Catnipped Read online

  “Back then, your father worked for the government on secret projects. I was one of those projects. I was born as government property.” Sabella let that sink in for a minute before she continued talking. “They messed with my DNA prior to my birth, while I was still in my mother’s womb. She wasn’t planning on keeping me, and they paid her very good money to experiment on me while she was pregnant.”

  “That sounds completely unethical,” Lilly said. Her eyes shone with outrage. “Why would my father be a part of that?”

  “He wasn’t there for that part. He wasn’t hired until after I was born. Lilly, this is going to sound unbelievable.” Sabella paused, trying to come up with the words.

  Lilly stepped forward and touched Sabella’s wrist. Sabella leaned into the contact, taking the strength and comfort that Lilly offered. “I have animal traits, things that would have made me a super soldier. Except, it didn’t turn out exactly like planned.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Sabella rolled her eyes and snorted. “Apparently, a small female who only turns into a house cat isn’t the big grand adventure of the panther-human shapeshifter they were trying to create. After every other fetus they worked on didn’t survive the pregnancies, I was the only one they had to work with, so they worked with me. Eventually, they quit the project due to lack of funding, and they couldn’t exactly pitch a house cat as a secret government weapon.”

  Lilly’s mouth was open in surprise and disbelief. “Wait, are you telling me you can turn into a cat?”

  Sabella nodded. “Like I said, I know it sounds crazy. And your father always emphasized that no matter what I did, I could tell no one. I’ve lived alone and scared for my entire life.”

  Looking at her hands, Lilly held up her fingers, counting. “It explains how you’d get into my house to take the necklace—you could have sneaked through my open window as a cat. And there’s your reflexes, your crazy good hearing, and those eyes of yours. They always seemed…more than human.”

  “Yes, I have the ability to shift into a cat. Should I show you?” Sabella asked.

  She waited for Lilly to respond. This could be the beginning—or the end—of a very special relationship.

  ***

  Lilly thought about her response. Agreeing to this madness—it would change everything. She looked into Sabella’s eyes, eyes that were caring, and hopeful, and a little scared.

  “Yes, I want to see it,” Lilly said, forcing herself to smile. “But I think I need a drink first.”

  “Let me get you that drink, and we can go from there,” Sabella said. She gestured Lilly over to the kitchen. After pulling a bottle of vodka out of the freezer, she poured a couple of shots into two glass cups and handed one to Lilly. “Drink up.”

  Lilly drank it and stared at Sabella. She wanted to see her turn into a cat. “I want to see the…change, or whatever you call it.”

  “What change would that be Lilly?” Sabella asked her, her voice going husky.

  The arousal was evident in Sabella’s voice. Lilly pictured herself kissing Sabella, and feeling that husky breath against her cheek, against her breasts. This would be a night of new experiences.

  Lilly cleared her throat and willed herself to think clearly. “For now, I want to see you turning into a cat. I need to see it. After that, we can see what happens next.”

  “Fine, if you want me to turn into a cat, you have to help me get my clothes off.” Sabella arched a brow. “Come over here and help me out of my clothes, because I can’t shift with them on.”

  Lilly bit her lip. Sabella sounded so flirtatious, so seductive, that Lilly felt completely over her head. She’d never been with a woman before—and she’d never done more than kiss her high school boyfriend.

  “Only if you’re ready, sweetheart,” Sabella said, seeming to sense Lilly’s hesitation.

  “No, I’m ready.” Lilly walked over and started unbuttoning Sabella’s shirt. She helped push the fabric off Sabella’s shoulders, and helped her out of her bra. Sabella’s breasts were magnificent, perfectly round globes. Lilly couldn’t force herself to look away.

  “Tempting, isn’t it?” Sabella said. Her breasts jiggled slightly when she took in a deep breath. “The curiosity of how this could even be real, I mean.”

  Lilly smirked; she knew Sabella hadn’t meant the second comment, nearly as much as the sexual innuendo of the first. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  Sabella kicked her pants and panties off, then she stood in the middle of the room and cracked her knuckles and shut her eyes. Shaking her hands out, she started stretching out and after a moment, her body shape started to shift and change. A few crackles and pops, and a moment later, she landed with a soft thud on her small, padded feet.

