Chapter Two (part 14)

Echo padded over quietly to Dymetri who stood confused and curious. A peice of parchment was in her mouth. Dymetri bent down quickly and scooped up the purring cat and took the letter from her.

He didn't open it. Instead, he looked up and glared at Danalia who looked slightly taken aback by the cat's behavior. Dymetri shoved past her, growling. "I don't want to see you again." His tone was murderous.

Dymetri strode angrily to his study, keeping up his show. When the heavy oak door was closed and bolted behind him, he laughed quietly. "Her face....priceless." Echo let the prince laugh for a full minute before she nipped him on the ear.

Still chortling, he called. "Hey..bad cat. No fish." He looked at her in time to see her nose wrinkle with distaste. Fish didn't sound apetising to her at the moment. Clearing her face, she stared at his hand which held the paper intently, not looking up.

It took a minute for the elf to realize what Echo was staring at befor he remembered the letter. He unfolded it gently and read through, a frown line creasing his forhead.

Prince Dymetri,
If you are to find this letter, I have left. I will not be returning. I hate you and never want to talk t you again. Do not look for me. I would rather be a prisoner in my real father's castle than be with you. I would rather go back and claim my crown than to be stuck here a moment longer. Here I am nothing but a person who will be kicked out when possible. Don't spare a single thought for me, I'm not worth it. I will always be running, farther and farther from any memory from my past, including your castle. If you come to find me, I promise you, you wont go home in a single peice. I'm done with this, I've had too much heartache. Goodbye. ~Echo.

When Dymetri looked up, a broken heart reflecting in his eyes, he began to panick. He couldn't find Echo. The little black cat had disapeared. "E...Ech..oo" His voice broke as he sunk onto his knees. -Echo left. She really did. She isn't here anymore. I thought..she would just stay in hiding here. I didn't think...-

Echo heard his sobs. She was just in a corner of the room, basking in the steam of sunlight. Terror washed through her. Did he really believe that letter? Of course he did. She had written that note when Dymetri was asleep after their . . . She had purposly written it with as much hatred as possible. She knew that his family would not take kindly to their little adventure the night before and she would have to say something convincing in order for them to believe that she was really gone.

Quietly, with a swirl of color, Echo changed back into her human form, clad in a simple, silk nightgown. She walked over to where Dymetri was bent, head to the ground. She made no sound that even his hypersensative ears could catch. She knelt by him and lifted his face to hers. Her warm hands carresed away the tears that had flowed from his brilliant eyes. He had only a second to gasp in startlement befor Echo's lips were on his.

It took him a minute to respond, but soon he fell into it. -She's here. Oh. God's please let her stay.- Dymetri pulled her closer to him, moving his lips with hers.

When Echo's lips were free, she whispered in his ear. "That letter was a lie. It was only incase your family or Danalia's family found it so they would beleive me gone with no doubt. Do you think I could ever kill the stars in your eyes?" She chuckled and kissed him a last time.

"Now. We have to get things figured out before someone has a chance to press their ear against the door." Her voice was soft, solumn, and thoughtful.

Dymetri was still in shock, still on the floor. He looked up at her. Awe in his eyes. "When did you put clothes on?"

Chapter Two (part 13)

Dymetri moved so fast that he became a blur. Echo hadn't even blinked once before he was standing at the door, fully clothed, and an unfathomable expression on his face.

"Danalia. Leave. Now. Before I have you banished from here for as long as you may live." His threat was formal sounding but it made it that much more official.

Danalia's violently angry face peered over Dymetri's shoulder back at Echo, but she wasn't there anymore. There was a muffled thump from below Echo's window and Dymetri wheeled towards it.

"No. She didnt jump aga..." He rushed over tot he window and looked down, barely regestering the unmoving cat sitting on the sill. His face filmed over with greif and worry before he heard a quiet purring in the silence. He looked back at the cat, black with white paws. Inwardly, Dymetri sighed but he turned his expression into a scowl as he wheeled on Danalia, a story forming in his head.

"Look what you did. She's gone. AGAIN!" His voice came out strangled as he gestured with his hand towards the window.

Danalia's expression turned cold. "You shouldn't have done this. You'll lose your crown, boy."

"Don't worry about me princess." He spat the word. "Atleast I'm not a whore trying to satisfy a never ending need for power. Or to impress Daddy."

Her face went red, confirming everything he said. His tone was icy with his next words. "Now she wont ever come back. She wasn't going to in the first place until I ran into her in the forest. She was gone for a week. And now she's gone forever." He made his voice break on the last word, using the slightly raw pain that remained from the sudden panick that he had fealt when he thought Echo had jumped.

