Chapter 13
Mark
Anger explodes inside me.
"Look what you've done!"
The cat seems to jump inside her own body, struggling, scratching, trying to escape from my arms.
What do I do now?
"Don't yell at the poor thing, it's not her fault, she's just scared..." Ted starts talking and his words irritate me even more.
"Yell at her? I'm yelling at you, damn it! You made her sick!" I growl, anger overflowing.
"Me? How is this my fault?"
"You touched her, you picked her up too hard, too fast... She's still recovering and now she's sick," I say through gritted teeth.
The cat is still struggling, and I'm at a loss.
Damn it, what do I do?
If I don't know how to deal with people, even though I live with them every day, how am I going to calm a kitten when I've never had a pet?
"Shh... It's okay." I hesitate for a second before lowering my face to her head and kissing her soft black fur. "You don't need to be afraid..."
The smell of vomit rises, and I imagine that's bothering her.
I need to clean her up, make her comfortable, see if she's okay.
Have the wounds become infected? Could it be...
"Mark, breathe, you look worse than the cat," Ted says, his hand closing around my shoulder, as if trying to anchor me.
He's right, I need to calm down, I need to reassure the cat.
"Call Ethan, get him here," I ask abruptly, still angry with him.
"Of course." Ted is already holding the phone to his ear, and I can't hear what he's saying, but I trust him to pass on what happened.
Meanwhile, I take the cat to the bathroom, close the door behind me, and carefully place her in the sink before getting rid of my vomit-covered shirt.
I turn to her and growl to myself when I see her trembling, her green eyes wide with fear, fixed on me.
"I'll take care of you, everything will be fine, I promise," I say, in the softest voice I can muster, trying to sound confident.
Carefully, I pick her up again and turn on the tap. With one hand cupped, I scoop up a handful of water and bring it to her muzzle to clean the dirty fur around her mouth. I hope Ethan gets here soon.
I don't know what I'm doing. I don't want to make things worse...
The bathroom door opens and Ethan peeks inside.
"Mark? Ted told me what happened. Does she have any other symptoms?"
The advantage of being Ethan's neighbour is that he shows up quickly in emergencies.
"I don't feel any fever coming from her, but I haven't seen the stitches yet and..."
"Let me examine her," Ethan says, taking the cat from my arms and carrying her to the sofa, where he left his emergency kit.
I quickly clean my dirty arm before following him.
Ted and I stand behind him, watching. Ethan unzips the kitten's post-operative gown and examines the cuts.
"Everything looks fine..." He looks at me and tilts his head. "What did you name her?"
I press my lips together and clench my fists, resisting the urge to pick her up in my arms.
"I call her Kitten."
Ted throws his head back and laughs, and Ethan raises his eyebrows at me, incredulous.
"Oh, sure, 'kitten'. Super creative," Ted jokes, still laughing.
Ethan just shakes his head, exasperated.
"Okay, Mark, she needs a comfortable environment. Keep her hydrated and don't scare her. She needs to stay calm."
Ted looks at me, then glances at the pet bed in the middle of the room.
"Are you going to leave her alone down here? The poor thing might get scared. Why don't you take her to your room?" he suggests.
The cat lets out a loud meow that catches my attention, and her feline gaze is fixed on me. I lean down to her, and as soon as Ethan zips up her little outfit, I pick her back up in my arms.
When her small body nestles against my chest, I feel my heart slow down and the tension in my shoulders begin to melt away.
I don't know why.
Since she showed up, she's only caused trouble, but somehow... she calms me down.
"Do you think she might be scared down here, all alone?" I ask Ethan.
"It's not a bad idea to put her in your room. Besides, she needs to get used to your presence, gain confidence... you can put her bed next to yours for now," Ethan advises, and the cat meows again.
I look at her little face, raising my elbow so that her gaze meets mine, and whisper softly:
"My room is big, there will be space just for you, don't worry."
Her green eyes sparkle in the light, and I swear I see a mixture of exasperation, or perhaps even defiance, in them.
It's so different from the innocent look she gave me right after making that mess on my shirt. I find it funny, and before I know it, I feel my lips curl upwards.
"You're an interesting little creature, you know that?" I say, and she meows, pricking up her ears.
"Did you manage to buy everything you needed for Kitten?" Ethan asks.
