Page 33 of Rescued

Mikey swatted Switch away, but she looked pleased. “In the fridge, duh. And on the kitchen counter. I haven’t had a chance to—”

“Cool. I figured you’d need my help carrying the stuff over to the cabin.”

Mikey frowned. “Hold on. I thought Breanna would be staying here with us. Gunn says you haven’t stopped bitching—” She broke off, glancing at Breanna. “No offense.”

“Oh.” Breanna suddenly felt bereft. She’d never understood why she felt so safe with Switch, but she did. She’d forgotten how selfish she was being, taking up his bedroom while he slept as a wolf. He probably couldn’t wait to get his cabin back.

“Nobody said—but of course.” She looked at Switch. “You want your own bed.”

Switch was glaring at Mikey. “I always bitch about everything. Everyone knows that. But I told Thanatos I’d take care of Bree.” He turned to her. “Unless you’d rather—” He looked suddenly uncertain.

Mikey was looking from one of them to the other, a speculative look in her eye. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she said. “Stop being so polite to each other. Breanna, you’re welcome to stay here, although it’s gonna be a crush until we figure out what the fuck to do with all my stuff. But if you’d rather stay with Switch, and he doesn’t mind, then that’s fine too.”

“I’d kind of rather stay at Switch’s,” she said, at the same time he said, “I don’t mind.”

Mikey rolled her eyes. “Awesome. Switch, you carry the groceries. And that bag of shoes. Breanna, can you manage all the rest of those shopping bags? I’m bringing some extra towels and sheets and things for the guest cabin.”

As the three of them walked back to Switch’s cabin, Breanna said to Switch, “What groceries did you get? I mean, did Mikey get for you?”

“Nothing much,” he said. “Some leaves and berries. Packaged barf. You know. Model food.”

He’d contacted Mikey with a shopping list of food she liked? Breanna’s eyes stung. “Wow,” she said, swallowing hard. “Aren’t you afraid all those leaves will suck the calories and cholesterol right out of your steaks, if they get too close?”

He grinned at her. “I did some scientific testing, and the freezer creates an adequate barrier. Thanks for asking.”

When they got back to the cabin, Boomer, Dealer, and Boomer’s brother were gone, but there was a big note on the couch.

EPISODE 18: EXPLOSION. EVERYBODY DIES. THE END. NOW YOU DON’T HAVE TO WATCH.

“What the hell is that?” Mikey asked.

Breanna rolled her eyes. “Boomer. Or Dealer. Probably Boomer. I had to leave in the middle of an episode of Malory’s Peak, and I told them, no spoilers!”

“He’s lying,” Switch said. “I watched that one last night after you were asleep. Actually, when they finally find the professor, he tells them—”

“Don’t make me hurt you,” Breanna said. She swung her shopping bags at him, and he ducked out of the way.

Mikey was staring at her. “Excuse me?” she said. “You and Boomer and Dealer binge watch TV shows together?”

“And Boomer’s brother,” Switch said. “It’s the doe eyes.”

“The what?”

Breanna jumped in hastily. She didn’t want him discussing doe eyes with Mikey, who obviously had never had to rely on them in her life, and probably wouldn’t respect a woman who did. “I think they got tired of standing guard outside,” she said. “It’s been raining a lot. So they guard in here. With TV.”

“Yeesh,” Mikey said. “I’ve been here for over a month, and they barely talk to me.”

“Maybe they’re scared of you,” Switch said to her.

She bared her teeth. “I try.”

Switch started putting groceries away, and Mikey said, “I want to talk to Breanna. Privately. Girl stuff.”

Switch frowned a little, but said slowly, “Okay.”

Breanna followed Mikey outside, suddenly feeling nervous. Mikey ambled away from the buildings, following a path that led across the compound and up the mountainside.

She said, “I’m glad you’re feeling okay here. Knowing you’re a human, I was afraid you’d be a little freaked out.”