Page 48 of Cats Never Fly

“Andwhat about this bond or whatever you call it?Dowe need to hire you a lawyer to draw up terms?”

Isucked in a breath. “It’s… uh… done.”

“Whatdo you mean it’s done?”Sheleaned forward and sniffed in our direction.Hernose wiggled. “You’vealready bonded?”

Ihalf expectedOgdento jump in and save me, but he didn’t. “I… um…Whenwe were talking about it last night, apparently my magic or whatever, yeah, it madeOgden’smagic an offer it couldn’t refuse.”

“Thisisn’t time for joking,”Mamareprimanded.

“Itisn’t a joke,Daph,”Popssaid. “Lookat them.Thisisn’t just about the summoning.Theyhave all the signs of being mates.”

Ijolted at that pronouncement.Mygaze darted toOgden, before shifting back to my father. “Idon’t think so.That’sjust the magic of the whistle.Wehaven’t…”Mycheeks heated to blistering temperatures.HolyMagic, wasIgoing to talk about sex?Withmy mama in the room? “Youknow.Um…Doneanything like what you do to…Youknow…Completea bond like that.”

“Oh, honey, are you still a virgin?Ithought all my kittens had?—”

“Mama!”Ishouted to stop her from speaking. “That’snot whatI’mtalking about.”

Mama’sforehead crunched in confusion, but at least she quit talking.

“Thereis more to being mates than sex, son.”Popslaughed.

Iwanted to die.

Mamastared at us.Hergaze darted over how close we were sitting and howOgdenwas still leaning ever so slightly in front of me, like he was ready to protect me from anything that might pop up.Thenshe glanced at my neck and seemed to rememberOgden’shand had been resting there—a spotPopshad trained us to protect at all costs—when she andPopshad entered the living room.I’dbeenPops’ best pupil, and everyone knewIliked my nine.Lettinga near stranger touch such a vulnerable spot was not like me at all.

Shesaw it all, andIknew the moment she came up with entirely the wrong answer.Hermouth dropped open.Thenher face lit up, and she clapped her hands.Then, beforeIknew what was happening, she’d rushed across the room.Sheyanked me out of my seat.

“Mama…Pops…No.Thisisn’t?—”

Shehugged me so tightlyIcouldn’t breathe, cutting off my protests. “Mybaby…Oh, my baby.He’sfound a mate.He’sthe first of my kittens to be blessed with a mate.Ibet you’ve even been blessed myMotherMagic.Yousimply have to be fated.That’swhy this has happened so quickly.Ialways knewMotherMagicwould smile on you.Alwayssuch a dutiful kitten.Ican’t wait to tellVanessa.Shewent on and on whenAlicestarted datingBuddy.ButBuddyis only a mechanic.You’vefound yourself a successful business owner.She’sgoing to be so jealous.”

SosuddenlyTheDrunkenDrakewas acceptable?

Thenshe let go of me and did the same withOgden. “Amate for my baby.Iknow you’ll take care of him.Fatewill have chosen you with care for my special boy.Ialways hoped he would meet a nice older gentleman who could take care of him, and here you are.”

“Yourson is safe with me,Mrs.Rivers,”Ogdenpromised.Hiswords did weird things to my stomach.Itfelt a bit likeIwas being tickled from the inside.Didhe mean it?Wouldhe keep my nine lives safe?Iwanted to promise him the same thing, butIdidn’t know whatIcould say that would be the equivalent for a dragon.

“Oh, none of thisMr. andMrs.Riversnonsense.CallusDaphneandPeterorMamaandPops.Thatworks too.”

Ogden’swide-eyed gaze met mine over my mama’s head whilePopspatted him on the shoulder and welcomedhim to the family.Obviously, any reservations aboutTheDrunkenDrake’slingering reputation were long gone now.

Itwas funny how the wordmateseemed to fix everything, at least for my mama.Sherefused to listen to anything else.

Afew minutes later, asOgdenandIwere driving away from my parents’ place,Icaught a movement in the living room window.Myparents were waltzing.Theyhad taught us all to dance too, butIdidn’t think any of us kittens would make it look as easy asMamaandPops.Theymight not be fated mates, but their love was right there for anyone to see.Theymade everything look easy.I’dalways secretly wished for a love like theirs.

IwishedOgdenandIcould be like that someday too.Exceptit wasn’t meant to be like that.Notfor us.Thisbond wasn’t real, not like a bond between mates.Igulped down a shaky breath.Besides, a worldly dragon like him would never want to be stuck with a simple homebody cat like me.

Chapter Sixteen

OGDEN

Whenwe finally escaped my self-proclaimed new in-laws,Ifound myself humming “BeMyBaby.”Simondrove us a couple of blocks away before pulling over on the side of the street.Heturned to me after parking the car.

“I’mso sorry about that.”Hischeeks pinked as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Aboutwhat, love?”Iwasn’t sure why he was apologizing.Afterwe spent more time together, he’d understandTheRonetteswere a positive sign.IfIwas upset, the song would be very different.Iguessed there were a lot of things we needed to learn about one another.

“Everything.”Hegroaned. “Mybrothers, my mother, the whole mate thing…Ican’t believe my dad suggested that.”