Cat on the Fence
you?”
    “No. Not physically. I mean—I know he loves me. Or used to
love me, at least. For a long while, I was his precious angel. But once I began
to develop my own mind and voice, once I discovered who I was, things changed.
His lack of acceptance really hurt.”
    “I can understand how that would really get under your
skin,” Alex said. His voice was low as he spoke. “I was raised by an aunt who
hated me from the get-go—and I mean absolutely hated me. I think she resented
the fact that my parents died when I was a toddler, leaving her to raise me.
She treated me like an annoyance and her personal slave, and she was the only
living relative I had. I never really felt as if I had a family at all. At
least you can say you were loved.”
    Karabi winced inwardly. “I’m sorry to hear you had a rough
upbringing. I find it hard to believe that someone can know you and not love
you,” she said. He turned to look at her, his face full of emotion. Shit,
did I say the ‘L’ word with this guy? Already?! Karabi flashed a quick
smile before changing the subject. “So what happened to your parents?”
    “My father was a licensed pilot and owned a small
single-engine plane that he and my mother used to fly for pleasure, according
to my aunt. Shortly after take-off one day, they clipped a light pole and
crashed into a parking lot. Both of them died instantly. My mother’s only
sister took me in.”
    “Your mother’s sister…” Karabi reflected on that for a
second. “Did she ever tell you any stories about Werecats or Werewolves?”
    “Not that I can remember,” Alex said. “She didn’t really
tell me any stories at all. I do remember she hated animals—especially cats.
The house next door had a few cats, and Aunt Rochelle used to vent all the time
about why they were such horrid creatures. Heh, she may be the reason I’ve
never been much of a cat person.”
    “Interesting,” Karabi said. “I wonder if your aunt knew you
were a Werecat, and that’s why she disliked you. She possibly feared you
somewhat too.”
    Alex bent one of his arms behind his head and looked over at
Karabi with raised brows. “What makes you say that?”
    “Werecats are rare, born only to either a Werecat mother and
a human father or a Werecat mother and Werecat father, under the Leo zodiac
sign. So at a minimum, your mother was one. Therefore, so was her mother, at
least. Which means your aunt likely knew her sister and mother were Weres, and
that chances were high you would be born one too.”
    “But if that were the case, why would Rochelle dislike me so
much? And cats?”
    “Well, it sounds as if your aunt Rochelle isn’t a Werecat,”
Karabi said. “I imagine growing up with a Werecat sister and one or both
parents being Werecats when you’re just a regular human would have its
challenges. Because, I mean, most Werecats are really into being Cats.”
    “Not you,” Alex said.
    “I’m not like other Cats.”
    Alex chuckled. “I bet you’re not. So what’s the deal with
the other Werecats? What are they like?” he asked.
    “Well, for the most part they live the same way normal
people do. Have a house or apartment, go to school or work, have friends and
family, et cetera. Except that they tend to go to private schools with other
Werecat children, and they work at businesses owned and run by mostly other
Werecats. Like lions form prides, Werecats of all kinds—whether tiger, cheetah,
lion, cougar or whatever—all network together to form a very large group, also
called a Pride. About four times a year the entire Pride gets together for a
week or two of wild partying and heavy petting.”
    “Are you in one?”
    “I was brought up in the one my parents belong to. It’s been
so long since I’ve had any interaction with the Pride that I’m pretty sure they
consider me a Stray, now.”
    Alex raised a brow and cocked his head. “You already know
what I’m going to ask. What’s your issue with the Pride?”
    Karabi

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