FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

After breakfast the family, along with Shanna and Olaf who'd arrived as we were finishing breakfast, returned to the living room to the sounds of Handel's Messiah as we attacked the packages that were under the tree. I'd made sure that all of us, including our three feathered companions got something and I smiled every time I heard somebody's exclamations of happiness at what I'd managed to find that suited them.

About half-way through the festivities Anna picked out a small box and dropped it in my lap, the tag on the box said that it was from Anna and her parents. Shrugging my shoulders, I opened it and a key ring with several keys on it fell into my lap. Looking at my mate I cocked my head slightly and asked her. "What is this dear?"

Shanna spoke up for her daughter. "As you are aware we have three great houses that are empty on the property, and we have one high ranked cat that doesn't belong to any of the existing houses."

"Matriarch I don't desire to belong to any of them, I don't revel in politics, I try and avoid it wherever possible." I told her as firmly as I could, without being offensive.

"Mark, you may not know it but already you've started to draw other cats to you, like a candle draws a moth. So far, we've had at least thirty cats request to join your House, but you don't have the space for them here."

That gave me a moment's pause before I asked her where she wanted me to go now?

"Mark, the house we've set up for you is closer to the Pride House and has more modern fittings and amenities, and it is fully networked. As much as he protested against it at the council meetings the former House Lord was actually one of our most modern cats in terms of how his house was fitted out."

"So... Which House is it?"

Olaf chuckled and finally admitted, "It is the House of Vladimir Berekov... so fitting that the one he's tried so hard to hurt ends up taking over his old House."

I looked at the three of them and finally settled for shaking my head, "I know that there is little I can do to change your mind, I rather like this cozy house. I have the privacy I still desire and it is big enough for my family as well as the occasional guest."

Anna gave me a gentle headshake, "Mark, at the new house you have better networking, the fixtures are more modern, and we don't always have to ask Sergey to do everything. I know that he will always take the position of our Junior Cat, but it doesn't mean that he has to do everything."

I looked across at my son and he nodded softly. "I know you like my cooking, but there are a lot of other areas where I would like to learn more things. With my parents cutting off my education I can't properly learn to serve you and your mate."

"Very well, I guess after we're done here I should go take a look at that place, it is a bit large for my taste." I said, and I was correct. Both the Pride House, and all of the Great Houses were three stories, though well concealed from the air, they were large rambling structures that could house quite a few cats and for Pride unity that was actually a good thing.

After the rest of the gifts had been opened, save a small envelope I walked over to my mom with it and handed it to her. "Mom, I know that you've never sought out your birth family, but since my own turn I've picked up the curiosity of a cat and I had to know."

Mom looked a little hurt by that, but she opened the envelope, from it slid some paperwork and a small earing with the sigil of the Pride. "Mom I've talked to the Matriarch and she agrees that though you are human we could make you either a friend of the Pride, or if you are willing, a full member."

"What is this about my birth family Mark?" She asked me looking at the paperwork.

"I located your father. He will be here tomorrow, I will be picking him up at the airport. He is very interested in meeting you since he didn't know that you existed." I told her, taking one of her hands in mine. "Mom the reason I tried so hard to find him, and why I knew what to look for is simple. You are half cat yourself, you were born human, but all of us here can feel your cat, buried inside under your humanity."

Both mom and dad looked at me and their expressions showed both surprise and a bit of shock. Finally, dad broke the silence, "So her father is..."

"Yes, Mom's father is a Were-Tiger, though he's of a different sub-species than I am. He is a Bengal Were-Tiger and he was born in India about a century ago."

Mom was recovering from the shock, and she did recover quickly, "Mark, what does that mean for me?"

"Mom it means whatever you decide to make of it, though personally I feel that it would be a wonderful thing if you and dad decided to be turned." I closed my eyes and gulped softly. "Mom my lifespan now is in the area of four hundred years and to lose you and dad before my first century... would hurt a great deal. I also feel that you and dad have so much that you could offer the Pride in terms of skills, point of view, and outside knowledge."

Mom and dad both looked at each other, and nodded to each other, "Mark, you've given us a great deal to think about, but this isn't something that we can make any kind of decision on rapidly, though I do admit that I am interested in meeting this person." My mom said after a moment. "Until we do make a decision, would you mind if your father and I stayed here for a few nights? Just so that we can see how the Pride lives, since this is something that you are asking us to possibly join."

"Of course, mom, I don't see any problem in that, as long as the Matriarch and the Guardian approve." I told them quickly, glancing over at them with a raised eyebrow.

