(Not) Really Scary Halloween

by Sophie Martin

  “So,” the mysterious voice spoke, seemingly coming from the cat even though his mouth wasn’t moving, “are you ready to talk, yet? I told you I’ve got some crucial news for you!” The cat managed to look annoyed, as if confirming it was indeed him speaking to Toby. Toby swallowed loudly, and his eyes darted around before finally settling on the cat.

  “Are…are you speaking to me?” he asked, pointing a finger at his chest. The cat huffed and pulled his paw up inspecting it before giving it a lick.

  “Are you Toby?” the voice asked and then added, not waiting for an answer, “then I am talking to you.”

  “But…but you’re a cat!” Toby was just too blown away to say anything else.

  “Actually, I’m not,” the animal answered.

  “Oh, you’re a shifter then?” Toby’s voice filled with hope. Shifters he could deal with, he was mated to one. Talking pets…not so much.

  “Not the way you think, no. I do not turn into a human if that’s what you’re asking about.”

  “I don’t understand,” Toby admitted in defeat. The cat sighed, and the creature jumped up on a bench next to Toby. The animal gave the young man this odd look that pets sometimes give humans, the one that says “why are you so inept?” but he started explaining anyway.

  “Why don’t I introduce myself first? My name is Ross, and I’m an owlcat.”

  “A what?” Toby couldn’t help but blurt out. He couldn’t have heard correctly, right?

  “An owlcat,” Ross repeated. “I’m a cat,” he said flicking the tip of his tail, “and I’m an owl.” No sooner had he said it than there was an owl seated before Toby, not a cat.

  “Oh, wow, ok. It is a hallucination then.” Toby nodded to himself. He did not just see what he saw. It was impossible. The creature before him rolled its owlish eyes and turned into a cat again.

  “I am not a hallucination! Okay, I see I need to start from the beginning. So you obviously know about shifters since you live with one, right?”

  “Yes, Tyler is my mate, and so is Jason!” Toby smiled, pride filling him. Those two incredible men were his, wasn’t that great? He still couldn’t get used to it.

  “Mates, huh? Well, good for you,” the owlcat said. “Anyway, back to my explanation. My mother is a cat-shifter, my father an owl shifter, me and my littermates were born as half-breeds. Everything was fine with my siblings’ births, but when it came time for me, there were some problems. I’m not sure what happened, but apparently I was wrapped in the umbilical cord and was born half strangled. Now, as I understand it, my shifter nature took over and as soon as I was free of my mother’s body I shifted to heal whatever was wrong with me.” Ross paused and Toby couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t seem at all bothered by his story. It was as if he came to terms with it ages ago. “The thing is,” he continued, “After I shifted into a kitten I then proceeded to turn into an owl chick. I never returned to my human form. So, now I’m the only known owlcat, a double shifter, but I cannot turn human,” he finished, still not seeming upset.

  “Wow!” Toby couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Then an idea popped into his head, and he couldn’t shake it so he offered. “Jay-Jay could make it so that you could change into a human, you know? He’s really powerful, it would be nothing for him.” Okay, so maybe he slightly exaggerated, since he knew how Jason didn’t like to use his power except in emergencies. It was an emergency, though, wasn’t it?

  “No, thank you,” the cat said. “I’ve lived as an owlcat my entire life. I see no reason to change that.”

  “Are you sure?” Toby wasn’t convinced. “You’re a shifter, you should be able to turn human if you wish.”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” The cat suddenly transformed into an owl and shook his feathers. The change was seamless, like he did it all the time without even thinking.

  “Well, as long as you’re certain, I guess,” Toby said, his voice hesitant. Ross’s sudden change unsettled him but even more disconcerting was the thought of living as an owlcat, never able to turn human and yet being fully cognizant and aware of what you were missing. It made Toby shudder with dread and he decided to change the subject.

  “So, you were saying you had something important to tell me?”

  “Yes, I did,” the owlcat confirmed. “I came to warn you.”

  “Warn me? About what?” Toby asked, his curiosity once again piqued.

