Chapter 54 - The First Day
Cat felt like she was coming back down from a high after Trey marked her. She looked up at him when he spoke but didn't know what he had said. The heat and tingling were still flowing all over her body.
When she could focus again, she smiled. She knew today was the first day of the rest of her life. She hugged him to her with her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Cat pulled away.
"Trey, I don't know what happened when you bit me, but I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience. What's going to happen next?" Cat was talking quietly, almost as though she was scared of being overheard.
"Once the sensations disappear, you may start feeling a little sick. That will pass as well, usually after a day or two. Inside of you is where the changes will be taking place. You may notice your senses getting better, such as your eyesight and smell. Also, you may be more attracted to my natural scent like I am to yours. You should get your lioness soon; she will introduce herself to you when she comes."
Cat listened to everything Trey said, and it didn't sound too bad. She was ready to meet her lioness and go through the whole process. She couldn't wait to shift her first time and run freely with Atlas.
"What are we going to do while I'm going through this? I don't want to sit around waiting for the changes." Cat was looking towards the window where she could hear the waves crashing on the beach. It was peaceful, but she wasn't feeling very beachy after her confrontation with Sonya.
"I thought we could start working on some of the plans for the group home." Cat smiled up at him. She had been thinking about Kayla a lot. She hoped that everything was going okay with her being at home. They had talked several times before Cat and Trey left for Monterey, and she'd sounded good.
"That's a great idea. I want to stay focused on my goal because it will be worth it if I can make a difference in just one child's life. Where do you think we should start?"
Trey looked down at Cat, and she was glowing. He knew being marked was still affecting her. He thought it would be best if he could take her mind off everything for a little while by focusing on the group home.
"I brought a laptop with us, so why don't we start looking for real estate that would match what you're looking for?" Trey didn't care what she wanted; he was going to get it for her. If she wanted to convert a mansion into a group home, he would do it just to see her smile.
"I have no idea where to start. I want it to be big enough to have separate areas for boys and girls. I also want it to have a homey feel and not an institution feel to it. I would also like to find a place with a bit of land so we can grow our own fruits and vegetables. Does that sound like too much?"
Cat blushed slightly, realizing her list was probably going to be on the pricey side. Even though she knew Trey was rich, she didn't want to take advantage of his generosity.
"Cat, what's mine is yours; that includes money. If you want to buy a castle to use as a playground, I'll make it happen. Anything you want is yours because I want you to be happy." Trey ran his fingers through her hair as he watched her expression.
"How do you keep making me fall in love with you more and more each day, Trey? Let's get started looking at houses. Maybe it would be best to find a place that needs a little work so we can make it whatever we want." She climbed off his lap, still feeling weak in the knees from being marked.
Trey went to the bedroom to get the laptop, and Cat went to the window to look at the ocean. It was early afternoon and still a little foggy. The sea had more of a grey look than blue today, making Cat feel cool.
"Trey, when I have fully turned into a werelion, will I be warm all the time like you are?" Cat asked while looking out the window when she heard him come back downstairs.
"Yes, our blood is warmer than human blood, so you'll notice you won't get cold even in the snow." Trey walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her as they looked out the window together.
He felt pleased that he had brought her here and asked her to marry him. Shifters don't typically marry, but Cat was human first, and he wanted her to have all the experiences humans had. Besides, he thought it was another way to show the world she was all his.
After a few minutes, they went to the couch and sat down with the laptop. They first had to decide on what area they wanted to have the group home. Trey thought it was best to keep it out of Sacramento and have it in the Roseville area, which is very family oriented.
They started looking at homes in the area that Trey suggested, and Cat got worried when she saw the prices of the houses. They were so expensive she would've had to work three jobs to afford the mortgage if it wasn't for Trey.
After a couple of hours of searching different real-estate sites and taking a break to eat lunch, they found a place that Cat thought would be perfect. The house was three stories high and sat back off the road.
It was not the typical California style, being a large victorian with a wrap-around deck. It sat on one acre of land, and from the pictures, Cat could see many trees on the property.
The inside looked like it needed some work but not a complete overhaul. Cat loved the natural hardwood floors throughout the house and the massive fireplace in the living room. She could imagine the kids sitting in there reading books or watching television. Doing usual kid stuff.
What made the place even better was that it had a small guest house that sat behind the main house. It looked like it needed lots of work, but Cat thought, for the time being, it would be a good place for her and Trey to stay. They could be close to the group home yet still have their own space.
"Do you want to call and put in an offer on this place? If you think this is the one you want, I don't think we should wait." Trey thought the house was perfect, but he didn't want to push her into it because he liked it.
"Let's do it, Trey. I don't want to take the chance of someone else swooping in and getting it. You call and make the offer. Whatever you think is fair and will secure it for us." Cat couldn't wipe the grin off her face as she went back through the pictures.
She listened to Trey on the phone with the realtor and felt giddy. She couldn't believe that he was making all of her dreams come true. When he hung up, he turned to Cat with a smile.
"I told the realtor we could pay cash at their asking price, and she said most likely the house would be ours. It's been on the market for a while because no one wanted to fix it up." Cat stood up and ran over to Trey throwing her arms around him.
"Thank you, Trey. You ..." She couldn't finish her sentence as she felt the overwhelming need to vomit. She ran into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Trey heard her vomiting and knew the sickness had started. He opened the bathroom door and sat on the side of the tub. While she continued getting sick, he held her hair back and used a cool washcloth on her forehead. He just hoped the sickness only lasted a few days.
