Eric

I woke up to the sound of a pained groan.

I lifted my head off the couch, ears turning toward the side. What was that?

It was dark outside still, so not much time must have passed since I'd curled into a ball and fallen asleep.

A whimper broke the silence of the night.

I jumped off the couch and padded towards the source of the sound. Pressing against the door to Samantha's bedroom, I listened.

There! A stifled moan.

Had someone climbed in through the window and gotten hold of her?

Should I knock and see what happens?

Should I call Bas?

Next thing I knew, I was tugging at the doorknob with my paws and opening the door.

Guess I was going with option number three.

I scanned the bedroom for intruders but saw none. The light was on inside for some reason, so it immediately became clear to me that Samantha was alone.

She was tossing and turning on the double bed, eyes closed and face twisted in fear or worry or both. She was trapped in a nightmare, it seemed.

Should I wake her up? I didn't want to give her yet another scare when she opened her eyes to find me in her bed, but...

I went and put only my front paws on the mattress. I poked her shoulder with my wet nose, just a gentle nudge.

She turned away from me, ending up in the middle of the bed where I couldn't reach her. Not unless I climbed in with her.

My whiskers twitched in hesitation. What was the right thing to do?

A sob left her lips.

I jumped on the bed and head-butted her in the shoulder. Wake up, lovely!

She kept clutching at the blanket, shaking like a leaf under it despite being dressed in a thick onesie in mid-summer. Her cheeks were wet with tears.

Desperate to end her suffering, I licked her face. Once, twice, the way shifter kids found comforting.

On the third lick, she sat up in bed so abruptly that I jumped in place, startled. My heart began pounding as fast as hers was.

I got worried she'd hyperventilate but her pulse began to gradually slow down, and when she turned to look my way, her pupils switched from the amber of her cat to the rich brown of her human half. She was calming down.

"Eric?" Instead of anger at my presence in her bed, her tone conveyed relief. "You woke me up... Did you lick my face?"

I lowered my gaze, feeling awkward. It had sounded like a good idea at the time, but Samantha was no shifter kid. I'd done something intimate without permission, I'd overstepped and–

"Thank you."

I looked up, surprised.

She was not looking at me but at the fresh tear she had just swiped away from her cheek. "I'm crying?... Hell, what's wrong with me?"

There was nothing wrong with crying after what she'd been through. But since I couldn't speak, I had to comfort her in another way.

I started purring.

A half giggle, half sob escaped Samantha. "That's so sweet of you, Eric... When I was little, my Dad used to do that to help me fall asleep. I haven't had someone scare the night-time monsters away since he and Mom died."

I upped my purring and felt tempted to lick her fresh tears away, to bring back that small smile from earlier when she'd wished me goodnight.

I was rewarded with a soft smile. "Thank you for coming to my rescue, Eric. Twice tonight."

My tail curled in satisfaction. But as my panther began contemplating a lick closer to Samantha's plush lips, I took a step back.

It was time to leave, before I overstayed my welcome. Before I gave in to the temptation that my fated mate was, now that fear was no longer tainting her natural scent.

"Don't leave."

My front paw paused in the air just off the edge of the bed. I turned my head to look back at Samantha.

"I don't want to sleep on my own tonight," she said through a tentative smile. She lied back down and turned to face me. "Could you stay in animal form and... just sleep by my side? No funny business?"

Could I? I wasn't sure for I had never faced such a temptation before.

In the end, I chose the torture of staying next to my fated mate without being able to touch her. I found I couldn't say no to her request. I also knew my Omega powers could give her a deep, peaceful sleep.

Besides, what better way to win her trust? She obviously trusted me somewhat already, but I wanted to show her she could rely on me completely. No 'funny business' in my company unless my lady wished it so.

I lied down on the left side of the bed, Samantha on the right. I rested my muzzle on my paws and began to purr once more.

"Thank you." She sighed deeply and closed her eyes.

Not a minute later, her breathing evened out as sleep took her.

I had made that happen, all on my own!

I closed my eyes with the panther version of a smug smile on my furry face.

When I opened them, daylight was seeping through the curtains.

And my head was resting not on my paws but on Samantha's mound.

And my nose was right over her pussy.