Pawliday Love

Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

BASTIAN

I wake sometime in the early morning hours before daylight. The only problem is I don’t know where I am. The last thing I remember is curling up on her bed and trying my best to act like a real dog, only to fall asleep laying here.

My eyes roam the room and find a cat on the other side of the lump. Slowly, I trace the lump under the covers and find her laying there, fast asleep.

This woman has made me lose all rational thought. Never in my entire life have I ever considered becoming a dog just so I could be close to someone. Never. I’m not sure what I’m thinking, but who knows?

Maybe not thinking is just what I need.

Her chest rises as she sucks in a deep breath, then she lets it out slowly as she turns to the side. It looks like she might be waking up.

The cat raises her head as she wakes and yawns, only to turn and look at me with daggers.

Why does it have to be a cat?

Nova slowly rises and steps over Chloe’s blanket covered legs toward me. I let out a low warning growl as I wait for it to get closer. She stops when her nose is mere inches from mine and huffs out a breath.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear this cat was a shapeshifter, too. She acts too human.

Suddenly, Nova raises her right paw and stops, looking at me with such disdain. And then she strikes, hard.

My head moves to the side from the blow. It’s not that it is really that hard, but she had her claws out, which raked down my cheek. Blood bubbles to the surface, catching my attention. Slowly, I turn back to look at her with the same look of disdain.

What does this cat think she is doing?

When we lock eyes, I realize that there is more to this cat than I first thought and I might be in trouble.

Before I can do anything about it, Chloe wakes and looks down at us. Nova is poised over her legs, but looks up at her innocently. I just slowly turn my head and look at her, only for her eyes to land on my bloody cheek.

“What happened to you? You have blood.” Her eyes slowly move toward the cat as she realizes there are little marks from her. “Why did you hit him? Nova, that isn’t nice.”

As she scolds Nova, I watch her flip back the covers and reach for her. The cat doesn’t even move and allows herself to be picked up, but not before giving me a look of hatred.

Dumb cat shouldn’t have smacked me, then. Why is it my fault she is being carted off?

I shake my head and look at the far wall as they leave the room.

This is going to be more frustrating than I anticipated.