A Pride of Werecats

Chapter 30

Cale's POV

Vanilla warmth was spreading over the sky as Cale finally sat down on his bed. His door wide open to see through that small window. A view of those clouds that looked not only editable but delicious. They would melt on his tongue. He had witnessed the magic of sunrise many times before though usually met with the irritation of having to wake up early for a game or to train. Being outside on the ground in his jersey arms covered in goosebumps and eyes dry and puffy from lack of sleep. He would look up into the vanilla twilight and it wouldn't be so bad. Standing on a field surrounded by the beauty of the sky he would try his hardest to remember it, to take a mental screenshot of it, for painting purposes later.

Cale smiled, not only because of the sunrise but because of the progress. Cale had felt it and he was sure that the girls did too. There was this closeness, it felt like they were being sewn together. There was something lacking though that would push them over the edge and bond them completely. Something missing, but a brighter mind than his own was needed to figure it out.

He had learnt about the girls, their personalities and their pain. Even the ice cold Alkira. It was a strange feeling. He had never felt quite alone at school there were always people around. Not that he would ever tell them the private things that he had told these girls. But they were always there to cheer him on and give him company. Though after the day and night Cale sat with his head spinning. He had never quite realised how alone he really was. He had never opened up about his mother, anywhere other than his own art. For all this time he had thought maybe art was the only place you could truly feel. He was wrong, and and gladly, acceptance could be another place. 

He snuggled up under his covers and smiled. He couldn't wait for the next day and how they would solve the mystery. 

***

When Cale awoke he was filled with questions as he had been for the past week it had seemed but this morning he seemed certain of something. Possibly Alkira was right. He wasn't so ready to go back to being alive. He was fine being dead. Sure, he would like to be free of flinders street station and go solving mysteries, but going back home to where his parents would force him back into a future he didn't want no thanks. They would probably want him to never see the girls again because they were "distractions". No Cale would be fine on his own.

Cale couldn't keep a smile off his face even as he walked into the shower and the warm water hit him. 

Now brown eyes were a little odd considering his eye colour before. But he looked like himself aside from that just more handsome. He wasn't complaining. 

Garnet hit the front of his mind. She had called him her mate but he felt nothing for her. Sure, she was nice and had really helped him out a lot but ... his feelings didn't match hers. Were they even suppose to he wasn't a werewolf.  Should ne be forced to be with her if he felt nothing for her. He didn't know. 

As usual.

Garnet was something to figure out when all of this werecat stuff had been more or less solved. 

When Cale walked out into the main room Nyarai and Naoko were chatting and eating breakfast. They looked up at him as he walked in. 

"I found toast," Naoko smiled, "or rather bread to make toast."

"Ah, very good," Cale sat down and grabbed some.

"I honestly think we are so close," Nyarai looked both of them in the eye "I can feel it can't you."

Cale nodded. Naoko looked back to Nyarai "I can too," she said softly.

"I suppose there is some kind of sign we will get when we're successfully bonded," Nyarai huffed "it sounds so stupid to force people into a room for some sort of sick get to know each other game."

There was a rattling of the door handle.

All three of them as quick as lightning turned. Alkira was beside the door with her hand on the handle "nope still locked guys."

Nyarai glared at her "that was kind of cruel."

"Sorry, I thought it might have been open," Alkira joined them at the table "what do you guys think they want us to do."

Silence, aside from Cale spreading butter on toast. It was way too loud and scratchy so he stopped freezing mid air. 

Nyarai's mind was clearly working the question over, her brows knitting together. Their attention was drawn to her probably putting even more pressure on her. Finally her face relaxed and she seemed to have come up with something to give a go.

"Secrets seem to bring people closer maybe someone sharing a big secret might help," Nyarai said softly but they all could hear it, each word seem to pound on Cale's ears shaking him. His stomach twisted, his mind whirled and every muscle in his body seemed to clench. Needless to say he dropped everything he was holding.

Naoko spoke over the top of that though, blurting out "I stole my sister's MAC massacra." 

Alkira laughed "I think Nyarai's talking about a serious secret we've never told anyone."

"But I've never told anyone that, for their own protection. My sister would know if they knew."

Cale could hardly hear any of this over the beating of his own heart in his ears. THUMP THUMP THUMP.

Was it time to unleash his biggest kept secret for the sake of their freedom? They had been so accepting so far, why would they stop now? His mind took him back in time. He was sitting with his step mother and his father around the computer choosing his subjects for his final years of high school. 'What about art?' Cale had asked. His father didn't need to say anything, his look was enough. And it had burned into Cale's memories. Searing all the way through to this moment. All Cale could see was that face, disappointment, disgust for even suggesting it. 

But he wasn't speaking to his father. 

Cale even knew for a fact that Nyarai had an appreciation for art. It might even seem like a small thing to them but for Cale it was the cause of a lot of his misery. Holding that secret in. 

He forced the words out "I have one," they all turned and looked at him "I love to paint."

That was all he could manage but it was enough. Suddenly he felt another presence against his mind and another and another. They all were so distinct. Each of the girls, they had connected to him. Their feelings all flowed through him.

And the best part.

It was acceptance. Complete and utter acceptance.

"You've got to show us some time," Naoko added smiling.

Just as good and the warm feeling spreading inside Cale was the click of the lock on the door.

Meow myths,

Finally they are getting out and onto Pan's trail. Over the weekend I was at an anime convention. I cosplayed Alois Trancy from Black Butler and Tsukasa from Lucky Star. If any of you know those characters. It was super fun but exhausting. 

First published 11/4/2019

Meow for Now