Page 14 of Werewolves Don't Howl
I gripped my towel more tightly while my stomach churned. “My apartment?”
His eyes tightened with concern or anger. Maybe both. “I should have seen to your things last night, before he…” He cleared his throat and took a step back. “I have some paperwork to do until you’re changed. I’ll be waiting in the library.” He gave me a slight bow and left me standing there in a towel.
Panic was threatening to swallow me, the voice in the back of my head whining that I needed to run, to attack whoever had attacked me. Senator Silverton’s back was towards me, so I dropped the towel and shifted into the cutest little wolf you’ve never seen. I darted through the underbrush, stalking the elf as he made his way back to the house.
I’d brought danger to his peaceful world. What if Ridley decided that he needed to hurt the Senator for taking me in?
I sniffed the air, scenting the elf, admiring his smooth, even gait. He was graceful and powerful, a lethally attractive combination to me and my wolf. And he knew that I was a wolf, so I could shift whenever I liked, the better to keep an eye on his fortress.
ChapterFive
Iwalked into the pool house to find it had been changed. The scent was the same, so someone had taken care not to have a smell as they put in shelves and stocked it with my yarn. Who had done that while I was floating in the pool all day?
When I checked the closet, some of my old clothes were there, but not many. The new pieces were all more expensive than I could afford. I couldn’t wear anything on the Senator’s dime. My red sheath dress wasn’t there. I grabbed a navy sheath that was the only appropriate option that wasn’t new and then took my time with my hair and makeup, making sure my brunette waves were as flattering as possible around my rosy cheeks. Did I want to accentuate the lush lips of my gnome heritage or lean into the large eyes of my Elven? Both?
I ended up with too much makeup, far more than I usually wore, almost like I was trying to match the Senator’s glam, even though I had no intention of actually being seen with him. I’d ride in his limo to the gates and then slip out and walk up. I did that sometimes when I took a cab.
Senator Silverton would need rules, apparently, because he had no sense when it came to his duty and public service. Or maybe he had no sense when it came to women. He never dated any woman more than once. Maybe it’s because he lost his head and bought them wardrobes when their lifestyles didn't live up to his.
I found Senator Silverton in the library at his desk, going through papers. He immediately rose and came to me with a polite smile. “You look beautiful.”
I gave him a look. “Are we exchanging compliments? You’re far more beautiful than I am.”
He held out his arm to me. Did I take it or not? I crossed my arms and took a slight step away from him. He raised a brow in question. “It is my place to compliment the beautiful woman.”
“Really? And your place as a man who buys beautiful women clothing? What kind of place is that? What do they call the mister to the mistress? Master?”
He gave me a full smile that was as effusive to an elf as someone else breaking out in loud laughter. “Miss Era, for a moment consider that our roles were reversed. You are in a position to help someone who is being stalked by a predator, chased out of their home by a brutal and revolting monster who marked most of the precious yarn and clothing. Would you not…”
I held up a hand while nausea roiled in my stomach. “What do you mean, he marked my yarn? The yarn in the pool house is only a fraction of the yarn I had in my stash. Hardly any of my cashmere collection is there.”
He gave me a small sigh. “He urinated on most of it. There’s nothing as potently noxious as werewolf…”
I grabbed his arm, digging my nails into the smooth silk-wool. Horror mixed with growing rage. Ridley went into my apartment and peed on my cashmere yarn? What kind of twisted, sick, vile creature would do something like that to harmless cashmere?
“Miss Era? Do you need to sit down?”
I gave him a bright smile while rage thrummed beneath my skin. This was going too far. Ridley wouldn’t ever be allowed to desecrate someone’s holy sanctuary of knitting ever again. “I’m just tired, no doubt from the sunburn. Thank you for saving what you could, or thank Libby for me. I’m fine. I’m going to slip out of the limo outside the gate, so no one links our names.”
“Are you sure you’re…” His words trailed off as I pulled him towards the front door.
No, I wasn’t fine. I was so angry, beyond angry. Werewolves didn’t handle anger well. I didn’t get angry often, because gnomes were notoriously jolly, and even elves didn’t usually bother sustaining negative emotions when it drained your magic and energy, but now, the anger of the werewolf combined with my own gnome-like disgust at the blatant disrespect. Even the elf in me thought the wolf needed to be seriously disciplined.
The party was productive. I got the necessary material for my article, and then I slipped out through the front gate like I’d come, waving at the security guys before I disappeared into the shadows.
I shifted into the small wolf and disappeared into the night, abandoning my navy sheath under a bush. I’d never really liked it, anyway.
I tracked Ridley to a human sports bar in the upper city, drinking and looking mean through the front window. When he finally got up and left, I stalked him from a block away as he headed towards my part of town. Was he going to burn my place down? He had a lighter in his hand, flicking it on and off. I’d light him on fire if he tried.
Two couples walked along, chatting easily, and one of the guys bumped into Ridley. The werewolf snarled and then one of the women pointed at him and squealed.
“It’s Ridley, the new pitcher! Are you really a werewolf?” She fluttered her lashes at him while admiration honeyed her words.
His snarl vanished as he smiled at her. “You can come with me if you’d like to find out. I never bite.”
She laughed like that was hysterical and grabbed her guy’s arm. “I wish. You could come with us to the party we’re going to! It’ll be a lot of fun. Everyone loved your last game.”
“Some other time,” Ridley said, then sauntered away like that had restored his enormous ego.
