Then she heaves a huge sigh, her hands gripping the steering wheel. “I’m so sorry about our argument the other night, especially after you gave me such a wonderful surprise. I said some things I shouldn’t have, and I was stupid to fire you; I hope you can forgive me.”
When she glances at me withtears fringing her lashes, I’m momentarily speechless. I sputter, trying to clear my throat, which has thickened all of a sudden. “Of course I forgive you, but our argument wasn’t all your fault. The reason you were so upset in the first place was because I told you at the last minute I wouldn’t be able to work this weekend.”
Sophie sniffs. “Because of your werewolf condition, which I still don’t get, nor do I understand why you were in that icky sick room at the fire station.”
I rub my eyes; there’s no way I’m telling Sophie about the whole fated mate thing until I’m feeling better… and I’m sure she’s not being extra nice just because she’s feeling guilty. “I promise to explain about my condition at the appropriate time, which isn’t right now. It’s… complicated… and it’s worse at the full moon.”
“But you will tell me at some point?” Sophie presses.
“Yes, I’ll tell you… but you need to letmedecide when the time is right.”
“Alright,” she sighs. “Let’s go inside so I can fix us some lunch. Zosia will be ecstatic to see you; she’s been very mopey lately.”
As Sophie helps me climb out of the car, I bite back several groans but she notices. “Where does it hurt?” Sophie asks, placing her hand on my chest…on my chest.
I take several deep breaths to steady my pulse; my heart’s thrumming faster than a jackhammer during road construction season. “Um… everywhere, I guess…”
Sophie’s soft gray irises flare. “If I ever see Rafe again, I’ll give him a tongue lashing he’ll never forget. What a smarmy, handsy lowlife!”
I’m only half-listening as I gaze at Sophie’s lovelyface; a fine sheen of perspiration glistens on her brow, giving her a dewy complexion. It takes several moments for me to process her last statement.
“Did Rafe get handsy with you?” I growl.
“I think we’d better get you into a chair; Doc says you could get dizzy while you’re taking those painkillers.” She tries draping my arm around her shoulders, but I refuse to budge.
“Sophie, tell me. Please... I want to know.”
She shakes her head. “Why? So you can get in another fight with him?”
“If that’s the only way to keep him away from you, then yes.” My voice takes on a steely quality that probably surprises us both; I sound almost alpha-like in my fierceness.
Sophie’s eyes lock onto mine. “I’ll tell you about Rafe if you’ll tell me about your old pack and how you know him.”
My shoulders sag; it’s bad enough Sophie has to see me like this, but what happened before was so much worse. On the other hand, if I want her to open up with me, then I need to do the same.
I nod my assent, and she helps me into the cottage. I lean a bit more heavily on Sophie than strictly necessary, dipping my nose close to her hair for one delicious whiff before she deposits me on the green chair. “I’ll be in the kitchen making lunch,” she calls over her shoulder.
“Pah! Pah!” screeches Zosia, who zooms out of my old bedroom and leaps into my lap. The only reason I’m not whimpering in pain is because Zosia weighs next tonothing, and she manages to miss the worst of my injuries.
“Hey there.” I rub behind her ears. “I missed you too.” Zosia purrs andmeepsa few times, flailing all nine of her white tails and bonking me in the face. Chuckling, I rearrange the little fluffball, continuing to pet her until I doze off.
“Teddy, your lunch is ready.” I hear Sophie’s voice and struggle to open my eyes; whatever Doc gave me is pretty potent stuff. Then I feel her fingers gently tracing the gashes on my forearms, and I debate keeping my eyes closed so she doesn’t stop. But my lips twitch, giving myself away.
“I saw that! Now you’re just pretending to sleep.”
I blink my eyes open, startled to see Sophie’s face six inches from mine. Not sure if I’m dreaming, I blink a second time, but when I open them again Sophie has already shooed Zosia off my lap and is setting up a tray table in front of me piled high with scrambled eggs, fried ham, buttered toast, cherry jam, and orange juice. She joins me in the adjoining chair, dragging over another tray table.
Although I had some kibble and dried beef jerky during my confinement, and one of the firefighters gave me a turkey-and-cheese sandwich after my shower this morning, I’m still famished. After we’ve both eaten, Sophie brews us a pot of coffee, which I might have missed even more than a homecooked meal these past two days.
I wait until she’s sitting down again, a mug in her hands. “Before I tell you about the night my alpha died, Iwant you to know I’m not the same scared kid I was then… I’ve learned to fight back… to defend those I care about.”
A thin line forms on Sophie’s brow. “I’m not here to judge you, Teddy, but to hear your story. I want to understand what happened, and why it still haunts you.”
So I tell her… all of it: my shame, my fear, my anguish at losing Jarrod. Surprisingly, I’m not quite as emotional this time around; perhaps unloading it all on Jake and finding acceptance in his pack has helped to heal some of my rawness. When I’m finished, I say hoarsely, “If Miss Dragonfly hadn’t found me and nursed me back to health, I don’t think I would have survived the night.”
Sophie was quiet throughout my story, occasional flickers of concern clouding her features. “I can’t believe Rafe turned out to be the same werewolf you fought before. Don’t you think it’s a strange coincidence?”
“Perhaps it’s not such a coincidence after all, when you really think about it. There are only so many supernatural villages and wolf packs. Rafe merely moved from one side of Lake Michigan to the other. I suspect he wore out his welcome in his home state and decided to relocate to Wisconsin.”
