Hunters moon

53: Runaway cat

Quintin found a camping spot as far away from human activity as possible. Knowing they should draw as little attention to themselves he didn't even build a fire. He took out the canned food and handed it to Katja.

"You ready?" He asked as they ate.

"I thought we're not going tonight?" She asked.

"We're not, but this is your second full moon, maybe your shift will progress again"

She nodded thinking "It would be nice if it could finish"

"Yes, but, it would be funny of your next progression made your ears turn to cat ears, then you'd seriously look like some anime character"

Her face went red "How would you know about anime?"

"This life like cartoons right? I watched it as a young kid"

"Oh"

"Why are you blushing?"

"Why did the thought of cat ears come to mind? You wanna stroke them as well?" She slyly asked.

He grinned "Yes, of course, I get a feeling you would look cute in your cat form"

Her eyes widened "Oh, yeah? Not as cute as you!"

"Pff, my cat form is cute to you, others run in terror, as for you...?" His eyes glanced her body up and down and she felt the stare like physical touch.

"You, with that petit body, small frame, sweet face, perky butt, oh no, you'll be super cute!"

Katja felt so red she if she dunked her head in water now, steam will come out.

"No!" She said in a peeping voice making him laugh but his heart melted, she really was too cute for words.

"Ok, ok, I'll stop, if I get anymore of this I'll turn into a pool of mush"

"Huh?" She asked turning her head sideways.

"Not gonna say it, it's my little secret" He said eating from the can.

"No! What is it?" She asked attempting a puppy eyed face again.

"Not gonna work this time lollypop" He chuckled trying his best not to look at that face, he knew this girl was reeling him in bit by bit, he was slowly falling for her and deeply wanted to just reach out and embrace her, but Quintin decided he will stick with her pace, and, if she moves a little too quick, he will back off. He was going to stretch out this relationship, he wanted it to last as long as possible.

"Oh come on!" He heard her and blinked, not realising he was in thought.

"What?"

"You spaced out again! What's your secret?"

"That's why they call it secret, maybe later I'll tell you"

"If we plan to die in the next week, wouldn't you want all burdens of your shoulders?"

He frowned "It's not a burden, it's in fact quite the opposite, it's something that I was chasing, and caught it, and now I don't know what to do with it"

She giggled "That's weird"

"I know, but when the time comes, you will know it, I promise"

After they ate Quintin went behind a bush to undress again, and when the moon was out he came to her shifted, she hung her shoulders "Ah? No peeking this time hey?" She realised he went to shift, and not a bathroom run.

"Well?" He asked "Do you feel any different? You must now, it can't stay sleeping this long"

Katja looked down at her body, she saw no changes, felt her ears, nothing "Nope"

Quintin gave it some thought, then he remembered how Naomi said she can stay human if she doesn't look directly into the moon.

"I got it, look at the moon, and take a long good stare at it"

"Uh, ok?" She turned and lifted her head, Quintin watched her gaze and gaze, her eyes suddenly changed at last, turning into grey cat eyes, she twitched, her ears also shifted.

"Hmm? I don't think this is..." She gasped, not finishing her sentence, Quintin saw with the gasp the canines already grew.

"Katja!?"

"I'm burning up! This hurts!" She yelled but her eyes were glued to the moon.

"Look away! Don't continue staring at the moon! We musn't rush this!"

"I can't! It so beautiful! I can't stop looking at it!"

Quintin moved forward and grabbed her, turning her away from the moon, but this sparked some sort of rage in her.

"No!" Her voice not a roar but more a snarl of a smaller cat, she clawed at him viciously, but he endured, not letting her go.

"Let me go!" She shrieked again suddenly using a different tactic, instead of clawing at him, she clawed herself into a direction, shocked Quintin found she became like soap in his arms, he struggled to grab her, as if wrestling with a real mad stray cat, he couldn't keep his arms up to pace with her squirming and she was out, onto the ground and darted into the bush.

"Oh f**k this won't end well!" He panicked and shot into the bush after her. Running on all fours he found a sort of joy out of it, true freedom, this is what it felt like, Quintin couldn't understand why Koos won't want this? Sure hiding away during a moon is a pain, but if this is the result, why not!?

It felt like a game of cat and mouse to Quintin now, sure he had to catch Katja, who knows how far the next camper is, but at this moment, it's a game of chase, his heart picked up pace, not knowing what he'll do once he catches her, he only wanted to catch her! This felt great!

Ahead he heard her crashing through the brush, he was catching up, when she came into view he saw her still running on her back legs. She glared with a hiss back at him then at the drop of a dime turned in behind a rock. Quintin knew his large frame can't turn that quick, he lifted a claw and slammed it into the rock, lifting his legs to use the rock as a steer and swung around it, but flew right into Katja's ambush.