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The cat was back. That was my first thought as I woke up even wrapped in the arms of what I could now call my boyfriend. We'd fallen back asleep yesterday, unable to stay awake much longer after curling up together. But now, with the prospect of getting a cat on the table, I couldn't care less.
I jogged down the stairs in a large t-shirt and shorts, darting to the door as my nose worked overtime to track where the cat might be in the dark. I spotted it instantly hovering near the door, its eyes reflecting off of the light from inside. Momentarily, I noticed that the others were in the kitchen, then I was through the door on my knees gently coercing it toward me.
It purred as it rubbed up against my hand, the collar I had put on it still sitting there. This — in my mind — proved it had no other owner. So instantly, I wrapped the cat up in my arms and carried it inside, careful not to drift too close to the vampires in case they freaked it out. Colby was surprisingly awake like the others, though there was no way it'd been long since he got down here, and his eyes landed on the cradled creature instantly. He glanced up at my gaze almost questioningly, like he wasn't sure what to do or say about this situation.
"Uh oh," Cassie muttered, resting her elbows on the island. "Let me guess: you've convinced yourself it has no other owner?"
"It doesn't," I replied, rising my chin into the air. "Well, didn't. I'm its owner now."
Tara zipped closer but this time she didn't get so close it would freak. "If you're keeping it, you need to name it... Wait, is it a boy or girl?"
"No clue," I admitted, and instantly lifted it up to check. I heard a couple of disgusted noises around the room, which I completely ignored, before I wrapped her back into my arms. "A girl."
Tara snorted. "Right. What are you naming her?"
"Hmm..." I stopped to think for a short while. I'd barely had to name anything before, someone else always taking that responsibility for me. I was so glad that suddenly I didn't have to worry about what to name my kid, because I'd probably change my mind a dozen times in the delivery room, let alone over the course of nine months.
She was a gorgeous cat — purely black with stunning yellow eyes that almost matched mine when I flashed them. Ordinary names were off the table, and I hated the usual "Mittens" stuff, too. There was one name I'd had in the back of my mind for quite some time, a name that related to me and seemed perfect for a feline rather than human baby.
"I'll need to get that engraved on your collar," I murmured down to her, adjusting her so I could hold her up to my face. I partly expected her to freak out, but instead she just kicked my nose and shuffled uncomfortably. I couldn't help but laugh a little to myself, bumping my forehead to hers. The animalistic connection between us was fairly strong, despite the fact she wasn't even a dog like... sort of like I was.
I noticed Colby a little ways behind her watching us, his eyes flashing between red and blue as he tried to regain control of himself. Watching me with animals seemed to set off the soft side of him. I didn't know how he could be unsatisfied in any way, after the evening we'd had yesterday. But vampires had infinite stamina, after all.
"Go free," I told my new pet, setting her on the floor. She unsurprisingly rushed away from the vampires, and that was when I realised something. "I hope you like cats as well, Colby, because I'm not making her sleep downstairs."
"We have a hallway," he answered, averting his gaze for the first time since I'd walked in.
I felt my brow raising in challenge, but I shrugged the aggression away and decided to try a different approach. An approach that worked often — I had to know if Colby would succumb to it, too.
Quiet on my feet, I snuck up next to him and looked up at his face, placing a hand innocently on his stomach. My eyes were locked with his the moment he made the mistake of looking at me, and I slightly exaggerated how upset I was about my cat having to sleep on hard floors. My brows furrowed and I let my bottom lip jut out just enough that it was noticeable.
"She's a skinny little thing, barely out of kitten hood. Can't you let her sleep in..." — it was hard not to grin — "our room?"
His jaw ticked as he tried to resist the look I was giving him. Even the other girls outright exposing my little game didn't make it any easier for him. He knew I was playing him, that I was using the big brown eyes I'd been gifted with as a weapon, and yet he still wasn't strong enough to turn away.
Just as his eyes flashed red for a second, he pried my wrist away and took a step toward the comfort of an amused Sam. "Until she's fully grown," he bargained.
"I knew you'd cave," I teased with a genuine smile.
"Hold up, you're not gonna argue with her?" Jake asked in dismay, frowning so hard his brows met in the middle. He glanced between us rapidly trying to figure out what had changed. "Colby, your room is practically a sanctuary for you, and you're letting her claim it?"
Colby shrugged.
Tara clicked her tongue. "I think he's still in a trance, Jake. Give him a chance to break out of her spell." She winked at me and I rolled my eyes, unable to wipe the little smile from my face.
"I'm not under any spell, Tara. I'm just fucking done fighting it," Colby snapped back. His voice was firm and demanding. He wanted everyone to drop the subject as soon as possible, but I knew now that this group just didn't do that.
"Please, Colby, you might as well have dropped to your knees and pledged to do anything Amira wishes from now on just because of one look she gave you," Corey denied, a chuckle hiding under his matter-of-fact tone.
Colby sighed. "You're so far off."
"Is he?"
Colby was glaring at me instantly, but I kept up my innocent smile at him, my head tilted to the side. I knew exactly what to do to fold him and I wasn't going to go easy just because his friends were around us. In fact, it was spurring me on more — like the sadist I was.
"Yes, he is," he replied, strained.
I took a step toward him. "I don't think so." I raised a finger up to his chin and like a magnet, he let me push his head up slightly. "You're wrapped. Just admit it and save yourself the trouble, Colby."
"No," he muttered, "I don't like hypocrisy."
I snickered. "You say that as if I still say I hate you. Well, I haven't exactly said I like you, but no one's given me a prompt yet."
"Do you like Colby, Amy?" Cassie asked instantly.
"Yes." I gave him a look. "Not so hard, now is it?" Deciding not to toy with him anymore, I shrugged one shoulder and turned my back on him, walking toward the living room where I could smell my newest friend rubbing her scent all over the couches.
I sat down on the loveseat, bending forward to pull her away from Mike's beloved spot, letting her curl up on my lap instead. With my legs up on the coffee table, I was beyond comfortable. Her weight was nice — I was starting to understand why straight guys liked girls laying on their chest. It did feel pretty comforting to have something resting on you with complete trust and security.
As I gently ran my fingers through her fur at the back of her neck, I stared straight at the ceiling into nothingness, lost in my thoughts. Not that my mind had much going on right now.
After a short while, Colby appeared beside me, causing the fur ball to hiss and jump down from my lap. I sighed, disappointed my time with her was over, and looked at him for what he wanted.
"You just had to fuck around."
I smiled. "Well, it is funny to see you get pissed off at tiny things that don't even matter. But to be honest, I'm not in the mood to argue, so if you'd kindly not, that would be appreciated."
He stared at me, eyes narrowed like he thought this was some kind of trap. When he realised I was serious and didn't want to sit there bantering with him all night, he hesitantly sat back and laid his arm across the back of the couch. I looked at it, then him, then decided fuck it and shuffled closer. Slotting myself at his side, I dropped my head onto his shoulder, sighing and closing my eyes for a moment. His arm came round my head, hanging down so I could reach up and entwine our fingers easily.
"See? You do like me," I murmured, nuzzling for a moment against his collar bone then looking up. He was already watching me, eyes blazing red.
"Yeah, I guess there's no fucking escaping that now."
"There isn't," I chirped, nuzzling in again, this time at his neck where his scent was strongest. Letting it overwhelm me, I succumbed to my tiredness and entered a trance-like state staring into space again. I could sense my little feline friend lying under the bridge of my legs, far enough to one side she could avoid Colby. It brought another smile to my face.
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