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The muscles in her throat kept constricting, barely allowing her to breathe. Her lips were pulled back, teeth bared, as desperate sobs wracked her body. She clung to the human’s leg, on her knees, nails digging into the woman’s dark black pant leg. The young hybrid’s hair was a mess, as though she had been tearing at it. The fur on her ears and tail was standing on end, puffing up in a display of anxiety and fear. I heard a rip, and looked to where her nails were embedded in this woman’s clothing. The expensive-looking pants now had a tear in them; I was surprised the poor girl didn’t get kicked across the room.
The human, obviously her owner- now ex-owner, I suppose, filled out the paperwork with a stoic look on her face. The kitty hybrid was choking on her own tears, burying her face against the ex-owner’s thigh, begging her through senseless words to stay, to go home together, to go snuggle up on the couch like always. Her little chest was going through Hell. She was hyperventilating, sobbing...this girl was killing herself. I watched with dread as the ex-owner signed the last of the papers. She stood.
“Good bye, Sua, love. Please. Take care. You’ll find someone better.” She spoke gently. I expected a colder tone...it probably would’ve been easier on the young hybrid to part ways if this woman were a bit colder.
“No, no, no. No! No!” She choked out through tears. “I don’t want anyone else! I don’t need anyone else! Please!” I turned around, feeling my throat start to get hot and my eyes begin to water. “Siyeon, please! Don’t go, don’t leave me!” I tightened my jaw, and returned my gaze to the poor little thing. The human, apparently ‘Siyeon’, bent down and removed the girl’s collar. She went silent. Somehow that was even more horrible than hearing her desperate pleas for her owner to take her back. The girl collapsed in on herself in a pile on the cold, tile floor of the shelter; a shivering, blubbering, sobbing mess. “You said...you promised…” I could hear between broken coughs and sobs. “You said you’d...my heart...you’d...you wouldn’t…” I listened as I felt my own throat tighten. “You promised you’d take care of my heart.” She whined in a broken voice, as her breathing kept speeding up. “Y-You...p-promised.” The woman behind the desk, Minji, gave me The Look. I turned and went into the bathroom quietly, and called our doctor.
“We’ve got a kitten hybrid being dropped off. She’s about to make herself pass out.” I whispered calmly, despite how my heart ached for the poor girl.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Have Minji sedate her. I know she hates doing it, but it’s safer.” Our doctor sighed, hanging up. I pocketed my phone, and snuck out of the bathroom and down the hall to the exam room. I opened the cabinets filled with hybrid medications, and skimmed through them until I found the bottle labeled “Diazepam”. I took a sterile syringe out of its wrapping and drew out forty millimeters, then put the syringe back in its wrapping and hid it under my shirt. I quietly shut the door behind me and scurried silently to the front desk, where ‘Sua’ was still convulsing.
“Siyeon…” She whimpered helplessly, curling herself impossibly tighter. “Siyeon...come back...please...Siyeon…” I handed the wrapped syringe to Minji. She looked at me with her puppy-dog eyes.
“Do we have to?” She mouthed. I nodded sadly, and gestured to the pile of hybrid on the floor in front of the desk. She went around the desk to kneel in front of ‘Sua’.
“G-Go away! I-I’m S-S-S-” She screamed when she felt the needle pierce her skin. Minji’s grip on her was deadly strong. The tiny hybrid squirmed and screamed like Hell, nonetheless. When the sedative was completely administered, I leaned over the desk and took the syringe from Minji’s hand, while she held down the squealing girl. Soon, her breathing began to slow, and Minji picked the girl up when her will to fight faded. “I’m...Siyeon’s…” She mumbled, still desperate to return to the woman who dropped her here. “I’m...Lee Siyeon’s...my collar…”
“Poor thing.” Minji sighed, holding ‘Sua’ a little tighter. “Yoobin, can you open the door to the holding room?” I nodded, and rushed ahead of her while she carried the new hybrid gently behind me. ‘Sua’ was still mumbling pleas for Siyeon to come back and pick her up, to take her back home. Her speech got more and more slurred as we continued down the hall. I opened the door, and Minji laid her down on the bed we made for her last night.
“She’s the one whose owner called us last night?” I asked, while Minji stroked her hair.
