Page 40 of Rescued By the Beast
"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.
