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Chapter Text

The Colorado Rockies was not their native homes, but it was where Prideland Sanctuary was located and so it became home. It was the safe haven for over fifty wild cats, most of them of the large variety. However it was also a sanctuary to a completely different kind of cat.

A sand cat and a bobcat would not typically be friends in the wild. Then again, they were barely friends here. The smaller sand cat glared over at the bobcat that just ran into him in an attempt to play. Making an annoyed sound, he padded off towards the small farmhouse that was for the employees of the sanctuary, the bobcat hot on his heels and making pleading noises that only served to annoy the sand cat more.

The side door to the farmhouse had a dog door made for some of those giant breeds, but an observant visitor to the sanctuary would note that there were no dogs to speak of on the property- save for the one crazy coyote but they tried not to talk about him. The sand cat slipped through the door, followed by the bumbling bobcat. Both felines then shifted into two very different looking humans.

“I kindda wanted to be alone Ray,” Brad snarked, rolling his shoulder from where Ray had ran into him.

“But you love me,” the bobcat retorted. Brad only scoffed.

They walked over to the bank of lockers that contained their spare clothing- walking around naked wouldn’t bother them but the visitors that would be arriving in a couple hours might have different opinions.

Patterson emerged from the front office. “Ah, there you are Brad.” It may have been Nate that owned the sanctuary but it was Patterson who ran the day to day. And as Nate’s mate, well, Patterson relied a lot on Brad.

For a human, Patterson sure understood shifters well. Though that probably had a lot to do with being mated to one himself. Barrett had taught him a lot about shifters but Bryan was already well versed in cat behavior long before then. It was what brought him to the sanctuary in the first place.

Not that Patterson was the only human on staff. They had a good mix of humans and shifters, though all of the former knew about the latter. Some of them came from shifter families, others had met shifters over time. Then there were people like Bryan who they had trusted with their secret.

“Need somethin’ Commander?” Brad inquired. His former Recon Marine days were showing. Everyone at the sanctuary was used to it by then- some of them had even been to war with Brad and had followed him home. The damn bobcat was the perfect example.

“We got the permit.” Patterson smirked. “Lucy is officially coming to Prideland.”

Brad didn’t bother hiding his surprise. Lucy was an African lion that had been through the ringer. Her pride had been attacked by poachers, her cub killed, and one of a few adults who had been captured to be used in canned hunting. The lioness had been saved by an African anti-poaching organization and placed into a preserve. However when threats from the poachers became attacks against the preserve and its people, the outcry from the world was incredible.

Public pressure had pushed the Kenyan government to agree to relocate Lucy out of the country. Several big cat sanctuaries had put a bid in, including Prideland, but none of them had really thought they had a shot to have the lioness come to them.

“Does Nate know?”

Patterson shook his head, smiling a little. He knew Brad would want to tell him the good news himself. “I imagine he’s going to be shocked. Which brings me to your assignment. I need you to get the enclosure ready.”

While a lot of the cats roamed the acres and acres of open land, there were others kept in the main compound. Some of them were the tamer or older cats there to help educate the public. Others were smaller breeds that needed to be kept away from the general population for their safety, and a couple that just didn’t play well with others no matter what they did. In Lucy’s case, since she was new she would need to be isolated in case of disease but also to help her adjust to her new home. Hopefully their small pride would accept her when the time was right.

“No problem. I’ll get Poke to help me.”

“When’s she comin’?” Ray asked, slipping his shirt on.

“Details haven’t been worked out yet but, maybe a week?”

It was exciting news for the sanctuary. They were about to get very busy.

Chapter Text

Lucy, as it turned out, was more of a celebrity than any of them had expected or prepared for, so it was doubly surprising when a journalist documenting her story asked to get an insider’s look at the sanctuary and Lucy’s transition to life there.

That news hadn’t sat well with the staff, particularly Bryan and Nate, whose job it was to look out for the best interests of animal and shifter alike. Letting a stranger so close was too risky for publicity they neither needed or wanted, and they’d said as much when their primary donor insisted they find a way to make it happen. But Ferrando’s word was law unless they wanted to lose the lion shifter’s generous funding, so they’d have to suck it up and find a way to make it work.

Watching the leopard trot past his office door, sand cat perched on its back like a jockey, Patterson groaned. This had fiasco written all over it.

Nate appeared then, cheerful as ever despite the early hour. Bryan still couldn’t figure out how he managed that level of optimism. No small part had to be due to Brad, whose presence had always had a noticeable positive effect on Nate, though now more so since the two had finally gotten together. About damn time as far as he was concerned.

“Everything okay?” Nate asked, frowning.

“Just wondering how we’re going to get through this without somebody slipping up.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about me, Brad, or Rich,” Nate said, ticking off fingers. “Rudy’s good. Kocher and Fawcett too.”

Bryan nodded. “Right, but that’s not everyone. And we’ve got that new volunteer starting tomorrow, who’s only going to get a few days to get settled in before shit hits the fan.” And being new to shifting, didn’t yet have a handle on his abilities, which was partially why he wanted to join the sanctuary staff.

His chair tipped back slightly as their feline ambassador, a petite ocelot named Jasmine, hopped up. She bumped her head against his before assuming her usual spot aboard his shoulders. Why she’d chosen to lay her affections upon a non-shifter, nobody knew, but she was happy and that was all that mattered.

One of the dozens of cats at the sanctuary, Jasmine's owners had surrendered her when they realized she was more wild animal than exotic house cat. Born deaf, she also needed special attention and wound up being more than her owners could handle. Now she called the sanctuary home, spending her days scaling the trees in her habitat on the other side of the office, and keeping him company while he tackled the never-ending paperwork required to keep the place going.

Bryan lowered his voice. “It’s Trombley I’m worried about.”

The coyote shifter had come to them almost a year ago to fulfill some required community service hours. Never ones to turn down a fellow shifter in need, they’d let him help out once he seemed proficient enough–maybe too much so. He’d completed his hours months ago yet the crazy canine wouldn’t leave.

Nate nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on him. He’s on kitchen duty for the next couple weeks, though, so that should at least keep him out of trouble for a little while.”

That would work, for the time being anyway. The coyote got far too much enjoyment from playing butcher and making blood popsicle treats for their residents. Fine by him. Whatever kept Trombley in line and out of the way.

Feeling claws dig in as Jasmine kneaded, Bryan winced. “Time to get down, sweetheart,” he crooned, unhooking a claw from his shirt. He got up then and passed her to Nate, who would introduce her to the day’s first tour group.

Jasmine scrambled up onto Nate’s shoulders and draped herself around his neck like a scarf, earning a treat in the process.

“Traitor,” Bryan teased as Nate walked away, laughing. On the other side of the doorway, Rich was waiting for Nate to leave before entering the office.

When they’d started dating, he’d had no idea what he was signing up for. He was used to keeping quiet about his personal life but finding out his lover could turn into a large cat and trusted him with that knowledge? Yeah, no pressure there.

Dating a werecat was at least similar to dating a human, although it’d taken time getting used to Rich’s choice of gifts. Dead rabbits weren’t Bryan’s choice for saying ‘I love you’ but he appreciated the feline intent behind the gesture even if it was somewhat disturbing by human standards. He loved his werecat, though, and hoped the ridiculous fluttery feeling he got just from looking at Rich never went away.

“Sometimes I think you love her more than me,” Rich teased, handing over one of the mugs of coffee in his hands. “Getting to crawl all over you like that.”

