Lisa had stopped and picked up a few groceries on her way home from work. She hated New England winters. It was dark when she went to work in the morning, and dark when she got out at night. It was only six-thirty, and full night had already fallen.
She didn't notice the small figure moving in the shadows by her door until it let out a plaintive little cry. The little black kitten looked half starved. She wondered what had happened to it's mother. She had never been much of a cat person, but was not one to let an animal suffer, and decided to find something to feed it as soon as she put her groceries down.
She balanced the groceries in one arm as she fumbled with the lock and the kitten rubbed against her leg softly mewling. As soon as the door opened, the kitten darted inside as if it knew there was food to be had.
"Hey!" Lisa was a bit annoyed at the kitten's presumption. "Don't get comfortable, you're not staying." Even if she wanted a cat, which she didn't, her lease strictly forbid any pets.
She flipped on the kitchen light, and saw the kitten sitting on the counter next to the refrigerator. In the light, the kitten looked even more scrawny and pathetic than before, and Lisa's annoyance was forgotten. She set her bag on the table, and took a small bowl from the cupboard.
The kitten licked her hand gratefully as she poured some milk into the bowl, and Lisa noticed a single white spot, in the shape of a star, high on the kitten's chest. she absently pet the kitten while it greedily drank every drop of the milk.
As soon as the milk was gone, the kitten began playing with her hand. The kitten held Lisa's thumb with it's small paws while she licked it, and occasionally nipped it gently with her tiny teeth. Lisa couldn't help but smile as she watched the kitten amuse itself with her hand. She picked up the kitten, who never ceased her assault on her fingers, and carried her into the living room.
Lisa's apartment was in an old building, and the harsh February wind rattled the windows more and more often as she sat playing with the adorable little kitten, who Lisa had determined was a he when the kitten rolled onto his back to attack her hand with all four paws.
Lisa couldn't bring herself to throw the kitten, who she had begun calling Shadow, out into the cold night, but was determined that first thing in the morning, the kitten would have to go.
Shadow began trying to nurse on Lisa's finger a couple hours later, a sure sign the poor thing had lost his mother before he was fully weaned. She carried the poor little thing into the kitchen and opened a can of tuna for him and gave him some water to wash it down. She noticed the forgotten groceries on the table, and absently thought that she'd have to pick up some cat food on the way home from work tomorrow; just in case Shadow stopped by again. She had no intention of having a cat, at least that's what she told herself.
She began putting the food away, but had barely gotten anything out of the bag when Shadow was on the table, rubbing against her hands wanting attention. She left the food where it was, most of it still in the bag, and picked him up. She sat in the kitchen playing with him until she realized how late it was getting.
She carried Shadow into her bedroom, and set him on the queen sized bed as she got ready to turn in. He immediately settled on one of the pillows and curled up. She closed the door to keep him from roaming the house all night.
Lisa slept deeply that night, her dreams only interrupted once by Shadow nursing on her neck. She pulled the kitten off and quickly returned to her dreams of a dark, handsome stranger seducing and captivating her.
Lisa had to drag herself from bed when her alarm went off in the predawn gloom of her bedroom. She was normally such a perky morning person that it annoyed her coworkers. She looked around and saw Shadow still curled up on her pillow, and stroked the kitten's back before stumbling to the shower.
It wasn't until she was brushing her hair that she noticed the bruise on her neck. She ran her fingers over it and sighed. It looked like a hickey. Her friends at work were sure to give her a hard time about it if they saw it. She decided to wear a turtle neck sweater and slacks instead of the skirt and blouse she had intended to.
When she looked outside, she was glad she'd changed her mind about what to wear. A light snow was falling. There was no way she was throwing her sweet little Shadow out into that weather. His departure would have to wait until it cleared up.
Lisa went into the kitchen to fix herself some coffee, and noticed the bag of groceries still on the table. It reminded her to pick up cat food on her way home. It was unlike her to let anything sit out. She supposed she'd have to throw the meat she had gotten out at this point.
She made sure Shadow had plenty of food and water before she left for work.
Lisa was tired by the time she got home from work that night. She had been dragging all day and worried that she was coming down with the flu. The only thing she'd seemed to have enough energy for was picking up Shadow's food. She had also picked up cat litter, treats and a couple toys for him.
