"Where is she?" the young man demanded, his voice laced with desperation.

"Who might you be referring to?" the security guard asked coolly, raising an eyebrow as he sized up the stranger before him.

The stranger was tall with a gentle face, but his clothes were far from conventional yellow undershirt, patched denim, green rubber boots, and a tattered backpack. He had the aura of a wanderer rather than an average person.

Archer Steele hesitated for a moment before replying, his voice tinged with anxiety. "My wife? Her name is Melinda Brooks and she works here."

“Melinda Brooks?” The security guard's eyebrows shot up in confusion, recognizing the name. "This is the name of our CEO!" he exclaimed in surprise, his facial expression shifting to one of comprehension.

He then pointed an accusing finger at Archer and gruffly exclaimed, 

"You're claiming that Melinda Brooks is your wife? That's unbelievable! You don't expect us to take you seriously, do you?"

He snorted and tried to push Archer away but was shocked when he refused to budge. His bravado quickly faded as he realized his strength was insufficient. 

The guard wisely chose not to escalate the situation, warning him menacingly with a growl "Leave now. You can't cause trouble here."

"Melinda Brooks is my wife!" exclaimed Archer, a broad smile spreading across his face. "You must tell her I'm here! She'll surely come down to greet me when she hears the news!"

The security guard's expression changed and he gripped his taser, filling Archer with fear. Confusion swept over him as the guard issued a warning.

"Don't think you can push your luck here! I've met Miss Brooks's fiancé before, he's the second son of the Nexus Group!"

"What! It can’t be! You are lying!" Archer blurted out, disbelief written across his face.

"Whether you like it or not, that's the facts," the security guard spat.

Archer had no recourse left as both security guards came for him, their urgent message clear, 

"Hit the road, or else we will call the police!"

Unsure why they were after him, he walked away from the office. He could feel their eyes on him and knew his troubles weren't over.

As he roamed aimlessly down the avenue, a sense of confusion pervaded.

After returning from Colorado's Mystic Peak Sanctuary, his master had arranged a predestined marriage for him twenty years ago when he was a child. 

Now in the bustling city of California, Archer was filled with excitement, believing he'd soon be living happily with his destined wife. Yet the shocking news destroyed his hopes.

"Goodness!" Archer cried out, "Master, I fear I might not be able to complete the task you entrusted to me before your passing."

Despair filled Archer as he shook his head, feeling the looming impossibility of the marriage.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Meanwhile a few stray cats emerged in the alley. One of them, an alley cat, pointed at something further down and said

"Boss! There's an orange furball trespassing on our turf. It's one tough kitty! Already taken a few of ours out and even took Miss Calico away."

The boss tomcat hissed menacingly, snarling "If that scrap of fur dared to cross me and steal my gal, it'll pay dearly for its mistake! We'll show it who's in charge tonight, who's with me?"

"You can count on me!" the Siamese cat purred eagerly.

Suddenly, a voice cried out, "Boss! Something doesn't feel right. Did you notice the person next to us watching and listening to us?" As they all spun around to look, there stood Archer, caught in the act of eavesdropping on their conversation.

Archer averted his gaze, hiding his secret ability to understand animals, a power only known by his late mentor. 

He was warned that revealing it could have catastrophic results. 

He used this special talent to forge friendships with wild creatures at Mystic Peak Sanctuary, making friends with grizzly bears and swimming in the lake with a boar. 

However, now that he found himself in a bustling city instead of the familiar wild, these "friends" were likely to be absent from his life henceforth.

"Boss! Look over there, it's the big orange!" one of the cats hissed. Taken aback, the tomcat roared in response, "So our foe has come here to challenge us. Brothers and sisters, let's show them what we're made of!" With a determined glint in his eye and battle cry on his lips, he sprinted toward the enemy across the street.

Archer's blood ran cold as a BMW three series came barreling towards the tomcat. Quickly, he hurled himself forward and scooped up the tomcat in his arms, but he was too slow to save himself from the vehicle's impact. 

With a sickening thud, Archer was thrown violently several yards away.

"I nearly didn't make it!" shouted the tomcat, breathing heavily. 

"Woah there, buddy. Pay attention to where you're going," Archer replied soothingly. 

The tomcat was surprised "You, understand me?" 

Archer smiled and decided to introduce himself. 

"Yes, I do! My name's Archer. I just moved into this town. It’s a pleasure to meet you!"

The tomcat broke free from Archer's grasp as the wind howled. It ran off as if chased, leaving Archer confused and searching for an explanation.

From the BMW emerged a stylish woman with pale skin and long legs. She wore stilettos and hurried towards Archer. In her late twenties, she had a ponytail, curves, and delicate eyes that seemed to tell their own story.

"Are you alright?" Kayla's voice was filled with trepidant worry as she rushed towards Archer. 

He simply waved his hand in response, saying firmly, "I'm okay." 

She gave him a look of shock and disbelief. Here he was, having been violently thrown several feet away by the car yet here he stood, seemingly unhurt. 

“Was this guy made of iron or something?” she wondered.

"What on Earth were you thinking?!" Kayla exclaimed, still trembling from the chaos that had unfolded. Archer glanced at her, his expression tired yet resolute. "I had to save those cats," he began simply. "They were going to get hit and I couldn't let that happen." Kayla regarded him differently now, so he'd risked himself in an attempt to protect others? She nodded slowly in understanding and admiration.

Despite Archer appearing unscathed, Kayla wanted to take him to a hospital for a check up. It was hard to fathom he'd escaped unhurt after such an intense crash, and she'd be responsible if something serious went undiagnosed. 

At the Medical Center, Kayla's friend Amelia examined Archer. Kayla asked her "Is he okay?"

Amelia's grave expression alarmed Kayla. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Amelia soothed her, "His minor abrasions would've healed if we had waited."

Kayla finally understood and punched her, "You scared me on purpose!" 

"Amazingly, the man you collided with escaped injury free," Amelia said in amazement. As they talked, an ambulance brought in a critical patient. A nurse rushed over and reported that the patient showed signs of rabies and was trying to bite anyone nearby. "Doctor Amelia, we need you immediately!" 

Upon hearing the news, Amelia's expression drained of all color, "Rabies?!" she repeated incredulously.