“Jealous?” Bryan asked innocently as he took a sip. “You could too if you were that small.” Rich was no house cat. The brawnier of the two of them in human form, his feline side was a 250 pound black jaguar that sometimes forgot it wasn’t a lap cat.

Mischief flickered in Rich’s eyes as he stepped close enough that their chests almost touched. “I didn’t hear you complaining about my size last night,” he said with a playful leer. Snorting, Bryan touched his forehead to Rich’s in a feline gesture he’d learned from his husband, angling his head after a moment for the kiss that always followed.

The moment was broken however when Ray shouted, “Brad! They’re bein’ all gay and shit again!”

“Because you didn’t just violate my ears an hour ago complaining about how no guy understands you because you’re a bobcat,” came the calm, disembodied reply. “Nobody understands your inbred ass, Ray, and it’s got nothing to do with being a bobcat.”

Rich snickered.

“That’s cold, homes. Ray Ray needs love too.”

“Ray Ray needs to use his adult vocabulary.”

“Or what?” Ray taunted. “You gonna bite my ankles?”

“I’ll have you know that I am Felis margarita, a fearsome desert predator with superior hearing, stealth skills, and a more powerful bite than you.”

“And you look like a cute widdle kitten.”

They heard a thump followed by a squeal from Ray, and then more bickering.

Closing his eyes, Bryan dropped his head onto his husband’s shoulder and blew out a sigh. “I think I need to have another talk with everyone before that journalist gets here.”

Chapter Text

“Brad.” Once again Patterson found a half-dressed Brad in the locker room that morning. It was typical though. While Nate would be continuing on his jog around the property, Brad always broke off from him, shifting and going on a more random run through the sloping hills, trees, and fields of the sanctuary. He was one of those shifters that needed to let the cat out regularly- Patterson couldn’t imagine the hassle of military life in that respect.

Brad turned, eyes piercing on the young man next to Patterson. “You the new guy?”

“Yes,” Patterson answered for him. “So be nice Brad.” The sand cat scoffed and rolled his eyes, grabbing for his clean shirt. “This is Walt Hasser. Walt, this is Brad Colbert. Can you get him settled? I’ve got a few things to do before the staff meeting.”

“Sure thing Commander,” Brad assured, closing up the locker. “First things first, pick a free one of these at some point and put a change of clothes in case you have the need to go all furry. You can get in and out through the door,” Brad added, pointing to the doggy door that got them into the side of the farmhouse.

Brad motioned for Walt to follow up the back staircase. They had a small sleeping area there. At the moment only one other shifter lived there. But it was always available to the employees and occasional volunteer. Sometimes it was a temporary dwelling while they found a place after relocating to the area, or sometimes they were displaced- as was Christeson’s situation.

Said shifter was already dressed for the day, just making up his bed when they got to the loft. “Hey!” Christeson greeted brightly, Brad shaking his head with a little smirk. Nate had practically adopted the kid after he showed up wet, cold, and hungry on the doorstep. Now the runaway shifter was one of their makeshift family. “John Christeson,” he introduced, offering Walt his hand.

“Walt. Walt Hasser,” he answered, a clear drawl present. Even though Walt was clearly older than Christeson, he was still pretty young, and he acted skittish.

Brad would have to get the guy’s story from Patterson later. Typically only he and Nate would know the background on the shifters that first came to the sanctuary. The rest of them had to find out things for themselves when the person was ready. Fair, but Brad wanted to know at least the major highlights all the same and Patterson would at least give him that much.

“Stow your gear wherever,” Brad told the newcomer. “You can come back an’ get settled after the tour.” He didn’t wait for an answer, trotting down the stairs.

Although he did overhear Walt ask, “Is he always like this?”

Christenson laughed as he replied, “No worries man. That’s just Brad. He’s ex-Recon so he gets a bit… weird every now and then.”

Brad scoffed. “Weird” was not a word to describe a battle-hardened warrior.

* * *

“So you’re Nate’s mate?” Walt asked as they were going from the pens to the behind the scenes buildings.

“Yup.” Brad didn’t bother hiding the pride, puffing out his chest a little.

“He seemed really nice.” Brad had no doubts. It was always Nate and Patterson that decided together about any new employees, which meant they had met for at least one interview beforehand. “So is, uh, Patterson…?” Brad stopped when Walt did, watching how the younger shifter chewed on his lip. “He’s human, right? So, is he the only one or…?”

“There’s a pretty good mix here. But don’t worry about them. They’re all good.”

“They know about…?” Walt’s eyes flickered away.

“Yeah. Some have mates, like Patterson, or came from shifter families. Or people like Pappy just got intrusted with the knowledge after proving themselves. But, yeah, they’re all good people. You don’t have to worry about hiding or anything here Walt.”

Brad watched the weight come off of the kid’s shoulders. “Come on,” Brad prompted. “Let’s finish up so we can get to this meeting and grab breakfast.”

* * *

What was one way to insure that a bunch of shifters showed up to the morning weekly staff meeting? Have it at the same time as Rudy’s breakfast of course. The man was an amazing cook and offered up three meals a day for the staff. Of course they could have always brought food from home or gone out somewhere, but no one wanted to after tasting Rudy’s food.

“Alright,” Patterson barked, “simmer down!” When he had their attention, he gestured over to Walt. “First order of business, everyone welcome Walt Hasser to the team.”

What Walt hadn’t expected was to be introduced to all the guys in turn, and even get their animal out of it. Then again, this came from Brad discretely as they had their meal.

He already knew Bryan Patterson was human and it turned out his mate Rich Barrett was a black jaguar. Christeson was a Geoffrey’s Cat- which Walt could work with- and the human that seemed to glue himself to Christeson’s side since showing up was Evan Stafford, aka Q-tip for his bright blonde hair. Rudy Reyes was a snow leopard while Antonio Espera- whom Brad called Poke- was an atypical golden leopard.

“Not that you wanna tell him that,” Brad added. “Don’t get Poke started on leopards or he’ll talk your damn ear off about their struggle.”

It turned out Poke had been in combat with Brad. He, Kocher, and Ray had followed Brad back from Iraq and never looked back. When Brad pointed out Eric Kocher, the resident lynx, Kocher had his head rested on the shoulder of the slightly smaller-framed Damon Fawcett who was a serval himself. Apparently they were courting and Walt believed it by the way Kocher looked at Fawcett all doe-eyed.

“And what about your ol’ buddy Ray Ray?” a dark-haired wiry man complained as he plopped down on the bench across from them at the long cafeteria style table.

Brad grunted. “Walt, this walking cesspool of genetics is Ray Person.”

“I’m a bobcat,” Ray informed with a grin. “What are you?”

Walt ducked his head, looking away shyly and Brad gave his best friend a glare in turn. “Shut up Ray.” Without even missing a beat, Brad kept on introducing the crew members.

There were two more humans. One of the oldest was Pappy- “Basically no one calls him by his actual name anymore.”- who was a former Game Warden that had started out volunteering at the sanctuary in his spare time. That had grown into retiring early and joining the staff full time, not even phased when he learned about shapeshifters.

Tim Bryan was known to everyone simply as Doc. Mostly because he was the sanctuary’s vet, but also because the Bryan thing was confusing between him and Patterson. “He can take care of you,” Brad informed. “And he’s from a shifter family too.”

“Yeah, of huskies,” Ray scoffed. “You’d think he’d pick a different species to focus on than cats.”

“Which brings us to Trombley,” Brad grunted. He was the last to be introduced, the resident coyote shifter who had come to the sanctuary to fulfill court ordered community service and then never left. “Occasionally he’ll bunk up in the loft, so don’t freak if you find him there.” The kid had a crazy home life, which probably explained a lot about the way he was.

