Page 50 of Bound to the Orc Warrior

Wranth grunts and adds more fuel to the fire, fanning the flames. I take over, feeding it the smaller twigs he brings me so he can go and clean the rabbits.

The remaining cats watch everything we do, fascinated. When I ask why, Shadow says, “When you open the doors of Faerie, we’ll be able to take on our elfin forms. None of us know how to live like that after three hundred years of isolation.”

“Huh.” I add a couple of larger branches.

Several high voices ring through the air. “New people! New people at the den!”

I spin.

Tumbling masses of fur, each no bigger than one of Wranth’s hands, speed across the ground, flickering in and out of sight as they run.

“Kittens!” I throw out my arms a second before they reach me, and the tiny cats leap onto my lap, the one in front climbing my chest.

They’re a swirling flurry of hair and competing voices mixed with excited mewls.

“Hello!” “No, me!” “Hi!” “I’m first!”

When they finally come to a stop, they all become fully solid, and I can see their little smooshed kitten faces with absolutely huge green eyes.

“I’m Wisp.” The kitten who’s climbed my chest stares at me from only a few inches away, bunny nose wiggling as she sniffs my chin. “What are you?”

“I’m a human.”

“You’ll have to forgive my granddaughter,” Moonlight says.

A sandpaper tongue tickles my chin in the lightest of licks, and I laugh and scratch the kitten’s fluffy cheeks. “Nothing to forgive.”

“Me!” “Me!” “Me!” The rest squirm over my lap, trying to climb and knock Wisp from her perch.

She hunkers down and makes herself twice as heavy, a sweet little purr vibrating through her.

Delight bubbles in my chest as I try to pet all of them, my fingers sinking into the silkiest baby fur.

The others settle somewhat as I give each of them attention, but Wisp refuses to share her prime spot, the claws of all four feet latched onto Wranth’s shirt, her hind ones digging into my stomach each time another kitten jumps on her back.

“Stop it!” She hisses over her shoulder. “I won. The human’s mine.”

“No, she’s mine.” Shadow stalks over to sit beside me, leaning into my shoulder to stare down the kittens. “I’m simply letting you borrow her.”

They freeze for a moment, but only a moment. The three of them tumble off my lap to jump on him, demanding attention. They go down in one big ball of fur. Shadow’s much-larger paws bat playfully without using claws, while the little ones don’t seem to have that kind of control yet, tiny needles digging into his thick fur.

Wisp snuggles closer, tucking her little head under my chin so her tiny breaths tickle my neck. She continues to purr as I hold her close with one arm.

Oh. My heart gives a little pang of bittersweetness. I never got to have pets growing up because Dad’s allergic. This little ball of fluff and her instant trust are precious.

I continue to hold her while Wranth cooks dinner. She falls asleep, even though all of the adult cath sith ring the fire, discussing how strange it is to cook meat. They ask a continuousstream of questions about being a “biped,” everything from food and clothes to how to go to the bathroom on only two legs.

“It’s pretty easy if you have a penis,” I say, grinning over at Wranth. “Or so I’ve heard.”

He grunts but doesn’t disagree, handing me a plate full of cut-up meat and small apples, already cored and sliced.

It means I can balance it on my lap and eat one handed, spearing up bite-sized pieces with my fork.

Wisp gives a sleepy little sigh and burrows her forehead into my neck.

“Thank you.” I meet his dark eyes, knowing he prepared my food so I wouldn’t need to put the kitten down.

He grunts again, but that little half smile quirks up on the left. God, I love that smile!

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