Chapter 17
BLAIR
“Oh my god,” Maeve says. “Oh my god.”
Another anonymous donation has come in, this time a collection of gorgeous, crocheted blankets for the kittens.
Furs and Purrs has an online wishlist, and we always accept donations.
Blankets consistently stay at the top of that list.
We’re lucky enough to have extra food, flea medicine, and basic first aid to give to other rescues around the area. Piper’s packmates constantly make generous donations, but nothing compares to something handmade like the blankets.
They’re lovely. One is dark blue with lavender fish designs, another is turquoise with white paw prints, just like our logo’s sign.
“And the box doesn’t say who it’s from?” I ask, leaning over the counter to grab the turquoise one. Alvin makes himself comfy on the dark blue blanket that Maeve spread out onto the counter, kneading his paws into it and loafing. “They’re so nice. Why would these be sent anonymously?”
“Ooh,” Piper says, rolling her desk chair over to peer at the designs. “Those are gorgeous.”
“Maybe you guys have a secret admirer,” says another voice, a faint scent of pepper and ginger following. Maddox, Piper’s Alpha, enters from the back, hauling a massive bag of cat food. “I picked up more of the limited ingredient kibble for you guys. Heard one of the new cats has a bad stomach.”
“Thanks, Maddox,” I say, smiling. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“The hell I didn’t. I’m a cat food expert now.”
Piper rolls her eyes fondly, while Maddox bends to kiss the top of her head. To anyone that doesn’t know him, Maddox would be intimidating. Dressed in all black, tall, and pale with dark hair, he looks like he walked out of some goth band’s music video.
But he’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, if not a little bit intense.
Maddox and I came to an agreement a long time ago.
If he ever made Piper cry, I’d kill him.
As far as I know, I haven’t had to commit murder yet.
“He’s working on an app to categorize cat food,” Piper says. “Which, I told him he didn’t need to do, but apparently, it’s a new passion project.”
“It’s going to be free, too,” he adds, placing the bag on the counter next to the blankets. “And with no ads. Fuck all those rich assholes and their ad revenue.”
I have a feeling Rowan and Maddox would get along quite well.
“I wish I knew who was sending these donations,” Maeve says, petting Alvin’s loaf form. “They should get recognized. It’s so kind, and these blankets are so gorgeous.”
I catch the wistful look in Maeve’s eyes, and a pang pricks my chest.
Now that I have my scent matches and Piper has her pack, I notice Maeve’s smiles are more strained. When Piper’s Alphas visit, she’s excited to see them, but there’s always a hint of sadness when she turns away from us.
Maeve wants to love loudly and proudly, while I choose to be closed-off when it comes to my scent matches.
“Speaking of admirers,” Maddox adds, nodding at me. “When do we get to talk to meet these guys, Blair Bear?”
“Ugh. Do not use that name around them, please.”
Piper gave me that name when she visited Scents with her pack and they were all a bit tipsy.
Apparently, it’s the funniest nickname on earth according to my friends.
Even Maeve giggles at the name.
“Yeah, Blair Bear, when are they going to come around?” Piper adds, smirking.
It’s been almost a week since I fooled around with Travis, and I keep plastering a ridiculous smile on my face when I think about it. He kisses me goodbye after every shift at Scents, now.
He never pushes for more, even though I know he wants to.
He’s allowing me to navigate this situation in a way that makes me comfortable, and I’ll be forever grateful for it.
I miss Ryland and Rowan, though. The brothers have created a group texting chat that excludes Travis just to make him mad, they told me.
Rowan gets entirely too flirty, while Ryland asks about the rescue and likes to keep me updated on Ash and the kittens.
They’re letting me set the pace for what I’m comfortable with.
Which, from what I hear, is extremely difficult for Rowan to do.
I shrug. “When I invite them,” I answer.
“They need to visit!” Maeve exclaims. “They should come volunteer! They should be cat experts now, based on how many cats they own.”
“Maeve, I’m not going to ask them to volunteer,” I say.
Piper snorts. “I’m pretty sure those guys would do anything for you,” she says.
“You don’t know that,” I protest.
“Blair, you’re the coolest person on earth. I’m pretty sure they’d do anything for you,” Maeve says.
I roll my eyes but smile fondly at Maeve’s kind words.
“Yeah, Blair Bear,” Piper adds. “Why the hell haven’t you invited them?”
The door to the rescue chimes open, and a familiar, friendly scent fills the room as a blonde head of hair comes into view.
Avery, Piper’s packmate and Maeve’s brother enters, holding a potted plant that I immediately recognize as cat grass.
Likely grown by Poe, the leader of Piper’s pack.
“Hey,” Avery says softly. “I can’t stay too long, I have to get back to campus—but I wanted to pop in. This is from Poe. He said he’ll be by to pick you up later, Pipe.”
