The One's You Love (Cat Johnson Chronicles Book 2)

by Katerina Degratte

  Oversized 12-foot cats of many would end the human race, not a win in a war. Stupid humans … If cats were big enough, humans would make a tasty treat. I shake my head, feeling bad for thinking that when I had Susan’s blood on my fangs. Hell, I wouldn’t run in the street doing that, though. It’d be wrong, and I’d be hella outnumbered. I wasn’t a killer. A snarky bitch, yes, but not a killer.

  I try to picture myself in one of those little army uniforms fighting for the United States, and I still gotta say no. That would cover my natural tuxedo kitty beauty.

  How would they be able to afford to feed that many cats? Or would they just be provided with the bodies of their fallen enemies? And if they did that, how would they stop the cats from feeding on their own army? Or would a few casualties be seen as worth it? That’d be some insane alternate reality there. More likely than not, she’d sell them to the bad guys, as the US probably wouldn’t want anything to do with them.

  I’m not a vessel for human amusement. Nor are other cats. We all have our own emotions.

  “You alright, Maori?” Cat asks after I’ve been silent for a few moments.

  “Yeah, just thinking of how mad they must be for thinking that’s a possibility.” I pause. “And no offense to your concern, but with how torn up Susan was, I don’t think they’d be able to stitch her body back together to reanimate her. There’s at least a piece missing because Charming stole one of the fingers. Then once you took that from him, it later got swooped up by some bird.” She looks like she’s going to be queasy at that information. The girl has a sensitive stomach. “Any other news? You said there was some bad.” An imagined reality that wasn’t a remote possibility didn’t seem all that bad.

  “Oh.” She shakes off the thought of Susan, or at least tries to. “Jack killed Annie, so he’ll be in hiding. Not sure whether that’s good or bad. Keep an eye out. I don’t want you hurt.” Cat seems to have more enemies by the day. Damn. She’s good at creating enemies like cats are, so at least she has that going for her.

  “Then I stopped by HQ to drop off the info. The thing is, if Susan gets reanimated, it should take a large amount of dark magic that will be hard to find. And if the dark magic is located, HQ should be able to sense that large amount of mana being used. Hank’s still been working on the formula.” Then once I got back to average size, I could go back to being the queen of the apartment and having my shenanigans with Charming. “Today was odd.”

  “Tell me!” I purr at her, rolling on my back so she can brush my stomach as well.

  “Yesterday went horribly and ended with an exploding rat,” Cat shudders.

  I wish she wouldn’t have told me because now I’m sure whether to laugh or cry. So this is the guy that she’s trusting to make the formula for me?

  “Today, he was excited to show me. Today the rat was the size of a cat.” Seeing my expression, she rephrases it. “Of a normal-sized cat variety.” Ah, that makes much more sense than a twelve-foot-tall rat. Though, they may be easier to train than cats. Not that the bad guys need suggestions for their vile plans.

  “How was that experimentation?” I drawl, trying not to let my boredom show. A huge rat seems like it would make a tasty meal. If only the serum pumped into their veins didn’t fuck with the taste so much.

  “He was trying to bolt at me and kill me.” Cat looks exhausted. Could the poor woman go through twelve hours without someone trying to kill her?

  Yikes. Hank was not going to give me something that was going to make me all psycho crazy. I had enough of that in the ten minutes; I was all psycho crazy.

  “Plus, there’s my suspicion that Brian is meddling with the formula. Hank had evidence that someone messed with the original mixing because there was a video of it going perfectly well earlier in the day. And while the dude is great with experiments, video editing is not his forte.”

  I chew on a honk of grass to settle my gurgling stomach. The idea of taking the formula then immediately trying to kill Cat doesn’t sit well with me. The only thing that sounded worse than that was taking it and then immediately exploding. I wonder if that hurt. Does it hurt, or is the shock so much that you can’t feel it? Either way, it’s not something I’m planning to experience.

  “See, told ya you can’t trust those humans,” Tiger mutters, apparently listening in on the conversation.

