I wake up at dawn completely covered by Ezra. His head is tucked under my chin, his arms tight around me, his legs entangled with mine. He's a quiet sleeper unlike I used to be. I used to be all over the bed, tossing and turning, waking up to use the bathroom or get a drink of water. Oddly enough, although I worried whether we'd be able to sleep together, it had never come up.

It seems my subconscious wanted my mate by my side to ensure it was safe to sleep. The first few nights, we'd wake each other up and make love then drop back into slumber. That insatiable need was muted now. These days when we wake up together, we share a sleepy kiss then go right back to snoring. Actually, Ezra doesn't snore unless he's absolutely exhausted and feeling safe.

I learned that shortly after we started spending more time together. After a brutal undercover assignment, he'd almost collapsed in the conference room. Josiah had caught him, swung him up in his arms and carried him to my office and the couch there. He told me briskly to cover him up and we'd take turns watching over him. I'd been a bit jealous that he'd gotten to him first.

Josiah patted my shoulder and assured me I would learn Ezra-body-language if I just concentrated hard enough. That day was a revelation to me. I watched him sleep so heavily, he didn't even hear Vin tap and come in to report on the state of the mop-up or Buck bringing me in a doggy bag for lunch. The little snore every now and then would startle me and I'd look up from the never-ending paperwork to watch him for a while.

"What in the world are you grinning at?" His sleepy voice and the little lick told me I was busted. "Good heavens, I'm wrapped around you like a clinging vine. This must be uncomfortable, Chris."

I kept hold of him but let him roll us to our sides. "Nah, Ezra, I like feeling all of you against all of me. I was just remembering the Atkins case and the first time I heard you snore. It was just so cute."

His affronted look was priceless but before he could tell me he was *not* cute, I kissed him. He always gives our kisses his complete attention and I love his single-minded need to consume me. Once we pulled apart, I gave him my best puppy-dog look. "More story, Ezra? You left me at a real anxious spot."

He chuckled. "Just a short piece since we need to get up and finish getting ready for our friends. Now, let's see, Lord Standish had just transformed into a cat and Josiah had left them alone for the night."

The merchant lay flat and still while the big cat sniffed him from head to toe. Some places rated a lick from the raspy tongue and his feet were tickled with whiskers until he had to laugh out loud. The sound startled the cat but then he gave a feline version of a grin and licked both of the high-arches to free even more laughter. But then he licked his way back up to the groin area and the merchant stilled completely.

A wet nose ghosted over the vulnerable privates followed by a small lick to his inner thighs and the merchant shuddered all over, involuntarily spreading his legs further apart. The cat settled down between them, his giant paws on both hips but with his claws still sheathed. The merchant raised himself on his elbows so he could watch the cat sniff his rising cock.

He was both fascinated by the huge creature and still a little worried that Lord Standish might not have complete control over the cat's instincts. But when the broad pink tongue emerged from between the long canines, he held his breath before letting it out in a long shuddering groan. Rough but not too rough, the wet tongue washed his cock from root to tip then wrapped around it and tugged just enough to make his hips come off the floor.

"So good, you feel so good around me," he panted and forced his eyes open again in time to watch the green-eyed cat do it again. This time he shivered at the twinkle in the gaze looking back at him. Several licks and tugs later, the merchant thrust up and spattered the cat's face with his release. Lying limp on his robe, he watched with lazy eyes while the creature licked him clean then rose to move forward until he covered his torso completely.

And that's when he realized the cat was as long as he was, even longer when you counted the tail swishing lazily back and forth. The tongue was back to tasting his throat, shoulders and upper chest while he hesitantly brought his hands up to pet the soft black fur of his head and neck. The cat liked that and a rusty purr rumbled through his deep chest while his paws kneaded the merchant's shoulders, almost but not quite pricking him with his claws.

"You're beautiful, my lord. In either form, you're absolutely beautiful." The merchant petted the upright ears, releasing another series of purrs. "What else can I do to give you back some of the pleasure I've received on my visit? I love the way you teach me new things and I want more lessons in lovemaking, if I may be so bold."

"Rrow-ow," the cat lord replied with a gleam in his eyes that made Chris begin to tingle. Then he gracefully arose and nudged the merchant to look downward. Slowly from between his hind legs, something began to appear, sliding forward out of a black sheath to emerge into the firelight.

