82. Whiskey
Whiskey
"I'VE GOT HER! I'VE GOT THE CAT!"
I barrel through the back door of the pack house, arms outstretched, a writhing bundle of fury wrapped in my shredded flannel shirt clutched to my chest.
Shadow is not happy about this.
She's hissing like a tiny demon, her good paw swiping at every gap in the fabric, and I'm bleeding like crazy. But who gives a shit?
I.
CAUGHT.
THE.
CAT.
"Whiskey, what the fuck—" Thane starts, then stops short when he sees the blood dripping down my forearms and the mini chainsaw marks all over my bare chest.
"I GOT HER, brO!"
Plague is already crossing the kitchen, his face both horrified and resigned, which is honestly my favorite of his expressions because it always means someone has done something awesome.
Today, that someone is me.
"You're bleeding everywhere," he says flatly.
"Yep. It's the price of love, baby—OW!" I yelp as Shadow gets a claw through a gap in the flannel and hooks into my forearm. "Easy, baby girl, we're friends now, remember? I gave you caviar!"
The cat disagrees.
Loudly.
Plague starts examining the damage, staying out of the cat's reach, his dark brows pulling together. "These need to be cleaned. Cat scratches can cause serious infections. Cat scratch disease, pasteurella, tetanus if your boosters aren't current—"
"I'm an alpha."
"Being an alpha doesn't make you immune to bacteria, bro."
"Kinda helps though?"
He gives me a look that could freeze lava. I love that look. I love him. I'm absolutely going to keep antagonizing him forever because making Plague lose his cool composure has become one of my top kinks.
Number one's sharing our little wildcat, of course, who appears in the doorway with Wraith, tucked under his arm as usual.
They've been packing for the camping trip they're heading out on later today, with me going up around the same time to check on Claire, and I'm momentarily distracted by the lace panties clutched in her hand.
Her eyes go wide when they see the yowling flannel burrito in my arms.
You caught her? Wraith signs with his free hand.
"HELL YEAH I FUCKIN' DID!"
His eyes light up.
He's been trying to befriend this cat for months. We both have. And yeah, maybe I went a little rogue and just... dove for her when she came sniffing around the plate of caviar, and maybe she was almost Shadow the Pancake instead of Shadow the Cat, but hey.
"Is she okay?" Ivy asks gently, stepping closer to peer at the bundle.
Right on cue, Shadow stops hissing long enough to let out the most pathetic, pitiful mew I've ever heard.
"She's fiiiiiine," I say. "Just, uh, processing her new living situation."
Plague is still examining my wounds with horror. "You need antiseptic, at the very least."
"Your cheek is flayed open," Ivy says, reaching for my face.
Shadow tries to reach for her eyes.
I manage to re-wrangle the cat in a slightly snugger burrito. "Oh. Guess it's a good thing you think scars are hot, huh?" I say, winking at her as Plague herds me to sit down at the kitchen table.
"Hey," I say, nodding to Wraith. "You were right. Her paw's hurt. The front left one."
Wraith's expression softens to concern. He crouches down beside me, examining the cat through the gaps in the flannel. Shadow goes still for a moment, watching him with those huge green eyes, licking her lips anxiously, and I swear understanding passes between them.
Then she hisses at him too and almost takes the rest of his face off.
Vet, Wraith signs, straightening. We should take her.
"Agreed," Thane says from where he's been watching this whole circus unfold with his arms crossed. "She needs shots, a checkup, maybe get her scanned for a microchip. Someone could be missing her. She's a stray, so you might need shots."
"She's not a stray anymore," I interrupt. "Shadow's our cat. Pack cat."
"Rabies won't care whose cat she is," Plague says mildly. "She filleted you. This is a health risk."
"Minor flesh wounds! And I'd be badass with rabies."
"You'd be dead."
Valek drifts into the kitchen in his usual ghostly way. He takes in the scene without his face changing even the slightest bit.
"Ah," he says. "You caught her."
"Fuck yeah I did!"
He approaches slowly, and something weird happens. Shadow, who has been hissing and spitting and generally making her displeasure known to the entire fucking world, goes quiet. Her ears flatten, but she stops struggling. Her eyes lock onto Valek's as he comes to stand in front of me.
"May I?" he asks.
I hand over the flannel bundle carefully like I'm transferring a baby into his arms, and he takes the cat like he's done this a thousand times. Shadow doesn't relax exactly, but she stops trying to murder everyone within claw distance.
She just... stares at him.
Valek strokes one finger along the top of her head, between her ears, making a soft ksksks sound in the back of his mouth, and she lets him.
"What the fuck," I say. "Of course you're a fuckin' cat whisperer. You look and act like a James Bond villain and cats love James Bond villains."
Valek tilts his head. "Is that a compliment, or?"
"It's a compliment," Plague sighs, watching him with crossed arms.
Ivy is fully giggling now, leaning against Wraith's side. "Oh my gods, she loves you."
"We have an understanding," Valek says, still petting the cat, who's actually kind of purring a little. "She is small and full of rage. I respect that."
I catch Plague's eye and mouth villain cat at him. He rolls his eyes but I catch him fighting a smile.
"The vet," Thane says, clearly trying to wrangle this situation back under control. "We should take her today if we can get an appointment. Wraith and Ivy are leaving for Cedarbrook this afternoon—"
My chest tightens a little at that.
Cedarbrook.
The camping trip where Wraith's gonna find out from his doc if he can safely mark Ivy.
We're running out of time, and we all know it.
He's terrified he'll maim her, no matter how much she reassures him the skin's less fragile with all our other bites layered on top of each other, and he kinda-sorta has reason to worry.
We're all trying really fucking hard to act normal about it because freaking out won't help.
But if he doesn't...
I shake the thought off. It's gonna work. Ivy has a plan. She's a fucking genius. She's had a plan this whole time, layering the marks to toughen the scar tissue, getting Wraith comfortable, taking it slow.
She loves him, and he loves her, and love makes people do impossible shit all the time.
It's gonna be fine.
"I'll call the vet," Plague says, working on my bandages. Gods, I love when he gets the first aid kit out. I should get hurt more often.
"I'll drive while someone else gets supplies," Thane offers, even though he's already rummaging through the freezer for his freaky migraine hat.
"I'll hold the cat," Valek says pleasantly.
Shadow purrs louder.
Guess she's found her favorite already.
"Hey, you two lovebirds could even go," I say, looking between Plague and Valek. Plague stares blankly at me, mid-spray with his stingy antibiotic spray. "Since you've been makin' forlorn heart eyes at each other since yesterday's game."
"We have not," Plague mutters, going back to bandaging my various wounds with unnecessary focus.
Valek's lips curve. "Of course. We'll take care of her."
"Are you sure?" Thane asks hopefully, turning away from the freezer. He's already pressing an ice pack to his head.
Valek nods. "Of course."
I look at Wraith, who's watching the cat with soft eyes. He's wanted a cat forever. Specifically this one. And now we've got her.
Well. Valek's got her. But same difference.
"Hey," I say to Wraith. "Don't worry. I'll still ride up to Cedarbrook to check on your evil mom. Val's the clear favorite here anyway. He can be on kitty duty."
Wraith sighs, hard. Just don't do anything crazy.
"I won't, bro." I grin innocently at him, wincing as Plague sprays antibiotic shit on the scratch on my cheek. "Just as soon as we make sure our villain cat is purr-fectly healthy."
Plague sprays some extra just to spite me.