Rin
The days turned into weeks in a nauseating blur, and my stowaway’s wounds are nearly healed. I find it harder and harder to keep a smile plastered on my face, but I try for his sake as much as my own. I know that I’ve been incredibly lucky at keeping him hidden for now, but as dinners have turned into wedding planning affairs and I’m forced to endure Jax’s smug, leering looks several evenings a week, the nights are the only thing I have to look forward to anymore.
It’s easy to forget that he’s a person, one that I know next to nothing about. The easy, quiet company is something I’ve never had before and quickly have become spoiled by, and to know that last joy is about to be taken from me as well? It’s hard to drag myself out of bed in the morning.
Once more I approached my father, far more rationally to try and make him see reason, but Carson Harlow is not a man that likes his authority to be challenged. I left his office with a collection of bruises, grateful he stopped short of breaking any bones, and hating myself for feeling like I needed to be happy I could still walk.
When not a single soul commented on the shape I was in that night, pretended like it was a regular Tuesday and carried on joking around while stuffing their faces? Hatred like I’ve never known before started to eat away at my battered insides.
“I grabbed you some clothes, but I’m completely guessing on size here,” I warn him, pulling the sweat pants and t-shirt out of the bag. “You’ll have to move quickly. The sun will be up shortly, and if anyone catches you climbing out of my window we’re screwed. I’m sure you’ll have to deal with some issues in the crowd, but it’s probably better than waiting for nightfall. People feel like they can get away with anything when there’s less eyes on them, and if the police catch you out at night they’ll assume you’re causing trouble.” I bite my lip, suddenly incredibly nervous as I set the clothes on the bathroom counter and pull the door shut behind me to give him some privacy.
Leaving it open just a crack so he can still hear me, I turn my back on the door and continue rambling to try to assuage my nerves. “I want to thank you though, before you leave.” I shut my eyes, sighing. “Because honestly, it’s been really nice not being alone right now.”
I jump as something brushes against my leg, eyes flying open to see him rubbing against my leg; still very clearly an ocelot and not the man he should be.
“What are you doing? You need to get out of here!” He sits back on his haunches and gives me those familiar wide, sad eyes. My stomach flips, and I’m not sure if it’s from fear or relief. “You can’t shift back?”
His tongue darts out and I swipe a hand down my face, trying to understand. “I thought as soon as you were healed enough you could?” he nods his head and I huff, crossing the room and tearing books off of my shelf. As I rapidly skim through them, I pray that one of them will have the answer, despite knowing in my heart that it’s futile. The books that the cities stock aren’t so much angled towards caring for your stray shifter as they are understanding the quickest way to put them down, listing their strengths and weaknesses.
Nearly shrieking in frustration, I swipe a notebook from my desk and a pen, poking his mouth with the end and glaring. “Oh no, I’ve seen this movie before, and that mermaid could have totally written out her name and saved everyone the trouble. Hands or no, I need some answers here, so it’s this or charades. Get to scribbling, kitty.”
His teeth gently clamp around the pen with a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth that I refuse to find endearing. Awkwardly, he starts jerking his head around to scrawl something before dropping the spit covered pen on the paper.
I brush the drool away, wiping my hand on his fur and lift the notebook, only to pin him with a droll look. “Seriously? What the hell is this shit? It looks like a mutated rabbit.”
He sneezes and shakes his out before I jam the pen back in his mouth and open to a new page, repeating the process until he finally ends up with something resembling a single word.
Mages.
Fuck.
All mages have some offensive and defensive abilities, but there are those devoted to pushing themselves to their breaking point to increase their power. I have no clue what use they could have of a shifter, but whatever it is can’t be good.
“How’s that even possible?” I breathe, horrified. “So you can’t shift back until…what? Whatever they did wears off or we blackmail one into helping?” My voice is borderline shrill and I take several deep breaths to calm myself down.
“Okay, so we need a new plan.” I start pacing the room, running a hand over my head and through my dark hair. “You can’t try and get out of the city like this on your own; there are strict rules on shifting inside city limits and you’re bound to get caught.”
My heart starts hammering away and I start to accept that I’m more thrilled at the prospect than I should be. But really, it’s the perfect excuse to latch onto, that last thing I was unconsciously waiting for to push me past my fear and into acting.
I crouch down, looking him in the eyes. “We’ll go together, just you and me. I’ll get you out of the city and back to your pack, and you can return the favor by letting me hide in your closet this time to escape a shitty marriage. Deal?”
He steps closer, nuzzling into my neck and rubbing against me. “Maybe they’ll have an idea how to fix you, or help me kidnap a mage.” He gives me an unamused look that has me flicking his leg as I get to my feet. “Excuse you, but I can be threatening if I want to be. Maybe I won’t even wait for the extra muscle just to prove a point.”
At that he starts freaking the fuck out, biting onto my pant leg and whining low in his throat. “Hey, hey, hey, I was kidding, relax.” I bend back down to stroke his neck. “I’m not dumb enough to try and smuggletwobodies out of the city in my trunk on my own.”
Striding into the closet, I start a mental checklist of what I’ll need to prepare over the next few days. Thankfully the party this weekend is just an announcement, but just the thought of going already has me sick to my stomach.
Shuddering, I grab a few things that I doubt anyone would look at me twice in. If I’m going to run, I’m going to need to blend in, and silk dresses will just put a bigger target on my back than there already will be the further we get from the penthouse district. Flaunting wealth is just asking for even more trouble when I’ve already got enough that I’m struggling with.
“I’m going to need a backpack, I imagine,” I mutter, looking at my suitcase in dismay. “No one is going to buy into the idea I’m going on vacation to the fringes.” I toss a look over my shoulder, my feline shadow only a few steps behind me.
“I should probably figure out your name now that we’re taking our relationship to the next level, shouldn’t I?” He cocks his head and I bite the inside of my cheek. “I meant since we’ll be sticking together for a little longer, don’t make it weird.” I swear, by the glint in his eye, he’s getting a huge kick out of me making a bumbling idiot of myself.
“Ollie? Charlie? Toby?” I start tossing out there to change the subject. His nose furrows and I chuckle quietly. “Okay, something more majestic, befitting of such a pretty kitty. No one is going to name something like you Dave.”
Reaching over, I scratch under his chin and he melts against me. “Not sure I’d know what to do with myself if you suddenly shifted back,” I admit, so accustomed to the playful animal that’s so easy to be around. “Are you this needy as a person too?”
He licks my wrist, his tongue as rough as sandpaper, as I mull it over. Eventually, we go back to his pitiful attempts at writing, because otherwise we’ll be here all day.
