Witch Risen: A Paranormal Adventure (Bad Tom Series Book 2) by Jill Nojack

human above most wants from him is for him to move around. Obviously, being a cat, his only real choice is to do the opposite.

***
    After an hour or so, when the Cassie-thing's breathing has settled into a regular rhythm, I know I have to take my shot. I wish it was darker in here, but Eunice had the habit of keeping some light on in case she woke up hungry. Not so she could get down the stairs. So she could get to me. That kind of hunger.
    I've never been as grateful for Cat's stealth abilities as I am right now. His cat's paws make no sound as I slip out from under the bed and make my way toward the door, my body low to the carpet, ready to spring and burst into a run if there's any sound behind me.
    But there is no sound. Only Cat's heart racing to my fear. And tonight, fear doesn't cripple me. I travel swiftly down the stairs, out the downstairs window, and chase the darkness through the backyards of Giles as I head back to my temporary home with Robert.

***
    The open window at Robert's place never looked so welcoming. I leap through and shift, get dressed, and head for the kitchen.
    "Oh my Goddess. Tom!" Gillian leaps from a chair and charges toward me, arms outstretched to capture me in a hug.
    Robert turns, too, and a small smile moves across his face. "Good to see you." He extends a hand for me to shake, and I take it once I extricate myself from Gilly's grasp.
    I haven't been part of any kind of community for so long, it never occurred to me that anyone would worry about me. I probably shouldn't have stopped to let Cat hunt. And why are Gillian and Robert suddenly so cozy?
    Gillian throws up her hands when I don't offer any information. "Well—where have you been? We were gutted. When Robert told me where you were and that you didn't meet him when Eunice went back to the house…." She stops then, halfway through pouring hot water into a tea cup, and looks up at me with a stern look. "You didn't just head to the woods for a hunt and leave Robert like that to worry, did you?"
    I'm afraid to tell her that I did some of that. She doesn't need to know. But I've learned an important lesson if there's ever a next time. That's right, just like a kid—call if you're going to be late.
    I give her mostly truth. "The phone fell off my collar, and I didn't know it was gone until it was too late. I had to hide under the bed until I was sure Eunice was asleep."
    She's apologetic then. "Oh, Tom, I'm sorry. You must have been terrified." She sets a steaming cup of water in front of me with an herb-stuffed infuser sitting on top, filling the kitchen with the scent of roses. "That will calm your nerves if they need it."
    Robert sits across from me and Gilly runs off to the kitchen to boil more water for the both of them. "She worries about you. You're still very important to her."
    "I know. But not in the same way I was when she was young."
    "No," he agrees. "Not in that way."
    Why does he look relieved?

The shop bell rings to the first customer of the day, and in she comes, Gillian.
    "Hello, sweetie! Are you feeling all better after the fainting spell on Thursday?"
    "Fine. Yes." I really must find a way to discourage her from coming around every five minutes.
    She pokes her head behind the shelves, then stoops to look underneath them. Her gigantic derriere confronts me when she does. Her mouthy end asks, "Still no Cat? Or is he just hiding today?" It's like she's taunting me. She pulls out the bag of treats she'd brought with her last time and unseals it. "The smell of these should bring him running if that's the case."
    "Still hasn't returned, I'm afraid. Please let me know if you spot him around town."
    "Of course, pet. I hope nothing's happened to him."
    "Cat's tough. Granny Eunice used to say that Cat had nine lives and every single Cat since the sixties was the very same one! Imagine that. And Granny loved her Cat so. She used to say that having him around was better than having a boyfriend because all he needed was a little