Become a Cheetah
o0o
The dry season had passed its midpoint, and the air was thick with heatwaves. The water level of the Ganga River continued to drop, and the deeper sections were crowded with thousands of hippos.
Crocodiles lurked both in the water and along the banks. The lion prides by the river only needed to wait patiently, and prey would come to drink. This place had become a hunting ground of death.
Like the Ganga River, the few remaining water sources in the delta were also packed with more and more animals. This included the pond in the territory of the leopard Monty.
The owner of this land no longer worried about a lack of prey, he simply lounged on a tree branch, picking whether his next meal would be an antelope or a warthog.
Luo Qiao’s life was not so easy.
After the baboons, more and more animals crossed Luo Qiao’s territory to drink from the pond. They came and went like clockwork, almost rivaling the rush hour of the savannah.
Luo Qiao lay on the rocky hill with Luo Sen and Luo Rui, watching a few elands pass by. He thought about the wildebeests that had just gone through, then glanced at the giraffes approaching in the distance. It was rare for his territory to be so lively.
The sudden appearance of so many herbivores made the two cheetah cubs’ eyes gleam with excitement. Luo Qiao, however, could only sigh and slump back onto the rock. There was no helping it—the prey was too big, making hunting difficult.
The elands that had just passed could weigh up to a ton, almost as heavy as a buffalo. With his small frame, charging at them would only earn him a fatal kick.
As for the giraffes and wildebeests, he might stand a chance against a lone or injured one, but a whole herd was out of the question. Unlike Parson and Jairo, who had each other for support, Luo Qiao could only watch helplessly as these animals came and went through his territory every day.
Parson visited his territory every few days, always with Jairo in tow. Yet Jairo rarely spoke to Luo Qiao. Though Parson no longer brought up mating or spouted poetic lines, Luo Qiao still occasionally felt a chill down his spine.
This silent treatment was worse than just clawing at him outright. Not that he was asking to be beaten, of course!
Luo Qiao lazily rolled onto his side, letting Luo Sen and Luo Rui play-fight around him. The elands and giraffes clearly saw the three cheetahs but paid them no mind. In the eyes of these giants, cheetahs were only a threat to their young.
"Dad, I’m hungry."
Luo Rui rubbed his head against Luo Qiao’s chin, his meaning obvious—any prey around? Let’s hunt.
Luo Qiao pressed the cub down with a paw.
"Wait a little longer. I think a few impalas should be passing by soon."
No sooner had he spoken than the impalas appeared. Luo Sen and Luo Rui immediately froze in place, while Luo Qiao quickly climbed down from the rock and hid in the tall grass.
It was a fully grown male impala, its strong body and long horns making it a tough opponent. But Luo Qiao had no choice—compared to wildebeests and elands, this guy was at least 'petite.'
Of course, Luo Qiao wasn’t reckless enough to think he could take it down with brute strength alone. He had set a trap in the grass days ago. He’d had his eye on this impala since it first entered his territory, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
The impala remained oblivious to the cheetah lurking in the grass, focused only on reaching the pond to drink. Though this water source wasn’t entirely safe either, it was still better than the crocodile and lion-infested Ganga River.
Step by step, the impala drew closer. Luo Qiao tensed, his spotted coat blending perfectly into the surroundings. The moment the impala’s leg snagged on the hidden rope, Luo Qiao burst from the grass, slamming his front paws into the impala’s side and knocking it off balance. Shifting forms mid-motion, Luo Qiao leaped onto the impala’s back and smashed a rock against its head.
The impala roared in pain, rearing up violently. Luo Qiao barely managed to grip its horns to keep from being thrown off. The rock flew from his hand, so he resorted to biting the impala’s bleeding wound. If he were flung off now, the enraged impala would gore him with its horns or kick him to death.
Seeing the danger, Luo Sen and Luo Rui rushed down from the rocks and latched onto the impala’s hind legs. Their instincts were sharp—they avoided the horns and hooves—but they were still too small. No matter how hard they bit, their efforts only left shallow scratches.
