"I can't get cold if I don't want to."
Zak looked like he was about to question me further, but I ignored him as we had arrived.
"This is my place. I live on the thirty-eighth floor," I said, motioning to the sleek, tall, grey structure. It looked more like a modern prison, but the rent was surprisingly low. Probably because of all the assholes in the neighborhood.
"Give me your hand," He said suddenly. I looked at him, confused, and pulled my sleeve down so that it covered my hand and gave it to him. I couldn't afford skin to skin touch and risk his doubt. Zak looked at my hand in amusement, but took it anyway.
"Why did-" I got cut off as a sudden wave of magic hit me like a hurricane. I felt like I was floating in the middle of nothing for a second there. Everything went dark and I couldn't feel anything but the strong grip on my hand.
Everything materialized around me at once. I turned around and looked at Zak in disbelief, opening and closing my mouth like a goldfish.
"Did you just teleport us?"
He looked thoroughly amused at my reaction.
"Yes," He replied.
"Why didn't you just do it earlier?"
"I was mindlinking."
That was not a valid excuse, but I was not gonna poke him further. Dude had a teleportation device on him. The last thing I wanted was for him to teleport me to the middle of an ocean. Sirens were too hot to handle. I looked around and saw that we had landed a few doors away from my place. I motioned for him to follow me.
I stopped right in front of my door as I remembered something.
'Oh, shit.'
I turned around to face Zak.
"Can you stay out here for a minute or two?" I asked hesitantly.
"Why?"
"Just- Please?" I gave him the best pleading face I could muster. Probably was not gonna work, but a girl could try. He scowled at me.
"One minute."
I sighed in relief.
"Step back," I said and unlocked my door with the code.
"Four zeroes? Really?" He asked in disgust.
"Not much to steal and I don't think anybody would get out alive even if they do manage to enter without permission."
Zak wisely didn't ask questions and stepped back. I entered my house and closed the door behind me, but left it slightly open in case I needed to run. I prayed to Cerne that Mika was still asleep and not awake as I made my way to the couch on which I left him on.
My prayers were not answered. The gods definitely hated me.
Mika was sitting upright in the middle of my couch in all his glory. Black fur shining in the sunlight and his molten gold eyes glinting with malice. He turned his head away as soon as his eyes met mine. I immediately got down on my knees in front of my dramatic cat.
"Come on, Mimi! You know I can't take you there. And you wouldn't have let me go if you were awake!"
He silently got up and walked away to the farthest corner of my couch.
'This cat-'
I heard a stifled laughter coming from behind me. I turned my head and saw a sight to behold. Alpha Zak was laughing.
'Damn, my mate looks good when he's laughing.'
Then I realised he was laughing at me.
"Hey! I told you to stay out! And does this look funny to you?" I asked furiously. Mika immediately came to my side and patted my head with his furry, cute paw.
Zak started laughing harder at this. I ignored him, took Mika into my arms, and stood up. Well, Mika was at least not upset with me anymore. This cat knew how to hold grudges and had serious abandonment issues.
Just like me.
I pet his head and he purred in contentment. I walked up to Zak who had stopped laughing and was looking at me curiously and shoved my cat in front of his face.
"Meet my cat, Mika," I said.
As expected, Mika snarled at him. Unfortunately for me, Zak ducked before my cat could scratch him.
ZAK'S POV
I stepped back and ducked as soon as the cat snarled. I saw that coming, to be honest. Didn't really expect for the cat to be anymore respectful than its owner.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" I asked dryly, brushing past her into the living room as she walked over to the couch and set down the cat.
"I would never commit such a crime," she replied, sarcasm heavy in her voice. I shook my head at her. This girl either knew something I didn't, or just had a death wish.
Probably the latter. She would have to tame that sharp tongue of hers when she started working for me. I let it go at the moment since I didn't have a right to exercise control over her, but I expected absolute respect from all my employees and pack members.
I took in everything in the room. Which was pretty much nothing other than the ancient-looking couch and walls painted in varying shades of grey. There was no other furniture in the room and only a single door was present, which probably led to her bedroom.
'Does that mean she doesn't have a kitchen?'
She obviously didn't consider this place 'home'. Even my room back at the Eternal Frost Mansion was better decorated than this, and that was saying something.
"This place looks…Cozy."
She gave me a sideways glance.
"I only come here to sleep. Nothing more. You can snoop around. I'll take the notes and be back in a second. Don't touch Mika if you want your pretty face to remain unscathed," She said, more like ordered me and headed over to her room.
It was pretty clear that there was nothing to see here, so I followed her quietly.