  She was a cat. A freaking cat. Lilly could hardly believe her eyes.

  Lilly stared at Sabella with her mouth open, in complete shock. She knew that Sabella had told her, warned her, yet she hadn’t totally believed it was possible. The cat came up and curled between Lilly’s ankles, purring as she rubbed against her legs.

  Reaching down, Lilly picked her up and rubbed her under her chin. “You know; I do believe you may be the reason my father never allowed me to have a pet cat.”

  Letting out a small meow, Sabella rubbed her soft head against the bottom of Lilly’s chin. Lilly scratched her behind the ears before setting her back down. She watched Sabella, waiting for her to shift back.

  Now human again, Sabella looked a little woozy on her feet.

  “Sorry, shifting back to human form makes me a little loopy for a few minutes. Big adrenaline rush. Shifting kind of hurts, but not exactly. It’s like the ultimate runner’s high.” Sabella walked over to the table and poured herself another drink. “You want one?”

  “Sure, Sabella.” Lilly was shocked at everything that had happened. “I have another question, though—can you tell me about your time with my dad?” Lilly walked over and took the glass from her. She sipped the vodka, since Sabella had overfilled the glass to be more than one shot.

  Sabella cleared her throat. “Your father was nice, kind. He talked to me. I liked him a lot. That’s how I ended up at our house…and with your necklace.” Sabella sighed and bent to pick up the cat necklace, which had fallen to the floor during her shift. “When I saw how happy your family was, I was jealous. I saw the cat necklace, and it spoke to me. I wanted it. I didn’t mean to hurt you, or even steal from you exactly, but I’d just found out they were abandoning the project and your father had said goodbye to me. I didn’t get to say goodbye to you, so I took the necklace as my parting gift.”

  “It’s okay Sabella, I’m not mad about it.” Lilly had been a little uncomfortable with the idea at first, but now she was flattered. The two of them were connected, from the time they were girls. The woman in front of her, beautiful and exotic, had a unique situation. As strong as she was, she’d had a rough time of it. Lilly had enjoyed a fairly easy life, besides her mother dying. The necklace was the least of the things she really cared about in the big picture.

  Sabella went to grab her clothes from the floor, and Lilly stopped her. Their eyes met and for a moment, it seemed like neither one took a breath.

  ***

  Sabella reached out and stroked Lilly’s cheek with two fingers. Lilly looked so beautiful and so accepting, that Sabella couldn’t resist leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on Lilly’s lips. Lilly didn’t push her away—instead she opened her mouth slightly and deepened their kiss.

  Then she pulled back a tiny bit. “Just so you know, this other part of our conversation isn’t over yet,” she whispered to Sabella. “But I’ve heard enough for now.”

  Nodding, Sabella tucked a strand of hair behind Lilly’s ear and then bent her head to press a kiss to her neck. She worked her way lower, sliding her hands down Lilly’s shoulders until she reached her waist. There, she slowly unbuckled Lilly’s belt and pushed down her jeans.

  Lilly took off her shirt, exposing a deep purple
bra that matched her lacey underwear. Sabella licked her lips, marveling at Lilly’s beauty.

  Lilly seemed nervous. Sabella could tell she liked her—in fact, even in class Sabella had seen the way Lilly looked at her—like a schoolgirl with a crush. Neither of them had planned this—a professor and a student, having a liaison, but Sabella couldn’t help herself, and from the eager way Lilly was returning her advances, it didn’t seem Lilly could help herself, either. Sabella knew they’d have to share more about themselves, and Sabella would have more to explain. Right this moment though, the way Lilly was pressing kisses to her naked shoulder, she lost all rational though and moaned softly.

  Sabella reached out and touched her skin, stroking her fingers lightly down her arms, Lilly shivered. Breaking out in goosebumps, Sabella kept touching her, stroking her and working her way lower over her belly, and down over Lilly’s thighs. Watching her reaction, Sabella kissed the tops of Lilly’s breasts, leaving little love bites across from one mound to the other. She slid down the straps of Lilly’s bra, then reached back and unclasped it, setting those gorgeous breasts free. Lilly gasped, then moaned quietly.

