Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
He looked over at her.
“You think she’d let me?”
“Doesn’t hurt to find out. Let’s see… Ball yourself up.”
“Ball myself up?”
“Yeah. Make yourself small ’nd hug your knees.”
“Oh, okay.” She quickly did so, and tucked her head, too.
“No, not like a turtle. Lift your face. You want to look her in the eyes. You’re making yourself kitten-like. Kittens look directly at their mama.”
She nodded in understanding and lifted her head. He sure knew a lot about pretending to be an animal. She wished that fact didn’t turn her on so much.
After a few minutes of growls, low hissing, and cowering, and Kage telling her to cut it out and relax, Persia tiptoed towards her and sniffed her head. She sniffed her again. Poet could feel the warm breath from the cat close to her face. A mixture of excitement, fright and immeasurable joy mingled in her gut.
Then she heard Kage’s low-slung, gravelly voice. “Tilt your head to your shoulder, like you’re kinda shy, and look up at her from the side…”
As soon as she did that, Persia licked her face. Poet wanted to cry, elated with a feeling she could not describe. An experience that had no words, overwhelmed with all-consuming love, being one with nature. She’d been around plenty of animals in captivity. Held and touched them. But this was a wild animal, free to roam and do as she pleased.
“You mentioned mountain lions. What about the coyotes? Do they bother her?”
“Eh, I see a ’yote every now and again. I know that they’re here, just don’t run into them too often. I do hear them sometimes, though. Especially down by the river.” He pointed up ahead. Every blue moon you’ll hear about some damn owl or an eagle tryna get one of the kittens. I know for a fact she’s lost a couple at least to situations like that. Just a sad part of life.” He gave Persia one more chin scratch, then reached into his bag. Pulling out a few bits of freeze dried raw chicken, he scattered them about. The kittens and Persia leapt at the food. A lot of smacking, swallowing and soft hisses ensued as they competed for the treat.
“Come on, let’s go.”
They headed away from there, but she paused to look back. Persia was staring right back at her. Such beauty in the cat’s face. Also softness and determination—an almost human quality. If a wild cat trusts you around her babies, then you are a good soul, Kage. There is no doubt about that…
They continued on their walk, laughing, talking, and ducking when a bat came flying towards them.
“Oh, shit! Here comes another one!” High in the sky something huge was flapping its wings.
“Nah, that’s not a bat this time. That’s Rook,” he stated as they watched this thing soar high in the air.
“Rook?”
Kage held out his big, long arm. She gasped when the amazingly wide wingspan of this magnificent bird grew closer and closer, and then the damn thing landed on Kage’s bicep.
“A falcon! No way!” At this rate she was going to piss herself with excitement.
“Rook is my unofficial pet,” he said, looking smug and proud of himself. As he should. “He comes and goes as he pleases. I do have a tree that he likes in my backyard. You can’t own one without—”
“A falconer’s license.”
“Right. Plus, these guys are hard to domesticate, and I wouldn’t want to do that anyway. He knows me is all. I give him fish sometimes, too. You out huntin’, boy?” The falcon seemed awfully comfortable perched there. “You’re lazy tonight. Tryna get a fish from me, ain’t ya?” Kage chuckled. “Poet.”
“Yeah?”
“What kind of falcon is this?”
“You already know the answer. Is this a quiz?”
“No.” He snorted. “I really don’t know. I have an idea, but you’re the expert with local wildlife ’nd all.”
“Take a guess.”
“…Peregrine Falcon?”
“Bingo! Did you know that they are the fastest bird in the world, with gravity’s help of course?”
“You’re shittin’ me?” He smirked at her. She knew she’d been had, if only for a second. He knew exactly what type of falcon it was.
“I bird shit you not.” They both had a good chuckle at that.
Rook took off just at that moment, a blur in the sky. They both stood there looking at him go and go, until he was gone. Tears blinded her eyes, and her voice caught in her throat when she tried to speak.
“Whoa, whoa. What did I do?” He grabbed her arms, looking down at her, great concern in his eyes.
“All the right things! Tonight was wonderful. This is the best date I’ve ever been on. Dinner that you caught and skinned from the river, great conversation, a big, beautiful, warm house to relax and converse in. The woods… it’s so lovely here. I got to see if the rumors were true about Persia, they were, and now this! This is a dream come true. I’m overwhelmed with happiness.” Her whole body flushed with heat. “You have no idea how much I needed this, Kage.” She dabbed at her eyes. “Sometimes I feel like I’m disappearing, you know? Sometimes I feel so tired, because I spend half the time doing things I don’t want to, suppressin’ shit that shouldn’t have happened or need to be said in the first place, or working myself to death so that I have somethin’ to show for it. But then I’m never happy being still. I have to keep movin’, ’cause I’m afraid if I am not doing something, I’ll die too fast… too soon…”