  “Brian is an evil human,” Cat agrees, moving to pet Tiger behind the ear as he purrs in contentment. The fucking traitor. If only Cat knew what he was saying about her earlier, she wouldn’t be so friendly around that asshat.

  Noticing my glare, she hides her giggle. “Maori, I have enough love in me to give you both.”

  I’m not satisfied with the response, so I head butt her, begging for attention as she nearly falls over from the impact.

  “Alright, baby,” she concedes, petting me again.

  “How’s Charming doing?” I ask out of the blue, surprised by my missing him. With how annoying he was those few days around him, I never thought I’d miss him.

  “He misses you and complains that I’m not home enough to keep him company.”

  I bet he’s a needy little guy.

  “I think I forgot to tell you, but the day after the big showdown with HQ, I had to go back to work. But since the apartment door wouldn’t shut, I had to take him with me.”

  That bitch. She’s never taken me to work with her. So, I give her the best pissed-off face I can.

  “Maori, you can stop looking at me like you’re going to eat me.” She holds her hands up in mock defense. “I’ll take you with me some time when you’re back to your normal size.”

  If the crazy dude can get the formula right, that is. I wouldn’t be surprised if Brian was trying to fuck with Cat’s shit, though. He always had it out for her. She’s mature enough about it that she won’t let it interfere with her job.

  “Can you bring me a box of magic cards?” I ask Cat, giving her my best innocent kitty eyes. The store has so much bulk stuff that it wouldn’t matter in the long run. And cards are so fun to run around in, chew on, and roll in. I was always transfixed when she would make stacks upon stacks of them. She knew better than to leave an unfinished project out for the night because those stacks would go tumbling down. My shenanigans were far fewer than when I was a kitten, but I still have a few tricks in my paws.

  Her expression tells me no.

  “But Cat,” I plead, needing something to entertain me. “What about a computer?”

  She shakes her head. “That wouldn’t do much good in a non-WiFi zone.”

  I let out a meow that sounds more like a roar in my slight temper tantrum. And it isn’t like Cat can bring Charming because he would find himself into trouble where he could get himself killed. I doubt the spiders would try anything again, but there were still birds, snakes, and other creatures that hid in the forest.

  “It’ll be okay, baby girl.” She gives me pets behind the ear, and my body betrays me, letting out purrs. Damn it. She looks up at the sky. “I should probably get going. The sky is going to be getting dark soon.”

  And there is only so much I can protect her from under the shield of night.

  “Fine.” I bow my head at her, and she gives it a little kiss. It’s something I treasure now, since I don’t get them as often.

  Chapter 17

  Raven

  Cat invites me over to watch movies with her and her brother. I decided to take the distraction as I’m still pretty depressed about not seeing my children. I’m putting in papers with the courts, but those things take time to process. "What are we watching tonight?"

  "Happy feet one and two," Cat answers, with a little eye roll. Those are sweet movies. Watched the first one with the kids a while back. Haven't seen the second one yet, though.

  Cat goes to the microwave to get the popcorn ready. "Thanks for coming over last minute," she tells me. "Sorry, just wanted a distraction from everything. The experiments going awry, seeing Annie killed in front of my eyes. It would be
nice to get some snuggles," she whispers to me. "Please not more than that, though," she adds. I would respect her decision, and I could use some comfort as well.

  Of course, because we still have to talk about stuff. And with everything going on in her life, there hasn't exactly been the chance to do so.

  "Do you like kettle corn?" Cat asks.

  "Yeah." I answer.

  She grabs a few bags of kettle corn, starting the first one. I watch as it turns around for a bit in the microwave, before starting its popping song. "Want anything to drink? Help yourself."

  I take a look in the fridge. There's a box of beers, but I should stay away from the booze. Plus, I’m three months sober. Couldn't let that go just because my ex is being a douchebag. I offered him what I thought he would have wanted.

  "Good call, staying away from the booze. That would be a bad idea for me as well with everything going on." She waves towards my orange soda, grabbing one as well. "Colin, do you want anything?"

