Page 13 of The Shtriga
Once my face was dry, I went back to the living room, where Nolan still sat on the coffee table, one of the cats seated beside him with her head in his lap.
"You never told me what the cats are called. Or the bunnies," I said as I spotted them hop their way to the kitchen.
Nolan raised a brow at me, but didn't point out my obvious attempt to change the topic. "This one is Pebble. She loves cuddles. And that one," he nodded toward the second cat, who was halfway up the curtain and now stuck there, "is Dots."
I walked over to Dots and freed him from the evil curtain, receiving a headbutt in return before he leaped from my arms and raced off. Pebble gave chase after him, and Clip took her place, resting her head on Nolan's lap as she stood beside the table.
"The bunnies?" I prompted as I returned to the couch, and Nolan smiled, his eyes twinkling with mirth.
"Wooly and Dust," he said, and I groaned and laughed all at once.
"You're a naming prodigy, old man."
"Who are you calling an old man?" he growled, though it was obvious he wasn't offended.
I grinned, and Nolan smiled, his hand moving over Clip's head. "Listen, Zamir—"
My phone blared in my pocket, cutting him off, and I rushed to pull it out. The only people who would call me were in the Sanctuary, which meant...
"Keoni! Thank fucking god!" I answered as I shot to my feet, unable to sit still. "Is everyone okay?"
"We're fine. What about you? You've been out there all night. Are you okay?" Keoni demanded, his voice thick with concern.
"I'm okay," I murmured, unable to keep the smile off my face.
"Oh!" Keoni exclaimed. "You sound better than okay to me."
"Shut up."
Keoni snickered. "Anyway, the door's connected again, so you can come home now. If you want."
"I'll be there in a few minutes, and then you need to tell me everything."
"After you've eaten. I remembered how long it's been since you fed last when I was worrying about you. Are you okay? How's the hunger?"
"It's manageable." I wasn't going to tell him about my fainting spell, or he'd never let me get away with avoiding eating for as long as I did.
"Okay. Come back soon. It's my turn this time, and I'm not letting you out of my sight until you've eaten. I'll be waiting by the door."
"See ya."
When I stopped pacing and turned to look at Nolan, I found him watching me.
"Your friend seems to care about you a lot," he said, and I smiled.
"Keoni cares about everyone. He's a sweetheart. Anyway, I should get going."
"You're sure it's safe?"
"Keoni says it is, so yeah."
Nolan nodded, then walked me to the door. Stepping over the threshold, I hesitated, then shook my head and walked down the porch steps.
"Zamir?" Nolan called, and I turned to look at him. The sun was on top of us, and its rays filtered through his orange-tipped hair, setting his head aflame. He was beautiful. "May I take you out on a date?"
A smile burst across my face, and butterflies fluttered in my belly. I had the sudden urge to pinch myself to make sure this was real. I'd found my mate, and he wanted to take me out on a date.
"Yeah," I whispered, and Nolan's green eyes lit up as he beamed at me.
My walk home was slow as I went over every moment I'd spent with Nolan, carefully tucking away each memory into my mind so I'd never forget.
