Slowly, I step back, not taking my eyes off her. Her eyes are closed, but her heart rate is increasing. She's waking up.
"Get ready," I say quietly, even though I know that the others are well prepared.
The girl's breathing grows faster, too fast. Suddenly, her eyes rip open, her pupils dark, almost black. She gasps for air, clutches her throat. Is she suffocating?
Without warning, she shifts, faster than I've ever seen anyone shift. One second, she's a girl, next second, she's a black panther. A lot smaller than when I shift, but still at least twice as large as Ryker. He extends his claws, ready for a confrontation.
The ropes lie curled up on the floor, no longer holding her back. She growls, looks around with those dark eyes of hers, but she doesn't attack. The tension is her is evident though, and I doubt it will take much to set her off. She's confused, disoriented, but not aggressive. We need to keep it that way.
Slowly, very slowly, I crouch down, making myself less threatening. I lift my arms, hoping that even as a shifter, she still has a basic understanding of human gestures.
"We're not here to hurt you," I tell her quietly, but determinedly. While I don't want her to think we're a threat, we can't seem like prey either.
Her head whips from side to side as she takes all of us in. I hope Gryphon is no longer playing with his knives, but I don't dare turn around to check.
She seems unsure, as if she can’t decide whether we’re her enemies or not. I wish I could shift. It would make things so much easier. She’s in cat mode just now and I doubt she’ll be able to shift back and talk to us properly.
Ryker meows softly and slowly steps forward, his tail touching my leg. In a strange urge to protect him, I almost reach down to keep him back, but I resist that need. He’s an adult, he knows what he’s doing.
The intention of his meows is so strong that I bet the others can understand him too. He’s telling the girl that we’re no threat, that we want to help. That we want to keep her safe. He promises her our protection, maybe even our friendship.
She cocks her head to one side. Does she understand what he’s saying? I’ve always been able to understand cats when I’m shifted, but who knows if that’s the same for her. She’s a clone, it could be different.
Finally, after Ryker repeats it all several times, she relaxes a little. Not enough yet to make me think that she’ll be easy to deal with, but enough to slightly ease the tension in my limbs.
To my surprise, Ryker holds out a paw to the girl. She stares at it. I really hope she doesn’t think he’s offering her to bite him. Or eat his paw. Who knows what she’s been raised like.
Slowly, she raises her own paw – much bigger than Ryker’s – and nudges his. Like a cat handshake. Strange. I’m not sure what Ryker is trying to achieve with this, but it seems to be working.
She looks at their paws, different in size but similar in looks. His fur isn’t quite as black and silky as hers, but it’s close enough. I think he’s showing her that he’s the same. If she’s my only clone, that means she’s probably never met another cat shifter before.
Ryker meows and this time, she replies. Her voice is soft and high-pitched, but beautiful. Not quite my own, I think, but who knows what my voice sounds like outside my head.
“What are they saying?” Gryphon whispers, not realising that I don’t have a clue. I don’t respond.
Back and forth they meow, until the little panther bows her head. Wow, I didn’t expect her to show respect for Ryker. After all, she’s been sent by the Pack. Not exactly my friends.
Ryker steps back until he’s rubbing against my legs once again. Now that I know he’s a shifter and not just a cute cat, that gesture has more meaning than I would like. He’s basically a man with lots of fur and claws. Well, not a man, but a male. Men don’t just rub against women unless they want something. Or are in a relationship.
Without warning, the girl shifts from panther back to human. How can she do it that fast? The change is almost instant, without the pain I usually have to suffer through. Maybe I shifted that fast when I was a child, before I was with the Pack? I can’t remember, and I wasn’t allowed to shift until I was a teenager, and when I did, they immediately put a collar on my panther. From the way she looks at her world with wonder and surprise, I bet this is the first time she’s ever been without a collar.
She stares right at me, my own eyes being reflected back at me.
"Hello, Kat."
