picked up my trail, took some relief at the common sense of my heading straight for bastet territory, even if they knew I had a werewolf on my tail.
Here again, geography screwed me. Promising myself to pay more attention to maps, globes and world reports in the future. I ran us right to a lake. A big, fucking-ass lake that looked like it was as wide as the day is long.
Instinct? My nose led me to water. I was dying of thirst. A sip later, I’m thinking again, Did they catch Bark? I’d lost him.
I considered going back, looking for him. Started to. Paced back and forth all over the side of that lake. Before, finally, I decided that I needed to get moving again.
It took forever to get around that lake. I’m a cat. I don’t swim. But I ran most of the time, hopping into the shallow edge for lengths at a time--hoping that would throw anyone following me off my trail.
I don’t know how long it took. On the far side of the lake, I started climbing. Mountainous outback region with lots of trees and boulders. Natural cat habitat. Lots of old lairs, but nobody in sight--or within scent. I crawled upward until I, honestly, could not move any more. And then I holed up, licked my heart.
There was a surety in my soul that I would not be welcome at the compound ever again, for what I’d done. I could not face ‘my family.’ And I worried whether or not they’d even live through it all.
Oh, I wanted those painkillers right then, but I didn’t think they’d help my heart. Just...take some of the thinking away. I faced something there, though. The fact that my actions do affect others.
Yeah. I cried myself to sleep.
I was so sorry.
When I woke up, I didn’t feel any better. Restlessness had returned to my bones. I decided to keep moving. For days, I slunk through the country, never looking back. Not stopping for much. Staying out of sight, ahead of the wind.
Wandered aimlessly, really, knowing I couldn’t go home.
I don’t know how long I would have kept that up, if Bark hadn’t found me. Maybe forever.
This is how much I’d stopped caring about things...In the light of day, I walked out into the open, shifted full human, stepped into a lake--they were all over up there--up to my breasts. Any deeper makes me nervous.
But I was far enough in to be stuck.
I heard something in the bushes. Just a little noise. The snap of a twig.
That put a panic on my face, had my gaze darting, and my heart racing. There was a little funny to it, when you think about it. I’m sure it looked like something to watch. Nipples skimming the water’s surface, erect the minute fear zipped through me.
So tense, and afraid to move. I remember that.
My throat kept me from calling out. It wasn’t working at all. Not letting me swallow. I was so scared I couldn’t even bring myself to sniff for a scent.
A stranger? Gaia, I prayed not.
Bark? Surely, if it were him, he’d have come right out?
Leo? I know he’d have come out, probably chewing on me. No. He wouldn’t have wasted a second that he could have been showing me his fury.
Tommy? My heart lurched. I suddenly wanted to cry. I knew it wouldn’t be Tommy.
Tears welled up. All I wanted right then was Tommy to walk out and say, “Move, Le.” Sniff.
But no. It was Daddy.
Of all the people, I never expected him to show up. I tipped my head, and let the tears fall.
He looked at my hair, and I saw the hurt in his eyes, the tremble of his lips. And the way he didn’t let his gaze stray lower.
I felt suddenly naked. I know that sounds silly. But I covered my breasts with my arms and tentatively said, “Daddy?”
I couldn’t judge his mood. He stared at me for ageless minutes.
Finally, he said, “Letha.” That’s all. He didn’t hold his arms
Here again, geography screwed me. Promising myself to pay more attention to maps, globes and world reports in the future. I ran us right to a lake. A big, fucking-ass lake that looked like it was as wide as the day is long.
Instinct? My nose led me to water. I was dying of thirst. A sip later, I’m thinking again, Did they catch Bark? I’d lost him.
I considered going back, looking for him. Started to. Paced back and forth all over the side of that lake. Before, finally, I decided that I needed to get moving again.
It took forever to get around that lake. I’m a cat. I don’t swim. But I ran most of the time, hopping into the shallow edge for lengths at a time--hoping that would throw anyone following me off my trail.
I don’t know how long it took. On the far side of the lake, I started climbing. Mountainous outback region with lots of trees and boulders. Natural cat habitat. Lots of old lairs, but nobody in sight--or within scent. I crawled upward until I, honestly, could not move any more. And then I holed up, licked my heart.
There was a surety in my soul that I would not be welcome at the compound ever again, for what I’d done. I could not face ‘my family.’ And I worried whether or not they’d even live through it all.
Oh, I wanted those painkillers right then, but I didn’t think they’d help my heart. Just...take some of the thinking away. I faced something there, though. The fact that my actions do affect others.
Yeah. I cried myself to sleep.
I was so sorry.
When I woke up, I didn’t feel any better. Restlessness had returned to my bones. I decided to keep moving. For days, I slunk through the country, never looking back. Not stopping for much. Staying out of sight, ahead of the wind.
Wandered aimlessly, really, knowing I couldn’t go home.
I don’t know how long I would have kept that up, if Bark hadn’t found me. Maybe forever.
This is how much I’d stopped caring about things...In the light of day, I walked out into the open, shifted full human, stepped into a lake--they were all over up there--up to my breasts. Any deeper makes me nervous.
But I was far enough in to be stuck.
I heard something in the bushes. Just a little noise. The snap of a twig.
That put a panic on my face, had my gaze darting, and my heart racing. There was a little funny to it, when you think about it. I’m sure it looked like something to watch. Nipples skimming the water’s surface, erect the minute fear zipped through me.
So tense, and afraid to move. I remember that.
My throat kept me from calling out. It wasn’t working at all. Not letting me swallow. I was so scared I couldn’t even bring myself to sniff for a scent.
A stranger? Gaia, I prayed not.
Bark? Surely, if it were him, he’d have come right out?
Leo? I know he’d have come out, probably chewing on me. No. He wouldn’t have wasted a second that he could have been showing me his fury.
Tommy? My heart lurched. I suddenly wanted to cry. I knew it wouldn’t be Tommy.
Tears welled up. All I wanted right then was Tommy to walk out and say, “Move, Le.” Sniff.
But no. It was Daddy.
Of all the people, I never expected him to show up. I tipped my head, and let the tears fall.
He looked at my hair, and I saw the hurt in his eyes, the tremble of his lips. And the way he didn’t let his gaze stray lower.
I felt suddenly naked. I know that sounds silly. But I covered my breasts with my arms and tentatively said, “Daddy?”
I couldn’t judge his mood. He stared at me for ageless minutes.
Finally, he said, “Letha.” That’s all. He didn’t hold his arms
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