“What about you and Nate?” Walt asked curiously.

Brad only smiled.

Chapter Text

The reporter’s name was Evan Wright, sent by none other than National Geographic- which earned him the nickname of Nat Geo with the guys, as well as simply Reporter. He was a nice enough guy, seemingly fascinated by the sanctuary and its animals, and with Nate in particular.

“So you left Dartmouth to open this place?” Reporter asked in disbelief. Nate shrugged, a little grin on his face, Reporter shaking his head in turn. They were meandering around the grounds after Nate had given him the grand tour, planning to take him out to see the bigger cats that roamed free later that day. “So why Pridelands?”

“My first rescue was our big male lion,” Nate answered. “Even named him Simba.”

“And the female shortly after he named Nala,” a second voice informed. Patterson came over to join them, done with his last minute arrangements for Lucy’s delivery the following day. Naturally Jasmine was draped across his shoulders like a scarf.

Nate smiled as he finished, “So Pridelands only seemed natural.”

Reporter was eyeing Jasmine however. “Is that thing tame?”

“Jasmine? You bet. She’s become our ambassador.” Patterson launched into his usual introduction he used on tour groups about the pretty ocelot. “She’s a great ice breaker, and kids are able to actually pet her.”

“There are… other cats that roam around that you might see too,” Nate ventured. “They’re pretty much harmless but I wouldn’t try and pet any of them without Bryan or I around. Some of them are weird about strangers. But you’re not in danger or anything,” Nate added quickly when he saw Reporter’s expression.

“Are they always out?” he asked with a bit of worry anyway.

“Typically not when we have any groups scheduled,” Patterson assured, trading a look with Nate. “Mostly a morning thing when staff is cleaning, y’know?”

“Right.”

He had warned everyone not to go around shifted the next few days while Evan was there, but it was good to cover themselves. Their younger members, like Walt, Christeson, and Fawcett were a bit more jumpy and prone to shifting at random than more seasoned shifters. Then again, anyone could get so stressed that their animal took over at will- it happened.

Nate quickly moved to change the subject. “So did you want to go see the big cats?”

“There’s like fences and stuff right?”

Patterson grinned. “Nope. We take the jeeps out into the preserve. The cats are used to it and they won’t bother us.”

Reporter nodded. “When I went with a group to Kenya that’s how we traveled. It was crazy how much the cats didn’t care about us being there.”

“That’s why they picked you, yeah? You had seen Lucy’s pride?”

“Yeah, me and the other photographer I was with, we followed the pride around for almost a week. It was crazy to hear what happened.” Reporter offered a little smile. “So I wanted to be the one to come document Lucy’s move. Felt right, y’know?”

Nate figured the reporter might actually fit in alright after all.

* * *

“Yo, Nat Geo!” Ray greeted when they came back. “See you didn’t get eaten.”

“Ray,” Brad warned as he walked by. He went right up to Nate as he got out of the passenger seat and gave him a kiss. “Gunny’s back,” he announced casually, although the smallest bit of a smirk turned at the corner of his mouth, giving away how glad he was to be the one to give Nate the news.

Nate didn’t bother hiding his excitement, running straight for the mess hall where he knew the man was likely to be. Patterson laughed at how young the action made Nate look, and how much like a puppy- though he’d never say that aloud.

It was understandable though. Mike Wynn had taken the young shifter under his wings years ago. Even though he was a human, Nate had trusted him immensely, probably more than anyone else at the time. Mike had been the first human Nate had trusted with his secret, with all their secret really. The older man had rewarded Nate with a hug and a promise not to let that trust be misplaced.

Mike had become something of a combination of friend, mentor, and father to Nate ever since meeting on the Dartmouth campus all those years before. Mike had been there on a recruitment venture and had talked with Nate at length about the Corps. Nate had almost signed up for the officer program but in the end had backed away. He had opened the sanctuary just months later.

Mike had been away on deployment to Iraq for a second tour after Brad and the others had already come home. So Mike’s return had been long overdue, especially to Nate.

Reporter was watching Brad carefully, looking as though he wanted to ask something. He didn’t get a chance as Barrett showed up next with a furry tail. “Your girlfriend has been yowling at me since you left,” he griped, although there was amusement twinkling in his eyes. Jasmine took a running leap onto the hood of the jeep in order to crawl up onto her favorite human.

“Come on,” Patterson directed. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Mike either.” He wrapped his arm around Barrett as they walked, laughing at how Jasmine started to nibble on Barrett’s ear. “She’s gonna make you regret cutting your hair yet babe.”

“Ray,” Brad ordered, “you’re on reporter duty.” Then Brad promptly disappeared, Ray assumed to go shift and run. Lucky bastard.

“Yeah, sure homes,” he answered sarcastically, mostly to himself, “no problem. Not like I got shit to do or anything.” He looked over to find Reporter’s brows drawn together. “Question?”

“I didn’t realize…” Reporter pointed off after Patterson and Barrett’s retreating forms.

“Oh yeah. Those two are married. They just didn’t bother changing their names cause they couldn’t settle on which to use.” They were a bit more than married but that wasn’t up for discussion. Still, Patterson had told Barrett there was no getting mated without getting legally hitched too.

“And Nate and Brad?” When he had met everyone earlier the pair hadn’t given any indication on being a couple.

“Yeah, them too. Well, alright they’re not technically married. Like they didn’t get a license or anything, but yeah, basically they are.” And any shifter would agree as they had officially mated, claiming the other in something that they saw as meaning more than some stupid piece of paper. “Brad’s just not the marriage type is all. Thinks it’s bad luck.” Which was actually true.

“Oh.” It wasn’t as though Reporter cared- he was plenty open-minded- it had just taken him by surprise.

“Who else ya wanna gossip about?” Ray inquired with a big grin. Evan figured he wasn’t getting any more material for his article for the foreseeable future.

* * *

It turned out that when Reporter sent in his article, National Geographic had the brilliant idea that they wanted to do a series. They wanted him to do a whole thing about the sanctuary, Nate, the people that worked there, and of course following Lucy as she settled further in and hopefully her joining the main pride.

Nate didn’t bother to hide his concern from Patterson. The man was their PR guy for a reason and Nate trusted his judgement immensely. Still, there were all kinds of problems Nate could foresee- most obvious of which was his staff’s comfort. Being careful for a few days about their shifting was a lot different than a month or more.

“It’s a great publicity opportunity,” Patterson pointed out unnecessarily. “More people are likely to come here after hearing about us. And then of course there’s the donations to think about. And… frankly I’m hoping for more sponsorships.”

“We need more than just Godfather,” Nate conceded. Fernando was their biggest and thus most influential sponsor. He’d earned the nickname for his voice but also because of his “offer you can’t refuse” attitude. And it was true- they couldn’t afford to refuse, not without more backers. They had to feed the cats.

“Nobody tell Brad,” was all Nate muttered, as much of an agreement as Patterson was going to get.

Patterson said nothing when Nate ended up as a giant tiger in the middle of his office. He simply held the door open and gathered up the man’s clothes, hanging them in Brad’s locker. Patterson was afraid there was little he could do to help ease the stress that Nate was clearly feeling. Maybe he’d ask for Rich’s help later in getting the word out to the “pride.”

* * *

“Not now Ray!” a voice snapped. Reporter recognized it as Walt. After living at Prideland for about a week he was getting used to everyone- their personalities and dynamics. He couldn’t recall ever hearing Walt raise his voice though.

