Page 21 of Pack Scratch Fever
“We have at least…oh, fuck,tenkittens freaking out in our backyard.” There’s a voice in the background, and I recognize it as Avery’s. “I know you were sleeping, sweetheart, but I was wondering if you had any advice at all.”
I rub at my eyes, annoyed that he called mesweetheart.
“What are they doing exactly?” I move off my mattress and grab a pair of sweatpants, my fatigue dissipating.
“Crying at the door to our backyard. So, Pipe, do you have any sage advice for us?” I can practically hear the smirk in his voice.
I roll my eyes. “It sounds like you have at least one colony back there,” I huff. “We need to trap the mom cat and those kittens.”
“Wait, how do we do that?” Avery’s voice says. “Hi Piper, sorry to call you so late. You’re on speakerphone.”
I quirk my lip and make a quick decision. “I can come over if you want,” I sigh. “I can show you how to set everything up. Depending on the age of those kittens, we can get them fixed, too. Or we can find a foster for them, if you can’t do it.”
“Oh,” Avery says. “We couldn’t ask you to come over right now?—”
“Come over!” Maddox yells, and I hold the phone back from my ear. “Fuck yeah, cat lady, let’s do this.”
“Maddox,” Avery warns, and I huff.
“Text me your address, and I can be there in a bit. I haven’t been able to sleep tonight, so this will give me something to do,” I say.
I ignore the little flip of excitement in my stomach.
I’ll get to see them again.
But that’s not the important part.
What matters is that there is a cat colony, one that will grow more out of control if we don’t contain it.
“Holy shit, Pipe, thank you so much?—”
“My name isPiper,” I correct Maddox as I pull on my sweatpants. “And I won’t be the only one coming. I’m bringing Blair too. If this is what I think it is, I won’t be able to do this all by myself.”
The thought of being alone with Avery and Maddox is both thrilling and anxiety inducing.
My hormones are out of control, and the last thing I need to be doing is perfuming around two Alphas at three in the morning by myself.
“Piper,” Maddox says, his voice low. “My mistake. Thank you again.”
My heart beats rapidly in my chest, and I swallow nervously. “It’s fine. I’m happy to help the cats.”
And myself,my inner voice supplies.I’m going to see two Alphas!
I’m there for the cats. Not them.
After hanging up the phone with Avery and Maddox, I place my phone on speaker and call Blair.
She doesn’t answer, so I call again.
And again.
“Pick up,” I growl, throwing on an oversized sweatshirt. It’s grey with purple paw prints all over it and likely the most unflattering item of clothing I own.
“Pipe?” Blair groans into the phone. “What’s going on?”
“Cat colony,” I say. “Do you have traps or are volunteers using them?”
I hear her rustling in bed. “I have all mine, including kitten traps. Where are we going? Do you want me to pick you up?”
