Kael's POV
My body was used to the discipline of a structured morning, so I woke up early. It was crisp outside, the sky outside my window still holding onto the final pieces of night.
My wolf, Fenrir, was silent—for now. I sighed again, rolling my shoulders before I picked up the tray of food I had put aside earlier. I walked toward the small cat curled up on the couch in my room, taking measured steps.
She roused a bit as I approached, her little white ears twitching. I placed the tray on the small table next to her and sat down in the chair next to her. She stretched, heartlessly, her tail swaying while she looked up at me with those golden eyes.
"Morning," I said, my voice dark, unsure.
She only meowed in response.
I reached out to stroke her soft fur, the tension in my chest loosening just a little. She responded to my touch, purring softly.
A silence descended between us, and I finally spoke again. "How are you feeling?"
She blinked toward me once, then purred out another soft meow.
I hesitated, running my fingers up her back. "Well that day…when I found you on the road. What were you doing there?"
She didn't answer, of course. Just another meow.
I exhaled quietly, barely audibly. "You know you're really cute, right?"
She purred, nuzzling against my hand. I suppressed the tiny, amused smirk tugging at my lips and asked instead, "Did you have a previous owner?"
Her ears flicked, but she didn't respond. Instead she just looked at me — long, steady, almost…affectionately.
I sighed and leaned back a little. "Do you have a name?"
She meowed in response. A single, distinct sound.
I blinked at her, taken aback. A slow smile was real, genuine and crept up my face. "You do?"
She nodded.
I ran a hand through my hair, the smile remaining as I tapped a finger against the table. "Alright then. Let's figure it out."
I started listing names. "Luna?"
She shook her head.
"Snow?"
She gave another shake.
"Pearl?"
She gave an annoyed meow and flicked her tail.
I raised a brow. "Picky, aren't you?"
She rose and padded to my desk. She reached out a little paw and put it on my pen and paper, her eyes agog.
I arched an eyebrow. "You can write?" I asked, amused.
Aurora continued tapping at the pen, purring.
Silly me. A cat can't write. You don't have hands.
Shaking my head ever so slightly, I picked it up, taking out a new page. "Alright, show me."
She poked open a book with her nose, and then she pointed to a letter with her paw.
"A?" I murmured, writing it down.
She nodded, then indicated another letter. "U."
I wrote it, watching her in quiet fascination. She went on, and I continued writing the letters as she told me. When we got to the last one, I sat back, looking at the name on the paper.
"Aurora," I read aloud.
She meowed happily, nodding.
I smiled one more time, despite myself. "Aurora." I reached over, ruffling the top of her head. "You're a smart cat."
Then, as the warmth set in, a growl rumbled deep within. My body tensed.
Fenrir. My wolf does not like to be silenced for long.
My jaw set and I was struggling to keep my expression plain. I hated how far more unsettled my wolf had become since Aurora came.
He was always rough, and bloodthirsty. But then recently he had become needier, and I abhorred his violence.
The noise continued and I lifted Aurora up gently, walked about from the table and placed her down by her food. "Eat well," I whispered, striving to keep my voice steady.
But on the inside, I was fighting a war.
"Let me out." Fenrir's tone sliced inside my head. "Kick the kitten away."
I wouldn't answer, my fingers clenching in my palm.
"You cage me and for what? To be lonely? To be powerless?"
Silently, I argued back. "You're too violent. Any time you take control, all your focus is on killing. That's why you stay put."
A growl slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
A soft meow pulled me back. I turned and locked eyes with Aurora. There was something in her blue eyes. It was concerning.
Did she understand?
I breathed out slowly and touched her again, stroking her head again. "Did I scare you?"
She purred in response, leaning against my hand.
"Eat," I said as I stood. I turned and walked out of the room without saying anything else.
Fenrir hissed. "Pathetic. You're prepared to hurt yourself over a cat."
"Shut up!" I warned.
*********
Downstairs, I dealt with pack business as usual, my expression blank. Some female wolves stayed, begging for attention, but I ignored them.
Fenrir growled once more at the training grounds. Let me out.
"No," I warned.
"I'll behave," Fenrir begged.
I sighed. The more I tried to hold him back, the more restless he turned. Eventually, after a period of time, I gave in. "Fine."
The shift was immediate. My body shredded, transforming into my great black wolf. Fenrir yawed, and then took off with torn clothing behind him.
I bolted through the woods, instincts high, the fastest creature alive. The wind sliced through my fur, the world receding into a blur. Fenrir ran after an antelope and growled when it was challenged by a tiger.
The fight was brief.
The tiger was powerful, but I was more powerful. I had mangled it without slaying it, so I moved on to the antelope and took it down with ease. I returned to the pack grounds with the kill in my jaws.
The betas greeted me upon arrival, their respect apparent as I dropped the antelope. The change was seamless, my human body returning, bloodied. Someone threw me a coat, and I pulled it on, my mind still sharp.
Then I felt it.
A presence.
I looked up.
And there, at the window, was Aurora, looking at me with those bright blue eyes. I felt warm and fuzzy inside.