Faline

Anthony shouts, I can feel the breeze as he tries to catch my tail. Rude ass dog. I'm on an upper level from the looks of things, more stairs go up and others going down. I go down. Barely enough time to see anything as I have to keep dodging a very angry wolf. He hasn't shifted, yet, still as 'human' as he ever gets.

I race down the stairs, almost falling down them to keep away from grubby hands. I turn and jump over the banister, fear striking hard as it comes to light that I am several levels up, not just one. Heart thumping in my chest as I try to keep pointed down as I fall, the floor gets closer and closer very quickly.

Able to catch onto the carpeting on the edge of one levels steps, my weight jerks me down and slows my downward progress, but doesn't take me to safety as it gives way and I start falling again. Twisting around, I fall three more floors before I hit the carpeted bottom. My feet land heavily, jarring me for a moment while I work on the thought of not being in pieces or mush.

I hear the barreling coming down the stairs, so my head swings around, looking for an escape. The area looks open, a man off to the side is kneeling next to a doorway. His gaze is pointed downward, totally ignoring me. Naked but for a small loincloth at his waist and leather collar at his throat.

Turning the opposite way, I take off once more, Anthony getting much closer. Picking a direction, I run down that hallway, looking for an open door. I go past several closed ones, the only open one is at the end of the hallway. My heart clenches as the knowledge I went the wrong way fills my head, the far room looking like just another bedroom.

Barreling in, I get a quick glance around. Not a bedroom, it's a library. A very big room with two of those wheeled ladders, a big, heavy desk in one corner, the far wall a fireplace, and a wide half-circle couch in front of it. It's too low to get under it.

I hear Anthony running down the hallway, I turn towards the fireplace. No flames, the inside's small, the stones on the back wall of it stick out here and there. Perfect.

I jump in and up, just clearing my tail when the door slams open, the bastard having run into it. My claws and footpads grip hard as I hold on, wanting to move further up but not wanting to make any noise and give away my position. Forcing my heart to slow back to its sluggish pace as I catch my breath, the fall from the stairway is still fresh in my mind.

Anthony pokes around the desk in what I swear is the loudest way possible. Nicolaus comes in not long after, I wish I could see what's going on, but there's no way I'm gonna pull some acrobatic bull and hang upside down. With my luck, I'd fall on my head.

I hear them both walking around, the Vampire even hums lightly. I know it's him from the pitch. The dog knows nothing of small sounds, he's all loudness.

"My love, this is foolish, come out. I see you have found your inner cat, I didn't get a very good look at her last time, come out and show her to me?"

Does he really think me that stupid?

Don't answer that.

Holding my breath, soot covers the stones, being disturbed by my being there as it plumes up. I hope they don't see the small soot cloud I seem to be making. The chimney is small, but there's still plenty of room around me to be grabbed.

I chance a look up, if there's an opening, I don't see it in this pitch-black tunnel, not even the small lamp on the desk spreads enough light for me to be able to see.

"Are you sure she came into this room? I don't smell her."

"Nor do I, but all the other doors were closed, in here was the only place she could go."

I can hear the slightest tremor in the dog's voice. Shouldn't he have better senses than a Vampire? Then again, I am covered in a good amount of old ash.

The door makes a low snick as it closes. They didn't go out, just preventing my escape. Before long, a new scent invades my nose through all the old black dust.

I don't get to dwell on it long as a hard tug on my tail is enough to jerk my claws from their purchase. I scrabble at the wall, trying to get a new hold and go up further. The soot has made everything slick, my flailing around only making things worse as it fills the air with an ash cloud.

Another sharp grasp on my tail pulls me down hard. I yowl and spit the whole way, my warnings not being heeded as I'm dragged down and out. I land hard on the half-burned logs, the pressure on my tail releasing as I spin around, intending to take off a face, but stop abruptly.

I look into a feline face with orange slit eyes. A deep instinctual sense of fear shoots through me, an image in my head of mountain lions killing those like me ingrained in memory. I swallow hard as I back up, growling, but the wall stops me before I can even go back a foot. The giant cat sits in front of me and just stares.

Anthony moving up behind it catches my attention, causing me to spit and hiss, ears going back hard against my skull. He stops, but I doubt it's because of me. Nicolaus's tail tip had twitched at the same time. My nose constantly tickles with all the dust flying around, my coat is covered in it.

The cougar takes a step back, still watching me as it gives me room to move. I'd guess it was in his mouth that my tail had been in to pull me down, it curls in close as it throbs. Constant deep, angry-sounding growls come from me.

The canine smell, as well as predator cat, fills my nose, causing fear. A need to escape. In a peripheral view, I see the door is closed, and there are no windows.

I do, however, see an open spot higher up on a bookshelf. Not exactly open, just full of small things I can push out once I get up there. The fun part is getting there without getting caught or maimed. Will have to be damn near instantaneous to get around the big cat in front of me and his pet dog.