The merchant's throat went dry and he looked his fill at the furry appendage that glistened in the light. It was long with a sleek head and didn't appear to be much thicker than the dildo he'd taken that afternoon. The glistening seemed to be some kind of oil and he wondered if all cats were self-lubricating or if it was part of the witch's curse. A hesitant paw nudged him and he looked up into questioning green eyes.

"You want to . . . put that, um," he wondered what you called a cat's shaft. "Ah, your cock inside of me? Will it fit?"

The cat smiled at him again and his head nodded. So the merchant said a quick prayer and rolled over onto his stomach. But before he could go onto all fours, the cat purred and began the sniff-and-lick ritual from his neck along his spine, over his buttocks, and down his legs to the sensitive flesh of his feet. Then he licked his way back up and head butted the merchant's behind until he came up onto knees and hands.

Then that wide rough tongue washed him from the base of his spine down to his balls and back up again. Somehow, he even rolled it and pushed inside the tight muscle until Chris was moaning continuously and pushing back for more. But then it was gone and he felt the cat cover him like a blanket, something wet and hard poking into his stretched hole until with a single thrust from powerful hips, he was impaled on a furry cock.

The cat lord paused then and licked the beads of sweat off Chris' neck. A questioning, 'mrow-w' brought the merchant's head up to answer. "I'm all right. You're just bigger than I thought. The fur tickles a little but it doesn't really hurt. I feel so . . . full."

The cat purred and flexed his claws again on his shoulders before moving his hips out then back in again. The merchant shuddered all over when it hit his gland and he had to take a deep breath to keep from shouting out how good it felt. The cat seemed to want to hear him, licking and letting him feel his fangs but never piercing his skin.

"So good . . . you feel big . . . and warm . . . beautifully warm . . . oh there, hit there again." He panted through the heat and pushed back a little while the cat thrust forward. "That's good . . . I like feeling your fur inside of me and outside, too. More, my lord, take me hard . . . harder . . . oh yes."

Then he felt a slight change in the shaft filling him. It began to swell larger within him. He moaned and panted some more while it widened until it had stretched him so wide he ached. Harsh breathing kept him conscious and the lord didn't move again until he'd relaxed a little. Soft purring seemed to hold a note of contrition and he finally tried a flex around the cock that now felt so gigantic.

"It's . . . all right. You're not hurting me. It feels like . . ." his mind flashed back to the afternoon while he watched Nathan take Buck. "It feels like you've got your whole arm inside of me." He thought about it while the cat purred and licked his ear. "I like it. You feel really, really right inside of me. You're staking a claim to me, aren't you?"

The big cat purred his approval and moved an inch out then back in. The merchant groaned and pushed back for more, thinking to himself that he wanted him to claim him, mark him and never let him go. The cat's stamina was impressive and the fire was dying down before he felt a new urgency in the thrusts. He felt like he'd been on his knees forever but he was willing to stay like this until the end of time if the cat lord would only let him.

Suddenly, one of the paws left his shoulder and swiped under him, the fur grazing his swollen cock with just a hint of claws and that was all it took to make him spend his seed onto his robe while the cat threw back his head and howled triumphantly. Then the merchant fell forward with the lord still buried deep within him.

The hot seed spread through him, making him feel warm and cherished. He wondered if his wife had felt like this when they made love before her death. He liked the feeling of being possessed by someone and wondered what the lord thought about him. He'd sounded resigned to not having children but he smiled to himself and thought about what the lord's kittens would look like if he ever had any. They dozed like that for an hour before he felt the furry cock begin to shrink and finally leave him.

He moaned a little at the empty feeling left inside of him. The cat bathed him with his tongue, making him twitch and almost come to life again. But he was finished for the night and when he rolled over, the cat affectionately washed his face before cleaning up his front. Delicately taking one of his wrists between his powerful jaws, he tugged and the merchant obeyed the silent summons to get up.

The robe was ruined but he wasn't cold so he left it there and followed the cat out of the study and up the stairs to his room. The merchant crawled into bed and held up the blanket, inviting the cat in with him. He did so and they curled up for the night, Chris' hands buried in the thick fur and nose-to-nose with his lord. Briefly he wondered what the morrow would hold for him.

