Asprin, Robert Lynn – Catwoman – Tiger Hunt (With Lynn Abbey)

Rose was safe inside the Mother House. Whatever had terrorized her wouldn’t dare penetrate those walls. But Catwoman would have to, if Selina wanted to know anything more.

At that moment, Selina wanted only to go home.

She climbed her building’s fire escape, then vaulted over the wrought-iron railing and eased along the masonry ledge. The cats came and went through the window gate. Catwoman went that way, but she came back through a corner window after checking the home out in a discreetly mounted mirror. A costume and its reputation were no guarantee against surprises.

Selina shed the costume immediately, returning it to its place beneath the bed with a casual kick. Her conscience, speaking with her mother’s voice, warned her to treat it better. She ignored the warning, as she ignored most of the well-intended and occasionally wise advice that dead woman had given her.

Without turning on the lights, she showered and cleared a space for herself amid the cats on the rumpled bed. The gray tiger kitten was curled up on the only pillow. He hissed when she slid her hand beneath him and dug in with his claws. She hissed right back and dumped him on the floor. She was asleep before he was back snuggling into the curve of her neck.

Selina Kyle didn’t dream. Dreams were for other people. She had nightmares, but she learned to stop remembering them years ago. So Selina didn’t dream about Rose and she didn’t dream that the little gray kitten had turned into a snarling beast. She didn’t remember being Rose, or becoming the beast. She didn’t shiver with fear, or sweat with rage, but when she woke up with the midday sun burning her eyes, Selina felt as if she’d been on the losing side of a prolonged war. She tried to get on track with exercise.