Title: Twilight
Author: Tapestry
Email: Shaddow_Cat@hotmail.com
Rating: R
Standard Disclaimer Apply
14th Jan 2003

"Woman was created from the ribs of man
Not from his head to top him
Nor from his feet to be walked upon
She was made from his side to be his equal
From beneath his arms to be protected
From very near his heart to be loved."
--Anonymous--
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Twilight

The fall of the sun
The rise of the night
Lit by the moon
After twilight

Predator without a heart
Demon of the night
Hiding in the shadows
Of the dark

Know the man within
See my loneliness
See my anger
See my hatred
See my torment

See my soul
Twilight comes
Free me
Rescue me
From my endless twilight

~ Tapestry ~
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~ Prologue: ~


  Their race was known as Panthera. They had great psychic talents along 
with the ability to shapeshift into the big black cat, the panther. They 
had all the extraordinary gifts granted to the cats in human form. Their 
sense of smell, hearing, speed, strength and sight, greater than that of 
humans or real animals. Their kind liked to be shrouded in mystery.

  Their men were dark hungry predators. Their women were beauty and
sensuality personified. In many ways, they resembled their feline halves.

  The only differences that set them apart from their feline brethren were 
their long life-spans, their human and animal cunning, and their mating 
habits.

  While normal cats never mated for life, all Pantheras only had one true 
mate. And once that mate was found, they stayed together for life.

  Of course, there was nothing stopping those without mates to indulge in 
their sexual appetite.

  A true mate had to have just the right chemistry that matched perfectly. 
A true mate was recognized with the taming of the predatory urges to kill. 
Without a true mate, the males were doomed to lose their human form and 
become man-eaters for all time. These turned Pantheras lived up to their 
name of man-eaters by slaughtering and killing only humans, and so, would 
need to be destroyed.

  Pantheras lived in cities that harboured nearby forests and wildlife
preserves. Like true felines, they hunted and consumed large amounts of
meat. Making do with human food was a modern way.


  He was the oldest, their leader. And he was utterly alone. It wasn't
that he lacked for female company, indeed, single Panthera females as well 
as human women were attracted to his dark dangerous aura as well as his 
notorious reputation for pleasure. Raw sexual and animalistic attraction. 
He was lonely never having found his true mate. A soulmate. True mates were 
becoming harder and harder to find despite their numbers. The males rivaled 
the females two to one.

  Like the majority of his kind, he had dark ebony hair. His eyes burned 
blue like the night sky. He was at the moment, living in the city. He would 
be returning to his home near the outskirts soon. He would be glad to be 
back among his own kind once more. Glad to be away from the sounds and smells 
of the city. The smell of humans.

  Staring out into the night sky, he felt as if his insides would never 
be warm again. His existence was cold. Barren. Lonely. He really had nothing 
to hold him to this earth.
  He was dedicated to his race, but he had existed for over a thousand
years. The urge to kill was strong. The need to taste human flesh. It was 
becoming harder and harder to ignore his panther side, roaring, snarling 
for an easy kill.

  His eyes turned to find the naked human woman in his bed, sleeping
soundly. Unaware of the danger she was in. He never should have accepted 
her offer as a bed partner. She was only proving to be a temptation. A 
visceral tug on the demon, calling to devour.

  He cursed, feeling trapped. There was no way he could change into his
feline form now, not with a human in his apartment.

  His name was Endymion, but in this modern day, he was known by the name...

  "Darien? What are you doing?" called the woman, getting up. "Come back to 
bed, darling." she purred.

  He merely lifted an eyebrow. Her purr wasn't quite as sensual and sexy as 
those done by the females of his kind. He walked back towards the bed, the 
woman lifting her arms up to him in welcome. He went into her embrace.

  His hand reached for, what were those rubber things called? --ah yes,
condoms. The woman stopped his hand. Her green eyes staring into his own.

  "Darling, have you forgotten? I'm on the pill." murmured the woman, an arm 
curling about his neck, her legs parting in eagerness.

  He merely stared down at her before reaching down between her thighs to 
ascertain she was ready. She was. Without any preliminaries, he thrust 
into her, her shriek of pleasure filling the room, her nails digging 
into his back. He grunted and growled softly. His animal instincts coming 
to life. Like any fanged animal, he pinned one of the woman's shoulders 
to the bed with his teeth, his hips pounding into her. The woman cried 
out, climaxing. A hiss escaping his lips as satisfaction washed over him.


  Moments later, the woman was once again dozing off to sleep, a fine 
sheen of sweat coating both their bodies. He got up, leaving the bed 
again, walking stark naked towards the drink, humans called alcohol. 
Usually he didn't drink, but tonight seemed like a good night for it.

  He tossed back a glass of brandy, the alcohol burning down his throat. 
The woman had been lying about contraceptive. As a Panthera male, he was 
aware of all subtle nuances in a female's body. Especially a mate's. He 
had picked up easily with his psychic ability, the woman's plans to trap 
him into the institution humans called marriage by conceiving a child.

  It was sometimes nauseating how humans would use and exploit an innocent 
life merely for monetary gain. Unfortunately for the woman's plans....

  That would never happen.

  The gift of a child within his race was controlled. The gift of children 
was only given to a true mate. The males and females could only produce 
offspring with their true mates. Maybe it was something to do with the 
chemistry between mates.

  So, there were never any unwanted offspring. Though, all Panthera
children were cherished and treasured, as children were rare within their 
race. Besides, half-breeds were impossible, since children were only 
conceived between true mates. And there had never been an instance of a 
human being a true mate.

  Thank goodness he was leaving the city tomorrow.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To be continued...

  Sorry people, I've been having shingles and boy is it PAINFUL!! *sigh* 
Anyway, what do you think of this story? Should I continue?
I feel weird writing like this... :p I just don't do sexual scenes well. 
*This is probably cause of my Asian upbringing. Not meaning that all 
Asians are prudes, mind you!* Ah, don't mind me, I'm just rambling. :p

14/01/03
Edited: 15/01/03