He places the pot on the counter, and Alvin immediately moves off the blanket to inspect Avery’s delivery.
“Did you bring me food?” Maeve asks excitedly.
Avery rolls his eyes at his younger sister. “Yes. There’s a spicy tuna roll and miso soup in my car.”
Maeve squeals, and Avery and Piper laugh at her reaction.
My best friend’s face lights up when she sees Avery, and warmth blossoms in my chest.
Piper has been through a lot—when she was struggling, we focused on her problems, not mine.
But now, Piper is doing well and finally went no-contact with her abusive parents with the help of her pack.
My issues were on the backburner while I was concerned with Piper.
She still doesn’t know how shaky I get when I have to drive.
She doesn’t know that I’m terrified that one day all of my trauma will bubble to the surface and I won’t be able to handle it anymore.
Piper catches me staring at her and raises an eyebrow. “What?”
“Nothing,” I sigh. “I was just thinking—”
The door chimes again, and this time, two very familiar faces walk in.
Rowan and Ryland enter, and I should be annoyed that they didn’t tell me that they were stopping by, but instead, I smile.
I missed them.
And what a lovely feeling it is to miss someone I care about and have them show up unexpectedly.
“Hey!” Maeve says, waving.
When Ryland sees me, he immediately puts up his hands in surrender. “Not trying to barge in on you,” he says, his smile warm.
“I am,” Rowan says, and his brother elbows him in the side. “Ow.”
Somehow, I’m not upset that they didn’t tell me they were coming.
I’m not the biggest fan of surprises—I like to have a set schedule and know when things are happening.
But my scent matches visiting me at work? It’s hard to be frustrated with that.
The brothers are wearing sweatshirts from their video game company, and Maddox, who was busy massaging Piper’s shoulders, notices.
“You work for Wicked Bytes?” he asks them.
“It’s our company,” Ryland replies.
“Oh. Shit.” Maddox walks around the counter and sticks out his hand to Ryland. Piper whines when he stops rubbing her shoulders, and I stifle a laugh. “Maddox. I code for a living. I imagine you guys don’t get sleep.”
“Fuck no, we don’t.” Rowan grins.
Piper shoots me a look of approval, and I give her a half-smile.
Avery also makes his introductions to the brothers, and Piper and I observe our scent matches interacting with each other.
It’s easier than I thought it would be.
Maeve returns from Avery’s car with the to-go bag and motions to us that she’ll be in the back room eating.
In the meantime, Rowan has wrangled Alvin into his arms, who nuzzles him contentedly.
“I fucking love cats,” Rowan declares. “Seriously. After we got Ash and then I found those kittens…there is nothing like cats.”
“They’re the best,” Avery agrees. “I know way too much about them because of Piper.”
Rowan looks back at Piper, then to me. “If it wasn’t for Blair, I wouldn’t know anything,” he mutters. “I’d just be some guy that makes horror games all day. Now I’m a cat dad.”
I shake my head and huff.
“You’re ridiculous,” I say.
“Ridiculous for you, baby.”
Piper snickers.
Maddox, Ryland, and Avery have started an in-depth discussion of their favorite video games from their childhoods while Rowan plops Alvin back on the counter and leans toward me, his blue eyes intense.
“Can I see the cat playroom?” he asks. “I didn’t get to go in last time.”
He asks it so seriously that I chuckle. “Yeah,” I say, standing. “You know you don’t have to ask, right? You can just walk in.”
He grins. “Yeah, but I want you to go with me.”
His scent washes over me, sea salt and rain filling my nostrils.
Rowan smells like a violent storm, but one that I welcome.
Rowan is a storm I can face.
When we enter the playroom, we’re immediately greeted by two small orange kittens who run circles around us, squeaking for food.
“That’s Ginger and Pumpkin,” I tell Rowan, and he crouches to pet them. “They’re both girls.”
“Two female orange cats?” Rowan asks. “Isn’t that rare?”
“Yup. They’re bonded sisters. Whoever adopts them has to take both of them.”
I watch fondly as Rowan pets them, each of the kittens nibbling on his fingers.
“I want them,” he says.
I laugh. “You already have four cats at home. And you haven’t even named the little ones yet.”
“Not true. They’re Josie, Posie, and Rosie now.”
“Really?”
“Yup.” Rowan grabs a tiny foam soccer ball and tosses it across the playroom, and Ginger and Pumpkin race after it. He stands and grins. “Pretty cute, right? It was Travis’s idea; I decided I liked it.”
The idea of Travis naming the kittens makes my chest ache in the best way.
He’s so damn sweet.
“Anyway,” Rowan says, placing his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I ah…wanted to ask you something. Well, we both did.” He rocks back and forth on his heels, looking unsure.