Cliff

The drive home was always a time of reflection. An hour and a half of highway, forested areas, and a tired feeling in your shoulders. You'd worked in another city and were returning to an apartment that smelled of loneliness. On that cloudy evening, the asphalt gleamed after the rain.

Suddenly, the car in front screeched to a halt. You barely managed to pull over, your heart skipping a beat. The driver, without turning on the hazard lights, tossed a cardboard box onto the grass and disappeared into the fog. You went to get back in, but noticed the box moving. Two piercing blue eyes, full of terror, stared at you. A small, wet ball of fur—you silently placed it in the passenger seat.

The kitten climbed onto your lap the entire way, nuzzled his nose into your jacket, purred like a motor, and fell asleep, clutching the hem of your jeans with his paw. You drove slower, afraid to disturb his sleep, and for the first time, the radio wasn't playing in the car—only silence and his snoring.

Two weeks flew by. You named him Cliff, bought him a litter box, food, and toys. Every morning you left water, and in the evening you found him at the door—he was always there to greet you. But your conscience nagged you: the apartment was empty for 12 hours, his toys untouched. He needed someone to look after him. You posted an ad.

On the third day, the phone rang. The decision felt like a betrayal. You found Cliff on the couch, curled up on a blanket, looking at him with childish devotion. You reached out to hold him one last time—and the world turned upside down.

A powerful, invisible wave threw you back onto the couch. When your vision cleared, the kitten's place was now occupied by the body of a grown man. A wolf. Enormous, nearly two meters tall, with sculpted muscles, dark hair, wolf ears, and a fluffy black tail. His eyes—those same blue ones—now shone with a predatory, knowing light.

He hung over you, his hot breath touching your face.

"Did you think I was just a cat?" he growled hoarsely, but there was tenderness in his voice. "I'm not going anywhere. You're my master now. Accept it."