Page 129 of Bloodlust

Ihave nothing to my name.

I have no shields, no control, no power. I am a nobody here. No one is afraid of me. No one shies away from my presence. I haven't looked over my shoulder in weeks. It's strange.

I have nothing...and yet? I've never felt more whole.

It's liberating to have no sway. I'm just an ordinary citizen. Another plain Jane. I can't make anyone stop, jump, or roll over.

Not anymore.

Well, at least not people.

"Good girl," I gush, dangling a treat above Minnie's head as she prances on her hind legs. Coco dashes toward me, knocking me on my ass as three other dogs charge the bag of spilled treats on the floor of the shelter. "Hey! Get off of me," I laugh, my face assaulted by four sets of wet, textured tongues. "Oh my God! Guys! Seriously! Do I look like a piece of meat to you?"

"Need a hand?" Kate asks, chuckling as she drops herbackpack on the floor and scowls at the rambunctious rescues. "Y'all! Did I not say to treat Melody with the utmost respect while I was gone?" She shakes her head, rounding up the dogs and leading them back to their kennels as I stand up and brush the dog fur off my jeans. "Honest to God, they are usuallymuchbetter behaved than this." She gives me a warm smile. "I think they're just excited by your newness, that's all. Don't worry, they'll settle down in time."

"Oh, I don't mind," I say, collecting the broken treats off the floor. "This is like a little slice of Heaven for me."

"Heaven?" Kate snorts, locking up the last kennel. "I don't know 'bout you, Mel, but my version of heaven doesn't entail picking up dog shit six times a day." She glowers at Rover, a grumpy old bulldog. "Yeah, I'm looking at you, boy."

"Hey." I give Kate a playful frown. "Leave poor Rover alone, it's not his fault he's got the bowel movements of a ninety-year-old with IBS. Cut the guy a break."

Kate rolls her eyes. "Talk to me in a few months, Melody, and I'm sure by then you'll be just as jaded as I am." She glances at the clock above the receptionist’s desk. "It's already 7 'o clock, you should head home."

"Already?" I hum, checking the time on my phone. "Time flies, huh?"

"Sometimes. Here." She passes me my hoodie as I remove the Noah's Bark lanyard from my neck. "Thanks for staying late today. My kid's soccer game ran longer than usual, there were so many flags thrown down, it looked like the dang yellow brick road."

"It's no problem," I say, handing her the keys to theshelter. "Are you sure you don't want to switch shifts? I can do nights if that's better for you."

"That's sweet of you Mel, but when you have three kids and a husband at home, three nights a week to yourself is a dream," she says, walking to the coffee pot. She lets out a sudden chuckle, craning her neck. "Hey, maybe thisisHeaven after all."

"See?" I give her a wink as I head to the front doors. "It's all about perspective."

"Night, Melody!" Kate calls out after me. "Don't forget! Grill out at my house! Sunday at noon! Don't be late! Mel?"

"I'll be there," I holler back, fishing car keys out of my purse. "Just don't forget the veggie patties!"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Kate's voice fades as I get outside and head toward my car.

Seeing as this town is like two yards in diameter, I don't reallyneeda car but apparently, these folks don't walk. Gotta blend in and shit. Jumping inside the rusty blue pickup truck, I place my cell phone on my lap and speed dial Zoey. She should be out of class by now. I scowl as the encrypted line rings. Unless she's withhimagain.

"Hello?" Zoey clears her throat, giggling as a muffled male voice looms in the background. "Ca—Melody?"

"Catch you at a bad time again?" I ask, pulling out of the gravel lot and onto the narrow street. "Whatcha doing, Zoe? Or should I ask,whoyou doing?"

"What?" she peeps. "Me? Oh, nothing, no one, just got out of class. Give me a sec."

"Okay," I hum, shuffling footsteps crackling throughthe receiver as she darts to another room. One with fewerdistractions. "Zoey? Hello?"

"Hi. Sorry! I'm here. I'm here. So, umm... How…" She clears her throat again. "How are you? How was your first full week at the shelter?"

"It was fine," I say, pursing my lips. "I think they like me so far."

"Oh, that's good!" Zoey chirps. "See? I told you that Kate and Arnold would like you."

"I meant the dogs," I say, grinning. "But yes, I suppose human friends are good too."

"Do you have plans for this weekend?" she asks. "I read that there's like a corn fair or something happening at the square."

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