Chapter Fourteen
She knows my name. Not that it should surprise me, but it's kind of creepy to see my younger self say my name.
"Hello. What shall I call you?"
She frowns at me. "Kat, of course. That's my name."
"No, that's my name," I protest. "We can't have the same one."
Her frown deepens in genuine confusion. "Why not?"
"Because..." I don't want to set her off or make her think that we're not on her side, so I need to be careful with what I say. Diplomacy, Kat. It's a virtue. One that I really don't possess. "Because it will get confusing for my friends," I say, quickly making up an excuse. "Two Kats in one room might be too hard for them."
Gryphon chuckles.
"Some of them aren't very bright," I add and his chuckles stop.
"Then we can call you Katriona." She shrugs. "I've never much liked that name."
Okay, she's evil. And so like me. I've always preferred Kat too, not quite happy with the name my parents gave me.
"Katriona, I'll make us some tea," Bethany announces with glee. "Kat, would you like tea or maybe some hot chocolate?"
The girl looks confused. "Chocolate melts when it gets hot, why would I want that? It gets sticky."
Bethany gasps theatrically. "You've never had a hot chocolate? I shall make you one, you're going to love it."
She disappears from the room. She's been very friendly to my clone, as if she's forgotten that this child has killed two cats and kidnapped a bunch of kittens. It probably wasn't her choice, but I think we need to be cautious. I don't want to trust her, because I know how deceiving I can be.
"Let's sit down," I suggest and point at the sofa closest to her. "Are you hungry?"
Gryphon fed her some broth earlier, but children at this age can be ravenous, especially after a shift.
She nods, and I turn to the assassin. "Can you get her some more soup? There should be some bread in the cupboard above the fridge."
I sit down and wait for Kat-copy to do the same. She sits at the edge of the sofa, tense and wary of the rest of us. Maybe we need to clear the room a little.
"Benjamin, can you check on your latest project?" I ask him, wiggling my eyebrows to convey the hidden message without alerting the child. "Maybe Ryker wants to come with you? And Lennox, wasn't there something you wanted to do?"
They follow my hint and leave us alone. Now it's just me and the girl. I can sense the others close by. I'd hoped that Benjamin would show Ryker his kittens, giving me peace of mind that the boy is coping with looking after them, but they stay in the room next door together with Lennox.
"I know this must be strange for you," I start, giving her a smile. "I remember how it was the first time my collar was taken off."
She frowns at me. "This isn't my first time."
Alarm bells start to ring in my head, but I push them away. "No?"
"They make me shift all the time. Grandma Doctor says that it's good for my body to shift as often as possible."
"Grandma Doctor?"
"You don't know her?" Now she's starting to look at me as if I'm stupid. "She said she raised you, just like me. She told me all about you."
Okay, now I'm officially confused. I wasn't raised by anyone. There wasn't one person responsible for us at the Pack, especially not someone we'd ever dare call grandma. We had trainers, teachers, masters, but none of them ever took a particular interest in me. There were some doctors and researchers who studied me, trying to figure out how I was different from the wolves, but I do
n't think any of them was a woman.
"What did she tell you about me?" I ask cautiously.
"That you're a rebel," she answers immediately. "That you're planning to destroy us all because you're jealous of our family. You're angry that they expelled you, so now you want to seek revenge."
For her age, she's using some pretty big words. It sounds like she's regurgitating what this Grandma Doctor told her.
"She said you'd be very alone and sad," the girl continues. "And that by bringing you home, I can help you be happy again."
I smile again, trying to put as much happiness into it as possible. Even though it's hard to smile at all the stuff she's saying. It's disturbing.
"I'm happy already," I tell her. "I have my own family here. And I wasn't expelled, I left because I no longer wanted to stay with the Pack."
She's quiet for a moment. "The other cat, is he your family?"
"Ryker? Yes, I think he is."
"How can you not know?"
I sigh. "I only met him a short while ago, but he's become an important part of my life, so yes, he's family. As are all the other people you saw here."
