James struggled to regain his composure and breathed heavily. ‘Who do you think you are? She is my girlfriend. You have some audacity coming in here and throwing your weight around?’ he said enraged.
Kai didn’t wait, jumping forward and grasping James by the neck – briefly flashing his razor sharp teeth and catlike eyes.
‘I’m going to say this once, and only once, and you’d better listen carefully James, because if I have to repeat myself, I can assure you that you’ll regret the day you ever met me ... stay ... away ... from ... Sienna, or I swear, I will kill you.’
‘Kai, let him go,’ Sienna touched his arm softly. He released James from his grip, sending him sprawling on the floor.
‘What are you, you freak!’ James screamed back at him and looked over at Sienna.
‘You aren’t worth it,’ he yelled as he got up and leaped for the door.
Kai was trembling with anger and kept staring at the ground, focussing hard not to shift.
‘Kai, look at me,’ Sienna said as she held onto his arms. He turned around and stared at her. ‘Your eyes,’ she gasped.
He flinched and tried to turn his head, but it was too late, she had already seen what he was trying to hide.
‘It’s nothing.’
‘Enough lies Kai,’ she said, taking his face and turning it back to her. In the nick of time, his eyes changed back to their human form.
‘Why did you come here?’
‘I wanted to talk to you.’
‘Why? You told me we couldn’t be together. You told me to stay away from you,’ she said, letting her arms drop to her sides. She walked towards the window and stared into the night sky. ‘You left me Kai.’
‘I know, but that was before...’ he trailed off.
‘Before what? Before you thought I was hooking up with James again? Is that the only time when you’re interested in me?
‘Yes, maybe something weird happened and yes, I’m amazed at how much has happened between us in only a few short weeks, but you are really messing with my mind here.’
‘I didn’t mean for it to be like this.’
‘Sure you didn’t Kai, but that’s the way it is and you hurt me. You have no idea how it felt when you walked away from me after all that had happened. I’ve been so scared and confused. I have no idea what’s going on.’
He walked over to her, reaching out to touch her, but she held up her hand in protest. ‘I’m not finished...’
‘Sorry...’ he said, dropping his hand.
‘I want to know what happened that night in the forest. And I don’t want excuses. I’m the one who ended up in hospital. And, just so you know, I am perfectly capable of taking James out all on my own, thank you very much. I didn’t need your help,’ she huffed.
‘Are you finished now?’ Kai asked, teasing her.
‘Not nearly!’ Kai chuckled under his breath.
‘Why are you giggling?’
‘It's just so funny; I’ve never seen you this angry before. It’s kind of cute,’ he joked.
‘You are cruising for a bruising, buddy,’ she huffed crossing her arms.
He smiled at her softly and after a brief moment, put his arms around her shoulders, pulling her towards him.
‘So, you think that James will suffer a bruising under me, huh?’ he giggled.
‘Oh, stop. That wasn’t to boost your ego. I bet I could rough him up,’ she laughed back.
‘Feeling very brave today aren’t we?’ he teased.
‘Yes, well, between you and James it hasn’t been an easy couple of weeks you know,’ she said more seriously, moving away from Kai’s embrace and frowning.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘What does this mean Kai? You’re here, but I’m still not certain why?’
‘I don’t know ... I want to apologise.’
‘Very kind of you, but is that all? You could have done that a long time ago. What’s going on with you? To be honest, you’ve been avoiding me like the plague.’
‘I really am sorry. I mean it. I’ve just … been going through a really tough time the past couple of weeks.’
‘You know, I told you this before. You can talk to me. You don’t need to shut me out like this,’ Sienna offered.
‘It's just that, what I’m dealing with isn’t something that I can really explain to you. I don’t even know how to explain it to myself.’
‘Okay then, why don’t you just start at the beginning. Try?’
Closing his eyes, Kai thought hard about what he was about to do. What if she thought he was nuts? This was not the type of story you told a girl that you are obviously head-over-heels for. She’ll run screaming, surely?