“I’m just curious,” Ray defended.

“Well stop being curious then!”

“Walt…”

Reporter hadn’t made any noise while coming down the stairs to the locker room. Perhaps he should have.

He couldn’t believe his eyes. One minute Walt was standing there glaring at Ray, and the next he was a small ocelot standing in a pile of clothes. He hissed at Ray before taking off, slipping through the dog door Reporter had always found odd.

“Oh shit.” Reporter looked up to find he’d been spotted. Ray actually looked scared for once. “Brad is gonna kill me.”

Chapter Text

Getting Lucy settled into her new home was a big job no matter what but she was at least cooperative, which was more than they could say for some of the residents who’d fought them every step of the way. To Nate, she seemed to sense she was finally safe and was grateful for her new life.

What concerned him, though, was an air of something he couldn’t identify between some of the staff. Walt and Ray avoided each other every chance they got, refusing to make eye contact when circumstances forced them together. Brad always looked like he wanted to murder them but couldn’t decide who to maul first, and he eyed the reporter with the same look. Disagreements were almost a given with all the testosterone and big cat energy concentrated at the sanctuary, so Nate stayed out of it.

Once they’d gotten Lucy fed and settled into her temporary enclosure, Nate finally joined Patterson to field more questions from the rest of the media covering this story. When his stomach growled an hour later, Patterson laughed and shooed him off to the mess hall. They’d both been so busy playing host that they’d forgotten lunch.

In the mess hall, as everyone had taken to referring to the kitchen and dining area, Nate found Rudy hard at work on tonight’s feast to celebrate their newest arrival, chopping vegetables as deftly as a professional chef.

Seeking greater purpose in his life, Rudy had answered their call for a full-time cook, quickly endearing himself to the entire staff. He was more than just their cook, though–he was someone who always made time to lend an ear to whoever needed it. Anyone having a bad day knew to find Rudy because he was always armed with words of wisdom and, failing that, snacks. Seeing none of the latter, Nate swiped a carrot from the pile that had already been peeled, earning a disapproving look that made them both snort.

“There’s a couple of plates in the fridge leftover from lunch,” Rudy said, swatting Nate’s hand away as he reached for another carrot.

Retrieving a plate, Nate put it in the microwave to reheat while he set about making himself a mug of tea to soothe his frazzled nerves. He wouldn’t trade this job for anything but some days were so much more draining than others. Maybe it was time to finally act on that vacation idea Brad had suggested months ago that they’d forgotten about.

Pappy entered the kitchen then, giving Nate a friendly nod before he strolled over to Rudy. He peered over Rudy’s shoulder to see what he was doing. Sliding his gaze from the cutting board to Pappy, Rudy’s lips twitched into a soft smile Nate suspected neither knew he saw. When he noticed Pappy’s hand settle at the small of Rudy’s back, Nate took that as his cue to give the two some privacy.

“Thanks, Rudy!” Nate threw over his shoulder as he scurried away to his office. He’d noticed the two spending more and more time together but never thought anything of it. Everyone here was friends with someone else and it wasn’t unusual to see to see them joking around and hanging all over one another as though they’d all been best friends their entire lives. As two of the most mild-mannered guys on staff, Nate assumed they gravitated toward one another because they were kindred spirits. Now he wondered if there wasn’t more to it than that.

Barely finished with his late lunch of beef and mushroom stroganoff, a knock at the door drew Nate’s attention. “Got a minute?” Wright asked. He had that same wide-eyed, slightly panicked expression he’d had the first day there, and Nate immediately wondered what was wrong.

“Sure.” Nate pushed the empty plate aside and motioned for the reporter to sit down. “What can I do for you?”

Wright licked his lips, not quite meeting Nate’s eyes at first. “You said there were…other cats wandering around the sanctuary, right?”

“Yes,” Nate said slowly, not quite sure where Wright was going with this conversation.

“Were you referring to the, uh, staff?”

Nate’s heart stuttered on a beat. Wright knew? How? Yes, he’d alluded to there being shifters around that day the reporter had arrived, but that briefing was really only to prepare him to see cats in unexpected places and treat them respectfully. He didn’t need to know which cats were the wild ones and which were shifters.

Did he tell Wright the truth or not? What would happen if he did? The entire sanctuary was in danger if Wright outed them. He didn’t get the impression Wright was that kind of reporter, but Nate wasn’t going to be quick with the truth regardless, especially when this was coming out of left field.

Nate cocked his head at the reporter, feigning confusion. “What are you talking about?” he asked innocently. The sweet look no longer worked on Brad, who knew all his tricks, but everyone else fell for it.

Wright leaned forward in his chair and lowered his voice. “Last night I accidentally walked in on Ray and Walt in the locker room. They were arguing about something–I don’t know what–and next thing I know there’s an ocelot standing in Walt’s clothes.”

Nate’s mouth went dry. Wright wouldn’t know what kind of cat Walt was without having seen him shift. Saying it was Jasmine that he’d seen was too much of a stretch to pass off as believable. At least it explained all the weirdness between them earlier in the day.

“It’s– It’s okay if there’s shifters around, I’ve got no problem with them,” Wright quickly assured him. Was he really, though? Nate had known enough people who claimed the same thing and immediately drifted out of his life once they found out he was one of those. What humans didn’t seem to realize was that it only took one shifter somewhere in their family tree to give everyone after them the genetic marker for shifting. Any one of the descendants could be a carrier and not even know it.

At Nate’s skeptical look, Reporter pulled out his wallet and opened it so Nate could see a picture of him touching foreheads with a blonde woman. He flipped the photo page over to an almost identical photo except in this one the woman was replaced by a cheetah. “My girlfriend’s a shifter too,” he said with a sheepish smile. Wright closed the wallet and stuffed it back in his pocket. “Your secret’s safe with me. Honest.”

Nate simply nodded. The no shifting policy would stay in effect until he could talk to Patterson and see what they should do about this new development. He hoped Wright was as trustworthy as he seemed because it’d make their lives easier.

Chapter Text

Reporter looked at the lynx lounging on a large rock that made the cat about chest height.  He made sure to make noise as he approached, watching the lynx open its eyes.  Pausing, Reporter decided to check, “Kocher?”

The lynx nodded.

“Is it okay if I...?”

Kocher nodded again, laying his head on his paws as Reporter joined him, leaning against the rock.  “I’ve never actually seen a lynx up close before,” he said conversationally, even though he knew Kocher’s contribution would be limited.  “I’ve gone around the word to photograph wild cats but...”

The lynx gave a little snuffling huff that Reporter couldn’t quite interpret.  He hadn’t been around all of the guys in their feline forms yet, and certainly not enough to get all their quirks.  But he was trying.

At least the shifters at Sanctuary were much more at ease now that they weren’t worried about Evan finding them out.  Now he seemed to find cats wherever he went during off hours.

“Could I, uh...?”  Reporter hesitated as Kocher looked up at him.  “Never mind.”

Kocher huffed once more, seeming to know what Reporter was planning to ask and shoving his head against the man’s hand.  Reporter couldn’t help but smile a little, fingers carding through the soft fur.

“Would you get mad if I told ya you’re really pretty?”  By the way Kocher puffed up his chest and pressed his head further into his hand, Evan figured he wasn’t about to get mauled.

It wasn’t long before the little garden-type space was populated with a mix of cats- and a canine- plus various humans and shifters who didn’t apparently feel like being furry at the moment.

