Page 71 of Whiskers on Kittens

My guests shifted in their seats or on their feet, their discomfort amusing me more than anything. Easton stared in the direction of my cellar door, likely hoping he could hide among the bottles.

“I think I could use a drink,” the kittens’ mother, who had introduced herself as Lorietta Georgino and liked to be called Letta, admitted. “What do you have that’s a little bitter and a little sweet?”

“I make a mean Old Fashioned,” I informed her with a smile, and I went to work gathering the supplies I needed to make her one. “Gabriel was a little harsher than I hoped for but perhaps that was needed. Who am I to judge an archangel? But, tomorrow, I expect nothing but joy to enter this house. The kittens deserve that much—or that little, depending on how you think about it. I don’t expect you to kiss and make up.” As my house, my rules applied, I eyed up the entirety of Easton’s family, and I didn’t spare the cop from my scrutiny. “If you’re ignorant about lycanthropy, that is a curable offense.” I pointed at my parents, who observed with raised brows. “They’re qualified to tell you what life is like with an infected child.” I pointed at myself. “I can tell you what life is like as an infected child.” I engaged Easton in a staring contest and raised a brow.

“I am certainly qualified to tell you what it’s like to be a loner wolf as an adult.”

I allowed myself a rather smug smile, returning my attention to Easton’s family. “Easton wants a family, and it’s time for you to decide if you’re going to be a part of his family or if I get to keep the big, bad wolf all to myself.”

TWENTY-THREE

It seemed like something He would do if given a chance.

Christmas Eve departed and made way for Christmas. I escaped a hangover, as did Easton and my parents, but every other adult in my home paid penance for their alcoholic crimes. As the kittens would surely take over the world if left unsupervised, Easton and I fell into our travel habits, containing the lot of them while their parents drank the hangover remedy I provided.

The rest could—and did—suffer for their indulgences.

“You’re a harsh mistress,” Easton commented while we supervised the kittens devouring their breakfast. Lucifer had sent an entire entourage of demons and devils to help with feeding everybody, and the ovens in my kitchen were already hard at work making our first meal of the day.

I’d even agreed to allow side dishes to mystically appear, as it would give me more time to enjoy opening presents, which would take place after everyone was fed breakfast.

Even more demons and devils helped ferry the presents into the home, and the wrapped packages took up every inch of available space in my den and living room.

“I’m just establishing that I can be mean when the situation demands it,” I replied, spotting a naughty kitten attempting to steal bacon from his sister. I reached across the counter and prodded Jaden with the rubber spatula I’d selected to be my tool of kitten containment. “Don’t steal from your sister’s plate.”

Jaden whined, Mollie hissed, and the pair squabbled, resulting in a series of pokes and prods to catch their attention. “If you want more bacon, you may ask for it, but you may not steal from each other. I absolutely will delay opening presents by an hour for each instance of food theft.”

That won me their cooperation, and the kittens paid more attention to their breakfast than each other.

My mother snickered from her position on the other side of my island. “I see you are a quick study.”

“Kittens live for presents on Christmas.”

“I’m amazed you didn’t just set them loose on the presents.”

Any other time, I might have, but the chocolate milk I fed them was packed full of protein powder suitable for them, and I couldn’t afford to let them delay a meal, not when they’d just gotten their weight back up to something close to healthy. “Doctor’s orders.”

I spoke the truth, too. The kittens needed a lot of calories to recover from their kidnapping, although we’d done good work with them while enjoying the amusement parks. They had a few pounds to go each but were on the mend.

Easton stood beside me, leaning against the island with his elbows on the countertop. “How long until you decide to let people open presents?”

“Once the kittens finish eating, we’ll gather everyone and open presents,” I replied, shooting the wolf a grin. “Does someone want to know what is in the box?”

As I had a wicked sense of humor and a general desire to keep the wolf around, I’d gotten him a selection of gifts meant to send a few hints about what he should be doing and where he should be doing it. With a little luck, the kittens wouldn’t understand the innuendo, although I may have gone overboard buying lycanthrope statuettes.

“Yes, I want to know the contents of the box. Several boxes, as I spotted more than one with my name and your poor attempt at playing Santa. Had you put ‘Santa’ on the tag, I may not have guessed, but you wrote ‘Prettier than Satan’ on them, making it clear you are the culprit.”

I shrugged, and as he spoke the truth, I replied, “A woman has to do what a woman has to do.”

With him, assuming Lucifer hadn’t gotten the point across, I’d have to take extreme measures. When I thought about it, the statuettes were likely too subtle as far as hints went although I refused to regret my acquisitions.

Someone had made one of a clouded leopard, and I’d had an easy enough time finding one of a wolf close to his fur coloration. Using a tiny piece of ribbon to leash the wolf and put the lead line in the clouded leopard’s mouth served as the cherry on top of the cake, although I’d also gotten a few other hints as well.

Some of the hints were kinkier than others, but I’d made certain to write ‘for adult eyes only’ on those boxes.

If the condoms didn’t send a hint, I had hopes that one of the two different guidebooks on having a healthy and happy sex life sent the appropriate message. If those didn’t work, the instant I evicted the various guests from my home, I would take a direct approach with him, instigating with verbal indications I wanted to get physical with him sooner than later.

While patient, my virus wanted some action, and she wanted it the instant all prying eyes left.