Page 49 of Rescued By the Beast
I blink, surprised by the genuine concern that shows on his face. And for a moment, I allow myself to see the situation from his perspective. He's not imprisoning me out of cruelty. To him, I'm just a stray cat he rescued and adopted — a pet he's trying to care for as best he can.
He's not cruel... He's careful.
Kind, even.
Hesitantly, I raise a paw and touch his handsome face, as if somehow I could wipe the heavy expression from his features.
Mark takes a deep breath, his chest expanding, his eyes shining with surprise. But then something in his expression softens, the hard lines gradually fading away. He stares at me silently for several long seconds before letting out a long sigh and his shoulders finally relax.
His lips curve subtly, a smile almost imperceptible, but real.
By the stars, he looks so beautiful when he smiles...
He stands up and walks out of the office, holding me close to his chest. His steps are determined until we reach a kind of reception area on the floor. There are two people there, one of whom is the woman from earlier who announced the arrival of the wizard Balthazar. As soon as she sees us, she straightens up.
"Mr. Tharros, how can I help you?"
"I need you to stay with Kitten until I get back. There's food in the bowl, water and litter in the office bathroom, in case she needs it. I don't want to leave her alone for too long."
"Oh, o-of course... I, um, will stay with her until you return," she hesitates, obviously not part of her job description to be a pet sitter.
She comes out from behind the counter and hesitantly stretches her arms towards me.
Mark hesitates too. His arms tighten around me for a moment, as if he doesn't want to let me go. But finally, he hands me over to the assistant . I cringe, hating the stranger's touch, and watch as he walks away.
Before disappearing down the corridor, he looks back one last time.
And I stand there, in the arms of a stranger, unable to escape. Not now. Not with this magical collar around my neck. Not surrounded by supernatural beings who answer only to my 'owner'.
If there is still a chance — however small — it is in the cabin.
I have to try to escape. At least once. Before it's too late.
***
After what seems like hours, Mark returns covered in sweat. His grey T-shirt is clinging to his body, highlighting every line of his muscles, and his damp hair looks more brown than dark blond. He exudes an intense, masculine scent... warm and invasive. My body reacts with an involuntary shudder.
Damn pheromones.
The assistant, on the other hand, shows no such reaction. She even avoids looking him in the eye and practically flees the office as soon as he enters. Respect and fear seem to go hand in hand when it comes to him.
By this point, I had eaten and prowled around the entire office, trying to dissipate my pent-up energy. I tried to remove the collar by rubbing my paws against it, but it didn't budge. I also considered jumping out of the third-floor window onto the concrete floor below, but that would be certain death. I can barely feel my essence within me, let alone enough to resort to one of my extra lives.
Mark takes me home after work. I am confined to the back seat of the car, inside the pet carrier. My claws dig into the padding at the bottom, frustrated. The engine purrs softly as the road stretches ahead, surrounded by dense forest.
I spy the gate as we approach and sit up straight. I stand on my hind legs, my muzzle pressed against the window glass. From my angle, I can see the cold glow of the keypad and the access code being typed in.
25112.
Yes!
I cheer involuntarily, repeating the five-digit sequence in my head in case I need to use it one day.
He glances at me in the rear-view mirror.
"Only two other people besides me can open this gate. You're safe here, no monsters will get you."
Safe, he says. But safety is a cage if you don't have freedom.
