Chapter 3

Bee has finally moved into the small cottage. She had contacted Clint. The gas man had been and made the line safe and the water had been made safe too. She had to pay a little extra to get people from out of town because the locals refused to come. But other than that, all was good.

After dusting the furniture and uncovering some of it, she had also had the chimney cleaned.

Now the ivy was cleared off the windows and the house was clean and liveable and it only took two weeks. The garden was still overgrown, but the cats seemed to enjoy that. She would sort that later.

Clint had called her a few times and seemed surprised that she had no trouble with the ghost.

Though she often found herself speaking to him, he never replied or even indicated he was real. If it weren’t for the feeling of being watched, she would think it nonsense. But she was unsure. Her cats seemed to think there was something different too.

Speaking of cats, she had found out there was more than two dozen. But so far they were all getting on great. All though there is one cat, a black one with huge strange brown eyes that watches her, but never came close.

“I think I am going to sleep in your bed tonight, Oliver. If you don’t want me to then say…” She called out entering the main cottage late that night. She had a gas lamp in her hand and a few cats following.

She knew which was his room because it still had men’s clothing in the wardrobe and the small portrait had somehow found its way there without her help.

She waited for a ‘no’ or a sign, but nothing happened and she locked the door and headed up to the bed.

Settling in the surprisingly comfortable bed minutes later, she found a cat with her she was surprised to see.

“Hello gorgeous,” She purred to the black cat sat on the foot of the bed watching her.

“Come here and let me see you beautiful eyes?” She reached out her hand from where she lay. Cautiously, the whole time looking at her, the black cat walked forwards. Until settling just below her chest.

“You have beautiful eyes.” She was drawn to the human-like eyes like a moth to a flame. She didn’t know why but she knew the moment she saw him, he was a tomcat.

The moment she touched him, she felt something she had never felt before. It was almost like electric shocks, the tomcat’s eyes wide as if in shock. But as she continued to stroke him, he seemed to relax. He was purring and had his head laid on her chest.

She stopped only long enough to turn off the lamp. She fell asleep stroking the strange black cat.

**

Oliver had watched her the whole time. He was surprised how careful she was with everything in his home. Even telling the men who checked the pipes over not to damage anything.

Soon, she had it looking as good as his mother did when she was alive.

When she had said she was going to sleep in his bed, instead of being angry, he actually felt happy. He enjoyed having her around.

He honestly never thought he would feel happy having a living human around him. A female to put a finer point on it. He had never been much good with women. He had always preferred cats. The only women he was ever close to was his mother and sisters, especially his younger who also had a love of cats.

He had never courted women before and when his sister married he knew she had set him up as an eternal bachelor.

Following her to his room, he had decided to finally approach her, if only in cat form. When she reached out to touch him, he didn’t know what to expect. He never expected the spark of pleasure when she touched him.

Without realising he got himself lying on her, purring at she stroked him. The few seconds she removed her hand to switch off the lamp, he found himself missing her touch. But was content when it returned, for the first time in more than a hundred and fifty years, he was happy.

**

Bee woke up the next morning to the sense of being watched. But opening her eyes, she laughed when she saw the black cat still laid with its head on her chest looking at her.

“Good morning, gorgeous.” She scratched behind the cat’s ear making his eyes flicker shut as he enjoyed the feeling.

“So you my friend now?” He nodded his head as if saying yes.
Bee was a little surprised at this, but not completely. After speaking to the cats she had learned there was something different about all of them.

“Good,” She lifted her head slightly and kissed the cat’s nose.
The cat sat still looking slightly confused, she couldn’t help but laugh and gave the cat another kiss. “You are so damn cute.”
She continued to stroke the cat for another few minutes until Ginger started whining for food.

“Give me a minute and I’ll have food ready for you and your siblings,” She said lifting up the black cat as she sat up. But before she could put him down, he licked her cheek with his rough tongue.

“Aww,” She cooed and hugged him. “I love you too, gorgeous,” She said earning her another lick.

**

After feeding all of cats, she now sat on the grass outside now fully dressed.

She was happily playing with the cats. Since early the black cat seemed to be sticking close. But he wasn’t eating.

She was worrying about this and trying to get him to eat. Even trying to feed him treats, but he would just take it in his mouth and pass it to another cat.

Now he lay on her out stretched legs on his back as she rubbed his belly. They were both completely surrounded by almost two dozen cats.

“Breeding an army?” Bee looked up to see Clint stood a good distance away from the cats. She had learned quickly that no one in town goes near them because they are scared of them.

“Not me, Oliver.” She still wasn’t sure if he was real but telling people he was seemed to keep them away from the house and that is what she liked.
Clint laughed and walked closer. “I am starting to doubt those rumours now. After all, nothing has happened to you.”

