After My Cat Rejected Me

I was carrying a stack of things downstairs, ready to dump them straight into the trash.

These were all for the white Persian I had raised since he was a kitten. There were homemade, pet-safe meals I had spent hours learning to cook, along with adorable little outfits and expensive toys.

But ever since he shifted into his human form, he treated me like absolute garbage.

He said I was plain, that my voice grated on his nerves, and that my habit of kissing his cheek made him sick to his stomach.

He refused to take a single bite of the food I made, sneering that he wasn't a dog and wouldn't eat slop.

He shredded the clothes and toys I bought, baring his fangs to warn me that if I ever tried to humiliate him with such disgusting things again, he would rip my throat out.

My heart was completely shattered. The only thing left to do was pack it all up and throw it away.

Just as I was about to toss the bag, I bumped into a stray tabby cat.

He sniffed the homemade food in my hand and ate it with pure joy. Then, picking up a little plush toy in his mouth, he happily circled my legs.

I stared at him for a long time. Then, I reached out and took this little guy home.

When I walked through my front door, the apartment was a disaster zone.

A young man with fluffy white cat ears lounging on my sofa didn't even bother to look up. "What took you so long? I'm thirsty. I want salmon-infused water!"

I stared at the torn garbage bags, shredded toilet paper, smashed pots, and broken plant stems scattered across the floor. A massive headache throbbed behind my eyes.

"Hector, what is all this? I told you, if you want something, just call me! Stop destroying the house every time you throw a tantrum!"

The young man on the sofa bolted upright, the luxurious, feather-like tail behind him puffing up to twice its size. "What do you mean, destroying the house? You're the one keeping me locked up in here! You're stripping away my freedom!"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "The outside world is complicated. You're a newly shifted Shifter. You couldn't survive out there on your own."

"Oh, I couldn't survive?"

Hector let out a cold, mocking laugh. He grabbed a stack of my medical records from the coffee table and hurled them at me. The words 'Depression' and 'Anxiety' flashed across the flying papers as his vicious voice rang out clearly.

"Looks to me like you're the one who would die without me!"

A sharp edge of paper sliced across my cheek, leaving a stinging trail of blood.

We both froze.

In the next split second, a piercing yowl erupted from the shopping bag in my arms. A lean, agile shadow launched itself directly at the sofa.

As the shadow closed the distance, it stretched and grew. By the time it slammed into the cushions, it had taken the full form of a broad-shouldered, adult man.

Hector couldn't dodge in time. He was pinned brutally beneath the stranger, shrieking in panic. "Who the hell are you?! This is my house!"

The man didn't say a word. He just raised a fist and started throwing heavy punches, knocking Hector's head back against the armrest.

"Stop! Don't hit him!"

I finally snapped out of my shock and rushed forward to pull the man back. "No fighting in the house!"

The man immediately froze. He twitched the tabby ears atop his head, tilted his neck, and affectionately nuzzled my cheek. "Whatever my master says."

Hector's face twisted into absolute fury. He bared his fangs and roared.

"Who the hell are you calling master?!"

By the time I managed to separate the two cats, well, the two men, I was panting from exhaustion.

"You are staying in the guest room tonight!"

I shoved Hector into the spare bedroom, giving him a stern glare. "When you learn to stop cursing and puffing up your tail, I'll let you out!"

"Nora! How dare you treat me like this!"

Hector was so furious his tail was completely puffed out again. "You bring another stray into this house, and then you lock me up?! You're disloyal! I'll bite you to death!"

I frowned. "No biting."

Hector bared his teeth even wider. "Fickle, cheating women like you deserve to get sick! Don't you ever think about hugging me again. Just drop dead!"

The pure malice in his eyes made my chest tighten with a mix of fear and crushing sorrow.

The kitten I had raised for two years, the one I had nurtured since he fit in the palm of my hand, was wishing for my death.

I pulled the guest room door shut, doing my best to block out the muffled screaming. I quietly swept up the ruined living room, wiping away tears with the back of my hand.

Once the mess was cleared, I carried a bowl of food into my study.

The room was perfectly quiet. If it weren't for the small lump under the blanket on the folding bed, I would have thought the tabby had run away.

"Why did you turn back into a cat?"

I gently poked the lump. "I know about Shifters. I'm not scared of you. You can stay in your human form."

