The light changed. Sam drove the last few blocks home, his phone buzzing with messages he’d read when he parked. His cottage appeared around the corner, looking just the same as it always did.It’s me who’s changed,he thought as he pulled into the driveway and cut the engine.
Through the front window, he could see Basil’s silhouette on the sill, his tail flicking.This is going to be interesting.
Unlocking the front door, Sam found exactly what he expected - twenty pounds of indignant tabby blocking his path, ears flat against his skull, tail whipping like a metronome set to fury.
“I fed you before I went out, but yes, hello to you too.”
Basil’s green eyes narrowed to slits as Sam closed the door and dropped his keys on the hall table, before crouching down. “I know, I know. You tried to warn me.”
The cat’s tail flicked rapidly from one side to the other.
“But here’s the thing…” Sam scooped Basil up, ignoring the warning yowl. The cat went rigid in his arms. “You were right. They are dangerous. They’re dragons.”
Basil had stopped struggling at least. “Yep.” Sam carried him into the kitchen, settling onto a chair with the cat on his lap. “Actual dragons, who can shift into these massive, beautiful creatures with scales and wings and…” He paused, scratching behind Basil’s ear. The purr that emerged was a good start. “You knew. That’s why you attacked them every single time.”
Basil’s expression clearly saidI told you they were dangerous, but did you listen? No.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t believe you.” Sam kissed the top of the cat’s head. “You were protecting me, being a very good, very violent familiar.”
The purr increased slightly. Basil headbutted Sam’s chin, then bit his thumb.
“Hey!” Sam pulled his hand back. “I’m apologizing here.”
Basil meowed, his face indicating the only thing that was going to soothe him was chicken from a tin.Too little, too late.
“Look.” Sam stroked along the cat’s spine, feeling the tension still coiled beneath the fur. “I’m going to need you to be nice to them, you know. They’re not going away.”
The purr cut off like someone had flipped a switch. Basil twisted inSam’s lap, fixing him with a stare that could’ve curdled milk. His tail started up again - thwap, thwap, thwap against Sam’s thigh.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Sam said. “But they’re not actually going to hurt me. They’re…” How did he explain this? “They think I’m their destined mate, their Treasure, which sounds insane when I say it out loud, but…”
Basil sniffed at Sam’s shirt and hissed.
“They’ve been nothing but kind. Awkward and a bit ridiculous, but they’ve been kind to me, and they’ve been very kind to you, too. You just didn’t want to see it.” Sam met his cat’s furious gaze. “And yeah, they’re dragons. Ancient predators who could probably level this cottage with one swipe of their claws.”
Sam’s throat tightened. “But they knelt for me, Basil. They showed me their heart stones and told me the truth, even though it could get them separated forever. They shifted as soon as I asked. They…”
His voice cracked. The cat studied him for a long moment, then climbed up Sam’s chest and bumped his forehead against Sam’s chin. Not quite forgiveness. More likeI’m watching you make this terrible decision, and I’m not happy about it.
“I really like them,” Sam whispered. “All three of them, which is completely insane, but…”
Basil meowed, softer this time, and settled against Sam’s chest with a sigh that sounded remarkably human.
“So I need you to at leasttrynot to murder them.” Sam scratched under the cat’s chin. “Can you do that for me?”
Basil’s purr rumbled back to life. Sam took that as a maybe.
His phone buzzed again. Three messages from Rux, two from Mabon, one from Urien. All checking if he was okay, if he needed anything, if he wanted space or company or… Dragons, apparently, were terrible at playing it cool.
Sam smiled and typed back to all three:Home safe. Basil and I are having a talk about not committing murder. It’s going about as well as expected
“Come on.” He stood, still holding Basil. “We both need sleep. And then I need to figure out how to date three dragons without completely losing my mind.”
/~/~/~/~/
That was the most amazing dream…Sam woke at half-past eleven to Basil kneading his sternum and sunlight streaming through the curtains.
His phone screen lit up with a good morning text from Rux.
