Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More (316 page)

“Where’s your suit?” she asked curiously.

“I don’t own one,” I admitted, lying on my stomach on the cartoon beach towel she’d laid out for me. “Didn’t want to embarrass my grandpa. He’s a little old school.” Honestly, I kept my wardrobe modest because it was safe...and hadn’t wanted him to suggest I bring a swimsuit with me to Canada.

“Really? You don’t own one?” She propped herself up on her elbows and glanced at me over the top of her sunglasses. A wide smile spread over her lips. “Wanna go shopping? I’ll use any excuse to go.”

I hesitated. If I declined, we’d be starting out on a poor note. If I said yes, we’d most likely have an issue with guys somewhere along the way. But if I didn’t say yes, how could I hope to win her over as a friend? Any normal girl probably wouldn’t even stop to think about this. I really wanted to try for normal.

“Sure, let me go change,” I agreed.

“Yay!” She jumped up, grabbed both towels, and danced into the house behind me.

Since she had the car, she drove us to an outlet mall that she promised was the best and cheapest place to shop. Stunning in a tank top, short shorts, and cute little sandals with a heel, she outshined my drab, worn t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Still, I twisted my fingers in my lap and tried to quell my worry.

“While we’re here, we should look for some clubbing clothes for you.” She pulled into an open space and parked the car. “And don’t be afraid to tell me if I’m being too pushy. I love shopping, but have too many clothes already. By shopping for someone else, I get my fix without adding to the mayhem in my closet.”

“No, you’re not being pushy. I could use a swimsuit and a few new tops. But, I have to be honest...I’m not really into the party scene. Guys act too weird around me, and it makes me uncomfortable.”

“Weird how?” she asked as she reached for the door.

“Wait.”

She paused, turning to look at me.

I’d rather tell her where no one else would overhear. I took a deep breath. Normal. I needed to sound normal.

“Every friendship I’ve ever had was ruined by competition over a guy. Only problem was, I was never competing. I wasn’t interested in the guy my friend was. But the guy was interested in me.”

Behind her sunglasses, her eyes searched my face. I struggled not to squirm or look away. Anxiety bloomed. I should have kept my mouth shut.

Her lips curved into an amused smile, and she laughed.

“You’re a serious one. I can see that already. Don’t worry, Gabby. If a guy doesn’t trip over himself to get to me, I’m not interested. I don’t want to waste my time chasing what doesn’t want to be caught.” She opened the door to the sunbaked parking lot, and I followed.

We’d just crossed the black expanse, stepping onto the sidewalk in front of the stores, when Rachel nudged me.

“Check out this hottie.”

The man she’d spotted exited the same door we headed for. As I expected, he first looked at Rachel then at me. I looked down and kept my eyes on the sidewalk as we strolled past him.

Rachel obviously didn’t know about the “wait for the door to close” rule because she started laughing before I’d even made it over the threshold.

“He kept his eyes on you the entire time. I can’t wait to see what happens the first time we go out.”

I wanted to groan.

The clerk at the register glanced at us just then because of Rachel’s laughter. His double take at me caused her to start laughing even harder. I pulled her toward the back of the store before he decided he wanted to talk to us. Her carefree attitude about my effect on men did bring a smile to my face. Maybe things would work out.

After helping me pick out a swimsuit, a rather daring bikini that she insisted would not cause her the least bit of animosity no matter what attention it brought me, she talked me into a few more stores.

In three hours, I’d purchased two “clubbing” tops and a black mini skirt. I probably wouldn’t wear any of it. Sexy was a dangerous look for me. Heck, mildly attractive was even dangerous. But I liked spending the time with her. My careful spending slowed the process down a bit, but she didn’t seem to mind.

Back at the house, the pleasantly warm breeze and inviting deck beckoned us, and we decided to catch the dying rays before calling it a night. Really, I just wanted to try on my bikini.

