Page 37 of My Girlfriend is a Werewolf

“We don’t have to decide right away.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Take all the time you need,” he offered.

As he pulled into his grandparents’ place, he noticed his cousin’s car parked and groaned. “Not again.”

“Are you kidding? Yay. I wonder what I can do to needle him this time.” Athena took pleasure in taunting Frank. Kind of entertaining to watch since Frank usually had women eating out of his hand.

As Derek hit the first porch step, his phone pinged. He glanced at it. “Shit. I’ve got to go. There’s a fire, and I’m being called into service.”

“Go and save the world, honey. I’ll be fine.” She brushed her lips over his. “I’ll be ready later to thank my hero.”

Oh hell yeah. “Tell my grandparents where I’ve gone.”

“Will do. Be careful,” she murmured.

He would be because she was worth coming home to.

The fire proved to be a big one that started in an old barn and then spread to the nearby fields. While mown of their corn, the dry stalks burned and emitted billowing black smoke.

Derek found himself digging a trench with others, back-breaking sweaty work in their heavy gear. The firebreak, though, helped to contain the fire, although it took a few hours.

Once they were done, they headed to the firehall, and Derek stood in line for a shower to sluice the worst of it from his skin. While the crew celebrated their victory with pizza, Derek headed out, eager to get back to the farm and Athena.

Only something was wrong.

Frank’s car had been smacked by something in the long laneway and sat halfway across the drive. The driver's side gaped open and showed the air bag deployed.

Derek frowned and checked his phone. No signal.

At all.

Not normal. Since he couldn’t budge Frank’s car, he exited his vehicle and ran. Ignored his aching muscles, ignored everything in the face of his sudden fear.

He pounded up to the house, and as he threw open the door, the first thing he heard was Frank yelling, “Don’t kill me.”

He found his cousin in the kitchen, tied to a chair, Grams standing in front of him, looking grim, sporting a black eye, and holding her meat tenderizer.

Gramps sat in a chair, ice pack to his jaw, rifle between his legs, also glaring at Frank.

A sinking feeling hit Derek as he growled, “What happened? Where’s Athena?”

Even before Grams opened her mouth, Derek knew. “The fuckers got her, and it’s all Frank’s fault.”

Chapter 11

Athena watchedDerek leave the farm to fight a fire and wished she could go with him. She’d missed him. It had been the first time in a month they’d not slept together. However, her furry secret didn’t give her a choice. It used to be the arrival of the full moon filled her with joy. She would shift and run, chasing the night away.

But Dr. Rogers and Derek had changed all that. She feared either of them learning her secret. If Rogers exposed her, then life as she knew it would be over. With Derek, if he found out, would he accept her lycanthropy? Because if he didn’t, she might have to do the unthinkable. Well, she probably wouldn’t. Ares would handle it for her if she asked, but she really hoped it never came to that. Really hoped the bond they’d built could withstand the fact she was more than human.

She still remembered her dad having the talk with them at a young age about how it was imperative they never tell anyone. To which she’d replied,“Mom knows.”

“I had no choice but to tell her because, from birth, you shifted on the full moon. You should have heard her scream when she found a wolf pup in the crib. Luckily, your mom is awesome.”

“What if she’d not been?”she’d asked.

His lips had turned down.“We wouldn’t be the family we are today.”

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