“This was supposed to be simple,” I muttered, pulling on my clothes. “Keep the human girl safe while werewolves were fighting it out. Simple. Keep her in the apartment for a week, maybe two. Fucking simple. So why do I feel like I’m knee-deep in some shit I don’t want to be?”
I growled as I finished getting dressed and stomped back to the room, knocking to hopefully grab Carey’s attention.
“Carey!” I knocked harder and heard the moan of a sleeping child not wanting to get up yet. I knew the noise because I had made it my fair share of times in life.
“Let me get the door,” Brin said behind me. I sighed, turning on him to see him holding another tray. “I won’t ever bring you lunch or dinner, but my wife believes everyone should have a healthy breakfast.” He shoved the tray at me, his smile not fading. “And about last night…It’s not a secret. I don’t care who you tell or show off your new ability to, but please, don’t tell them who gave it to you. Just say that the fae respect our felines much like humans respect their dogs or something. I don’t want to be harassed by people for it.”
“So you know that if the wolves find out I can now communicate in my werecat form, they might try to kill both me and you?” It was another thought that had already gone through my mind. It evened the playing field, something no werewolf was going to be fond of. I would have to be very careful with it.
“Yes, but also, I don’t want any fae coming to bother me about it. The Law doesn’t say we can’t get involved with the going-ons of other species, but it’s preferred that we keep our dealings confined to humans. They’re more gullible and less dangerous.”
“Less dangerous.” I couldn’t hold back a disbelieving snort. “With their iron, guns, and weapons of mass destruction.”
“They don’t believe in us anymore, and that makes them harmless for the most part. They no longer believe in the old, old stories.” He pulled out his keyring, jangling with a dozen different keys, and found one, finally unlocking the door for me. He opened it, even, being quite the gentleman. “There ya go. Enjoy your breakfast.”
“Tell your wife thank you,” I replied, stepping in. I kicked the door shut next, leaving him out there. After I dropped the tray, I walked over to the bed and looked down at Carey, pushing her hair off her face. “Hey, kiddo. Time to rise and shine. Another day is here.”
She made that noise again and pulled the blanket over her head. I gave up immediately, in no rush to force her up. She was lucky that Brin showed up with a key. I should have been worried about that, but there was no point. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I always knew he had to have a master key to the motel he owned. There was no reason to get freaked out over it now.
I decided to shower, not caring if breakfast got cold. I was dirty and tired, something I was going to have to accept. Maybe Carey would let me take a nap later. She was sufficient at keeping herself busy and out of trouble.
As I rinsed off the grime of the forest, I considered my game plan again. It hadn’t changed at all, but I was paranoid just like the fae. When I was done in the shower, there was really nothing new for me to think about except the fae gift, which could prove useful, but hopefully wouldn’t.
I didn’t try to wake her up again when I was dry, either. I just threw on a pair of sweatpants and tank top, passing out right next to her.
I woke up to her shaking me this time. I opened one eye at the young girl over me, knowing it was glowing and gold.
“That’s cool. Werewolves just have different color eyes, but you get the cat pupil thing, too.” She didn’t seem as impressed as I had hoped. “You’ve been asleep for awhile. How was your night?”
“Fine,” I mumbled. This was why I liked having a bar. It meant my nocturnal schedule didn’t seem weird to my patrons and I wasn’t trying to live a life I couldn’t. Carey, however, was human. Her body naturally wanted to be up with the sun. Not early enough for her to get the door, but up sometime in the morning. “What time is it?” I asked, not moving.
“Nearly noon. That guy, Brin? He picked up the tray and said you were on your own for food. Don’t worry. I ate breakfast.”
“You seem like you’re in a better mood today,” I remarked, pushing the conversation off the fae. I hadn’t told her what he was and I didn’t plan to. The less she knew, the less trouble she could get into.
“Well, I said I wouldn’t contact anyone, but this morning, I checked my phone, just for a second.”
I growled, low and deep. Damn it. “What happened?”
“Nothing. I only had it on long enough to read some texts. That’s all. Well, one of my brothers contacted me! He said that he and Landon were okay!”
“That’s good.” I finally pushed myself to sit up. The new day was bringing good news. I didn’t like her turning on the possibly-trackable phone, but it was good news. She would have someone at the end of this. “I’m happy for you.” I was able to manage a smile, but part of me was sad.
