Page 78 of Homecoming

“Urgh, that is so damn disgusting.” Oz sneers with a snarl, watching as Bud drags his tongue in a figure of eight across the white porcelain dish. “You really are gross when you eat, you know that?”

“Shut the hell up. I can't help if I enjoy my food. So are you, uh… are you gonna eat the rest of that? Only, I can finish it up for you if you’re not.”

“No, you go ahead. I’ve gone right off it now anyways.” Bud makes a grab for the plate and Oz raises a brow as Digby gets up from his seat at the table. “Diggs, are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna go look for Kat. She’s been gone ages, and it’s getting dark already.”

“Hey, so wait up,” Zak’s at the kitchen door. “We uh… we kinda gotta a slight problem.”

“Problem? No see, I don’t wanna be hearin’ about no more problems today. If it’s about that room bein’ too damn small—that’s your problem not mine. Perhaps you shouldn’t have broken up with QT?”

There’s a short silence followed by a hushed chorus of sniggers as the guys look for Zak’s reaction.

“Uh, no, it’s not about the room—though now you mention that it is the worst darn room in the house. And it’s not even decorated in there.”

“That’s because it was supposed to be Evelyn’s room. I was waiting on Kat for the choice of color before I engage the decorator.” Darius looks up from where he’s seated in the chair by the window, watching out. “Youare not supposed to be in there.” He turns and glares at Zak. “I was assured you’d have made up with lover boy after your little tiff by now.”

“I know but that’s not really my fault. Well, it is, but… Okay, I get the message about QT but that’s not actually the problem right now.”

“So what is?” Darius snarls.

“It’s the cat…”

“What about the fuckin’ cat? And how come thatthingis still here?” Darius frowns rising from his chair. “Helena, I thought you said you knew someone who was going to take the mange ridden furball?”

“Mister Darius, I already told you. The lady she come from the rescue as soon as she finishes her work.”

“Right, well, that’s good.” Darius stops pacing and again focuses on Zak. “That’s the cat situation sorted, so what’s your problem?”

“It’s not exactly my problem it’s… it’s QT. He… well there’s something we… somethingyou…should know about the cat. We can’t actually re-home it.”

“No Zak. No, QT is not keeping that damn mangy cat. You go back upstairs, and you tell him to bring it down here now and say his goodbyes. Jesus, what the hell are we turning into here, a damn pet rescue?” Darius can feel a rage of temper rise in his veins. “I mean it, Zak. Get rid of the cat or I will.”

“Yeah, but that’s the thing… wecan’tre-home the cat because… well, because it’s not a cat. I mean it is a cat… but not acat, cat.”

“Zak, what the fuck are you talkin’ about?” Digby studies his confused expression. “Where is the cat now?”

“It’s… QT… QT, get the hell in here, now! You can explain this.” Zak turns to the door and drags the nervously timid QT through the door and shoves him into the kitchen.

“Wait… Zak, hold up, that’s not a cat.” Digby frowns, looking at the bundle cradled in QT’s arms. “That’s a damn baby. What is that? And more to the point, whose is it? Zak, where the hell did he get that baby from?”

“That’s what I’m tryin’ to tell you. This… thisisthe… cat. It would seem she’s a shifter. The cat, shifted. I guess it must have happened when the moon waned? Baby cats must be like wolf pups and after a moon fade they can shift of their own choosin’?”

Digby's jaw drops, “Holy fuck!”

“What the hell?” Darius immediately turns from the window. “So are you saying that baby is the cat?Wasthe cat? Oh that's just fucking great! Now what the hell are we supposed to do with it?”

With her bright ginger-red tufts of hair poking from beneath the knitted blanket QT has wrapped tightly around her, the tiny baby opens her eyes and purrs a smile.

Everyone stares in a dazed state of confusion.

“Hey there…” Kat sniffs loudly as she rejoins the team in the kitchen. With sweat beading on her brow, she wipes it with the towel around her neck. “Thanks Diggs for collecting the pups from daycare. So, what’s going on? Is everything alright?”

“No…” Digby can barely speak. “It’s the cat,” he stammers.

“Oh God, we’re not going on about that again, are we? I thought someone was coming to take it? That Helena had found it a…What the fuck!Holy hell…” Kat is silenced as she looks at the baby being rocked in QT’s arms. “Is that yours? I mean, you have a baby… QT, where the hell did you get that child from? Zak, what’s going on?”

“It’s not QT’s. You know he’s not that kind of omega—damn well wish he was,” Zak snarls with an air of disappointment. “No, this is the kitten.”

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