‘I don’t think you would believe me...’
‘Thee of such little faith,’ she cracked a small smile.
‘Sienna!’ her mother called from downstairs.
‘Ugh, typical,’ Sienna said. ‘Yes mom?’
‘It's time to say goodbye to your guests. Dinner is ready.’
‘I’m sorry. Can we meet up later? She sighed. ‘I’ll come over to your place, and then we can talk? She just hates it when we miss dinner and I haven’t exactly been flying low on the radar these last couple of weeks.’
‘Yeah, sure,’ he replied, feeling a little bit relieved at the intervention, ‘I’ll see you later then?’ he asked and swiftly left the room as she nodded.
****
As the hours ticked by, Kai sat nervously staring out of the window, waiting for Sienna to arrive. He didn’t know how he was going to tell her about his experiences these last couple of weeks, but he knew that if he wanted to be with her, and if it meant that he had to tell her that he was a shapeshifter, then that was what he was going to do. His tapping on the windowsill became louder as time ticked by, anxiously awaiting her arrival. He got up and paced towards the bedroom door and back and forth between the windows, hoping that it would calm him down.
Eventually, he heard a car pull up outside and he swiftly moved over to the window, where he saw Sienna waving from below, calling him to come outside. He smiled at her, his heart skipping a beat as he took in her beauty. Nobody ever made him feel this way and he knew that she had a right to know about his new world – the one she unknowingly became a part of.
‘It’s nice outside,’ she said as he opened the door. ‘I thought we could walk around a bit and you could take your time telling me your complicated story,’ she smiled, stretching out her hand to him. He took her hand in his and they started walking towards the woody meadow behind the house.
‘Are you sure? After last time...’
‘Oh no, I’m not going in there again, but if we stay close to the house I guess there’s no harm.
‘Nobody’s home, we could really go inside if you’re scared.’
‘Do I look scared to you?’
Defeated, Kai shrugged in submission as they walked behind the house and found a spot to sit on a log of wood not too far from the outdoor lights.
‘Spring is finally here,’ Sienna said, breaking the awkward silence.
‘Yeah, I can’t wait for summer. The lake will be fantastic,’ he attempted. A light breeze rustled the leaves on the ground and gently lifted Sienna’s hair off her shoulders, sending a whiff of lilac through the air.
‘Are you cold?’ Kai asked as she hugged her arms close to her body.
‘A little, but I’m fine. It’s nice.’ Kai took off his jacket and placed it over her arms.
‘We wouldn’t want you to catch a cold. It’s almost senior-year farewell and besides, I need a date,’ he smiled.
‘Is that your weird way of asking me to the matric farewell?’ she grinned.
‘Yeah, it kind of is. Of course, that all depends on whether I make you run screaming in the next half hour or so.’
Sienna’s tiny frame seemed even smaller in his large jacket, covering most of her legs as she sat with them curled under her.
‘You know, you look kind of cute wearing that,’ he joke
d stalling.
‘Well, maybe I’ll just keep it. Give you a proper reason to come visit me.’
‘I’ll come visit you. I promise.’
A moment of silence passed between them, with only the sound of crickets filling the night and every so often the sound of a jackal crying deep inside the forest.
‘It's really pretty out here. I can see why you love it so much. It’s peaceful and calming.’
‘You know, if you listen closely, you could hear the faint sound of the waterfalls crashing on the rocks below. It helps me sleep at night,’ he replied.
‘This really makes you happy, doesn’t it?’
‘Yes, it really does. It makes me feel free and; wild - somehow. What happens in the forest stays in the forest. The animals are free and uninhibited. Watching them live day to day in this forest astounds me.
‘The way they move and think makes me want to know more about life. Unfortunately, I still don’t know where my life is heading and things are a little less clear for me. The year is coming to an end and if I didn’t know a couple of weeks ago what I wanted to do with my life, I now know even less about what I want and where I’m heading,’ Kai admitted.
