And So the Wolf Fell in Love with the Kitten.

And So the Wolf Fell in Love with the Kitten. Chapter 21

 Hey Guys, Merry Christmas!

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Lorraine's POV

I crept through the grass slowy, trying not to make a sound, as I zoomed in on my next meal. The wind blew softly, rustling the leaves on the trees. I increased my pace and prepared to pounce on the small sparrow that was oblivious of my presence. I haven't eaten in days, and I was getting dizzy from the lack of nutritions.

The soft thud of my paws was the only warning that the bird got before I pounced and made my kill. I mewed in triumph when I felt the snap of his neck underneath my tiny paws. This was the first catch that I had in days. I ate my prey quickly, not slowing down to savor the taste. The past couple of days have gone by in a blur. I was all by myself, with no one to turn to in times of trouble.

I got up from my lazy sprawl on the ground and made my way closer to the edge of the forest. With my sensitive ears and vision, I could hear and see the comotion in the human village as they ran around frantically doing some last minute shopping before the holidays. It was Christmas in a couple of days. The first Christmas that I was going to spend alone.

I finally decided on shifting back into human form and staying in the village for a while. There is bound to be some job oppurtunities in local shops that I could find, considering the fact that it was almost Christmas and New Years.

I made my way through the busy village, wearing my worn out jeans and sweater. It was getting cold and I suddenly missed the warmth of my fur. The bell jingled as I opened the door of a book store.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" I asked, sensing the presence of a human but not seeing them. The tiny bookstore was rather small but cozy. Every wall was covered with shelves holding books. The middle of the room contained more shelves and a couple tables and chairs sat right in front of a blazing fire place.

The store smelled of old books and coffee. Just then, an elderly lady came out from the back room and smiled warmly at me.

"Hello dear, how may I help you?"

I smiled back at her, "I was wondering if you had any job openings. Im -er- new here and I don't have any money or place to stay-"

"Oh say no more dear, you poor thing. Business is pretty slow for me even at this time of year, but Im sure I can find some work for you to do. As for living arrangements, I have a spare room that I have been trying to rent out for months! I can agree to let you stay here as long as you are willing to do the work."

"Oh yes ma'm! Thank you! Im a very hard worker and I won't let you down!"

The lady gave me another warm smile plucked a small set of keys hanging from the wall. "Please call me Helen my dear. And what may I call you?"

"Lorraine. Just Lorraine."

She unclasped a small silver key from the set and handed it over to me. "This is the key to your new room. I was just about to close up the shop, so I will show you around early tomorrow morning. Your room is the second one to the left when you go in through this door and up the stairs," she said pointing to the doorway that she walked out of a couple minutes ago.

"Thank you ma- Helen, I really appreciate everything."

"No worries dear, I have a daughter just a couple years older than you, im guessing. She's already all grown up Im afraid, living in a cottage with her husband and new born child. I get lonely here sometimes so rest assured that I am quite delighted that you have shown up. Its nice having some company during the quiet, snowy nights." She smiled fondly, "I already ate dinner but I can stir up a little something for you if you are hungry."

"Oh thanks Helen but I already ate. I'll just go up to my room now. Thanks again for everything." We exchanged one last smile before I rushed through the door and up the stairs.

My new 'house' was the size of a hotel room. A thick wall was the only thing seperating the kitchen from the bedroom. I walked deeper into my house to get a better look at things. Everything was petite size, perfect for a small girl like me. The tiny living room consisted of a worn out sofa facing the television set and a rectangular coffee table in between. I went into my bedroom and collapsed onto the queen sized bed, energy draining out of me. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

Blake's POV

I finally tracked her scent, leading me to an old bookstore of the village. I zeroed in on the second story window above the store, and knew for sure that that was the place that Lorraine was staying at.

I crept out from the shadows of an alley as I surveyed my surroundings, still in my wolf form. The streets were empty and every store was closed down for the night. Everyone was probably tucked safely inside their beds, waiting for Christmas to come in a couple of hours. I noticed a fire escape underneath the window of Lorraine's new hiding place.

I took a running start before I jumped at the last minute onto the platform. I landed silently on the pads of my feet. I made my way up the ladder that soon brought me next to the second story window. I huffed in annoyance when I realized that she didn't have any curtains that covered the view to her room. I shifted back into human form and easily picked the lock to the sliding glass door and silently pushed it open. I grabbed the blanket laying on the ground and tied it around my naked waist.

It took me a while to find out that I was standing in her kitchen. Nice place, I thought, looking around the small room. I took two steps and found myself suddenly in her living room. I noticed that each room I had entered was almost completely empty. The paint from the walls were already peeling off and there were old stains in the carpet. I scrunched my nose up in disgust as I peered into the dirty bathroom. I was going to have to buy new paint and tools to fix her apartment. Unless she decided to go back to my clan with me, but it was going to take some time to convince a stubborn kitten to do as I say.

The sound of someone softly snoring led me to the only bedroom in the apartment. Lorraine was lying on top of the covers, fast asleep. My heart squeezed a bit as I took her in. She was noticably thinner, if that was possible.

I took off her worn out sneakers and easily lifted her up, sliding her underneath the covers. She scrunched up her nose in annoyance and snuggled deeper into her pillows. I chuckled quietly and silenty left the room. We would talk in the morning. In the mean time, I had to find new clothes.