The arrival of Parson and Jairo changed everything. The two adult male cheetahs charged in from either side, helping Luo Qiao bring the impala down. In truth, the impala was already at its limit. As it collapsed, its blood stained the grass red.
The hunt ended with the impala’s last breath. Exhausted, Luo Qiao slid off its back and sat panting on the ground.
Parson approached, licking the blood from Luo Qiao’s face.
"Are you hurt?"
Luo Qiao shook his head.
"No. Thanks."
The hunt seemed to have no effect on the other animals. They continued moving steadily toward the pond to drink. Maybe they saw the impala’s death, maybe they didn’t. Either way, their thirst drove them forward, even with two leopards waiting by the water.
Luo Qiao shared the kill with Parson and Jairo. The impala was large enough to feed them all. Parson and Jairo didn’t hold back—they’d helped in the hunt, so taking their share was only fair.
As expected, the commotion and scent of blood attracted unwelcome guests. Vultures circled overhead before landing a few meters away. This was as close as the cheetahs would allow. Three adult cheetahs and two seven-month-old cubs were enough to make the scavengers wary.
But some creatures weren’t so easily intimidated—hyenas.
After clashing with the Hosby lion pride, the Gamma hyena clan had been driven further from their territory. With no pups to worry about, relocation wasn’t too difficult for the adults.
The clan’s leader, Gamma, had been injured in a fight with Nas. Though not fatally, she needed time to recover. Meanwhile, several high-ranking females began stirring trouble. So far, nothing major had happened.
The four hyenas that entered Luo Qiao’s territory were low-ranking members of Gamma’s clan. They mostly lingered on the fringes of the group. While they groveled before higher-ranking hyenas, they had no such respect for cheetahs.
Hyenas were skilled hunters but never passed up a free meal. In their eyes, stealing from cheetahs required little effort.
That had always been the case—until today, when they picked the wrong fight.
Following Luo Qiao’s order, Luo Sen and Luo Rui immediately ran back to the rocks to hide. Luo Qiao, Parson, and Jairo stood their ground, fur bristling as they snarled at the hyenas.
The hyenas weren’t intimidated. They were naturally stronger than cheetahs, with bone-crushing jaws, and they outnumbered them.
One hyena made the first move, circling the cheetahs and the kill, trying to drive them off. As it passed Luo Qiao, Luo Qiao suddenly grabbed a broken impala leg bone and stabbed at the hyena.
The hyena sensed danger and dodged—but not fast enough. The sharp edge of the bone sliced its front leg. Seizing the moment, Luo Qiao kicked the wound hard before leaping behind the hyena and swinging the bone like a club, smashing it against the hyena’s skull.
Silence.
The remaining three hyenas, along with Parson and Jairo, stared in shock. The hyenas had never seen such a vicious cheetah. Even for an evolved one, this was insane. Though Parson and Jairo had witnessed Luo Qiao killing a hyena before, this scene still stunned them.
Jairo turned to Parson.
"Brother, are you sure you don’t want to pick someone else?"
While the hyenas and cheetah brothers were still frozen in disbelief, Luo Qiao kept swinging the impala bone like a brick, smashing it down again and again. When the bone wasn’t enough, he grabbed a rock and kept pounding. The hyena’s skull cracked, foam bubbling from its mouth until it was undeniably dead.
Too brutal…
That was the thought running through the remaining three hyenas’ minds.
Luo Qiao turned, blood-streaked face glaring at them as he hissed through clenched teeth.
"Who’s next?!"
Luo Qiao thought being a cheetah was great—there was no such thing as "excessive self-defense" here!
The three remaining hyenas instinctively took a step back, then grew furious at themselves for being intimidated by a cheetah! Their thick necks bobbed as they let out sharp, staccato barks.
