I should be your Beta, not your Mate

6 - Coffee

Puzzled, I looked around but couldn't see anything, just my guitar case that was laying on the ground. I lifted it up and leaned it against the kitchen island. And then, all of a sudden, something red jumped at me and let me fall to the ground.

Shocked, I lifted my head as my whole body was lying flat on the ground. Purring a red cat rubbed her head against my chest and came right to my face after that to lick my nose.

What the-?!

Disgusted, I grimaced and slowly got up. She jumped right into my lap and curled up. Still flabbergasted I started to pet her and eyed her a little bit more.

»Seems like you came in through the open door. But what are you doing here, little one?«

She looked like a stray. Her fur was a little matted but for a stray the little one with the orange fur was too clingy and cuddly. Maybe an abandoned cat?

»You don't have a home you need to return to? You know that I'm kind of half dog?«

Of course I knew that the cat couldn't understand me. But somehow, I always started to talk to animals like that. With a little bit of a high pitched voice. Kind of how you would talk to children, I assumed.

Sighing I picked her up and stood up. Attentively she watched me with her big brown eyes and one of her ears flinched while watching me. I walked out of the glass door and put her down on the grass in the yard.

»Go home. You can't stay here.« Not as long as I was a wolf and Cameron was coming.

I went back inside the house; however, the cat didn't go away as I expected - hoped - but got back inside together with me and snuggled herself against my legs.

»You seriously don't want to go?« I asked, sighing and squatting down. »Fine. But you need to take a shower. I won't let your fur stay that way.«

Again I lifted her up and she purred out of happiness. Maybe her company wouldn't be that bad.

I filled the sink of one of the bathrooms on the ground floor with lukewarm water and looked a little bit provocative at the cat. You still have the chance to turn back, little one.

The cat only tilted her head. So be it.

Slightly I shrugged my shoulders and put her inside the water. Surprisingly, she stayed without any resistance. I grabbed the shampoo bottle that I brought with me and washed her matted orange fur.

Just then she didn't like it anymore - probably because it hurt because of the matted fur. She took out with her claws and scratched my forearm open.

Hissing, I stared at the wound which almost immediately bled and snorted angrily. »You wanted to stay here, so stay quiet while I wash you.« Grimly she looked at me but didn't fight back anymore after that.

I finished washing her and rinsed out the shampoo and wrapped her into a towel at the end.

On my way back into the living room I dried her fur with the towel, and it seemed like she liked that. Her fur was still a bit matted, but it was nicer to look at now and she didn't seem to have any fleas.

»Seems like you're a girl« I mumbled as I dried her belly.

»You need a name if you want to stay here. I'm not really creative with names... let me see, your name from now on is...« I thought to myself, »Coffee.«

Amused, I grinned. »Because right now I want to drink coffee. Well then, Coffee, welcome in your new home.«

She jumped down on the parquet floor and wandered through the living room and kitchen.