Bethany enters with a large tray and I point at her. "That's Bethany. She's been living with me for a few months now. She's great at cooking. You'll see when you try her hot chocolate."
"You can call me Beth." She smiles as she hands Mini-Kat a mug. She's topped the cocoa with a massive hood of whipped cream, clearly trying to get some meat on the girl's bones.
Also, Beth?! It took four months before she told me I could call her by her nickname. And now she's offering it to the clone. No, I'm not jealous. I don't really care. But it's not fair.
Kat sticks out her tongue and carefully licks the cream. Her eyes widen slightly when she tastes it.
"Good?" I ask, wishing Bethany had given me some hot chocolate too rather than the mug of tea she's now handing me.
The girl doesn't respond, instead she greedily starts slurping the cocoa. If copious amounts of hot chocolate can get her on our side, then so be it. I'm not beyond bribery, on the contrary. It's a great method to get what I want.
Gryphon joins us and puts several bowls full of soup on the living room table. He probably assumed that everyone else was still here.
"Do you want me to leave?" he whispers while Kat is occupied with her drink.
I nod and he quietly moves away, leaving me stuck with his scent in my nose. I really need to figure out what he is; it's driving me crazy. There's something not-human in his scent, but not strong enough to identify. It's the same as with Lily, although I always thought it was her multiple layers of perfume that changed her scent. Now that I know about her succubus nature, it makes a lot more sense. Succubi are closer to humans than shifters, so her scent is very similar, with just a touch of extra spice. If she hadn't told me that there are no incubi, I would have almost thought that Gryphon is one of them. He's certainly got the looks, even with the scars across his face. It would also explain the feeling I get in the pit of my stomach every time he's close to me.
"Could I have more, please?" Kat asks sweetly, smiling at Bethany. The two of them seem to be quickly turning into friends. Unless this is all an act and my clone is scheming to deceive us for now, only to turn on us at the perfect moment. I don't know what to think of her. She's a child, she looks innocent and cute, but she's been raised by the Pack, which means there can't be much innocence left in her. The smile she gives Beth seems genuine though.
"I'll make you another mug," my friend promises and leaves for the kitchen. I'm alone again with my mirror image. Mini-Kat. Clone-Kat. Fake-Kat. I wish they'd at least have given her a different name. This is too creepy.
I swallow my discomfort and smile. "Would you like some soup?"
The girl shakes her head. "I don't want to spoil the sweet taste with saltiness."
I chuckle. "Very wise. You can have some soup later, if you change your mind. I tried some earlier, it's delicious."
Remembering how yummy it was, I take a bowl and eat a spoonful, both because I'm hungry and because I want to seem relaxed. I still don't believe that this is nothing but carrot, parsnip and parsley. There must be some kind of hidden ingredient.
"They told me you were evil," Kat says out of nowhere. "But you don't look evil."
I almost choke on my soup. "That's because we look the same. Are you evil?"
She frowns, scrunching up her face as she thinks. "I don't think so."
"Good, then so neither am I."
"But why would they say that?" she asks, genuinely confused. Poor thing. The fact that she's questioning it gives me hope, but I think we'll have a long way to go.
"They don't like me very much at the Pack," I explain. "I didn't always follow the rules."
"I don't either," she whispers, giving me a tiny smile. "But it's hard not to do what they say."
I nod. "The collar, right?"
"The silver collar takes away me, but when I wear the yellow one, I can think."
Okay, she's breaking my heart. Switching her collars makes it even more terrible. She knows the difference, knows how they're erasing her free will when she wears the silver collar. She might be young, but she understands much more than she should at her age. I wonder if that's because she's a clone or because of the way she's been brought up.
"Does the silver collar prevent you from speaking?" I ask gently, and she nods.
"It's like a dream. I sometimes see things, but I can't act. The collar takes over and I'm stuck inside."
"Do they make you wear the silver collar a lot?"
