Doe and the Wolf (Furry United Coalition, #5) (7 page)

She bit her lip lest she giggle.

He took her to a local joint, which fed her eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, toast, and freshly squeezed orange juice. She also got a Danish for dessert. He then drove her over to a food mart where she stocked up on things, including her personal hygiene items, which made him grumble under his breath as he pushed the laden cart. They then returned to his home where a strange car sat parked in his driveway.

“Shit. I forgot about Tom.”

“Who’s Tom?” she asked, as she hopped out of Everett’s truck.

“He is.” The ‘he’ in question was a short but wide man, probably in his late thirties, early forties. Framed in the doorway of Everett’s house, he raised a bushy brow in their direction.

Dawn’s first instinct was to bolt, and as if sensing it, Everett clamped a hand on her arm, just above her elbow and murmured, “It’s all right. He won’t hurt you.”

She wasn’t worried about him hurting her so much as she was afraid he’d turn her in.

“Everett.” Tom drew out the name. “Please don’t tell me that’s who I think it is.”

“Okay. I won’t.”

“I thought you didn’t find her.”

“No. You assumed I didn’t. I just never bothered to correct you.”

Crossing his arms over his barrel chest, his supposed friend glared. “Why is she here instead of in FUC custody?”

“
She
is standing right here and would prefer not to be spoken of in the third person.” Drawing her spine straight to stare down the other man went against her usual docile nature, but Dawn’s recently evolving more savage side enjoyed the match of wills.

Something in her gaze must have unnerved him because Tom raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “No offense meant, ma’am. I was just taken by surprise.”

“Fair enough.” Tom blinked first, breaking the match—
I won!—
but she highly doubted their minor altercation was over. She’d have to watch her step around the man. He seemed a tad too eager to sic FUC on her.

“Give me a hand bringing in the groceries.” Everett let her go, apparently satisfied she wouldn’t bolt. Brave of him considering she’d still not made up her mind. While the men loaded themselves with bags, she watched them warily while also keeping an eye on the street. Suddenly she didn’t trust the situation and wondered if, like a movie, a half dozen black sedans would descend on the place, spilling out Kevlar-armored shifters with guns, ordering her to give herself up.

The suburban street remained silent. No suspicious cars arrived, and at Everett’s inclined head bob indicating the door, she strode back into his lair and hoped she hadn’t made a mistake.

S
potting the uncertainty and fear painted on Dawn’s face was easy, just like he could read the confusion and curiosity on Tom’s. For some reason, putting Dawn at ease seemed more important at the moment than appeasing his friend.

Depositing their purchases on the counter, he acted as if everything was fine. He wasn’t about to allow Tom, or anyone else for that matter, to turn Dawn in.

“Why don’t you put the dry staples away while I clear out the fridge,” he offered, dumping out a grocery bag and letting its contents roll on the counter. With the empty bag in hand, he headed to the dreaded ice box and prepared himself to battle the mold.

“I don’t know where anything goes,” she replied, her nose still twitching with wariness, but at least the tension in her was no longer strung tauter than an acoustic wire. As for Tom, he held his tongue for the moment as he sat down in a chair and snagged a banana to munch on. Silent, he watched them, but Everett could imagine he had a mouthful to say.

“Put it anywhere. It’s what I do.”

“Why am I not surprised?” she muttered. She took items and began placing them on shelves while Everett’s arm swept the contents on his fridge shelves into the bag. Make that bags. It took three to rid it of the spoiled items.

“So, Tom, how was your night?” he asked in a carefree, conversational tone.

“Oh you know, same old, same old. I went home. Ate. Slept. Came to work. Found my partner consorting with a wanted criminal.”

Everett winced, and Dawn froze. “Who says she’s a criminal?”

“I might be slow, but I’m not an idiot. You weren’t the only one who read the FUC fax. Anyone care to explain why you have a psychotic shifter in your house?”

“I’m not psychotic.” Dawn planted her hands on her hips.

“At the moment,” Tom countered. “Unlike my friend over here, I did my research. While you might seem currently normal, it’s been well established at this point that all those who got the injection from Mastermind have turned into raving lunatics.”

“I haven’t.”

