Page 16 of Beast of the Bayou

"What—What the hell?" I drop to my knees staring deep into his hypnotic eyes. "You understand me?"

He meows, and nods again.

"How is this possible?" I shake my head in shock. "Are you like a magic cat? Am I still asleep? This is dream, isn't it?"

A nip on my finger from him quickly lets me know that this is real. Very real. As real as the claw marks and the screams in the distance I heard last night.

My hands fly to my mouth, eyes wide. "Jesus Christ." I'm momentarily too stunned to speak. Edgar and I just stare at each other. He waits patiently for me to speak and I try to get my heart to stop doing jumping jacks in my chest. "So…this is like some magic shit, right?"

Edgar nods.

"And…you know what put those marks?"

He pauses. Then nods again. Twice.

I exhale a shaky breath. "Is it something here that wants to hurt me?" I ask softly.

He shakes his head.

"That's good. So I'm safe here," I mumble to myself looking down for a second. Bringing my eyes back to him, I ask carefully. "What made the marks?"

Edgar meows, and his head turns down the hallway. Then he begins to walk off.

"You want me to follow you?" I ask. He turns and stops. "Guess that's a yes." Standing, I follow him down the hallway. Edgar stops in front of Solomon's door and places his paw on it. He meows again. "Solomon put the marks there?" I whisper.

Edgar stares at me, unblinking.

I wait, barely able to breathe waiting for him to confirm. He nods once, and I almost fall on my ass from shock. Suddenly, the things Solomon has said begins to replay in my mind:

"Your feet are bleeding."

"I have a very sensitive nose."

"You smell nervous."

"You think I'm some kind of…beast?"

And finally…the whispers of The Beast of the Bayou.

Of course I had heard the rumors. You can't live in this town and not hear them. I lied when I told him I hadn't. Didn't want to hurt his feelings. Plus, I've never been one to listen to rumors or gossip. I had too much on my plate to worry about.

But now here I am—with claw marks on the walls and a goddamn magic cat confirming that the rumors are indeed true.

My whole body feels coiled. My stomach tightens and my voice comes out hushed when I ask. "What is he, Edgar?"

Edgar doesn’t move. His eyes hold mine.

"Lila?"

The sound of Solomon's voice above me sends my last nerves spiraling. I stumble backwards towards the stairs in fear. I try to catch the railing as I feel the back of my heels hit the first step. My heart leaps to my throat and a scream falls out of my mouth. And just before I'm about to tumble down the stairs—

Solomon catches me with an unnatural speed. His strong arm wraps around my waist and pulls me flush against him. My hands press against his chest bracing myself. My heart is pounding. My breath is short and frantic.

He's looking down at me, his concerned eyes now ringed with an amber glow. I can feel his heart thudding under my palm just as hard as mine. And his smell…it surrounds me. Cloaking me in this intoxicating scent that makes my head feel light, but also makes me want to press my nose against his chest and inhale deeply.

He blinks, and the amber is gone. Almost like I imagined it.

"Are you okay?" he asks searching my eyes.