  “Right!” The creature’s strange, incorporeal voice was apparently able to make all the sounds that a normal human could. It was made obvious when the owlcat sighed before continuing. “A few days ago I went out for my nightly prowl-slash-flight. I enjoy the solitude and calming quietness of the night. Anyway, I flew to an area where there are only some old abandoned factories, nothing else. As I was flying overhead, I heard some people arguing.” Ross paused and puffed up his feathers. It was a strange gesture, one Toby couldn’t decipher. It was easier with a cat. You could usually tell the mood a cat was in by observing its body language. Owls seemed to be different. Or maybe it was simply that Toby had no experience with owls so he couldn’t read Ross’s other form so well.

  “Now, normally I’d steer clear of any humans; however, the word ‘shifter’ caught my attention. Curious and slightly worried I landed on a window ledge to listen to what they were discussing.” He paused, settling himself better on the bench and carried on. “The men were discussing an attack. I didn’t catch many details, but I managed to figure out that it was supposed to be directed at the three of you.” The owl looked at Toby pointedly, if a bird could do so.

  “But how did you know about us?” Toby asked. Something wasn’t making sense here.

  “Ah,” Ross’s voice turned defensive as he changed into a cat and licked his paw, avoiding Toby’s gaze. “See, we, that is my brother and me, have lived in this area for a couple of years already. We noticed immediately when some alpha claimed it.” Ross paused and peeked at Toby over the paw he was once again licking. Then he averted his gaze again and continued. “However as mixed breed shifters we’re wary of other paranormals. Despite being so few, shifters can be really prejudiced against those they consider different. Due to these prejudices, we decided to stay off of any alpha’s radar.” Ross cleared his throat and put his paw back on the bench. Toby wondered for just a second how it was possible for a cat to clear its throat but then shook his head trying to dislodge the thought. No point in wondering about such trivialities. The owlcat measured him with a steady gaze and said in a serious voice.

  “But back to warning you.” Ross’s voice rang with decisiveness. “As soon as I realized what it was the men were discussing, I went back home to my brother. I told him we should warn you. I mean, I understand staying out of other paranormals’ way, I do, but we’re talking an attack here! And a violent one with the intent to kill from what I overheard.” The cat looked away, seeming to stare at the nearby bushes like they held something fascinating. His voice turned somber. “My brother disagreed with me. He thinks we should mind our own business and let you deal with the problem on your own. We argued, but he refused to even call you or send you a text.” He paused again and sighed. “My conscience wouldn’t let me leave you unaware, however. So when my brother left for work, I sneaked out and came to warn you myself.”

  “Okay, wow.” Toby’s eyes were huge. “That’s a lot to take in, you know.” He went silent, mulling it over in his head. Finally, he asked, “There’s one thing I don’t understand, though. Why me? Why not go to Jason. He’s the Alpha after all, or even to Ty, a big, capable shifter. Why choose me?”

  “I actually tried both of them first.” Ross seemed really put out “Your strange Alpha, Jason, is it?” he asked and waited for Toby to nod in confirmation. “Yes, so I went to see him first. I learned all of your habits a while ago to avoid you. I knew he walked dogs from the shelter in the nearby park and I went to meet him there. I called out to him repeatedly, but he ignored me. There were too many humans to risk a confrontation, so I decided to
try my luck with the tiger.” Ross’s voice turned really uncomfortable, and the tip of his tail twitched continuously. “I went to your house and tried to get his attention. It worked, but not in the way I had hoped.” The cat shook his head in a very human gesture. It looked like he did have some human habits after all.

  “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your shifter mate is seriously unhinged. As soon as he spotted me, he went bat-shit crazy. He started crossing himself and making some odd signs with his fingers. Devil’s horns, I think it’s called, meant to ward off demons, bad luck, and such. He also started spouting off some nonsense about devils, death-bringing cats, and evil forces of Halloween. One would think he wouldn’t insult other cats as he’s a type of cat himself.” Ross’s mental voice sounded half sympathetic, half disgusted. Toby couldn’t help but smile at the image the owlcat painted with his words. He couldn’t wait to tease Ty about it.

