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I knew my fate.
CHAPTER12
ZAIDE
“Do you think it’s bad we are having fun when Baelen is hurt?” Clawdia asked in a small voice.
While I hadn’t forgotten our soul mate lay asleep and injured, I was focused on us relaxing and having a nice time. At the mention of his name, guilt seemed to slip under my skin.Could I have done something to help prevent him from getting hurt? Was I being a bad soul mate by having fun without him?
I swallowed my guilt and pushed it away. She didn’t need to feel all the anguish within my heart. Shaking my head slowly, I held her gaze. “I don’t think Baelen would begrudge us our happiness, especially since we’ve had so little of it these days.”
She hugged me, and as the song changed to something more upbeat, something I couldn’t dance to without dishonoring my gods, I pulled her off the dance floor and back to the table. Charlie stood chatting with the twins, one of which was holding a tabby cat with a big black fluffy brush of a tail.
“Look, Clawdicat. A real cat,” Charlie called as the cat was set down and began winding around Charlie’s legs.
Clawdia pouted. “I don’t know what you are trying to say by that, but I don’t like it.”
“This is Hex,” the twins said simultaneously. “He’s our fake familiar.”
I stroked Hex under his chin, and his responding purr echoed loudly. “Little Cat, I think he likes me.”
“No, he doesn’t.” She stepped between me and the cat, blocking me and crossing her arms. “I’m your little cat, and no other cats exist for you. Don’t even look at him.”
I couldn’t help but tease her. “But he’s so cute.”
“I am cuter,” she argued.
She is. In both forms.
But I was having fun seeing her face turn pink with frustration, so I reached around her and pet Hex again. His purr ramped up, and he rolled over, showing his belly, begging for more.
“You never purred like that,” Charlie joined in the teasing, his lips twitching.
Clawdia gasped. “I did.”
Charlie’s laughter was loud and boisterous, drawing stares from people all over the party. He didn’t seem to notice as he slapped his thighs and tears appeared in the corner of his eyes. I broke my serious facade and had to laugh too, which made the twins snicker behind their hands.
“Why are you getting so defensive?” Charlie asked between chuckles.
“I was … am … a great cat.” Her gaze rapidly switched between Charlie and I. “Better than all the other cats. Right?”
“I’d argue you were the worst.” Charlie scoffed. “Do you remember my thirtieth birthday?”
“No.”
“Well, I got you cat wine, and you decided to push my cupcake off the table.” He glared and slowly said, “You were a bad cat.”
Her head tilted to the side. “That was your thirtieth? You celebrated with a cat?”
“You were the cat!” he exclaimed.
“You didn’t know that.” She raised her eyebrow and looked him up and down, regarding him with the same disdain she often showed him in her feline form. I covered my laugh with a cough.
One of the twins suddenly interrupted as the music changed, grasping Clawdia’s arm. “Oh, I love this song. Clawdia come dance.”
Her hands were taken, and she disappeared into a mass of females who descended on the dance floor in a similar squealing manner and began screaming the lyrics, which spoke of girls ruling the world.
Joseph approached us with a glass in his hand. He nodded regally in greeting. “Charlie, Zaide, I’m glad to see you having a nice time.”
