Knight looked at Kitty.
He looked at the three babies in the pram.
He looked at Kitty again.
He uttered, “Shit.”
How was he going to carry groceries and the kids? The organic grocery was closer, just few blocks away. He only needed a few things, and, besides, he wanted to get out of the house.
He started walking to the grocery store. The babies were exposed to the air, instead of what he had seen other parents do, smothering their children under a blanket. No, he would show them off to the world, proud papa that he was, even Caroline who was looking more and more feline as time went by.
He could fit the few things he was buying in the basket under the pram, he supposed. It cut down his list considerably, however.
As he walked, three cats followed him. He kept his eye on them, but they darted around the parked cars and kept out of his reach. One was a smoky-faced young cat with black, orange, and white spots. Another was a gray cat, and the third was an orange marmalade.
Scott had warned him of the cats, and Mal wanted him to be cautious around them. Who’s to say that one of them wasn’t a shapeshifter, or that they weren’t heralds of Bast Herself?
He arrived at the organic store, and he saw that they were selling small, two-wheeled carts. He took one and was able to navigate it with one hand, the pram with the other. It was bulky, but it was doable.
He pushed the pram into the store and smiled, looking at all the fresh produce. He had visions of making their baby food fresh; buying the freshest, organic milk; giving them organic cereal and they would be the happiest kids on earth –
He shook his head violently. What the hell? He looked around the edge of the store and there he saw it, a series of markings all along the doorway. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered, “they’re usin’ magic.”
He walked along the produce aisle, picking up a lemon for the dish he planned. The fish here was going to be expensive, but probably as fresh as if he bought it off the boat himself.
“Hello,” said one of the workers, a young girl fresh out of school. “Oh, can I see your children?”
“Sure,” he said, and the girl peeked her head in. “They’re so cute!”
“Tha’s Caroline, an’ Persephone, an’ Roland.”
“Persephone. What a beautiful name.” She said to the babies, “Hi! Hi there! You’re so cute.”
“Thanks,” he said proudly, and stood up straighter. Damn, we make beautiful kids.
“Angie, come here, look, this one has white hair!”
An older woman who was setting up asparagus spears looked over. “Chrissy, you’re not supposed to bother the customers.”
“She ain’ botherin’ me,” Knight said. Angie came over anyway and peered inside. “How precious. Triplets? Is that one…” Angie looked up questioningly at Knight.
“She’s half-leopard,” he said. “Tha’s Caroline.”
“I’ve never seen a half-leopard before. Pardon.”
“It’s okay,” Knight said. “I pro’lly got th’ same reaction when I was her age.”
“You’re half-leopard?”
Knight nodded. “I’m a shifter. So’s she’s gonna be.”
Angie looked again. “They’re all beautiful. I wish you good luck and good health.”
“Thanks, ma’am,” Knight said, and continued on his way, pulling the other carriage behind him. Chrissy went to Angie and whispered something as Knight turned the corner to the next aisle.
It was makeup, something he didn’t need, so he backed up and went to the fish counter. As he was looking over the fish, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Chrissy. “I asked my boss if I could help,” she said, taking the cart from him. “You look like you might need some.”
“I walked all the way here,” he said.
“Well, I can at least help you here in the store.” She smiled. “Maybe my boss will let me walk this home. If the boys can go deliver, I don’t see why I can’t go.”
“I wouldn’t want you t’ walk alone.”
“I can take care of myself,” she said with a laugh. Knight ordered the fish, and then got the garlic. He ended up picking up a couple of steaks, and had to physically resist himself buying super-expensive, right-from-the-cow organic milk. He did not resist the blueberry goat cheese, and the toast that had to go along with it. And then salsa – oh, with chips…
“I gotta stop,” he said, looking at the cart. It was half-full. He put the salsa and chips back and got sushi instead.
Of course he had to buy the fabric bags, and loaded up the cart with them. Chrissy pushed the cart outside for him. “Want me to ask my boss if I can deliver this with you?”
“Nah, I got it,” Knight said, and started pulling the cart behind him. He didn’t like that both hands were occupied, in case something might happen. Again, the cats followed him. The same cats.
When he got to the apartment house, he saw that a beautiful black cat was sitting at the doorway. It looked like a sleek panther in miniature form. Its green eyes stared at Knight, and the two of them stared each other down.
“Not today,” Knight growled.
The cat simply licked her paw, washing her face. Another cat mewed, and the black cat got up, as if it had all the time in the world, and sauntered over to the garage where Kitty was parked.
Knight breathed a sigh of relief, as he opened the door and got the groceries and the kids inside.