My Darling Feline (Bill X Fem! Reader)

Chapter Thirteen: Posthumous Forgiveness

"Alright, so the sophomore carnivores will head into town after school tomorrow to meet with the city reps about the festival," the club director announced, flipping through his clipboard.

Ellen raised her hand, clearly not thrilled. "Why is it just the carnivores? Herbivores want to go too, you know."

The director didn't even look up. "Have you seen the news lately? With everything going on, the herbivores are going to stay and work onsite for a while. That's all I'm going to say on the matter."

I lifted my hand slowly. "What about me?"

"Oh, right. Miss l/n." He gave me a look that screamed I forgot you were an outlier. "You're kind of in your own category. You can pick whichever group you feel more comfortable with."

"Y/n should come with the carnivores," Bill said, like it was already a done deal.

Ellen scoffed and rolled her eyes so hard I swear I heard them click. "If anything, y/n should stay here with the herbivores. She's human. That makes her a walking bullseye for any devourer."

Bill's ears twitched, and he immediately leaned forward. "Y/n will stick with us. We'll keep her safe. C'mon, it'd be a total waste for her to miss her first real outing in the city. She should get to see it."

The director rubbed his chin like he was pondering the fate of the world. Then his gaze shifted to me. "Y/n?" he asked.

All eyes turned toward me like I held the nuclear launch codes.

I smiled, a little shaky under the spotlight of every pair of eyes in the room. "I think I'll be fine with the carnivores," I said. "I'll stick close."

Ellen bit her lip, clearly not thrilled, but stayed quiet. Meanwhile, Bill threw a proud grin my way and slung one of his massive arms around my shoulders like he'd just won a prize at the fair. "Don't worry. We'll take great care of her. I'll personally make sure of it."

That earned us a side-eye from Louis, who had been lurking in the corner like a judgmental gargoyle. He clicked his tongue and stepped forward, his presence as heavy as always. "You all know how unpredictable carnivores can become when they give in to their instincts."

The air got noticeably thicker. Bill, Legoshi, and I all shifted where we stood, haunted by the memory of the Adler play. Blood, panic, bruises, and the lingering sting of shame. We didn't need a replay of that mess.

"Not this again..." Bill muttered under his breath, clearly over Louis' eternal scolding routine.

Louis wasn't done. He fixed his gaze on us like he was pinning targets. "One more thing," he said coldly. "Do not set foot in the Black Market. Especially not with y/n."

His eyes locked onto mine with that same piercing intensity that could split glass, holding the warning there like a brand. Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared out the door, leaving behind a tension that even the walls could feel.

***

"This is so cool! I forgot how much I missed the smell of car exhaust and street pretzels." I beamed, soaking in the melody of city life like it was the soundtrack of freedom itself.

Bill and I stood on the sidewalk, waiting for the rest of our ragtag crew to catch up. It didn't take long. Legoshi showed up first, quiet as always. Aoba came next, his energy just a touch too high for a casual outing. Then finally Kai jogged over, looking like he'd already had three coffees.

The five of us stood there for a moment, heads swiveling in sync like tourists at their first light show. The city buzzed around us, species of all shapes and sizes weaving around each other like it was the most natural thing in the world. Adults laughed, talked, shared benches and sidewalks. For a brief second, it was easy to forget what species you were.