“Yes.” She sighed. “Her owner...doesn’t understand how attached hybrids become. She had to go on business trips, and be gone for weeks at a time. She thought it would be less painful for this little thing if they parted ways. I tried telling her it wouldn’t be. I really tried to tell her that most hybrids can never be the same once they’re disowned. I tried to get her to understand that as long as this poor soul had someone to call ‘Master’, someone to place their trust in, someone to belong to...she’d be fine.”
“I hate humans.” I grumbled, sitting on the bed next to the sleeping girl.
“Yoobin.” Minji sent me a stern look.
“I hate most humans.” I sighed, flicking my tail in irritation. “Anyway, what’re we gonna call her?”
“I think ‘Bora’ suits her well, right? Little Bora?” Minji hummed, brushing the girl’s hair out of her face.
“Bora...I think it’s good.” I hummed. Bora was very pretty when her face wasn’t contorted in fear. One of her canines poked out over her lip. I looked up at Minji; she was gazing at Bora with love in her eyes. I directed my attention back to the sleeping hybrid. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and she had a little bit of drool leaking from the corner of her lips. She finally looked peaceful...although that probably wouldn’t last long. As soon as she woke up, she’d probably collapse in panic again. I ran my fingers over the scars on my neck, where I scratched and pulled at my throat, blindly hoping to find fabric locked around my neck again.
“Say Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!”
“Fuck.” Minji rushed out of the room as her phone went off, not wanting to wake Bora. I kicked off my shoes, and removed hers’, setting both pairs on the ground. I remembered my first night without an owner, and remembered what I wished I had. I’d make sure she adjusted better than I did. I’d make sure she changed less than I did. I curled my body around her, draping my tail, an arm, and a leg over her to hold her close. I began purring. Since we were both cat hybrids, the purring would keep her calm when she woke up. Even if she wasn’t a cat hybrid like me, who wouldn’t be calm at the sound of a cat purring? “Handong’s here.” Minji whispered, opening the door. Our doctor quietly entered the room, not making a sound as she set her bag of basic equipment down.
“What’d you use to sedate her?” Handong asked, taking her stethoscope out to listen to the girl’s heart.
“Diazepam.” I replied, sitting up. Handong nodded, and placed the chestpiece of the stethoscope on various places around Bora’s chest and back, listening to her breathing and her heartbeat. She put the instrument down and breathed a sigh of relief.
“She doesn’t seem to have anything wrong.”
“She came from a wealthy owner...she should be in perfect health.” Minji hummed from where she stood, leaning against the wall. “But you never know.”
“So you want me to perform a full exam?” Handong raised an eyebrow at Minji.
“Just to be safe.” She shrugged. “It’ll be easier while she’s out, anyway. When she wakes up, she’s probably gonna tear this room apart trying to find a way to get to her old owner.” Handong chuckled, and took out a blood pressure machine. “What?”
“I think she’s cute, too, Minji. But I really don’t think we need to do a full examination.” Handong spoke as she attached the cuff to Bora’s arm and started the machine.
“Please?” Minji whined pitifully. I let out a small laugh at how whipped Minji was for this new hybrid. I’d never seen her look at one of us this way.
“One-fifty over ninety-five. She’s a little elevated, but I’d be more concerned if she wasn’t.” Handong mumbled, opening Bora’s mouth to check her teeth and throat. She took a cloth from her bag to wipe the drool that leaked out of the sedated girl’s mouth. She wordlessly checked Bora’s ears and nose while Minji and I watched. She opened Bora’s eyes and checked for any abnormalities. Her pupils were wide, taking up almost her whole eye. “She’s all good there.” She hummed, then pulled her shirt up to her chest and examined her stomach, pushing and pressing on it. “Nothing going on there, no pregnancy.” Handong pulled her shirt back down over her stomach. “Could you two leave? I need to check on some of her more...intimate health.”
“Yep, I’m out.” Minji opened the door and began to back out of the room. “You too, Yoobin.” I climbed over Bora and followed Minji out the door and into the hall.
“You’re taking a liking to her, aren’t you?” I chuckled.
“Oh hush.” She chuckled. “She’s like any other hybrid. She’s cute and easy to like.” She cooed, pinching my cheek.
