Cat Eyes: Sirius (Marien's POV only)

Bonus chapter: Welcome

"Will you allow me, my ardent husband?" she asked in that voice that melted me.

I raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Can we? I mean, despite...?"

She nodded happily. How to deny it? We ended up making love gently and intensely.

***

I was tied to two posts, and my body hurt terribly. I had multiple cuts all over my skin, and the floor was stained with dried blood, my blood.

This was for her, I mentalized.

Orion appeared in my field of vision, and the rest of his men showed their evil smiles. There was a small campfire to one side, with some animals cooking.

"Do you want to beg for your life now?" Orion asked.

I growled furiously, showing my fangs. Antares laughed and walked over to the campfire.

"Let's see," he played with a dagger. "You are stubborn. It costs you nothing to ask for mercy."

Orion widened his smile.

"With this, you won't want to continue with this game," he said as Antares approached with the knife.

He had put this one in the fire, and the blade was red-hot. I started to breathe in an accelerated way. The heat that it emanated already made me shiver. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited. The only thing I had in mind was my beloved. She was safe. I had left her, but she was safe.

I felt the scorching blade of the knife against my abdomen and cried out. My skin burned, and I was tied up, so I couldn't run away, just scream. Still, I wouldn't ask for mercy. They would be left wanting to hear me beg, no matter what they did to me.

My Marien, my sweet lady...

I woke up suddenly to a shower of soft kisses on my face.

"Everything is fine, love," she reassured me.

I took a deep breath, and she hugged me tightly. It had been another one of those nightmares. I hated when it happened. I always woke her up. It happened very rarely, but it was still very annoying.

"Forgive me," I asked. "I woke you up."

"No, I was already awake," she whispered.

"Something happens?" I stroked her hair.

The room was still dark. It was early morning.

"I'm hungry," she confessed with some embarrassment.

I smiled.

"What would you like me to prepare?"

"Well..." Her lips tighten. "I dreamed about that day when you hunted the rabbit and gave me to try. I woke up with a tremendous desire to eat that."

I smiled more at the beautiful memory. It relieved me of the nightmare and brightened my night more.

"I'll get one for you," I replied.

She worried.

"No. It's two in the morning. I'll just eat what's in here..." I hushed her down with a kiss.

"I'll get one," I assured and got out of bed.

I dressed up while she watched me, and I kissed her goodbye. I also kissed her belly, which was now more bulging. She was already five months old. I could hear her heartbeat.

I went out straight to the meadow where those animals slept. I found a burrow, guided by my nose, and found a rabbit. It was big. It was perfect.

Thanks to my good night vision, I knew he had seen me too. Heck, I should have been careful with the moon. It was likely that my eyes had reflected its light, alerting the animal. We were a couple of feet away, staring at each other.