Things just keep getting stranger around here. Will Catalina uncover the truth?
Catalina As I stepped through the bright front doors of Pi Alpha Nu, my newfound sense of belonging was instantly extinguished by the chaotic atmosphere that filled the fraternity house. Everyone was standing in a circle, some were crying, and some were embracing. I was engulfed by an eerie uneasiness that soon enveloped me. I cleared my throat, my confidence slowly fading as I hesitantly asked, "Can someone please tell me what's going on?" My heart tripled, and my mouth suddenly became dry. All my housemates had their mouths agape as if their voices had been stolen away. Then Emily, the housemate who had revealed to me that Bex had gone missing, pointed upstairs. My curiosity was piqued and I quickly made my way upstairs. As I reached the top of the stairs, tension radiated from the room. It was almost as if I was being watched, like something lurking in the shadows was waiting for me to take the next step. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I slowly stepped forward, and then, I saw
MalcolmI was mid-bite when my panther's keen senses picked up subtle changes in the air. Someone was nearing my front door, and in an instant, I had jumped up, determined to answer the door before the knock. But when I opened the door, I found myself staring straight into the beautiful face of Catalina. The young woman who in such a short time became my everything. Her bright, brown eyes were wide with surprise, as she hadn't expected to find me waiting for her, and before she could even get a word out, I had already taken her into my arms, kissing her; the fierce urgency between us was nothing short of consuming. I could feel the fire of desire in her body and I longed to caress her curves and feel her breath on my skin. With renewed urgency, I kneaded her soft body against mine, my own heartbeat thumping like an engine against her. My body was alive and my need for her was growing with each passing second. Suddenly, I was stopped by the sound of her voice, muffled against my lip
CatalinaI'm pregnant. The words echoed in my head with a heavy uneasiness in my chest. I was only a freshman in college and I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to take care of a child. Not to mention that the baby’s father was my panther shifter professor, which made the situation all the more complicated. Was our child going to have shifting powers, too? I’m so confused.I knew I had to tell someone and I decided that the best person for that would be my brother, Roman. We had always been close and I knew he would understand. Hopefully…I took a deep breath and pulled out my phone. My heart felt as if it had stopped beating as I began to type a text to my brother Roman asking him to meet me in the quad. Nausea bubbled in my stomach as I walked to the destination, not knowing how he was going to react to this news.“What’s up?”I fumbled with my house keys within my grasp, glancing all around us. “We should probably sit down.” “Okay…” Roman gave me a sideways glance.We found a
Catalina We were living in complete bliss then when I was six months pregnant, the nightmares started. Every night the same dream: a woman draped in a black cloak was hovering over our baby's crib, and no matter what I did, she disappeared with our baby in her grasp with her maniacal laugh, lingering behind. I knew it was only a dream, but the fear that something could happen to our baby was too much. I'd wake up in a cold sweat, my heart racing. I was terrified of what this could mean. Malcolm tried to reassure me that it was only a dream, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something sinister was lurking in the shadows of our lives. So, I started researching shifters and their powers. I read about the different kinds of shifters and what they were capable of. I also studied the panther clan's history and customs. With Malcolm's help, we created a plan for when our baby arrived - how to keep her safe, how to teach her about her powers, and how to handle any potential danger she mi
It is said that long ago, the Crimson Moon tribe refused to ally with the wizardly clan, and as a punishment, they were cursed with a powerful spell. Legends suggested that the curse would cause anyone who dared defy the wizards' regulations to wither away unless they drank the panther's blood. Many chose to drink, while some perished. In the end, the tribe was saved, but the curse still lingered in their history and was passed down to their descendants. It is said that if any member of the tribe drinks a panther's blood, they will be cursed and bestowed with a peculiar power - the ability to transform into a panther - though not of their own free will. This is why it is strongly advised that all members of the tribe should wear an amulet around their neck at all times as a way to protect themselves from the black magic that has been lingering in their history since this ancient curse.Malcolm"I know it is a lot to digest but I thought it was important for you to know everything abou
Catalina "I hope you don't mind, I invited Roman...and Emily to dinner?" My face twisted into a scowl. "Emily, why Emily?" Malcolm's Adam's Apple bobbed up and down. "She and Roman did such a remarkable job with the meet and greet today. I thought it would be nice to have them both over." I shrugged, shoving a roll into my mouth. I had an inkling there was more to this dinner by the worried look on his face, but I decided not to pry. My feet were throbbing, my ankles were swollen, and baby girl was doing her usual before-dinner somersaults inside my belly. Talk about a literal kick to the bladder. I was a beached whale and wanted to lie down until dinner was ready. "Sure, why not. Invite them both over." I hadn't seen my brother Roman in a few weeks, and I had missed him. He was currently the mediator between me and my parents; they had accepted the fact I was in a relationship with an older man and was carrying his child, but they haven't reached out much since I broke the news. M
MalcolmCatalina was still unsure about Emily, despite my efforts to convince her otherwise. I knew we needed to be careful about who we let into our group, but I also believed that Emily was a good person. So, I decided to do a little digging into her background.It didn't take long to learn that Emily was an outstanding student, graduating with high honors from high school. She had no criminal record and had never even been in detention. Her father was a high-ranking military officer, and her mother was a kindergarten teacher. They had recently divorced.Catalina was still not convinced, but I could tell that she was starting to soften up to Emily. And I have to say, I was starting to like her too. She was a kind and caring person, with a good head on her shoulders. I could tell that she would be a great friend to all of us."How about inviting Emily to go shopping with you?" "Geez, are you sick of being home with me or what?" Her lips tugged downward as she pushed her peas and car
Catalina Getting out of bed at this point in my pregnancy was becoming more difficult by the day; I had gained 15 lbs this week alone. Jesus, am I even going to be able to push this baby out of me? After several moments of struggling around as if I was a turtle turned upside down, I managed to get myself upright and made my way to the bathroom to take a shower. Malcolm had already left for the morning, to tie up some loose ends on campus. I didn't want to be alone today, my brother was working a double shift at the movie theater, so I asked Emily if she wanted to go shopping downtown. She was on her way to pick me up, so I needed to get my ass in the shower. I was exhausted after my shower, and I could barely keep my eyes open. I wandered into the kitchen, half asleep, and found a note from Malcolm next to a Tupperware container. The note said: "My sweetest Catalina, I noticed you have been drained of energy these days, growing our precious baby girl, so I made you these peanut