Page 2 of The Omega's Bloodline: Part One

I should book an appointment with my therapist. Perhaps the lack of sleep while taking care of neonatal kittens was getting to me.

Burrito headbutted my arm.We’re still the same. Mostly. Maybe smarter than you expected. We’re also not technically cats, at least not regular ones.

“What the fuck are you then?” Gods. My brain throbbed. It was so weird to hear a voice in my head instead of through my ears. Taco started purring up a storm and Burrito wedged himself under my arm, my fingers automatically scratching his chin.

Shifters. But we haven’t been well enough to shift out of this form.Taco stood and booped my chin with his nose.I’m Caden.

Burrito purred so loud I could’ve mistaken him for a mini buzzsaw.My name’s Seth, but if it makes you feel better you can still call me Burrito.It’s pretty cute.

“Is this like a werewolf thing? You shift into people, right? You’re not like…aliens or something, are you?”

Not quite a werewolf thing, but yes, we shift into people,one of them said.All shifters used toberegular humans before our ancestors were gifted magic.

My eyes had gone unfocused as I stared into space over these revelations.

Why can she hear us?

I dunno. She shouldn’t be able to. Maybe an omega bloodline that’s diluted so much you’d never know she’s not one hundred percent human?

“What the fuck is an omega?”

Taco blinked up at me.Subset of magical beings. Almost all witches are omegas, and some shifters but those are usually ones born of witches. Shifters tend to be alphas and betas. Our magic types split off a long time ago but the human base is the same.

A freakish level of calm settled over me. I didn’t want to think about what I might be. I was pretty sure my brain had tapped out of the entire situation. I stared ahead blankly, a cat—no, ashifter—under each hand. Purrs vibrated their bodies and it went a long way toward relaxing me. How could I be stressed when I was surrounded by purring kitties?

I latched onto one of the lone coherent thoughts that was ping-ponging around my brain. “Why do you fight your medicine if you’re so smart?”

Burrito—Seth snorted.It’s gross. And we’re smarter, but our brains are still the size of a walnut in this form. Limits a few things.

“You’ve been here forweeks. Why can I hear you now?”

Taco—Caden, I corrected, kneaded my stomach.We weren’t strong enough before. It takes energy. We weren’t being careful about the direction of our thoughts since pure humans can’t normally hear it anyway.

I pet his fur absently, trying to process the information without tipping myself over some invisible edge.

“Can you guys hearmythoughts?”

Nope, said Seth.We can project ours, but if you don’t have telepathy it’s not a two-way street.

Well, thank the gods for that. They didn’t need to hear the scream inside my head right now.

We can leave soon, if you want us to, said Caden.Once we’re able to get back to human form we can handle our own care.

Hmm. I didn’t like that idea. “Where do you even live?”

Caden settled more comfortably in my lap.Nowhere permanent.

“I’m supposed to be your forever home,” I said, brain still refusing to process the fact that they weren’t regular cats. “You’remine.”

Caden looked up at me with saucer eyes.You still want us to stay?

I didn’t want them toleave, even if they weren’t the Taco and Burrito I’d adopted. I’d already gotten attached to these furballs and the part of my brain ignoring the fantastical elements was already screaming that they belonged with me.

I buried my face in my hands to collect myself a bit more. “I don’t know what it means for you to stay, but I’mnotkicking you out. I have to know more about you and the whole shifter dealio before I agree to magical roommates.”

Fair point. Caden’s eyes drifted shut.I like it here.

Quit hogging all the lap. Seth tried to crawl up but there wasn’t enough space so I scooped him into my arms. He nestled in, his face tucked into my hair, paws over my shoulder.Fuck yeah.

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