Shanna nodded her head, "You are more than welcome to stay here while you figure out what you are going to do next." She told them before smiling as both Sergey and Katy were enjoying themselves with their new things.

An hour later I walked, with Shanna, Olaf, and Anna as we made our way to where the Berekovs had lived before. It was a large, impressive house with a facade that seemed like it was designed to impress and intimidate. The only thing that softened the façade was the snow draped on the eaves and the snow-covered bushes that flanked the main entrance. "I can see that Vladimir wasn't one for subtlety in his housing, was he?" I asked shaking my head, wondering how I could make this place a bit more inviting.

"This is about the mildest version of his original proposal." Olaf said with a soft growl. "Vladimir was never one for subtlety."

"I can see that here." I replied, stepping up to open the front door. Like the exterior the foyer of the house was designed to impress and intimidate, though it had a lot more subtly and outright beauty than the exterior.

"Most of these areas are more or less public to the members of the house, including the staff, that are already working here. The areas that would concern you would be the common areas, and the private quarters of the House Lord." Olaf told me as he guided me on a tour of the facilities.

I was impressed by the condition of the place and the modern amenities, as much as Vladimir had railed against the modern world, it appeared that he was no stranger to integrating it into his house. In fact, it was then that I figured that his apparent distaste for the modern world had less to do with disliking it an more to do with the fact that it gave him the support of those on the Pride Council who really did believe that modern technology was evil. It really did seem to fit what I'd already learned about him, he was simply using those who truly did believe that the modern world had nothing that they needed to gain what he wanted. What Vladimir wanted was simple; power. Almost everything he did was simply a means to gaining more power for himself. "For all of his protestations against modern technology it appears that Vladimir was more than willing to use it when it gave him an advantage. If anything, I think I prefer some of his crony's honest distaste rather than his... his..."

"Hypocrisy?" Shanna finished, "Vladimir was always about power, and this was one way that he saw himself gaining some measure of power."

I nodded in answer before we headed up to the third floor, and the personal office, and apartments of the former owner of the house. Though he had stripped out all of his personal effects the apartment still exuded Vladimir's ancient and soul crushing quest for personal power. The décor was dark and heavy, which I found almost depressing. The fixtures and furniture were of the best quality and construction, but the colour palate was dark and heavy with an emphasis on black and reds. "If these could be refinished in a lighter tone with some fresh paint this really could be a place to call home." I told her before we went into the large office that he'd run his House from. The space was even larger than that which Shanna and Olaf ran the Pride from and again the décor was dark and subdued, though for an office I didn't mind a darker colour palate since it made it so that it was easier to focus on the work in front of one.

I made a point to check the walls and soon found an access point for Ethernet on the floor right by the desk, along with a large installed surge protector/ power bank. "Okay we can start working in here right away, as soon as everything can get moved in." I told my mate. "Now what are we going to do about the current place where we are living?"

Shanna spoke up quickly, "I don't see any need for it not to return to its previous function. For the past forty years, it has served as the Pride's guest house, though it has seldom had a use."

"That does sound like a reasonable use for it Matriarch." I replied, "Before we do move in though I'd like to see the personal areas repainted and refinished in a less drab tone. I don't mind red or black as an occasional colour, for the sake of contrast, but I can't stand the idea of being surrounded by so much of it."

Both Shanna and Olaf nodded, "We can understand, this place should be ready for you and your family by the new year Mark."

I nodded, "I am not eager to move out, but I can see that I don't have much of an option in this case."

Anna came up beside me and gave me a hug, "Love, you are still trying to think of yourself in human terms, but the reality is that you aren't human anymore."

"Anna, for most turned people it takes years, if not decades to learn to stop thinking in human terms and adapt to thinking in our terms." Anna's mother softly said, "You are fortunate that your mate had adapted as quickly as he has, but there will still be some things that he will continue to look at from a human perspective." Shanna said to her daughter.

I looked at the two women and then I nodded my head, "I know that sometimes I don't do things the way that you expect me to do them, and sometimes that probably will be my strength, but will also be my weakness since I am still learning to do things like a proper Were should."

Anna hugged me tightly and nibbled on my ear, "Mark, just because you don't do things the way we do doesn't mean that we don't value your input, but there will be times when you have to let me make the decision, since I am more familiar with how things are done." She said softly before carrying on, "One thing I have noticed, and I've seen the effects of it in Sergey and Katy, is that you insist that they sleep alone in their own rooms. For most times that isn't all that bad, but I think that, starting tonight we're going to have them join us. They need the contact with us, in particular you, to stay healthy and happy."