“Yet. But what happens if I eat the last cookie, or someone looks at you the wrong way?”

“You forgot to add PMS to that list.”

“I didn’t forget. I’ve dated enough to know all women are crazy when that hits.”

“I’m not a killer.”

“And I’m supposed to just accept your word about that when I’ve got a whole agency telling me otherwise?” Tom stubbornly stuck to his stance.

“I won’t let you turn me in.” Dawn and Tom faced off.

Everett found himself in the odd and new situation of acting as referee. “Everybody needs to calm down.”

“I am calm,” Dawn stated. “But I don’t like the fact your friend here is calling me crazy and accusing me of acts that never crossed my mind. Although, in his case, I might make an exception.”

“Just stating facts.” Tom shrugged.

“The fact is, Dawn saved me,” Everett stated.

“She tied you to a bed and left you to starve.”

“I did not. I knew Everett would escape. Eventually.”

“So you’re not as murderous as some of the others being hunted. It doesn’t change the fact you’re a wanted woman, and we’re in the business of turning wanted people in. Or has our job description changed?” Tom asked, directing the last bit at Everett.

“No. We’re still bounty hunters for hire. But,” he held up a hand to forestall Tom, “for my own reasons, I’ve chosen not to turn Dawn in, on the condition she stays with me and lets me keep an eye on her. She’s also agreed to help us find the shifter that threw me off the cliff. The one I was originally hunting when I came across her.”

“And how is this little doe supposed to help us?”

Good question. Everett wasn’t quite sure of that part, but he did know, despite Tom’s feelings on the matter, he wasn’t comfortable handing her off to FUC.

Thankfully, Dawn knew how to help herself. “I think I know where the creature is hiding out.”

“You do?”

She bobbed her head. “Like I said before. I was aware Joey was living in the park with me, just like he seemed to know I was kicking around. Unless he’s moved locations, I’m pretty sure I can guide you to his hideout.”

“Let me guess, it’s remote.”

“Well, yes.”

Tom shook his head. “And you expect us to just follow you there, trusting little lambs, where you can then turn into a crazy monster, kill us both, and hide our bodies.”

“What? Not going to add in a bit of cannibalism there? I do, after all, really enjoy my red meat since the incident.” She clacked her teeth at Tom with a naughty smile.

The idea was so ludicrous Everett couldn’t help himself. He laughed. And laughed. Until he caught Tom’s glare, which made him snort. What did freeze his mirth, though, was the less than amused pursing of Dawn’s lips. Hmm. With her eyes narrowed like that and her nostrils flaring, she did appear dangerous, to a household spider maybe.

Even if her animal does have a bit of a violent side, I’m sure my wolf can handle it.

“I am going on the record as saying I think this is a bad idea,” Tom announced.

“Duly noted.” And ignored. Everett lost count of the bad ideas he’d indulged in his lifetime. Unlike Tom, he knew not all of them ended in disaster.

With Tom agreeing to keep FUC out of their plans for the moment, they came to an uneasy truce. They didn’t depart on the hunt that day, but they did plan. This time, Everett was going in better armed and informed. While Dawn entertained herself cleaning his house, and Tom shot him disgusted looks in between digging up more information, Everett made some calls and ordered the equipment he needed. Problem was, they couldn’t deliver it for a day or so, which meant he got to spend the evening with one hot doe—and a chaperoning sloth.

“What do you mean you’re staying?” Everett hissed when Tom mentioned this fact in passing as he eased himself into the La-Z-Boy chair in his living room.

“As your best and only friend, the task to protect you falls upon me.”

“From what?”

Tom didn’t say a word, just cast a glance at the kitchen, where they could hear the dangerous female in question. She hummed as she brandished her plastic spatula making who knew what, but damn did it smell good.

“Seriously, dude? Dawn won’t hurt me.”

“Good. It will my make my task easier then.”

“You don’t have to stay. I’ll be fine.” Not to mention having Tom around would cramp his plans. Cock blocking was not cool.

“What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t? I’d never forgive myself if I came back in the morning and found you dead.”

“Of what?”

“I don’t know. And neither do you. You don’t know this girl. Who knows what she’s capable of?”

Everett rolled his eyes. “She’s a freaking doe. What’s she going to do, ask me to hold still so she can trample me with her little hooves?”

