Meow, Meow

The nearly intoxicating smells of pineapple and cinnamon waft through the air, making the hairs inside my nose tingle. If I were in cat form I would probably be on the marble countertop in the kitchen, watching intently as Rhea’s mate creates a masterpiece of a breakfast.

But instead all I can think about is the fact that I probably just ruined everything with Narissa.

"I should’ve- I should’ve ran or something." I mumble brokenly into my shins, tightening the grip of my arms around my legs. “I feel so stupid. I made such a huge mistake. I-I just couldn't control myself. And then I didn't know what to do.”

Tears begin to prick the backs of my eyes. I force them away, knowing that they’ll only lead to more and more until I end up sobbing for hours.

“It’s alright, hun. Everyone makes mistakes. This one wasn’t your fault.” Rhea, my best friend whispers as she presses her hand against the fair skin of my back and rubs calming circles into it.

Shifting in my seat, I brush my naturally fiery hair out of my bright hazel eyes and glance at the purple ones staring at me intently.

“No. No, it’s not. I really messed up. Now she probably won’t even want to see me, let alone talk to me.” I mumble.

Despite her soothing manipulation, it feels like there is a heavy boulder of despair in my chest, ready to fall and crush my insides at any minute if the weight becomes too much for my diaphragm.

"Stop all the sulking, little kitten!" Laurel announces, popping her head into the living area. “It’s time to eat!”

I groan at her annoying nickname she insists on calling me. Rolling my eyes, I get up and slowly head towards the kitchen with Rhea in toe.

The black-haired empath sends her lover a biting glare over the table as we sit down to eat. Rhea smiles at me gently as I stare at my food, not really feeling hungry even though my stomach is telling me otherwise.

“Eat up.” The blonde to the right side of me says, sending another smile my way. I sigh, trying to work a smile onto my lips as I grab my fork and attempt to eat something.

I know that I need to eat. I haven’t ate human food in I don’t know how long. I couldn’t last night. I was too torn up. The last time I ate food at all was two days ago when Narissa fed me.

A sobbing wail attempts to come out of my mouth, nearly choking me with my food.

Rhea and Laurel both look up at me carefully, watching. I can feel Rhea’s powers again, creeping towards me and easily manipulating the shell of my emotions, only leaving that seemingly constant boulder.

“I’m alright. I just got choked up.” I smile as reassuring as I can.

For a while we chat about lighter things. They tell me about some local gossip in the magic world. Rhea tells the story of how she just recently met Laurel’s “parents”. Laurel goes off on a tangent and describes this meal she saw on TV and how she’s going to make it better.

Eventually the conversation fades. My eyes wonder to the kitchen window and I stare out it into the gloom of the wee morning, my head is spinning with so many thoughts, so many, so many.

“I was just thinking, and I’m amazing that Luka hasn’t managed to capture you yet. Especially with the Tracker that he sent.” Laurel states, shoving a fork full of pineapple cinnamon waffles into her mouth, her enlarged canines peeking out slightly. “You did a pretty good job at that talisman.”

“Yeah, my mother was a mage so magic comes easy, plus she taught me a lot before… before she died.” Shifting my attention, my gaze falls on Laurel’s stormy hues.

Laurel blinks in slight astonishment. “Wow, that’s amazing. I didn’t know your mother was a mage. Rhea never tells me anything about her friends besides they’re names and stuff like that.”

“You don’t get to know everything.” Rhea snorts, finishing off her cup of milk and sitting on the table. She’s left a childish milk-stache, which Laurel reaches out and whips away lovingly with her sleeve.

I chuckle softly, my eyes turning downcast as the pair share a quick lover’s moment from across the table with each other.

The boulder suddenly gets a fraction heavier. I inhale sharply. My fork drops from the limp grasp of my fingers. It falls to the table with an unusually loud clatter.

Both of them look at me quickly, watching my every move.

“I’m alright.” I lie, unable to get my voice above the quietest of whispers.

“You know, I understand what you’re feeling Penny,” The sleeves of Rhea’s silk shirt flows gently as she reaches out and presses her fingers to my arm. “But, you can’t keep on like this.”

“I know.” Shaking my head, I grip the sides of my chair for support. My head swims lighty and I push air into my lungs to steady my head and my emotions, “But I can’t helping thinking should’ve ran. Or something. I shouldn’t have just stood there and… just blurted it. Now, now she- she rejected me, and I don’t know what to do…" I mumble helplessly at the end.

Laurel pipes up just as Rhea begins to say something, “Well, in my opinion you should’ve just told her outright from the beginning. But not by shifting right off. Just as a ‘normal’ person, you know. Then she wouldn’t have gotten so scared.”

Her blunt words earns a dark look from Rhea, who turns her focus back on me instantly, reaching out to rub my arm in the same manner she was rubbing my back earlier.

She means well. I know. However, I’m tired of having my emotions fucked with so wantonly.

To let her know this, I pull myself from her grasp and angle my body away from her and towards Laurel instead.

“I didn’t know at first. Not really. Then I couldn’t really help shifting. I just, well, I just did.” I admit to the century year old vampiress, who simply shrugs, grabbing her finished plate and getting up.

“Oh, well. It happened. Now you got to fix it. Or at least try your hardest.” Her hands reach to grab my plate. Offhandedly, I notice the tattoo inscription on her wrist. Silently she collects her lover’s and deposits them all in the dishwasher, including the pots and pans.

The apartment grows silent, each of us too wrapped up in our individual thoughts to even bother breaking it.

I have to at least try and talk to her. I need to explain everything to her, and then maybe she’ll be okay about it and accept me. I really hope so. I don’t know what I’ll do if she doesn’t. Because even if she did I would still feel the same. Things like that can’t be undone once they happen. And I couldn’t just leave her here to deal with the Tracker.

“You know you can’t keep running from him forever, especially not with a mortal as a mate.” I hear Laurel comment at last into the silence, sounding a million miles away. “But, for the moment, she’s going to need a talisman, one stronger than yours.”

“I’m going to talk to her and explain.” I state matter-of-fact, getting up stiffly from my chair to notice that Rhea and Laurel have both moved to the living area, leaving me in the kitchen alone with my thoughts.

Walking into the other room, I glance at the two of them. Light and dark sit on the couch, close, legs touching. Laurel has her arm around Rhea’s slim shoulders. Both smile up at me.

“Then maybe I can get her to come here. Because I don’t want to leave her alone for much longer. I know the Tracker has to be getting closer.” I state, finishing my original train of thinking. Before they even have a chance to respond I’m already at the door.

Just before I open it I turn and ask politely, my eyes wide and lip pouted childishly, “She can stay here, right? Pretty, pretty please.”

My expression makes them both giggle; they turn to each other, as if mulling it over.

“Sure!” The pair exclaims after a quick thirty seconds.

I chuckle, feeling a thousand times lighter than I had only moments before. Opening the door and closing it behind me, I immediately shift into my cat form. The thought that runs through my head as I race across the streets is: I hope that I’ll have the chance to be like that with Narissa.