Page 8 of Spookily Yours

“Here you go, beastie,” she said, placing a plate at my paws.

My nose twitched as she stared at me, her eyes darting between the cooked salmon and me.Are you going to watch me eat, little witch?

Apparently she was. I sniffed the cooked fish, and after deeming it smelled good—she’d grilled it perfectly. I took a bite.

Oh, Hell.I gobbled up the entire piece of fish, tearing through the entire fillet faster than I could blink.

Willow scratched under my chin. “Youwerehungry. Poor little guy, huh? I still have to figure out what to call you.”

Demon Cat is fine,I thought, sitting up to stare at her.

She snorted, not breaking eye contact. “I still can’t believe they called you a demon cat. You’re such a sweet little boy, aren’t you?” My witch scratched under my chin, and I let out an involuntary purr.

Damien,I thought, hoping whatever bond she seemed to feel between us would communicate that.My name is Damien.

I’d never willingly given my name to a human before, but… I didn’t think I minded her knowing it.

Didn’t mind being here, even if they’d trapped me in this feline body.

Willow’s lips tilted up into a smile. “Damien?”

Yes!I meowed excitedly, brushing back and forth against her legs, nuzzling my head against her skin.

“Damien. I like it, too.” She scooped me up into her arms, cradling me like a baby. “What do you say we go sit on the couch and watch a movie, huh, beastie? There’s so many good ones for the Halloween season.”

Meow.

Yes.

Domesticity was never a part of my life before. I’d never really had the chance to just sit andbe.There had always been something else for me to do, something my brother needed from me. I was never my own person.

But maybe here, in this town, at this witch’s house, everything would be different.

So I let her carry me to the couch. Curled up on her lap, and watched a couple fall in love while they rebuilt an old bed-and-breakfast. Snorted when they were clearly too stupid to admit their own feelings. Watched with rapt attention, until the warmth of the little witch’s lap lulled me to sleep. I’d never felt so comforted, so at peace.

Maybe life as a cat wasn’t so bad.That was the thought that startled me awake.

I couldn’t afford to think like this. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but I had to get out of this body—before the change was permanent. If there was even a chance I had to remain as a cat forever, I needed to do everything I could to fix it.

Willow stood up and yawned, stretching out her arms before turning back to me.

I tried to push the nagging feeling aside and remind myself that it could wait until tomorrow.

Curiously, I angled my head and perked my ear up towards her. Did she expect me to sleep in her room? That felt like a line I shouldn’t cross. Especially considering I wasn’tactuallya cat.

And I’d have to break the news to her, eventually. That I wouldn’tbeher cat. That I wasn’t a cat at all.

But when she looked at me, tucking her hair behind her ear as I peered at her from the couch, I could sense how vulnerable she was. How alone this little witch was.

And I didn’t want her to feel like that.

“Should we go to bed now, Damien?”

Meow.I got up, stretching my back, and hopped off the couch, following her loyally.

Witch’s best friend,I thought with a smirk.

Despite my upbringing not to consort with witches, this woman had done everything she could to make me happy. Comfortable.

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