Parson and Jairo tensed, this was the precursor to a hyena’s rage.
The situation was explosive. Now, the hyenas weren’t just after the kill—they wanted to slaughter that arrogant cheetah who dared look down on them!
Just as the first hyena lunged at Luo Qiao, a shrill scream erupted behind it. The hyena whipped its head around to see a massive male leopard, who had silently appeared at their rear, now clamping its jaws around a companion’s neck. The leopard’s fangs sank deep, and within moments, the bitten hyena stopped struggling. Clearly, its spine had been severed.
Monty released the dead hyena, tossing it aside. Blood still clung to his teeth as he lowered his head and stalked step by step toward the remaining two hyenas. Realizing the tide had turned against them, the hyenas flattened their tails and bolted, abandoning their fallen comrade.
Monty watched the hyenas vanish into the brush before turning his gaze to Luo Qiao. His pale golden eyes were unreadable. Luo Qiao’s tail puffed up like an oversized housecat’s, every hair standing on end.
Parson and Jairo knew Monty, and Monty knew these cheetah brothers, but they weren’t acquainted. They lived in different parts of the delta, keeping to their own territories. Leopards and cheetahs were natural enemies—common knowledge. Yet here was a rogue evolved male cheetah, defying that logic.
Parson lowered his head, positioning himself threateningly in front of Monty. Jairo, of course, mirrored his brother. Leopards were tough opponents, but the brothers had never met one they couldn’t handle.
Luo Qiao remained fluffed up, but he didn’t want Monty and Parson to clash. It was like guests brawling in his home, how could the host just stand by?
"Um"
Luo Qiao stepped forward, wedging himself between Monty and Parson. He addressed Monty.
"Thanks for earlier."
Monty didn’t respond. After another glance at Parson, he leaned in and rubbed against Luo Qiao. Still in human form, Luo Qiao’s skin was smooth and furless, a texture Monty seemed to enjoy. The leopard sat back, licking Luo Qiao once more.
Parson’s hackles rose, a growl rumbling in his throat. Luo Qiao, however, reacted oddly. A crisp minty scent filled his nose, making his head swim.
Suddenly, he plopped onto the ground, eyes half-lidded, and wrapped his arms around Monty’s neck. He nuzzled Monty’s cheek, licked his ear, and let out a deep purr. Parson and Jairo gaped in unison.
What was happening?!
After the affectionate display, Luo Qiao shifted back into cheetah form, rolling on the ground and emitting sounds that left little to the imagination.
Jairo’s eyes nearly bulged out. Parson strode over and pinned Luo Qiao down, stopping his squirming. He sniffed carefully, then glared at Monty.
"You’re covered in catnip?!"
Monty flicked his tail, eyeing the dazed Luo Qiao. Catnip’s effects were short-lived, and with these two cheetahs here, today’s opportunity was lost. He’d have to wait for the next chance—but he wouldn’t let them take advantage.
He lingered until Luo Qiao regained his senses before finally turning and melting into the tall grass.
Luo Qiao lay on the ground, blinking as if unsure what had just happened. He twitched his ears and looked at Parson.
"What… was that?"
"That leopard was coated in catnip."
Catnip? Luo Qiao’s mind spun. Then it clicked.
Catnip—also called catmint—was notorious for making felines euphoric, hyper, or downright loopy. Male wildcats often rolled in it during courtship…
Wait. Parson and Jairo had smelled it too, and Monty was drenched in the stuff. Why weren’t they affected?
"Actually" Parson explained, "catnip only works on some cheetahs and leopards. Since it’s your first time, your reaction was… intense."
Luo Qiao’s fur bristled anew. That leopard was a first-class pervert! A shameless, absolute scoundrel!
Luo Sen and Luo Rui peeked out from behind the rocks, only their small heads visible. Watching Luo Qiao’s outrage, the brothers exchanged glances and twitched their ears.
Dad was furious, this wouldn’t end well.
o0o