Stifling a sigh, Cuán Oileán walked slowly through the dark, dimly lit streets with a heavy heart. It had taken a long talk with Chariklo with tears and pain on both sides, but the break had been made. Severing the bond had been a mutual decision and one that the little lykoi kitten felt half resentful and half relieved over. Chariklo had grown so much since they’d first found each other. She was healing and in doing so had managed to recover something of herself that chafed at the sort of coddling and clucking over that Cuán Oileán specialized in. Somehow, they’d managed to remain friendly after their little talk. Certainly, Chariklo had given the cat free reign to continue to live with her.

Just as well, she thought with a delicate sniff. Sanskrit would have been lost without her.

So where does that leave me, she thought with an inner wail. She was a guardian. How was she supposed to be true to her calling if she didn’t have anyone to guard? It was ridiculous! And focusing on her outrage made it so much easier to keep from sobbing. It might’ve been necessary in the long run, but breaking the bond had hurt.

A lot.

And unlike her once bonded, Cuán Oileán didn’t have a charming mate to go running to for comfort. Though… Angus had given the cat a look that had clearly been a promise to listen and provide sympathetic ear skritchies. She still had people (and a dog that loved her. And who knew? Perhaps she’d discover a new bond. A truer bond. That could happen, right? Of course it could! And just because she was now without a bonded didn’t excuse her from her duties. So, perhaps she would go out and see if she couldn’t find someone to awaken. Or someone who needed advice.

And this point, she was willing to sit and listen to unrepentant punning if it meant feeling a connection of some sort. Or… Cuán Oileán paused mid step. Well, there was always visiting some of her old haunts and seeing if she couldn’t catch up on her stories. Hadn’t a new Sharknado movie just aired? That was worth looking into.

Feeling slightly cheered by the thought of ridiculously over the top monster sharks, the lykoi began walking again. But this time, her steps had a spring and purpose to them that had been lacking before. Why, if she was feeling daring enough, she could even see if she could sneak into the local cinema. Wasn’t Meg still out? It wasn’t as gloriously gonzo as Sharknado, but it was a giant monster movie. It’d do.

Feeling slightly cheered now that she had something to do other than sit and brood, Cuán Oileán changed her direction slightly, veering back towards the shopping district and the megaplex. She’d sneak in, watch some monster shark nonsense and then go home. Maybe she’d even curl up with Sanskrit.

After she unburdened herself to Angus.