‘What do you mean? You can do so much. You could become a game ranger at the Kruger. It’s perfect for you – it’s out in the bush and you’ll work with animals,’ she encouraged.
‘That’s not really what I mean. I mean, yes, it sounds fantastic, and probably what I should do, but things have changed too much. I don’t know where life will take me.’ He got up and walked a couple of feet away from Sienna, who anxiously stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
‘It really is ok,’ she whispered, ‘I’ve already forgiven you for leaving me,’ she said. ‘But now, I need to know the reason why.’
He could feel her eyes on his back as he walked a couple of feet further away. She made him too nervous. The words formed in his head but he still didn’t know how to say them out loud. He felt nauseous, unable to think straight. Her sudden touch made him turn around, and he looked at her with fear of pending rejection in his eyes. Her soft hands touched his shoulders, trying to calm him.
It was now or never; he had to tell her the truth even if she rejected him. He was shaking uncontrollably. Her touch, her presence and the thought of her running away from him was too much to stomach, but the lies and secrets were becoming too much to tolerate.
‘Kai,’ she said softly, ‘You can tell me.’
‘I’m not human,’ he blurted out.
‘What? Kai, don’t be silly,’ she giggled nervously.
He turned around, facing her. ‘I mean it Sienna. I’m not completely human,’ he tried again.
Her facial expression turned from a smile to confusion. ‘Is this some sort of joke? Are you trying to play me for a fool?’
‘No, no,’ he said seriously, ‘not at all.’
‘Have you lost your mind? You can’t really think that I’d believe that?’ she asked, stepping away from him. ‘Why do I keep attracting nutcases?’ she mumbled to herself.
‘I’m not crazy Sienna; you have to believe me. At first, I thought I was crazy too, and I didn’t know how to tell you.’
‘Kai, stop it now! This isn’t funny,’ she said nervously, as she kept moving away from him.
‘Do you really think that I will believe something like that? Is this your way of getting rid of me?’ she demanded.
‘Oh hell, I knew this wasn’t going to go down well.’
‘You bet!’
‘Okay, okay, let’s just calm down. I can explain everything. I can show you,’ he said anxiously.
Sienna folded her arms. ‘Are you mad or something? Stop playing games Kai,’ she said, unimpressed.
‘I’m not playing games. I can prove it.’
‘Well then? Go ahead,’ she said, thinning her lips.
‘Not here, somebody might see.’ ‘Seriously?’
‘Come with me,’ he said, taking her hand and started walking into the forest.
‘This is ridiculous,’ she mumbled under her breath, looking unsure whether to follow him or not. Drying leaves and broken tree branches cracked under their feet as they walked deeper into the forest, followed by a dead silence, which engulfed them. Darkness filled every corner of the forest, until they came to a clearing, where the bright moon lit up the sky like fire light. ‘Kai, you are starting to scare me. Let’s just go back home.’
‘I’m sorry, that’s not my intention. We can go back home and you can go on with your life and forget you ever met me or, I can show you what I have been trying to deny and protect you from.
‘I just can’t live this lie anymore, Sienna. It’s your choice if you want to leave or, I can show you who I really am.’
She nodded, and then he stepped into the middle of the clearance, unsure whether he was doing the right thing.
He turned to look at Sienna, who was now standing next to him. ‘Are you sure you’re ready to see this?’
Sienna kept quiet, suddenly looking unsure of her decision to follow Kai into the forest. Fear showed on her face. ‘Yes,’ she replied, swallowing hard. Kai closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Slowly he opened his eyelids and exposed marvellously bright green, catlike eyes with yellow specs.
Sienna gasped. ‘Your eyes, they’re so bright. Like they were this afternoon!’
‘That’s just a small part of it, Sienna,’ he sighed.
‘I can stop if you want,’ he said, waiting for her to respond.
‘Oh my goodness,’ she said, putting her hands to her mouth in awe. ‘This can’t be real. Your eyes, they’re not real! I mean, they can’t be, can they?’
