The Shepard's Agony by Mandy Rosko Page B

that,” she said.
    “ Then what is it like? It seems simple enough to me, all you had to do was tell me instead of letting me stay in the dark,” he growled. “ Now , I’m friggin’ dying.”
    “How did you find out?”
    “You’re upset I found out?”
    “ No! Just, just s top being like this and tell me,” she demanded, pushing his hands away and stepping away from him. “And stop trying to scare me!”
    “ I had to find out by listening to you talking about it to every one in your pack. It’s nice that they can all make plans around my death but I can’t even know about it, thanks a lot!”
    “Well, if it weren’t for you this never would’ve happened to begin with!” she shot back.
    “ Oh yes, excuse me, I forgot that it’s my fault your boyfriend decided to scratch me. It’s entirely my fault because I had to save your life despite everything you never told me. Well , don’t worry about it because the next time I won’t bother.”
    He could see her breathing hard now, her chest rising and falling in pent up fury. The wheels turning in her head.
    Shepard could bet any money she regretted telling her father that she loved him. “You have no right to try and turn this around on me. You want to know everything there is to know about me? Fine, I’ll tell you right now. My mother left my father when she found out what he was and I can’t even remember what she looks like because she never bothered to visit, call, or even drop me a post card because she was afraid of me.
That’s
why I never told you about myself. I graduated high school with a B average and went to college to be a vet . But , guess what? Animals don’t like being around werewolves, so the only animals I can get near are the one’s I’m hunting, which is why I work in a diner.
    “ I stole thirty dollars out of my dad’s wallet when I was fourteen and lost my virginity when I was eighteen. There, the big mystery is solved. Happy now?” But she wasn’t done, she was still fuming. “ And , what exactly do I know about you, Mr. High and Mighty? I didn’t tell you about myself because I was afraid you’d leave, and you know what? I was right, because that’s exactly what you did. You lied to my face about everything, and you … you attacked my pack and stole our address book!”
    So that was it. The revelation made Shepard feel a little easier knowing she kept herself from him, not because she was planning on biting him while he slept at night, but because of a fear she held that he confirmed when he left. But , he still had his own reasons for lying. “No,
I
attacked my own brother when he had his gun pointed at your head.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    He looked her hard in the eyes. “You were a wolf, standing completely still, open for any kind of attack in front of the bounty hunter who gave you this.” He stepped closer, sliding a finger over the bandage on her face.
    She shivered, partly due to the touch and the adrenaline from screaming her head off, but also because he was right.
    She’d forgotten all about it. When that man was hacking his own arm off , she stood stock still. Anyone could’ve come up to her and blown her head off and she wouldn’t have known it was coming until it was too late.
    “You …”
    “I didn’t just grab you and take you away, Gwen. I watched your back until I could get you out of there. There wasn’t anything I could’ve done for anyone else.”
    His hand slid lower to cup her cheek, his face dangerously close to hers . Her heart was still pounding, but not because she was angry anymore.
    “And , the address book?”
    To his credit , he managed to look ashamed. “I didn’t know they would find it , so I didn’t worry about it. I only know it’s gone because you just told me.”
    She stared him in the eyes, trying to find some truth.
    “I don’t want to see you get hurt,” he hesitated and smiled. “No matter how mad you are at me.”
    “I can take care of