tugged the leash
from Gabby’s hand. “I figured after the way he acted last night, we
should have him current...just in case.”
Gabby stared at Rachel for a long moment,
then her shocked gaze locked on me. Was she going to save me or did
she still want revenge?
Panic flavored Gabby’s scent as she looked
back at Rachel.
“You okay, Gabby?” Rachel eyed Gabby with
concern.
“Uh, I didn’t budget for it,” Gabby
said.
“Don’t worry. I can cover it for now, and
you can pay me back.”
“Let’s all go.”
I tilted my head, trying to figure out what
Gabby might be thinking. She wasn’t telling Rachel no, but she
wasn’t happy about sending me to the vet, either.
“No offense, Gabby, but you look like hell.
I think you’d be better off with some quiet time. Don’t worry;
we’ll be fine.”
Rachel was right. Gabby looked like she
hadn’t slept at all. Worried about her, I nudged her toward the
door just as Rachel tried to tug me toward the car. Rachel scolded
me, but I ignored her. I nudged Gabby again.
“Would you mind giving him your standard pep
talk? I don’t know why he only listens to you. I’m the one that
feeds him treats.”
Except for last night, I thought. You let me
starve.
Rachel handed Gabby the leash. Gabby rubbed
her forehead and then bent to give me a hug.
“Is it safe for you?”
To go somewhere with Rachel? I snorted. The
woman was a bit free with her hands, but I could handle her.
“I’m so sorry about this,” Gabby said
softly, her breath tickling my ear in the most pleasant way. “I’ll
need to call Sam and let him know what happened.”
She was right. The Elders needed to know
that there was a challenge before the six-month mark. I didn’t want
someone approaching Gabby when I wasn’t around. Living with her
like this was hard enough.
She straightened, looked me in the eye, and
smoothed a hand over the fur on the top of my head.
“It’s your choice,” she said as she dropped
the leash and stepped back.
I eyed Gabby and knew Rachel was right. She
needed some rest. Maybe leaving with Rachel would give her that
time. It would also get Rachel out of the house so Gabby could call
Sam to tell him about the challenge. I sighed then followed Rachel
to the car door.
“The control you have over him is weird but
cool,” Rachel said as she waited for me to get all the way in.
“Yeah. Just don’t be gone too long. He’ll
get upset.”
“The vet’s just a few minutes from here. We
should be back soon.” She climbed behind the wheel, closed the
door, and rolled down her window.
Because of the open window, I smelled
Gabby’s wave of panic a second before it showed on her face.
“Just don’t have him neutered! Or anything
that involves blood or blood work. It’s expensive, and I promised
him he’d keep his jewels.”
My jewels? I knew what that meant and
couldn’t stop from laughing. I definitely needed to leave now that
I knew the direction of her thoughts.
“Maybe we should have the vet check his
lungs,” Rachel said. Her comment and worry did nothing to dampen my
amusement.
“He’s fine. Think cost,” Gabby said from the
deck as Rachel backed out of the driveway.
* * * *
Rachel pulled in front of a small brown
building. As soon as she opened the back door, I smelled dog feces.
Where had she brought me? I’d figured vet meant doctor but this had
to be wrong.
“Come, boy. I bet you get treats
inside.”
Unless it was a medium rare burger, they
could keep their treats. I heaved a sigh and hopped out of the
back.
We walked to the door, which she opened to
let me in. Inside, a man sat with his pit-bull. The thing took one
look at me and started to whine. Good. The woman with the Chihuahua
was another story. That little chew toy started yapping at me
fiercely. The woman looked at me with distain.
Go ahead...set the yapper down.
She held it close as she spoke to the woman
behind the counter.
“Come on, Clay,” Rachel said, tugging
from Gabby’s hand. “I figured after the way he acted last night, we
should have him current...just in case.”
Gabby stared at Rachel for a long moment,
then her shocked gaze locked on me. Was she going to save me or did
she still want revenge?
Panic flavored Gabby’s scent as she looked
back at Rachel.
“You okay, Gabby?” Rachel eyed Gabby with
concern.
“Uh, I didn’t budget for it,” Gabby
said.
“Don’t worry. I can cover it for now, and
you can pay me back.”
“Let’s all go.”
I tilted my head, trying to figure out what
Gabby might be thinking. She wasn’t telling Rachel no, but she
wasn’t happy about sending me to the vet, either.
“No offense, Gabby, but you look like hell.
I think you’d be better off with some quiet time. Don’t worry;
we’ll be fine.”
Rachel was right. Gabby looked like she
hadn’t slept at all. Worried about her, I nudged her toward the
door just as Rachel tried to tug me toward the car. Rachel scolded
me, but I ignored her. I nudged Gabby again.
“Would you mind giving him your standard pep
talk? I don’t know why he only listens to you. I’m the one that
feeds him treats.”
Except for last night, I thought. You let me
starve.
Rachel handed Gabby the leash. Gabby rubbed
her forehead and then bent to give me a hug.
“Is it safe for you?”
To go somewhere with Rachel? I snorted. The
woman was a bit free with her hands, but I could handle her.
“I’m so sorry about this,” Gabby said
softly, her breath tickling my ear in the most pleasant way. “I’ll
need to call Sam and let him know what happened.”
She was right. The Elders needed to know
that there was a challenge before the six-month mark. I didn’t want
someone approaching Gabby when I wasn’t around. Living with her
like this was hard enough.
She straightened, looked me in the eye, and
smoothed a hand over the fur on the top of my head.
“It’s your choice,” she said as she dropped
the leash and stepped back.
I eyed Gabby and knew Rachel was right. She
needed some rest. Maybe leaving with Rachel would give her that
time. It would also get Rachel out of the house so Gabby could call
Sam to tell him about the challenge. I sighed then followed Rachel
to the car door.
“The control you have over him is weird but
cool,” Rachel said as she waited for me to get all the way in.
“Yeah. Just don’t be gone too long. He’ll
get upset.”
“The vet’s just a few minutes from here. We
should be back soon.” She climbed behind the wheel, closed the
door, and rolled down her window.
Because of the open window, I smelled
Gabby’s wave of panic a second before it showed on her face.
“Just don’t have him neutered! Or anything
that involves blood or blood work. It’s expensive, and I promised
him he’d keep his jewels.”
My jewels? I knew what that meant and
couldn’t stop from laughing. I definitely needed to leave now that
I knew the direction of her thoughts.
“Maybe we should have the vet check his
lungs,” Rachel said. Her comment and worry did nothing to dampen my
amusement.
“He’s fine. Think cost,” Gabby said from the
deck as Rachel backed out of the driveway.
* * * *
Rachel pulled in front of a small brown
building. As soon as she opened the back door, I smelled dog feces.
Where had she brought me? I’d figured vet meant doctor but this had
to be wrong.
“Come, boy. I bet you get treats
inside.”
Unless it was a medium rare burger, they
could keep their treats. I heaved a sigh and hopped out of the
back.
We walked to the door, which she opened to
let me in. Inside, a man sat with his pit-bull. The thing took one
look at me and started to whine. Good. The woman with the Chihuahua
was another story. That little chew toy started yapping at me
fiercely. The woman looked at me with distain.
Go ahead...set the yapper down.
She held it close as she spoke to the woman
behind the counter.
“Come on, Clay,” Rachel said, tugging
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