I shook my head at the sound of the back door opening and closing five minutes after being home. How she managed to change so fast amazed me. My new clothes hung in my closet, except for the bikini. Since I was pale from spending most of my summer working, Rachel had insisted I purchase a bright pink number with vibrant yellow straps. She said it would give me a little more color. Normally, I’d be reluctant to wear anything that called attention to me, but Rachel had been adamant that people our age didn’t wear one pieces with built in skirts, the style I’d deemed safer. The top with its strings and triangle coverage concerned me, but I’d given in because of the boy-shorts style bottom. When she’d held up a different option with even less material, I’d quickly judged the pink and yellow suit the better option.

I pulled the tags off the bikini and slipped it on. Then, I twisted and turned in front of the mirror in my bedroom, worrying. The string top covered me decently. The boy-shorts bottoms hugged my backside. However, a lot of skin reflected back at me. I did like the suit...I just needed to get used to it.

Grabbing the sunglasses I’d bought, I left my room. When I reached the kitchen, I heard Rachel’s crooning voice outside. I stopped. Was someone here? Did I want to go out there in this?

I looked down at myself. Hiding myself because of the pull hadn’t made me self-conscious...more like extremely cautious. Men reacted less if I kept to myself, which included staying modestly covered. What would happen in a bikini? Better to find out now, at home, if I could wear it in front of someone else than to go to a beach with it. I straightened my shoulders and walked out onto the deck.

“Gabby, look,” Rachel squealed as I pushed open the screen door. “A dog!”

On the deck, Rachel reclined on her side, stretched out on a beach towel. Between her towel and the one she’d set out for me, lay a monster of a dog, relaxing in the sun. I stopped and stared. What was that thing? Although the size of a mastiff, it looked nothing like one. At least seven feet from nose to tail, the dog’s shaggy brown coat gave it a wild look. Rachel didn’t seem to mind, though. She continued to pet its head affectionately.

It turned its head, which moved it out of Rachel’s reach. Its soft brown eyes met mine.

Rachel shifted to a sitting position to reach its head again.

“It just walked up the porch steps and lay right down. I nearly peed myself. Have you ever seen a dog this big before? What kind do you think it is?” She continued to pet it lovingly.

I remained glued in place, my stomach sinking. Any lingering homesickness died as my suspicion grew. What are the odds that an extremely large, random dog just appeared at my door scant hours after Sam dropped me off? Improbable odds. When I’d said I would get a dog, I’d meant it as a joke. I couldn’t afford a dog.

“And you’re not going to believe what its tag says,” Rachel said, not seeming to care that I hadn’t answered her questions. “‘If found, please provide a good home.’ Isn’t that funny?” She ruffled his neck fur, which made his hidden tags jingle. The dog continued to watch me and ignore Rachel’s ministrations.

“Yeah. Funny,” I mumbled. The size of the dog would ensure men didn’t bother me. But a dog half its size would do the same. Why get one so big? Its size compared to Sam in his fur. Did Sam think some of his kind might bother me? If so, I didn’t see how a plain old dog would help. My eyes widened as my own idiocy dawned on me. Not a plain dog.

I needed to call Sam, find out what he’d been thinking, and then give him an earful for sending someone to the house to keep an eye on me. I was about to turn and go back into the house when Rachel said something that made my stomach drop to my toes.

“His tag also says his name is Clay. What do you think? Should we keep him?”

I
turned
to look at Rachel, eyes wide with shock.

“What?” I glanced down at
him
.

He continued to watch me, his eyes not wavering from mine. He’d left me alone the whole summer. I had thought he’d truly let me go, despite Sam’s ominous warning, and had forgotten about him.

“Aw, you aren’t allergic are you?” Rachel said with a small pout. “The lease says a single pet is allowed as long as it’s licensed.”

I doubted the lease had taken into consideration that Rachel would fall in love with a freakishly large monster bearing similarities to a dog.