“I’ve never seen you look at any of us like that.” I pouted playfully.
“Why don’t you go see if Yoohyeon needs any help on the pure-animal shelter side?” She crossed her arms and glared at me.
“No, not Yoohyeon…” I whined and pulled my ears back. “She’s so hyper and loud...she’s a dog hybrid, please…”
“Then you won’t say anything more about my attraction to Bora.”
“Fine.” I groaned, stuffing my hands in my hoodie’s front pocket. “But you admit you have an attraction to her.”
“Go.” She waved me off.
“No!” I whined.
“Siyeon…” I awoke to Bora crying, curled up in bed. I had fallen asleep in a pile of blankets she had kicked off the bed in her sleep. Minji and Handong decided it would be best for me to supervise her when she woke up. After a quick stretch, I sat on the bed. She went stiff upon feeling the bed shift. “You’re not Siyeon. You don’t smell like Siyeon. Leave me alone. Go away.” She growled.
“I’m Yoobin.” I spoke gently, and placed my hand on her back. She flinched at the contact. “I’m a cat hybrid, too.”
“I know. I’m not nose-blind.” She scoffed. “Let me go home. Let me see my owner again. Take me back to Siyeon.”
“Siyeon’s the one who left you here. If I could bring you back to her, or if she wanted you-”
“She said she loves me!” She hissed, and curled into the corner of the bed, pressing herself against the wall. “She said she wants me. She promised.”
“I’m sorry…” I sighed. “I know how it feels. I was abandoned here-”
“I wasn’t abandoned.” Her voice broke. “Siyeon’s coming back for me. This was all a mistake.” Her breath caught in her throat as tried to breathe. “She-” Bora shuddered. “She loves me. A-And I love her.”
“Sua…” I purred, calling her by the name her master must have given her. “It’s over. She took off your collar, and she’s gone.” I spoke calmly to the shuddering and shivering hybrid. She began to hyperventilate again. “Listen to me. I know it’s hard to hear. I’ve been through what you’re going through-”
“Siyeon isn’t like other humans! She loves me. She doesn’t see me as- as-” She sniffled and coughed, attempting to catch her breath. “I’m not a toy to her! I’m not a pet!”
“Sua, please. You’re just going to hurt yourself if you keep acting like this.” I sighed. “Say Siyeon decides she made a mistake. Say she comes back, looking for you. We can’t give you back to her if you’re sick or injured. It’s just shelter policy.” That made her shut up completely. She looked at me with wide eyes. “Just...roll with it.” I hated to let her believe in her fantasy, but I had to. It was the only way to keep her safe. She’d realize, soon enough, that Siyeon wasn’t coming back. She’d heal with time. She had to. “You just need to calm down, and live here like the rest of us, so if-”
“When. When Siyeon comes back for me.” She sniffled.
“When…” I groaned. “When Siyeon comes back. You’ll be healthy and ready to go home as soon as she gets here.”
“Anything for Siyeon.” She mumbled, curling up in a more comfortable, less defensive position on the bed.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I left my apartment earlier than usual to drive to the shelter. I could hardly sleep last night, wondering how Bora would adjust to life without her master. The sun was nowhere to be seen when I finished the five minute drive, and unlocked the doors, locking them again behind me. I was quiet so as not to disturb the dogs and cats that lived on the first floor of the shelter; if they started barking and meowing, the hybrids sleeping on the upper floors would wake up. Bora would wake up, too...since the temporary room she’d been given was on the first floor. It would’ve been too risky to try to move her upstairs yesterday. I peeked through the blinds covering the window of her room. She was curled up with blankets wrapped around her, in the corner of the bed. My heart broke at the sight. I went to the front desk to look over the paperwork from Bora’s arrival. Her past master had taken her in when she was a stray, living off of food scraps behind restaurants. They were together for only a few years when Siyeon graduated from university and took over her father’s company. Siyeon said she never had time to be with Bora anymore; she was out on business trips more than she was home, and when she was home, she was doing paperwork, eating, or sleeping. There was also the matter of the girl’s heat- that was the breaking point. Siyeon couldn’t work with Bora begging and pleading for a release, and when Siyeon locked the hybrid in her bedroom, Bora sounded like she was in utter agony. So, as