Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 5

soft purr lilted from him, and he ate until his belly was full, promising himself that he would hunt that night for something more substantial.
    ****
    He was sprawled out on a large rock near the lake it seemed they'd claimed as theirs. His tail thwapped gently against the stone, his eyes always on Deshi. The boy moved slowly through the shallows of the lake, staring into the clear water. When he'd come back from the morning hunt in his true form, Deshi hadn't batted an eyelash. The acceptance had warmed something inside him that hadn't been warmed in a very, very long time. It worried him. No human should mean as much to him as Deshi did. Still, the moment Deshi crowed, holding up a sleek, silvery fish in his hand, an intense wave of pride washed over him. The boy was learning.
    Of course, Deshi had no idea how to handle the fish now that he'd caught it. It meant he needed to shift and become a man once more so he could demonstrate what needed to be done. He huffed softly, and then rose, padding toward Deshi. With a thought, four paws became two feet, and he stood behind Deshi, watching the boy bring a rock down on the fish's head. It was a quick blow, the life ended in the blink of an eye, and he was glad to see the lack of hesitation in Deshi's movements. The first time Deshi had caught a fish, the boy had balked at him until he'd growled, barked at him, and then Deshi had made a mess of the fish with his rock. This time, it was quick, efficient, and little of the fish would go to waste.
    "Deshi."
    Deshi turned, a little worry in his eyes. "Kaanan."
    "Good." He smiled, the expression awkward on his lips, but the boy seemed to respond well to the non-aggressive baring of teeth. He pointed to the fish. "Deshi hunted fish."
    "What now?" Deshi asked, holding up the fish.
    He crouched in the shallow water and motioned for Deshi to do the same. "Clean. Make ready food." He offered Deshi a sharp stone from the ground and motioned along the fish's belly. "Cut. Take insides out."
    He watched as Deshi obediently gutted the fish and followed his instructions to scrape off the scales and remove the bones. His language was still broken, but it seemed Deshi was bright enough to understand, even with his limited vocabulary. A purr rumbled up out of him by the time Deshi had skewered the pieces of fish and placed them over their fire. Deshi didn't need any help in tending the fire or positioning their food to cook, and it made pride bloom inside him. The boy was learning quickly.
    Deshi took one of the pieces of fruit they had brought back to camp and sliced it. When Deshi offered him a piece, he didn't refuse, taking the bit of fruit and chewing happily. The sweetness of it was still strange to him, but it felt much more natural to enjoy the sweet in his human form than as a cat. All he hungered for as a cat was a good cut of raw meat.
    One piece of the fruit led to another, and then another, but when he reached for the fourth, Deshi pulled it back before he could grasp it. He frowned and reached again, but Deshi chuckled and kept the slice of fruit just out of reach. "Open," Deshi ordered softly, pointing to his mouth.
    His frown deepened, but he did as Deshi said, opening his mouth a little. Deshi placed the fruit past his lips himself. It was a little awkward, and he didn't understand the significance of such a ritual. The only time he had ever fed another was when his cubs were too young to feed themselves. He chuffed at Deshi. "Kaanan not weak like cub."
    Deshi's cheeks turned a vibrant pink at that. "No. I see Kaanan," Deshi breathed, gesturing to help add meaning to his words. His name was spoken with Deshi's hands cupped outward at his forehead like feline ears. "Kaanan strong... smart... beautiful."
    Each word was given a motion, but the last one made no sense to him. He tilted his head, trying to understand. "What beautiful?"
    He watched Deshi's face flush up, and the scent of arousal pricked at his nose as Deshi motioned to different things around them. "Fire. Water. Sky. Kaanan beautiful."
    It was a compliment, then, one that obviously meant something special to Deshi. And Deshi was saying it not only about his human form, but about his natural feline form. He couldn't help but purr at that, and when Deshi offered him another piece of fruit, and then bites of the fish from their roasting sticks, he allowed Deshi to place it into his mouth without a fuss. It was when Deshi's fingers were replaced by Deshi's lips that