Page 101 of Her Wolf

Not today

The clink of cutlery against porcelain forced Cora’s eyes open. She blinked a few times before she could focus on what had made the noise.

She had a plate in front of her. A piece of steak, bloody-rare, oozed pinkish blood onto the pale porcelain. Tiny little red roses flecked with gold rimmed the plate. Someone had a knife and fork over her plate, and they were sawing away a small slice of fillet.

“Open,” came a voice beside her.

Cora lifted her head. Her eyes widened at the sight of Zachary, sitting beside her at a long dining room table.

Her mouth fell open, and he slid the piece of meat past her lips. His attention was solely on her lips until she closed her mouth around the fork. Then he sat back, arms resting against the edge of the table as he gave her a warm smile.

There was a warm, heavy weight on her feet. When she tried to move them, she felt it breathing.

Lady.

Memories popped into her mind like bubbles from a drowning body snapping open on the surface of a stagnant lake.

The party.

A car.

Miguel in the trunk.

Blood and a knife.

Smoke in the air.

Someone undressing her.

Flies. A body.

New clothes.

Stale perfume and sweat.

Lick, lick, lick.

Dinner. Dirty plates. Zachary’s smile under shadowed eyes.

Not today. That had been his answer to her question.

Not today.

But today was almost over, wasn’t it?

Cora looked down. She could remember the events her memory provided…all except the undressing and the new clothes.

She wore a satin blouse, cream with pearl buttons. A tight skirt that sat just above her knees. When she moved her head, hair didn’t brush her shoulders, but sat heavy and tight on her head.

The scrape of metal against porcelain wrenched her head up. She watched Zachary slice another bite of beef and bring it to her mouth.

She ate; chewing, but not tasting.

“Do you like it?” Zachary asked. His eyes moved over her outfit. “It looks good on you.”

She couldn’t maintain eye contact, so she looked over the dirty table again. Enough dishes for a full house, but emptiness pushed in around them like fog.

Whoever was controlling her mouth asked, “Where is everyone?”

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