I glanced over at her as she said that and finally I nodded. "I am just not really all that used to sharing my bed, sometimes I've done it, especially when Katy has needed it."

"You don't think that sometimes Sergey needs it as well? You've adopted him as your son, but you don't allow him to slip into the bed with you."

I thought about it, and how I had been raised before I finally nodded my head. "I think I can see where you are coming from Dear Heart. I guess I am following too much in my parent's lead, because when I was a kid I didn't really get to sleep with them, just something that I learned that I was growing up."

Anna nodded, "I understand Mark, but Were families tend to stay close throughout their lives, though when the cubs do reach Sergey's age most of them do tend to sleep by themselves, though on occasion they will still join their parents to sleep cuddled up with them. However, in his case I get the feeling that he didn't really get those chances to share with his mother and father so in a way that side of his cat has been neglected for his entire life."

When she said that I stopped with head bend down and tried to regain control of my emotions. My cat was furious at the thought of a young cub not being able to cuddle with his parents, and my own emotions were all over the map. Finally, I looked up, with tears still in my eyes, "Anna, tonight we'll give him the option to finally begin healing, properly."

She smiled and hugged me tightly. "Thank you my mate." She replied as we headed out of the personal section of the house, down to the common areas. In the dining hall, we found that there were roughly 30 people having lunch there and when they saw me almost as one they all got up and I found myself hugging, shaking hands, and talking to the people that wanted to follow my lead.

Over the next few hours I took the time to learn about those that had moved into the house and I found that they were all under fifty years of age, and highly adaptable.

At some point, Shanna and Olaf left me to handle my people myself as I mingled and got to know the people that wanted to follow me. Each time I hugged or talked to one of my Pridemates and showed them my personal touch, I felt that personal interaction inside our Pride Bonds and the pleasure that it brought.

That evening when we climbed into bed in what I now realized, was the Pride's Guest House, both Sergey and Katy were cuddled up with Anna and I. Katy had cuddled up against Anna, letting her older brother Sergey take the spot between Anna an myself.

When we awoke in the morning I could tell that Sergey had slept well and when his eyes opened he looked at me and offered a shy smile. "Thank you, for everything dad." He stated simply, though I could tell that there was a lot more than he wanted to say.

"You're welcome Sergey. If you ever need, or simply want to crawl in with me and Anna, please don't hesitate to ask, though I would prefer it if you and Katy would wait till after we've... uh..." I stumbled. I really didn't think that the kids should be around when Anna and I were intimate.

"I understand dad, I'll make sure that we wait." He shuddered. "I hate to think of the idea of my own parents being intimate, considering how my father treated my mother sometimes."

"Well then don't." I replied as I gently picked Katy up from my sleeping mate's arms. "Now I need some coffee and something to eat. Reginald's plane gets in fairly early, so I will have to leave soon."

He started to sit up, but I gently placed my hand on his shoulder pushing him back down. "Relax son, I can stop at a coffee shop on my way to the airport, goodness knows that I haven't had a double-double at Tims in a long time." I could see that he wanted to get up and do these things for me this morning, but I shook my head. "Sergey just relax and get some more sleep. I think your cat will agree that it will be nice to sleep in from time to time."

He looked as if he was going to object again, but I shook my head and he relented, laying back down, and cuddled up to my mate. "I should be back before lunch at the House."

"I understand dad, should I have something prepared?" He asked.

"I should be okay, if anything Reg and I can eat at the House and then come here." I told him, "One thing, I'd like you to co-operate with Anna in getting the repaint of our living quarters there going."

"Yes, dad. I'll make sure we get started on that right away." He replied as I got dressed and brushed my hair out.

With that taken care of I took my still sleeping pup to her room to get her changed and ready for the day. After much thought, I'd decided that I'd take her with me today, though I knew that it would be interesting what my grandfather would think of his adopted great granddaughter.

An hour and a half later I stood in the arrivals lounge at the city airport nursing a coffee and holding, a still dozing, pup in my arms as I watched a plane come to a stop. The city hadn't yet gotten around to building a modern enclosed arrival system, and the passengers still had to use old school boarding stairs to board and debark from planes before coming inside and waiting for their luggage.