soon as Bora’s heat was over, Siyeon called us to schedule a time to drop Bora off. Siyeon really did care for Bora, she cared for her a lot. Looking over the notes she left for me proved it. She had given me a list of Bora’s favorite foods, favorite scents, favorite movies...she even wrote that Bora- well, ‘Sua’ to her- needed to be cuddled often, or she’d start to get depressed (another reason Siyeon decided that she couldn’t care for Bora anymore). She also wrote that Bora loved to dance and loved music, and gave us a list of songs she knew choreography for (a long list), as well as songs she simply liked to listen to. She left a list of warnings, too. Bora liked to bite when she played, and she had a tendency to hold onto people she trusts too roughly, scratching them. She’d also just bite to show affection. “I thought there was someone down here.” I heard Yoobin sigh. I looked up to see her sheath her knife in the pocket of her pajama pants. “You’re early.” She hummed, locking the door to the hybrids’ rooms behind her. “Go back to sleep.” I chuckled. “No.” She returned my smile and quietly approached me behind the desk, clad in an oversized t-shirt, long pajama pants, and black slippers. Her short hair was a mess, and she wore her glasses. “Can’t stop thinking about Bora?”“Hush, you.” I scolded her gently. “If you want to make yourself useful, you can make coffee.” “Ooh, I could go for some coffee.” Her ears twitched in excitement, and she scurried into the kitchen to make coffee for the two of us. I went back to skimming over Bora’s notes from Siyeon, making sure that there was nothing missing. Sua is really sensitive. Approach her with an open heart and be patient. Give her all of the love you can.“Can do.” I hummed under my breath, and went to Bora’s temporary room. My heart was pounding with excitement; Yoobin said she was able to calm her down a bit yesterday, although she was still pretty shaken. I’d be lying if I said the new hybrid didn’t have an effect on me. She was gorgeous, and judging by Siyeon’s descriptions of her, she’d be perfect for me...loving, adorably needy, cuddly…“What are you doing?” Yoobin chuckled. “You can just go in, she won’t rip your arm off.” She offered me a mug of coffee. “Just leave it in the kitchen for now.” I whispered. “I just wanna do things right, is all.” “Sure.” Yoobin shrugged, and returned to the kitchen. I opened the door as quietly as I could, and gently closed it behind me. The sound of the lock clicking was enough to startle poor Bora, who jumped and looked up at me. Her eyes were wide with fear. She only knew me as the woman who allowed Siyeon to leave her, and as the woman who sedated her. I’d be scared, too. I raised both of my hands, showing her that I didn’t have a syringe on me. I took a step towards her and she hissed, digging her nails into the bedsheets.“What are you gonna do to me?” She growled. “Nothing.” I whispered. “And we need to be quiet. We’ll wake up the whole shelter.” She simply glared at me. I took another step towards her, and watched her body coil up even more. “Sua.” Her gaze softened for a moment. “I just have a couple questions for you. Easy, simple questions.”“About what?” She grumbled. “Food.” I smiled gently, as I watched her muscles relax. I sat on the floor, not even a full meter from the door, and two meters from her bed. “Did you eat last night?” “No.” She swallowed. “I want to eat Siyeon’s cooking. I’ll only eat what Siyeon gives me.” I sighed.“Hon…” I closed my eyes, trying to pick the right words to say. “We don’t have Siyeon’s food. You’ll have to eat what we give you.”“I’ll starve.” She whimpered as her stomach growled. “I’ll die.” She rolled over, facing away from me. “What do you want for breakfast?” I asked. “If Siyeon doesn’t make it, I don’t want it.” She mumbled into a pillow. “What would you want Siyeon to make you?” I sighed. “Pancakes. Blueberry pancakes.” She mumbled again. “Thank you.” I stood, and she flipped over on the bed again to face me. “I’m not going to come closer unless you want me to. There’s no need to hiss or growl or to be scared. Just tell me ‘no’ when I’m too close. I know you were a stray before Siyeon found you. You won’t be put on the streets again. You won’t have to live off of garbage again. You’ll have a warm bed and fresh food and water available to you at all times. If you decide to come out of your shell, I’ll hold your hand and guide you. So will Yoobin or any other hybrid here. If you don’t come out of your shell, I’ll respect that. We’ll