The man screamed in pain and dropped me on instinct. I took off running and by some miracle made it out into woods. I tried desperately to find somewhere I could hide but didn’t see any options beyond some low-hanging brush. With shaky legs I skulked around the island I was on and found a boat. Maybe it would take me back to Seahill. Wherever it was going, it would be better than here.
Making sure no one was on the vessel, I jumped on and squeezed myself into a small nook where I could hide from human eyes.
My body was done with me for now. It needed rest, and I prayed while sleep took me that I wasn’t found again. I needed to get back home, become human again, and find these fuckers.
When I woke again, still as a drugged-up cat, I noticed the boat wasn’t next to the island anymore but docked up next to the city. My legs wouldn’t move, though. I was too weak.
I lay there, listening to the small waves hit the side of the boat, thinking about my life.
After my parents died, I spent the rest of my teenage years being a bitch under the control of my aunt, who hated me. Every day I worked at the only restaurant on the reservation until my feet hurt, so I could save up money to move to the city, away from the staring eyes and whispered rumors. On the days I didn’t work, I was transforming into creatures of all sizes, practicing my new powers and testing their limits. By the time I was old enough to leave, I’d saved up enough money to rent a shitty apartment in Seahill.
A vise grip feeling hurt my head and I know my loud meow echoed around the boat.
I couldn’t die here. Not after everything I’d been through. Everything I’d worked so hard to accomplish.
I tried again to move, and this time I did. I was terribly weak and knew I didn’t have much left in me. I ran as hard and as fast as I could to get to my apartment. I’d left the window open for the fresh air to get in and knew I could fit once I climbed up the escape ladders.
I saw my building in the distance, but it seemed fuzzy, unfocused. I was close. So close. But then my feet gave out from under me, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back up. People were walking around me, not caring that I was dying before their eyes. Just more street vermin that was better off dead than begging for food.
God, it was cold.
I closed my eyes and thought warm thoughts. At least if I was going to die, I’d pretend I was sitting cozy by a fireplace, on a nice fluffy rug.
Warm hands touched my body, and my eyes flew open to look at the shadowed man above me. Was he going to take me back to those assholes who were experimenting on me? Was he just petting the dying cat?
“It’s okay; you’re going to be okay.” His touch was soothing, and something in his calming voice lulled me to finally let go.
My eyes closed, and I let whatever darkness that was waiting for me to take me.
I woke up some time later, warm and wrapped up in a blanket.
“Wake up, little one. You need do drink this.” That soothing voice from the street was demanding I drink from a medicine syringe. I was thirsty, and hungry. It felt like it’d been days since I’d had anything to eat or drink. Too weak to move my head, I simply opened my mouth, trusting that this man wasn’t trying to poison me.
That’s how things went for days. He carried me around when he was home, feeding me, helping me drink water, and holding me up inside a litter box so I could relieve myself. It was humiliating to be so needy in order to survive, but I wouldn’t have lived past that night on the sidewalk if it wasn’t for him.
At night he curled me against his hard muscles and covered me up, so I would stay warm.
I waited until I knew he was completely passed out and then poked my head out to truly look at my savior.
His black hair was wavy and curled over his ears, and his long lashes fanned his high cheekbones. I’d seen a flash of brown eyes once or twice when he was feeding me. He was handsome, I’d give him that. And he was kind to me. When I was back to my normal human self, I’d find a way to repay him for bringing me back from death’s door.
His eyebrows pinched together, and he jerked suddenly, sending me shooting off the bed with a startled meow.
Instantly he woke up and searched for me.
“I’ve got you,” he said softly and gently picked me up, placing me against his side again. His fingers lightly stroking my patchy, black and white fur.
“I don’t even know your name, and here I am sleeping with you,” he joked, and I glared at him with my cat eyes.
His brown eyes looked at me like he was seeing more in me than the cat I appeared to be.
“How about I call you—” He started thinking over a name for me, thinking this relationship would be permanent. A man and his cat.
“Snow White.” He smiled and then rubbed my head next to my ears.
“Yep. That’s the one. Good night, my Snow White.”
Chapter Two
Echo
Present day
I was grateful, don’t get me wrong. But I was annoyed that after two weeks I still couldn’t revert back to my human form. So, I may have been acting out a little bit as of late, which I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about at all.
The man who took me in was nice, as far as I could tell. He found me sick and practically dying on the sidewalk. He brought me to his home and nursed me back to health. I was too weak to do anything other than nap beside him and accept all the help he offered. I was one hundred percent fine now, but I was still stuck as an animal.
“Snow White.” He called out the name he gave me, which was stupid, in my opinion. But I sauntered over to see what he wanted, nonetheless.
I jumped up on the coffee table where his glass of water sat. He looked at me with sweet eyes, and if I could roll mine, I would.
“Come sit with me.” He patted the seat next to him, and I turned, giving him my backside as an answer. He wanted a companion in me, and I was not a companion at all. In fact, when I was a human, I was the best damn detective there was in Seahill. I didn’t need anyone, and I didn’t want anyone. Especially with the big case I landed just before I was kidnapped by those people and used like a guinea pig.
“Snow.” He clicked his tongue, trying to get me to come over. It only made me feel bitchy, which had been my go-to lately when it came to him. Asher was his name, and I was currently stuck in his home until I could change back into my normal form.
I walked over to the glass of water and touched it with my nose. I miss sipping from cups instead of using my tongue.
“Don’t knock that off the table,” he warned lightly, and my head turned toward his. Did he just challenge me? I mentally scoffed at him while pushing the glass closer to the edge of the table.
“Snow.” His voice was deeper, with a warning note, and as attractive as that was with him, I didn’t care. I pushed the glass to the edge of the table and looked him right in the eye before knocking it completely over.
“Dammit! You’re such a bitch?” He got up to grab a towel to clean up the mess when a knock on the door stopped him. He opened it, and there stood two people who were obviously siblings, looking at him with smiles on their faces.
“Hi, my name is Phillip Griffin, this is my sister, Rose. We would like to talk to you about your cat,” the man said and then looked to me. I could tell he wanted to laugh but kept it in at the sight of me. Strange. I didn’t know these people.
“Uh, sure?” Asher let them in, and then asked what this was about.
“Well, I’m ninety-nine percent sure your cat is actually a woman who can shift into creatures, but for some reason is stuck in this form.”
He knew I wasn’t truly a cat? I jumped off the coffee table and ran over to the man. Maybe he knew what was wrong with me that I couldn’t change back into my normal human self!
His hazel eyes were bright with amusement as he took in my appearance.
“Interesting. What makes you say that?” Asher gestured for them to come sit in his living room.
“My sister and I have special abilities. Mine is future sight. I see futures, and I’ve seen a woman stuck as a cat, and you. Different scenarios, because the future is never absolute, but the odds favored this one.” Phillip smiled again and looked down at me.