Animal Instincts [Keller/Galen]

Summary: It's an animal's instinct to lay a physical claim on its mate.

Warning: Rough sex (in chapter two), probably the roughest I've written. Let me know how you like it.

Note: For everyone that wanted Jez/Morg, sorry! This one came to me first out of the two. This story will only be two parts and I have completed it, so look for the next chapter within the next day or two! *_-

I'd also like to inform all the readers of this series that I've added two more:

8. Witchin

Summary: David is ready for the next step in their relationship. Gillian is only pretending to be hesitant.

9. Come Together

Summary: Mary-Lynnette finally joins Ash in Las Vegas.

If you feel this is inappropriate for ff dot net please let me know and I'll remove it.

Chapter One:

Keller plastered on the fake smile at the heavy knocking on the door. Yet another interruption, another day that they would not be fully together, a decision they had come to a few weeks ago. Sex was the unattained goal.

Would it never end?

She cringed as she felt Galen let out a deep, defeated breath, dropping his head against her bare thigh for a moment before kissing her tenderly and crawling to his feet. He bent over to grab the black sheet that was thrown to the floor in their speed to use the time they had together to the fullest and then tossed it to Keller. He unconsciously flipped his tousled wheat colored hair out of his eyes before watching her wrap the sheet, toga style, around her body.

She raised a black eyebrow when she was finished, a slow smirk forming on her lips as he continued to stand there naked staring at her like he'd never be able to see her again. "Are you going to get dressed or just answer the door naked?"

"This is becoming ridiculous," he growled, shuffling his feet towards his jeans that had been thrown over a lamp.

"Becoming? It's already ridiculous," she responded, eyeing him as he slid the blue jeans on.

He left them unbuttoned, which Keller had to admit, was a lot sexier than she'd thought it would be, especially with his muscles glistening with the sweat that had accumulated over his skin. Her mouth was literally watering as she watched his every move, advancing towards the door.

When Galen jerked the door open, Keller let out a tiny gasp of surprise. She had been expecting to see Winnie, or Iliana, not the red headed vampire soul mated James Rasmussen.

She didn't look happy, in fact she looked thoroughly upset, her eyes red rimmed from crying. "I'm so sorry to bother the two of you," she spoke, but her voice was broken, cracking on each word.

It must be about Thea, Galen whispered in her mind telepathically. She's really beating herself up about this, he added.

To be honest, if positions were reversed and Keller had been involved in the stripping of Thea's powers she would have been guilt stricken herself.

She could feel the anger at being interrupted leaving both her and Galen at the same time. They weren't best friends or anything, her and Poppy, but the vampire had been trying everything she could to figure out how to help Thea get her powers back, with no success. Just recently, Keller herself had been recruited to ask Galen if he could use his sources to figure something out. Poppy was already working on the witching community through Blaise, the vampires with the help of Thierry. Lupe was investigating with the werewolves. All hoping to lead to some information on how to either undo the accident, or if it even was an accident.

"Any information yet?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

Keller could feel the anxiety rolling off the guilt-ridden vampire as she turned her attention to Galen, who shook his head. "I haven't heard anything," he said as he walked over to the desk beside the bed and reached for his phone. "I'll call and get an update," he added.

Keller smiled reassuringly at Poppy. "You'll figure it out, one way or another."

"I really hope so. It's killing her, not being able to feel the magic. Have you seen her?" Poppy whispered, batting at the stray tear that slid down her cheek.

Thea was trying to put on a happy front, but it was so very clear that she'd lost weight, her face was a constant sickly pale, and the only time she spoke to anyone was when she was touching her soul mate Eric. Then, and only then would her cheeks get a rosy color and her eyes would get that spark again, but Eric though just as invested in getting her powers back as she was herself, was starting college, something he'd been pushing Thea to do.

How Keller had heard it was that Thea had gotten her scholarship to Davis, her dream of becoming a Veterinarian was close, but she felt without her powers she could do nothing and requested an a year extension against Eric's wishes. She even remembered hearing a conversation of the two arguing. Eric had been telling her she was so much more than her magic.

Keller smiled softly, thinking how much humans just didn't understand. Keller knew though, for she was just as much her cat as she was her human. Thea was magic, meant to be, just like Eric was meant to be her soul mate. Once having had known the two, then having one ripped away, well, it was a blessing Thea had Eric, or else the loss of her magic would have killed her.

"They may have found a witch that's dabbled in something like this before," Galen's voice filtered into Keller's thoughts. "I need to go meet with someone that possible has her address," he added reaching for a shirt.

"You don't have to go now," Poppy said. "It's just good that we're getting results instead of brick walls."

