Hammers in the Shadows

Part Two: Hammers in the Night - Chapter Twenty-One

Anna simply nodded, "I only wish she didn't think that leaving me little gifts like this is a good use of her talents."

"I understand love." I said, "She is using that to express her affection for you." I commented with a grin.

"There are other ways that she could do that." Anna replied as she began to gather up the mess on her desk.

As Anna was finishing cleaning up the mess on her desk there was a light knock on the door and I looked up to see Serina with Ilyanna slightly behind her, between them was Pavel who's wide blue eyes were everywhere in the office, he'd never been in my office before.

"Good morning Serina, come on in." I invited with a smile.

She smiled to her mate and gently encouraged the smaller cat to follow her. Pavel, being the cub that he was focused on me and ran over before jumping into my lap, and when he did I rather quickly detected the pungent aroma coming from him.

I made a shallow smile, more to his parents than him and gave him a gentle cuddle.

"I'm sorry..." Ilyanna started to say but I held up my hand to stop her.

"It's all right Ilyanna, he's a young cub, and it happens from time to time." I stated, "It doesn't hurt him, though you do wish he would stop doing it right?"

Ilyanna looked to her mate who nodded slightly. "I mean he's a bit old to be using them, though after Serina told me all of the ugly details of what he'd had to deal with since he was born I kind of understand."

I nodded slightly, "Believe me Ilyanna, every single cub that had to live with the madness of Vladimir and his mate Yasmira have had issues like what Pavel is facing." I said as I stepped around the desk with Pavel in my arms to take the backpack that her mate was holding before clearing a space and spreading out a thin pad on my desk before laying the cub down on it.

"Surely they older ones wouldn't be acting like... well... a kitten?" She asked I shook my head as I continued to comfort Pavel while I changed him.

"The one I adopted is almost eight and she has her own issues, particularly when she's sleeping." I told her, "When I first got her it was worse, but she's gotten better since then and now she doesn't show her issues during the day."

Ilyanna nodded as she came over and softly began rubbing Pavel's tummy gently. I finished up with a smile and then replaced the cub's pants.

"There we go kitten nice and clean." I said with a smile and was rewarded with a tight hug from the cub.

"Thank you." He said, though his reply was a bit muffled as he said it into my shoulder.

Serina was looking happy and confident that her cub was safe while Ilyanna looked a bit nervous.

I took a moment before gently putting the boy down and cleaning up the garbage from the change. "Ilyanna you looked a bit nervous and surprised that I would change his diaper, why is that?" I asked as I handed the bag back to Serina.

"My earliest memories... our Pride Guardian was quite a bit more aloof with the cubs that you are, and he made a point to yell at my parents if my sister or I ever were near him and needed, well."

I nodded, though I didn't like that implication, "I actually like spending time with youngsters, I find their adventuresome nature and boundless curiosity to be invigorating." I told her with a smile, "We all have to remember that cubs are the future of the Pride and our species." I continued, as I watched Pavel look around the office poking everything that caught his attention.

She nodded as she too watched the cub exploring the office before he found a few of the toys that Anna and I had in our office for Tanya, Natalia and Nathan.