couldn’t… not after what happened…. Memories crowded me, grasping at me, dragging me back, back to that time. Blood. There was so much blood. It was everywhere, dripping down the walls, the soft plop , plop of it freezing me in horror….
“ No! ” I dropped the bottle and buried my hands in my hair, pulling frantically.
The sudden, bright pain brought me back to the present. Panting, I stared at the broken glass all over my floor, then whirled around and planted my fist through the closest wall. Agony raced up my arm.
Blinded by rage and pain, I threw my head back and yelled, releasing the horror inside me at such a betrayal. Staggering away from the broken glass, I slumped to my knees, cradling my hand to my chest. I didn’t think I’d broken it, but it sure hurt.
Disgusted with my loss of control, I slowly stood and walked to my bedroom. I called Remi and asked him to cover my days guarding our Alpha. When he asked why, I only said something had come up and I needed a few days.
After I stripped, I shifted. Curling up on the floor, I tucked my tail under my chin. My paw felt better, at least. Too bad the rest of me ached. All I wanted to do was sleep and forget.
“HELLER? HEY, man, are you here? Heller?”
A persistent voice broke through the fog in my mind. I resisted, but it wouldn’t leave me alone.
“Heller? Come on, man, where…. Shit. Broken glass? Why is there…? Heller !”
I lifted my head. Was that Dolf? “Meow.”
Dolf strode into the bedroom. “Heller? Hey, man. Why are you curled up in here?”
Well, this was sure a shock. Why was he here? The tinny scent of concern radiating off Dolf blanketed me. Since it didn’t involve our Alpha, I lowered my head, a small sigh escaping. I wished Dolf would go away. All I wanted was to go back to sleep.
Dolf lowered himself to the floor next to me, running his hands over my fur. “I don’t know what’s going on, but enough is enough. You’ve shut yourself away now for a week.”
A week? That much time had passed?
“You won’t answer the phone, and I’ve been trying to get a hold of you since yesterday. You had me worried when you didn’t answer.”
Well, at least that explained why he was here. I flicked my fluffy tail at Dolf.
“Uh-huh. There’s also broken glass in the kitchen. Are you okay?”
I opened one eye and stared at Dolf, more than a little surprised at the outpouring of concern. We’d been best friends once, but that was long ago, before… well. I didn’t want to think of that now. My actions with Kirk had damaged our friendship more.
It looked like he was going to be there for a while. Great, just what I did not need. “Meer,” I answered and closed my eyes again. Maybe he’d get the hint that I was fine.
“Good. I didn’t smell blood, but I wanted to make sure.” Dolf scratched behind my ear and I let out a little purr. That did feel good. Now if Dolf would just stop talking….
“You want to tell me what’s going on?”
So much for not talking. I raised my head and sneezed in Dolf’s direction.
Dolf wiped his hand on his jeans. “Goddess, Heller, gross. I ought to pull your tail for that one.”
I thought about flashing a fang, but that might indeed get my tail yanked—right over my head. Better not. Instead I stood and stretched, my upper body low to the ground and my paws reaching out in front of me. I extended one leg behind me. Yeah, that felt good. I did the other leg too. I’d been sleeping a lot this week.
Dolf sat on the floor, waiting. “I’m not leaving until we talk, so how about you shift?”
I yawned in Dolf’s direction—I wanted Dolf to know my displeasure—but I still walked over to my clothes. It wasn’t a command to shift, but it was close enough I knew better than to ignore it. Plus I’d sneezed on the man. I’d probably pushed my luck enough for one day.
I shifted and dressed. “Want a drink?”
Dolf stood. “Well, what I’d like is for
“ No! ” I dropped the bottle and buried my hands in my hair, pulling frantically.
The sudden, bright pain brought me back to the present. Panting, I stared at the broken glass all over my floor, then whirled around and planted my fist through the closest wall. Agony raced up my arm.
Blinded by rage and pain, I threw my head back and yelled, releasing the horror inside me at such a betrayal. Staggering away from the broken glass, I slumped to my knees, cradling my hand to my chest. I didn’t think I’d broken it, but it sure hurt.
Disgusted with my loss of control, I slowly stood and walked to my bedroom. I called Remi and asked him to cover my days guarding our Alpha. When he asked why, I only said something had come up and I needed a few days.
After I stripped, I shifted. Curling up on the floor, I tucked my tail under my chin. My paw felt better, at least. Too bad the rest of me ached. All I wanted to do was sleep and forget.
“HELLER? HEY, man, are you here? Heller?”
A persistent voice broke through the fog in my mind. I resisted, but it wouldn’t leave me alone.
“Heller? Come on, man, where…. Shit. Broken glass? Why is there…? Heller !”
I lifted my head. Was that Dolf? “Meow.”
Dolf strode into the bedroom. “Heller? Hey, man. Why are you curled up in here?”
Well, this was sure a shock. Why was he here? The tinny scent of concern radiating off Dolf blanketed me. Since it didn’t involve our Alpha, I lowered my head, a small sigh escaping. I wished Dolf would go away. All I wanted was to go back to sleep.
Dolf lowered himself to the floor next to me, running his hands over my fur. “I don’t know what’s going on, but enough is enough. You’ve shut yourself away now for a week.”
A week? That much time had passed?
“You won’t answer the phone, and I’ve been trying to get a hold of you since yesterday. You had me worried when you didn’t answer.”
Well, at least that explained why he was here. I flicked my fluffy tail at Dolf.
“Uh-huh. There’s also broken glass in the kitchen. Are you okay?”
I opened one eye and stared at Dolf, more than a little surprised at the outpouring of concern. We’d been best friends once, but that was long ago, before… well. I didn’t want to think of that now. My actions with Kirk had damaged our friendship more.
It looked like he was going to be there for a while. Great, just what I did not need. “Meer,” I answered and closed my eyes again. Maybe he’d get the hint that I was fine.
“Good. I didn’t smell blood, but I wanted to make sure.” Dolf scratched behind my ear and I let out a little purr. That did feel good. Now if Dolf would just stop talking….
“You want to tell me what’s going on?”
So much for not talking. I raised my head and sneezed in Dolf’s direction.
Dolf wiped his hand on his jeans. “Goddess, Heller, gross. I ought to pull your tail for that one.”
I thought about flashing a fang, but that might indeed get my tail yanked—right over my head. Better not. Instead I stood and stretched, my upper body low to the ground and my paws reaching out in front of me. I extended one leg behind me. Yeah, that felt good. I did the other leg too. I’d been sleeping a lot this week.
Dolf sat on the floor, waiting. “I’m not leaving until we talk, so how about you shift?”
I yawned in Dolf’s direction—I wanted Dolf to know my displeasure—but I still walked over to my clothes. It wasn’t a command to shift, but it was close enough I knew better than to ignore it. Plus I’d sneezed on the man. I’d probably pushed my luck enough for one day.
I shifted and dressed. “Want a drink?”
Dolf stood. “Well, what I’d like is for
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