going to tell her not to go out alone, but all he asked her was if she had a phone.
“Things could happen to you out there alone. I know that you’re not human, but you could still be hurt.” She nodded, not able to talk around the lump in her throat. He was the first person to think of her welfare in a long time. “Will you take my phone in case you need it?”
“No, but I thank you. I wouldn’t know who to call that would care if I fell into a bottomless pit anyway.” She turned to leave then, and hurried her step. She was not going to have him feel sorry for her, and she felt stupid for saying that to him. As soon as the woods closed up around her, she pulled her clothes off and shifted. Her panther would make sure she was safe.
The run felt good. She was on her third travel around the property when she finally had to sit down. She was exhausted and closed her eyes for a few seconds.
The breaking twig had her opening her eyes but not moving. The deer standing there looked right at her but didn’t run. Kari watched as three more doe came close to where she was, as well as a little fawn. The buck, a big guy with a rack on his head that looked heavy, kept an eye on her but never warned the others away. They were beautiful.
When one of the females lifted her head, she knew that someone or something else had come to where she was. Not moving or making a sound when they all suddenly took off, she saw Steele come into view. He wasn’t happy, if his stomping was any indication.
The second time he shouted her name, she had a feeling that if she came out now he’d be even more pissed, so she stayed where she was. As he moved by her, taking off in the opposite direction, Kari heard his phone ring. It was loud in the deep woods.
“I don’t know where the hell she is. Damn it all to hell, what the hell is wrong with her? Does she want to piss me off?” She thought that even if she didn’t want to, she’d done a bang-up job of it. “No, I don’t want to. Just let her come home on her own. She’s going to have to learn that she can’t just take off when she’s pissed off.”
Kari stood up. Her panther snarled loudly and had Steele turning toward her. When he started toward her, she growled low and hunkered down on the ground to attack if he tried anything. She was surprised when he stopped.
“I’ve been looking for you. Mitch said you left him over three hours ago.” News to her. That meant she’d been out here a lot longer than she’d thought. It was after five, she supposed. “Are you going to shift so we can have an intelligent conversation?”
Kari had bitten him, tasted his blood, so she could have spoken to him anyway. But she only sat down and licked her paw, waiting for his next move. When he started cursing, she decided that she was the predator here, not him, and when she snarled at him again, he backed up.
“I have to leave. I wanted to let you know that I’ll be gone on a mission for a while.” Nodding, she didn’t move. “You can understand me, I take it.”
She nodded again and sat down. When he started pacing, she watched him. For a man his size, he moved very well. She waited for him to tell her to get her ass back to the house, but all he did was pace and mumble to himself. A sudden stop by him had her fur along her back stand up.
“I’m going to get you a cell phone. I expect you to carry it with you at all times. Mitch said you declined his and thought I should provide you with one.” She didn’t care what he provided her with. She wasn’t going to take it. “I have also set up some interviews for you. You said you wanted a job, and there are a couple of people who owe me favors.”
She’d not go to those either. Kari was quite capable of getting her own job. A shitty one, but a job. His phone went off again, but he ignored it in favor of pacing again. When he stopped this time, he looked at her.
“I’m sorry for what I did to you in the bedroom. It won’t happen
“Things could happen to you out there alone. I know that you’re not human, but you could still be hurt.” She nodded, not able to talk around the lump in her throat. He was the first person to think of her welfare in a long time. “Will you take my phone in case you need it?”
“No, but I thank you. I wouldn’t know who to call that would care if I fell into a bottomless pit anyway.” She turned to leave then, and hurried her step. She was not going to have him feel sorry for her, and she felt stupid for saying that to him. As soon as the woods closed up around her, she pulled her clothes off and shifted. Her panther would make sure she was safe.
The run felt good. She was on her third travel around the property when she finally had to sit down. She was exhausted and closed her eyes for a few seconds.
The breaking twig had her opening her eyes but not moving. The deer standing there looked right at her but didn’t run. Kari watched as three more doe came close to where she was, as well as a little fawn. The buck, a big guy with a rack on his head that looked heavy, kept an eye on her but never warned the others away. They were beautiful.
When one of the females lifted her head, she knew that someone or something else had come to where she was. Not moving or making a sound when they all suddenly took off, she saw Steele come into view. He wasn’t happy, if his stomping was any indication.
The second time he shouted her name, she had a feeling that if she came out now he’d be even more pissed, so she stayed where she was. As he moved by her, taking off in the opposite direction, Kari heard his phone ring. It was loud in the deep woods.
“I don’t know where the hell she is. Damn it all to hell, what the hell is wrong with her? Does she want to piss me off?” She thought that even if she didn’t want to, she’d done a bang-up job of it. “No, I don’t want to. Just let her come home on her own. She’s going to have to learn that she can’t just take off when she’s pissed off.”
Kari stood up. Her panther snarled loudly and had Steele turning toward her. When he started toward her, she growled low and hunkered down on the ground to attack if he tried anything. She was surprised when he stopped.
“I’ve been looking for you. Mitch said you left him over three hours ago.” News to her. That meant she’d been out here a lot longer than she’d thought. It was after five, she supposed. “Are you going to shift so we can have an intelligent conversation?”
Kari had bitten him, tasted his blood, so she could have spoken to him anyway. But she only sat down and licked her paw, waiting for his next move. When he started cursing, she decided that she was the predator here, not him, and when she snarled at him again, he backed up.
“I have to leave. I wanted to let you know that I’ll be gone on a mission for a while.” Nodding, she didn’t move. “You can understand me, I take it.”
She nodded again and sat down. When he started pacing, she watched him. For a man his size, he moved very well. She waited for him to tell her to get her ass back to the house, but all he did was pace and mumble to himself. A sudden stop by him had her fur along her back stand up.
“I’m going to get you a cell phone. I expect you to carry it with you at all times. Mitch said you declined his and thought I should provide you with one.” She didn’t care what he provided her with. She wasn’t going to take it. “I have also set up some interviews for you. You said you wanted a job, and there are a couple of people who owe me favors.”
She’d not go to those either. Kari was quite capable of getting her own job. A shitty one, but a job. His phone went off again, but he ignored it in favor of pacing again. When he stopped this time, he looked at her.
“I’m sorry for what I did to you in the bedroom. It won’t happen
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