  "Cola." He goes to pop in the movie. Dimming the living room lights, before getting the PlayStation controller to start up the film once everyone is situated.

  We take place on the love seat, with snacks and drink in tow. Colin laying out across the other couch. “You guys ready?” He asks, as we nod. He starts it up, skipping through the previews to get to the good stuff. Cute penguins soon filling the screen.

  Charming jumps up next to Cat on the loveseat, like he wants a piece of popcorn. Her spoiling him the way she does gives him some anyway.

  "Cat, you shouldn't give him that," I chide her as she throws a piece at him. He licks it then decides it would be of much better use as a toy. Once that piece gets knocked over, he goes towards the bowl of popcorn, wanting more, and she holds it out of his reach. "Told you not to give him any." I giggle, amused at the scene.

  It's nice, snuggling and watching the movie. Leaving once it's over as it would be too soon to stay the night. Didn’t need things to go faster than either of us were ready for. And while fucking Cat would be a great distraction from the thoughts burrowing in my head, she deserved better then that.

  "We'll talk soon," Cat promises, giving me a chaste kiss on the cheek.

  Chapter 18

  Cat

  The day goes by devastatingly slow. Had a movie night with Raven and Colin. Took some Trazadone to help me sleep, then went through the workday. It seems like every time I check the clock at work, only a few moments have passed. But I can’t help that I’m excited. Today’s the day that the formula may be ready for Maori to take, so I may be able to have her in my arms again by tomorrow morning.

  "You seem especially in a good mood today," Joe notices.

  I haven't told anyone at my game store job that she was twelve feet tall and in the woods. It wouldn’t do any good, anyway. They’d just think I’m getting high before work. "Some days are just better than others,” I chirp.

  "Good to hear."

  At the end of my shift, I nearly rush over to HQ to see how things are going with Hank. I wave quick hellos to everyone before heading towards the lab. Nearly rushing through the door.

  "In a rush?" Hank asks me as I scratch at the top of my head, feeling a sudden irritation coming from nowhere. What’s up with me? Charming doesn’t have fleas, does he? No, he couldn't. My skin is a dead giveaway to bugs with how sensitive it is.

  "Yes. Any news?" I look hopeful, but he has a sorrowful look on his face.

  "No …" He starts, but it changes mid-sentence, the fucker for trying to be playful with me. "By golly, I finally got it. I was trying to pull your leg, but it's just so amazing." Hank smiles, moving to show me.

  The goggles are put on again for good measure, stepping as far away from the examination table as possible while staying in the room. A good ten feet away, in case stuff goes wrong.

  I watch as the rat is enlarged in size. Instead of trying to kill me, the rat is merely chilling on the table, confused.

  Then he's given a few more drops and goes back down to average size.

  "You are the best, Hank!" I give him a peck on the lips from my excitement, and he blushes. "I'll bring her by first thing in the morning. Maybe show her the procedure on another rat first, so she knows it's okay. As she's nervous about it."

  "Understandable. See you at 8 a.m." He waves as I run through the halls and out the building. Not stopping until I make it the few miles to my place. I was just too hyped up to slow down. Only stopping once I have to fumble with my keys at the downstairs door.

  I nearly rush out the door to my apartment. It’s dark out, so I can’t risk visiting Maori unless I want to put my life on the line. Charming nearly jumps into my arms the moment I walk in the apartment door.

  "You seem to be in a good mood,” Colin comments, sitting on the couch as he binge watches an anime.

  "Maori may be joining you again tomorrow afternoon." We’ll have to keep her in the lab at least for a bit to make sure there are no side effects!” Nothing could ruin this news; I was on cloud fucking 9.

  "That's great! Then my play buddy will be back!" Charming is so hyped up about the news as he jumps back down to the floor, running around the apartment. The idea of staying still right now being an impossibility.

  “That’s great.” Colin seems a bit quiet at the news, not having a special cat that’s bigger than all the others now.

