Beauty, Beasts and Balance

Part Two

*Roar!*

A streak of gold, seemingly from nowhere, tackled the wolf's side. A leopard had rammed into it like a football quarterback and the wolf lost his grip on her leg as he yelped in surprise. The leopard bit into the wolf's spine at the base of his neck and shook until a satisfying crack echoed in the clearing. The wolf went limp and the rest of the pack growled in anger. Another wolf lunged for the leopard but the feline jumped high and twisted its body to aim sharp claws at its target. The massive front paws gripped the wolf as its back ones eviscerated it in a few short strokes. The wolf died yelping in pain. One more wolf attacked but was batted away by the leopard's right hook. It yipped as the curved claws tore a gash into its cheek. The pack lost its morale. In fear, they backed away slowly, putting distance between them and the leopard and when their back paws touched the brush they had come from, they turned tail and ran. The two bodies of their members all but abandoned. The cat, not even winded, chuffed cockily at his win. Then he turned to look at Caitlin who still lay on the ground bleeding. She had her upper body propped up on one arm as her wide, terror- filled eyes looked back at him. She had a few small abrasions on her alabaster face from being dragged and her hair was in complete disarray, but to the leopard, she was the most beautiful female he had ever seen. Entranced by her, he froze in place for a moment until the breeze picked up her scent. She smelled of roses and sweat but also blood tickled his nose. The copper smell on his tongue roused him and he quickly shifted form.

Going against all survival advice, she had stared at the leopard who'd been staring at her until a bright light enveloped its body. The light was only there for a moment, like a camera flash, and where the leopard had been, now stood a young man of around nineteen. His lightly tanned skin was flawless and his short wavy hair glittered in the speckled light. Two tiger-like red stripes were tattooed on his left jaw. He was completely naked except for a leopard's tail swishing behind him and leopard ears laying flat on the top of his head.

Caitilin's thoughts moved faster than a bullet train.

Yes! The leopard chased off the wolves. He's probably is trying to steal their prey. Too bad I'm the prey. Shit! The leopard is going to eat me! Fuck, that's bright! A person? Thank god! Save me! Why is he naked? Is that... a butt plug and headband? Is he some kind of furry larper? What if he's a pervert rapist? No. Look. He's flaccid. That's a good sign. But where'd the real leopard go?

The man's eyebrows scrunched with worry. He ran to Caitlin and kneeled by her feet. His hands hovered above her calf as though unsure what to do. He didn't want to touch the injury and cause her pain but he wanted to stop the bleeding and lick it clean. "Female! Your injured! Don't worry. My village isn't far. I will get you to the healer. Just hang on. Please don't die."

Caitlin was further confused. She couldn't grasp all he was saying and so chose to ignore much of it but she did understand he was worried for her injury. She knew she'd been bitten but she hadn't noticed much pain. Then she looked at her leg the man was fussing over. Uneven and jagged flesh with deep punctures encircled her calf. Fresh, bright red blood oozed over layers of darkening, drying blood. The bottom of her black capris leggings were damp with her heart's fuel and her grey sneaker was dyed in it. Blood dripped and soaked into the ground beneath it and splatter patterns from the wolf's rough handling were everywhere. It was deep. She knew that from experience. The deeper a wound, the less it hurts at first because the release of adrenaline protects the mind. But now that she had seen it and focused on it, the pain began to creep up her nervous system. She sucked in air past her clenched teeth in a hiss at the sharpening sensations.

What should I do? I need to stop the bleeding. I should call an ambulance too. Am I really hallucinating? Is this reality? Why does it hurt so much if it's all in my mind?