The tabby peaked out, looking at me, and offered a slow, deliberate blink.

I knew enough about feline behavior to know that meant trust and affection.

I smiled softly and scratched him under the chin.

The tabby started purring like a motor. Amidst the deep rumbling, his body began to expand. His human form was significantly larger and broader than Hector's. He possessed a striking, ruggedly handsome face. A true heartthrob of the tabby world.

I felt a sudden flush of embarrassment and quickly yanked the blanket up to cover his bare waist.

He clearly hadn't been neutered. It was very obvious.

"You'll stay in this room for the next few days to quarantine. Here's some food if you get hungry tonight. I also found some spare clothes. See if they fit you later."

The man hummed in acknowledgment. He kept his eyes on me and gave another slow blink.

I chuckled, patted his head, and stood up to leave. Before I could turn around, he gently caught my sleeve.

"What is it?" I looked back down at him.

"A name."

He stared up at me, my reflection perfectly captured in his deep, forest-green eyes. "Please give me a name."

I thought about it all night and finally decided on Lucian.

Since I had found him wandering the streets just before dawn, a name meaning 'light' felt like the perfect fit.

To celebrate the newest member of the household, I woke up early to prepare a special meal. I baked pet-safe cupcakes using chicken breast, peeled shrimp, and egg yolks. One for each of them.

Holding the cupcakes, I hesitated in the hallway before finally opening the door to the guest room.

"Hector, time for breakfast."

The moment I stepped inside, my vision swam. The room was utterly trashed.

I choked back my anger, forcing my voice to remain gentle. "I made fresh chicken cupcakes today. Come try some."

I placed the plate on the small nightstand. Before my hand even pulled away, a blur launched off the mattress and viciously flipped the table.

"What is this garbage?! I could smell the stench through the door! It's disgusting! I'm not eating it!"

The plate shattered. The cupcake flew across the room, crumbling into a pathetic mess on the floorboards.

Looking at the utter disgust twisted into his beautiful features, the bitter ache in my chest spread wildly. I quietly knelt down, swept the broken pieces into a pile, and walked out without looking back.

I always prided myself on being a good cook.

At the very least, human friends always praised my meals.

But Hector hated everything I made.

Whether it was pet-safe recipes or regular food, he despised it all. Even when I popped open imported, premium wet food, he ate it like it was a chore. Yet, when my friend visited and casually offered him a cheap squeeze treat, he ate it happily.

I used to comfort myself by making excuses. Maybe the imported brand wasn't his flavor profile. Maybe he was just acting like a diva to get my attention.

But at this exact moment, I couldn't lie to myself anymore.

Hector didn't hate my cooking. He didn't hate the premium brands.

He just hated me.

Taking in Hector was completely unplanned.

I had just been officially diagnosed with clinical depression, and my therapist suggested adopting a pet to ground myself.

By sheer coincidence, I found a litter of abandoned kittens on my way home from work. They were barely the size of my palm, eyes barely open.

Hector was the runt of the litter. Sickly, frail, and so tiny that everyone else who came to adopt passed him over.

I was the one who took him in. I fought through his fungal infections, his feline distemper, and upper respiratory viruses. I nursed him back to life, ounce by ounce, until the day he shifted into a human.

Hector always told me that Shifters were different. They were a rare, noble, elite branch of society.

He constantly reminded me that a magnificent creature like him shouldn't be caged by a painfully average human like me.

I knew I was plain and ordinary, but I couldn't help the swell of pride I felt for raising such a precious, beautiful being.

It was a magical feeling. Like a blinding ray of sunlight piercing through the endless rain clouds of my life.

Even if that light burned my eyes, I was happy. Even when Hector mocked me and looked down on everything I did, I did my best to tune it out and pretend it didn't hurt.

On Hector's second birthday, I received an official email from the Shifter Control Council.

The letter stated that a two-year-old Shifter was considered a legal adult. If he wished to remain in the human world, he had to sign an official Bonding Contract with a human guardian.

I was overjoyed. I meticulously printed out the forms and filled them out. But when I woke up from a nap, I found the paperwork shredded to pieces.

Hector stood barefoot on the torn paper, a vicious sneer on his lips.

"Who gave you the delusion that I would ever bond with you?"

"You're broke, you're ugly, and you're a terrible servant. You cling to me every day begging for hugs and kisses like a shameless stray mutt. Why would I ever sign my life over to you?"