Perhaps once the lord changed back into his human form, he'd take Chris again with the human shaft he'd glimpsed right before the change. Snuggling a little closer, he went to sleep to dream of being taken again and again by his black panther. Sometime in the night, he awoke to find himself impaled on the furry cock again while savage fangs delicately bit between his neck and shoulder.

If anything, that small pain enhanced the possession of the big cat and Chris came again without his own shaft even being touched except by the bed clothes. When dawn arrived, he watched the panther begin to blur and twist again. This time it happened a little more slowly so he saw bits of both the man and the cat during the transformation. They were both beautiful and he watched with his heart in his eyes while Lord Standish stretched all over and opened his eyes.

"Good morrow, my lord, thank you for sharing yourself with me last night." The merchant wanted him to know everything was fine right away.

"Good morrow, Master Larabee." He rose up on one elbow and gazed into hazel eyes. "Thank you for accepting the were-cat. You are the first in a very long time." His hand came up to touch the skin where the cat had bitten the merchant. "Does it hurt? I'm sorry I marked you. I've never felt the need to do that before."

"It doesn't hurt, my lord. Nothing you do could possibly hurt me . . ." he swallowed hard. "Unless . . . you send me away and never see me again."

Green eyes flashed fire and the lord caught his chin so he could look into the merchant's eyes. "Never, I shall never send you away." His kiss was almost brutal but it soon gentled and filled the merchant with hope. "But we must plan for the future for there are your daughters to consider. I believe I shall make you my business manager and your girls will find husbands in Port Royal. I rarely leave the estates so you will join my eyes and ears in the community to report back to me the news of the day."

"Yes, my lord, oh yes, I'd love to do that." Chris kissed him again and again while the dark lord chuckled and returned each one with fervor.

A knock on the bedroom door brought an end to their kisses and Lord Standish called for Josiah to enter. The butler entered with a broad smile, a cheery good morning and a tray filled with breakfast. He laid it between them and gave the merchant a searching look before grinning at him. "I see the master took good care of you last night, Sir. You'll not be needing our lessons anymore."

The merchant blushed deep red and shook his head, mute with happiness. Lord Standish gazed rather possessively at him and fed him a bite of waffle, dripping in syrup. The butler waited while the lord gave him a flurry of orders, the most important one being the need to bring in the parson's wife to travel to the village a day's journey from the estates where she would gather the merchant's daughters and their belongings to bring back to the select parsonage school.

Josiah nodded. "Aye, we can do that, my lord. Vin and I will take the carriage and the wagon for their belongings. What shall they do with the house and furniture?"

"My dear Chris, what would you like done with them? They share much history with your family and some pieces are undoubtedly dear to you and your children." Lord Standish asked him kindly.

"The vicar of our parish lives in a small room in the back of the church. I will write a letter gifting the house and furniture to the parish for use by Vicar Williams. He is a young man and will probably soon marry." The merchant smiled at his lord. "It's good place to raise a family. The girls can chose those pieces with sentimental value for themselves."

"Excellent idea, Chris. Josiah, when we get up and dressed we'll meet you in the study to make our plans. Please bring my clothes in here so we can save a little time." Lord Standish smiled and dismissed the butler who left with a cheery wink. "Now, kiss me again so we can finish our breakfast and start our day."

The merchant did so gladly but all too soon they were up, dressed and headed for the study. Within two hours, letters had been written and plans finalized. Mistress Abigail, the parson's wife, had listened to the merchant's tale (suitably cleaned up of course) and volunteered good-heartedly to go and fetch the 'darling girls'. She said they would be a welcome addition to their school and Master Larabee wasn't to worry himself anymore about their safety and well-being.

Once she was gone to pack for the journey, Chris finished his letter to his eldest daughter and sealed it with Lord Standish's seal. A giant cat's paw was the impression left in the red wax and the merchant chuckled when he saw it. A warm hand stroked the back of his neck and he arched up into his lord's caress, wishing he could purr like the big cat had the night before.

"I believe I would like to walk in the gardens for a while." He whispered into the merchant's ear. "Buck can bring us lunch in the heart of the maze."

"Oh yes, my lord, I'd like that very much." Chris leaned against the broad chest behind him. "Will you take me there in this form?"

"If you wish, my dear, I believe I'd like you to use my Christian name." He leaned in even closer and whispered into his ear. "Ezra - call me by that name from now on."

"Ezra," Chris said in wonder, turning to look deep into sparkling green eyes. "Ezra."

