side
yard where the wolf had disappeared. He cautiously shined his
flashlight to search for it, and I moved closer to Gabby.
Gabby didn’t answer the man. Instead, she
fell to her knees beside me and buried her face against my neck. My
skin tingled. Did she have any idea what she did to me?
Then I felt her shaking as her hands roamed
over my neck and head. She was worried and was checking for
injuries, yet another sign of affection. She let out a shaky breath
and leaned against me.
“Ma’am? You okay?”
The man pointed his flashlight at us but
stayed near his house. Across the street, a door opened,
distracting the man.
“They okay, Mike?”
Gabby lifted her head and met my gaze. “You
okay?” she whispered.
I kissed her cheek, a long lick.
“Next time I’ll just carry the leash,” she
said.
I noticed a sheen of tears before she turned
away. She cared about me. I knew then that it was only a matter of
time before she realized it, too.
“We’re okay,” she said as she stood. She
kept a hand on my head. “The dog was as big as Clay here but had
dark grey fur.”
“Doesn’t sound like any dog from this
neighborhood, but I know there are some big dogs a few blocks away.
Do you want me to call the cops?” The man started toward us.
She picked up my loose leash and nudged me.
Her worry was getting stronger, which I thought odd. To quote her,
it was just a human man.
“Nah. I think we’re fine,” she said, taking
a step back.
I was studying the man and noticed a sudden
change. His interest in Gabby had gone from concerned citizen to
potential Mate. My temper flared, but I quickly smothered it. In
the car yesterday, she’d said men acted weird around her. Rachel
had claimed to notice it at the restaurant. Was this what they
meant?
I continued to study both the man and Gabby.
Gabby was beautiful. I couldn’t argue against that. Yet, the man’s
reactions to every word and every move she made seemed too much,
and it concerned me. If what she said was true, that men typically
always acted like this around her, what really happened to her each
day when she went to campus?
She assured the man we were fine and
reluctantly gave him her phone number in case the police did come.
When she turned away, I felt her unease and stuck close to her.
My poor Gabby. I wanted to reassure her that
I wouldn’t let the human bother her, but I didn’t think she’d
appreciate me shifting to my skin to tell her. She wasn’t ready
yet. Plus, the stress of the encounter with the challenger seemed
to have left her shaken.
She looked around constantly. I did the same
so she’d know I was still guarding her.
It wasn’t until we were halfway home that I
noticed there was something odd about her gaze. It was almost
unfocused. I’d seen her deep in thought before, but this was
different. It was as if she was looking at something I couldn’t
see, and that made me edgy.
Gradually, I noticed her steps began to lag.
Her already pale face grew more so, and she wore a slight grimace
as if the rising sun pained her.
It didn’t take scenting her to know she was
exhausted. I wanted to get her home, wrap her in my arms, and lay
in bed with her. But it wasn’t meant to be. As soon as we rounded
the back of the house, I saw Rachel.
“There you are!”
Gabby’s hand flew to my neck, and her heart
skipped a beat.
“Nice morning for a walk,” Rachel said,
moving toward us, oblivious to the scare she’d just given
Gabby.
As Rachel reached out to pet me, Gabby
uncurled her fingers from my fur. She had quite a grip.
Rachel played with one of my ears, and I
shook my head to get her to stop. The woman had no boundaries. She
laughed and bent to kiss the top of my head. I caught Gabby’s gaze
and rolled my eyes at her.
She smiled slightly and seemed to relax. I’d
hoped she would save me but ridding her of worry worked, too.
“I made a call this morning and can get Clay
into the vet for his shots,” Rachel said as she
yard where the wolf had disappeared. He cautiously shined his
flashlight to search for it, and I moved closer to Gabby.
Gabby didn’t answer the man. Instead, she
fell to her knees beside me and buried her face against my neck. My
skin tingled. Did she have any idea what she did to me?
Then I felt her shaking as her hands roamed
over my neck and head. She was worried and was checking for
injuries, yet another sign of affection. She let out a shaky breath
and leaned against me.
“Ma’am? You okay?”
The man pointed his flashlight at us but
stayed near his house. Across the street, a door opened,
distracting the man.
“They okay, Mike?”
Gabby lifted her head and met my gaze. “You
okay?” she whispered.
I kissed her cheek, a long lick.
“Next time I’ll just carry the leash,” she
said.
I noticed a sheen of tears before she turned
away. She cared about me. I knew then that it was only a matter of
time before she realized it, too.
“We’re okay,” she said as she stood. She
kept a hand on my head. “The dog was as big as Clay here but had
dark grey fur.”
“Doesn’t sound like any dog from this
neighborhood, but I know there are some big dogs a few blocks away.
Do you want me to call the cops?” The man started toward us.
She picked up my loose leash and nudged me.
Her worry was getting stronger, which I thought odd. To quote her,
it was just a human man.
“Nah. I think we’re fine,” she said, taking
a step back.
I was studying the man and noticed a sudden
change. His interest in Gabby had gone from concerned citizen to
potential Mate. My temper flared, but I quickly smothered it. In
the car yesterday, she’d said men acted weird around her. Rachel
had claimed to notice it at the restaurant. Was this what they
meant?
I continued to study both the man and Gabby.
Gabby was beautiful. I couldn’t argue against that. Yet, the man’s
reactions to every word and every move she made seemed too much,
and it concerned me. If what she said was true, that men typically
always acted like this around her, what really happened to her each
day when she went to campus?
She assured the man we were fine and
reluctantly gave him her phone number in case the police did come.
When she turned away, I felt her unease and stuck close to her.
My poor Gabby. I wanted to reassure her that
I wouldn’t let the human bother her, but I didn’t think she’d
appreciate me shifting to my skin to tell her. She wasn’t ready
yet. Plus, the stress of the encounter with the challenger seemed
to have left her shaken.
She looked around constantly. I did the same
so she’d know I was still guarding her.
It wasn’t until we were halfway home that I
noticed there was something odd about her gaze. It was almost
unfocused. I’d seen her deep in thought before, but this was
different. It was as if she was looking at something I couldn’t
see, and that made me edgy.
Gradually, I noticed her steps began to lag.
Her already pale face grew more so, and she wore a slight grimace
as if the rising sun pained her.
It didn’t take scenting her to know she was
exhausted. I wanted to get her home, wrap her in my arms, and lay
in bed with her. But it wasn’t meant to be. As soon as we rounded
the back of the house, I saw Rachel.
“There you are!”
Gabby’s hand flew to my neck, and her heart
skipped a beat.
“Nice morning for a walk,” Rachel said,
moving toward us, oblivious to the scare she’d just given
Gabby.
As Rachel reached out to pet me, Gabby
uncurled her fingers from my fur. She had quite a grip.
Rachel played with one of my ears, and I
shook my head to get her to stop. The woman had no boundaries. She
laughed and bent to kiss the top of my head. I caught Gabby’s gaze
and rolled my eyes at her.
She smiled slightly and seemed to relax. I’d
hoped she would save me but ridding her of worry worked, too.
“I made a call this morning and can get Clay
into the vet for his shots,” Rachel said as she
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