One of the first people off of the plane was a tall man with dark hair and tanned skin and he easily stood out as he walked into the arrival lounge as he looked around. For any normal human, he didn't really stand out, though as a Were, he might as well be wearing a sign saying that he was a cat.

I stood, being careful not to disturb my dozing pup and walked over, "Reginald I presume?"

He looked at me and after a moment he nodded, "Yes, I presume that you are Mark McEwan?" he asked smoothly.

"You would be correct on that point." I answered back holding out a hand. "I am pleased to finally meet you." I could easily sense his cat and I knew now, beyond any shadow of a reasonable doubt, that he was my grandfather.

"We can talk more once we get into the truck." I told him as we waited for his luggage to arrive on the carousel.

For his part, he nodded before stepping forwards to grab his bags from the machine. "Let's get moving, we're burning daylight and we have much to discuss."

Nodding I guided him to where I'd parked and a short time later I was driving away from the airport towards the City. We had to pass through the city in order to reach the Pride Territory but that really didn't bother me at all.

As I drove he looked me up and down, "So you were turned? Who was the responsible party?" He asked.

Since we were stopped at a red light I closed my eyes. "It wasn't willing grandfather, the responsible one was a rogue and he was trying to kill me. I was lucky that several wolves from a wolf pack near the city where I was living showed up and made him retreat, though eventually that pack lost two of their own due to his actions."

He growled softly. "I hate rogues, they spoil everything, and they make the lives of those who chose not to live in a Pride so much harder."

I nodded in agreement. "You aren't wrong there, I am still trying to learn and adapt to my new nature, and I also have to learn a lot more since I am not a low ranked cat."

"How highly are you ranked?" He asked softly, watching me as I drove.

I reached up with a free hand and pulled my turtle neck down enough to expose my collar. "I am the Pride's Assistant Guardian."

He looked at the collar and smiled. "That's good to hear, my mother was a Pride Leader, though my younger brother and his mate will eventually take over the Delhi Pride."

The rest of the way home we discussed my own history, and what I know of my mother, though I knew that he'd also have to find out from my mom some of what he wanted to know. As we got closer to the Pride he did tell me that he wasn't going to spend a lot of time in his tiger form, since he didn't have much of a winter coat this year due to the fact that he had spent the better part of fifty years living in southern England.

When we arrived home, Katy needed a change, something to eat, and a chance to get outside to burn off some of her childish energy. The one thing that I was glad for was that my guest wasn't commenting too much on my daughter, though when I'd told him of why I had her he had growled and I could sense that his cat was more than a little upset at that information.

An hour later I guided him to the guest house where my mom was reading a book from the rather expansive collection on the walls of the living room.

"Mom, this is Reginald Smith-Harris, and he is your biological father." I told her before stepping back and letting them greet each other. I could see that they were tentative, since she'd never met him and neither had he ever met her before. The one thing I could sense from both of them was the faint bond of a father to his daughter and I understood why this situation had been hard on both parties. My mother had suppressed her bond to such an extent as to never feel it or even have any desire to find her father. While, on the other hand, Reginald had tried, for twenty years, to find her to no avail. In the end, he'd moved to Europe in order to distance himself from a painful memory and the hints of a lost bond. My father, who was feeling a bit left out walked over to me and looked up into my eyes, "Mark, why did you dig him up? We didn't really need this."

"Dad, if you knew that something inside of mom spoke to my cat would you ever forgive me for forgetting about it?" I asked, challenging him with my eyes. "I don't think I could. Mom's cat is buried deep inside of her, but every Were in the Pride can sense it, I am surprised that nobody has offered to turn her to let that cat free."

Dad looked down and then back up at me, "Two have, this morning at breakfast." He told me.

"They can sense it dad, hell even a cub like Sergey can sense it, though I know that he understands that mom isn't a Siberian at heart. That's why I needed to find Reginald, he's not only her father, but also a Bengal and if anybody should turn her it should be him."

"Mark, what will happen to me if she is turned?" My father asked, though I could sense that he wanted to shout and shake me as he asked.

"Dad, I am confident that even if she is turned she will look to you as her mate, I can also sense that there is a mate bond between the two of you, and that makes things much simpler, though you will have to wait six months to a year before she can do anything about that."

He nodded and then hugged me tightly and I could sense how uneasy this whole issue was making him feel. "Dad, regardless of what happens, and what she choses I am here, and I will do what I can to ensure that our family stays together."

"Okay, but if this changes anything I will hold you responsible Mark."

That was something that I could live with for the time being, since I was the one that had pushed this current situation into being.