“No, I’m not allergic,” I said distractedly. He had all summer to make his move. Why now? And why when I wore a bikini for the first time ever? A bikini did not say “stay away.” I considered grabbing the towel and wrapping myself in it, but discarded the idea after I thought about how it would look to Rachel. Instead, I continued to stare at the frustrating dog until he huffed out a breath, turned away from me, and laid his head on his paws.

Clay had finally shown up and, apparently, he still didn’t want to talk.

“Good. He’s so cute!” Rachel reached over to scratch his ears, and he closed his eyes.

“I’m going back in,” I said as I turned toward the door. Clay sprang to his feet before I reached it and crowded behind me. I looked down at him then back at Rachel, who watched us with an enormous grin.

“Looks like another guy who can’t take his eyes off you. Living with you is going to be a riot.” She laughed and picked up the towels. “Let’s all go in. The neighbor’s tree is going to shade the deck soon anyway.”

Having little choice, I opened the door for Clay. His fur brushed my bare thighs as he moved past me into the house. His head came to about my sternum. He really was huge...a huge problem.

Sam had warned me Clay had taken my speech as an invitation to live together. At least, Clay had shown up in his fur. However, any relief I might have felt went unnoticed as I contemplated how he’d found me in a completely different state. If Sam told him, I’d have to kill Sam. Since I didn’t have the stomach for outright murder, I’d break his coffee maker.

I took a deep breath to clear my hectic thoughts and followed Clay and Rachel inside. She patted him again, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to tell him to leave. Especially with Rachel around as a witness. It’d make me look like a complete psycho if I started to speak to the dog, not only as if I knew him, but also as if I was giving a breakup speech. I didn’t really have much of a choice...for now.

“We can keep him. But he’s going to shed everywhere,” I predicted then walked away.

Wisely, Clay stayed in the kitchen with Rachel. She continued to talk to him. She told him how cute he was and asked him if he wanted anything to drink. I heard dishes clank as I closed my door.

Even knowing Clay could probably hear me, I grabbed my cell phone and called Sam. Sam answered before it rang on my end; he knew I wouldn’t call so soon for just any reason.

“Gabby, what’s wrong?”

“Clay is here. In fur,” I said as quietly as possible.

After a brief pause, Sam chuckled. “What did you expect, Hun? He scented you as his Mate. He’s probably been following you since. Only, when you were with me, he trusted me to protect you and kept his distance. Moving away...well, you might have forced his hand a bit. Then again, I think he had planned on joining you from the start.”

“Right...” I heard a creak of leather and knew Sam had sat in his office chair to get comfortable for a long conversation.

“Listen, this isn’t so bad. With him there, you won’t need to worry as much about other men, right?”

“Yeah, but what about him?” I went to my dresser to look for clothes.

“I told you...he has control. You won’t have to worry about him becoming aggressive with you.”

Before I could say anything, Rachel’s muted voice called from the kitchen.

“Hey, Gabby?”

“I gotta go. Just wanted to tell you he was here. I’ll call if anything stranger pops up.” I didn’t wait for his goodbye. I closed the phone, tucked it into one of my messenger bags on my dresser, and hurried to change. After putting on lounge pants and a tank top, I headed toward the kitchen.

“What’s up?”

“Do you think I can feed him leftover steak?” she said sounding a bit muffled.

Bent at the waist, Rachel riffled through the fridge. Clay sat off to the side with a perfect view of her string bikinied backside, only he wasn’t looking. He faced the arched door, watching for me. Should I be happy that he’d ignored the perfect view or annoyed? Instead of thinking about it, I answered Rachel.

“I’m pretty sure people-food is bad for dogs.” Yes, I knew it wasn’t nice, but if he wanted to play the dog, I’d play along. “We can pick up some dog food for him in the morning. He’ll be fine overnight.”

I sat at the kitchen table, pulled my legs up, held my knees, and watched Rachel straighten from the fridge and let the door close. She turned to look at Clay with concern, but Clay ignored her and continued to watch me.

My stomach growled.

