I'd never much liked the creatures anyway, sure they were cute as babies, but both cattle and sheep could be pretty damn dangerous as adults. The burn on my arm had healed as I'd walked, a welcome trait of being a shifter. The hills rolling in the distance, covered with that blue haze you usually saw when looking towards the horizon, looked nice. I wished I had a camera though. I'd noticed as I walked, two hills, with a tree that appeared to be situated directly in the middle from where I'd stood, it looked kind of like a giant dick. The sight had made me laugh, nature being immature. Either that or it was just me.

The lights changed and the annoying ringing attacked my ears, telling me I could cross. The scent of exhaust from the cars stung my nose, though I'd gotten mildly used to it as I walked alongside them. I made it to the door into McDonalds in one piece, and walked in.

Rush hour.

Of course I'd choose the rush to get food I thought to myself, going to stand in the shortest of the three lines. I could hear sizzling in the kitchen, and the scent of cooked meat took away the smell of running cars. Instant relief for my sensitive nose. It took maybe ten or so minutes for me to reach the counter, likely much less, but it felt like longer than that even. The noise in the restaurant was deafening, so when the guy taking my order asked me to repeat what I'd told him, I had trouble knowing what it was he'd said.

I eventually was able to leave the noisy, over crowded, over worked take away, restaurant with my food. I now had no where to eat it. I pursed my lips, and looked at my watch that I kept in the side pocket of the backpack I carried. 7:30 It read, an hour and a half? What?

Another hour went by, just walking randomly trying to find a place to stay, and eating my food, before finally giving in to my screaming headache and knocked on some random persons front door. I trusted my own capabilities to keep me safe if the owner of the house turned out to be less than friendly, so I wasn't worried about stranger-danger or anything equally childish.

It was a short, square shaped man who opened the door, his face covered in a greying fuzz, his head a shiny dome. I towered over the man, but somehow he intimidated me as he stared up at me, a stern expression in his eyes, as he looked me over. Not checking me out, but deciding if I were a threat or not. He was human.

"The hell d'ya want?" I was taken aback by the mans rudeness. Then I figured I was in Geelong, the people were more cautious of who they trusted here. Not so in Colac.

"I-I'm sorry if I am interrupting anything sir . . ." I started, before he cut in,

"Well ya better be feckin' sorry. I was watchin' TV, 'fore you came apoundin' on ma door." He glared at me heavily, his knuckles turning white where he gripped the wooden door.

"I was just . . . I was . . . " I cleared my throat, knowing I probably looked like a deer caught in the light of an oncoming car. "Would you possibly allow me to stay the night?"

"Of course you can sweet! Can't she Marner? What lovely manners the lass has!" I blinked as a woman materialised behind the man, drawing my attention to the darkness of the inside of the house.

"What are ya talkin' 'bout woman? Never said it could stay the night." It? I smiled tightly,

"I'm not sure your husband is too happy with the idea of me staying ma'am, I think I might try somewhere else." So I was guilt tripping, sue me. I'd seen the ring on 'Marner's wedding finger, and guessed the woman who seemed about my own height was his wife.

"Oh, no dear! Ignore him, he's just grumpy. You can stay, I wish I could offer you a proper bed, but I'm sure you don't wish to sleep with myself or my husband. Would the couch suffice?" I grinned, and nodded. The couch was fine.

"Thankyou so much ma'am."

"Please, call me Angie." Angies husband only grunted unintelligably as I entered their home.

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Hey guys, sorry it's taken me so long to update!

so basically all I have to say is what you read in every other story on here.

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