  "You okay, Colin?" I ask.

  "Yeah, just tired. Had an early work shift." The answer is well accepted, as that isn’t uncommon with his arrangement of several 6am shifts. He was still new to the job, in a bit after he was more settled in, he could ask for more scheduling requests.

  Chapter 19

  Cat

  “So, we meet again.” Susan is sitting on a tree log, admiring the night’s beauty.

  “What are you doing here?” I sneer at her. I figured her funeral would be the last place I saw her, but I ended up with an empty casket.

  “Was my funeral pretty? Did a lot of people show up?” she asks, giving me a sad smile.

  “Yup. A lot of your friends and colleagues,” I lie. I don’t want to tell her that she was such a shitty person that she only had a few attendees. That seemed wrong to say the dead.

  “You know, Cat, I can always tell when you’re lying.” I feel the annoyance of being so transparent. “It wasn’t hard to tell. The only person I was really friends with was my neighbor and her kid.” She tilts her head to the side.

  “There was one of your colleagues, if he was telling the truth. He said his name was Jack,” I tell her. She frowns at his name. I can see her clicking her tongue behind her teeth, trying to put a face to the name.

  “Jack,” she whispers, looking befuddled. Aggravated. Lost. Usually, her mind was on hyper-speed, so things like this wouldn’t affect her. But moments of weakness are shining through.

  “Did I look beautiful lying peacefully in the casket?” she asks, changing the subject after she can’t compel up the face to the name. Better to ignore the issue than admit she didn’t know.

  I don’t have words to conjure up. Susan was a beautiful woman, but her casket was empty. “It was a closed casket.”

  “Strange. I do like to be shown off.” She pouts, as if not being seen one last time was the end of the world for her. Hell, her world was already over.

  “Why do you keep showing up here?” I ask her.

  “It’s a—WAKE UP!” The tune changes. I could have sworn she was going to say that being with me was a safe haven.

  “What?” I’m confused. “Susan—” My words are cut off like something is constricting my throat.

  She shakes my shoulders. “Wake the fuck up, Cat, before he kills you!”

  As if those are the magical words, my eyes flutter open. The strain is still on my throat. Eyes bewildered as I see Colin has my throat in a death grip. What did I do to make him want to kill me?

  I grab at his hands, struggling to pull his iron grip from my neck. This can’t be Colin. Colin wouldn't try to kill me. Why
didn't I ever listen to my instincts? Why didn’t I listen to the comments Charming made? I have to think fast, as my time is running thin.

  "Get off of her, dude." Charming aims right towards the crotch, and Colin’s hands fall down. Him wincing in pain, and his form changing through all types of appearances. Becoming several men and women, I don’t know. This isn’t Colin, it’s a shapeshifter.

  That's enough leeway to get back on my feet, and I kick him across the face, making him fall to the floor. A few drops of blood smear onto the carpet. I’m not done with the impersonator yet, though. I jump on top of whoever it is, knocking them down so all their limbs are spread out. My fist going back and forth on their face, until you wouldn’t be able to make out the face of whoever’s form it is. Maybe if they’re in enough pain, I can see their true face.

  "Damn it, he said this would be easy." The shapeshifter tries to fight back, but I keep the punches rolling. I’m fueled by adrenaline and worry for my brother. Is he even still alive, or did this thing kill him?

  Shapeshifter. I figure I got what I wanted when I saw the imposter's true face. It’s a fleshy stack of meat and bone. The punches feel more disgusting to lay on him, but I keep at it.

  "Cat, you're not going to find out anything if you kill him!" Charming yells out.

  Fine. I’m going to get cuffs and rope first, though. I’m not going into this blindly. I get up, grab the stuff, then shackle his wrists and tie his legs. The idiot doesn’t even try to escape. What game was he playing at? Being quick to call Raven, I needed backup for this job. She doesn't answer until the third call.

  "What's so important that you had to call me at 2 a.m., Cat?" She sounds exhausted. Any other time I would feel bad, but this time is an exception.