they’ll find in the lakes?”
“I don’t know.” He hurt because she was hurting. He wanted to lick her face and find a meaty bone for her to gnaw on. He wanted to entice her into a game so she would think about something else. But he knew from experience that nothing could provide enough distraction to eliminate that kind of hurt.
“Simon? Could we go to the Wolfgard Complex and play with the puppies?”
Maybe there was a distraction that would help. “Sure we can. It would be good to do that.” Tomorrow he would think about human things again. Now he would spend some time with his own kind—and with his friend.
As he and Meg locked the back door of the Liaison’s Office, Vlad approached them from HGR.
“I closed for the day,” Vlad said. “We’re not open for human customers, and any
terra indigene
who want a book can borrow one from the Market Square Library. And I’ve had enough of—” His mobile phone rang.
“Aren’t you going to answer it?” Meg asked.
“No.” When it stopped ringing Vlad took the phone out of his pocket and shut it off.
“We’re going up to the Wolfgard Complex,” Simon said.
“I have to report to Grandfather Erebus. Why don’t we ride together?” Vlad looked at Meg. “Simon can shift and ride in the back of the BOW. I’ll drive over to the Chambers and then pick you up when you’re ready to go home.”
“I can drive,” Simon said.
“Not tonight,” Vlad said quietly. he added.
Simon nodded. Vlad was right about him not being able to hold the human form much longer. He couldn’t get a measure of Meg’s fatigue, but she crossed the short distance between the office and the garages as if she’d run a long way through deep snow and every step now was an effort to survive.
Since they’d already locked up the office and bookstore, Simon went into the garage that housed one of the BOWs to strip off his clothes and shift. Vlad obligingly stood where he would block Meg’s view. Not that Simon had any inhibitions about a human seeing him naked or shifting, but he was still careful to avoid Meg seeing him naked. He’d made the shift from Wolf to human once without thinking, and her confusion about seeing him as a naked human had almost broken their friendship.
He shook out his fur and waited for Vlad to set his clothes in the back of the BOW. When he jumped in, he made sure his tail was out of the way before the back door closed. Then Vlad and Meg got in the front seats. After Vlad backed out of the garage and stopped long enough to close the garage door, they headed for the Wolfgard Complex.
The BOWs were electric-powered vehicles that were used in the Courtyard. They had two seats and a cargo area that was just big enough for a grown Wolf if he kept his tail tucked. It wasn’t his fault that Meg’s head—and that newly cropped hair—was so close to his muzzle that he couldn’t help but sniff it.
No stinky smells anymore from whatever she had used to dye her hair. Now the hair smelled of the shampoo made by the
terra indigene
, and it smelled like Meg.
He gave the side of her head a quick lick before she squealed and ducked away from him.
Tasted like Meg. Felt like puppy fuzz.
Too bad he couldn’t hold her down and give her a proper grooming like he used to do with Sam. Could
still
do with Sam.
When they arrived at the Wolfgard Complex, the pups were outside playing some kind of game with the juvenile Wolves.
Vlad barely had time to stop the BOW before Meg scrambled out of the vehicle.
Sam’s happy
arroo
was followed by those of other pups as they all crowded around her.
Simon growled at Vlad. Excited pups could easily forget to be careful with Meg.
He almost smacked his head, too impatient to
“I don’t know.” He hurt because she was hurting. He wanted to lick her face and find a meaty bone for her to gnaw on. He wanted to entice her into a game so she would think about something else. But he knew from experience that nothing could provide enough distraction to eliminate that kind of hurt.
“Simon? Could we go to the Wolfgard Complex and play with the puppies?”
Maybe there was a distraction that would help. “Sure we can. It would be good to do that.” Tomorrow he would think about human things again. Now he would spend some time with his own kind—and with his friend.
As he and Meg locked the back door of the Liaison’s Office, Vlad approached them from HGR.
“I closed for the day,” Vlad said. “We’re not open for human customers, and any
terra indigene
who want a book can borrow one from the Market Square Library. And I’ve had enough of—” His mobile phone rang.
“Aren’t you going to answer it?” Meg asked.
“No.” When it stopped ringing Vlad took the phone out of his pocket and shut it off.
“We’re going up to the Wolfgard Complex,” Simon said.
“I have to report to Grandfather Erebus. Why don’t we ride together?” Vlad looked at Meg. “Simon can shift and ride in the back of the BOW. I’ll drive over to the Chambers and then pick you up when you’re ready to go home.”
“I can drive,” Simon said.
“Not tonight,” Vlad said quietly.
Simon nodded. Vlad was right about him not being able to hold the human form much longer. He couldn’t get a measure of Meg’s fatigue, but she crossed the short distance between the office and the garages as if she’d run a long way through deep snow and every step now was an effort to survive.
Since they’d already locked up the office and bookstore, Simon went into the garage that housed one of the BOWs to strip off his clothes and shift. Vlad obligingly stood where he would block Meg’s view. Not that Simon had any inhibitions about a human seeing him naked or shifting, but he was still careful to avoid Meg seeing him naked. He’d made the shift from Wolf to human once without thinking, and her confusion about seeing him as a naked human had almost broken their friendship.
He shook out his fur and waited for Vlad to set his clothes in the back of the BOW. When he jumped in, he made sure his tail was out of the way before the back door closed. Then Vlad and Meg got in the front seats. After Vlad backed out of the garage and stopped long enough to close the garage door, they headed for the Wolfgard Complex.
The BOWs were electric-powered vehicles that were used in the Courtyard. They had two seats and a cargo area that was just big enough for a grown Wolf if he kept his tail tucked. It wasn’t his fault that Meg’s head—and that newly cropped hair—was so close to his muzzle that he couldn’t help but sniff it.
No stinky smells anymore from whatever she had used to dye her hair. Now the hair smelled of the shampoo made by the
terra indigene
, and it smelled like Meg.
He gave the side of her head a quick lick before she squealed and ducked away from him.
Tasted like Meg. Felt like puppy fuzz.
Too bad he couldn’t hold her down and give her a proper grooming like he used to do with Sam. Could
still
do with Sam.
When they arrived at the Wolfgard Complex, the pups were outside playing some kind of game with the juvenile Wolves.
Vlad barely had time to stop the BOW before Meg scrambled out of the vehicle.
arroo
was followed by those of other pups as they all crowded around her.
He almost smacked his head, too impatient to
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