Page 65 of Her Bossy Wolf Protector

Soon enough, we’re in the middle of a charades game, laughing and joking around. He is terrible at it, but I let him win anyway.

“You are really bad at this game,” he laughs as I set up for the next round.

“No. You are the one who is excellent at it. Now, I am going to make a sound, and you have to guess what it is.”

“Okay.”

I make a loud snorting sound to imitate a pig and almost fall in laughter when he guesses that it sounds like a peacock.Who even guesses that?

And so it goes over and over and over again.

In the following days, Gabriel’s absence leaves a hole in the house. It’s weirdly quiet without him. I try to distract myself by spending time with Liam. “Hey, Liam, how about we build a fort today?” I suggest, and he’s all for it.

Mariya has taken this opportunity to teach me some martial arts moves in the evenings. “You’ve got this, Jade! Keep going,” she encourages me as I practice my kicks.

But I’m really missing Gabriel. It’s frustrating not hearing from him. “Mariya, any word from Gabriel?” I ask, hoping for some news.

“Nah, sorry. He must be in an area with no cell service,” she replies.

Each day has its routine: breakfast and lunch, fun times with Liam, and evenings learning some serious moves. But underneath, I need things to be right between me and Gabriel again. The anticipation of waiting for something you know will happen but hasn’t yet. It’s frustrating as hell.

I’ve been cooped up for days and am going stir-crazy. Mariya keeps warning me about the wards, but the isolation is driving me nuts. It feels like ages since I’ve seen Alyssa, and since I learned about the supernatural world. It feels like we’re drifting apart.

It takes some time, but finally I convince Mariya to take down the wards for a few hours so that I can go and see Alyssa. She reluctantly agrees, warning me to be careful, and not to be gone too long. I thank her as I grab my phone to call an Uber.

The familiar streets pass by in a blur as I try to contain my excitement of seeing Alyssa, someone from my ‘normal’ life.

Alyssa is knee-deep in some serious work when I knock. As she comes to the door, I can see she’s been working. She’s got a pen in one hand and a cookie in the other. “Alyssa! How are you? I’ve missed you.”

“Jade! Oh my goodness, you’re here!” Alyssa’s eyes light up, and she pulls me into a quick hug before returning to her desk. I grab a couple of the cookies she’s munching on and sit on the couch.

I watch her for a moment, typing away furiously on her laptop, her fingers tapping like a pianist playing a complex piece. She’s so focused and engrossed, and I try to make small talk to ease our conversation. “How’s work treating you?”

“It’s insane! This deadline is killing me,” Alyssa groans, but the spark in her eyes shows she thrives under pressure.

I nod in understanding, observing her furrowed brow as she concentrates and the way she bites her lip when deep in thought. We used to be inseparable, but now it feels like life is coming between us.

As Alyssa keeps typing away, I realize how much I’ve missed her presence. There’s an ease in being around someone who’s known you for so long. It feels comfortable, like my old life.

It’s already dark when Alyssa finishes up her work. She whips up some noodles for us, and we slurp them down. She asks about my job, especially about my boss, Gabriel. I take a deep breath, then spill the beans, “I’ve been dating Gabriel.”

Alyssa grins, “I called it, didn’t I? I had a feeling. I am so curious to meet him now.”

“I want you to meet him too. He is out of town, but maybe as soon as he gets back?”

“I would love that,” she says.

Curled up on the couch, we chat about relationships. When she asks about my relationship, I admit that things between Gabriel and me aren’t perfect, “It’s a work in progress.”

On the other hand, Alyssa hasn’t been on any dates since she returned home. Her memory’s still fuzzy, so she’s been burying herself in her work.

We decide to indulge in some comfort food and watch “The Notebook.” There’s something magical about romantic movies. It feels good to be around Alyssa, just relaxing and laughing, the way it was before everything changed.

Headed back home in the Uber, I feel content. I decide to shoot a text to Gabriel, letting him know I miss him. Hopefully, the message will get through at some point.

Then, I notice that the Uber driver— Davis — is giving me weird looks, making me uneasy. I decide to pop in my headphones and lose myself in music to avoid the awkwardness.

As we arrive at the house, it is unusually dark inside. Why would Mariya switch off all the lights, including those on the porch, knowing full well that I’d be coming home soon?

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