A coyote shot past him with a serval at his heels, causing Reporter to chuckle as they fell into a tangle of limbs.  A little Geoffrey’s cat was looking up at Evan, tilting his head in curiosity.  That was until an ocelot went flying off the rock Reporter was still leaning on and pounced the cat in question.  They tumbled about before the ocelot was being chased over to the others, the four young animals wrestling in earnest.

At least these animals he knew- Walt for obvious reasons, Trombley he’d been warned about early on, and being young Christeson and Fawcett prefered being in their cat forms more often.

As the young cats- and coyote- wrestled, Evan smiled.  “They never get tired,” someone commented next to him, “I swear.”  He looked over to find Nate watching with the expression of a proud parent.

If it was one thing Reporter realized long before the shifter bit had been revealed, it was that Nate truly cared about all the people at the sanctuary.  In his eyes, it was his job to protect and look after each and every one of them.  Knowing the man for a tiger- thank you Ray- made him one of the largest shifters there, followed by Barrett as a jaguar and the leopards Poke and Rudy- even though Rudy was slightly smaller as a snow variety.  Reporter figured as both a large cat and the owner of Pridelands, it was only natural for Nate to feel that way.

Kocher stood, stretching out with a yawn that showed off his dangerous canines.  He then leaned over and bumped his head into Nate’s shoulder in greeting.  Nate scratched behind his ear a moment before Kocher lept down and trotted over to where the others were playing. The serval immediatly bounded over, waiting for Kocher to sit back on his haunches before putting his paws up on the lynx’s shoulders.  Fawcett leaned in, rubbing their faces together.

“Those two are dating?” Evan asked, checking Ray’s intel.

It was Patterson who answered, coming up on his other side.  “Courting.”

“Courting?”

“It’s a shifter thing.”  Barrett was rather intimidating in his black jaguar form.  But he simply stood on top of the sunning rock and rubbed his head all over his mate.  “They’re a bit possessive if you couldn’t tell.”

Reporter laughed as he knew the feeling.  His girlfriend marked him all the time, though especially after he’d been away on assignment for awhile.  “But courting?” he inquired.  “What’s that about?”

“They go out of their way to ‘prove themselves mate material.’  Which typically means going out and killing something and leaving it on your doorstep.”  Patterson certainly remembered what that was like.

It took a while to convince Barrett that no, he really did appreciate the gifts but he didn’t really want another dead rabbit, thank you very much.  Barrett had instead switched to more human gifts thankfully, but the gesture was still very much one and the same.  It was all saying I can provide for you, look at how good a mate I can be, and so on.

“It can get a little intense,” Nate admitted.  “Especially if you have more than one shifter after the same mate.”

“What, like fighting?” Evan asked.

“It’s been known to happen.”

“So who does the courting?”

“It’s not a gender thing, if that’s what you mean.  Pairings where one isn’t a shifter, well, that’s easy.”  Nate nodded towards Barrett and Patterson pointedly, where the jaguar was sitting back on his haunches with his large paws sitting on Patterson’s shoulders as he rubbed their heads together.  “For pairs like me and Brad, that’s just up to whoever wants to make the first move.”

Reporter hesitated before asking, “So which one of you did the courting?”

Nate smiled.  “Brad did.  He took the whole matter very seriously.”

Reporter chuckled, shaking his head.  “Why is that not surprising?”

* * *

Fawcett followed the lynx along a game trail back into the forested area of the Sanctuary.  He was tempted to climb up in the trees but Kocher clearly wanted something so he decided to indulge later.

He stopped beside Kocher when he did, looking at the kill left there in a clearing, set in front of what appeared to be a small cave.  A deer was laid out, clearly taken down just before everyone came out for an afternoon break together.  Fawcett’s eyes widened, looking over at Kocher who was sitting back on his haunches looking rather smug.

When Fawcett hesitated, Kocher nudged his shoulder.  The slightly smaller serval didn’t need to be told twice, springing forward and ripping into the chest.  The blood was still warm and he dug into the carcass.  Finding what he was looking for, Fawcett turned around and offered Kocher the heart.

The hunter should always eat the heart.  It was the human part of them that believed such things, but Fawcett was always very adamant he was as much man as he was beast.  Yes, it might have very obviously been a courting gift, but that didn’t mean Fawcett couldn’t share.

Kocher purred, nuzzling Fawcett’s cheek and accepting the heart.  He wasn’t blind to the double meaning either.

Together they ate their fill before cuddling up together in the small cave that was more of an outcropping in the side of the rocky hill.  Kocher’s tongue laved over Fawcett’s jaws, cleaning away the blood, then moved to behind his ears.  Fawcett’s purr of contentment brought joy to Kocher’s soul.

It was later, when the sun had disappeared, when human limbs were tangled together that Kocher whispered the question in Fawcett’s ear.  “Mate with me?”

Fawcett laid beneath him, a smile in his voice as he answered, “I’m yours.”

Chapter Text

“He’s been going around our perimeter for three nights now,” Kocher informed. Brad nodded, watching the small red fox carefully. He was currently up the hill in the woodline watching them right back. He was young, that was certain, but he looked to be in good shape. At least he’d managed to take care of himself.

None of them were certain if the shifter had come to them on purpose or happened to stumble across them and become curious. It wasn’t unheard of that shifters sought them out, looking for a safe place to stay hidden from the world. Sometimes it was only temporary. Other times it became a permanent home. A canine was certainly a change however.

Kocher continued, “I was thinking we should send one of the small cats to try and coax him in.” He looked at Brad pointedly, which earned him a meaningful glare. “Just thinking you could lead a night recon.” He smirked when Brad huffed.

“Rotate volunteers to sit out here and try to bring ‘im in.” As he was walking away he threw over his shoulder, “Nate would kill us if we didn’t at least try to help him.”

* * *

It was a couple more days before they managed to bring the fox in. A few different shifters had given it a try, though not even Rudy’s offered food and calm presence had worked. Ironically enough it was Poke that did it.

Brad came around the corner of the mess hall and just about laughed in disbelief. Poke was sitting on the ground, back against a large boulder. He was talking animatedly about the “struggle of his people,” ie the leopards, both wild and shifter alike.

The red fox was sitting right in front of Poke, ears pricked forward and looking completely enthralled in the leopard’s rambling stories.

“Seriously Poke?” Brad asked, drawing their attention.

“What? The pup and I were having a good conversation.”

Brad rolled his eyes. “Well the pup needs to come with us to shift and get in some damn clothes. Doc’s gonna wanna check ‘im out and Rudy will wanna feed him.” No doubt Nate would want to speak with the kid too, find out why he was there and if he was staying.

Poke followed Brad to the farmhouse, the fox at their heels. When he shifted to his human form, sure enough they found themselves dealing with another young one. He accepted the spare set of sweatpants and teeshirt, ducking his head shyly. “Jason,” he introduced. “Jason Lilley.”

Poke smiled at him. “Welcome to Pridelands dawg.”

Chapter Text

Nate was having ideas again. This time he’d gotten it in his head they should create videos for Pridelands’ website and YouTube account as a way to promote and educate. At least two of their guys were great at filming and editing videos so production wouldn’t cost them a dime, and there was plenty of content to last them for months. All they needed was a ‘face of Pridelands’ to narrate and appear whenever needed.

“I don’t think so.” Patterson chuckled and waved him off.

“Why not?” Nate tried, following Patterson down the hall to his office. “You already spend so much time doing the tours and they love you. Now everyone that can’t make it can still get that experience of being here through the videos.”

