Page 31 of Wings and Shadowthief

“‘A damn cat?’" Greer echoed. "What's wrong with you?"

“I don’t like cats,” he stated.

Gwen might have believed him, had he not gone to so much effort to save one.

Diana sighed dramatically. "Don't judge him too harshly. He's a dog, remember?"

"Wolf," Alexius grumbled. "I am a damnwolf."

"Does that mean I should stop throwing you sticks?" his sister teased.

Alexius was notoriously playful in his wolf form.

Blair hopped on the examination table and ran a hand over the kitten’s fur. Alexius had performed wonders; considerably cleaner and less matted, the kitten now looked powder blue and soft. It slept rolled in a ball, never stirring at her slight touch.

“It’s going to need food, often. It’s just a few days old,” Alexius told her. “Milk from a bottle every few hours.”

Blair didn’t even hesitate. “I’ll do it.”

Alexius grimaced. “You won’t have a full night’s sleep for a while, then.”

Blair didn’t care. “My biggest problem is that pets are forbidden in the dorm—for good reason, since some people are allergic. Can I leave her here?”

“Him,” Alexius corrected. “And no, the lab’s too dangerous. There are poisons and spells that might make another head sprout out of his neck.”

“You can bring him to the hill,” Cat offered.

Alexius shook his head. “Not the best of ideas. Levi’s beast rules over Skyhall. I doubt she’d take kindly to sharing her kingdom.”

Levi had a notoriously evil cat who only accepted her master’s touch.

“I didn’t mean to Skyhall. My place is almost done. It’s not painted yet, and we don’t have any furniture, but I don’t believe the cat will mind.”

Blair accepted the offer gratefully. “I need supplies. Food, a bed, litter…do you know someone heading out of town today?”

Everyone shook their heads. It was the middle of the week; no one was likely to leave now unless there was an emergency.

Gwen felt her lips curve into a smile. “I know someone who is now.”

She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contacts, unblocking Jack before pressing the call button.

He answered on the second ring. “If it isn’t my favorite witch.”

If she rolled her eyes harder, she might have stuck them at the back of their sockets. “You know that favor you owe me? I’m collecting.”

“I’m yours.”

Yeah, right.

Jack drove the sort of car Gwen had always drooled over: a dark green V8 Mustang that had either been cherished through the last hundred years or renovated with care. She couldn’t approve of its fuel consumption, but the car certainly made a statement.

He parked in front of the gates of the Institute and smiled at her. “Hop in!”

The first thing Gwen noticed was that he wore thin rectangular glasses that somehow made him look both older and considerably more attractive.

She dismissed the thought.

Gwen wasn’t eager to spend the next few hours locked in a small vehicle with him, but Blair wasn’t leaving the kitten’s side any time soon.

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