ruled him
in
this state.
So long as he was in his current body, he was feral and lethal.
Bride had the strangest feeling down her spine. She paused and looked back
over
her shoulder to find the white wolf following behind her. She could swear
his
eyes were an exact match for Vane's hazel green, and the way he looked at
her
At them
It was as if he understood exactly what they were saying and doing.
It was really weird.
Tabitha and Mina walked her back to her shop.
"You sure you don't want to spend the night over at my place?" Mina asked.
"I
can easily kick my guy out."
"Or my apartment," Tabitha offered. "I have no guy to kick out, and since my
twin absconded with my dog and Allison wanted to find a saner, safer
bunkmate, I
have all the room in the world."
"I thought Maria was living with you now?" Mina asked.
"Nah," Tabitha said. "Her stuff is there, but she's been spending all her time
at her boyfriend's house. I never see her anymore."
Bride smiled at their kindness. "It's okay, guys. I have to get used to being
alone again. Really. I just want to curl up with a good book and put him out
of
my mind."
But what disturbed her most was that all she had to do was think of Vane
and all
thoughts of Taylor went flying out of her head.
Maybe her "encounter" with him had been a good thing after all.
"Hey, just keep dreaming about the guy you met," Tabitha said, winking at
her.
Bride frowned at that spooky coincidence. Of course, Tabitha claimed to be
able
to read minds. At times such as this, Bride could almost believe that.
"Yeah," Mina concurred. "Maybe he might pass back by."
Bride sighed wistfully. "I have a feeling I've seen the last of Mr. Bodacious."
Mina gave her a sisterly hug. "Call me if you need me."
"I will. Thanks."
Tabitha hugged her too and patted her on the back. "Remember, if you need
Taylor's kneecaps broken, I have just the tire iron and I won't ever tell the
media who put me up to it."
Bride laughed, grateful for her friends and their kindness to her in her hour
of
need. "You're such a nut."
"I'm serious, though. You change your mind, speed dial the number. I can be
at
his place in under twenty minutes."
"Ha!" Mina said. "With your driving? You'd be there in less than ten and
that's
with a flat tire going against traffic."
Bride shook her head at their teasing as she pulled her keys from her pocket
and
opened the door on the side of her building that led to the courtyard and the
wrought-iron stairs in the back. Her store took up the entire bottom floor of
the building, but the upper three floors had been made into apartments by
her
grandmother. The stairs back here led to each of the apartments above.
There was
one more tiny studio apartment in the back near the garage that used to be a
barn back in the days before New Orleans was paved.
Up until Taylor had talked her into living with him, she had lived in the
biggest apartment on the top floor. Now all the apartments were rented
except
for the one studio out back. It was so small that she had never felt right
about
taking money for it. Instead, Bride used it for storage.
Now it was going to be home sweet home for a while.
She wanted to cry again, but she refused. If the worst thing that ever
happened
to her was Taylor leaving her, then she was truly blessed.
Still, it did hurt. Deeply.
As Mina and Tabitha walked off, the wolf came forward to stare up at her.
"You are beautiful, aren't you?" she asked, reaching down to stroke his ears
again.
He licked her hand before he rubbed himself against her legs much like a cat
might.
"C'mon," she said, indicating the courtyard with a nod of her head. "I don't
really want to be alone tonight and you look like you might appreciate
somewhere
warm and dry to sleep."
He padded inside the gate while she locked the door and made her way over
to the
renovated stable/apartment.
Her heart heavy, Bride was grateful that she had this one tiny place
in
this state.
So long as he was in his current body, he was feral and lethal.
Bride had the strangest feeling down her spine. She paused and looked back
over
her shoulder to find the white wolf following behind her. She could swear
his
eyes were an exact match for Vane's hazel green, and the way he looked at
her
At them
It was as if he understood exactly what they were saying and doing.
It was really weird.
Tabitha and Mina walked her back to her shop.
"You sure you don't want to spend the night over at my place?" Mina asked.
"I
can easily kick my guy out."
"Or my apartment," Tabitha offered. "I have no guy to kick out, and since my
twin absconded with my dog and Allison wanted to find a saner, safer
bunkmate, I
have all the room in the world."
"I thought Maria was living with you now?" Mina asked.
"Nah," Tabitha said. "Her stuff is there, but she's been spending all her time
at her boyfriend's house. I never see her anymore."
Bride smiled at their kindness. "It's okay, guys. I have to get used to being
alone again. Really. I just want to curl up with a good book and put him out
of
my mind."
But what disturbed her most was that all she had to do was think of Vane
and all
thoughts of Taylor went flying out of her head.
Maybe her "encounter" with him had been a good thing after all.
"Hey, just keep dreaming about the guy you met," Tabitha said, winking at
her.
Bride frowned at that spooky coincidence. Of course, Tabitha claimed to be
able
to read minds. At times such as this, Bride could almost believe that.
"Yeah," Mina concurred. "Maybe he might pass back by."
Bride sighed wistfully. "I have a feeling I've seen the last of Mr. Bodacious."
Mina gave her a sisterly hug. "Call me if you need me."
"I will. Thanks."
Tabitha hugged her too and patted her on the back. "Remember, if you need
Taylor's kneecaps broken, I have just the tire iron and I won't ever tell the
media who put me up to it."
Bride laughed, grateful for her friends and their kindness to her in her hour
of
need. "You're such a nut."
"I'm serious, though. You change your mind, speed dial the number. I can be
at
his place in under twenty minutes."
"Ha!" Mina said. "With your driving? You'd be there in less than ten and
that's
with a flat tire going against traffic."
Bride shook her head at their teasing as she pulled her keys from her pocket
and
opened the door on the side of her building that led to the courtyard and the
wrought-iron stairs in the back. Her store took up the entire bottom floor of
the building, but the upper three floors had been made into apartments by
her
grandmother. The stairs back here led to each of the apartments above.
There was
one more tiny studio apartment in the back near the garage that used to be a
barn back in the days before New Orleans was paved.
Up until Taylor had talked her into living with him, she had lived in the
biggest apartment on the top floor. Now all the apartments were rented
except
for the one studio out back. It was so small that she had never felt right
about
taking money for it. Instead, Bride used it for storage.
Now it was going to be home sweet home for a while.
She wanted to cry again, but she refused. If the worst thing that ever
happened
to her was Taylor leaving her, then she was truly blessed.
Still, it did hurt. Deeply.
As Mina and Tabitha walked off, the wolf came forward to stare up at her.
"You are beautiful, aren't you?" she asked, reaching down to stroke his ears
again.
He licked her hand before he rubbed himself against her legs much like a cat
might.
"C'mon," she said, indicating the courtyard with a nod of her head. "I don't
really want to be alone tonight and you look like you might appreciate
somewhere
warm and dry to sleep."
He padded inside the gate while she locked the door and made her way over
to the
renovated stable/apartment.
Her heart heavy, Bride was grateful that she had this one tiny place
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