Chapter Two
Echo
Present day
I was grateful, don’t get me wrong. But I was annoyed that after two weeks I still couldn’t revert back to my human form. So, I may have been acting out a little bit as of late, which I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about at all.
The man who took me in was nice, as far as I could tell. He found me sick and practically dying on the sidewalk. He brought me to his home and nursed me back to health. I was too weak to do anything other than nap beside him and accept all the help he offered. I was one hundred percent fine now, but I was still stuck as an animal.
“Snow White.” He called out the name he gave me, which was stupid, in my opinion. But I sauntered over to see what he wanted, nonetheless.
I jumped up on the coffee table where his glass of water sat. He looked at me with sweet eyes, and if I could roll mine, I would.
“Come sit with me.” He patted the seat next to him, and I turned, giving him my backside as an answer. He wanted a companion in me, and I was not a companion at all. In fact, when I was a human, I was the best damn detective there was in Seahill. I didn’t need anyone, and I didn’t want anyone. Especially with the big case I landed just before I was kidnapped by those people and used like a guinea pig.
“Snow.” He clicked his tongue, trying to get me to come over. It only made me feel bitchy, which had been my go-to lately when it came to him. Asher was his name, and I was currently stuck in his home until I could change back into my normal form.
I walked over to the glass of water and touched it with my nose. I miss sipping from cups instead of using my tongue.
“Don’t knock that off the table,” he warned lightly, and my head turned toward his. Did he just challenge me? I mentally scoffed at him while pushing the glass closer to the edge of the table.
“Snow.” His voice was deeper, with a warning note, and as attractive as that was with him, I didn’t care. I pushed the glass to the edge of the table and looked him right in the eye before knocking it completely over.
“Dammit! You’re such a bitch?” He got up to grab a towel to clean up the mess when a knock on the door stopped him. He opened it, and there stood two people who were obviously siblings, looking at him with smiles on their faces.
“Hi, my name is Phillip Griffin, this is my sister, Rose. We would like to talk to you about your cat,” the man said and then looked to me. I could tell he wanted to laugh but kept it in at the sight of me. Strange. I didn’t know these people.
“Uh, sure?” Asher let them in, and then asked what this was about.
“Well, I’m ninety-nine percent sure your cat is actually a woman who can shift into creatures, but for some reason is stuck in this form.”
He knew I wasn’t truly a cat? I jumped off the coffee table and ran over to the man. Maybe he knew what was wrong with me that I couldn’t change back into my normal human self!
His hazel eyes were bright with amusement as he took in my appearance.
“Interesting. What makes you say that?” Asher gestured for them to come sit in his living room.
“My sister and I have special abilities. Mine is future sight. I see futures, and I’ve seen a woman stuck as a cat, and you. Different scenarios, because the future is never absolute, but the odds favored this one.” Phillip smiled again and looked down at me.
“If you are a woman, raise your paw,” he instructed, and I eagerly lifted my paw up. I wanted back into my human state, and I would do anything to change. Including performing cat tricks.
“Snow White, are you a human?” Asher asked me, his chocolate-brown eyes probing, and I nodded, hoping he saw it as a nod and not a twitch.
Asher’s hand came up and his fingers twisted around.
Instantly I felt my body begin to tingle. Bones grew, and fur shed from my skin.
“Holy shit,” the girl cursed, grabbing the nearest blanket and tossing it over me.
I was afraid to look at myself, afraid to see I was still stuck as a cat. I glanced down and saw my normal human body. A sigh of relief came out of my lips.
“Come out, come out, Snow White.” Asher’s voice filled the space between the blanket covering me and my ears, taunting me to come out with his cat name for me.
His taunting worked. I gripped the material and pulled my head out while holding onto the sides, so I wouldn’t be naked in front of anyone more than I had been.
“My name isn’t Snow White. It’s Echo, and I’m not a damn pet,”I snapped at him and watched as his eyes danced with delight.
“I’m so confused right now. How’d she change back?” Rose was looking back and forth between Asher and me.
