I set the toothbrush back on the counter, tossed the towel to the floor, opened the door, and shifted to my fur.

She sat on the couch with a book raised high enough to block her view. I couldn’t help but laugh. What was she so afraid of?

Padding across the room, I waited for her to look at me. She didn’t. I hopped up on the couch.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” she said, relaxing her hold on the book. “I don’t know Rachel’s rules about pets on the furniture.”

She shifted her position, curling her legs under her, then leaned over to sniff me.

My heart stopped, and I held myself still. She’d moved toward me. She’d wanted to sniff me. The embarrassment over her request that I bathe left, and I waited for her reaction.

“Much better,” she said, straightening.

Approval. I wanted to laugh and hug her. Instead, I watched her. Did she realize what she’d just done?

She turned back to her book, oblivious, and I wanted to growl in frustration. After a while, I calmed down and started reading over her shoulder. That was one human thing my father had insisted I learn. Their words. I needed to know them, speak them, and read them to keep myself safe.

So I sat beside her for hours, reading until her stomach rumbled.

She stood, and I hoped like hell she wouldn’t pour me a bowl of dog food. If she did, I’d change in front of her again and raid the fridge for myself. As she walked past the bathroom, she paused and stared down at my towel.

“Next time, fold it over the edge of the tub,” she said.

If I had hands, I would have run them through my hair. The only thing I’d done right since arriving was using soap. It was depressing.

She went to the kitchen and started putting together two sandwiches. I stayed out of her way but watched her closely. Each deliberate move held a subtle grace that highlighted her calm beauty. Though I told myself I watched her to learn more about it, the truth was that I just liked to watch her. Seeing her soothed me.

“I’m guessing your bowl of dog food will always be full,” she said as she set a plate with a sandwich on the floor.

I glanced at the sandwich she’d made for me. The simple meal meant she was continuing to acknowledge the man within me. She sat at the table, completely unaware that she’d given me hope again. I ate my sandwich in two bites.

“So, we have a week before my classes start up. What’s your plan?”

Plan? I tilted my head to study her.

“Did you want to try to enroll in any classes? Study anything?”

The only thing I wanted to study was her. I lay down and stared at my plate. So far, the information I’d gathered didn’t amount to much.

“Okay...well, if you change your mind, let me know.”

She washed our dishes then went back to reading. I waited for her to get comfortable then joined her on the couch. She didn’t seem to mind when I leaned against her and read over her shoulder. In fact, when she read, she didn’t seem to notice me at all.

Was that a good thing or a bad thing? For now, I figured it was good. If she didn’t notice me, she couldn’t object to me. Later, well, I hoped with enough time she wouldn’t want to ignore me.

Several hours and another dry ham sandwich later, I stood by my bowl. It was in line of sight of the couch, and I was thirsty. But thirsty enough to drink from the bowl where Gabby would see? I wasn’t sure.

Outside, I heard a car pull into the driveway. A door opened. Steps thumped on the deck. Then the door swung open, and Rachel swept in. She threw her keys on the counter, and her eyes zeroed in on me. This couldn’t be good.

In her left hand, she held a collar and a leash.

Hell, no.

Rachel knelt in front of me with a smile. I narrowed my eyes at her, and when she tried to wrap her arms around my neck, I dodged.

“Come on,” she said softly, trying to wrangle me.

I kept moving.

“Just hold still.”

Not likely, woman.

She heaved a sigh and sat back on her heels to stare at me.

I’d been kicked out, ignored, poorly fed—two sandwiches were a snack in my mind—told I stunk, and now Rachel wanted to collar me. Not happening.

“This is a joke,” she said.

Gabby laughed from the doorway, surprising me. I glanced at her and saw her amusement. When Rachel tried again, I ducked under her arms. Gabby grinned wider and met my gaze.

“Here.” She held out her hand to Rachel. “I’ll try.”

“Good luck,” Rachel said with a chuckle as she got off her knees and handed over the collar.

I watched Gabby closely as she approached.

“It was the biggest collar they had,” Rachel said. “I don’t even know if it fits. He wouldn’t let me get close enough.”

Gabby knelt in front of me, still clearly amused.

“Clay, if you want to be able to go anywhere with us, you need a collar we can clip a leash on. Not just the twine you have holding your tag around your neck.”

Did that mean she wouldn’t try to leave me behind again? I was still debating if I could put up with a collar when she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around my neck. I held still and closed my eyes. She could do whatever she wanted as long as she kept touching me. Her light movement brushed over my fur, and I barely held back a shiver.

“At least it’s not pink,” she said with a pat, and I realized she’d already removed my tags and collared me.

She stood quickly and turned away.

“Hey, I wouldn’t do that to him,” Rachel said with a laugh. “No pink for our man. I don’t know why he sat still for you and not me.”

Rachel came toward me and bent to kiss the top of my head. I sighed.

“He’s moody,” Gabby said, meeting my gaze.

Me? Moody? I gazed after her as she left the kitchen. Would I ever understand her?

Chapter 7

Rachel stood, and I huffed a relieved sigh. She was too fond of rubbing my fur. I hoped Gabby would eventually come around and stand up for me.

“Hey, Gabby,” Rachel called as she walked to her room. “Want to go out with me tonight? Girl’s night out? Hit a few clubs?”

My head snapped up, and I strained to hear Gabby’s answer from the bedroom. She had better say no or she’d have a wolf trailing her, causing mass hysteria.

“Um, thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll stay here. I want to be sure I’m settled before school starts.”

I heaved a relieved sigh.

“All right,” Rachel said. “I just didn’t want you to feel like I’m abandoning you. I hate staying home, and when I’m not working, I like to go out. If you ever want to come with, just say.”

Not happening.

“Sure.”

Gabby’s half-hearted answer reassured me. I sighed and went back to contemplating my bowl. Now that I had a collar, I really didn’t want to drink like a dog.

Rachel reemerged dressed in a short skirt that barely peeked out from under her jacket. Where was she going dressed like that? And she’d wanted Gabby to go with her? I’d drink out of the bowl and start eating dog food before I let Gabby go out like that.

Rachel patted me on the head on her way out the back door. I lingered in the kitchen, listening to her get into her car and drive off. Then, silence held the house. Had Gabby gone to bed? Taking a chance, I shifted, went to the sink, and got myself a glass of water.

Would Gabby remember she’d said I could join her? I finished my drink, set the cup aside, then hesitated. If she didn’t remember, she’d kick me out. Better to wait until she slept and not push her.

I shifted back into my fur and waited fifteen minutes then quietly padded to Gabby’s door. It wasn’t shut all the way, a sign she’d remembered. I smiled. Maybe she wasn’t as opposed to me as she seemed.

I pushed the door open with my nose and jumped up on the end of the bed. Inhaling her scent, I settled into my designated spot. With some luck, I wouldn’t be at the end of the bed much longer.