Read Online Shadowed Strength: Shadowed Series Book One by Wendi Wilson - Free Book Online

a deep, dreamless sleep the second her head hit the pillow.
    As she was getting
ready for school the next morning, her thoughts continued to dwell on her dog.
    “Maybe I should
name him,” she thought. “Blackie? No. Shep? No.” She
shook her head at herself in the mirror.
    “I wonder why he’s
decided to be my protector?” she mumbled aloud. “Because, you are beautiful.
You are a beautiful girl.” She stopped her daily mantra and groaned. “I’m so
stupid,” she whispered. “The dog doesn’t care if I’m beautiful or not. He was
just in the right place at the right time and his instincts kicked in. It’s not
really about me.”
    If that were
really true , she wondered, why was he lurking
around the woods in my backyard?

Chapter 8
    Tara picked her up
for school as usual and talked excitedly about a party Chris had decided to
throw at his apartment Saturday night. Melanie was really quiet and when Tara
noticed, she stopped talking.
    “Oh God, Mel, I’m
so sorry,” she said quietly.
    “For what?”
    “I didn’t even
think. I’m so stupid. Another party is probably the last thing you want to
think about.”
    “You are stupid.”
Tara got a hurt look on her face. Melanie slapped her shoulder. “You have
nothing to be sorry for. A party at Chris’s sounds awesome and I hope you have
a great time. I won’t be going to this one, but I’m not mad at you for talking
about it.”
    “Then why are you
being so quiet?”
    “I was just
thinking about my dog.”
    “What? What dog?
You got a dog?”
    “No, not exactly.
I meant the dog,”
    Tara had a
confused look on her face for a few seconds, then understanding dawned on her.
“Thedog, as in the dog? The one that saved you?” At Melanie’s
nod, she asked “Why are you thinking about him? Did something happen?”
    “Yes. I saw him
last night.”
    “You did? Where?”
    “In my backyard.”
    “What?!?”
    “Yep. I looked out
the window and there he was, right at the edge of the woods.” She left out the part
about the near panic attack she had, thinking it was the man who attacked her.
    “What did you do?”
    “What any other
mentally stable person would do.”
    “You went out
there, didn’t you? God, Mel, that thing could be dangerous. I know he saved
you, but he did so by viciously attacking a person.”
    “I know. I know.
 Ah hell, Tara, I can’t explain it. He makes me feel safe. I went out and
coaxed him into the yard. I pet him and he rubbed against my leg like a normal
house pet. I checked for a collar, but there wasn’t one. Then mom called out to
me from the back door and he took off.”
    She decided not to
tell Tara about seeing him again in the middle of the night. That would require
explaining the nightmare and Tara was already worried enough. Melanie
especially didn’t want to tell Tara about her list of possible names for him.
    They pulled into
the parking lot and found a spot near the back of the lot. Melanie leaned down
to grab her backpack off the floorboard, then squealed in panic as her door was
yanked open from the outside. Her eyes flew wide with terror until they
recognized a familiar handsome face.
    “Oh, Mel, I’m so
sorry.”
    The grin on
Jeremy’s face fell and he looked instantly contrite. He slapped his forehead
with his palm and muttered something that sounded like “stupid, stupid idiot.”
He looked back at her and apologized again.
    “I just wanted to
open your door for you, like a gentleman, and instead I almost gave you
a heart attack. I wasn’t thinking. After everything that…happened…I should’ve
known better. I’m sorry.”
    “Jeremy, stop!”
Melanie replied when she got her breath back. “You startled me, is all. I would
have reacted the same way even if everything that happened hadn’t happened.
Please stop apologizing. I’m fine.”
    She got out of the
car and punched him playfully on the shoulder. “A gentleman, huh? Maybe you
should carry my books for me.” She threw her backpack