“But we’ve known him forever.”
“He’s in charge here, so we should use his title. We have to set a good example for the other campers.”
Estelle cast a pointed glance at the nearby cabins, all of which were dark and deserted. “What other campers? Nobody else is here yet. Summer camp doesn’t officially start until tomorrow.”
“We’re stillatcamp. We have to follow all the rules. That means showing respect to staff, and never going anywhere alone.”
“Well, they’re stupid rules.”
“I’m all in favor of questioning authority,” Buck said. “Except when it’s mine. For the love of dog, will you girls please go get Zeph? Or at least get out of eyeshot?”
“Right.” Beth put a hand on Estelle’s scrawny shoulder. “Don’t worry, Mr. Frazer. We’ll fetch Director Zephyr straight away. Come on, Estelle.”
“Okay, okay.” Estelle’s voice dropped to a whisper as Beth steered her away. A few months ago, Buck wouldn’t have been able to catch her words at this distance, but now she might as well have been yelling in his ear. “But let’s just hide around the corner. We still haven’t seen his animal. Maybe if we wait long enough, he’ll shift to get down…”
Fortunately, Beth was as much like her father as Estelle was unlike her own. Buck tracked their receding footsteps until he could be certain that both girls were indeed heading across the camp to the main office. Then, finally giving in to the increasing protests from his tenderest regions, he rolled over.
Ridged muscles flexed across his midsection as he sat up. He scowled down at his belly, or at least where his belly should have been.Abs, for crying out loud. Even thirty years ago, when he’d been young and idiotic and an active Marine, he hadn’t had motherloving abs.
“The only place a six-pack belongs is in the fridge,” he told his own ridiculous torso. “I don’t care if I have to start snacking on entire sticks of butter. You won’t change me.”
The scar on his left bicep itched.
Buck clenched his jaw, refusing to scratch. Instead, he inspected the rest of his hide. Fresh scratches and bruises decorated practically every part of his anatomy, but they were trivial. He’d taken far worse injuries in his long and varied career, both in the military and as a wildland firefighter.
Even as he watched, the shallow scrapes healed over. His bruises disappeared, leaving his skin unmarred except for the familiar, faded traces of long-healed burns.
And, of course, the scar on his arm.
It itched.
“Shut up,” Buck said under his breath.
He fingered the chain still padlocked around his wrist. A short length dangled free, thick steel links clinking together. The final link was mangled and misshapen, torn open.
Bittenopen.
“Shit,” Buck muttered.
“I heard that,” said an amused male voice from ground level. “You are having a bad day, Uncle.”
“Every day is a bad day these days,” Buck replied. “Please tell me you brought pants.”
“I did indeed.” Something clunked against the edge of the roof. “And a ladder.”
Buck reflexively clamped a hand over his tackle again. “Zephyr, don’t you dare come up here.”
“Uncle, I’m a fully grown man. And anyway, you’ve seenmenaked.”
“When I was changing your diapers. Just toss me the motherloving pants, okay?”
Underwear arced over the edge of the roof, followed by a pair of jeans. Buck scrambled into the clothes with practiced speed. Not that he’d made a regular habit of public exhibitionism—at least, not until recently—but you didn’t spend decades as a firefighter without learning how to get dressed in a hurry.
Not that he was a firefighter any more. He wasn’t anything, except a monster.
And now I’m getting maudlin.Buck shook his head as he did up his jeans. He’d never been one for angst, and he damn well wasn’t going to start throwing himself one-man rooftop pity parties just because a flea-bitten monster with a penchant for public nudity had moved into his skin.
“Got a shirt?” he called.