The guard showed up at that point, looking back and forth between the Prince and Princess' cold expressions. "Can I do anything for you my lady?" He asked in forced politness.

"Yes. These sheets need to be taken care of and washed thoroughly. The peasent who had borrowed this room is gone now. Quickly now." She snapped.

The guard spun quickly and went to retreive a chaimbermaid. Before anyone else in the castle came barging in through the door, Dymetri walked swiftly over to the no longer purring cat and picked her up. Danalia eyed him carefully as Dymetri did this.

Her voice was curious now. "What is that cat doing in this room?"

The elf's voice was icy again. "It was a present for Echo." Echo, in cat form, crawled carefully up onto Dyemtri's shoulder and lept lightly off to hit the floor with a small thump. She darted over to the bedside table to grab something with her mouth.

Chapter Two (part 12)

The sunlight was bright in Echo's eyes that morning when she woke up; her eyes already being more sensative because of her werecat genes. She rolled over, quite warm.

"I didnt know the beds had heaters." She yawned before blinking. Everything rushed back. "Oh."

Dymetri chuckled as he wrapped her closer to his heart. "Goodmorning beautiful." His voice was quiet. Echo smiled into his dark, warm chest.

"Goodmorning." She remember how shy she had been in the begining, but under his touch, her uncertainty drained from her. She was still young, barely out of high school, so she wasn't sure at all what to do. However, Dymetri had been pacient and very gentle. It wasn't out of pleasure for him but simply love. She knew it was right.

She sighed and suddenly felt very small. A deep pur was coming from somewhere and she didn't know where exactly until Dymetri laughed at scratched her behind the ears. 'Crap. I turned into a CAT!'

She decided she might as well play the part, so she stood up and streched. In this domestic cat form, her fur was black except for the white booties which were her paws. Her mouth opened into a huge yawn and it was only a second before her teeth came together with an audible snap.

Still purring, she walked towards Dymetri's face and rubbed her head against his chin. She curled into a ball in the little space between his neck and shoulder.

Suddenly, Dymetri picked her up from her comfortable position and held her in the air. She let out a sqeaky meow as she lost contact with the bed. The shock caused her to transform back into human form. He continued to hold her aloft like she weighed no more than a feather.

Echo blushed. She suddenly felt very self-conscious because of her lack of clothing. The prince knew what was going through her head and lowered her down, kissing her softly as he did.

"Now that was a show. Wasn't expecting to wake up next to a cat." He chuckled, eyes alight.

Echo's voice raised an octave as she protested. "You woke up to my normal human form. I was just thinking things over. Normally when I'm off balance emotionally then I have to concentrate on the form I want to be in. And I wasn't concentrating obviously." She lifted her nose in the air as she pulled the sheets up to her chin.

Dymetri shifted so he was practically half laying on top of her. He kissed her sweetly before he spoke, his voice thick and seductive. "I thought it was very cute. Especially your pur." He rolled the 'r' on pur. Echo blushed.

He kissed her again, more passionatly. And she gave in. However, it wasn't long before the door burst open with a loud BANG.

Both jumped apart from eachother, lifting their heads to stare in shock at the quivering, angry elf in the doorway.

"Shit." Dymetri whispered as he layed his hand against Echo's abdomen as a reminder not to transform. She held his hand in place under the sheet as she shook slighly, fighting the will to change.

The person at the threshold opened their mouth. "GUARDS!"

Chapter Two (part 11)

Echo heard Dymetri walk into his father's office and close the door behind him. Her hearing, however, could not reach farther than the door. She was too exausted to strain herself that much. In fact, she was tired enough, that once the elvin prince was out of hearing range, she drifted into a light doze.

It felt only like seconds later that her door was opening quietly and Dymetri's carefully quiet footsteps crossed over to her bed. Echo kept her eyes closed, not having enough energy to perform the simple task of looking up at him.

Soft fingertips brushed the side of Echo's cheek and down her jaw line. In an automatic reaction to his touch, the woman nuzzled the side of her face into the palm of his hand; cat like. She heard his soft chuckle and her eyelids fluttered and flew open.

His voice was light and soft. "Sorry I woke you. You're just so cute when you sleep." Affection filled his tone as he smiled.

She smiled back at him and patted the bed next to her. "Stay." She whispered. Dymetri pulled back the soft satin sheets that had been put on the bed that morining, the same shade as the bedframe; a dark cherry oak.