have boundaries.” I turned around to leave. “Wait.” She whimpered. I turned to face her again. “When is Siyeon coming for me?” She asked innocently. “She’s not.” I sat on the ground again. “Siyeon isn’t coming back for you. She’s moving, and she doesn’t have time to care for you anymore. It’s hard to hear, I know, but...I don’t think you’ll ever see Siyeon again.” “When is Siyeon coming?” She growled, unsatisfied with my answer. I got up and left the room, hearing sobbing behind me. It broke my heart. My heart was screaming at me to run and jump onto her bed and hold her in my arms until she calmed down. My heart was begging me to sing lullabies to her, to kiss her, to let her cry into my shoulder and vent her feelings to me. I couldn’t. She didn’t want me. I’d be the mature owner of the shelter, and I’d let her be alone if she needed it. “Didn’t go too well, huh?” Yoobin asked, leaning on the counter, eating some waffles she warmed up from the fridge. I just grabbed a large bowl and began to gather the ingredients to make pancakes. “Cheer up, have a sip of your coffee.” She put her plate down and walked over to me, holding the mug to my lips. I shook my head and cracked a couple of eggs. “Minji?” I sniffled, blinking back tears, and hugged Yoobin tightly. “She misses Siyeon so much.” I cried softly. “She won’t listen.” I felt Yoobin sigh, and she patted my back. “She doesn’t even know her new name yet, does she?” “No. I don’t think I can bear to...the look in her eyes...she’ll be broken. More than she already is.” I took a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry.” I wiped the tears off of my face. “Why are you sad?” Yoobin dashed into the corner of the kitchen at the sound of the peppy voice; I was happy to throw myself in the tall dog hybrid’s arms. “Minji?” “The new hybrid isn’t doing well. And Minji’s got a crush on her so-” “Shut up.” I grumbled, cutting Yoobin off, but it was too late. “Ooh, Minji’s got a crush!” Yoohyeon giggled. “Where’s the lucky girl?” “She’s in the holding room, but I wouldn- Yoohyeon, no!” Yoobin screamed as Yoohyeon wriggled out of my grasp and flung open the door to the holding room. I heard a scream, Bora’s scream. Yoobin and I ran into the room and pulled Yoohyeon off of Bora, who was pressing herself into a corner, crying her eyes out. Yoobin pulled Yoohyeon into the kitchen, and shut the door of the holding room. “Sua, I’m so sorry.” I wasn’t thinking, and moved closer to check her for any bruises. Yoohyeon was a cuddler and above all else, a hugger. She was very forward with her affection and wanted to hug everyone. Bora kicked me, sending me to the ground. “Okay, ouch.” I whimpered. She was pretty strong. “I promise Yoohyeon is just too affectionate for her own good. Dog hybrids, you know?” She continued to glare at me. “Okay.” I sighed, and left the room, closing the door behind me. “I’m sorry, Minji.” Yoohyeon whimpered, ears pinned back. “It’s okay.” I huffed, and went back to preparing pancakes. “Apologize to her at some point, please.” “I will.” Yoohyeon pouted, and sat on the floor of the kitchen, fiddling with her tail. “You still need to eat breakfast.” Yoobin grumbled, kicking the dog hybrid. “But...I’m bad.” Yoohyeon whined. “No, you’re not. You just got too excited.” I looked down at her, pitifully pulling little strands of hair off her tail. “Yoohyeon, I’m not mad. I promise.” “Liar.” Yoohyeon buried her face in her hands. Yoobin pulled one of her hands away from her face and put a piece of her waffles in front of her face. It was gone in an instant, and Yoohyeon was up on her feet, looking for more. I brought the plate of blueberry pancakes into Bora’s room, followed by a glass of water and a cup of syrup. I carefully set everything on the nightstand, surprised that I was able to get so close to her. Although, to be fair, she had covered herself in the blankets, so she probably couldn’t see me. “I’m sorry about Yoohyeon.” I whispered gently. “She didn’t mean any harm. I promise she’s nice, even if it doesn’t feel like it at first.” A hand shot out from under the blankets and grabbed my wrist roughly. I flinched in pain as her nails dug into my skin. “Sorry for kicking you. Don’t be mad.” She choked out. Her grip loosened and she started to cry again. I rubbed the back of her hand gently with the hand that wasn’t in her grip. “It’s okay. Things happen.” I hummed, and gave her hand a gentle pat. “I just want Siyeon back. Please.” She shuddered as a sob ripped through her little body. “I know, I know.” I sighed. “I