Josh couldn’t seem to push the hard lump of the ball toy out of Kit’s hip pocket. He couldn’t sense any mana and frowned. Had Kit warded the ball inside his pocket just to tease Josh? That was so mean! And Josh couldn’t even dismantle the ward - his one specialty - because there were too many people watching!

He didn’t have the mana to spare, either, but that was secondary.

The Imperial Knight and Josh were also making sly comments about Josh’s short attention span and that was just insulting. “Hmph. Let’s see how long your attention lasts for conversations you’re not a part of,” Josh grumbled.

“I’d best hurry before he decides to rip a hole in your clothes to get his toy out,” Henri laughed. As he sped up his casting his spellwork got sloppy.

Josh hissed when a particularly sloppy spell shivered down his spine like a bucket of ice water. “That hurt you idiot! At least get the spells right. Aren’t you done yet?”

“Henri?” the Duke asked, coming around the side of the desk to stand by his son’s side. “Is something wrong?”

The knight shook himself. “Has the animal shown any unusual behavior since you’ve had him?” Henri asked.

Kit shook his head. “A tendency to eat my shoelaces and trip over rugs,” Kit said lightly. “But he was half-starved when we found him so I wouldn’t call that unusual.”

“No displays of magic?”

“He had magic worked on him,” the Duke grumbled. “First the invisibility collar and then a few spells to diagnose his injuries and conditions. He didn’t show any aptitude for magic himself. He’s just a cat, after all.”

Henri wrote another spell with a frown on his face. Josh could almost make out the shape of the letters before he panicked. They can’t know! He closed his eyes against the spell and braced as hard as he could. His mana levels were too low to fight with anyone else, much less an Imperial Guard! He focused his magic on the parts that would convince them he was a cat turned human rather than a beastkin: his cat ears and his cat tail. Hiss, hiss, hiss. “That hurts!” How was he supposed to explain this? His hisses were turning into words faster than his brain could keep up! “Nasty human! Not do that! Bad!” Waaah! I sound like a child!

Josh now sat naked as the day he was born all curled up in Kit’s lap. Instinctively his ears fell down almost flat against his hair and his tail curled around his hip. He hunched down and glared at the man who was staring at him, the last words of the spell still hovering in the air. Josh’s blurry vision wasn’t enough to make out the details of Henri’s face and he could only hope that the ears and tail were convincing enough.

He kept his eyes away from the Duke and Kit as much as possible. It was absolutely embarrassing and Kit, at least, had fondled his bits once. Heat flushed to Josh’s face and a small whimper built in his throat as he ‘pawed’ at the pocket with the toy.

I look like a pervert! Josh bit his tongue to keep from saying the words out loud. Sitting without a stitch of clothing on and pawing near another man’s groin? This dark history would follow him forever. On his wedding night he’d remember this day and shrivel to the point he couldn’t satisfy his wife!

Tears welled in his eyes. What if Kit reached out again and touched him? Josh would be defiled! He’d never be able to even consider marriage!

Sniff, sniff. At least let him have the snapper. He’d feel better if he wasn’t so hungry.

A hand in his hair made him flinch until those fingers scratched just so under an ear. “Ooooh,” Josh sighed, folding in half until his head was resting on the arm of the chair. “That feels good.” It still didn’t stop Josh from feeling humiliated. He just wanted this all over with. He hadn’t signed up for this humiliating experience! He wanted his dignity back! Polaris owed him a wife!

“That can’t be a beastkin,” Henri muttered. “That spell would have turned him fully human - and clothed - if he was.”

Ch. The imperial guard were idiots. As if they knew all about beastkin magic! Not even beastkin understood all of the intricacies. And since the imperial guard had wiped out all the scholars first, most of the research and knowledge about unique situations was lost. An idiot like that was the one who forced him to be human again?

Josh wished he had enough mana to put Henri in his place.

Trrrrl. That big hand was still rubbing that spot just so. Josh leaned into it, falling into a more comfortable position. He was too scared not to accept the familiar gesture. He turned his face to Kit, almost falling off the chair to make the maneuver, and asked with teary eyes: “Want yummy fish. Please? Want.” He leaned forward and - burying his pride deep down - licked the inside of Kit’s wrist resting near Josh’s temple.

No response.

Josh’s vision was too blurry both from his bad eyesight and unshed tears to make out a clear impression of Kit’s feelings. Kit was stiff and rigid in the chair yet his hand was still giving soft strokes to the juncture of ear and head. Giving up the distracting touch, Josh propped himself up to be closer to Kit’s face. “Want,” he said again, close enough now to see the conflict on the other’s face. He then gave a soft lick to the underside of Kit’s chin.

Oh my ancestors! I have thrown aside pride, dignity, and shame! Please let this unworthy son of lowest decency survive, and I will spend forever repenting my sins!