Chapter 269: A Wonderful Day Ruined
Jacob~
Tiger and I just sat in the dark for what felt like forever. The silence between us was heavy, like it had centuries of unspoken words packed into it. I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, staring down at the dark wooden floor. My head was a mess – thoughts swirling around like a freaking hurricane, each one crashing harder than the last.
Finally, Tiger exhaled softly, like the rustle of old branches. He rose to his feet in one smooth, quiet motion. I looked up at him, pulled from my turmoil by his presence. His golden-brown hair seemed to glow in the dim lamp light of my living room, his eyes calm and knowing as always.
"I have business with the wood fairies," he rumbled, stretching out his broad shoulders like a big cat uncurling. "But... think about what I said, Jacob. Think deeply."
I swallowed hard and nodded, trying to put steel in my spine even though I felt like I was shaking apart on the inside. "I will," I said, my voice low and gruff. "Thank you, brother... for your wisdom... and your love."
Tiger’s lips curved slightly – the closest thing to a smile he ever gave. Before he turned to go, he paused, his gaze flicking sideways. Then he snapped his fingers.
A small crackle of light flickered in the air, and suddenly, a fat orange-and-white tabby cat appeared on the rug before us, blinking its round blue eyes in sleepy confusion. Its tail flicked once, annoyed at being summoned from wherever it had been napping. My heart clenched instantly.
Donut.
Easter’s cat.
Tiger looked at me meaningfully. "He keeps asking for her," he said in his quiet baritone. "Give him back to her, Jacob. He misses her."
I stared down at Donut as he waddled over to my foot and began pawing my shoelace, his soft mewl pulling something tight and painful in my chest.