“They love the cats,” Patterson corrected as he dropped into his chair. “And nobody on the internet needs to see my old mug a couple of times a month.” An easy smile played across his lips, the same smile that seemed to charm human and feline alike. He was all around personable and perfect for the job whether he admitted it or not, and Nate wasn’t about to let him off the hook.

Leaning against the door frame, Nate opened his mouth to protest but shut it when Patterson’s phone rang. His friend thumbed open the screen and answered, brows furrowed in confusion. Patterson shot out of his chair a second later. “Where is he now?” he asked, oblivious to Nate’s presence as he grabbed his coat from the hook on the door, hand shaking as he pulled out his keys.

“What’s wrong?” Nate asked when Patterson finally thanked whoever was on the other end of the line and hung up.

Patterson drew a shaky breath. “Rich was in an accident.”

Nate’s stomach plummeted. “Oh God, is he okay? What happened?”

“I–I don’t know. All they could tell me right now is that he’s alive. I–” The muscle in Patterson’s jaw jumped as he clenched his teeth, fighting to stay calm. “I need to get to the hospital.”

Before he took a step, though, Patterson’s face suddenly twisted in pain. He gripped the door handle to steady himself. Nate reached for him as he dropped to his knees, but leapt back when he realized a puma had replaced Patterson.

A distraught puma that wanted out of the office. NOW.

The big cat settled back on its haunches, preparing to launch itself at him in a bid for its freedom. While he could shift into his much larger tiger form, Nate decided against it. Patterson was more cat than man right now and a giant tiger would only provoke more distress.

“Brad!” Nate shouted, heart drumming against his ribs as he yanked the door shut a second before he became a chew toy. “Get Doc!”

* * *

It was times like these Rich was glad to be a shifter. For one, because he wasn’t sure he would’ve survived the crash otherwise. Two because he hated these goddamn crutches, and thank fuck his broken leg would heal in record time so he could be rid of them that much sooner. It was all the least of his concerns, though, knowing his mate was trapped in a form neither of them knew he had.

Rich hobbled down the hallway to the temporary enclosures as quickly as his crutches allowed. Too slow in his opinion. He needed to be with Bryan yesterday, but the doctor had refused to release him until they were confident he was fit enough to leave. So he’d stayed a second night while Bryan was here like a new cat in quarantine because inexperienced shifters couldn’t be trusted to control their animal. Nate and Brad had taken shifts with Jasmine to keep him company but it still broke Rich’s heart. When Nate sprang him from the hospital this morning there was no question where he wanted to go first.

Seated patiently in front of the fence, Jasmine stared into the seemingly empty enclosure. Her ears swiveled back when they approached but then switched forward again. She only left the enclosure area for her meals, according to Nate, and then raced right back, seeming to sense the new cat was actually the man who’d devoted so much time to training her.

“Hey, girly,” Rich greeted, “where’s your boyfriend?”

From the back of the enclosure a head popped up from the dense foliage. A large tawny cat bounded toward them a second later and flung itself against the fence. Claws hooked onto the fence as Bryan pulled himself forward and tried to shove his snout between the narrow gaps of metal.

Sticking a couple fingers through the fence to stroke the velvety nose, emotion welled in Rich’s throat. His mate was a shifter–a big gorgeous puma at that; who would’ve guessed? He’d never smelled shifter on Bryan in all their years together. Bryan assured him there wasn’t a single shifter in his family, but there had to be one somewhere because shifters didn’t appear out of thin air. No matter how weak the genetic link was, it had to be there, and could remain dormant for a long time until something triggered it. In Bryan’s case, Rich suspected the emotional stress of him getting hurt had finally done it.

“Let’s go inside so I can get you out of there.” Bryan let go of the fence then and waited for him to start moving, Jasmine bouncing along ahead of them. It was a good sign that Bryan seemed to have some control over his feline side. This way Rich could help him without a barrier between them.

Inside, Rich shooed Jasmine out the door before he closed it so it would just be him and Bryan in the room. Bryan might have some control but he was still more terrified cat than man at this point and liable to lash out. Unlatching the gate, Rich banked on Bryan at least recognizing his mate.

Pausing halfway out of the enclosure, Bryan put his nose up, whiskers twitching as he smelled the room. Shifting was a sensory overload for new and old shifters alike, and there was no doubt he was trying to process the peculiar blend of human and cat. Bryan finally trotted out to explore. Once satisfied, he sat at Rich’s feet.

Rich lowered himself awkwardly to the floor, folding his good leg under himself while gold eyes watched him. So far so good. Bryan waited for him to get settled then gently tapped the cast with a paw and looked at him for an explanation.

“I’m okay, baby,” he said, offering Bryan a smile he hoped was reassuring. “But what about you?” That first shift was always a confusing, scary, and sometimes embarrassing experience but most shifters had family to help them through it. Bryan had had to do it alone, and at his age Rich could only imagine how much more painful the rearrangement of bone and muscle was on an older body.

Bryan carefully climbed into his lap and rubbed his face against Rich’s neck. He put his arms around the cat, using his fingertips to knead the tension out of those powerful muscles. “That’s it,” Rich crooned, “just relax first.” Bryan purred in his ear, a deep rumble that made Rich’s heart melt.

When Bryan leaned his weight against him, Rich decided it was time for step two. “Now this is gonna sound dumb, but it works okay? All you’ve gotta do is…think human thoughts.” Bryan made a huffing sound Rich imagined was the big cat version of a snicker. “I mean it, Bry, just think of what you love about being human and what it feels like, and it’ll come to you.”

A shiver rolled up Rich’s spine when a sandpaper tongue dragged along his jaw. Yeah, that kind of thought was usually all it took for him to shift back too.

It took several long minutes before sweat-slicked skin finally replaced fur under Rich’s fingers. Lips brushed over the shell of his ear. He blew out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, his next given to the man in his arms.

The door creaked open then and Rich glanced over his shoulder, barely suppressing a growl when he saw Ray’s head poke through, one hand covering his eyes while the other waved a set of clothing. “Yakking kitty’s gonna need some threads.” He tossed them in like he was throwing a grenade and was gone.

Rich blinked in confusion. “Yakking…kitty?” He turned back to Bryan, who ducked his head to hide a grin.

“Let’s just say shifting doesn’t agree with me.”

Chapter Text

“Ray,” Brad put as much annoyance into the man’s name as possible, “fuck off.”

“Oh come on hommes,” Ray complained.  “I helped you when you were courting Nate.”

Brad’s eyes narrowed on him.  “You didn’t help with anything.  You stood around and gave your opinion on everything.”  He held his finger up to cut off Ray’s reply.  “Your unsolicited opinion.”

Ray huffed, arms crossed over his chest as Brad walked away.  When he was partway out the door he called after him, “Some friend you are!”

Brad stuck his head around the door.  “Nobody said we were friends Ray.”

“Yeah, fuck you too,” he grumbled to an empty locker room.

Normally it would have been the wrong place to be talking about Walt what with the shifter living upstairs but he was out doing something or other with Christenson in town.

After the argument he had with Walt that resulted in Evan finding out about them all, Walt had given him the cold shoulder.  Ray had only made it a few days before he very literally got on his knees and begged forgiveness.  Walt had looked at him long and hard before bursting out laughing.   “Get up Ray.  You look like a dumbass down there like that.”   Ray accepted the playful insult with a smile.

He hadn’t meant to make Walt mad at him.  He liked Walt.  Well, more than liked.  But it was why he was prying.  Ray just wanted to know what his story was but the guy just clammed up whenever he tried to bring it up.

