Winter's Mate: Fated on Ice
I glanced down and saw a cat curled up in a box.
My eyes lit up as I scrambled off the bed and went straight to it, lifting the lid to pull the small animal out. It was tiny in my arms, maybe two months old, its fur a soft, bright orange. The cat nuzzled against me, and I smiled, sinking into the warmth of it. I'd wanted a cat for years, but my mother had always hated the idea. The one time I'd brought one home, she'd thrown it back out into the street before I could even name it. After that, I'd settled for watching strays from a distance whenever I passed the park on my way home from work. There was something about them, something calming that could lift a mood without asking anything in r