Galen's eyes shifted up. "Believe me I'd love to get back to what I was doing, but the offer is limited. Apparently, this witch is powerful enough to either be a bout of good or bad news and the person with her information is worried about handing it out. I don't want him to change his mind. I'll be back shortly," he said, quickly bending down to place a kiss against Keller's cheek.

"Should I go with?" Poppy offered.

He shook his head. "This particular shifter is prejudice against vampires. I couldn't even tell him you were involved."

She nodded, her curly red hair falling into her face. "Thank you for me and for Thea."

He gave her one of his soothing smiles, rubbed her shoulders, and then sighed as he turned to leave.

When Poppy left, Keller took a cold ten-minute shower, letting the heat from before simmer. After she finished blow-drying her hair, she threw on her black skintight leggings and an oversized white t-shirt, with the slogan "Cats do it better," that slid down, exposing her right shoulder.

Hoping it wouldn't take him too long to get this information she snatched her cell phone, then galloped downstairs towards the kitchen in search of a snack only to find it fairly crowded. "Hello everyone," she greeted them. "What's going on?"

"Trying to figure out who this sketchy witch Galen has gotten info on is, and why Blaise couldn't get it first," Ash spoke first, drumming his fingers against the counter.

Poppy sighed heavily, shaking her head at Ash. "I pretty sure Galen's royalty, that's why I asked him. Keller, isn't he some type of prince?"

She smiled, wondering if a vampire could really understand. "He's from the First House of the shapeshifters."

Poppy frowned, her face puzzled at the answer.

"He can control all animals. So he's more of a king than a prince," Keller supplied trying not to let the irritation sound in her voice.

The irritation wasn't because of the questions, she would happily answer them, but she would only do that if the soul mated couples in the room would stop touching. She was sexually frustrated from constant disturbances by Nissa, Winnie, Iliana, and now Poppy.

Buzz.

Saved by the phone, Keller thought with glee as she felt the phone in her hand vibrate.

"Kee-kee!" a child's squealing voice pierced her eardrum.

She flinched, jerking the phone away from her ear, shaking her head to try to stop the ringing in her ear. "Kid," she grumbled, trying to ignore the flip of her heart as Iliana's baby brother Alex squealed a happy 'hi' into her ear. She'd grown fond of him over the fairly short amount of time she'd been the Witch Child's bodyguard and she'd decided, when the time was right, that maybe she wouldn't mind having one of him.

That was far down the road though. Her thoughts shouted. Here she was, someone who used to think of love as a weakness and children as too complicated to bother with was actually in love and contemplating children.

"Kee-kee…pui!"

"Thanks kid. You're pretty to," she added as an afterthought, then asked, "Did I go bye-bye again?"

The kid was a precog and she suddenly found herself slightly worried at the call, but his giggle killed the growing worry instantly. "No."

"Okay kid, what did you see?"

Keller heard some shifting as the sound of someone else taking the phone from him filled her ear. "Hey."

"Nissa, what are you doing there?"

"Iliana's with Winnie taking some ASL session and she thought she saw something, or someone coming after you. I just got off the phone with her."

ASL stood for American Sign Language, and the teacher in the area requested Iliana's help due to the class overflow.

Keller frowned at the floor, turning away from the group of people looking on curiously. "Any det's?"

"A couch, it was pretty blurry she said. I'm looking into it as much as I can, but being on babysitting duty I'm limited."

"Okay, keep me updated."

"Will do, watch your backside Boss."

Keller sighed, clicking the end button, curious as to why the perp would be coming after her and not the Witch Child.

"Any problems?" Thierry asked.

She turned back towards the group and shook her head. "Not as of yet, but we should probably get Iliana into the house asap."

"It would be good being around other Wild Powers too," Thierry nodded his approval.

"I better go makes some calls," she said heading out of the kitchen, away from the group, towards the living room.

To be continued…

Det's = details

perp = perpetrator

Kee-kee = kitty (Witchlight)

Pui = pretty (Witchlight)

Good stuff in the next chapter! Watch for it.

Got a review questioning about Thea losing her powers...this is only in the stories that I've written. Here's the order of them if you'd like to read them:

First: A Day in the Life of Thierry Descouedres [Thierry/Hannah]
Second: Blood and Chocolate [Rashel/Quinn]
Third: Pink [Poppy/James]
Fourth Story: Sweet Surrender [Delos/Maggie]
Fifth Story: Animal Instincts [Keller/Galen]
Sixth Story: Jezebel [Jez/Morgead]
Seventh Story: The Magic in You [Thea/Eric]
Eight Story: Witchin [Gillian/David]
Ninth Story: Come Together [Ash/Mare]

Still looking for a name for the series if anyone has any suggestions.