Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 174: Grace: White Cat (II)

Five minutes later, I’m sitting on the couch watching Sara roll around the floor with the mysterious white cat and I’m not only praying it doesn’t have fleas, but also wondering how the hell I’m going to explain to Caine we’ve somehow acquired a new cat when I wasn’t supposed to leave the camper.

This is bad.

An absurd level of panic keeps rising in my chest, even as I try to convince myself it’s fine.

"We’re keeping it, right?" Jer asks, his arm around Sadie as he watches his sister play with the cat.

I shift uneasily. "I don’t think the cat wants to stay with us." Better to blame the strange feline than my fear over Caine’s temper.

Even as the words leave my mouth, the white cat stretches languidly across Sara’s belly, looking for all the world like a giant, furry limp noodle. Its eyes close to contented slits as her small fingers trace patterns through its suspiciously pristine fur.

Shouldn’t a cat out in the wild like this be—I don’t know... dirtier? Especially when it’s white.

"It looks like it wants to stay with us," Jer points out, eyebrows raised like I’m the one not seeing reason here.

"Oh, please?" Sara begs, soft and pleading. She cradles the cat against her chest even though it’s longer than her torso, and the cat purrs louder.

I rub at my closed eyes with a groan. Caine’s going to be so mad when he gets back, and he should be back any minute. Not just mad—furious.

I was supposed to be inside with the doors locked, not chasing mysterious animals across open fields. And I’m pretty sure I definitely wasn’t supposed to bring one of those animals back inside.

Especially a cat.

A disgruntled huff comes from under the dinette. Fenris sulks in the shadows. His storm-gray eyes track the cat’s every movement, ears pinned back against his skull. After I told him to leave the cat alone, he retreated to pout like an overgrown puppy.

effort of restraint. She whines every so often,

leash wrapped around my wrist, just in case. Cats and dogs

firm even as Sara’s face falls. "It probably belongs to someone, and we’re not exactly in a position to

my most helpful kid? And now he’s

can come to

same

mean, we’re in the same general area, but it shouldn’t be

blink as she looks around the room. Her eyes

the cat and squeals. All semblance of sleepiness fades

her before she falls head-first onto the floor, setting her

nonsensical as she toddler-stomps her way across the floor, squatting next to Sara and the cat. Little whiskers sprout on

gently bumps its

likes us. What are we gonna name

a girl? Maybe

from his hiding spot. The cat ignores him. Yet another animal showing no fear of

and Sadie

food. Or a litter box. Or a kennel for the drive. We can’t keep this cat. It

there’s the sound I’ve been waiting for

ballistic, and I clench my fists in my lap. He’s going to be so angry, and I’m still not sure how I’m going to explain this. Sadie was barking, Bun was sleeping, I brought Fenris with me—it seemed

quell the rising tide of panic in

behind Bun and

clutching the cat closer. "No!

struggle in Sara’s tightening grip, just lets her squeeze it like it’s a

say, rising from the couch and handing Sadie’s leash to Ron. My legs feel shaky beneath