Page 61 of Howl for the Gargoyle

"Sunny and Khell will be there too, just as a heads-up. You met them at—"

"I remember," I said, offering him a smile. The couple had been at the show at Nightlight, and while I'd been pretty distracted—getting railed in the bathroom—I remembered the pair. Her name suited her, a pretty and bright sunbeam of a woman who shined cheerfully even while others dominated the conversation, and most especially while she leaned into her massive orc boyfriend.

Mate, I corrected, recalling the word Khell had used to introduce Sunny. It'd seemed such an innocent and sweet word then, not at all capable of making me break out in a cold sweat.

Khell had set me on edge at first, just because of his enormous stature and obvious strength. I was learning that my werewolf objected to proximity to what she deemed as physical threats. But a few minutes around Khell, and that tension had evaporated. The orc was one coat of soft fur away from being an enormous teddy bear.

I also knew that Sunny and Khell met through MSA. And that we had a…mutual friend.

"Anyone else?" I asked, proud of how I managed to make the question sound light.

"Nope," Theo answered, just as lightly, and probably just as false.

Had he noticed me disappear with Rafe that night? Had Natalie told him I'd gone to MSA for help? I sped up, marching nowhere in particular, and at my side Theo cleared his throat.

"So, where are we going?" Theo asked.

I slowed. "Um…to your car?"

He fought his smile again, the smug bastard, and shook his head, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "My car is that way."

My breath puffed out of me, and I swallowed the whine that wanted to follow as I stared around the street, wondering where I'd put my brain today. A brightly painted window glimmered back at me, waves of frosting gliding along the frame, a row of college students gobbling cupcakes at a bar top. "I…can grab dessert for us?"

"We love dessert!" Theo said, patting my shoulder and guiding me across the street to the bakery.

"Why didn't Theo tell you we had dessert covered? I don't understand. Not that I mind cupcakes, but—"

"He was just letting me save face, I'm all…" I waved my hand and trailed off as Natalie stared back at me.

Natalie waited for me to finish the thought, but since I didn't know what I was trying to say, I just shrugged at her. "I see. Does your" —she waved her hands in the air, imitating me— "have anything to do with you skulking off with Rafe at Nightlight?"

I tried to turn away from her but since my entire face was going up in flames, there was no hiding my answer. Natalie gasped and grabbed my arm.

"Please don't," I squeezed out.

"I knew it. He's your partner, isn't he?"

"Oh my god," I moaned, covering my face in my hands.

"Sorry, sorry. I know this is personal and we are still getting to know each other, but—Hang on. We need Sunny."

"Natalie—" I growled.

She pulled my hands from my face, and what I found was not humor or glee, but a sympathetic and crooked smile. "I know. But Sunny's been in your shoes, so if you're uncomfortable I'm sure she'd be really reassuring right now. And we can send Theo and Khell out to the yard."

"To the yard?" I asked, laughing through my strangled voice.

"Khell can throw a ball, Theo can fetch. It'll be fine," Natalie said, back to flippant.

I snorted, but I didn't fight her as she led me out of her kitchen with a firm grip around my arm. And as we reached the hall, Theo was already leading Khell out the back door to the small courtyard in the back. He'd overheard Natalie.

Oof.

We found Sunny rearranging knickknacks on Natalie's bookshelves in the living room, and she did a double-take glance at us before pausing. "Uh oh, what's up?"

"We have cupcakes," Natalie said.

"I like cupcakes," Sunny answered. "But I meant why are you holding Hannah hostage like that?"

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