Page 33 of Bred By the Wolfman

RUSS

The days of waiting are agonizing.

I’m patiently allowing Dee to come to me first, giving her room to sort through things. Maybe she won’t call on me after all, deciding what I’m offering hovers too close to the edge of platonic—though I tried my best in my texts to keep it light and friendly.

That doesn’t mean I don’t continue my watch. Already I’ve managed to protect her and our cub once, and I will do it again in a heartbeat, should I need to. But then the days turn into a week, and it’s crushing my soul knowing that I have her phone number, right there, and I could call her at any time. But I don’t want to come on too strong and then push her away.

But after two weeks, I can’t bear it any longer. Even if it’s just pixels on a screen, I need to talk to her.

I know that she’s often with her friend Liesel or her boyfriend in the evenings, so I choose midday to send her a message.

I hope you and the cub are well. Make sure you’re getting enough vitamins.

It’s not a direct ask for a response, but one would be nice.

I watch through the window as she rises up from her couch. I can see inside through the sliding glass doors that lead onto her balcony, which affords me a view at her television over the back of the couch and part of her kitchen.

Dee paces back and forth in front of the glass, clearly looking down at the phone in her hand like she’s trying to decide what to say.

I wonder what makes one innocuous message so fraught for her.

Hey Russ. Thanks for reaching out. I’m sorry I haven’t called. The nausea has mostly gone away, but now I feel achey all over.

I sympathize with this—it’s a common complaint we get from expectant parents. I quickly type out a reply.

We use a topical muscle relaxant at the hospital. I can get some for you, if you’d like.

She pauses in front of the doors, then leans against her couch. I wish I could make out her facial expression as she writes out her answer.

Thank you. I would really appreciate that. Can I treat you to coffee this time?

I wait a moment before answering so I don’t seem too eager.

Sure, sounds good. I’ll meet you at the place we went last time, tomorrow at noon?

She flips over the couch, and for a moment I think she’s hurt herself. I jump to my feet, but then I see her heels kick in the air.

Great. See you then.

I think this is a good sign.

Like I promised, I pilfer some of the muscle relaxant at work that night, and come prepared with it to the coffee shop the next morning. I park beside Dee’s little white sedan and shake my head, thinking how I might go about getting her a new, safer car.

If she were mine, I would make sure she had a vehicle with a perfect safety rating.

Inside the coffee shop, I find Dee waiting at one of the tables by the door. She hops out of her chair and smiles a wide smile when she sees me.

She lights up the whole damn room with that smile.

“Russ,” she says, and the sound of my name coming out of her mouth absolutely electrifies me. “I’m happy to see you again.”

I try not to admire her too obviously as she saunters up to the counter, but seeing her from behind like this, it’s easy to picture her like she was on the bench, her ass bare and up in the air, her pink cunt shining for me.

When I take her again, which I will, I want to take her that way.

I order my drink, and Dee shoots me a look when I reach for my wallet. I hold my hands up in surrender as she whips out her card and pays for our drinks.

“It’s that ‘carrying a wolfman’s baby’ money,” she says quietly, and a laugh bursts out of me. I’m glad she feels like it’s hers, and I’m ecstatic that she’s comfortable enough with me to make a joke.

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