wish I could make her come back, so you’d be happy.” Another sob wracked her little body. She sat up, and the blankets fell off of her, exposing incredibly messy hair, red, watery eyes, tear-stained cheeks, and quivering lips. I sat on the bed next to her. She straddled my lap and wrapped her arms around me tightly, crying into my shoulder while her body shivered and shook under the stress. I held her against me, running my fingers through her hair to gently untangle the knots that had formed. “I love Siyeon.” She spoke through tears. “I love her so much, and I miss her.” “I know.” I whispered gently, listening to her gasp for breath between shuddered sobs. “I thought-” She tried to get a breath in, but her throat closed. She stopped trying to speak, and forced air into her lungs, scraping past her throat. “Just relax, Bora.” I hummed. “B-Bora?” She rasped.“Your new name. To represent your new start.” I spoke gently, trying not to rattle her more than she already was. She began hyperventilating again, like the first day she was here. “Honey, please.” I hugged her tight, as tight as I could, and she began to calm down. Her nails were about to tear through my shirt with how rough her grip on me was, but I didn’t care. As long as she had someone to look to that would make her feel safe, comfortable, or grounded, she’d be okay. She’d be able to hold on. “Don’t leave.” She whimpered, once she was calm enough to speak. “I won’t.” I whispered. Without thinking, I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Sorry, I-” “Do it again.” She whined pitifully. “Please.” I pressed a couple more kisses to her little head, covered in messy hair. Soon, she was purring, and laid her head on my shoulder. Her grip loosened, and her breathing became stable again. I ran my fingers through her hair, while my other arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her against me. “You smell good.” She mumbled. I chuckled at the odd statement, although it wasn’t so odd to hear from a hybrid. She just kept purring and kept her face pressed against me. “Why is your heart beating so fast…?” She spoke against my neck. “Coffee speeds up your heart rate. Caffeine.” I lied. “You don’t smell like coffee.” She hummed softly. I felt her stomach rumble against me, and it let out a loud growl, begging for food. I couldn’t help but laugh, while she just buried her face against my neck out of embarrassment. I shifted, scooting towards the nightstand where the pancakes where. She dug her nails into my back. “Don’t go.” “I’m right here. I’m just gonna scoot the both of us closer to the pancakes. You need to eat. If it doesn’t taste good to you, I’ll make something else.” I explained, scooting up the bed, while keeping my arm wrapped around her tightly, so she could feel that I wasn’t going anywhere. It didn’t mean that she took her sharp nails out of my back, though. In fact, I was probably bleeding a little by now. I can’t say I minded it much, though. It was nice to feel needed, especially by such a sweet and gorgeous hybrid. I managed to cut a piece of the pancake, and I offered it to her on the fork. “Just try it, please.” I pleaded with her softly. She took a long, hard look at my face, wide pupils shifting slightly, taking in every detail. She loosened her grip on me to take a bite of the pancake, then ripped the fork out of my hand and put the whole piece I cut off in her mouth. She re-tightened her grip while she chewed. “Thank you.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “If I...you won’t leave, right?” She whispered nervously. “I’ll stay right here.” I kissed the top of her head again, to reassure her. She let go of me and turned around on my lap, taking the plate of pancakes. “Can I scoot back a bit? So you can sit comfortably?” She nodded, while cutting off a large bit of the pancake and shoving it in her mouth. I scooted back, and she happily sat between my legs, leaning back on me a little, and kept eating the pancakes. I took a hair tie off my wrist and gently gathered her hair behind her, putting it in a loose bun. She kept eating until the pancakes were totally gone, then reached for the nightstand to set the plate down. She took the glass of water and drank it all in one gulp, then set it next to the empty plate. She faced me again, straddling my hips, and rested her head on my shoulder, while her arms held me loosely. I felt her muscles relax, and soon she was snoring gently, nuzzling her nose against me in her sleep. I rubbed her back gently, and kept holding her.