Beasts and Burdens

It starts with a snow leopard

WINTER

The clack of my heels on the tile floor echoed in the space, I had been called at the last minute and told there was something special for me. It better be damn special, I was a busy leader and a woman who did not have time to waste.

All those centuries ago my clan had played a major role in the overthrowing of the wolves, after their egomaniac and abusive quest to create the perfect shifter form, so naturally we were the ones holding the power when everything was done and the mutts were bowing to us. This country was our home now, and we had made the rules abundantly clear for everyone. The most important change we made? The adoption of dragon laws. Women in charge was the way of the dragons and we were, by far, the strongest shifters weren’t we? So, while others out there were still butting heads with patriarchy, here women were leaders and men were second class citizens; with only a few exceptions who had a woman vouch for them. In other words, men were property until they were told otherwise. And they were not often told otherwise.

The new hierarchy system was another major change, but since it got us rid of the wolves everyone was more or less onboard with it. Especially, because the wolves were now dangling at the bottom of the food chain, getting a taste of their own medicine. Some might think it was too drastic a change, but I’d say that after all the wolves put the other species through, I’d be damned if there was anything more enjoyable than handing an Alpha wolf the title of Delta. We had borrowed ranks from the wolves, but turned it on its head as a final f**k you to them. Now their cherished terms were used to describe the rarity of shifters. The male wolves being the most common shifters, as well most hated, were now all Deltas, the lowest of the low. Gamma was your average shifter, so ravens and female wolves. Beta’s were rarer than Gammas and consisted of most bears, small cats and big cats. The Alpha classification went to the rarest species, not only leaders though sometimes it spanned both, like rare big cats, basilisks and griffins. Dragons were, of course, in a category of their own. Finally, we gave the word Omega the respect it was due, and then some. It was a symbolic choice as we represented the end of this dark age, leaving years of abuse, oppression and mistreatment behind. Moving forward, Alphas, Betas, Gammas and Deltas were trained to please and serve the Omega, not the other way around.

My sisters and I ran the country, each of us at the head of one region. We ran a tight ship, a fact that wasn’t quickly forgotten by those who dared cross us, the dragon women. Being responsible for that many people, we were obviously in high demand. That’s why we also had trustworthy allies taking care of business over all the major cities, otherwise we would all have gone insane by now.

I smiled as I pushed the giant mahogany door open. I had my own private meeting room for situations just like these, although it was unusual for the traffic to come to me.

“What is so urgent?” I asked my assistant Heather. She smiled, her long brown and purple hair pulled back in a classy bun, her pants suit crisp and her tablet in hand. Heather was one of my closest friends and also happened to be a tiger shifter.

“You’ll want to see this!” She said, excited as she gestured for me to come on into the private adjoining room. “Jake has brought a rare Alpha breeder, especially for you!” I raised my eyebrows in interest. The shifter trade was booming, and it wasn’t uncommon for shifters to be sold or traded from owner to owner. Jake had brought me shifters over the years, each of them having been raised to accomplish and execute their specific function in society perfectly. However as Heather opened the door to the room my mouth went dry, I had never seen one like this. A man stood before me in nothing more than loose pants. His midnight colored hair was tousled to the side, his gold/green starburst eyes were narrowed in anger at his captors. His anger so palpable it sent a shiver up my spine, he was no wolf whatever he was. He stood tall, unafraid, his chiseled jaw clenched as my eyes studied him. His full lips were drawn together in a straight line and his eyes looked straight ahead, as if daring me to purchase him. His body was tall and solid without being bulky, and he moved with a fluid grace, pacing a few steps back and forth as cats did. Jake, the trader I worked with, began to speak and I stood still, my attention fully on the enigma before me.

“I have a treat for you tonight!” Jake declared, his voice was louder than usual and I could tell he was delighted.

“This one has an attitude but nothing you can’t break, as he is worth every penny. I give you a snow leopard!” I bit back a gasp. Big cats were not too common, but among them snow leopards were rare. There were less than four thousand left in the world, many of the wilder ones hunted down for their pelts, and they were known to be loners, reclusive; the only ones of the big cats to prefer not being in a large pack.

“Go ahead,” Jake said, “change.” The man didn’t answer, just curled his lips in a sneer; showing a flash of white teeth, his sharp canines glinting in the light.

“As I said, he has a bit of an attitude, but that is to be expected of an Alpha cat.” Jake continued, brandishing a needle as he headed toward the man. I noticed then that there was a collar around his neck, and as it wasn’t attached to anything I knew it was a shock collar. That meant this man was indeed a fighter.

“Now, will you cooperate or will I have to use this?” The needle was waved in the man’s face and he snarled, the sound doing something to me deep inside as I watched this man continue to defy those who held him captive.

“As you wish,” Jake said before plunging the needle into his neck. It only took a few breathless seconds before his skin began to ripple and change. His pants ripping and falling off him as his hands and feet became paws, and his skin became fur. A roar ripped from his throat, deep and powerful, full of rage as he stood before us. He was breathtaking, his white and black fur ruffed up in anger, his tail lashing, molten eyes peering out at us. I knew I had to have him then, what I would do with him I wasn’t sure, but I was drawn to him in a way that was new to me. As his eyes landed on me they studied me, it was as if he could see through me and into me. This man was mine.

“What do you think?” Jake asked, a grin on his face. “Isn’t he stunning?”

“Oh he is” I said, taking a few steps forward and being rewarded with a low growl. “I’ll take him!” I nodded to Heather who headed to Jake’s side to finalize the purchase.

“Can I touch you?” I whispered to him, knowing with his big cat hearing he had heard me. He turned his shaggy head and peered at me, then bumped into me causing me to laugh.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” I said as I sunk my hands into his soft coat. I almost moaned out loud, it was as if I was grabbing fistfuls of the finest silk, the strands flowing through my hands like water. A low warning growl rumbled beneath my hands and I drew them back.

“You are my snow leopard now.” I informed him, “and if I want to touch you I can and will, let’s get that straight. My asking you was out of politeness, not because you have a choice.” He tossed his regal head and peered at me, his bright eyes boring into mine before his lip curled and showed his sharp teeth. Oh, he wanted to play games? Good thing I liked a challenge.