Chapter Text
“Wildcat.” She heard from behind her. Nesta knew the voice, in fact she was annoyed just by hearing it. She growled, turning around to the man she knew she’d see. His smirk was infuriating, his handsome face so smug she wanted to punch the smugness right off of it. Perhaps the violence was because she had just been in a stressful situation, perhaps it was her natural reaction to Cassian’s face. She would have bet on the latter.
“What are you talking about?” she sneered.
“You. You are a wildcat.” He looked her up and down then nodded, “Wildcat.”
Nesta knew she was sneering. She knew but she couldn’t help it. She didn't want to, not with him.
His smirk widened, “That is your name.” He thought about it for a second, brows bunching together, “I suppose the people from behind the walls would call it a spirit animal, if I’m not mistaken.”
She lifted an eyebrow, “Like you are the Bear?”
He nods, “Yes, like that.”
She sighed, face softening, almost involuntarily, “Is that how that works? You say it and boom, now it’s my name?”
His face sobers as he shakes his head, “No. I have simply seen the wildcat in you and recognized it enough to name it,” he smiles, not smugly for once, “I’m sure no one will disagree that you are a Wildcat. Though the Elder has to agree and bless you with the name and the spirit of the animal.”
“Mmmm…” if she was being honest she only understood some of it.
His smile became smug again, “I’ll get to name you, which gives me great joy.”
She rolls her eyes, “You are incapable of not ruining a moment, you know that?”
He chuckles, “Maybe. Or maybe we haven’t been in the right moment.”
She rolls her eyes again, turning around and going back to her tent.
She was around the bonfire with the entire tribe that night. Apparently tonight was some kind of special occasion ritual or something. Feyre was attempting to explain it to her, “It finds the people who’s souls are alike and it shows it to us, all of us. The people that are tied are regarded as married after that, but there are rituals to bind the people together forever.” Feyre smiles, “That’s what happened to me and Rhys.”
Nesta snorted, “Told by the fire that your spirits are alike. Yes, that explains you and Rhysand’s relationship.”
Feyre rolled her eyes and snorts, “Laugh all you want, but the fire was right.”
“Well, you and I both know that it’ll never happen to me.” Nesta answered.
Elain sat down pulling Lucien, her betrothed, with her, “What’ll never happen to you?” she asked cheerfully.
“Nesta said she would never be paired with a soul by the fire.” Feyre answered.
Elain hugged Nesta’s side, “Oh, don’t be so pessimistic, I bet there is some handsome guy that will be a match for your soul.”
Rhys sat down next to Feyre, kissing her on the cheek, “Yes, never know. Speaking of, a certain Bear told me he saw the Wildcat in you. I agree, perfect name.”
“Ooh, ooh, definitely,” Feyre said.
Rhys chuckled, “I believe that Cassian is going to tell the Elder. He seemed happy of the prospect of naming you himself.”
“Let me guess: it involves taking my clothes off, doesn't it.” She deadpanned.
Rhys was close to a smirk of his own when she heard a booming laugh coming from behind her, the next thing she knew Cassian was sitting next to her, large arm around her shoulder, “Yes it does.” He says, winking at her, “But that's not the only reason. It's an honor to name someone, to be part of the process. It's a big thing, getting paired with an animal.”
“Sure, fine, it's a big deal,” she rolled her eyes again, “but why wildcat?”
He chuckled again, looking at her in the eyes, “They are small. But fierce. They'll claw your eyes out if you rub them the wrong way.” He lifted a brow, “Like someone we know.” She was almost agreeing with him when he continued, “Now if you rub them the right way .” His voice had dropped to a low hum, his accent enhancing the sensuality of those few words.
She pushed him away from her, “You're a pig, you really are.”
“I'm a bear, sweetheart. A bear that could teach you many things, if you let me.” he said quietly to her.
“I'd sooner use my own hand than let you teach me anything.” she snapped back in the same tone.
His grin became almost feral, “That works for me.”
She snorted, “In your dreams, Bear. ”
There came a noise from the back of his throat, “Most definitely. Every single night.” He said before getting up and walking somewhere else.
She rolled her eyes as he strutted away. So insufferable, that bear . Sometimes she swore she wanted to choke him, if only to have a respite from the all the gibberish. Alas, he was far too tall for her to reach his neck and far too muscled for her to make a dent. It was still a dream of hers, unlikely as it was. She lived in that fantasy for a few more moments until she heard the call to attention.
As hard as it had been to come from beyond the walls, as they called it, she was now more than a little familiar with their ways and traditions. It felt like a long while since she’d moved, they had even fought a war and settled some of the grudges that stood between the two peoples. Not all, of course, some were too old and ingrained to be settled, even with a war.
So she sat quietly and listened to the Elder speak a bunch of words in a language she was beginning to learn but was still too new at to really follow. She caught words here and there but nothing big enough to make her truly understand what was happening.
Before she knew it people were standing up and mingling, but she kept to her seat. She knew what this part was, the fire was about to pair kindred souls and she had no interest in this part of the night. So she sat and watch the people dancing and the fire starting to change colors. She caught shapes of animals and people walking through the fire meeting each other in the middle.
Just when she was starting to lose interest, she saw a… cat come up to her. A cat, but wilder somehow. She smiled as she realized it was a Wildcat, leading her closer and closer to the fire. She couldn’t help but huff a little laugh as the small cat growled at her, running away. She stepped up and followed that little cat with such a narrow focus that she didn’t realize where the cat was leading her. To whom the cat was leading her.
She was on the other side and close to the fire when she bumped into something, just as her little guiding wildcat leaped onto… a bear . Looking up at what she had bumped into she realized she hadn’t bumped into a thing but rather a one . Cassian, looking down at her with an absolutely dumbfounded expression on his handsome features.
She turned back to the fire in time to see the bear transform into Cassian himself and the wildcat, her wildcat, turn into her. She couldn’t blink as she saw the Cassian in the fire turn to her fire avatar and take her hands in his lifting them to his mouth for a kiss.
The fire…
“ You have got to be kidding me ,” was the only words that came to her mouth.