The eyes went hooded and the full lips parted before leaning down to ravish his. They were both panting by the time they had to breathe and Chris wanted to strip out of his clothes and be taken right on the hearth rug as he'd been taken the night before by the were-cat.

"The maze now," Lord Standish said with the little growl Chris had heard before. The man pulled him down the lower halls, through the kitchen where he gave Buck their lunch order, picked up a bottle of oil from the counter, then dragged him across the lawn to the maze. Chris was almost dizzy by the time they reached the heart but then all the haste left the lord and he pulled him down onto another blanket spread out invitingly on the soft grass.

They kissed over and over while undressing each other with warm hands and many caresses. For the first time, Chris beheld his lord's cock in the light of day and he bit his lip to keep back the moan of desire. He was long and thick and nothing like the panther's shaft except perhaps for his girth after he'd grown inside of him. Lord - rather Ezra took his time stretching him with elegant fingers and much oil before positioning him in the same position Buck had laid JD in and pressing inside.

Chris cried out with wonder and pain but Ezra stilled and hugged him close, petting his stomach with gentle hands until the merchant had finally relaxed. Slowly but surely, he pierced the body before him until he could go no further. His voice murmured tender praise of his heat and tightness. His lips kissed his neck in the same pattern the cat had licked in the night.

"Take me, my Ezra. Make me yours by daylight as the cat made me his last night." Chris picked up one of the hands and kissed each finger tenderly. "Mark me so everyone will know I belong to you."

The little growl was all the warning he got before his lord took him at his word and possessed him with fire and need. It was everything and more than he'd requested and he just knew he wouldn't be able to sit down for a week. Chris took each thrust and pushed back for more. This time when his lord came, he bit down hard and it was Chris' turn to howl his pleasure into the air.

That was hotter than hot but what was even better was being buried inside of Ezra while he kept on telling the story. Somehow the very thought of being mounted by a giant cat hit several of my kinkier buttons and he'd noticed. So he'd smoothed lotion over me and took me in while riding me from above.

I love this position because I can stroke his beautiful cock while he uses his powerful thigh muscles to ride up and down on me. How he kept telling the story, I'll never know but he's got that whole multi-tasking thing down to a science.

"Perhaps I should have some fur gloves made for our play time," he said before flexing his inner muscles around me.

I thought that was a great idea and wiggled my eyebrows at him while leering. "Yeah, we could take turns being the cat."

He chuckled and slid his hands up to my nipples to play with them. "Indeed, perhaps we should investigate a velvet sheath for one of our dildos so we can experience fur both within and without."

"Woah, that would be," I tried to imagine it. "That would be really kinky but I think we should try."

He laughed out loud and tweaked my nipples affectionately. "It's not kinky if we both enjoy it, my love. I shall research the possibilities next week."

Then we left off talking while taking our time to make love the way only we can. Held safe and sure inside of Ezra is right where I love to be. After we cleaned up, he started making breakfast while I called in the horses from the lower pasture to the corral so they'd be ready for the boys. I was breathing just fine now and hadn't coughed all night so I was thankfully over the cold.

Being sick while someone you love takes care of you wasn't something I was used to but damned if I couldn't get to like it. I'd remember all the things he'd done for me in case I ever needed to return the favor. Frowning, I petted Pecos and thought about Ezra getting sick. I didn't like to even think of that happening so I decided to talk to Nate about what we could do to stay healthy.

He'd kid me about it but I could take the teasing if it meant never seeing Ezra lying still and pale in our bed. Shivering, I shook off the bad picture and replaced it with one of him laughing while I tickled him. That was better and I patted Pecos goodbye before going into the barn to check the tack. But the rails where we kept all our saddles reminded me of Nathan and JD from the fairy tale and my cock began to swell and press against the zipper of my jeans.

I hadn't been this randy since . . . I stopped and thought. I'd never been this randy in my entire life. Grinning, I headed back inside. Ezra had a lot to answer for and I thanked God for him every day. He was humming at the stove while he flipped a golden pancake. I hugged him from behind and kissed that little spot under his left ear that's so sensitive.

He chuckled and turned his head just enough so we could kiss. The slamming of a truck door brought us apart while he shook his head. "From 20 miles away, Vin can tell when breakfast is almost ready."

I laughed and went out to greet our guests.

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The end of part 4 of BatB