Still, Elise clung to the hope that love was stronger than instinct. She cooked chicken, laid blankets, and whispered bedtime stories. Shadow purred, curling beside her. Yet unease lingered in her bones. She knew the day was coming when hiding him would no longer be possible, no matter how she tried.
By autumn, Shadow filled the hallway, shoulders brushing doorframes. Elise bought heavier locks, reinforcing the shed where she now kept him. At night, he prowled restlessly, pacing in circles. His muscles had outgrown the cottage, and so had the secret pressing on Elise’s conscience.