I had frozen in place.

A cruel, mocking smile curved perfectly on his flawless face. He patted my cheek roughly and whispered, "I want krill-flavored puffs. Go make them, you stray mutt."

It turned out that all my years of love and sacrifice were just seen as 'servitude'. The affection and warmth I craved were just him tossing me scraps.

In Hector's eyes, I was nothing but a pathetic, needy dog wagging my tail for his amusement.

I spiraled into a deep misery after that day.

When I went back to my therapist, she was baffled. "I thought you adopted a pet? Why are your symptoms getting worse?"

I offered a bitter smile. "My cat... he doesn't really listen to me."

My doctor went silent for a moment before offering her advice. "If caring for an animal isn't bringing you peace, but instead compounding your stress, I highly recommend you stop. Rehome him. Find a pet that is actually affectionate. Otherwise, this arrangement is toxic for your health, and frankly, it's not good for the animal either."

I thought about her words for a very long time.

Finally, after Hector smashed his bowl in disgust over yet another meal, I walked downstairs and brought back the stray tabby. The one who always greeted me after work, who never turned his nose up at my leftovers, and who pressed against my legs with soft purrs.

Maybe this decision wasn't a mistake after all.

Just like right now. The study door cracked open a fraction, and Lucian peeked through the gap, his eyes entirely focused on my distress.

I quickly wiped my cheeks and shook my head. "You can't come out yet."

Lucian nodded, then shook his head. "I won't come out. But I want to wipe your tears."

A watery laugh escaped me. I walked over to the doorframe. "Okay, wipe them."

Lucian reached through the crack, using his large, warm thumb to gently brush away the moisture on my skin. His touch was incredibly soft.

"I made chicken cupcakes, but... they might taste awful."

"No, they don't."

Lucian grabbed my wrist, looking at me with absolute sincerity. "I could smell them through the door. Chicken and shrimp, right? It smells amazing! I could eat three of them in one bite!"

I blinked, my eyes stinging all over again. I turned into the kitchen and brought back his portion. On a whim, I stuck a sprig of catnip into the top like a little candle. "Welcome to the family. From now on, your name is Lucian."

Lucian nodded vigorously and sat down cross-legged on the floor, devouring the food in massive bites.

Seeing him eat with such enthusiasm, I hurried back to the kitchen to make another batch. While waiting for the chicken to boil, I grabbed a squeeze treat to see if he wanted a snack.

As I approached the study, I heard Hector's voice bleeding through the door.

"You put on a pretty good show."

"See? I told you this stupid woman was incredibly easy to fool."

Fool me... about what?

I froze outside the study, my heart constricting so violently it became hard to breathe.

"If you want to stay in the human world, you have to swallow your pride for a bit," Hector's voice dripped with lazy arrogance. "Like they say online: play the sweet angel for five minutes, secure a luxury lifestyle forever. It's a solid trade, right?"

Staring blankly at the door, I suddenly remembered the bolded warning at the very bottom of the SCC email:

Shifters can be exceptionally cunning. Many will use any means necessary to secure residence in human society. Please ensure your Shifter genuinely respects and cares for you before signing the Bonding Contract.

So, it wasn't an exaggeration.

I stood in absolute silence as Hector took on the role of a seasoned mentor lecturing Lucian.

"But you can't just blindly act sweet. You have to lay down the law with this idiot, otherwise she'll start thinking she actually owns you. Once she learns to stop raising her voice at me and acts completely subservient, I might finally consider signing the contract with her."

Hector sneered at the empty plate on the floor.

"You can use Nora for practice. She has a lot of rich friends with pets. I'll make her rehome you to one of them, and you can just pick whichever wealthy human is easiest to manipulate and bond with them."

Lucian didn't say a word. He just stared blankly at Hector, his forest-green eyes utterly devoid of the warmth he showed me.

"Are you deaf? I'm talking to you."

I had spoiled Hector to the core. His temper was incredibly volatile, and waiting even a few seconds for a response made him furious. He kicked Lucian's empty plate across the floor, mocking him. "Did eating her garbage slop rot your brain?"

Lucian finally reacted. He slowly raised his eyes, locking onto Hector's face, and spoke in a deadpan voice. "Pick it up."

Hector frowned. "What?"

