Page 15 of Cupcake

Logan frowned. “We aren’t going far.” He might not be the best fighter, but he would never let anything happen to Lucifer’s mate. Logan could protect the other boy!

“Better safe than sorry.”

“I can take care of myself,” Logan argued. He wasn’t worthless. Even if he was scatterbrained and not really that smart.

Trevor nodded. “I know. No one is saying you can’t. Remember no one is supposed to go into the woods alone. Gage doesn’t know the area. It’s better if I go with you.”

Logan huffed. Trevor wasn’t wrong. “But we can shift?” He wanted to clarify. Now that he had the idea, Logan needed to shift. His lion wanted to play too.

“Yes, let’s go!” Trevor said.

Logan whooped and high-fived Gage.

They tromped across the yard until they reached their usual spot. They stopped under a canopy of trees where a metal box sat butted up to a wide trunk.

“We can put our clothes in here,” Logan told Gage. His lion really wanted out. Logan was already pulling his shirt over his head.

Gage didn’t waste any time, which Logan appreciated. He must be super excited to shift too. They stashed their clothes in the trunk before Logan dropped to prepare to shift.

He was the best at shifting and that made Logan proud. Logan credited his connection to his lion side. Trevor was fast too. Although Gage took a little longer than them. It might be a housecat thing or something. Logan didn’t judge. That wasn’t his place.

Right away Logan knew that Gage would fit in with him. Especially when Gage pounced on Trevor’s tail, making Trevor yowl.

Trevor tried to pull his tail away, but Gage went after it again.

That had Logan chuffing.

Gage looked over at him with mischief in his eyes before looking over to Trevor. The massive panther eyed Gage. Maybe his new friend needed help. Logan sauntered over and with a giant paw, smacked Trevor’s tail down. He was a good friend like that. And he knew that Trevor would play-fight with them. The big panther didn’t really mind. He was a good friend too.

Gage backed up, gave a little butt wiggle, then pounced.

Trevor tried to headbutt Logan’s chest, but he was too gentle and Logan was too solid. He didn’t even move.

Gage snagged the tail and gave it a tiny, the smallest, nip before he took off at a run. The chase was on! Logan scrambled after the shiny black cat. He knew that he probably had the biggest, dopiest smile on his face.

This was fun!

The snow that Lucifer created hadn’t made it to the forest, but the ground was damp, still moist and soft as he ran. Gage soared over a fallen log as Trevor raced past him. Trevor needed to be in the front to make sure they didn’t leave their territory but that didn’t mean that Logan wanted to be left behind.

He picked up the pace. Straightening out his legs and using his full body to run. Logan had just passed Gage when he felt something land on his back. No, not something. Gage. Gage had jumped on his back then climbed up to his neck.

The cat did have much shorter legs than him and Trevor. And Logan didn’t mind having a passenger. In fact, now he could run full-out. Logan wouldn’t lose Trevor. The panther could keep up with him and maybe he could show Gage what it felt like to fly.

Trevor glanced back over his shoulder, most likely to make sure they were still with him, before he detoured to the east.

Logan knew the path that Trevor would take. And he might have been keeping a little secret. He slowed down a bit before darting to the left. If he timed it right, he would be cutting Trevor off.

He hoped that Gage had a good hold of him, because they were about to get Travor.

He zig-zagged through the trees until he clearly heard Trevor up ahead. One little shortcut and Logan leapt. Dropping down in front of Trevor, he caught the surprised yowl.

Trevor even bumped against Logan’s big furry butt as he tripped over his own feet in surprise.

Gage did what could only be a feline cheer before he leapt off Logan.

Logan quickly looked over his shoulder, making sure that Gage had landed safely on Trevor’s shoulder.

Both black cats, one small, one huge, stared at him with glowing eyes.

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