I was cuddling the little tabby cat I’d just rescued, burying my face in his soft fur, when a string of text suddenly floated in my vision: 【She has no idea, does she? That little furball is actually her ex-boyfriend.】 【Leo broke up with her because he’d just learned to shift into his human form and couldn't control his… barbs. He was afraid he’d hurt her…】 【Tsk, tsk, the poor guy went away to practice for a whole year. Even his ‘equipment’ is much more behaved now.】 【If only she knew that her favorite flannel pajamas were already shredded to ribbons by a certain someone…】 【Can’t wait to see her crying and begging for mercy while Leo gets more and more intense…】 My eyes drifted down to the cat currently making biscuits on my chest. I snatched him up by the scruff of his neck. Sure enough, his little pink rocket hadn’t been retracted in time. Well, well. If he’s having that much trouble keeping it to himself, then maybe… I should take him to get the snip. Right now. 1 The cat struggled in my grip for a moment before going limp, staring up at me with a look of pure theatrical betrayal. If it weren’t for those ghostly comments, I never would have thought a cat’s face could be so expressive. Come to think of it, he did look a bit like my ex-boyfriend, Leo. Especially that accusing glint in his eyes. It was the exact same look he’d give me whenever he came crawling back to apologize after a fight. But how could Leo be a cat? In the two years we were together, everything was normal—except for the fact that he never, ever slept with me. He had a respectable job; I’d even met his parents. Then he broke up with me by vanishing into thin air. To this day, I still don’t understand how a living, breathing person could just ghost someone so completely. I even filed a missing person’s report, half-convinced he’d been kidnapped by a backwoods cult. And now these… whatever they are… are telling me he’s not just a man, but some kind of cat-shifter? A cold dread crept up my spine as I replayed the last few days in my head. When I was on the toilet, he’d lounge by my feet. When I took a bath, he’d hop right in and paddle around. When I slept, he’d find the warmest spot right in the crook of my neck. And don't even get me started on the relentless biscuit-making on my chest. If he really was Leo… My gaze turned sinister as I looked at the tabby, whose ears were now flattened against his head in the classic “airplane” mode of feline terror. I grabbed him and stuffed him into the pet carrier. There was one way to find out for sure. A little trip to the vet should clear things up. 2 I hummed a cheerful little tune as I drove, while the cat huddled in the corner of the carrier, letting out a series of high-pitched, pathetic mews. It was a sound so saccharine it could give you cavities, and normally, I would have pulled over to comfort him. But now, all I could think about was him being Leo, and my teeth started to grind. He ghosts me without a word, and now he sneaks back into my life as a cat to feel me up? Oh, hell no. If he thought he was getting away with that, he had another thing coming. “Don’t you worry, Milo,” I cooed, giving the carrier a little shake. “After today, you’ll be able to start your new, carefree kitty life. Trust me, Mommy knows best!” The tiny body in the carrier went rigid for a split second. But he just stared at me with those wide, innocent eyes, let out a soft “mew,” and started to purr, a low rumble vibrating through the plastic. I hid a smirk. If he really was Leo, I wondered if he’d still be purring in a few minutes. The vet’s office was close. The moment I pushed open the door, the spectral comments flared up again. 【She’s really doing it! She’s going to get him neutered! Mia, you cruel, cruel woman! Leo’s family jewels are in danger!】 【Don’t just sit there, Leo, unleash your powers! Show her who’s boss!】 【I’ll bet a bag of tuna treats the King of the Shifters is about to have his cover blown!】 King of the Shifters? Him? Please. The young woman at the front desk smiled sweetly as I walked in. “Are you Milo’s mom?” she asked, her voice bright. “You’re here for the male neutering appointment you booked online, right?” I nodded, lifting the carrier. “That’s the one.” As the words left my mouth, the tabby’s head snapped up. Through the metal grate of the carrier door, I could see genuine, unadulterated terror in his eyes. The soft purring was replaced by a series of short, sharp hisses. His fur stood on end, making him look like a fluffy, electrified pom-pom, and his little paws, with their bread-roll toes, dug into the plastic floor in silent protest. 【Oh shit, Leo’s panicking. He’s finally panicking!】 【I can feel the terror vibrating through his very soul…】 【Snap out of it, Mia! If you actually get him fixed, think of all the fun you’ll be missing out on…】 【WARNING: SCALPEL AHEAD! HANG IN THERE, YOUR MAJESTY!】 The receptionist peered into the carrier at the bristling cat and giggled. “Oh my gosh, he’s so cute! Do you think he understands what we’re saying? He looks so scared. Aww, someone’s about to lose his little nuts…” A sharp hiss was her only reply. This just seemed to delight her even more. She reached out and poked one of his paws that was clinging to the grate. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. See? When you’re small and helpless, even your threats come off as adorable. 3 After a few minutes in the waiting area, a door to one of the exam rooms opened. A doctor’s deep voice called out. “Next, Ms. Thompson? You can bring the cat in now.” “Coming!” I chirped, feeling like a soldier marching into battle as I scooped up the carrier and headed in. The room was bright, clean, and smelled faintly of antiseptic. Dr. Evans, a kind-looking man in a white coat, adjusted his glasses and took the carrier from me. “Alright, let’s not be nervous. Let’s just take a look at the little guy and see how he’s doing.” The second he opened the door, the tabby shot out of the carrier like he’d been launched from a cannon. He did a few laps around the room, scrambling up the walls like a furry little ninja, before landing right next to my phone on the counter. His pink little paw pads started frantically tapping the screen. He’d already managed to type “9” and “1.” Ha… Was he actually trying to call the cops? I quickly snatched the phone and turned off the screen, giving him a tight, toothy smile. Dr. Evans, recovering from his shock, just chuckled. “Wow, what a spitfire. He’s certainly got good reflexes. The surgery should be no problem at all.” He called in two male assistants wearing thick, bite-proof gloves. The three of them cornered the cat with practiced ease and scooped him up. The tiny animal was pinned to the cold, metal examination table, letting out a series of blood-curdling screeches. His claws were fully extended, swiping wildly at the air. But he was just too small. He was no match for two grown men. He lay there like a furry, furious fish on a cutting board, utterly defeated. His amber pupils had contracted into thin, vertical slits, and his gaze was locked on me. I cleared my throat, pretending not to notice, and studied a chart on the wall. Whether Milo was Leo or not, getting him neutered was the responsible thing to do for any male cat. Dr. Evans seemed unfazed by the drama. He expertly began his examination. “He’s got quite the temper, this one. But don’t you worry, a male neuter is a very simple procedure. It’ll be over before you know it.” After the check-up, he picked up a clipboard. “Okay, Ms. Thompson, if you could just sign the surgical consent form, we’ll run a few pre-op tests and then we can take him in.” I took the pen he offered. As I did, my eyes met the cat’s pleading gaze from the table. Instead of feeling pity, a wicked little flame ignited inside me. Probably my inner troll taking over, but I leaned in close to the cat, who now looked more like a terrified little seal, and spoke in a low, deliberate voice, making sure every syllable landed perfectly in his furry little ears. “You know, Dr. Evans, when you do the surgery… could you make sure to get them… all of it? I just really, really don’t want him spraying. Ever.” The spectral comments went into a full-blown meltdown.
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