Nic (11 page)

With the clean pillowcase in place, she walked into the bathroom and turned the shower on. Mindy had just tugged on the end of her shirt when she heard scratching at the back door.

Hannibal was perched on her bed. Had Tart somehow gotten out when she removed the mouse? God, she hoped not. She did not need a litter of puppies.

Mindy dropped her shirt and walked down the hall. She moved the curtain aside and gasped. What was he doing here? She turned the lock and opened the door. The wolf-hybrid she and Celina had rescued stared at her with startling amber eyes. At first she was scared, then he whimpered.

“How did you get here, big boy?” Mindy slowly stepped out onto her small back porch and looked around. She didn’t want to startle him. “Celina was supposed to have taken you to the preserve.”

They’d decided that he wasn’t someone’s pet, but he also wasn’t entirely wild. He’d obviously been around people at some point, but given his size it would be better if he had somewhere safe to roam.

He nudged her hand with his massive head.

Mindy’s fingers sank into his thick fur. “Are you hungry?”

His tail wagged.

“Well, come on in. Let’s get you something to eat.”

Tart, her rescue poodle, came running out of the living room straight at them. Mindy had completely forgotten that she was loose.

She tried to cut her off, but the large, three-legged poodle was in heat and easily snaked around her. She immediately whimpered and spun around to entice the big male. If the hybrid mounted her, there was no way Mindy would get them apart without losing a hand.

The wolf-hybrid sniffed Tart’s bottom and growled. The sound sent chills across Mindy’s skin. Not the reaction she expected from a male canine, especially one who was part wolf. Tart yelped and scampered away. He watched her go, but made no move to follow.

“You are an odd duck, my friend,” Mindy said. She’d never seen a male dog of any kind turn away a bitch in heat. “Let’s get you some food.”

His massive paws were silent as he trailed her to the kitchen.

“Sit,” she said, then grabbed a plate out of the cupboard. Mindy pulled the roast out of the oven.

The hybrid shoved his nose between her legs and sniffed, then licked her jeans.

Mindy almost dropped the roast on his head. She quickly set the pot on the counter and grabbed his nose to move it away. “Watch it there, big guy.”

She sliced a generous hunk off the roast and put it on the plate. The meat hadn’t been in the oven long, so it wasn’t too hot.

“Easy,” she said, then lowered the plate to the floor. “While you finish that, I’m going to call Celina and find out what happened.”

The hybrid gobbled his food down, then wandered back the way he’d came in. He sat next to the back door and whimpered to be let out.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Mindy said. “So get comfortable.” She kept an eye on Tart to make sure she didn’t try to entice the hybrid again.

Mindy punched in Celina’s number. It went straight to voicemail. She was probably sucking face with Slade. She waited for the beep.

“Celina, call me when you get this message. I have the hybrid here with me. We need to talk.” She disconnected the call and set the cell phone on the counter. The house was quiet—too quiet. She looked around.

Tart huddled in the corner next to the couch, trembling. There was a small puddle of urine beneath her.

“Terrific,” Mindy muttered.

She poked her head in the hall to see what the hybrid was up to. A gentle breeze brushed her face. The back door was wide open and the hybrid was gone.

“How did you...” Mindy raced down the hall and ran out into the yard. She scanned the tree line, but there was no sign of him.

Mindy walked back into the house and stopped to examine the door. The glass and the frame appeared to be intact. Everything looked perfectly normal. Maybe she’d forgotten to close it properly and it had blown open? It was the only explanation that made any sense. It was either that or the hybrid had figured out how to turn a knob.

Her gaze swept the yard one final time, then she closed the door and locked it. Mindy didn’t have time to go looking for him in the woods. Nic would be here any minute.

Mindy took a quick shower and put some makeup on, then slipped Izzy’s sweater over her head. She tried on three pairs of jeans, giving each one the butt check in the mirror. None of them passed. She grabbed a pair of Izzy’s and pulled them on. She should’ve known they’d be perfect.

She’d just tugged her shoes on when the doorbell rang. Mindy took a deep breath and glanced one last time in the mirror to check her appearance. It shouldn’t have been so important, but she wanted to look nice for Nic.

“You look fine,” she muttered, then wandered into the living room.

Nic was early.

Eagerness is a good sign. Isn’t it?

Mindy planted a smile on her face and pulled the door open. Her grin faded as she came face to face with Marco Faretti. Startled, she stepped back. Shock quickly turned to fear.

“What are you doing here, Marco?” She glanced up the road, hoping to spot Nic’s truck in the distance.

“I came here to finish our conversation without being interrupted,” he said.

