Sebastian led me to a small but cozy office in the heart of a maze, something the CDC liked to do to piss off guests and potentially lose them in their corporate labyrinths. His office had a loveseat, and I invited myself onto it, stretching my legs with a soft groan. “So, yes. I have forty-seven brothers. My momma really loves my daddy. A lot.”
“I vastly underestimated the problems in your life. While I did research into your day-to-day activities, I typically don’t research immediate family unless they’re living under the same roof as the target of my interest. The file said you belonged to a lynx clan, but it didn’t mention any more than a town and the precautions the clan takes to prevent the spread of the infection. There was a note that the CDC is interested in the clan expanding to help strengthen feline numbers in the United States, as there was a note about a prolific pairing.”
“That pairing would be my parents.”
“There was also a note to see if you would consent to testing to identify why you may have been conceived, as it’s rare for lycanthrope couplings to have daughters.”
“I recommend you test my father, as he’s the responsible party for my gender. My mother just seduced him, and I didn’t exist until post seduction. I was the product of a seduction several weeks after my brothers were conceived. Frankly, nobody knows why I’m actually alive. I bet you’re regretting your job right now, knowing just how stubborn I can be.”
“Hardly. I’m rather intrigued, as it isn’t often I get to thoroughly question a medical miracle.”
I wrinkled my nose at the thought of Sebastian indulging in the wrong sort of questioning. My virus also complained over the situation. Interest in my status as a medical miracle didn’t help my virus’s problem of wanting to mate with the only eligible male cat I’d ever met. According to her, Sebastian was as eligible and as male as it got, and I bet I’d find the furry bastard’s picture beside ‘cat’ in the dictionary. “You’re one of those, aren’t you?”
“One of what?”
“You’re one of those nosy freaks with an interest in science.”
“Yes, I am. I do rather enjoy studying. It’s one of my hobbies. I go home at night and indulge in a good book. Some nights, it’s a non-fiction book. Other nights, I explore various types of fiction. As your health is now my problem, I have a great many questions for you. I’ll likely begin with your family life, as part of my job as your handler is to be aware of the other considerations, including things that might distract you from your work. For example, hunters who feel their family will be threatened often are unable to perform. It’s my job to make certain those factors are managed to everyone’s general satisfaction.”
Well, if he wanted to know about my family life, he only had himself to blame for what he learned. “I’m a virgin because I have forty-seven brothers who act as chaperones, two parents who act as chaperones, and several uncles who also act as chaperones. I have a family of overprotective freaks who get upset if I do not check in at least three times a week. Said overprotective freaks felt guilty I was going to a spa in Cincinnati rather than to somewhere like Hawaii. Thanks to their guilt, I got to mug the bastards for their pocket change. That was fun, but they were well aware I’d be mugging them for their pocket change, so they put large bills in their wallets for me to steal to soothe their guilty consciences. My uncle felt so guilty over my status as a helpless female with no love life that he bought me a laptop and used the kittens to make certain I accepted it. It was chaos.”
According to Sebastian’s expression, he was not impressed with me. “Your family has no idea about your bounty hunting, do they?”
“My uncle, the bounty hunter handler, has no idea I’m into bounty hunting. I will rip your intestines out through your nose should you inform him of my side job. They happily think I’ve somewhat accepted my general scars and work in customer service, as I am more reclusive than the average lynx. My family? They have forgotten they are solitary cats and prefer living in a nice, big clan with as many kittens around causing trouble as possible. The fifteenth litter consists