It meant eventually I was going to have to give her back to her family. It was the natural way of things once my Duty was complete, but it made me ache. She wasn’t my human in the end. It was temporary, and everything we talked about would just be memories for both of us. The transient life of a werecat called to Duty and asked to care, only to have the object of that near-obsession taken away once it was all over. There was nothing that could be done. But until that moment, she was still mine. Still my child of this earth and due all the respect and treasured as such, just as I promised.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly. “I turned the phone off right after I was done. I don’t think anyone would have found out anything. I promise! I know the phones can be tracked, but…”
“It’s fine. You deserve to hear from your family,” I said, pulling her into a hug. I might have been Duty-bound to consider her family, and she might want to pretend while she was in my care since it made it easier for her, but I had no real aspirations that she seriously believed it. She was trying to be nice, comfort herself. I would be second fiddle to her real family, no matter what.
And that was how it was supposed to be. Werecats lost a lot thanks to the peace recreated by the Laws. Making real families with humans was one of those things. We were only allowed the temporary attachment of Duty. Not that it was against the Law, but it was werecat law.
“Let’s play some games,” I said softly, grabbing a controller.
The day passed slowly, and so did the night. Nothing to do except play video games and wait until things were cleared up in Dallas. Nothing to do until her father was found, dead or alive. Nothing to do until she was gone.
I barely slept that night. Maybe it was because I was restless, my mind attached to everything over the last few days. Maybe it was because Carey was unusually restless next to me. I didn’t know.
But I was awake when she started to whimper in her sleep. I sat up quickly, looking down at her. Oh no. I had no idea how to handle nightmares. She kicked and began to thrash. I raised my hands but couldn’t bring myself to touch her. Everything had been going so well. Why now? Why did the nightmares have to start in on her now? I knew they could come after all of this, but I was so woefully unprepared.
Then she screamed and I grabbed her, hauling her over to me.
“Carey, wake up. Please. Come on, sweetheart. It’s just a nightmare.”
“Help,” she cried out, weak and tired. “I don’t want to die…”
“Open your eyes, Carey,” I snapped, shaking her just a small amount. I got what I wanted. Her big eyes popped open, looking up at me. I exhaled a terrified breath, hugging her close as the tears started immediately. She sobbed into my shirt, clinging to me like her life depended on it. “It’s okay, baby girl,” I whispered, rubbing the top of her head. “It’s okay.”
“There were monsters. They tried to take me away again. They killed Daddy and Richard and Landon. I didn’t know what to do. I was so scared. You weren’t there!” She was shaking like a leaf. “There was so much blood an-and I didn’t know how to stop it!”
“Shh.” I could only hold her as she told me what her nightmares had brought.
“There was roaring and howls. It was so scary, Jacky.”
“I bet it was, but it’s not real. The nightmares aren’t real, Carey. I promise.”
“You’ll never let them take me, right? You’ll keep me safe?”
“I’m doing everything in my power to keep you safe. I promise. I would die before I let them have you.” I meant every word with a conviction that should have scared me. I should have been terrified of what I had just said, but I wasn’t. Nothing could have Carey and I wouldn’t let anything else give her new nightmares. She obviously had enough. One was one too many.
I consoled her, the tears pricking my own eyes again. After this was long over, she wasn’t going to be the only girl in the room with nightmares, that was certain. There was blood on my hands now that had never been there before, and the only reason I was holding it together was because she needed me to be strong. It was her vulnerability, her need, that made my spine steel to all the things this was throwing at both of us. As she cried herself back to sleep, wrapped in my arms, I knew there would come a moment when I didn’t need to be the strongest person in the room anymore. I was not looking forward to that moment.
As dawn approached, I knew why werecats actively avoided getting roped into Duty and our place in the world. Why we really didn’t advertise where we were or educate people. If some vampire didn’t know the Law and what it meant for werecats, it wasn’t our business to fix. Out of sight, out of mind.
Every moment I grew more attached thanks to my instincts and every moment I knew the end was drawing nearer. She was long asleep again when I stepped out of the room, pulling my own cell phone from my pocket.
I dialed a number, my heart pounding.