The scratches on her arm deepened into welts one morning after a playful swat. She bandaged them in silence, refusing to visit the doctor. How could she explain wounds made by claws no kitten should possess? She tugged her sleeves lower, hiding evidence of the dangerous secret she harbored.
The bond between them deepened nonetheless. Shadow nestled at her feet while she worked, followed her with silent devotion. She told herself this was family, not danger. Yet every creak of the floorboards, every knock at the door, felt like a threat to the fragile world she’d built.