Chapter 4

Short, but I got lazy. It's the beginning of the good stuff.

“Oh, um, you’re home early…..” The girl was obviously nervous.

“And how would you know that?”

The girl bit her lip, but didn’t speak for a minute. “Okay, if I tell you, will you keep it a secret?”

            “Yeah, sure, whatever,” came my half-hearted reply.

            “I’m your cat, Tammi.”

            I hesitated. “You’re my cat? How is that possible?”

            Tammi laughed, but didn’t answer. She turned back to the computer and kept talking nonsense. The replies were in the same made-up language. Finally, she turned back to me.

            “I’ll make it quick, because not only will it endanger you, it’ll put others at risk.

            “I am a werecat, or bounded shapeshifter. Not a werewolf, though they get along nicely. Bounded means we have a crafted society, like a hierarchy and stuff. Our leader is Scarfur the Huntress, who presides over Great Britain and America.

            “We’re currently at war with a large pack of wolves who call themselves the Everlasting Hunt. They’re not regular wolves, though some may be. They can be rouge werecats, or duoforms, or limited shapeshifters, or even other magical beings who pose as wolves.

            “They’re attacking us in our weak point, which happens to be one of our strongest sources of power. Because of this, I have to meet an enchantress who resides here and head over to the location. And now that you know, we have to lug you along. Any questions?”

            “Uhh….”

            “Good to know! Now, pack a bag and meet me downstairs in ten minutes. We have to hurry along or we’ll never get there in time to save them.”

            With that said, she got up and dashed down the stairs. I stood there for a few moments, shocked from what she had told me. Bounded shapeshifters? Everlasting Hunt? How was it possible? Moreover, how was it NOT possible?

            I unfroze myself and quickly went inside my room. I emptied my backpack and stuffed as many clothes as I could in it. As soon as it was full to bursting, I zipped it shut, shouldered it, and nearly fell going downstairs.

            At the bottom sat my cat. I realized that her fur was the same color as the girl’s hair and clothes, and her eyes the same as well. Maybe it was true, maybe she was a shapeshifter. When I opened the door, she swiftly and silently slid onto the front porch, as if she were leading. Already I was awaiting a trip with a know-it-all.