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,

got her leash wrapped around my wrist, just in case. Cats and dogs aren’t supposed to mix. Probably not with wolves,

face falls. "It

my most helpful kid? And now he’s working against

anything," I counter. "Cats can come to anyone if they’re

the same one I saw before... what

the same general area, but

she looks around the room. Her eyes are still glazed from sleep, but she pushes his hands away when he tries to pull her against

squeals. All semblance of sleepiness fades as she dives off her

head-first onto the floor, setting

floor, squatting next to

turns its head and gently bumps its nose

triumphantly. "Cat likes us. What

says it’s a girl? Maybe

ignores him. Yet another animal showing no fear

and Sadie are

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

there’s the sound I’ve been waiting for with dread:

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 like

the rising tide of panic in

asks, coming behind Bun and leaning down to scratch at the

distressed sound, clutching the cat closer. "No! Grace, please

cat doesn’t struggle in Sara’s tightening grip, just lets her squeeze

handing Sadie’s leash to Ron. My legs feel shaky beneath me.