offering her his right hand, “and you are?”
“Sarah. Nice to meet you, Shad.” Her hands trembled as she attempted to open her wallet.
“So, Sarah, what’s a pretty girl like you doing in a--”
Jason’s voice broke in from the sidewalk, “Hey are you done yet? I’ve been out here forever.”
Sarah gave Shad an apologetic smile and answered her brother, “Yes, I’m coming. Sheesh, give me a break would ya?” She turned to explain who Jason was and Shad was gone. Sarah’s eyes searched the tiny store, but he had disappeared. “Okay, weird much?” she muttered and returned her gaze to the cashier.
The woman had an odd look on her face and kept glancing at the small door in the back corner. “Will that be all then?” she asked.
Sarah glanced over her shoulder and mumbled, “Yes, thank you.”
“Thirty-four dollars and sixty-three cents.”
As she handed her two crisp twenties, the woman leaned over the counter to whisper, “Don’t take this wrong, hun, but it’s always best to leave the old one behind if you’re on the prowl for a new one.”
Cheeks blazing, Sarah replied, “Oh no! It’s not like that. He’s my brother.”
“I’m sure he is,” she answered ogling Jason.
Sarah pulled the bags from the counter, murmured, “Thank you,” and headed out the door.
Jason fell in beside her as she rushed to the car. “What’s up with you? Your face is beet red.”
“A little help here please?”
He reached out and caught up the tops of the plastic bags in one hand. “Well?”
“Well nothing.”
“Uh huh. Is this you trying to be all mysterious, or what?” He laughed.
When they reached the vehicle, instead of opening the door and getting in, she stood with the door ajar watching the storefront.
“What are you looking for? Did you forget something?”
“Oh nothing. It’s kind of weird.”
“Weird how?”
“Nothing, Jase. It was nothing. So did you get everything you needed at the hardware store?”
“I got everything Thomas had on the list. I don’t see how traps are going to help with anything though. It doesn’t sound like the White Horns are stupid people.”
As they drove out of town, two beautiful young women and an attractive young man watched from the alley by the post office. The girls appeared to be twins, and the young man could have been their brother. They all had the same creamy caramel skin, jet-black hair, and deep green eyes. When the car disappeared on the horizon, the three entered a beat up blue ford pickup, and followed.
***
The slamming car hood echoed off the trees. Jason swore under his breath and kicked the tire of the old car. “I don’t get it. It was fine all the way to town.”
Sarah attempted to keep a giggle from erupting, and waited for his anger to dispel.
He kicked the tired two more times before yelling, “Ouch!”
Unable to contain her mirth any longer, she said, “Umm, go easy on the wheels there, big guy, they bite back!”
“You think this is funny? Okay, well Miss I-think-it’s-hilarious, why don’t you make the little five mile trek back to the house, and get Thom to come pick me up?”
“ Or you could just transform and do it in wolf form. It might take you all of 10 minutes. Don’t be such a drama queen.”
“Oh, shut up.”
Sarah got out of the car and stretched, grabbed a bottle of water and headed down the road. If he wanted to sit there and act like an idiot, he’d have to do it without an audience.
“Hey, wait! ” Jason yelled.
“Nope, not doing it, and an apology now is not going to work.” She replied without turning around.
“Fine, but there’s a truck coming, we could probably get a ride. But hey, if you‘d rather walk, go right ahead.”
The old blue ford pulled up beside Jason. A stunning dark haired beauty smiled and asked if they needed some help. Sarah walked back to the truck just as her mystery man
C. J. Cherryh
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