Changing for Love Chapter 5

Changing For Love

Chapter 5

Celeste

Death is a very distinctive smell to a cheetah or any animal for that matter. The smell is strong and I know its Thomas. I have to get over to where he lays in his own pool of blood. When he was hit by my father, Thomas flew back and hit his back and head on a large rock. Now he lays there lifeless. I look around for my father but he ran off. I’m hoping he cares enough to go back and get some help for me and Thomas, but I know he will leave Thomas to die. My father is not a cruel man, but he will protect our people at all cost. Tears are still running down my face from watching this poor boy get hurt because I couldn’t follow the rules. He will die because of me!

I lift my head slowly and try to get up, but the pain shoots through my shoulder down my whole body. This is not going to be easy, but I have to get over to Thomas. I don’t want him to be alone as he passes. After finally getting over on my stomach I inch forward with my right front leg and my two back legs. I push and pull with all of the strength left in me. The pain is excruciating, but the will to get to him takes over. I’ve finally made it over to his feet. I nudge them with my nose, but he does not move. So I keep working my way up to his head. I nudge his cheek this time, but still no movement. His head bobbles to the side and that’s when I see a huge gash on the back of his head. I have to do something! He can’t die!

I’ve heard werecats have healing powers from their saliva so I lick the wound on the back of his head hoping it will do something to stop the bleeding. The blood begins to slow down. It’s true! I give the wound another lick. The blood tastes foul, but this is my fault. It’s the least I can do to save this beautiful boy. If he lives through this I will leave him alone so he can live out the rest of his life in peace. Just let him live.

I go to give one more lick and I hear someone shout. “NO!” My father is screaming and is in human form.

With him are a stretcher and four other men. They are all running toward me yelling at me to stop licking. I stop and look at them with a head tilt to the side in confusion. My father gets over to me and grabs my scruff to pull me away from Thomas.

“What is wrong with you Celeste! Do you know what you have done?” My father is shouting at me.

I’m not sure what is going on. All I know right now is I’m about to black out from the pain of him moving me so abruptly. I feel a bunch of hands underneath me. Then I am lifted onto the stretcher. One man grabs the two handles on one end and another grabs the handles on the other side above my head. I’m not able to put up any protest due to the pain so I just lay there. When they turn me I get one last look at Thomas. I see my father jostle his legs a little with his foot, but Thomas does not move. I was too late. He is gone. The men turn toward the mountains to take me back home. I cry until I am asleep.

When I wake, I’m in my room, but still in cheetah form. I try to move, but my left front leg is bound with something. My eyes open. What is the gooey stuff on my eyes?

“Don’t move to much sweetie.” My mom is now sitting beside me with her hand on the side of my face. “Give yourself time to heal. The doctors fixed your shoulder. Everything will be okay my darling.”

She is so warm and comforting. Mom starts petting the side of my face then scratching behind me ear. I am slowly lulled back to sleep.

No! Thomas stay with me! You can’t die now! We just found each other. I’m in my human form kneeled down beside his dying body. I run my hands through his hair trying to wake him. Then I realize he is not waking. I bend over and kiss his cheek one last time as tears fall rapidly down my face onto his cheek. His chest rises once more and he is gone.

I wake again screaming! This time when I wake I am in human form covered in sweat. My mom comes running in my room.

“What’s wrong?” She is beside me in a second pulling me into her arms.

“Momma, is he dead? Did I kill Thomas?” I’m sobbing and soaking my mothers red silk robe. She doesn’t seem to care because she holds me tighter.

She rubs her hand down the back of my hair. “You didn’t kill Thomas, your father did. I’m sorry Celeste. Your father told me that Thomas was dead when he came back to get you. I’m so sorry my darling daughter. Know that it’s not your fault.” She continues to run her fingers through my hair.

I pull away from my mom and wipe my tears. “It is my fault. If I had just turned back around instead of crossing our property line he would be alive. Momma I have to get out of here!” I say this with as much urgency as I can.

After I leap off of the bed I realize there is no more pain in my shoulder. We are fortunate to be quick healers in our cheetah form. I throw on blue jeans, a red t-shirt, and my black Converse sneakers. There is no stopping me! I look back at my mom before I walk out of my bedroom door.

She looks at me with a look of resignation and exhaustion on her face. “I will not stop you, but know your father will not allow you to leave again. He is guarding tonight.” She allows her head to drop looking down at my bed comforter. Then she swiftly looks back up to me with her eyes wide and a smile on her face. “Listen to me carefully Celeste. The wall around our community is tall, but you can rise above it. It will take every bit of strength and every ounce of will power.” She nods at me.

“Um, okay.” I look at her with my brows furrowed.

Mom sighs and waves me off with her hand. Okay let’s give this a try.

I get through the house and slowly open the front door. When I get outside there is nothing but darkness. I stay in the shadows and get to the back gate. There is still no one around. How am I going to get this thing open? I try to slide in between the slats, but they are too close together. Then I try to climb the wall but keep sliding back down. My nails are breaking and my fingertips are getting bloody from the roughness of the brick. I hear someone coming up behind me so I rest my head against the wall in defeat.

“Celeste! What do you think you are doing? You WILL not under any circumstances leave the confines of these walls until you are married!” My father is right behind me speaking in his very deep scary voice.

I turn to face him, “I need to go see Thomas. Did you even send him back to his family on his horse or did you leave his body there to be ravaged by animals!” I am now shouting at the thought of my father being so cruel.

“Is this what you think of me? Do you really think of me to be that brutal?  I laid him across the saddle of his horse and sent it in the direction of his home.” He is calming now. “Do you know what could have happened to him from your werecat saliva?”

“Yes, it was healing him and…”

“No young lady. If he had lived he would have turned into cheetah. Only not like us. He would become wild and out of control and if he did not change back to human form before the full moon he would have remained a cheetah. Then we would have had to hunt him and kill him.” He walks up to me and puts his hands on my arms. “Celeste we have rules and laws for a reason. They protect not only us, but the people around us. Please do as I say from now on.”

I begin to cry again at the thought of poor Thomas being a wild and a rabid like cheetah. Death is better. As we are standing there one of the gate guards comes running up to my father and whispers something in his ear. All I hear is Thomas.

“Father, what is going on? What about Thomas?”

“You will go back into that house and stay there! You have done enough today.” He rushes off with the night guard. I see other men with guns running toward my father and they take off through the front gate.

Oh no way am I allowing them to get near my Thomas again especially with guns! I look up at the gate and finally realize what my mother was trying to tell me. I strip my clothes and turn back into cheetah. This is not going to be easy. I back up as far as I can and start running. Then I leap with every bit of strength I have. I land on the top of the wall. When I look down to my house I see my mother standing outside our front door looking up at me. She mouths, go. I jump and land on all fours. I have to get to Thomas before my father!