In Cal, he’d found that person. He’d known it from the first time he’d seen him, somehow. He also assumed that Cal had known, too. Cal had known what his cat had recognized, but probably hadn’t believed it, because Derek was a human. And then, just as their tentative flirting had turned into something more, Cal had gotten the call to be ready for one last emergency job and… that was it.
Cal still slept in Kit’s bed. He’d been in his cat form, stuck or choosing it willingly, for two weeks, when Derek had had enough.
Kit had gone riding the Jarvela farm’s horses with the other boys, and Derek and Cal were alone together at home. Cal was curled up in an old rocking chair while Derek cooked dinner. He could feel the cat’s gaze on his back, and for a while, he could let it be.
Then, something shifted inside him, and he turned around to lean to the cabinet and looked at the cat.
“However improbable, we’re mates. We both know that. So how about you let Cal out, cat,” he spoke evenly. “I need my mate. I need to be close to him, and this just isn’t doing it. You’re making me unhappy, do you understand?” The cat blinked at him slowly, which meant—at least in regular domestic pet cats—that they loved you. Yeah, right. He rubbed a hand over his face and crossed the floor to kneel by the chair. He wouldn’t touch the cat, but he needed to say this to be able to hold onto hope that he wasn’t losing Cal to his feline side.
“Cal, if you can understand me, I want you to come back. Kit needs you. I need you. We’re mates, we’re supposed to be a family, and you need to let go of whatever it is you’re clinging to that makes you feel so guilty—actually, you know what,” Derek said, thoroughly tired as he glared at the cat with his one good eye. “Give me my mate back, cat.” The words came out with force that surprised him, his tone enough to make the cat pull back, but not cower.
Derek got to his feet and went back to food prep.
That evening, after he’d showered and gone to bed to read, he felt the cat jump on top of his covers. It didn’t make eye contact, but it settled down next to Derek’s feet.
He guessed that was enough for now.
