The Purrfect Stranger by Bianca D'Arc Read Free Book Online Page A

once before, in passing. She was Suzy, Bill’s girlfriend. And according to what Valerie had told him the night before, she lived a few doors down in this development. But where?
    “Do you know where Suzy lives, Matilda?” he asked.
    The cat nodded, then looked significantly at the kittens on Keith’s lap. He took that to mean she wouldn’t leave her babies alone and they were too little to go prowling through the neighborhood.
    “If I carry them, will you lead me to Suzy’s house?”
    A little meow of agreement preceded Matilda’s jump down from the chair. She went straight to the front door and waited for Keith to catch up. She looked over her shoulder at him, showing kitty impatience until he had the kittens held securely cradled between his left hand and his side. They seemed to enjoy the ride and kept trying to climb up his shirt. Their little claws tickled more than hurt and if he hadn’t been so concerned about finding Valerie he would have laughed at their antics.
    He opened the door and followed the cat out into the early morning air. Dew covered the grass but Matilda was not distracted from her mission. She stuck to the sidewalk, waiting every few yards for him to catch up. He juggled the squirming kittens who’d probably never been outdoors before if their wide eyes were anything to judge by.
    They must’ve made an interesting tableau, a man following a cat down the sidewalk, juggling two frisky kittens. If anybody cared to look out their windows, they’d see just how far he would go to find the woman he would love for the rest of their lives.
    Last night cinched it. Valerie was his mate in every way. He already loved her but he knew the foundation they built last night would only grow stronger through the years. He only had to convince her of that. She’d run off before he could tell her what was on his mind.
    To be honest, he’d been afraid of her reaction. She wasn’t were . She didn’t know about mating or what it meant among his people. Fear had stopped him from declaring his love while he’d had her in his arms and he regretted it now. He’d been to hesitant about scaring her off and his silence had probably driven her away anyway.
    Dammit. Why did he have to go falling in love with a human? A magical human at that? Her society had its own rules that he knew nothing about. No doubt, if they did manage to get together, this wouldn’t be the last time he’d do something wrong. They’d have to work hard to make this partnership work.
    Matilda meowed and turned up a path leading to another house. Keith swore, seeing a familiar truck in the driveway. Sure enough, Matilda sat in front of the front door, waiting for him to catch up. Tucking the kittens against his middle, he leaned in to punch the doorbell button. A few minutes later, Suzy herself came to the door, her hair a little disheveled.
    “Keith, right?” A big smile lit her face as she opened the door. Matilda dashed inside and Suzy shook her head in wonder. “What’s she doing here?”
    “Sorry about this. Matilda showed me where you lived. Is Valerie here?”
    Confusion filled her expression. “No, she’s not. You’d better come in. Bill and I were just making some breakfast.”
    Keith accepted her invitation, feeling the little shiver of magic as he passed through the door. The kittens squirmed in his arms as he followed Suzy into the kitchen. Sure enough, his cousin Bill was there, frying bacon in a pan. When he saw Keith, he wordlessly added another few strips to the pan, tunelessly whistling in a way that meant he was more than curious, but willing to let the Alpha talk in his own good time.
    Keith took the chair Suzy pulled out for him and Matilda sat at his feet.
    “Is it okay to let these little guys run loose around here?” Keith asked, holding up the kittens.
    Suzy smiled and nodded. “I’ll get some cream and put it in a saucer for them. I keep it on hand for when Val comes over. Matilda usually isn’t far