Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 113406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
He liked waking up to find her sleeping beside him. Liked that she was the first thing he saw when he woke. Liked that it had become their morning ritual for him to eat her out and then either fuck her in bed or in the shower. Finding her gone annoyed him on a number of levels.
He slipped out of bed, did his business, and then pulled on his clothes. As he headed downstairs, he again listened for sounds of movement. None. Striding down the hallway, passing the empty living area and equally empty dining area, he entered the kitchen only to find that she wasn’t in there either. A knot of irrational panic began to clog his throat, and his heart began to pound like a drum.
Stepping out into the backyard, he saw no sign of her. But her scent, more feral than usual, was heavy in the air. He relaxed. She’d shifted into her animal form, and her cat was out there somewhere. He swept his gaze over the yard, skimming over the peony bushes, birdbath, cluster of rocks, tall oak tree casting shade—
Movement.
His eyes darted back to the rockery in the corner. He’d seen it the past few times he’d been out here but never paid any real attention to it. Thought it was just decorative. But as he got closer, he realized the rocky crevice was a very cleverly crafted shelter big enough for a small animal to comfortably burrow in.
Slowly, Bracken squatted in front of the rocky haven and inhaled deeply. Yeah, she was in there. His wolf pushed against his skin, wanting out, wanting time with the cat. Bracken ignored him and waited patiently for her to make an appearance. He didn’t have to wait long.
A silvery-gray head popped halfway out of the crevice, amber eyes locking on him, pupils strangely round rather than vertical. And the little cat didn’t look all that impressed about being disturbed.
Still, Bracken couldn’t help but smile. “Hey there,” he said softly. He’d been looking forward to meeting the feline, but Madisyn had kept him waiting, and he sensed it was because she wasn’t used to sharing her cat with others.
The feline made an odd gurgling sound. Sort of barked.
“I’m hoping that’s not a ‘Fuck off.’” But he got the feeling he was being reprimanded for disturbing her. Still, he didn’t move. Like Madisyn, she needed to get used to him sharing her space. That wouldn’t happen unless he made her see that he could fit into it just fine.
Looking rather put out, she let out a chuff-slash-hiss—it sounded like she was trying to hiss and cough up a hair ball at the same time. There was no real aggression there, though.
“Come on out here so I can get a better look at you,” he coaxed sweetly, again keeping his voice gentle. He knew she wouldn’t understand him, but he was quite sure that Madisyn would communicate what he wanted to the cat.
Looking adorably cranky, the feline padded out of the crevice. All fur, muscle, and grace, she blinked up at him. Her generous coat made her look much bigger than she actually was. In fact, the overabundance of fur often made their animal counterparts look stocky. But pallas shifters were slightly taller, and their coats were a little shorter, so they looked more in proportion.
“Morning,” he said softly, making no move to touch her. He remembered Madisyn’s advice on how to deal with her cat: Don’t try to pet her straight off the bat. Let her come to you. Don’t throw your dominance around, because it won’t work. And for God’s sake, don’t be all “Here kitty, kitty” unless you want your nose bitten off. With that advice in mind, he waited patiently for the cat to make the next move.
Finally, she regally padded closer to him, halting between his legs. Moving slowly, he reached down and stroked her fur. It was thick and lusciously soft. Whispering compliments, he kept on petting her until she relaxed against his leg, purring. Deep inside Bracken, his wolf lay down and rested his chin on his forelegs, content to have some time with the cat even though he wasn’t able to touch her just yet.
Bracken’s empty stomach rumbled, and the cat straightened with a blink. “I need food and coffee. You coming?”
She sprang at him so incredibly fast that he didn’t get the chance to shield his face. Luckily, he hadn’t needed to. She landed on his shoulder and then twisted to face the same direction he was facing. Perched there like a bird of prey, she loosely curled her bushy tail around his neck.
Bracken carefully stood. “Oh, I see. I need to carry this dainty princess around, do I?”
She mustn’t have liked his jocular tone much because it earned him a low growl, and she lightly dug her claws into his shoulder.