  “I see,” he said, the events finally making sense in his mind, “so you came to me as your last resort, then?”

  “Please don’t be offended,” the owlcat hurried to say. “I did come to you as my last hope. However, the reason is different than you probably think.” Ross seemed pretty intent on convincing Toby about it judging by his tone of voice. “It’s not that I believe you’re less capable of dealing with the news. I know how terrible it feels to be overlooked because of your size and physical strength.” He paused and Toby sensed that the owlcat was talking from experience. “So, anyway, that’s not the reason I approached you last. I must admit I didn’t hold much hope that I’d be able to communicate with you. See, I was under the impression that you were human and humans cannot understand me. As a matter of fact, I think my family and I lived under a misconception. We assumed that I could be understood by all the paranormals, or at least all shifters, because my family are all shifters and they can understand me while humans can’t. However, as I never met a paranormal outside my family this assumption was never challenged.” His voice trailed off for a moment as he was considering some new information. “After meeting your mates, though, I’m starting to have doubts. It looks like they cannot understand me and neither of them are human, that much is obvious!” Ross sounded really distressed, but Toby had no way of reassuring him. Instead, he decided to change the subject.

  “I’m really glad you came to me. We’ve gotten into trouble with some nasty people lately, and we were worried there might be further consequences. It’s good that you warned us ahead of time. This way we will be prepared. I’m really grateful.” Toby paused and thought for a moment before offering. “Why don’t you come home with me so you can relay all that you’ve overheard to Tyler and Jayson?” Toby smiled at the cat and added. “I’ll be your translator. I have no idea why I can hear you and they can’t, but it might have something to do with my origins. I only recently learned that I am not fully human. I have no idea what kind of paranormal I’ve got in my family tree, but maybe it has something to do with me being able to understand you.” He paused, then asked with more vigor, “So, are you coming?”

  Toby stood up seeing the bus approach. He looked at the owlcat over his shoulder. Ross seemed to be considering his offer. Just as the bus’s door opened, he came to a decision. Jumping off the bench, he followed Toby up into the bus. The driver raised his eyebrows at the cat and, after checking Toby’s ticket, he said, “You know small pets need to be kept in your lap during the drive, right?”

  Toby glanced at Ross who was giving the driver a stinky eye. Grinning Toby answered, “Oh, don’t worry, Ross is very well trained. He knows the rules, right, Ross?” This time, the stinky eye was directed at Toby as the cat turned his back on them with his tail raised high. Toby laughed and told the driver. “Don’t worry, he simply doesn’t like to be carried, but he’ll sit in my lap, no problem.”

  “You just make sure of that,” the driver said shaking his head with an incredulous expression. Toby laughed some more as he followed Ross to a double seat near the back.

  “I’ll only sit in your lap if someone comes to claim this place,” Ross said with a huff taking the seat closer to the window.

  “Fine by me,” Toby answered in a lowered voice, still smiling. He couldn’t wait for Ross to meet his mates. Tyler’s reaction was sure to be hilarious!

  Chapter Three

  “Honey, I’m home!” Toby announced to whichever of his mates could hear him as he opened the door and stepped through it.

  “We’re in the kitchen, sweetheart!” Jason answered in a happy voice. Toby couldn’t get enough of hearing it. Jason had been emotionless for so long that he almost forgot how to be happy. Now, despite all the trouble they were facing, he was happier, more relaxed than when Toby had first met him. It seemed that the longer they were together, the more content Jason got. Well, Toby guessed it was true for all three of them.

  “Hi, guys!” Toby said as he entered the kitchen, Ross trailing behind him. “I brought someone for you to meet. Ross has some important news for us.” Jason and Tyler were sitting at the kitchen table having tea and biscuits. Jack, a cuberow shifter and Jason’s advisor in all things paranormal was also there, preparing himself a cup. They all turned to him at once, and their expressions varied from confusion on Jason’s face as he looked for the person Toby brought to Jack’s grimace and wrinkled nose to Tyler’s outright terror. Not surprisingly, Ty was the first to react.

