Coalescence Book I - Chapter 32 - Sh*t
Chapter 32 - Shit
-H-
Shit.
I had to move fast. My wolf was snarling and already moving towards the cat. There was no time to think, I needed to cut the fight off before it could happen. We didn't want things to get bloody.
I put myself between them as quickly as I could, pushing my hands to the wolf's furred chest as he heaved and panted, I could feel the deep vibrations of his snarls rumbling through my arms.
"Hey hey, calm down. Calm. Don't"
"Mmm, how sweet. Choosing me over your doggy there? Took a liking to me so quickly? I am flattered" The cat taunted me.
I turned to point a finger at him, keeping my other hand against the wolf to hold him back. If he really wanted to he could toss me aside and try to tear the cat apart but I hoped he was in control enough to heed my words and stand down.
"Shut it cat.. I'm trying to keep him from tearing into you." My heart was racing, this could go badly so quickly. How did he get behind us? How much had he heard? The expression on his smug face led me to believe he had heard everything.
"Oh he won't hurt me. He wouldn't dare. He needs me, isn't that right, puppy?"
No no.. don't taunt him. I held my wolf back, grunting as he pushed forward and actually slid me on the ground, more deep growls rolled through his body. His toe claws dug furrows into my carpet.
"He needs me.. because so long as I remain out here in your plane he is barred from returning. I am the missing piece of his little puzzle. Without myself in place he cannot fit back in. Poor puppy failed to do his one job.. keeping any of us from getting out."
That made my wolf freeze as much as I did, both of us staring at him. Was he lying? How much of what he said could be trusted.. he seemed to be speaking candidly. Pouring everything out in the open in some cocky power play.
"His job?" I looked up at my wolf as my fingers entwined in his fur, holding him firmly, "So what are you saying.. that place you spoke of is some jail? And he's the guard?"
That got a sly smile from the feline and an exasperated huff from my wolf. I quickly reached up to cup his jaws and tried to give him a reassuring pat, trying to get him to look at me. He was panting and angry, frothing and drooling a bit, his fangs bared. If I didn't trust him I'd be terrified to be so close to something that could kill me in a bite. Maybe I was still a bit afraid, I guess I'd be dumb not to be, he looked like he wasn't in his right mind. Even so I trusted he wouldn't hurt me. I did not trust that he wouldn't hurt the cat.
"In a way.. I suppose. Any plane is a prison if you are blocked from crossing to another. Ours is blocked more rigorously than others. It was a prison to me." He spoke almost solemnly, lowering his tone as he explained, before a smile split his muzzle again and that familiar teasing tone returned, "I do believe I explained enough that you owe me another meal human."
"If I get you a nice meal.. will you cooperate and go back home?" I tried not to wince, it was such a long shot to take.. just ask him outright.
He laughed.
"Of course not human. I have no desire to return, not when there's so much fun to be had out here."
The beast batted his eyes at my wolf and effortlessly got a rise out of him. I had to shift my full body in front of the dark furred guardian and keep between the two. I could feel him pressing against my back and drooling onto my head, large and clawed paws gripping firmly at my shoulders as his eyes glared holes through the cat.
"What happens if you stay out?.." I was afraid to ask, because I already had a feeling about the answer.
"You'll be owing me two meals if I answer. My presence out here means that your wolf cannot connect with your or our world again. He needs me alive and returned for that. The longer I remain out here the more likely some of my friends will find that open gateway unguarded. Now won't that be fun."
"More monsters are going to come through?.. No.. Nuh Uh, not happening. You have to go back. If I let him go he's not going to kill you, he's going to force you back in" I gave my wolf's hand a pat, though I couldn't help but glance at his wounded shoulder.. had he healed enough to face this rival monster? I felt like I was in some dumb shonen anime..
"Then I guess we are going to have to play another game, human."
My wolf tensed and reacted before I did, in fact I felt dumb and slow as my mind tried to process what he meant while my wolf was already pushing me out of the way. The cat was faster.. his lanky frame slid almost effortlessly past the wolf lunging for him, darting for the window. Claws tore at my carpet from both beasts.
The feline glanced over his shoulder, looking entirely unworried about the wolf tearing after him and making a grab with those clawed paws. No, he was flashing me that playful and taunting grin as his fleshy frame ducked under a swipe from my wolf, his legs coiling up their sinewy muscles to launch him through the window.
It all had happened so fast, a vicious and raw display between the two creatures that had somehow not ended in blood. I had stumbled from being pushed aside, but rushed up behind my wolf as he grabbed hold of the window to chase down the cat. His prey. Our prey.
"Stop!.. It's broad daylight! You can't just run around chasing after him, you could be seen!"
I could tell he didn't care, but I squeezed his arm tighter as I grabbed hold of him with both hands. He was huffing and panting, adrenaline coursing through his veins, his muscles were tensed and practically trembling. I knew he had to be in pain, his shoulder must be burning, but the adrenaline rush was pushing it aside.
"Ahhh.. calm down.. Relax. He wants us to chase him. We need to stop and think."