  Going lower with her mouth, Sabella sucked one of Lilly’s nipples and lapped at it roughly with her tongue. Lilly grabbed a handful of her hair and squeezed, letting her head fall back as Sabella switched to the other side and nibbled on the other breast, letting her tongue flick the nipple into a tight nub.

  Kissing lower down Lilly’s chest until she reached her navel, Sabella murmured, “I never asked if this is okay. You look like it is, love, but is this okay with you?”

  “Yes,” Lilly said on a sigh.

  Sabella smiled and circled her tongue against Lilly’s belly button and then pushed Lilly back until she hit the couch and fell on her butt. Sabella kneeled between Lilly’s legs, pushing them apart and fitting her body between them until her breasts were crunched against the couch as she started kissing Lilly’s hips and thighs. She kissed up one leg, across Lilly’s pelvis, and down the other leg. Her right hand came up and cupped Lilly. Lilly jerked slightly, suddenly tense.

  “Is this your first time with a woman?” Sabella asked her.

  “I’ve had fantasies about women, but this is the first time I’ve ever acted on them,” Lilly admitted, and then she gasped when Sabella dipped her head and pressed a kiss against the folds of skin between her legs. Sticking her tongue out, she lapped at Lilly’s clit like a cat drinking a bowl of milk until Lilly nearly bucked off the couch.

  Sabella reached up and grabbed Lilly’s wrists, pinning her down to the couch so she couldn’t wiggle away. Using her forearms, she held her thighs down to the couch and buried her face hard against Lilly’s beautiful pink pussy. She drove Lilly wild with her tongue, and the feel of her lips, the scrape of her teeth every now and then heightened the sensations.

  Lilly let out a loud howl and tensed, her thighs squeezing Sabella’s head. Sabella continued to lap at Lilly’s pussy, tasting the delicious desire there. Lilly’s entire body started shaking, and Sabella lifted her head away after a few moments and watch Lilly collapse against the couch, breathing hard.

  Sabella climbed onto the couch, knowing exactly what she wanted. She grabbed Lilly’s right hand and stroked herself using Lilly’s fingers. Pushing two of Lilly’s fingers inside of her, she kneeled against the top of the couch, hooking one leg over. Pressing her crotch to Lilly’s mouth, she paused. “Is this okay, Lilly?”

  “Yes, please. I want to get you off like you did me,” Lilly murmured, cupping Sabella’s firm behind in her hands.

  Sabella rubbed herself against Lilly’s lips. “Lick me, Lilly, I’m so wet for you. Just thrust your fingers nice and deep and lick my clit.”

  Sabella not someone who was afraid to say what she wanted. Her cat demanded attention, exactly how she wanted it. Lilly’s fingers started to move inside of her, and her tongue flicked the little pink nub that would build Sabella to her own explosive orgasm. Rubbing her slick center against Lilly’s face, she controlled the pace until she felt the muscles in her thighs start to tighten, and her belly clench. Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back and let out a purr. Thrusting her hips faster against Lilly’s face, she grinded down at the same time, making Lilly’s fingers push up into her harder.

  Moments later, letting out a growl that boarded on a yowl, Sabella came, her hips and body jerking as she held her breath, her eyes tightly shut. Sliding down to sit on Lilly’s lap, she grabbed the back of the couch to catch her breath and smiled at Lilly, who still had her fingers trapped inside Sabella. The muscles had clamped down tight from the orgasm and Lilly was staring down in awe at Sabella.

  “Well, that was something else,” Lilly said breathlessly. Sabella smiled—it looked like Lilly was trying to process everything that had happened.

  “You doing okay?” Sabella asked. “It was your first time—what did you think?”

  “Fantastic,” Lilly said. “It was…it was great.”

  Sabella laughed and kissed the tip of Lilly’s nose. “Are you hungry? I’m starving now. How about I whip up some tuna sandwiches and we can go for round two? Maybe in the bedroom this time.”

  “Are you really that insatiable?” Lilly’s eyes widened as she looked at Sabella. “I feel like I just ran a marathon.”

  “Oh honey, we are just getting started,” she said, laughing. She winked at Lilly before she headed off to the kitchen to make them some food. She was happy. She knew this might be temporary, she knew they still had a lot to talk about, but for the first time in her life, Sabella felt content.

