Page 31

One Month Later

I was totally getting a cat.

The animal shelter was fairly empty as I browsed through the selection of cats. I was giddy with excitement over picking out the perfect kitty. Kroven stirred next to me, a half-smile darkening his face, his red eyes glistening from the overhead fluorescent lighting.

An attendant at the animal shelter looked us over, focusing her eyes on our adjoined hands, like any other couple would be doing, but she kept any thoughts on the matter to herself. Things in Piper were getting better each day, thanks to Wallace’s outcry to fight to unite. The phrase had lingered on social media for a while. There were a lot of people who thought Wallace should run for President next year. I was just happy that no more attacks had happened on the blood centers and things were starting to feel more open to the idea of Orbs and humans mingling more out in the open.

I’d been back at the blood center about a week after the press conference, and our usual sangamar clientele were back. If anything, we were starting to have more sangamar patients than we knew what to do with. Both Babs and Wallace’s speeches had touched everyone, putting our little blood center on the map, garnering a lot more business than we were used to. There was even talks about expanding the Orb wing to accommodate the extra patients. Babs said if that happened, she wanted me to be the lead attendant on the Orb wing, one I said I would gladly accept if and when that happened.

I hadn’t spent much time back at the apartment since the blood center had reopened. Partly because I wanted as much potential orgasms with Kroven as possible, but also because Thayer had agreed to hear Troian out, and they were working on things. While Troian was still staying at a hotel, at his own request despite my many pleas to use my bed while I wasn’t there, I wanted to give them the space to work through their fragile familial relationship.

“What about this one?”

Kroven’s question broke me out of my reverie. I followed his gaze to the cat he was pointing at, an absolutely adorable tabby that was already meowing at Kroven as he approached the glass. Surprisingly, animals reacted to Kroven like he was human, another reason why animals were better than humans in every single way.

“Cute, but I’m not sure if that’s the right one.”

“Are you looking for a particular breed?” The attendant cleared her throat to almost remind us that she was there as we browsed.

“Not really.” Both of us said in unison.

My breath caught as I saw a kitten in the corner, alone and looking scared out of its mind. It was a beautiful grey kitten with blue eyes. There were other cats, siblings I presumed, of varying colors playing around the one I had my eye on. I bent down and put my hands to the glass. None of the kittens bothered to acknowledge me. Except for the lone one in the corner.

“Hey there.” I said to the cutie.

It meowed, eyeing its siblings and running over to meet me at the glass, making sure not to bump into any other kittens as its eyes locked on mine and meowed again.

“I knew this litter wouldn’t last long,” The attendant smiled. “Only been here two days. Scottish folds are pretty popular.”

Standing back up, I nodded at Kroven and the attendant. “That’s the one.”

“What an adorable kitten.” Kroven cooed, coming over and placing a finger on the glass. The kitten looked up and meowed with interest.

“Great, I’ll get the paperwork started and then we can make her yours.” She nodded. “Do you already have a name in mind?”

I nodded, looking at Kroven. He gave me a question mark locked look, but when he glanced back at the grey kitten, he wore a knowing survey.

“Diana.” We said together.

“Wonderful. I’ll get Diana’s paperwork printed up and we can start the adoption process.”

When the attendant left, Kroven swooped me into his arms and gestured to the kitten with the tilting of his head. “How did I know you’d name our cat after one from Sailor Moon?”

“Because you know and love me.” I purred with an added laugh.

“More than anything.” He agreed, leaning forward to claim a kiss.

“I told you I’d move in if you got me a cat,” I chuckled again after the kiss. “Someone got really motivated this morning to have me move in.”

“I’ve had years without you by my side,” Kroven beamed. “I’m ready to see your beautiful face every morning.”

Smiling like the idiot in love that I was, kissing the love of my life, I knew for certain that for the first time in my life I was irrevocably, hopelessly happy with every aspect of my life. And with Kroven, I knew it’d be better with him next to me for every moment.