Shadow greeted her at the door, welcoming her home by rubbing against her legs. Looking down at him, she smiled. She immediately picked the little darling up and carried him to the kitchen to feed him.
She saw the bag, and thought that she really had to do something about it, as it was starting to smell, but she had to feed Shadow first.
The bag was again forgotten as she brought Shadow and his new toys into the living room and entertained him with them.
Lisa went to bed early, and again closed the door to her bedroom to keep Shadow contained. When she awoke in the middle of the night with Shadow suckling her throat, she merely stroked his back and went back to her dream lover.
The next morning, Lisa shut her alarm off and got up just long enough to call her boss and tell her she wouldn't be in before she crawled back into bed.
She finally got up at noon and drank two tall glasses of water. She had awoken covered in sweat and somewhat dehydrated. She didn't feel sick, just languid and tired. What bothered her more was that she couldn't find Shadow, despite searching the entire apartment for him. She hoped he hadn't gotten out. The thought of her sweet little kitten out in the cold almost made her cry.
After an hour of searching, she finally gave up and plopped down on her bed. Now she was crying at the thought of losing him. It took her almost an hour to cry herself to sleep.
It was dark when she awoke. Shadow, looking much healthier than he did when he had first invited himself in, was again sucking on the growing bruise on her throat. She was too glad to see him to stop him, and lay there petting him as his teeth worried the soft flesh of her throat. The slight pain didn't bother her anymore, and she smiled at the attention he gave her as she drifted in and out of dream filled sleep. She was mildly aware of a warm wet feeling on her neck, but dismissed it. What was important was that Shadow was happy. She knew, lease or not, she could never let him leave.
Lisa stayed home from work all that week. Her days were spent sleeping and dragging herself around the house. Each night, the dreams were becoming more vivid, and she began looking forward to them more and more.
Friday morning, Lisa didn't even get up to call into work. She noted Shadow's morning absence with a longing, but was growing used to it, and it didn't send her into hysterics the way it had the first couple of days. She fell back into a deep sleep as soon as she shut off her alarm.
She slept most of the day away. It was nearly dark before she worked up the energy to throw out Shadow's uneaten food and put out fresh food and water for him. She barely noticed the smell of rotting meat coming from the table.
She showered and crawled into bed without drying herself. She knew he'd make his appearance soon and wanted to be clean and ready. She felt flush, so she laid on top of the covers.
She awoke just after dark, and watched him stalking his way up her body. He looked as if he was on the hunt, and it sent a shiver through her each time she felt his claws on her flesh.
He stood on her stomach, his green eyes staring into hers, until she lowered her gaze and turned her head. She felt him move up, his sharp claws pricking the skin of her breast. As she felt him bite her throat, and felt the thrill of the warm wetness on her neck, she finally realized the truth.
Shadow was not her pet. She was his.
She smiled as she let her eyes flutter shut, and waited for the dreams to come.
By Monday, Lisa was feeling much stronger, and went to work with Shadow's apparent blessing. She hated to leave him, but knew she wouldn't see him again until nightfall. She wore the skirt and blouse she had intended to wear last Monday. She finished her outfit with a matching scarf to hide the deep bruise on her throat.
At work, she noticed the men eyeing her more than usual. Normally their wolfish looks annoyed her, but today they were beneath her concern. Even her closest friends at work, three other young women in the office, commented on how radiant she looked and kidded her about taking the time off to be with a new man.
She assured them wholeheartedly, and with a gleam in her eye, that there was no new man in her life. She cut the jokes about a new woman short, and told them she had found a kitten, who's attention she credited with getting her over the flu so soon.
She skipped her usual salad and gossip session with the girls at lunch, and instead began calling around for apartments that allowed cats. She nibbled on some rice cakes between calls, and by the time she returned to work, had four appointments lined up for Saturday during the day. One potential landlord insisted on showing the apartment in the evening, and was promptly scratched from her list. Didn't he realize she had a kitten?
After lunch, she fended off three requests for dates, and watched the clock. When five-thirty came, she said a hurried bye to her friends and boss, and rushed to the elevator.
On the way home, she had to make a conscious effort to keep her foot off the accelerator. It was already dark, and Shadow would be waiting. She kept telling herself that she'd make him wait even longer if she got pulled over or into an accident.
