4. Carlton

"Thank you, Carlton." My boss put a hand on my shoulder. "I appreciate you staying back, and I'm certain the extra effort will see our company awarded the contract."

I nodded, my mind not on the big bucks but on kittens who first needed to be safe but also needed a home. Plus, I was thinking of the man who rescued them.

Making sure I was out of the office before I called him—I didn't want any more interruptions—I raced out the revolving glass doors onto the street, gripping the phone.

The thudding of my heart had me grunting and leaning against the outside of the sandstone building. I dreaded the caller saying something had happened to the kittens or they'd succumbed to an illness in the hours since he called. Kittens, like other baby animals, were susceptible to diseases, especially before they'd had all their shots.

I counted the rings. One. Two. Three, and begged the universe to make everything alright.

Someone picked up, and the pounding of my heart was making me gasp for breath.

Say something. Even my bear was paying attention despite his lack of interest in kittens.

Instead of the expected "Hello," tiny mewling pitterpatted through the phone, and I almost dropped the device. The babies were alive. I just hoped the guy was. I pictured him collapsed and the kittens climbing over him, licking his face, trying to wake him up.

"Hel… Hello." The harried voice didn't give me confidence that the guy wasn't about to crumple into a heap.

"Hi. This is Carlton. You phoned me before lunch."

There was a grunt on the other end followed by, "No, sweetie, you can't do that." There was a pause and a thunk and a screech of tires. Gods, no.

"Where are you?" I blurted out. I didn't often bring my car to work; the traffic made taking public transport more efficient and cheaper, to say nothing of saving the planet. But I'd jump in a rideshare, and I'd opened the app, ready to punch in my destination.

"I'm outside a pet store." His panting and the thunking through the phone didn't give me confidence he'd get the address out before the kittens cut him off. "It's… it's Puppy something."

Tapping on my phone, I scrolled through the city's pet stores. There were ten with Puppy in the name.

"Love." The kitten tamer's voice was strong and clear, the first time since he'd picked up the phone.

People fell in love with babies and baby animals in a millisecond. It was the universe's way of making sure we kept them safe.

Love? He loves us? My bear was very literal; he couldn't think outside the box when it came to humans and how they expressed themselves. Not that I knew if the guy was a shifter, but I was pretty sure if he had been, his beast should have calmed the kittens.

He's talking about the kittens. I doubted the guy had fallen for me based on my voice or my desire to help him. But perhaps he was trying to express his gratitude.

"Puppy Love."

Oh, both my bear and I were wrong. I tapped in the store location, and the goddess must have been smiling on me because it was three blocks away. I must have walked past it countless times.

"I'm coming. Stay there."

After slinging my messenger bag across my chest, I charged down the street, swerving around passersby, some of whom cursed me, and rather than waiting for the lights to change at a crosswalk, I tore across the road, weaving between cars to the sound of screeching tires and more curses.

"It's an emergency," I yelled as a cab driver gave me the finger.

My laptop bashed against my ass as I ran, the constant banging matching the hammering of my heart and was a reminder that the babies needed help.

Despite being a shifter and having superior strength to humans, I was out of breath as I skidded to a halt outside the store. There was no guy and no kittens, so I lunged toward the door, narrowly avoiding an elderly lady and her dog emerging. I tumbled onto the floor, doing a somersault before righting myself.

Three pairs of eyes were fixed on me. The sales clerk, a customer he was serving, and a guy on the floor surrounded by kittens.

"I'm here for him." I jerked my head at the guy.

Oh, his scent. My bear was big on smells, especially faint ones, often undetected by humans.

Yes, he's covered in kittens. They'll be masking his scent.

The guy glanced up, and for some reason I saluted him as if I was reporting for duty. My bear facepalmed.

No, smell him.

Not now. I had to help the poor guy.

Carlton, you're a shifter. You can spare five seconds to scent him. My beast only used my name in emergencies.

As my eyes darted around the store, I didn't sense the place was about to burn down or we were about to be trampled by a herd of elephants. I took a moment to breathe in deeply. There were multiple animal aromas, cats, dogs, a tortoise, even a goat, but snuggled underneath was something else, something so enticing, the room spun around, and I grabbed a shelf to steady myself—tipping over chew toys—and it sent a message to my cock.

Gods, not now. Down, I told my dick. He's our?—

Mate!My bear finished the sentence.

Our human mate was sitting in a pile of kittens.

After sending the store clerk an apologetic grin and picking up the toys, I got on my knees and shuffled over the floor.

What are you doing?My bear expected me to grab the guy by the throat and sink my teeth in.

But the human, my mate, was on the floor. I wasn't going to tower over him. Besides, I'd already made a fool of myself saluting and tipping over the toys. The guy, if he had clicked as to who I was, was probably regretting calling me.

"Hi. I'm Carlton."

"Theo. Ouch." One of the kittens sank its claws into his wrist.

I reached out to grab one, and the little one lunged at me, but my shifter reflexes were quick enough that I picked up the feisty guy and brought him close to my face. Telling my bear to shine through my gaze, the kitten stopped his wriggling. His eyes opened wide, along with his mouth. He didn't quake or hiss but stared unblinking at my bear before snuggling against my chest.

"How'd you do that?" Theo asked as one kitten leaped onto his shoulder and swatted his hair.

I shrugged. "Just lucky, I guess."

After I nabbed a second kitten, the other two glanced at one another and curled up on Theo's lap. Maybe they sensed their time lording it over the poor guy was over. Scrambling to my feet and trying to ignore Theo's intoxicating aroma, I tucked one kitten under my arm and grabbed a cat carrier and then a second.

"You'll have to share guys, so be nice." I shoved the two babies in one and fastened it. Whew. Two down and two to go.

"You're going to pay for those, right?" The sales clerk was on high alert, and I would have done the same. He didn't want to be cleaning out shit after a customer used the carriers as a daycare center.

"Now your turn." I waved my hand, and the two remaining kittens marched in formation into the carrier.

"Wow! I'm impressed. You need to stick around." Theo examined his scratches.

I plan to. I'm not going anywhere.

"I'm keeping them." Theo bobbed his head as if he was trying to convince himself taking on four rambunctious kittens wasn't an act of madness.

"Okay." That was his decision, even though four kittens was a lot, especially if he lived in a small apartment and didn't have much money. But I was a big softie regarding baby animals. I was such a sucker, I probably wouldn't have been able to give them up either.

"Do you have food, beds, or toys at home?" I studied his expression. if he reacted with horror and fumbled with his wallet or phone, it would signal he was short on cash, and I'd take two or three of the babies.

What? Those scratchy little felines are going to share our home?My bear wasn't impressed.

That was rich because he lived inside me, and when he took his fur, we were in the great outdoors. He didn't lounge on the sofa or sleep in my bed.

Just wait. Theo was our mate, and if he fell for me, we'd be in each other's lives along with the kittens.

"Nope."

His gaze didn't waver which I took that as a good sign.

"We can get the basics now."

"Sounds like a plan." He got off the floor. "Tell me what to do and where to go."

That would be straight to my mouth and my cock, my ass too, but he was talking about kitten paraphernalia.

I'd love to.