Page 139 of Home to the Hollow

“I’m gonna assume the steroids were kind?” she quips.

Edgar laughs and I join him. Her wit is sharp, and I can see why he’s taken with her again. Before I can retort, the docs join the fray, and I’m surprised to see her huge eagle perched on Hamilton’s shoulder. Fletcher is damned near vibrating with excitement and I’d bet my last dollar he’s struggling with his ears again. The kid has more trouble with that part of his transformation than anything, and we’re all used to it. However, the beauty in front of us is unaware of our world and who we all are, so I know he’s working his ass off to keep humanoid.

“Sugarplum!” Fletcher pushes through the crowd and grabs Jolene by the waist, lifting her to spin her around. “Look at you all fancy-like.”

Hot damn, the kid slid in under Boone’s nose. That’s gotta sting.

“Yerwelcome, puppy. She’s a pisser about makin’ her a flah, but I knew you lads would appreciate my sacrifice.”

The spikes of frustration hit me again, and I watch our former classmate turn all of her attention to the smiling vet. “Put me down so I can hug you.” His face brightens and he slides her down until her feet touch the ground. She hugs and kisses him before she says, “I see why you two were so excited to show me this place—or I would see it ifsomeonewould let me in.”

Fletcher turns to glare at Edgar and I and the other doc arches his brow. I’m surprised by their sudden aggressiveness, so I just look back at them expectantly. The cats hiss at me then bound past us, and her bird honks loudly at the crowd.

“My companions humbly request you jackasses allow us entrance before they get pissed,” she says with a sweet tone as she bends to do an angry looking curtsey.

Not sure how she managed to make a curtsey look sarcastic, but clearly, this girl is special.

I look over at Boone, but he’s too busy studying the docs as if he’s plotting their deaths. He puts his fingers to his lips and does that annoying as shit whistle, and I know this is all going south fast. Calling Kali and Hecate to join the clown show we’ve got going will only make this imminently worse. They bound over, teeth bared, and ears pinned back as they look for a threat.

Jolene looks at them, rubbing her arms slowly. Her animals come back, flanking her protectively, but she keeps looking at the dogs intently. After a few minutes of silence, Kali sits, then Hecate follows. Amazement flutters over my features—no one controls those monsters but Boone.

“Good dogs,” she mutters. My eyes widen when she sways, and I can see what’s coming. “Boys… a little help…”

And she’s out.

Week Two

Benjy catches her before she hits the ground, which is more than I can say for the rest of us. We exchange a look because we remember when she did this even as a kid. I don’t know why no one has figured out why the fuck she blacks out all the time, but it seems like something that should have been resolved by now.

People here are going to ask questions she isn’t ready for if it keeps happening.

I growl in frustration because I could help—maybe—but I can’t seem to get a moment alone with her since the tryst at her house. She’s collected a gang of admirers since I last saw her, and it complicates things immensely. The doctors are inductees, but this weird chick is a mystery. I can have that jackass Haggerty look into her ICE records, but that will take time. This situation is far too complex for some random chick to be hanging around.

There’s no way Jolene is going to stay a lost one. I can feel it in my bones, and when we were together, the parts of me that aren’t human felt it. I don’t know why she hasn’t awakened yet, but there’s power humming underneath her skin. It wants out, and I can’t figure out what’s stopping it.

I need her to understand that she’s goddamned made for me.

Every time she sasses me, I want to throw her over my shoulder and smack her ass, but I also want to push back. I’ve never enjoyed the push-pull before; I prefer being completely in charge, but with her…

The docs hover over her nervously, and I growl under my breath. I don’t know where she picked them up, but I can tell by the way they stared back at me I won’t be able to scare them off. The Irish girl is trying to calm the gigantic bird—where did that come from anyway—and the cats are locked in a standoff with my dogs. This scene is utter chaos, and it makes my head hurt.

As I walk to the bar, I whistle for the hounds to help ease some of the noise. That’s when I catch the wild girl’s eyes and she squints, then grins broadly. Some lightbulb just went off in her skull and I don’t have the foggiest what, but she seems determined to finish sorting out the animal mess.

I step up to the bar and my drink slides across it, and I tell the bartender to get a cold cloth from the kitchen. When he returns, he asks about the line on the Polecats, but State U’s team is the last thing on my mind at the moment. I’m not in the business of giving out freebies, but I’m sure my guys will be taking his action sometime this week. I sip my drink and watch the crowd of people around Tilly again, sighing when I realize I’ll need to take charge.

“She’s done this in front of you all before, right? She did it in school, too,” I remark as I walk over again.

The docs don’t answer, but their guilty looks say they know something. Wild girl finally nods, and that prompts them to do the same.

Thanks for the info, guys.

“It’s never lasted for more than a couple of days, but that was a long time ago. Does anyone have more up-to-date information?”

Fletcher looks sheepish. “A couple of hours.”

The Irish lass nods. “Aye, never more than a few hours. Maybe we should take those bloody sofas and let her lie down. Seems like you gents could use a chat.”

“Agreed. I’ll carry her over if you three oversee the menagerie,” I reply. I move to pick her up and Fletcher blocks me.

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