When she came through the door, Shadow began insistently rubbing against her leg. "Are you hungry, baby?" His meow confirmed that he was. "I missed you so much."
Lisa picked him up and carried him to their bedroom. She no longer thought of it, or anything else as hers. Everything was either theirs, or His, including her. She set him on the bed before pulling out a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt. She watched him as she got out of her work clothes. His green eyes watched her with anticipation as she disrobed.
She was down to her panties, and reaching for her sweat pants when his plaintive cry made her stop. "You're hungry." She looked at him almost shyly, lowering her eyes when they caught his, as she set the pants down. Her smile had a trace of naughtiness to it. "I know what my Shadow needs..."
She picked the kitten up, he weighed considerably more than a week ago when she discovered him at her door, and sat on the bed. Shadow rubbed against her bare breasts, the sensation of his soft fur making her nipples harden, as she swung her legs up and stretched out.
She set him in the valley of her breasts, and rolled her head to the side. Her breath was already coming faster in anticipation of his fangs at her throat. She moaned, both in surprise and pleasure, when his teeth sank into the sensitive, yielding flesh of her right breast. Her hand immediately stroked his back, as it always did when he fed. Her other hand slowly began roaming over her body as if guided by a will not her own.
When his feeding was over there wasn't a trace of blood left on her breast, just a small bruise above the nipple as she continued slowly stroking his fur. He hadn't taken much. Now that he was healthy, he didn't drain her as he had at first. He just delicately lapped at the blood as it pooled up. She brought her other hand up, and blushed at the moisture on it. She wasn't really surprised when he trapped her hand in his paws, and began licking her fingers. Cat's are such clean animals.
She didn't bother getting dressed again that night. She just washed up and dropped her panties in the hamper. As usual, her evening was spent entertaining Shadow. If she wasn't amusing him with one of his toys, he was curled up in her lap being petted.
Work, once her primary focus, became just a way to pass the sunlit hours, waiting for Shadow's attention. Her friends commented on her distraction over lunch, but as her work wasn't suffering and she appeared in good health, no one gave it much concern. Her friends still teased her about having a new man, and how she spent a lot of time staring into space with a dreamy look on her face.
On Saturday, she found a new apartment. It was smaller and more expensive than their current one, but it allowed cats, and that was what was important. She worried only briefly about how she was going to afford it.
As soon as she got home, she left a message for her landlord telling her she's be moving out by the end of the month. Then she began packing. She had no intention of staying in this cat hating dump any longer than necessary.
Shadow rewarded her efforts by drinking deeply from her that night. She had blissfully drifted into her dream lover's embrace during the extended feeding.
Shadow no longer limited himself to her throat, both her breasts and arms bore his mark. Lisa loved touching the marks. The slight pain and shiver of desire she felt when she stroked them rekindled the memories of when he left them, and she did it often. It was one of the things that helped her through the long sunlit hours at work.
She awoke around four Sunday morning. Her first thought was hoping her Master would be hungry before the sun rose. Even in the dark of her room, she always new where he was. Shadow sat at her feet looking up at her expectantly. Lisa knew what he wanted. She smiled as she slowly spread her legs.
Lisa watched breathlessly as Shadow slowly strode between her parted legs. The higher he went, the farther she parted them. She felt his warm breath on her moist vulva a second before she felt his fangs sink into her inner thigh.
Lisa wailed in rapture. Her body bucked uncontrollably, nearly dislodging Shadow. She fought to keep her hips still, knowing not all of the wetness she felt on her thighs was blood. Her hands clenched the sheets, pulling them free from the mattress.
Lisa felt a weight on the bed as her breathing began to return to normal. When she looked down, it was not Shadow, but her dream lover crouched between her thighs. She reached out to him, and he crawled up her body. His lips tasted of wine and blood and she moaned against them as he took her.
Lisa was nearly delirious with passion. The Master of her nights had become the lover of her dreams. He brought her to heights of arousal she had never imagined. She screamed her ecstasy until her throat was raw. She bit into his chest and sucked wantonly, letting his hot blood flow down her throat. When he reached his conclusion inside her, she saw stars and nearly passed out.
In the end, she curled up with her kitten and fell into a deep dreamless sleep.