Chapter 56 - Saira
As the days passed, Cat found herself getting stronger and faster. She was also hungrier. Typically she only ate small portions, but now she was eating enough for two men. Trey told her that her lioness would probably show up soon, which most likely affected her appetite.
Cat kept trying to talk in her head to see if her lioness was there, but she never got a response. She felt a little ridiculous asking herself if anyone was there. However, she figured no one could hear her, so there was no harm.
They were driving down the coast today to go to Big Sur. Trey said there was a place where they could stop so she could try out her running abilities. Cat was excited to run freely and not just around the beach house.
He drove down a long winding road that seemed to lead to nowhere until suddenly, the trees disappeared, and they were driving onto a deserted beach. Trey stopped and turned toward Cat.
"Not many people know about this place or would even try to get to it. We should have it all to ourselves, and now you can run on the beach at full speed." It had been almost two weeks since Trey marked her.
"This is great. Can we run barefoot?" She looked at the wide-open beach with crystal blue water that seemed to touch the sky.
"Yes, you can run barefoot. The beach is clean enough for no injuries. Besides, you have werelion blood, so they will heal quickly if you get any wounds."
They got out of the truck and walked closer to the water. Cat felt like playing a little, so she pretended to lean down to pick up a seashell, and then she took off running as fast as she could.
"Catch me if you can." She yelled as she ran.
Trey hesitated, momentarily caught off guard. Cat was standing there one second, and then she was way down the beach the next. Her speed had gotten even better than he'd thought. He took off after her and laughed when he heard her giggling.
Cat felt the wind in her hair and the sand below her feet. She was going so fast that she felt like she was flying. She made the mistake of turning around to see where Trey was. When she saw he was right behind her, she stumbled, giving him enough time to catch her.
"I caught you, my lioness. Now, what am I going to do with you?" He pretended to think.
*"You better start running again. I don't like losing."* Cat looked around, trying to spot the female who had spoken to her. Her eyes widened when she realized it must be her lioness talking to her.
*"Hello? Are you there?"* Cat asked, still feeling funny talking in her head.
*"Of course, I'm here. My name is Saira. I'm your lioness. All that fast running woke me up from my long nap, so I figured I better let you know I was here."* Cat looked up at Trey with a smile.
"Trey, my lioness is here, and her name is Saira," Cat spoke in a whisper. Atlas perked up and jumped up and down in Trey's head.
"Wow, Cat, that's great. That's a beautiful name for a lioness too. That means you will soon complete the process of turning into a werelion." He picked her up and swung her around, making her laugh gleefully.
*"Tell him to stop before we're both sick. I've been asleep for a long time. He's right, though, you'll be a full werelion soon, and then we can shift. I can't wait to do that so I can meet my mate."*
"Trey, she said to stop before you make us both sick, and she can't wait to meet Atlas." Cat laughed again when she heard Atlas purr loudly. He was so cute. She had to ask Saira something that had been bugging her.
*"Saira, are you okay being my lioness, even though I was a human?"* Cat heard her growl softly.
*"Are you kidding? I don't want to be a lioness to those stuck-up snobs. Most that are born with a lioness are not very nice people. I have been watching you before you knew I was here, and Cat, you have a beautiful soul. I'm proud to be your lioness and grateful we'll be a team."*
Cat felt the tears welling up in her eyes. Saira had gotten rid of every fear and doubt about having a lioness and not belonging. She felt connected to Saira already, even more than she'd thought.
*"Thank you, Saira. I'm glad you're here. I've been waiting for you, and so have our mates. What happens now?"* She didn't know what to do.
Trey smiled as he watched Cat mindlinking with Saira. He knew this was all new for her, and they needed time to get to know each other. He led her to a large log lying on the beach and sat down. He pulled her across his lap while she continued talking with her lioness.
Cat talked with Saira for over an hour. She told her what to expect with the rest of the transition and how it would affect her. Most of it, Trey had already told Cat, but it was nice having Saira validate what he had said.
She asked Saira how much it would hurt when they shifted for the first time. Saira said she would help her through it and to remember the first time was the worst. When they were done talking, Cat turned toward Trey.
"Sorry, Trey, I had some questions for Saira, but now she's going to take a nap. This is so weird to be able to talk to her in my head and for her to have a different voice than mine. I thought it would be more like hearing my voice in my head, like my thoughts. She has a good personality too, and she's way tougher than me." Cat heard a soft growl in her head.
*"Cat, I'm part of you. My toughness comes from you. I'm only strong because you're strong, making me the same way. I don't want to hear you talk like that anymore. You're a werelion Cat. It's time to see yourself as one."*
*"Alright, Saira. Thank you for setting me straight."*
"What did she say, Cat?" Trey had seen they'd been mindlinking again.
"She told me that her toughness comes from me, and she never wants to hear me talk like that again." She smiled. She already loved her lioness.
Cat was starving, so they decided to leave their isolated spot and drive further down the coast. Trey took Cat to a roadside BBQ, where they ordered steaks, home fries, and corn on the cob. Cat polished off her food faster than Trey. Saira purred happily after they ate, and she went back to sleep.
They stopped at a few little shops in Big Sur, buying some souvenirs to celebrate the day she got her lioness. They then headed back to the beach house. Cat felt the anticipation building to do her first shift. She was anxious to complete everything so they could begin the work on their group home. There were so many children out there that she wanted to help.
After they got to the house, they were exhausted from the long day and went straight to bed. Cat didn't think she had been asleep very long when she heard a noise that startled her. She sat up in bed and turned to wake Trey, but a tall man was standing beside him with a needle. She began screaming.
"Shut up, human. Trey is just sleeping and will wake up soon, but you'll be long gone by then." Cat got ready to run, but another man grabbed her from behind and put a needle in her neck. Before she knew it, she was falling asleep as the man carried her out of the house.