Having decided he was going to court Walt, Ray had naturally gone to Brad for help.  The sand cat was his best friend and had successfully courted Nate.  That had to count for something!

With a dejected huff, Ray went into the office, finding Patterson.  “Hey yakking kitty,” he greeted, not missing the eye roll it caused.  “Where’s the mate?”

“Rich should be out checking the fenceline with Poke.”

Ray made a humming noise.  Thinking a moment he then inquired, “How ‘bout Kocher?”

“Probably still out with Doc checking on the roamers,” he answered, referring to all the cats that had free rein of the property.  Doc Bryan always tried to get out there to see them every couple of weeks.  Unless something came up in the meantime that was.

Neither option would be easy to get to, but Ray didn’t have anything else to do for the day.  He wasn’t on feeding rotation and all the pens he was assigned were all cleaned to perfection.  Sure he was a spaz but he took care of the animals.

“Right.  Thanks,” Ray offered, making himself scarce.

Both Jeeps were missing and he wasn’t about to test Brad’s wrath by taking the golf cart out of the main sanctuary area again.  Instead he just shifted, picking up his clothes and leaving them in a pile in front of his locker before slipping out the dog door.  Finding Barrett would probably be easiest so he took off to follow the fenceline.

* * *

He found Poke and Barrett mending a section of the outer fencing that looked a bit worse for wear.  Neither of them even blinked at Ray’s nude form.  “Yo dawg,” Poke greeted.  “What brings you out here?”

“I need help.”

Barrett snickered and Poke replied, “Dawg, I could have told you that ages ago.”

“You’re a riot Poke.  Really.”  Ray rolled his eyes, leaning back against the Jeep and hissing as hot metal touched skin.  “Damnit.  Fucking hell.”  He ignored their laughter, instead demanding of Barrett, “How did you court Bryan?”

That took the jaguar off-guard, Barrett blinking at him like he’d suddenly learned to talk in animal form.  “Just normal I guess?”  He passed the wire cutters over to Poke.  “Hunted for him, made sure to walk him to his car after work…  Cooked him a meal at my place once.”  Of course that would have been before they got married and moved into Patterson’s.

“That simple, huh?”

Barrett shrugged.  “No reason to make it complicated.”  He offered Ray an encouraging smile.  “Just be yourself Ray.  If they’re really the mate you’re meant for then it’ll happen.”

“Thanks,” Ray murmured, feeling slightly dejected for some reason.  “See you guys later.”

* * *

He found Kocher leaning against the other Jeep, tranq gun in hand.  Kocher was watching over Doc as he worked on a downed cheetah.  “She okay?” Ray asked, coming to stand next to Kocher.  He had learned his lesson earlier and didn’t lean back on the vehicle.

“Looks like she might have got into a scrap with someone.  Doc’s cleaning up the wounds for a better look.  Seems like she’ll be fine though.”

Ray nodded.  That was good.  Nate would have been heartbroken if they lost one of their only three cheetahs- one of which was Zara’s baby that had just recently gone off on her own.

“I wanted to ask you something,” Ray cut to the chase.  At least he knew Kocher wouldn’t brush it off or laugh at him like some other people he knew.  Having worked with Kocher overseas in recon had certainly made him more familiar with the lynx.  “I wanna court Walt but I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Walt?”  Kocher didn’t seem all that surprised.  “Best bet is to start with hunting.  Go up in the woods and get some rabbit or squirrel.  Fish if you can get it.  Or birds.”

“No problem.”

“And get him something for his room.  You’re not exactly crafty so you’ll have to buy it, but that’s alright.  Get a blanket or something.  Put your scent on it and give it to him.”

“Good idea.”  Ray was starting to feel like he could do this.

“You’ll have to find out stuff he likes.  Maybe music he listens to?  Or a book he’d enjoy?”

“Right.  Get him stuff he’ll like.”  Ray nodded.

“Did Damon tell you the kill I got him this last time?”  Ray shook his head and Kocher smiled.  The lynx very proudly- and rightfully so- described his last courting gift for Fawcett, the one that had made the serval agree to mating with him.  Not that they’d sealed it yet, the pair still planning out their ceremony, but it was basically a done deal.

“So that’s it?” Ray checked.

“Worked for me.”  Kocher raised a shoulder.  “Honestly Ray, just spend time with him.  Get to know him.  Show him you care…  That’s what a mate wants to know.  That you’ll be there for them.”

Ray nodded slowly, digesting everything Kocher told him.  “Thanks Kocher,” he finally said.

“Good luck.”  As Ray started to walk off to shift, Kocher called after him, “And Ray.  You may wanna take it slow.”  Kocher frowned.  “Something tells me Walt hasn’t exactly had an easy life.”

Apparently it wasn’t just Ray that picked up on it.

* * *

Walt looked at the squirrel that was sitting at the base of the stairs going up to the loft he and Christenson shared for the time being.  He picked it up by the tail, looking at Christenson.  “Do I even want to know?” Walt asked.

“Looks like it’s a gift.”  Christenson shrugged.

“Must be for you then,” Walt replied, passing it over.  He started to make his way up the stairs, shopping bag in hand.  Under his breath he said, “Nobody would want to get me anything.”

Chapter Text

Gold eyes tracked Bryan across the indoor play room they used for socializing the cats that called the sanctuary home. It was a large open room with a massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the outdoor play area connected to the room that gave Rich a clear view of the activity inside. In the center of the room, Bryan flopped onto his back on the floor, hugging the lion cub that had been crawling all over him for the last few minutes. Fawcett and Kocher were there as well, but they paid the two no mind as they were more occupied with the pair of shy tiger cubs clinging to them.

Rich huffed to himself, clenching his paw when he felt another tickle between his toes. He hated times like these when there was so much work to be done that anything else took a temporary backseat, their relationship included. To make matters worse, Nate had called in sick that morning, leaving Bryan temporarily in charge of both their duties. Rich knew he was behaving like a spoiled cub but, dammit, he was tired of sharing his mate with everyone else and ending up empty-handed because Bryan was always too exhausted when they got home.

Feeling another tickle, Rich lifted his paw and glared at the field mouse dangling from it. He’d caught the rodent scurrying away through the long grass but hadn’t felt the urge to do anything with it. He supposed he could make a light snack of it although he wasn’t really hungry, at least not in that sense. Or he could save it as a gift for Bryan now that his mate understood the gesture–maybe that’d warrant a few moment’s notice.

The mouse wiggled and squeaked in protest. No, too small to be a gift. Bryan deserved better.

Rich flicked the mouse away and rested his chin in his paws. Bryan was standing with the cub in his arms now, face buried in its fur. When he looked away, Bryan’s lips were curved into a serene smile as he returned the cub’s nuzzles before setting it down, sparking a twinge of jealousy in Rich. There wasn’t a single cat in the sanctuary who didn’t love Bryan the moment they met him; it had nothing to do with him being a fellow cat but rather Bryan’s mellow and approachable nature that put those around him at ease–the same thing that had drawn Rich to him in the first place.

Bryan left then, leaving Fawcett and Kocher with their charges who were tussling together. With the subject of his attention gone, Rich pushed to his feet and trotted down the hill to the main building. Surely Bryan was due for a break by now after having spent the day running the entire place by himself.

Nosing his way through the cat door that lead into the locker room, Rich caught a whiff of his mate’s scent as soon as he was inside, following it down the hall to the reception area where Bryan was helping Hasser compose an email response. Rich quietly seated himself at the end of the desk, out of the way but still within view, and waited for them to finish. When they did, though, Bryan was off to the next task without so much as a look of acknowledgement his way. After two more failed attempts at getting Bryan’s attention, Rich finally cornered his mate when Bryan went into his office. He wasn’t getting away this time.