He got within a foot of the cats and her. “Maybe that is because I understand him and haven’t done anything against him?” She suggested.

“Possibly… I was here to ask you if you want to go…” He was cut off by a hissing noise. Neither the cats nor Bee need to hear what he was going to ask – they already knew. She also knew that he was married. She had found it out by chance when she went to town to pick up her shopping. She wasn’t interested in him romantically anyway. But the fact that he was going to ask he out and he had flirted with her openly every time they met, despite being married, made her even angrier.

She hadn’t told the cats this, but they just seemed not to like him. Especially Tom – the black tomcat – who now was sat on his haunches hissing at the man.

“I don’t think your cat likes me much.” The other cats were watching him through glares too. But he ignored that and continued what he was saying.

“As I was saying… Would you like to go out on a date with me?”

“No, thank you,” She replied as if he just offered her a cup of tea. She could of swore she heard Tom chuckle.

Clint looked at her in disbelief, “You don’t? Are you sure? I have a good salary, I can buy you anything you want?”

“No, thank you. As you can see I am far too busy at this moment.”

“Another time then,” He said smiling and not giving her a chance to reply before telling her he would call around again, saying bye and leaving.

“What just happen?” She asked confused.

“Doesn’t he understand no? I didn’t want him before I found out he was married. I want him even less now. I don’t need a man. I have you guys and the hiding ghost… If he is real,” She mumbled the last part. “And that is all I need.”

Seconds later she found herself covered in cats and being licked to death.

**

Oliver felt happier than he did in years being around Bee. She had spent all night hugging him and all day stroking him and trying to feed him. He had spent all night watching her sleep and enjoying her company. He loved how she tried to take care of him and all the other cats. Even kissing his nose made his not beating heart jump to life. When she said she loved him, he couldn’t help but wish she was saying it to him in his human form.

But he didn’t want to scare her away. He and his cats were all happy. All being feed and taken care of for the first time in their lives. Most had grown up wild and meeting Bee was their first human contact, living at least.

After playing a game of pass with the treats, Bee had given up trying to feed him and settled on stroking him instead.

He was enjoying this until that stupid man returned again.
It had angered him beyond belief that the man kept flirting with her, despite her showing him no interest.

Thankfully, he had gone now, but hearing that he was married angered him more. But again, Bee had to say something sweet to cheer him up. That is when he had all of the cats attack her with their tongues.

She laughed and laughed and eventually he let her up. He followed her into the small cottage as the others sat in the sun.
He had been in there early and was surprised how different the stuff inside was.

She walked through the house, up the small set of stairs through the bedroom and into the bathroom where she started running the water in a white porcelain bathtub.

He wasn’t sure what she was doing until she had already closed the door and started to get undressed. He looked around unsure. He had never seen a naked woman before. The closest he had come to even being intimate with one was when he had his head resting on her chest earlier and last night.

“You stare a lot, Tom,” She said breaking his thoughts. He hadn’t realised she was complete naked and he was staring until she spoke.

Unable to drag his eyes away he continued looking at her body.
“You want a bath too or you just being a perv?” She joked.
“Because you know Flora should be going into heat soon…”

His eyes widen realising what she was talking about. He maybe in cat guise but it didn’t mean he did that. He wouldn’t, he couldn’t. Like her, they were like his children, family.

She must have seen this because she began laughing as she got in a full bath.

“You certainly are a strange cat. But that’s alright. I’m not exactly a normal human.”

He jumped up onto the edge of the bath and continued to watch her. He knew he shouldn’t and his mother would scold him if he ever saw her again, but he couldn’t help it. He felt a strange pull to her.
The kind what makes you want to be close, take care of the person, and hold them.
A little bit like he felt for his sisters, yet completely different.

Over the last couple of weeks since she first moved here, he had found himself wanting more and more to show his true self. That feeling had only gotten worst over the last day. He wondered many things, including if she would be able to touch her in his human form, would she be scared? Would she leave him and the cats alone again?

“If that stupid man didn’t keep coming around, I would quite happily walk around naked. I hate clothes.” She paused as if thinking.

“When I was younger and I first got taken from my Gran, they would often dress me, but for the first two years I would always take them off,” She chuckled at the memory. “I love the freedom and the feel of the cat’s fur against my skin. It is like a hug from them to you.”

She looked directly at him, “Why don’t you ever speak to me like the others do?” She sounded kind of sad. But he didn’t understand why?

“Because…” He found himself speaking in a human voice. Bee’s eyes widen at the talking cat. “…I’m not a cat.”

“Oliver?” She guessed.