The Vampire cat gives me an opening as he moves closer to me. I leap to the side, barely avoiding his paw swipe and head to the shelves that I had been facing. Going wide around the bastard dog, legs spring up the shelves and have to climb several more before I get to the one I want. It's a real snug fit, even after I push all the little statues and other stuff off.

Nicolaus faces me from below, the anger in Anthony fairly vibrates outward as I keep making him look the fool. I growl and pull my body in as tight as it'll go. Granted they can get on one of the ladders and climb to get me, but that would require them getting near my claws.

I'm around eighteen feet up or so, the shelves I had climbed carry scars from my claws digging in. Even with a feline face I can tell Nicolaus is losing his patience, tail tip twitching. He then surprises me, leaping up after me and gripping deep into the shelves. I start yowling and spitting in panic.

He jumps back down, paces below me, judging distance, then springs up again. The big cat manages to get a hold of the shelves a couple of layers below me. Totally ignoring my snarls and spitting, he jumps down again, just to turn and leap once more.

His maw parts as he comes at me, orange eyes glaring with an angry glint. The sight of those long teeth sends shards of dread through my very being. If he gets a hold of me, he's going to make sure I regret trying to get away, and sadly, it's only a matter of time.

With my ears held back tight to my head, I brace myself. Nicolaus reaches me this time, parted jaws clamp hold of the fur and skin on my shoulder, dragging me out, but I'll be damned if I make it easy. His teeth really hurt, but I haul off and go crazy at his head, neck, anything I can reach.

Growling as I bite, my forepaws tear at his side while my back feet kick hard. I can hear the tear of skin, both his and mine. He doesn't release, instead dropping back down with me in his mouth. The landing stuns me, long enough for him to get a different and better grip.

Teeth sink into the back of my neck, the extra skin there takes most of the pressure as an instinct I can't totally fight against has me going limp in his jaws.

I'm being held and carried like a damn kitten.

My body goes totally boneless, unable to fight. I pant from the pain in my shoulder from the massive fang holes. Blood steadily flows, the scent strong in my nose as it mixes with soot.

With his head held high, he carries me closer to Anthony. My weight is a real drawback right now, as his teeth sink deeper to keep hold. I thought he'd drop me at his dog's feet, but Anthony just turns and opens the door. Kitty Nicolaus carries me through and back to the wide landing at the end of the hallway.

The submissive looking man I'd seen earlier is on his knees at the bottom of the stairs. A leather looking collar around his neck has a chain leading to the hand of a dark-haired woman who stands over him. Each time I start moving around too much, I get shaken till I settle, so I can't turn my head to see what's going on or get more details.

Anthony becomes cajoling as he lets her know that everything is fine, just Nicolaus teaching his Progeny some manners. His voice sounds mewling to me, he either likes this woman, or he's afraid of her. Don't know or care right now as I'm being carried up the stairs as if his young.

Knowing I had fallen at least a few floors before I had caught some carpeting, I'm in for a lot of pain. The cat's movements are awkward with me hanging from his mouth, but he keeps going. Only stopping on one of the landings to re-position his grip. My tucked tail and back legs aren't happy with being dragged either.

We finally reach whatever level it is he's heading to. Ever since he changed his grip, the angle with which my head is in has changed, so I now get to look at the wall. No pictures, no wall hangings, no identifying anything. So far I've yet to hear the Werewolf behind us.

When at the corridor he wants, Nicolaus walks towards a door that has a pale woman kneeling beside it. Her face is pointed down, dark hair pulled back, the same loincloth type on her hips as the male had. Nothing for her top but a set of nipple clamps that have a chain running between them. She doesn't move as we get closer, her hands palm up on her thighs as if waiting for something to be put in them.

I can see her body stiffen as Nicolaus walks by, whether from him being male, undead, or a big ass cat, I've no idea. Her lowered eyes only raise as we go past, her gaze catches mine, widens, then goes right back down. Poor thing, don't know who's worse off, me or her.

The cougar stops at a door. He lays me down and puts a real big paw on my side, claws ready to extend if needed. He flexes them to let me know they're there, and very sharp. I stay limp.

Turning back towards the woman, he lets out a deep roar-meow like noise, the sound of it's surprisingly high pitched for something so huge. She rises to her feet and walks toward us, I feel pity for her, as there's no telling what she's gone through to know what he wants just by him meowing. He leans down, licking at my face before renewing his grip. Feeling my motion to get away, a harsh clench of his teeth ceases any more movements, body once again going limp as the door opens.

A noise I had been hearing like a buzzing in my ear finally makes itself known as the door is opened. There's low music playing in the room. She asks the cat in a low voice if there is anything else, he just grunts at her. Nodding, the door closes as we go through it. My neck and side are pounding when he lowers me to the floor.

Putting a giant paw on me once more, he shifts back to human. Feeling his hand change its shape while it's on me feels really weird. I keep looking at the wall. This room is green.