“I know, I know,” Bryan said, eyes never leaving the laptop screen he was staring at. “Let me finish this expense report and then I’m all yours. Promise.” Rich flattened his ears and thumped his tail against the floor, loud enough he knew Bryan could hear.

He gave it ten minutes before he’d had enough waiting.

In one graceful leap Rich landed on the desk, thankful that Bryan kept his work space neatly organized. Anyone else’s desk and he would’ve flown clear off the other side from all the clutter that’d be underfoot. Bryan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but Rich climbed into his lap before he could protest. Try to ignore me now.

A second later, the chair creaked from the strain and tipped backwards. That hadn’t been his intention but he was hardly a lap cat so it came as no surprise when he felt Bryan’s arms tighten around him before they crashed to the floor in a heap of human and cat limbs. Instead of being upset about it, though, Bryan just barked a laugh. “Okay, babe, message received. You want to go home now, don’t you?” Rich licked his jaw, earning another throaty laugh that made his toes tingle.

Bryan pulled their heads together then and rubbed his nose against Rich’s. “I could never forget about you.”

Chapter Text

You can do this. Bryan had been telling himself that since agreeing to a talk show appearance months ago but the words had yet to fully register in his brain. They'd better do it soon because tomorrow was showtime.

When Wright had mentioned having a friend in California who was the host of a new daytime show looking for an animal expert to feature, Bryan knew he was in trouble. He'd ultimately agreed to doing the YouTube videos but it was one thing being filmed when they had complete control. It was another filming in front of a live studio audience while thousands more strangers watched at home. It unsettled his cat.

Bryan rubbed at his chest. He should've shifted before they'd left but he hadn't felt like it at the time. Every shifter was different when it came to letting their animal loose, though most couldn't seem to get enough. Every shifter he knew had been doing it long enough that their animal was an extension of themselves--their other half. He, on the other hand, could take it or leave it, a sentiment he suspected was mostly due to being well into his thirties before his first shift.

Laying behind him on the bed, Rich patted his hip. "You'll have two of the best shifters and Jasmine out there with you. You'll be fine. Honest."

He had a point. Since Bryan was the one who'd do the talking, Jasmine was a given as he knew her well, and she could be the poster girl for why wild cats shouldn't be house pets even if they were bred for it. There was also no question that Rich should be there with him. Being an impressive looking black jaguar didn't hurt either. That left a third opening which Brad had agreed to fill since he was one of the most calm and skilled shifters. And "disgustingly cute" in his sand cat form as Ray had put it, which was sure to appeal to the audience. Rounding out the crew were Ray and Rudy, whose jobs would be watching the cats backstage and handing them off to Bryan as though they were all wild animals. He couldn't ask for a better crew. If there was a weak link among them, he felt like it was him.

The mattress shifted then as Rich sat up. "C'mon"--he gave Bryan's shoulder a nudge--"I know what'll help." He grabbed the keys to their SUV from the table and poked his head into the adjoining room. Rudy had gone for a run, leaving Brad alone with a bobcat sprawled belly up on the bed. "We're gonna be gone for a couple of hours, you guys need anything?"

"Can you please take him with?" Brad said, gesturing in Ray's direction. "Maybe forget him somewhere for awhile?"

Ray had chattered away for most of the sixteen hour drive, only giving it a rest once they'd all agreed to help him with Walt if he'd just shut up and keep his eyes on the road. Ray in either form was obnoxious and slovenly, the only noticeable difference being that he was thankfully quiet when feline.

"Sorry," Bryan said. "You know we'd just end up having to bail him out of animal control again."

Brad frowned and waved them away. A moment later Brad's voice trailed behind them.

"Goddammit, Ray, no! Get your hairy balls off my pillow!"

Rich hooked an arm around Bryan's waist and quickly steered him out the door before they had to hear yet another squabble.

* * *

Under the heavy stench of smog, Rich smelled pine and damp earth from a recent rain. His nose twitched. Rabbit.

The hills outside the city were quiet and thankfully devoid of visitors this late in the afternoon, perfect for a shifter who needed to stretch his feline legs. Bryan trotted circles around him, hesitant to go for a run no matter how many times Rich assured him it was okay. It was why he'd brought him here after all. Bryan didn't shift much to begin with, but he needed to before tomorrow whether he felt like it or not. Much like stress, bottling the natural urge to shift for too long could easily end in spontaneous shifting at inappropriate times, like during a televised appearance where their ability was supposed to be a secret. He hoped a good run today and another quick shift in the morning would turn Bryan's cat into a sleepy cub.

After several more attempts at shooing him away, Bryan finally got the message and bounded off into the scrub, leaving Rich alone with his thoughts. All the recent courting talk brought back memories of the days when it was him having the problems getting his future mate's attention. Getting involved with a human was doing so at great risk, so he'd never dared try dating one until he met Bryan. It hadn't made sense to him at the time, but his cat wanted what it wanted; its sights were set on Bryan so that's who he pursued.

The greatest difficulty had been wooing Bryan by human standards, a concept completely at odds with his real self. Rich snorted to himself. What a mess that'd been. At first, he'd tried toning down certain shifter courting methods--dead animals were definitely out of the question--but all he'd succeeded in doing was almost driving away Bryan with his overbearing eagerness to prove he could take care of him. Through some miracle he made it over that hurdle, although the memory still made him cringe. Ray would have a far easier time.

Shielding his eyes from the sun with a hand, Rich smiled when he spotted his mate in the distance. Bryan flopped back and forth as he rolled around in the long grass, paying Rich no mind even though he could no doubt sense him. Instead, the puma sat up and sniffed at a purple flower as though he had all the time in the world, oblivious to Rich's snickers.

Now that he was a fellow shifter, Bryan fascinated Rich; he'd never known a shifter who behaved as peculiarly as Bryan did. The times he did shift into his feline body, Bryan was like a tourist experiencing the world around him as though for the first time, stopping to savor each moment. He loved to lounge around like a big lazy house cat, and more than once Rich had found him snoozing up in a tree or in a wide sunbeam on the back porch. His instinct to hunt seemed almost nonexistent; he only did so when Rich encouraged it, and a half-hearted effort at that.

Rich waited another half hour before standing and brushing himself off when it was clear Bryan only wanted to loll about. He could do that in their room. Rich whistled and headed back to their vehicle, Bryan trotting along beside him. Just a man and his big cat out for a leisurely stroll. What a bizarre sight they must be.

After a quick change in the back of the vehicle, Bryan climbed into the front passenger seat.

"Feeling better?" Rich asked.

"As well as I can be, I suppose." Bryan smoothed a wrinkle from his t-shirt and put on his sunglasses to block the rays of the setting sun ahead of them.

Rich reached over and took Bryan's hand in his, giving it a squeeze in silent support. They both knew he'd be okay tomorrow, but there were only so many times one could voice that reassurance without it sounding hollow. What Bryan needed right now was something to keep his human mind distracted.

"We should get a real dinner as long as we're out." Since leaving Colorado, their motley crew had subsisted on fast food and junk from the various gas stations they'd stopped at. Both of them were tired of eating mediocre meals that came from paper bags and plastic wrappers. "What do you feel like?"

Bryan waited a beat before answering. "Steak?"

Rich pressed his lips together to smother a laugh. His mate may not have his cat's desire to hunt, but the appetite was the same.