How to Tame a Cat (ManxMan)

Chapter Three: Uninvited Guest

~Chapter Three: Uninvited Guest~

"So, how did you know what he was?" I ask Cameron on my way out. Despite my unease from the chat I had with Mr. Lion, aka Ryland, I ended up staying at the club for another two hours. But after dancing and getting a little drunk, I decided it was time to head home before I was more than a little buzzed from the alcohol...I may or may not have found a nice lady to treat me to a few drinks. I paid, of course, but she ordered for me.

Cameron glances up from the ID he had been inspecting before handing it back to the owner and waving him through. "A few weeks ago, Ryland was here every other night, and we got talking and-" he explains, but I cut him off.

"Weeks ago? As in, plural? How long has he been here, exactly?" I demand, as I only caught wind of the trespasser last week.

"Three to four weeks, give or take a couple of days."

Three to four weeks? 

How has this gone unnoticed by me? I may not be the most sociable person, but I patrol the forests regularly. Did he intentionally avoid the places I frequent? There is no way it was an accident, as my full patrol circles the town. Though I normally only patrol my immediate area throughout the week, I usually perform a full patrol every Monday night.

What if he knew of the nights I patrolled and made himself scarce a couple days before? 

His scent would have all but disappeared by Monday if he didn't mark his territory...but then why start now? There are no female shifters in this town, so it is not like he is trying to make himself known to them. Maybe it was his way of warning me that he is in town before instigating a meeting? Was it a courtesy thing?

That also seems unlikely. It was inevitable that we would eventually meet during spring break, as staying home all day with nothing to do but watch television reruns always bores me out of my mind, so it only makes sense that I would go exploring. However, he could not have known that I am on spring break unless he figured out that I am a college student and thought to check the college's homepage. And while I suppose it is possible, it is unlikely that he would go to all that trouble just to give me a few words of warning in a club.

Maybe he is getting close to the girl he likes and figured it was time to lay claim to her? 

That would be the most likely option, as lions, unlike most other cats, are not spontaneous. They like to plan things out before doing anything. That does not mean they are unable to be impulsive; they are just less likely to act on their sporadic behavior than the rest of us. That is why, unlike the lions, most of us don't live in Prides, only the occasional familial group; lion prides typically have similar mindsets, but a bunch of reckless cats in the same territory spells trouble. 

I take a deep breath before rolling my eyes towards the night sky, wishing it would somehow give me the answers to the growing complications in my life. Is it too much to ask that I live a normal, comfortable cat life?

Cameron, sensing my restlessness, nods in farewell, letting me know that there is nothing he left out...well, that I need to know, anyway. Vampires always leave something unsaid to keep their air of mystery, but he would never do so if it would harm me in the process. They also do not like long, drawn-out goodbyes, which is probably why he didn't say anything.

Accepting his dismissal, I pat his shoulder a couple times in response before walking to my car. This week was already going to be a long, boring one. And while it is nice that I can check boredom off that list, the week does not seem to be getting any shorter. When did my life become so complicated?

- - - - - - -

By the time I pull into my driveway, it is almost midnight. Instead of coming straight here like I probably should have as the slightly drunk cat that I was, I instead stopped by a restaurant in hopes of dispelling most of the alcohol's influence before driving home. And I was not stupid enough to drive to the diner, either. I walked like a good responsible person would. It took more time, but I did it.