Kai looked away, ashamed at what he was about to do. His heart pounded, scared that she would run away. ‘That’s not all...’
‘There’s more?’
‘Please promise me that you will trust me, even if you are frightened. I promise I won’t hurt you,’ he begged.
‘Okay,’ she looked around uneasily. ‘I trust you.’
Kai took a few steps back from Sienna. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, yes, I’m sure,’ she replied, intrigued.
He took another deep breath, and before Sienna’s eyes, he turned into the beast he was hiding from her. First his hands turned into paws, his bones elongated, stretching into their new form, making space for his broadening muscles. Black fur sprouted over his entire body, covered with spots. Whiskers grew from his face and cat ears emerged from his head, and a thick, strong tail popped out from behind him. His shirt, torn and tattered, fell to the floor.
‘Holy crap!’ she exclaimed, her knees buckling to the ground. She shook with fear, yet excitement showed in her eyes. ‘Really?’ she asked. ‘This is unbelievable. You're human, but, you're not. You look like a cat - a human-cat.’
Kai wished he could read her mind at that moment. He didn’t know whether she would resent him now or fear him. Her eyes were wide, and he could see that she did not know what to do or say. He didn’t want to scare her, so he slowly walked over to her and bent to his knees.
‘You don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m not going to hurt you,’ he said, placing a paw on her shoulder.
‘It’s just, just so much to take in,’ she said, looking him up and down, completely awed. She extended her hand, and ran it over his furry body. Finally, she moved her hand to his face, touching his whiskers, softly caressing his strong feline jawbone. ‘I … I don’t fear you Kai. You are so beautiful,’ she stated.
A sudden purr escaped his throat, shocking them both, and Sienna burst out with laughter. ‘Did you just purr at me?’
‘Umm, yeah, I guess I did,’ he smiled, flashing bright sharp fangs.
‘This is just so, wow, unbelievable,’ she said, amazed.
‘Have you always been this way?’
‘No,’ he replied, ‘this is all kind of new to me.’
‘I don’t understand?’
‘Neither did I. It all happened so fast. Before I
knew it, I was changing and new things were happening to me.’
‘Wait...’ she held up a finger. ‘The night I was attacked by the lion, was that you? Were you the one fighting off the lion?’
‘Yes, it was me. For some reason I can shape into a proper leopard and then, well, this - neither human nor leopard. I was trying to get the lion away from you.’
‘But you disappeared, left me alone in the forest. Where did you go?’
‘It’s all so hazy. I can barely remember what had happened that night. It was the first time I transformed. I was confused and didn’t know what was happening to me. The only thing I can remember was the rustle in the bushes just before I left you and the rest is just vague flashes ... I’m so sorry for the pain that I caused you that night,’ he said, running his paw over her hair.
‘I remember the black leopard ... you, I mean, the leopard – you, were trying to fight the lion, and I somehow got tangled up in the middle of it. The lion slashed me so deep that I passed out.
‘The next thing I remember was waking up in hospital, my back stitched up and hurting. You just disappeared. I couldn’t even find you at school, even though people said that they’d seen you there. But every time I tried to find you, you weren’t there.’ Tears formed in Sienna’s eyes as she relived the nightmare she’d gone through. Kai felt ashamed of how he’d handled the situation.
‘That’s all in the past now. Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me? I’ve been such a fool. I promise that I’ll never leave you alone like that ever again.’ As he said it, he changed back into Kai the human. Slowly, he bent down, his lips softly touching hers, and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. She tilted her chin upwards, and greeted him passionately. He could feel her body sinking into his. She let him pull her closer, making no effort to move away from his embrace.
‘Let's go back to the house,’ she said, pulling away.
‘Don’t you think it’s getting pretty late? Your parents might get worried.’
‘I’m sure they’re fast asleep, and not even aware that I left the house,’ she persisted, taking his hands and pulling him back towards the house. ‘Besides, you don’t have a shirt on – not that I’m complaining, but it is getting cold out here,’ she prodded.