The Woods ✔

A Fateful Invitation

Caden spent days in this house. Days filled with staring at the walls, at the ceiling and out of windows.

Every time he even got near the front door, Kaliska appeared magically and instructed him to do some stupid task. He was by all means willing to help during his stay but he wanted to breath fresh air once in a while, too. He had already forgotten how the forest soil felt under his paws and he got increasingly restless.

One night after he had eaten bread the first time again he felt queasy and got up to go to the downstairs bathroom because he couldn't sleep anyway. So after he had peed, washed his hands and drunken some water directly from the tap - a habit Kaliska eyed with displeasure - he exited the bathroom and shuffled back into the living room.

Something felt off and he paused halfway down the corridor. That's when he saw her. Kaliska stood unmoving at the top of the stairs and watched him.

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

She didn't say anything and after some more awkward moments he fled back to the sofa and crawled under the blanket, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. A hardly audible squeak on the wooden floor told him that she had gone back to bed, too.

The next morning she didn't behave strange and he didn't mention the nightly encounter for Robin's sake.

The lion kindly gave him clothes and did everything to keep the boredom at bay but Caden nonetheless found it increasingly difficult to refrain from snapping at him, too.

As much as he should had been there when the hunters shot Michael as much shouldn't he be here. This house may feel homey but it wasn't the right place for him to be.

He really tried to distract himself. He helped Kaliska in the kitchen and even went with a feather duster through the whole house, removing any dust. He asked Robin about the pride and the other lions. It was uncommon for cats to live in close proximity to each other, let alone like a family, and he couldn't quite grasp the concept. Living with Kaliska and Robin already drove him nuts and he didn't want to imagine what it would feel like with ten more people.

The tension between him and Kaliska grew every day and he tried to avoid her as often as possible. He was frustrated and grumpy most of the time and his skin itched to get out.

However his host seemed to be set on making him stay inside as long as possible. He didn't know if she acted on Ajax' order but only hearing the man's name dampened his bad mood further.

It was hell.

"I can't stand it anymore," he proclaimed during dinner. The lasagna on his plate - by now his stomach was okay with carbs - looked as appealing as a rotten skunk and he pushed it back and forth with his fork without actually eating anything.

The house felt as claustrophobic as the grey room in the basement and his muscles were incredible stiff from the lack of movement.

"I thought you did good with carbs?" she inquired worriedly despite knowing exactly what he meant.

He had to suppress the urge to strangle her. Luckily Robin was stuck at work and would come home later. Enough time to eliminate the evidence.

"I feel like a prisoner," he bit out and stabbed angrily at the lasagna. "I'm suffocating in here and want to peel my skin off to ease the constant itch. So no, I'm not doing good."

"Caden, honey-"

"Don't call me that," he interrupted and she nodded with her lips pressed in a tight line.

"Caden, I'm sorry but there isn't anything I can do. The town's going haywire because of this feral cougar; you would be in constant danger."

"I can take care of myself," he objected stubbornly and she sighed exhausted.

"I don't want you to get hurt," she replied and smiled motherly at him. The sight made him gag.

"Why? I'm nobody to you!" he snapped heatedly, feeling a sick sense of satisfaction when she flinched back.

"You're somebody who needs help and I will give you that help."

"I don't need help," he grumbled, not in the mood to pursue their conversation. He was fed up by her overly caring attitude and not knowing whether she had also other intentions apart from pampering him to death.

"Robin's parents invited us for dinner tomorrow evening. You can come along, they won't mind," Kaliska offered.

"Sounds awesome," he replied sarcastically. He didn't want her fucking pity.

"Do you want to or not? It's your choice."

"I'll come," he agreed begrudgingly.

Being alone in the house would have been a wonderful chance to get the hell out of here but he didn't trust her to not lock him up or drug him. If he tagged along to that stupid dinner he would be able to at least get a whiff of fresh air.

"Peachy," she commented smiling and he dropped the fork onto his plate. She was annoying the hell out of him.

"Lost my appetite," he muttered before fleeing the kitchen.

He plopped down on the sofa and did what he had been doing the whole day: staring out of the window. Of course nothing exciting happened out there - two pet cats mating was certainly not exciting - yet it relaxed him a little bit to watch the trees sway in the breeze. He wanted to feel the breeze brushing through his fur and sniff the exotic scents it had carried from all around the world to this boring town.

It would make him feel alive again.

Kaliska did the dishes, judging by the rattle coming from the kitchen, when an unsettling thought manifested itself in his mind. He wouldn't, would he?

Caden bit his lip, torn between finding an answer to his question and giving her the silent treatment. His curiosity won in the end and he snuck back into the kitchen.

"Will he be there?"

Kaliska dropped surprised the spoon she was about to put into the dishwasher.

"Gosh, don't scare me like that," she scolded halfheartedly with a hand pressed to her chest.

"Will he be there?" he repeated impatiently.

"Who will be where?"

"The dinner, will Ajax be there?"

"I think so, he didn't decline," Kaliska answered and shrugged her shoulders after picking the spoon up.

"Oh," Caden croaked out and retreated back into the living room.

He tried to picture Ajax sitting at a table and making polite conversation with the other guests but it was impossible. Either he pictured him sitting in a corner and stuffing his face while silently brooding or everyone sat in a tense silence and tried to not look in his direction. The man didn't come across as the social type.

In the end it would be extremely awkward for Caden, no matter what happened. He groaned irritated.

Should he decline Kaliska's offer? It would be the easy way out but it would also include staying here and staring at the walls some more. Damn, he really wanted to get out of this house!

After contemplating the pros - not going insane - and cons - getting stared down by a frightening alpha male - he made up his mind.

Ajax could go and fuck himself if he didn't want Caden to be there.