  She just hoped Lilly felt more for her than a one-time fling. Sabella realized that for the first time in her life, she had something worth fighting for. She wanted more than a one-night-stand with Lilly, she wanted a relationship. Now, she just had to somehow convince Lilly that the two of them should be together.

  After feeding Lilly, Sabella felt like purring because she was so happy. Taking Lilly’s hand, she walked her back upstairs.

  “You look a little tense, Lilly. I’m pretty good with my hands,” Sabella whispered as wrapped her hands around Lilly’s waist. “Let me show you how good. Go lie on the bed, face down.”

  Lilly looked over her shoulder at her. “Okay.”

  Sabella followed Lilly to the bed. She climbed next to Lilly and starting pushing on her back, kneading like a cat. She felt her chest rumble as she purred slightly, in joy at touching Lilly like this. Pushing with her nails slightly, she flexed her fingers and pushed against Lilly’s back and worked her way up and down her spine. She massaged Lilly’s butt and then bent down to nip at it.

  “Hey!” Lilly said, laughing.

  “I want you again,” Sabella said. She flipped Lilly over and moved between her legs. Pushing Lilly on her side, she threw her leg over Lilly’s shoulder so they were connected together like a pair of scissors. Smiling against Lilly’s inner thighs, Sabella started kissing her delicate skin and quickly showed Lilly exactly what she wanted her to do in return.

  ***

  Spending nights with Sabella and days in classes left Lilly feeling exhausted. She sat in the lecture hall and smirked when there was a movie going on the big screen as part of their assignment. Sabella must have been as tired as Lilly was after last night’s marathon, because Sabella was dozing at her desk up front.

  Lilly felt a pang of tenderness, so strong she thought her heart would burst. She wanted to care for Sabella, this woman who had come to mean more to Lilly than anything else. She found herself wanting to protect Sabella, and she worried about what would happen if Sabella’s secret got out.

  Part of her felt this overwhelming urge to tell the entire world that Sabella existed and announce their relationship to her father and the entire school. Once those secrets were out, nothing could be in their way—they wouldn’t have to tiptoe around campus, and they could tell Lilly’s father about their relationship. But she knew that Sabella was incredibly private and was having a hard time with the idea
of even coming out as a lesbian, let alone a student and professor being lovers.

  Because she was falling asleep at her desk, Sabella didn’t even notice the dean peek his head in. Crap, Lilly thought. The dean. Lilly tried coughing, hoping the sudden sound would wake Sabella, but it didn’t work. The dean walked over to Sabella and shook her shoulder. Sabella jerked awake and nearly fell off her chair. Lilly glared at the other students, daring them to make a sound. But they didn’t say anything because they were too scared of Sabella to mock her for getting in trouble with the dean.

  “Go away George,” Sabella snarled, almost too quiet for Lilly to hear. “My classroom is my domain.”

  “I was just peeking in on you and you were asleep. Are you okay?” the dean asked, ignoring her little tantrum.

  “George, it’s fine. Grading papers makes for long nights. I’m tired.” Sabella stared at him. “Go away now.”

  “See me in my office after class Sabella,” the dean said.

  Lilly looked around. The other students were focused on the documentary playing on the screen, and thankfully didn’t seem to have observed Sabella’s exchange with the dean. But what did it mean? Lilly didn’t want Sabella to be in trouble, or lose her job. Landing a full-time professorship in a top university wasn’t easy by any means, and what if Sabella had to move away to find work?

  Sabella jerked a nod, acknowledging the dean, but she waited for him to leave before telling everyone to finish up their notes on the documentary. Class was over in fifteen minutes. Lilly sat in the front of the class, willing Sabella to look her way, to share in whatever private panic she was experiencing. But Sabella was as unreadable as ever.

  ***

  After dismissing her class and studiously ignoring Lilly, Sabella hurried to the dean’s office. She’d wanted to reassure Lilly, but she wasn’t sure what the dean would say, and she hadn’t wanted to give Lilly any false hope. Falling asleep in class, while they watched a documentary—it would be a miracle if she wasn’t asked to resign immediately.

  She knocked on the dean’s office door and waited for him to yell for her to come in. She opened the door and walked through, shutting it.