Page 29 of Bred By the Wolfman

We say goodbye to the vet, and Boomer seems to be in a much better mood as we leave. That’s probably because of the ten treats we gave him while we were waiting.

The wolfman tilts his head down to me. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay alone?”

Immediately, I want to say, no, I don’t want to be alone. Please come home with me, you complete stranger. Because fuck, when he picked me up and moved me out of the path of danger, then intervened in the fight...

I thought of Bill. And every moment since then I’ve been thinking of Bill, and for a split second I even wondered if fucking a different wolfman would sate my need.

I blame the drama today. It was a lot to take in, and my heart is still beating a million miles a minute. I’m not thinking straight at all. This guy hasn’t expressed a lick of interest in me, just gone along for the ride as I’ve whirlwinded him off.

Or, maybe his question is an invitation.

“I think I’ll be all right on my own,” I finally answer. “They gave me some pain meds for Boomer, and my?—”

I cut myself off. Do I want to tell this guy I have a boyfriend? It’s kind of sick of me not to say it right away, to make it clear I’m not available. It’s unkind to Robbie, at least, who’s not a bad guy by any stretch. He doesn’t deserve for me to hide him.

And yet I say, “My friend will be over later tonight anyway, because we had a hang-out planned.”

“Do you need company until then?” Russ asks as I help Boomer up into the seat.

I peer at him over the top of my car, which he dwarfs rather comically. Is he hitting on me? Or just being kind?

“Um,” I begin, unsure of what’s safe and what isn’t. If I do get him alone in my house, and he is hitting on me... Again I think of Bill, and how fucking delicious he felt inside me, and Russ blinks, tilting his head.

“You all right?” When I still don’t answer immediately, because I don’t know what to say, he taps the top of the car. “It’s decided. I’ll come with you to take Boomer home, and then we’re getting iced coffees. You look like you’ve seen a ghost and I think you need to relax and come down.”

Eventually, I nod in agreement. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” I say, because my hands are still trembling. “I feel like I’m finally realizing what happened.”

“Yeah, it’s called shock.” Russ climbs back in the passenger seat, curling his shoulders to fit inside my little vehicle. As I put the car into drive, I wonder if I’m making a huge mistake.

But as I pull out into the street, it’s not one I want to correct. Maybe he isn’t Bill, but something about him makes me feel... safe. Protected.

Probably because he literally just saved and protected you, I think to myself. But right now that’s what I need.

Russ the wolfman is, though, rather polite. When we get back to my place, he waits in the driveway with the car while I get Boomer set up on the couch. My dog happily accepts, and seems to have fully recovered from his run-in already, so I kiss him on the nose before locking the door behind me.

To my surprise, Russ knows the area pretty well, and guides me to a cute little coffee shop I haven’t seen before.

“This area’s still new to me,” I tell him as we park. “I haven’t lived here long, so I’m happy to learn about all the neat little hole-in-the-wall places.”

It is odd that he knows so much about a predominantly human area, but he did say he lives close by. Maybe he’s a bouncer, or an armored guard. Lots of humans hire out monsters for work that requires someone big and scary.

Inside, Russ keeps his hands in his pockets, then summons me to order my drink.

“I can buy it—” I begin.

“You’re the one who’s in shock. Please tell the man your order.”

The way he gently bosses me around instantly turns me on. I can almost hear Bill’s gravelly voice telling me what to do and how he’s going to fuck me.

All I have to do is think about him and I’m already getting wet.

Russ’s eyebrows go up as we stand waiting for our orders. He glances at me from the side of his eye, then turns back to waiting. Once we have our drinks, we head for a table outside.

“Thanks again,” I say as we sit down. “For saving my bacon and Boomer’s, and then treating me to coffee.”

He leans down and laps up his drink. I don’t know why I didn’t expect that, that he would drink like... well, a wolf. Then he lifts his head again and studies me.

“It’s really not a problem,” he says, and his voice is softer. “You don’t have to thank me for doing the decent thing.”

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