"Pick up the plate."

Hector burst into laughter. He stepped forward, stomping his bare foot onto the porcelain plate and grinding it into the floor as a blatant challenge. "Are you getting too deep into character? Everyone knows tabbies are the most feral, insubordinate street trash around. You bite the heads off rats in the alleys. You don't need to play the good boy in front of me."

His smile deepened into a venomous smirk. "Or is it because you've overstayed your visa in the human world? You need to hook a human fast, or the Council is going to deport you back to the wilds?"

Deport him?

I blinked, remembering a specific clause in the Shifter Handbook.

Rule number one: Shifters capable of achieving human form must secure a Bonding Contract before the age of three. Failure to do so results in mandatory deportation by the Council.

This strict deadline was probably the breeding ground for all the deceit, endurance, and fake affection.

I watched Lucian's face darken. A sharp, needle-like pain pierced my chest. It was small, but undeniable.

So his approach was premeditated? His affection was just a tool?

I gripped the squeeze treat in my hand, my throat burning with acid. I genuinely thought I was past the point of heartbreak after enduring Hector's constant abuse, but here I was, ready to cry over a stray cat.

Or maybe I was just crying because my genuine love was constantly treated like garbage.

Just as a sob threatened to break past my lips, Lucian's voice finally cut through the tension.

"I don't care if Nora bonds with me or not."

Both Hector and I froze completely.

Hector's brow furrowed. "Then what the hell are you doing here?"

Lucian stared at Hector, perfectly mimicking his mocking smile. "I heard there was a lazy, ungrateful, backstabbing leech living in this house, so I wanted a front-row seat to see it for myself."

"And looking at you today, the rumors were entirely accurate."

Hector short-circuited for half a second before exploding. "Who the hell are you calling a leech?!"

Lucian's voice was glacial. "I thought you had some basic self-awareness."

Hector knew he couldn't beat Lucian in a physical fight, so he kept his distance, though his tail was completely puffed out in rage. "What happens between Nora and me is none of your business! You have no right to lecture me!"

"Besides, she's just a normal human! A broke, ugly, average human! Why shouldn't I be disgusted by her?!"

"Do you have any idea how other Shifters live?! They live in multi-story mansions! They eat airlifted seafood every single day! And I'm stuck rotting in this cramped apartment, playing with raggedy, frayed toys! She can't provide anything for me! She's turning me into a laughingstock among my kind!"

Lucian let him finish his tantrum. Then, with absolute calm, he delivered three words.

"Then get out."

"If you hate Nora so much, if she disgusts you so deeply, why are you still here? Why are you squatting in her house?"

Lucian took a step forward, jabbing a hard finger into Hector's shoulder. "You talk a big game about hating her, yet you refuse to leave. If you ask me, you're the one acting like a pathetic, shameless stray mutt."

I instantly knew things were going to get ugly. True to form, Hector completely lost his mind. Ignoring the sheer difference in their strength, he let out a feral shriek and lunged at Lucian.

"No fighting!"

I rushed into the room to pull them apart. In the chaotic blur of limbs, Hector's claws accidentally slashed across the back of my hand. I hissed sharply, looking down at the deep, bleeding scratches.

Seeing the blood, Lucian immediately leaped backward out of the fight. He stood frantically by my side, his tail thrashing with anxiety. "You're hurt! Are you okay?"

"Stop acting like a saint!"

Hector glared at my bleeding hand before lunging forward again. "That tiny scratch isn't going to kill her! Stop being so dramatic!"

He was right. It wasn't going to kill me.

But it still hurt.

My heart turned to absolute ice. For the first time ever, I dropped my accommodating facade and glared coldly at Hector. "Hector, go back to your room!"

He completely ignored me, stepping forward to bite Lucian. Taking advantage of the distraction, I reached out and clamped my hand firmly down on the scruff of his neck.

"Did you not hear me? Go!"

I raised him. I knew every single one of his weaknesses. Even in human form, his biological instincts remained. He was paralyzed by pressure on his scruff.

"Let me go!"

Hector's body went stiff, but his eyes glared murderously at Lucian. "Are you completely blind?! He's just here to scam you for free food and a contract! I know his kind! They'll call anyone mother for a drop of milk! He doesn't actually care about you!"

I tuned him out completely, dragging him back to the guest room and throwing him inside. Just as I pulled the door shut, I couldn't stop myself from speaking.