He laid on his side to look into Echo's face. He could see the exaustion behind the well masked orbs of baby blue. Echo gazed back into Dymetri's eyes, seeing the stars in the gold that were just for her.

Suddenly, her lack of energy gone, Echo's face fell into a sullen expression. "So what did your father and you talk about?"

He was expecting this question, but not so soon. His eyes darkened. "It's nothing. I'm handling it."

The girl put her warm hand under his chin, pulling his face closer to hers. Her breath was hot and had a floral smell that he could almost taste as it touched his lips. "I'd like to know. And you can't always do things on your own. I should know." Her tone had a shadow to match the dangerous fury hidden in her eyes.

His tone turned light and teasing as the sparkle came back, but the smile he gave didnt reach his eyes. "Yes. You should know. But I have the power to handle my problems with ease. All you had was a set of little claws and tiny teeth." He held one of her hands nearly by the finger tips as his thumb traced her full, pink lips.

"Ohh. Little and tiny are they? Did you get a close enough look, my Prince?" Concentrating closely, the canines in her mouth lenthened to more than double in lengh as she smiled wickedly at him. Shock flitted across his still teasing features for a second before amusement took hold.

"Absolutly tiny." He mocked.

"Your just lucky I dont bite....hard." Her smile widened as her teeth slowly shrank to their normal size.

"And I can just as easily bite back."

"Your teeth might leave a dent in skin. I can decapitate someone's head with a single bite." Her eyes flashed.

"Would you like to test that?" Dymetri smiled in challenge.

She sighed, faking a dramatic display of thoughtful thinking. "But I can think of something so much better to do."

"And what would that be." But he already had a plan of his own.

"Maybe I'll just let your imagination wonde--" She was cut off. Dymetri pressed his lips gently to hers to shut her up.

She kissed back and he pulled her closer. His tongue traced her bottom lip asking for entrance. She gave in with a happy sigh while her fingers intertwined in his soft, dark hair. He deepened the kiss and Echo pressed herself even closer.

She was losing herself in shadows of fire as the kiss grew yet more passionate. Her fingers fumbled on the buttons of his silk shirt, lips still moving with his. He was sliding up her nightgown, a warm hand pausing on her thy.

The woman lost herself completely in her instincts like she so often did when she transformed into a cat form. But this time was different and the world was blocked by black. The only thing in sight was two gold orbs that sparkled with every star in the sky. When she could breathe, she whispered his name.

"Dymetri....I dont....Im...I.....Im still...."

He chuckled as she stuttered, his lips following her jawline and reaching down her neck. "I know." He found her weak spot.

Blackout!

Chapter Two (part 10)

Dymetri stood staring at his father who sat behind a cherry oak desk covered in neat stacks of parchment. Jarel stared back, his face blank.

When he spoke, Jarel's voice was bored. "What do you want?"

Dymetri scowled. "I want Danalia gone." He hissed out, his teeth clenched.

The king's face never betrayed a single emotion. "That is impossible to do right now. Her and her family would end up comming down for the Ball anyways. Why send them away now? Plus I enjoy her parent's company." A flicker of amusment crossed Jarel's features at Dymetri's low growl.

"If you wont send them all away now, I'll throw Danalia in the dungeon." His threat held a promise, one that he couldnt keep.

"You'll do no such thing. They are guests in our castle and will be treated as such."

"Danalia ordered Echo to be thrown in the dungeon just now. I'm not about to have the lo--..Echo thrown into the dungeons."

"Danalia is a Princess. She has every right to give out orders. This girl.." He smirked. "Echo, she is mearly a guest who will be gone before the Ball is here." Jarel gave the order. "To..preserve the peace between you and your fiance."

Dymetri had enough. "She isnt my FIANCE. Will you stop calling her that." And then he mumbled something incoherent, rage gone, and flushed.

"What was that?" The King chuckled.

"I was going to ask Echo to be my bride...just before the Ball." He flushed deeper. "I know it's sudden, and there's a chance of her saying no until later. But I know she's the one I have to marry. The one I love...." He trailed off. In the end Dymetri was talking more to himself than to his father.

"Aaaaaahh." Jarel sighed. "Love. It's a funny thing love." He gave a dark smile. "But love does not come before orders. You are to marry a princess. Not some human girl you picked up out in the middle of nowhere bruised, beaten, and bleeding."

"Mother told you about that?" Dymetri tried to hide his snarl.

"No. But as King, you do tend to pick up on things quickly." He smiled again, laughing internally at his son's anger.

"Marry a princess, son. I will hear of nothing else. Now leave." He waved Dymetri into dismisal.