The Cat Shifter (Book 1 of Shifter Series)

Chapter 86

As soon as we made it to mine and Brody's room, Katie ducked around her brother and opened the door, earning a small cuss from my mate while he moved me away from her to make sure that I was safe.

"Katie!" he exclaimed, mock annoyed with his sister. He scowled and narrowed his eyes at her, even though I had a feeling that amusement flashed through his eyes. "What was that for?"

Katie paused in going into our room and looked at him with an innocent look on her face. She cocked her head to the side and stared at him with wide eyes that were filled with fake tears. "I wanted to help," she said innocently, "so I opened the door before you could."

"Yes, by almost tripping me and then having me accidentally drop my mate," Brody grumbled playfully with a pout in his voice. He walked over to the bathroom as if he knew that was where I wanted to go, ignoring the others that followed him into the room. "That wasn't nice at all."

"It's fine, though," Ro said with a small snicker in his voice while he patted Katie's shoulder. "Kat bounces. Isn't that right, Kat?" He looked at me with a smirk on his face, and he flashed me a small smirk and a wink.

I held back an eye roll and opened my eyes before I lifted my head so that I would be able to look at them and scowled at Ro. I didn't say a word and slowly blinked, letting him see the annoyance that I was feeling.

"Wait, I thought you were asleep, Kat," Katie said and frowned, furrowing her brows with a small frown on her face. "Why are you glaring at Ro?"

"Because I lied, Katie," I said and looked at her before I looked at my mate. "You can go ahead and set me down so that I can stand, Brody," I said. "You don't need to take me all of the way to the bathroom or start a shower for me."

My mate did what I told him to do with a small chuckle. He set me down on my feet and placed a small kiss to the side of my head, and I closed my eyes and bit back a small smile. "I wouldn't have minded, Kat," he said, his voice barely above a whisper before he pressed another small kiss to the side of my head. "I hope that you know that."

I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded in confirmation. "I know," I said and licked my lips. "I know that you would not have minded, but it is something that I do not want to happen. I need to get clothes for me and Ray anyway."

Ray bit back a small sigh of relief when I said that, and her shoulders sagged with relief. She bowed her head in thanks and bit the inside of her lip, not saying a word, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl at her.

"Ray," I softly scolded her, and she instantly flinched and bit the inside of her lip harder without looking at me. "Please."

"I know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "but I can't help but..." She trailed off and shrugged, biting back a small grimace.

"Ooh, I am so going to kill him," I grumbled and started to get clothes for myself and a set for my best friends. "I don't give a fuck that we have more problems. I am going to fucking kill him."

"More problems?" Ro asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he looked at me with a small frown on his face. He looked at his twin sister before he looked at me. "What do you mean by "more problems," Kat?"

Shit...

I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh while I tucked my head closer to my chest. "Let's just say that he had sold his soul to someone. We can talk about it and everything else tomorrow. All I want to do right now is take a shower, probably actually nap, and then try not to cry myself to sleep."

"And I will go ahead and talk with Dad about what I can before we have a full discussion tomorrow," Brody said, and a small frown on his face. He didn't like the fact that I might cry myself to sleep but was going to leave anyway.

I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded. "Can you also do me a favor and inform King Paul and King Edmond that I am going to have to speak with them later on this week, please? Carver will have their numbers."

Brody nodded in confirmation. "Do you want me to set up the date and time?" Brody asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.

"Please," I said and nodded in confirmation. "I will talk to our friend tomorrow and see if she is comfortable with them knowing about her. If not, then I will make sure that she stays hidden from them until she gets comfortable with it."

Brody nodded and pressed his lips into a thin line. "I will do that. Is there anything else that you need me to do in the office besides that, or will that be it?"

I shook my head no, and I couldn't help but bite back a small sigh of relief, grateful that he would do that to me. "I think that is it for now. Thank you, Brody."

"Of course," he said and walked over to me. He pressed a small kiss to my lips, and I kissed him back, closing my eyes ever so slightly before I opened my eyes. "I love you," he whispered and pressed a small kiss to my forehead. "We'll talk more after your shower and an actual nap than what you had before. Ok?" He raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.

I breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded. "Ok," I said and offered him a tight smile. "Thank you, Brody. I appreciate it."

"'Course," Brody said and nodded in confirmation. "I will see you in a bit." He sent a small warning look to Katie, silently telling her to behave before he left to go talk to his father about what had happened to us.

Oh Goddess, keep him safe...

***

"I don't know why he does that, Kat," Katie said and looked at me with a small scowl on her face with narrowed eyes. "I was going to behave anyway."

I bit back a small snort and shrugged, and a small smile appeared on my face. "I don't know," I said and sent the two Vampire Shifters a small look, silently telling them to behave. "It happens." I looked at Katie and gave her a cheeky grin while the Vampire Shifters scowled at me with narrowed eyes.

"Very funny, Kat," Ro grumbled with a small pout on his face. "We knew better than to do anything to the small child unless we wanted our ass kicked. "There was no need for that look, Kat."

"Hmph." I bit back a small smirk and started to make my way to the bathroom. "I'll have the clothes in the bathroom for you, Ray," I said. "You can use my shower stuff after I am done with it."

"Are you sure?" Ray asked, biting back a small gulp. She looked between the two of us before she looked at me. "I-"

I shot her small look, and she closed her mouth and submitted, not finishing her sentence at all. "If I cared, then I would have not said anything about you using my stuff." I gave her a pointed look and raised both eyebrows in unison. "Right?"

She hesitated and slowly nodded, bowing her head in respect. "Thank you, Kat," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I do appreciate it."

"Of course," I said and nodded, biting back a small sigh of relief, grateful that she wasn't going to fight me on it. "I'll make sure that there is a clean towel placed on the rack for you. The bra and underwear have never been worn. I am so glad that we are the same size."

Ray breathed a small sigh of relief and slowly nodded, and a small smile appeared on her face. "Ok, thank you."

"'Course," I said and nodded. "I will see you all in a bit after my shower."

And with that, I walked out of the bedroom and into the bathroom without another word from the group that was gathered.

Thank, Goddess...