"Even fake affection is still affection, isn't it?"

Hector froze.

I let out a quiet sigh and closed the door.

The moment I turned around, Lucian rushed up to me. "Is your hand okay? It's bleeding heavily!"

I was used to it. Cat owners got scratched; it was part of the job. I walked over to the bathroom sink to rinse it. "I'm fine. Are you hurt?"

Lucian followed me right into the bathroom, his eyes glued to my injury. "I'm fine. Hector is incredibly weak. He can't beat me."

I couldn't help but laugh. It was true. A spoiled Persian cat was never going to win a street fight against a tabby.

Once the wound was clean, I pulled out the iodine. Lucian immediately held out his hand. "Let me."

I blinked in surprise, then handed him the cotton swabs.

Lucian's touch was feather-light, completely terrified of causing me pain.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come." Out of nowhere, Lucian dropped the heavy sentence.

I frowned. "What?"

He looked up at me, his green eyes swimming with guilt and anxiety. "If I wasn't here, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

I was silent for a moment before gently shaking my head. "It has nothing to do with you."

Even if Lucian wasn't here, Hector would still look down on me, still mock me, and still show zero concern for my well-being.

I could understand Hector's point of view. Just as he said, as a rare Shifter, he deserved a life of luxury instead of suffering in a tiny apartment with me.

I was just reluctant to let him go.

He was the kitten I raised by hand. I was selfishly holding onto the hope that he would stay with me just a little longer.

But looking at the fresh scratches on my hand, the reality finally snapped into focus. It was time to let go.

Hector and I needed to release each other.

I tossed and turned that night, trying to figure out how to find a wealthy adopter for Hector. Finally, I got out of bed and sent an official email to the Shifter Control Council explaining the situation. I just had to wait for a reply.

Since Hector wasn't leaving immediately, Lucian still needed to be quarantined in the study.

Over the next week, I got a solid grasp on Lucian's personality.

He had a huge appetite. His favorite meal was my homemade shrimp and rice, and his favorite toy was a little yellow fish I sewed by hand.

Whenever he felt embarrassed, he would instantly poof back into a cat. He was a master at using his feline form to act cute, purring like an engine the second he touched me.

In his human form, despite looking like a deeply mature, rugged adult, he constantly hovered around me like an oversized shadow.

"Converting to human years, you're a full adult, right?"

I asked while washing his hair in the bathroom.

Lucian was terrified of running water. He squeezed his eyes shut under the suds. "Yes. In human years, I'm twenty-four."

Oh wow. Prime marriage material.

I teased him with a wicked grin. "When you were a street cat, did you ever get... fixed?"

Lucian cracked one eye open, staring at me for two solid seconds. Suddenly, he grabbed the towel draped over his waist.

In a flash, his entire lower abdomen was on full display.

My brain stalled for half a second before I grabbed the showerhead and sprayed him. "Put some pants on!"

Lucian bolted upright. "Hot!"

I checked the dial. "The water is barely lukewarm!"

Lucian looked deeply serious. "I'm very fragile down there!"

I shot him a glare. "If you're so fragile, stop flashing me."

He muttered under his breath, "I just wanted to show you. Displaying my male pride."

My face burned bright red. "Stop being a pervert!"

After finally finishing his bath, I grabbed the clippers to trim his nails.

He resisted aggressively. "I can sharpen them myself!"

"Absolutely not!" I scolded. "If you shred the sofa, I lose my security deposit!"

"I can go outside and find a tree!"

"Denied! You're an indoor cat now!"

While we were bickering, the guest room door was violently kicked open. Hector stomped out, his face twisted in annoyance. "You guys are so loud! Shut up or get out!"

I panicked and ran over to check the doorframe.

Thank god, no cracks.

I let out a massive sigh of relief, turning back to catch Hector's disgusted sneer. "Panicking over a cheap wooden door. You're so broke."

"If I'm broke, why don't you pay for it?"

Behind me, Lucian spoke up lazily. "A door like that costs at least two hundred bucks. You got cash?"

Hector bristled. "You freeloading piece of"

Halfway through his insult, Hector abruptly choked on his words. He stared dead at the pajamas Lucian was wearing, his expression turning terrifyingly dark. "Who gave you permission to wear that? Take it off right now!"