“But dinner does sound good,” I said to Rachel, ignoring Clay. “I should have thought of groceries while we were shopping.”

“No problem. I forgot to tell you during the grand tour that there’s a cupboard over there that you can stock and call your own. The top shelf in the fridge is mine. But don’t worry about it for tonight. I was lazy yesterday and ordered take-out pizza. There’s still plenty if you don’t mind leftovers.”

“Leftovers are fine with me.” My stomach rumbled in agreement.

“We’ve got cheap plastic plates in the cupboard to the left of the sink—inherited from a prior roommate. Grab two, will you?” she said as she re-opened the fridge.

I unfolded myself from the chair and grabbed the plates while Rachel pulled the pizza from the fridge. Clay lay down where he sat and put his massive head on his paws. I could see his eyes move to follow my progress.

Rachel chatted about our neighbors and the university while we warmed the pizza in the microwave. She was easy to be around and fun to listen to.

“What kind of movies do you like?” she asked changing topics abruptly once both plates held several steaming slices.

I had to think about it for a moment. “Action-comedy, I guess. I don’t watch movies often.”

She handed me a plate. “Let’s eat this in the living room and watch a movie.”

Clay stood and walked toward the living room before either of us moved. When he passed through the arch, he only had two inches of clearance on each side. I wondered if his fur made up his bulk. Not that it mattered. Our tiny house didn’t suit a dog his size.

Rachel laughed as she watched him. “I think he’s going to fit right in.”

She had no idea how much he didn’t fit in. I turned off the light in the kitchen and followed them into the living room. Clay settled on the floor and stretched out in front of the couch, which forced us to step over him. Rachel sat on one side of the couch, and I took the other.

The movie Rachel selected not only held my interest, but it seemed to hold Clay’s as well. I ate two of the three pieces of pizza Rachel had put on my plate and set the remaining piece aside. During a quiet moment, Clay stood, stretched, and turned to study my pizza. Rachel noticed.

“Just one bite?” Rachel begged.

“If he’s never eaten it before, he might throw up. Are you willing to clean it up? I’m not.” I wasn’t about to make living with us easy for him.

She pouted prettily, not really upset. Her easygoing personality allowed me to speak without having to censure my words too much. A few minutes later, I saw her break off small pieces and set them on the edge of her plate. Clay innocently turned around and snatched the pieces.

“Fine,” I said when the movie ended. “Give him the steak.”

Rachel cheered, hopped off the couch, and called to Clay as she went to the kitchen. He looked at me dolefully and followed her.

“Your choice, bud. Not mine,” I whispered knowing he’d hear me over Rachel’s puttering as she heated the steak for him.

I grabbed my plate and cup and made my way to the kitchen to quickly wash and dry them.

“Thanks for the shopping and movie, Rachel. And the leftovers. You’ve made this feel like home in less than a day.” I quirked a half-smile at her. “But I’m beat and going to bed. See you in the morning.”

Before I left the kitchen, I looked back to make sure Clay didn’t follow. He sat near Rachel, watching me. Hastily looking away, I escaped to my room. The last thing I needed was for him to think that backward glance had been an invitation to join me.

Odd as it sounded, having Clay in the house made it easier for me to fall asleep. Although still a stranger to me, I knew his world and his rules. He’d keep me safe. Yet, regardless of Sam’s assurance that I needn’t worry about him, he remained a concern.

T
he next morning
I woke feeling great. Sleeping on a full-size bed definitely beat sleeping on a twin. I didn’t think I would ever be able to go back. The new comforter had done a better job keeping in the heat than my old one. My feet were nice and toasty.

I stretched my legs from their curled position and hit something warm and solid through the covers. No...he wouldn’t. I sat up and glared at Clay, who was already awake and contentedly stretched out at the end of my bed. His eyes met mine.

“No,” I whispered. “No dogs allowed on my bed.”

He snorted out a sigh and laid his head down, closing his eyes.

“Seriously, Clay. Don’t you think this is just a little inappropriate?”

