Page 8 of Demon Stalked
The hotel room door is pulled open, and Adam blinks wide eyes up at me, a wide smile blossoming on his chubby face.
“Akor!” He immediately wraps his arms around my legs as the kitten begins to squirm, demanding to be set down. When Adam pulls away, his gaze immediately latches on the white ball of fluff. “Oh my gosh! Is that a kitty?”
“Adam, what are you talking about?” Katrina appears from the bathroom a moment later, and my heart stops when I look at her.
I allow myself a moment of vulnerability to sweep my eyes over her. Today, she wears a pair of gray joggers and a ratty t-shirt that somehow makes her appear even more delicate and fragile. I yearn to pull her into my arms and never let her go, protect her from this entire world which seeks to do her harm. She blinks innocently up at me, shock sparking in her expressive eyes. She then lowers her stare to rest on the kitten.
“What is…?”
“This is for you!” I say enthusiastically as I push my way into the hotel room. Adam trails behind me with a besotted, dopey grin.
“She is sooo cute!” the little boy declares. Turning towards Katrina, he adopts Bambi eyes and clasps both of his hands together in the universal begging position. “Please. Please. Please. Can we keep him?”
“Akor, whatisthis?” Katrina’s eyes rest wholly on my own, and for reasons I don’t wish to name, I find that unnerving. Maybe it’s because she sees me clearer than anyone else ever has in my life. Maybe because she peels back layers and layers of skin, revealing the gushy blood and guts underneath. Maybe because she’s Katrina and I’m so desperately in love with her, I might just burn this world down. There’s that.
“It’s for you, my beloved!” I all but shove the kitten into her limp arms. Immediately, she struggles to gain control of the squirming kitten, but I watch as the ire and annoyance bleed from her eyes, turning them significantly softer. She begins to scratch the cat behind her ears, and the kitten arches her neck to lick Katrina’s cheek.
“I…I don’t…” She sighs heavily, shoulders sagging, before asking, “What’s her name?”
“No name! Actually, I should probably name the others as well.” I tap a finger to my chin in contemplation. “I’m thinking the tabby should be Kat with a K. The gray one should be Katty. The golden retriever should be Trina. The dalmatian should be Katri. The—”
“How many animals did you get?” she asks, alarmed.
I hold my hands up placatingly. “Only thirteen. But I’m giving this sweetie to you.” I lean forward to rub at the cat’s head, intentionally allowing my thumb to graze her breast. When her breath hitches, I bite down on my lip to contain my triumphant smile. “She reminds me of you, you know.”
“Oh, really?” Katrina raises a brow as we both continue to pet the cat.
“Stubborn, beautiful, sweet, cuddly…she’s you in cat form.”
“When did we ever cuddle before?” she asks before shaking her head quickly. “You know what? Don’t answer that. But, Akor, I can’t accept…”
“I’m not asking for anything in return,” I say in a rare moment of seriousness. I duck my head to drill her with my eyes. “I just wanted to do something nice for you.”
“Why?” she bites out, tears welling in her eyes. I run the pad of my thumb to catch first one tear and then another.
“Because I care about you,” I confess, “more than words can say.”
“I-I don’t know if I can come back. I mean, I don’t know if I can be what you guys want me to be.” Her voice is barely more than a whisper, caressing my skin and causing goosebumps to ripple on my arms.
Be what you guys want me to be?
What the fuck is she going on about?
Doesn’t she realize that she’severythingto me? To us?
Before I can comment, she shakes her from side to side, as if attempting to rattle her brain, and says, “And I don’t want you guys to get hurt. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I’m the cause. So, I can’t come back. I just can’t.”
“I know.” I grab a loose strand of her vibrant pink hair and curl it around my finger. The kitten immediately swats at it with a ferocious meow, her golden eyes alight with mischief. “But I’ll never stop trying.”
“Akor…”
“The fight has only just begun, Katrina, and this is one battle I’m determined to win no matter the price.” I lick the shell of her ear before stepping away, shoving my hands into my jeans and allowing my eyes to roam the length of her thin body. “Whatcha gonna name her?” I ask abruptly, and she seems startled from the topic change.
“Bitty!” Adam calls. “No, wait! Boppity! How about Boo?”
“We had Cinderella on when you came in,” she whispers conspiratorially.
“No, wait! I have an idea,” Adam continues on with a wide grin, one that splits his face cleanly in two. “Kator.”