  “You brought home the demon cat! Are you insane?” he shouted, and Toby felt Ross stiffen beside him.

  “See, I told you. Totally wacko!” Ross gave him a sympathetic look. Toby smiled and, ignoring Tyler’s outburst, introduced Ross to everyone.

  “Guys, this is Ross. He came to warn us about an upcoming attack.” He paused, pulled out a chair, and gestured for Ross to take it. Once the owlcat did, Toby pulled out another one for himself.

  “Um, Toby…” Jack spoke hesitantly from where he stood near the counter. “You do realize it’s a cat, right?”

  “Yeah, and you’re a cuberow and Tyler is a tiger. So?” Toby nearly rolled his eyes, his own earlier confusion forgotten. After all, he had believed his whole life that he was human, his first meeting with paranormals being when he had been sold to a vampire. Jack and Tyler knew about shifters from birth. Hell, they were shifters themselves. Shouldn’t they be more open to the situation?

  “Um, are you saying he’s a shifter?” Jason asked. Toby noticed with satisfaction that his powerful mate wasn’t losing his feelings, even temporarily, which was what usually happened when meeting new people or facing possible danger.

  “Yep,” Toby answered, smiling at Jay-Jay gratefully.

  “Then why won’t he change to human?” Jason asked, but before Toby could answer both Jack and Ty interjected.

  “He doesn’t smell like a shifter. Shifters smell both human and animal. This cat smells like cat and something else, but not human,” the cuberow said.

  “This is not a shifter! This is the evil demon cat that stalked me earlier, the same one I saw just the other day!” Tyler stood up bringing his fist on the table with force. “Get it out of my house before he brings death to one or all of us!”

  Toby felt Ross stiffen even more and detected a slight trace of fear in the creature from the way it puffed up its fur. Toby had had enough. He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips in a tight line. He stood up giving Ty “the look.”

  “Tyler Rhodes! Is that any way to treat our guest? And one who came to warn us about imminent danger, risking himself in the process? Shame on you! You will apologize to him this instant!” Toby said, noticing that his finger started waving in the air and froze pointing at Ross.

  “Um, maybe I should go? You know about the attack. The rest of them can figure it out on their own,” Ross said looking at him and Toby noticed his eyes grew big, the yellow almost swallowed by the black of his pupil.

  “You will not go anywhere, not until this is resolved. You deserve better than to be shouted at by this big brute!” Toby was working h
imself into a fit.

  “I will not apologize to this… this… thing!” Ty screamed, his voice rising to levels typically heard in young girls’ voices only. Toby felt his eyes narrow, even more, turning into mere slits.

  “That’s it!” he stomped his foot. “You sleep on the sofa today! Now sit down and be quiet, you silly tiger!” Tyler measured him with a look, but then he swallowed loudly and obediently sat down. Good! Toby was so mad he wasn’t sure what he’d do if the stupid furball didn’t listen to him. Shave him in his sleep maybe? That was the tiger’s biggest fear after all, wasn’t it? Toby gave Tyler one last warning look before turning to Jason with a sniff. “Now, since we’ve dealt with the tiger’s impoliteness, can we get to the truly important stuff?” he asked mustering all the patience he could. Jason nodded, and Toby turned to Ross. The owlcat was looking at him with a newfound respect.

  “Wow, now I see I should have come to you from the beginning. You’re the one running this household, aren’t you?” the cat said, and Toby frowned at him.

  “Nonsense, I’m just a human with an unknown paranormal ancestor in his family tree. These two are the truly powerful ones.” He waved pointing at his wayward mates. Before Ross could answer, Jack cleared his throat and Toby looked at him. The shifter was making himself look small and had a pained expression on his face, but at the same time, he seemed determined to point something out.

  “Um, Toby, you know you’re talking to yourself, right? Is everything okay with you?” Toby sighed and sat on his chair heavily, then he hid his face in his hands and took a few deep breaths. He felt Jason reach over and massage his neck muscles. Toby looked up at his mate and gave him a grateful look. Jason was watching him with concern and Toby got himself together. He hated worrying his mate.