He didn’t move.

“Fine.” I used my feet to try to push him off the bed, but he didn’t budge. Leaning back, I braced my hands on the wall and pushed harder, straining to move his stubborn, irritating fur from my new comforter.

He still didn’t move but did open one eye to look at me.

I gave up and glared back. “If you shed all over my comforter, I’m locking my door at night.” I tossed back the covers and got out of bed. “With an eyehook,” I added for good measure.

He wisely didn’t follow me as I made my way to the bathroom. Rachel already moved around in the kitchen.

“Are you a coffee drinker?” she called to me.

With a mouthful of toothpaste, I had to spit before I could answer.

“No. More of a milk or orange juice person.” I finished up in the bathroom, joined her in the kitchen, and noticed her scrubs.

“Going to work?” I asked as I sat on a kitchen chair and pulled my feet up from the cool floor.

“Yep. Sorry to leave you on your own so soon. I’ll be back around five. If you need anything, just call my cell. If I don’t answer, leave a message, and I’ll get back to you.” She filled a travel mug with the coffee she had made and rinsed out the pot. “Oh, when I went to bed, Clay whined at your door, so I let him in. Hope that was okay...”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” What else was I supposed to say without sounding weird or bitchy? Inspiration to pay him back for his sneaky method struck.

“Have you thought of taking him to a vet?”

Rachel paused mid-rinse. “I hadn’t, but you’re right. He should probably go if we’re going to have him in the house with us. I’ll call around and make an appointment. I need to check into licensing him, too. Ugh. Shots are probably going to cost a fortune.” She looked at me pleadingly.

Darn idea to get back at him would cost me money. “Yeah, I’ll go in halves.” I got up and started back toward my room.

“Great. Talk to you tonight,” she called as she went out the back door.

Clay still sprawled on my bed. He took up the full width with his back paws folded in toward his stomach so they wouldn’t fall off. I stood in the doorway and studied him while he, in turn, watched me. We were finally alone, and I was determined to set some rules.

“First, I’d like to clarify that this does not qualify as getting to know each other. Second, you smell like wet dog. If you want to continue to sleep in my room, on my bed, you’ll let Rachel give you bath when she gets home.” He snorted at that but didn’t get off the bed. “Third, once I’m awake, you get out. I know what you are, and I am not changing in front of you.”

He outright harrumphed at that one, and I swore I saw a canine smile. But, he did hop down from the bed. He left the room with quiet dignity.

I closed the door behind him, remade the bed—thankfully, he didn’t appear to shed—and grabbed some clothes. I had two goals for the day. First, I needed to figure out how long it would take me to walk to the campus from here. Then, I needed to learn the bus schedule for the days I ran late or the weather prevented walking. If worst came to worst, I’d buy a beater car to drive.

Opening the door, I was startled to see Clay sitting there patiently waiting for me.

“What are you doing?” I asked when he didn’t move. Of course, he didn’t answer.

I eyed him warily and walked past him. In the kitchen, I grabbed the house key from the counter then moved to the back door. Clay’s nails clicked on the floor as he followed me.

“I’m going for a walk, and you’re staying here,” I said when he made to follow me outside.

Clay growled slightly in response.

His deep growl gave me pause. He sounded scary.

“Please don’t do that. Unless you really
are
trying to scare me.”

His fur continued to bristle, but his growl stopped. Our relationship wouldn’t go anywhere if he thought he could bully and maneuver me to his way of thinking.

“And don’t crab at me. I’m not the unlicensed dog without a leash. Do you want me to talk Rachel into buying a pink collar for you?”

He coughed out a strangled bark then turned and walked back to the living room.

“See you later,” I said, feeling a little smug.

The walk to campus took about forty minutes. I didn’t mind the time, but the distance and the number of catcalls I’d received made walking impractical and unsafe. After checking the bus schedule and stops, I knew I’d need to buy a car. A necessity that would put a significant dent in my savings.