I take a deep breath and give a slight nod.
"Yes, but some things aren't ready yet. I'll pick them up tomorrow."
"Ready? Like what?" He raises his eyebrows in curiosity.
"Like the collar and the healing acceleration potion I asked Balthazar to prepare."
Both he and Ted nod.
"Good idea." This time it's Ted who speaks. "What about toys?"
I clench my jaw. Damn, how could I forget that?
"I was so preoccupied with practical matters that I completely forgot about that..." I admit, frustrated.
"I have some at home," Ethan says. "I take in animals from time to time. I'll bring them to you."
I breathe a sigh of relief and let my gratitude show in my eyes.
"Thanks, mate. For everything."
Ethan is already heading for the door with quick steps.
"I'll go get them and be right back."
As soon as he leaves, Ted clears his throat, making me look at him. The expression on his face is different now, more serious, and it instantly puts me on alert.
"Actually, I didn't just come to meet Kitten." He begins, and the gravity of his words makes my body stiffen. "It's a warning, but it's personal, so I thought it best to come and tell you in person."
I let out a tense sigh, my heart beating faster.
"What?" I ask, my voice lower, anxiety rising. Something in Ted's tone tells me the news is not good.
"I've received news about the Wolfhart Clan. Liam has learned that you crossed his territory... and he's furious." Ted's tone is tense, as if he's expecting an imminent explosion.
I restrain myself from rolling my eyes, keeping my expression cool.
"Ted, I have bigger concerns than dealing with a spoilt wolf's tantrum." My response is laden with disdain, calculated to show that the situation does not affect me.
But inside, I know the issue is more delicate than I am willing to admit.
The bear narrows his eyes, clearly dissatisfied with my attitude.
"He won't let this slide." There is a weight in his voice, a warning I cannot ignore.
My gaze meets his, steady.
"Then let him try. If he thinks he can handle me, he'll find out what a mistake he made."
"Mark, I know it won't be physically dangerous for you, but..."
I take a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
"I'm not the one looking for a fight, Ted. If Liam wants to get beaten up and put his leadership at risk, that's his problem."
Ted sighs, as if trying to convince me to see things from another perspective.
"Your half-brother has always felt threatened by your strength." A shadow of concern darkens his face. "His jealousy will lead him to do something stupid."
I clench my jaw, feeling the beast inside me wanting to break free, but I look at the girl in my arms and instantly calm down.
"If he challenges me to a duel, he'll lose."
Ted crosses his arms and takes a step forward, more serious now.
"Still, I'd keep an eye on him, Mark."
"He can't hurt me, he's not strong enough, you know that."
Ted watches me for a moment, and his expression hardens.
"No, but he can hurt others." His words freeze me.
I feel a chill run down my spine, and immediately my attention turns to Kitten in my arms, and I hold her a little closer to my chest.
"If Liam dares to hurt any of you, I will not forgive him. I won't care about our blood ties, I'll kill him." My voice is relentless, and there is no room for doubt.
Ted looks at me with some surprise, but he knows I'm serious.
"Are you sure about that?"
I pause, allowing the old memories, the wounds of the past, to surface.
I remember the pain, the abandonment, the rejection.
Our father impregnated my mother, a Seelie Fae[4] , deceiving her with empty promises.
He said he loved her, swore that the arrangement with a she-wolf would be merely a political alliance to strengthen the pack.
He assured her that the partnership would have no real significance, that nothing between them would change.
Unlike the Fae, who are incapable of lying or breaking promises, humans are masters in the art of deceit.
My mother made the mistake of believing him.
At the time, he had not yet formed the partnership. But as soon as the union was made and the she-wolf discovered that my mother had given birth to a bastard, she killed her.
He only didn't kill me too because the man I consider my real father intervened and saved me. Meanwhile, my biological father did nothing. He didn't fight for me. He didn't care about me. He preferred to maintain his power and his position as alpha leader of the clan.
I was called a mongrel bastard my whole life.
Liam, only two years younger than me, grew up hating me. It didn't matter how much I kept my distance, it didn't matter that I had never done anything but exist.
He may be my half-brother, but he was never my family.
I don't mind being the target of his discord. But if he dares to attack those who are mine, I will show no mercy.
So, yes, I'm sure.
“Absolutely.”