AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“To be fair, we didn’t know that shapeshifting cats who are really ancient nymphs could get pregnant,” I said as I cradled a tiny black-and-white kitten in my hands. It made little ‘meep’ sounds as its tiny claws kneaded my thumb.
“Aren’t these kittens quite advanced?” Heathcliff asked. “Newborn kittens shouldn’t be able to see, hear, or walk.”
I regarded him with interest.
“Not that I know anything about kittens,” he added quickly. “Bloody annoying little things.”
I glance at my grandmother, who had rolled on her back, luxuriating in our attention. “Could it be her magic? The babies must’ve inherited some of hers? It would be just like Grimalkin to make her babies age faster so she didn’t have to mother them so much.
“Mew.” Grimalkin shoots me a look that clearly says,I resent that. I’m an excellent mother.
“I didn’t take the kittens back to the vet for that reason,” Bree said. “I figured it was just another strange occurance at Nevermore Bookshop.”
A bright-eyed girl with tabby stripes broke away from her brothers and sisters and struck out boldly toward a stack of books on the side table. She prodded gingerly at a copy ofA Room of One’s Ownbefore giving it a delighted nudge with he paws and sending it sliding across the floor. She tumbled after it and started chewing on the corner.
“You’re a little adventuress.” I moved the book away and she leaped after it on tiny, shaking legs. “I’m going to name you Woolf. After Virginia Woolf.”
“Great, now she’s naming them.” Heathcliff huffed. “If you name them, then we can’t give them away—”
“Reeeeeeeooooowww…” Grimalkin hissed what she thought of that idea.
“Arf,” Oscar added. He sniffed the kittens, excited to have new friends.
“Of course we’re giving them away. How could you do this to us?” Heathcliff glowered at Grimalkin.
“Meow!”
“As if this shop isn’t already a menagerie of chaos, what with the dogs and cats and birds and customers, and now we’re going to have six balls of fluff underfoot, tearing up the furniture, knocking over whisky bottles, and—”
Quoth dropped the black kitten into Heathcliff’s hands.
Heathcliff’s words died on his lips. He held his hands up to his face, his eyes widening and his frown softening as he watched the pitch-black kitten wriggle around in his arms.
“Squeak?” The kitten got right up close, leaned in, and bopped Heathcliff on the nose.
“Did you see that?” Heathcliff breathed.
“What’s his name?” I asked.
“Maximillian,” Heathcliff said immediately.
“If you name him, you’re going to want to keep him,” Morrie said with a smirk in his voice.
“Obviously, we’re going to keep him. Who ever heard of such a barbarous thing as giving away Mina’s grandmother’s kittens? These are her aunts and uncles,” Heathcliff said with complete sincerity. Maximilian clambered onto Heathcliff’s shoulder and burrowed into his hair.
“Can I name this one Al Catone?” Morrie said, waving his finger for a little black-and-white boy. “He’s wearing a tuxedo, so we’re both impeccably dressed for villainy.”
“And this one is Breeches,” Heathcliff winced, turning around so we could all see the tiny calico bundle with its claws digging into his arse. Morrie burst out laughing.
“I think this guy is Phineas,” Quoth said, as he pulled his hair aside to find a little ginger boy curled up asleep in there.
“You name this one,” I told Bree, pointing to a little snowy-white madam who hadn’t strayed far from her mother, and was glaring at all her brothers and sisters with disdain. “After all, if it wasn’t for you helping her, Grimalkin might have had a difficult time. And Heathcliff’s right, these kittens are family, and so are you.”
“Meow.” Grimalkin nodded her assent.
“Oh,” Bree held the tiny girl in her hands. “Wow. Um, sure. What about Ghost? Edward says that when she was born, she kind of looked like a peanut. What do you think?”
“Peanut is perfect.”