Again, she nods. "They say it's because I'm all grown up now. The yellow one is only for children."
I don't tell her that she's still a child. I doubt she'd believe me. She actually sounds proud of the fact that she gets to wear the silver collar rather than the bronze one, unaware that she's the only one who has such a collar. Unless the Pack have completely changed in the past seven months, but I doubt that. I sometimes see Pack assassins from afar, their collars hidden under scarves or upturned collars, but sometimes the bronze, almost golden colour shines through. I would have noticed if they'd switched to silver ones.
"Kat, I need to ask you something important. Do you remember going into a large factory yesterday?"
I don't think she could scrunch her little face up any more than she is now. She's trying very hard to remember, that much is obvious. "The smell... it was like the mug."
"That's right. It's an old chocolate factory. It did still smell of cocoa, a tiny bit."
"I remember the smell, but I don't know what happened. I think I saw a cat. Maybe?"
I don't think she's lying. She must have been wearing the silver collar, which means that she wasn't in control. I let myself relax a little more. She didn't consciously murder the cats, although this also shows that she's capable of killing when she wears that collar. She'll be programmed to do any violence necessary, and she wouldn't be able to stop herself. Luckily, that collar is off now and I'll be damned if I ever let anyone put it back on her. Even though she's my clone and not my little sister, I'm starting to feel a little protective of her.
"Do you remember anything after that?" I ask her. "How you got to the shed we found you in? What happened to the cats?"
"Shed?"
Ah, of course, she won't even know where we first saw her.
I get up and go on my knees in front of her, now confident that I won't scare her, and that she won't attack me. "I think the collar made you take some kittens," I explain gently. "Don't worry, we don't blame you, it wasn't you who did it, it was the collar. But those kittens are missing and we need to find them. Can you remember anything that might help us? Anything after you smelled the chocolate?"
"I don't think so," she says, looking at the floor.
Bethany chooses the perfect moment to return. She carries another mug of hot chocolate. I get up and take it from her, ignoring her protest. I hold it in front of Kat, letting her breathe in the scent.
"Close your eyes. Remember the smell. Sweet, delicious chocolate. Can you remember it?"
To my surprise, she really closes her eyes and her expression relaxes. She's probably so used to following orders that she doesn't think twice about it.
"It was dark," she whispers, before drawing in another deep breath. I hold the mug as close to her nose as I can without burning her.
"Yes, it was dark," I encourage her. "Was there anyone else? Did you hear anything?"
She stays quiet for a moment, her deep breath the only sound. I appreciate that she's trying. I think she wants to please me, make us happy. I doubt she's ever been treated with kindness, or been thanked. Once this is over, I'm going to make sure she gets chocolate every single day. And never wear a collar again, obviously.
"Meow."
She doesn't say it as a human word, she makes the sound like a cat would. Suddenly, Ryker's in the room, running towards her with panic in his eyes. I know why, I recognised the voice. Pumpkin. She's echoing pumpkin's words. Being human, I don't understand exactly what he's saying, but it's easy to hear the anguish in the sound. He's begging to be released, to be let free. He'd probably seen Mila and Haru slaughtered by the time he made that sound. He's scared, desperate.
Ryker meows in return, but Kat doesn't respond. She keeps her eyes closed, seemingly lost in the memory. Ryker looks at us, probably not sure what's going on. I put a finger on my lips and he nods.
When Kat stays quiet, I move the mug back and forth, making steam swirl up in lazy spirals.
"You saw cats, am I right?" I ask quietly. I don't want to disturb her, but I also don't want her to get trapped in her own mind. I know how confusing it can be once you take off the collar. It's like a part of your personality is returned that you'd forgotten about.
"Little cats," she whispers. "She took them. They didn't want to leave me, but she needed them."
"She?" I ask, a little too sharply.
"Grandma Doctor." She opens her eyes wide, terror reflecting in their depths. "I remember."
Chapter Fifteen
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