He let go of the windowsill, gouges dug into where those big claws had been gripping. I saw him looking across at the neighbor's window and taking a deep, calming breath as he stared through the glass like he was searching for something. Finally those golden eyes looked back at me, staring down into mine. I had his focus again.
"I don't think he's coming back here.. not after that... But you know his scent now.. right? Think you can track him? Think ~we~ can track him?" I corrected myself, we were both in this together. "We wait until night.. then we can go after him. Fuck.. this is going to get even more out of hand. Sneaking around in the dark looking for a monster. You can see in the dark.. right? I hope?"
He nodded.
"And do you feel confident that if we find him you can catch him? Overpower him?"
More hesitation this time, but he gave a gruff snort and nodded, glaring down at me. I knew he wasn't angry at me, he looked angry at himself for letting the cat get away. It wasn't his fault, none of this was. It was mine. I basically unlocked the cage door and let the beast walk right out of whatever realm he came from. Worse yet I had him here in my room and did nothing. Twice.
My grip on the wolf's arm relaxed some as I tried to gently lead him away from the window, pulling the curtains quickly so that no one could see in.
"Are you okay? How's your shoulder? Alright.. we need to make sure you are in top shape for this. Same with me. I have hardly eaten in the past few days, and I know you haven't eaten much either. Stay here.. I'm going to go out and get us both some food. Get you all the protein, you're gonna need it to beat that cat down and drag him back with us. I'll grab some duct tape and stuff too. He's probably not going to hold still for us even if we do manage to get him.."
He was entirely reluctant to let me go out without him, to be honest I was a bit nervous to go without him too. And to leave him home alone. It needed to be done though, he couldn't hide inside me anymore and I think people might notice a massive werewolf roaming the grocery store aisles. Throw a trenchcoat and hat over him maybe, tell everyone he's my huge, hairy, italian uncle. Right.
For the first time I wasn't in a rush.. the opposite in fact. We had to kill time until it was dark. The mounting anxiety and tension made every minute stretch on forever. Over and over I tried to play out scenarios in my head, but there were so many unknowns. I didn't even remember driving to the grocery store but as I pulled into the parking lot I pulled my thoughts back to the here and now, away from the daunting future.
The store was on the edge of the city, not too far from my place or downtown. I could see the tall buildings peeking up from behind the store, even as far away as they were. At least out where I lived, there was a bit more room and less people. I couldn't imagine trying to hide my wolf in one of those tall apartment buildings with rooms half the size of mine and rent twice as much. Would have been tougher for the cat to leap out a 10th floor window at least.
The grocery trip was quick, I wanted it to take longer and kill more time before nightfall.. but I didn't have much to get. More meat for my wolf, food for me, a bunch of duct tape. I wanted to kill time, but I didn't want to leave him home alone for any longer than I had to. That fueled me to speed walk to the counters dropping packages of raw meat and lots of duct tape on the conveyor belt, getting a brow raise from the girl behind the counter. I offered her my best, charming and likely exhausted smile, she was cute. I was not. At least not with wild bed-head. Couch-head? Buying meat and duct tape like a crazy person.
With bags of meat wrapped in my arms I waddled my way back out to the parking lot. It was quiet and mostly empty, a few cars, no one was really around this early. I nearly dropped the bags when I saw him. He was just standing there, leaning against the back of my car and licking his wrist.
The cat.
My heart raced, what was he doing just standing out in the open? Why was he waiting for me? How had he followed my car here?
"You, cat! What are you doing?.. People could see you?.. Get down.." I whispered harshly and loudly at him through my teeth as I got closer, scanning around and seeing if anyone was out in the parking lot to see. The only people were faced away and walking into the store.
"My name is not cat. They called me Nacayotl" He spoke out so nonchalantly, not even looking up at me. "How are people going to see a figment of your mind?"
I slid to a stop next to him, next to my car. More brief doubt filled me, could other people see him? Was he bluffing? Was he just trying to mess with my head again?
"Don't bullshit me.. people can see you.. Get in the car, we are going back home. Now"
He licked himself a bit more, staying quiet for just enough time to get me angry.. speaking up a moment before I did.
"No."
This. Fucking. Cat.
"What do you mean no, then why are you here? You keep coming back to me, why? Are you bound to us? Attached to us? Then come back so we can work some sort of deal out. I'll keep my wolf in check and promise that he won't hurt you."
"No."
Those feline eyes looked up towards the tall buildings blocking the horizon.. grinning some. His relaxed demeanor changed in an instant as he lashed out with his broad paws, claws sinking into flesh.. luckily not my flesh. They sunk into the bags of meat in my arms and tore two of them from my grasp. I dropped the other bags as he yanked them free and darted off across the parking lot, slipping through the surrounding hedges and vanishing as I took a few steps to fail at even trying to chase him.
I let out a cry of frustration and stomped my foot, catching the attention of a few people getting out of their car.
"Please tell me you saw it? The cat that stole my meat?..."
The parents hurried their kid along towards the store, and I knew I looked crazy. Maybe I was crazy.. they didn't see him? That didn't mean he couldn't be seen.. but maybe I was just trying to cling to my sanity.
I looked towards where the cat had slipped through the hedges.. he'd gone towards the city.
Fuck.