12. Chapter 12
Marduk
We opened the door to Bec’s condo to find an excited Hugo jumping, yipping, and turning in tight circles. His antics made me grin.
I’d never really thought about dogs, or pets of any kind before.
Neither of us had ever kept a pet. Danzig had fed a wild badger for a little while, but I don't think that counted because the one time my brother tried to pet him, the badger bit him.
After that, he went back to tossing the badger food and trying not to get close.
Hugo made me want to have a dog of my own. Maybe we should buy a house further out in the country so we could have a massive yard and get many dogs.
Crouching down, I let Hugo rush me. “Hi, buddy.”
I felt Danzig’s amusement. “Are we going to be adopting dogs now?”
He knew me so well. He didn’t even need to hear my thoughts to know my intentions.
“Maybe,” I said. The leash was on the table next to the door, so I snagged it. “I’m going to take him for a walk. We’ll be back.”
“Sure,” Bec agreed. “That reminds me that I should try to call Gale again. I can’t believe she hasn’t answered me yet.”
Like the perfect boy he was, Hugo stood still for me to clip the leash to his collar. I straightened up and looked at Bec.
“She gets one more day and then Hugo belongs to us.”
With that, I walked Hugo out the door and into the nearby grassy area shared by all the condos. He went wild, sniffing all around and snorting with abandon.
“Hi, your dog is adorable!” I turned to see a woman standing next to me and smiling broadly. I could tell by her aura that she was entirely human.
“He is,” I agreed. Normally, I didn’t do small talk with random humans, but I was feeling magnanimous. “His name is Hugo. You can pet him if you want.”
She didn’t move to touch Hugo. Instead, she stepped closer to me. “Your dog might be cute, but I would’ve thought a big, muscled guy like you would want something big. Like a German shepherd or Rottweiler.”
What was I supposed to say to that? I wished Danzig was here, he was much better at social interactions than I was. Thankfully she kept talking so I wasn’t required to reply.
“I’ve thought about getting a big dog,” she continued, lowering her voice as if imparting a secret. “It can be scary to live alone. Of course, if I had a boyfriend like you, I wouldn’t be so worried.”
She looked at me expectantly so I said the first thing that popped into my head. “You could buy a machete. They’re very intimidating, and if you screamed while holding it, I’m sure it would scare most people off.”
That was clearly not the answer she was looking for because she gave me a slight frown. “I’m far too small and helpless to do something like that.”
“That’s easy to fix,” I said, then pointed to her impossibly tiny biceps. “You’re really scrawny, but if you eat more and start lifting heavy things, then you’ll gain strength. While you do that, you should practice stabbing or hacking things.”
Her mouth dropped open. “What did you say to me?”
Why did she sound so outraged? “You said you were scared to be alone, but you don’t have to be. You can be effective and strong if you want. Getting a big dog would help, I’m sure. Dogs are great. I like them. I think I’m going to get another dog. Maybe several.”
I was shocked at how many words poured out of my mouth. I wasn’t usually so talkative with strangers, but I was really beginning to like the idea of having a pack of dogs. None of them would be as wonderful as Hugo, but I’d make sure they didn’t feel like it was a competition.
“What the hell,” she exclaimed, making me draw back. “Are you an idiot or something?”
Why was she upset and insulting me? “That wasn't nice.”
I’d felt Danzig’s amusement earlier, but I’d assumed Bec caused it, but then laughter drew my attention. The two of them were standing in the open door of the condo, Danzig openly laughing, and Bec covering her mouth and trying to stifle her giggles.
The woman noticed them and then turned to face me, rage flashing on her face. “Fuck you!”
With that, she stomped off. I looked at Bec and Danzig for help. “What happened?”
“She was hitting on you,” Bec said, walking the short distance to us. “And you insulted her.”
“What? No,” I said. “She said she was scared, and I was offering practical advice.”
“You called her scrawny, brother,” Danzig said with another chuckle.
“She was,” I protested. “It was clear she didn’t eat enough and didn’t do much physical labor. If she wanted to be less scared, I thought gaining some muscle might help. Most attackers are cowards; it doesn’t take much to scare them away.”
“I can’t believe you told her to buy a machete,” Danzig said.
I defended my suggestion. “It’s a practical tool that can also be used as an effective weapon.”
“She was gorgeous," Bec said. “How did you not realize she was trying to flirt?”
I tilted my head. “Compared to you, she was only average.”
Bec’s expression turned shocked, then a slow, wide grin creased her face. “You actually mean that, don’t you?”
“Marduk tends to speak his mind,” Danzig said. “He isn’t always the most polite, but he’s honest.”
I gave him an annoyed look. “I’m only speaking the truth. Bec is far more beautiful than that stranger.”
Bec beamed at me. “I want to buy us all gelatos. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
With that, she rushed back into the condo and returned with her purse slung over her shoulder. She hooked one arm in mine and then the other in Danzig’s arm. “Let’s go. Hugo, you know the way, led us there.”
I was thankful to the strange, scrawny woman because, somehow, she’d made our mate want to take us on a date!
Bec
After gelato, some flirting with Danzig, and Marduk literally growling at a guy that got too close to me when trying to get past us, we all returned to the condo. Hugo had gotten so many pets that he flopped over on the living room carpet the moment we were inside.
Marduk took the chair and Danzig laid out on the couch. It felt familiar and homey.
I sat down at the living room table. Sometime last night one of the brothers had moved all my study materials from a pile on the floor back to the table. I stared at them.
I knew I should study. I was already behind in the schedule I’d set for myself, but I couldn’t face it right now.
Instead, I tried to call Jim. Straight to voicemail.
I called Gale next and got the same thing. What was going on? Was my phone cursed or something so all my calls were always sent to voicemail?
I wanted to text Gale again, but I had already sent a bunch of texts that went unanswered.
I was starting to get a bad feeling, but I pushed it aside.
Leif was gone and his only tie to Gale was as an ex-boyfriend.
Whoever killed him probably wouldn't go after her. There wasn’t any reason to think she was in danger.
Giving up, I set my phone down and stared at my computer and stack of study guides. No, I couldn’t face them right now.
“Want to go to a party?”
Danzig’s question caught me by surprise. “What?”
“The Clover Pack is having a party, and they invited the Lobo Gris Pack. Wolf shifters always throw great parties.”
I looked at Marduk. “Do you want to go?”
“Sure,” he agreed. “It'll be at the Clover Pack’s compound, so it’ll be safe. None of the wolves will do anything inappropriate, and you can meet our community. It’s a good idea.”
Danzig read off his phone. “There’ll be music, dancing, cornhole, horse shoes, pinatas, and something called chase.”
“It sounds fun,” I said. “Could we invite Mila, Carter, and Gio?”
“They’ve probably already been invited,” Danzig said. “Carter is affiliated with the Lobo Gris Pack. You should tell Mila you’re going.”
I grabbed my phone and shot Mila a text. I got an excited response saying that they were planning to be there. I couldn’t wait to see her.
I gave Danzig a quick hug. “This is going to be great. I'm going to shower and get ready. I’ll be quick so you guys can use the shower after me.”
“Take your time,” Marduk called after me. “There are vampires associated with both packs, like Gio. The party won't really get started until after dark.
“Then I might take some time to do my hair and makeup,” I warned them. It'd been a while since I'd dressed nice. I had the perfect blouse and a new pair of jeans I knew would make my ass look great.
Not only was I going to a party, but my best friend would be there. This was exactly what I needed. I’d start studying again tomorrow, refreshed and ready!