Off Leash (Freelance Familiars Book 1) Read Free

Three
     
     
    I hadn't realized I had drifted off to sleep until the doorbell startled me out of it. A high-pitched chirp of surprise escaped my throat as my legs pinwheeled over the granite countertop for a moment. My paw pads slipped over its smooth surface before suddenly finding purchase. My legs launched me across the kitchen, and I slammed my shoulder into the opposite wall so hard I felt the sheetrock crack before I slid down the wall, snarling in frustration.
    Who the hell was at my door?
    As if in answer, the deadbolt helpfully unlocked itself and a glowing woman floated into my house. No feet were visible beneath the hem of her long dress. "Happy Awakening Day!" she declared with a sunny grin and flourish of her hands. Small stars and emoticons flowed between them as she made a rainbow over her head.
    The woman herself had grey hair pulled up into a tight bun with two blue and green striped chopsticks, her wrinkled face sporting no makeup other than an oddly grey lipstick. Her bell-shaped dress rounded her spindly frame, swirling with blues and greens, and the air around her seemed to shimmer with its own soft light. For a moment I feared I had fallen into a Disney film and the kitchen appliances were about to burst into song. I gave the toaster a withering look just in case.
    The woman clapped, and the rainbow vanished into a flash of light as she turned her smile on me, her eyes twinkling. Her teeth were very white for her age. Her eyes widened a bit as they scanned across me. "Oh, wonderful!" Her eyes came back to mine. "You must be Mr. Thomas Khatt. Yes?"
    Not really seeing an option, I tried to make an affirmative noise. I had been expecting a meow or something, but I chirped like a bird! Some fierce apex predator I had become.
    "Ah. Good, good. Well, I am Mistress Sabrina. I'm here to welcome you to the Real World."
    Something must have shown on my muzzle because she laughed.
    "That's all right, dear. Nobody believes when they first awaken to the true world. But trust me, you'll find this side of the Veil to be far superior! You have a very long and happy life ahead of you. Far better than this dreary little hovel."
    I tried to tell her I had a life already, but my tongue just sort of flopped around in my mouth as that sense of unfamiliarity bit back into my brain. Involuntarily, I shivered.
    "Yes, I know. This is a definite adjustment." She leaned down and cautiously extended a hand out towards my head. I shrank back from it instinctively; she had a faint scent of ozone. "But you're not going to last long on your own." She looked at the scattered wrapper shreds that drifted around the kitchen floor. "It's going to be okay, kitty."
    I snarled at that. She flinched a bit but didn't back up. Nice to know that fangs counted a bit in this new "Real World."
    She shook her finger at me. "Now, now, dear. No need to be cross. It's what you are and that is not likely to change. You will get used to it. Remember that you are one of the lucky ones. Not everyone survives an Awakening, after all."
    At that particular moment, I did not feel lucky. Exchanging my thumbs and voice for claws and fangs did not seem a particularly advantageous trade from my perspective. I took a step back from Sabrina.
    "I'm not going to hurt you." She stepped forward and tried to touch my head, violating my personal space again. I ducked and hissed, letting her know that if she persisted we were both going to find out a cougar's bite strength.
    She let out a labored sigh and rolled her eyes. "Cats."
    I narrowed my eyes. She was the one who had waltzed into my home, told me everything I knew was wrong and then tried to pat my head as if I were a toddler! I failed to see how my being a cat at this particular moment had anything to do with my irritation.
    Sabrina crossed her arms. "Now look here, dearie, I'm here to help, but you are going to meet me halfway." Her flint-grey eyes hardened a midge, and I felt my fur prick up as static electricity