Chapter Text
As soon as Xaden woke up, there were a pair of bright yellow eyes staring back at him. He jumped back in shock, heart beating wildly in his chest.
“What the fuck,” he murmured.
Xaden took a few moments to take in his surroundings, specifically the thing that had startled him. And thing was the best way to describe what was currently curled up on the pillow next to him. Instead of Violet’s plump lips and striking eyes, there was a creature with patchy black fur and crooked fangs surrounded by bruised gums. The only thing clean and clear about this animal was the bright yellow eyes that blinked at him owlishly.
“What the fuck ,” Xaden repeated.
“Isn’t he the cutest?” Violet cooed from behind Xaden as she walked out of the bathing chamber. She lied down next to him, reaching over him to scratch the black thing underneath its chin.
Xaden, still looking warily at the creature, asked, “What exactly is he?”
“It’s a cat,” Violet answered as if that was the stupidest question she had ever heard.
Xaden’s head pivoted to Violet, then back to the so-called cat. He narrowed his eyes at it and said, “That is not a cat. But more importantly than what it is, what is it doing in my bed?”
Violet looked a little perturbed. “Oh, so it’s your bed and not our bed?”
“If saying it’s our bed means you think you can bring strays in, then yes, it’s my bed.”
Violet rolled her eyes. She grabbed the object of their argument, clutched it to her chest, and then stood up. Now Xaden was not only annoyed that the cat was even here, but that Violet was giving him more attention than she was giving him.
“Where did you even find it?” Xaden grumbled.
“Near the hatching grounds,” Violet responded. “He was yowling as loudly as a cat twice his size. You’re more impressive than you look on the outside, aren’t you?”
Violet directed the last part at the cat in a baby voice as she scratched his ears. Xaden immediately heard the cat purring, and it was true that the sound was louder than he would have expected from such a disheveled-looking thing. The cat’s yellow eyes were pointed to Xaden as if to say, Ha, she’s all mine.
“Well, go put it back,” Xaden said. “I don’t want that thing shedding all over my room.”
Violet scowled at him. “I am not taking him back to be scooped up by a hungry dragon.”
No dragon would touch that thing, no matter how hungry they are, Sgaeyl’s voice rang through Xaden’s head.
Tairn must have said something similar to Violet, because she stiffened and the look on her face grew even darker. She hugged the cat even closer to her side and said, “I’ll just take him to the room I share with Rhiannon, then. You know, the bed I’m actually supposed to be sleeping in.”
Xaden knew that the look on Violet’s face meant she wouldn’t be backing down anytime soon. And there was no way he was going to let a fucking cat keep Violet from being in his bed every night.
“Fine,” Xaden said sharply. “But I’m killing him myself the moment I find a hairball on my floor.”
Violet grinned and leaned over to give Xaden a kiss. Then she planted one on the cat’s head, too. Xaden was just glad she hadn’t kissed the cat first.