Oath Sworn - K.N. Banet Page 0,61
a little lady bumps into you on accident, you maybe should be a little kinder, because you never know when that might come back to haunt you. I’m stronger and scarier than your bosses. I’m not a danger to them, though. Or I shouldn’t be. I just need to talk to them. So, will you take the message for me or let me know what I need to hear?” I ended that quite sweetly, giving him an innocent smile. I let him go slowly, releasing each finger individually. “Are we good?”
“Good,” he agreed softly. “I can’t tell you where any of them are. The few coming in right now are coming in at night, and for good reason. They can defend themselves better if they’re not worried about humans getting in the mix and getting hurt. I can’t call any of them either. They’re all dark. I will keep your message in mind, though, ma’am. Jacky Leon, looking to speak to the werewolves of Dallas. Not a danger if you’re not provoked, correct?”
He was a lot better at this than the woman with the construction company, that was clear.
“That’s right, good sir. And about the other thing?” I crossed my arms.
“I’m sorry. You caught me on a bad morning.” He lowered his head. “Will that be all?”
“Yes, and no need to call security. I’ll see myself out.” I turned on a heel and left the firm.
It was a short elevator ride down and I left the building quickly, out into the rapidly warming morning.
I spent all morning walking around Dallas, confronting different human employees, asking them to spread my name. All the while, I made sure to get my scent on damn near everything I could think of without going full cat and just rubbing the walls. I touched casually during polite conversations, keeping the contact appropriate, like hands and shoulders. I leaned on walls, signs, and posts when I was tired, especially around corners and intersections. I hit up everything I could find in and around downtown Dallas, opting not to go over into Fort Worth, which was technically a big city all its own a very short drive away. If the wolves wanted me, they would have to come to the area of the city I was slowly but surely putting a claim on.
Because that was the last part of my plan. I was letting my magic and my scent soak in and become part of the land. Normally, a werecat would go out in their feline form and mark a border, and a special connection would be created from the act. After that, the magic soaked in towards the center, where a cat would always be. It filled the region and gave me all my niftier abilities, like being able to track a supernatural creature on my land without needing to actually go find them. I could focus on them like a hot spot in my mind’s eye and know where they were on my territory.
I was doing it differently here. Each person I touched was marked subtly with my scent, and that sent a message. They were mine. The more I walked, the more I was connected with the land. It would never be mine until I made a perimeter run, but I was throwing a challenge out there, just to get attention. The werewolves, if they met my trail somewhere, would notice it.
At lunch, I looked up a small deli a few blocks away, on a street I hadn’t hit yet. I started walking, taking in the sights. Being mission-oriented was keeping me focused, and that helped me enjoy the city more than a casual visit, scared for my life. I didn’t much care for my life at that moment, so that was a big worry off my plate.
I was a block away from the deli when the scent of wolf hit me, the first time all day I’d gotten it out in the open. I inhaled harder, trying to find the source, but couldn’t. For all I knew, it was from a passing car. Shaking my head, I kept walking and found the deli. I slipped in and went to the counter, ordering two simple turkey sandwiches with triple meat and no vegetables at all. I didn’t need anything but the dairy and protein for the moment.
I could still eat vegetables, even though felines were obligate carnivores, because my human body still needed them. My cat just needed to do a few things to