Page 23 of A Soul to Touch

This woman before him had almost lost her life to his stomach.

Years ago, Kitty had smelt the scent of a human on the wind and stalked it with every intention of eating what he found. His orbs had turned red that night, signalling his hunger, when a small child had appeared before him.

Kitty had known the little humans were easy food.

However, when he lowered his head to strike, Mayumi had thrown her tiny, weak, little arms around his neck and hugged him. He’d been so shocked. He’d never been hugged by anyone before.

Then she pleaded forhimto never leave her again. She’d also said she missed him.

Just those words had been enough to stir his heart.

When she’d collapsed in the snow, Kitty had felt how cold her body was and scooped her into his arms. She’d fit perfectly across one forearm, and he’d held her to his chest to feed her freezing body his warmth.

Limp and almost lifeless, it’d been obvious that she was unwell.

He’d considered stealing the sweet child for himself, this child that had shown him more kindness in less than a minute than he’d received his entire life, but he’d known very little about how to care for a human. Especially one that was young.

So instead, he’d followed her light scent and tracks back to her home.

Then, sitting in the middle of the clearing and holding her to ensure she stayed warm, Kitty waited until he heard human life returning. He’d laid her in the snow, retreated until he knew he wouldn’t be seen, and watched from within the forest.

Although he remained out of sight, Kitty watched over the house until he saw that child emerge on her own two legs. He’d needed to know she had survived. That she was well. That she didn’t...perish.

He could never remember how long he’d remained to watch the child with her family afterwards. Days? Weeks? It was only when her father returned from hunting with a bleeding deer carcass, almost causing Kitty to attack, that he left.

As much as he’d longed to, he couldn’t remain.

Every few years he returned. Just as he had now.

After his answer, he thought she would ask him why he’d saved her, which he would have refused to tell her. Instead, he watched her features soften and her lips curl upwards just ever-so-slightly.

“Thank you,” she said, almost breathlessly, causing him to cock his head in surprise. “I know I would have died if it weren’t for you. Do you have a name? Mine’s Mayumi Tanaka, if that helps.”

Healmostchuckled. He’d known her name for years.

She’d also incidentally given him his name. He wore it with pride since it’d been this human that had given it to him. He knew it was a childish name that didn’t invoke fear or ruthlessness. It wasn’t compelling, but he didn’t care.

Not when she had given him his first, and only, taste of affection.

“It is...”He paused. Suddenly he felt embarrassed to speak his name to the person who had originally bestowed it upon him. His orbs started changing to a reddish-pink, and he looked to the side, though that would have done very little to hide them.“It is Kitty.”

“Kitty?” Her head reared with her nose crinkling tight to form little wrinkles over the bridge of it. “That’s an odd name.”

“Says the one who gave it to me,”he grumbled, his sight brightening with its reddish-pink colour.

“Me?” Her brows drew together before they shot up her forehead. “Wait... You named yourself Kitty because that’s what I said when I found you?”

The growl that began to rumble from his throat was in reaction to the outrage in her voice. Her younger self had finally given him something to be called, and he wouldn’t allow this version of her to mock it.

Mayumi’s head lifted slightly while the end of one of her brows twitched at his growl.

“Well, that won’t do.” She brought a hand up so she could curl her index finger and tap the side of her knuckle against her lips. “Give me a day or so. I’ll come up with something better for you.”

Kitty thought his heart had ceased beating.She wants to better name me?

Such an idea caused his orbs to turn a bright yellow, one that signalled his absolute and utter joy.

He merely lifted his own snout dismissively.

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