“She could poison you.”

Mmm. If that’s what poisoning smelled like, at least he’d die happy with a full belly. “So we watch her eat whatever she’s concocting first.”

“She could kill you in your sleep.”

“She could have done that last night when I staggered home drunk yet chose not to.”

“So she’s sane when in human form. What if she suddenly shifts?”

“Then I contain her until she regains her senses.”

Tom made a noise of disgust. “You have an answer for everything.”

“Because your worries are groundless, and you know it. What’s this really about?”

“You’re not acting like yourself.”

“What do you mean not acting like myself?”

“Well, for one thing, you brought a woman back to your place. You never bring them home.”

True. He preferred to keep his home address private ever since the stalking incident with Mary-Jane a few years back. Not to mention, the usual messy state of his home didn’t make for a romantic ambiance. “I don’t bring one-night stands home. This is different. I needed her close to keep an eye on her.”

“Which brings me to my second point. You didn’t turn her in and collect the bounty.”

“Only because she can help me bring in a more dangerous suspect.”

“Since when do you need or want help?”

“I don’t know, which makes me wonder what I’m paying you for. Are you done?”

“No. You took her shopping.”

“And?”

“Shopping. For food. You hate going to the store. You don’t care what’s in your cupboards, and you certainly don’t give a damn that your place is a pig sty.”

“Hey, I resent that. I saw how the three pigs lived and let me tell you I did the world a favor when I blew that place down.”

“You’re letting her clean your house.”

“In exchange for a place to stay and a paycheck. And, trust me, given what I can afford, she’s getting screwed.”

“Dude, you won’t even let your mother do that!”

“Shh. Keep your voice down.”

“Shh? Did you seriously shh me? And you wonder why I’m worried? Did she magically entrance you with her pussy?”

“Dawn’s not that kind of girl.” A pity.

“So why are you acting like this? Is it because she won’t let you in her pants? Is that it? You find a fugitive who won’t let you screw her and suddenly you’re tossing your morals out the window?”

Everett scratched his scalp. “Since when do I have morals?”

An actual growl passed Tom’s lips. “And this is why I’m not leaving. It’s for your own good.”

“Whatever. You want to stay, then stay, but I don’t know where you think you’re sleeping. I already gave her the bed.”

“Are you trying to make me believe you actually slept on the couch last night?”

“Well, um...”

Tom’s unibrow lifted.

Everett sighed. “Okay, so maybe I didn’t. But I meant to! I accidentally ended up in bed with her. However, it should be noted she didn’t want me there. She made me promise to sleep out here, but I kind of forgot when I got drunk last night.”

A snort of disgust blew past Tom’s lips. “You’re hopeless.”

“Finally someone who agrees with me,” Dawn announced, appearing in the archway leading to the kitchen. “Now, if you’re done discussing me and the evil I’m plotting, shall we eat? I promise you won’t taste the arsenic.”

With a bright smile at Tom, Dawn pivoted and headed back to the kitchen.

Tom at least had the decency to look abashed.

“Ha,” Everett exclaimed. “You got caught slamming the cook. I hope she spit in your portion.”

“One of these days, wolf...”

“What, ol’ buddy?”

“You know what, I hope she does turn into a freaky killer and rips your dick off and eats it.”

Anything involving her mouth and his cock sounded good to him. Awooo!

D
awn should have probably been more offended at Tom’s remarks, which she couldn’t help but overhear given her sensitive auditory senses. He didn’t trust her at all and made no bones about it. She didn’t like that he’d judged her without knowing her, but she couldn’t disagree with a lot he said. Not the poisoning part of course—she wouldn’t ruin good food like that—but the rest, she couldn’t argue.

Was she capable of violence? Possibly. She definitely wasn’t the girl she used to be. Just look at what the injection had done to her once beautiful doe. Sob. But, no, she wouldn’t think about that now.

What she did ponder, though, was Everett’s staunch defense of her. Why didn’t he turn her in? Why did he seem convinced she wouldn’t harm him or anyone else? She couldn’t deny she’d changed, that she harbored something inside her that wasn’t soft and fluffy. Something dark. Something that enjoyed red meat and wanted to hunt.