Here Kitty, Kitty - 28. Chapter 12.1

Kitryn woke up warm and comfortable. He frowned. His pillow was softer than he remembered and a different shape. He patted it down trying to even out the stuffing.

“If you keep poking me I’ll start returning the favor.”

Kitryn let out a very unmanly yelp and sat up so fast he nearly fell off the side of the bed.

He was only saved by Simon wrapping an arm around his waist to stabilize him.

“Where? How?” Kitryn looked at Simon in confusion.

Simon laughed. “You’re in my room—and bed I might add. You fell asleep after I fed from you. Does that cover all your questions?”

“Um.” Kitryn rubbed his eyes and tried to get his brain functioning fully. “I think so.”

“Good ‘cause food is waiting for you in the living room.”

Kitryn made it to the food with Simon’s help. He tried to ignore Meg’s knowing looks while he ate and fielded questions from the kits.

“So what else is planned for tonight?” Simon asked.

“You have a lesson with Elder Carl in about two hours,” Meg answered from her perch on one of the couches.

Kitryn let out a low hiss. That male was asking to be used as a scratching post. If the vamp wasn’t careful Kitryn would set the kits on him and then stand back and laugh.

“You okay there?” Simon’s voice brought Kitryn out of his fantasy and back to the present.

“Yep, just thinking, maybe I could come with you to your lesson? I would like to find out if what I was taught about vamps is true or whether I need to teach the kits other things.”

He saw Meg smirking out the corner of his eye but she didn’t comment and Simon didn’t seem to notice anything amiss.

“I don’t mind. I can’t speak for Elder Carl though, of course.”

“Oh, I’m sure he won’t mind.” Kitryn mentally rubbed his hands together, let the games begin.

***

Carl dropped his head to the desk. It never rained but it poured. He’d only been away from his clan for a week and some damn idiot had already nearly started a clan war with his nearest neighbor. His council was calling for him to come back and sort out the mess and weren’t happy when told them he was staying and they would have to pull up their big pants and sort it out themselves.

Why him? Why had he decided to become an elder? Why couldn’t he be happy living as a lone vampire?

He gave himself a shake. No use looking backwards, best to look to the future and deal with what came along as it happened. He had a new vampire to train, a group of seers to find, a rogue shifter to hunt down, and through all that he had to keep his sanity as well. At least he was meeting with Simon soon. He had taught a lot of young vamps in his time and found teaching both interesting and rewarding. Watching someone learn about themselves and discover their talents was a wondrous thing to experience.

A knock on the door made him glance at the time.

“Come in, Simon,” he called.

He smiled as his newest student entered the room, then had to fix the smile in place when he was who was with him. He was so not in the mood for this.

“Hi, I thought I’d tag along to make sure my knowledge was up to date for when I need to teach the kits.” Kitryn sounded overly happy and cheery and Carl felt a new headache gaining force by the second.

I am sorry for the delay in getting this posted, the holidays are now finished and I am trying to catch up on everything at once. Hopefully, I should have a longer chapter for you all next week. 
 
Thank you, everyone, who continues to read/react/comment on my story.  
and of course, thank you to Tim for his corrections