Mindy’s knuckles whitened from holding the door so tight. “Now’s not a good time.”

Marco’s gaze started at her head and slowly worked its way down before reversing direction. “You going out? If you’re heading to Sticks, maybe I’ll see you there? We never did finish that drink.”

Mindy shook her head. “I’m not going out,” she said. “And I’m definitely not going back to that bar.”

As was his habit, he crowded her with his body. “Why not? I thought you had a good time.”

Scared, Mindy held her ground. “I think we remember last night differently,” she said. “You need to go. I don’t appreciate being stalked and I’m expecting company any minute.”

Marco’s amber eyes narrowed. “Is it that wolf from the Fortier estate?”

Wolf?
Was that some kind of slang for a male slut? Mindy didn’t keep up with modern slang, so she wasn’t sure.

“I assume you’re talking about Nic,” she said.

“Is that his name?” His lip curled in disgust. Before she could respond, he continued, “I guess you are like your friend Celina after all. You know where to find me once he kicks you to the curb.” Marco dropped down a step and his nose wrinkled. “Is Celina here?”

“No. Why?”

“Thought I smelled her,” he said.

Mindy inhaled, but didn’t smell anything other than the roast. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Marco poked his head in the door and dragged air into his lungs.

“What are you doing? I told you she wasn’t here,” she said. “You need to leave. Now!”

He scowled at her and walked to his car. He changed direction at the last second and slipped behind her house. Fear pulsed inside of her. What was he doing?

“I mean it, Marco,” she shouted. “If you don’t leave this second, I’m calling the police!”

At first, Mindy didn’t think that he’d heard her, then she saw him sprint across the yard. His face was pale and his wide amber eyes kept scanning the tree line. It was a relief to see that he was taking her threat seriously.

Marco didn’t stop watching the woods until he was behind the wheel. Gravel flew as he tore out of her driveway.

Mindy watched him leave. It wasn’t until he was out of sight that she was finally able to let go of the front door.

* * * * *

Nic passed the pup on the road. There was only one place he could be coming from. Fear demolished his nervousness. He needed to get to Mindy. Make sure she was okay. He stomped down hard on the gas. Nic’s truck roared as he raced down the road.

He found the address and hurried into the driveway. Nic threw his truck into park and jumped out, not bothering to turn it off. He leapt up her front stairs and pounded on the door.

“Marco, I told you to leave,” Mindy shouted.

“It’s not Marco,” Nic rumbled.

“Nic?” Mindy opened the door. Her pale face and trembling hands said all he needed to know. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Nic didn’t wait for her to answer. He simply pulled her into his arms and ran his hands over her body. He needed to see for himself that she was unharmed. What was the pup doing here? How had he found out where she lived?

She allowed him to comfort her for a minute, then Mindy slowly moved away. The awkwardness that had been there earlier in the day returned.

Nic cleared his throat. “I’ll need the keys to your car. You still want me to take a look at it, right?”

“Yes, of course.” Mindy lifted the keys off the hook beside the door. “Here.” She handed the key ring to him.

“It won’t take long,” he said.

“Take your time,” Mindy said. “I was just finishing up the side dishes for dinner. Would you like to stay? I made enough for two.”

She was okay. He’d seen so with his own eyes. He should fix her car and leave, but Nic didn’t want to go. He wanted to spend more time with her.

“Sure,” he said.

“Great.” She smiled, and his stomach fluttered.

Nic walked back to his truck. He could feel Mindy’s eyes on him. Everywhere she looked, a wave of heat followed. He flexed his hands and turned off his engine before grabbing his toolbox. Twenty minutes later, he’d finished the minor adjustment to get rid of the pinging and had her car humming once more.

He dropped the hood and was walking back to his truck to put his toolbox inside when he caught a strange scent wafting on the air. Nic placed the toolbox on the seat and slowly shut the door. He raised his head and carefully smelled the area around him.

What was that?

Nic had never smelled anything like it. He stepped away from his truck and walked into the yard. The scent grew fainter. Nic frowned and switched direction. The breeze brought the odor again. This time stronger. He scanned the trees. Nothing moved. The hair on Nic’s neck rose and the wolf inside him surfaced.

The door opened. “Are you done?” Mindy asked.

Nic nodded, but continued to stare at the woods.

“What is it?” Mindy stepped out of the house onto the porch.

“It’s nothing,” Nic said.

“Marco isn’t back. Is he?” Her voice quivered.

Nic turned away from the woods. “No.” He shook his head. “He’s not around. You don’t have to worry.”

The relief on her beautiful face was palpable. “Good,” she said. “I just wanted to let you know that dinner is ready.”

“I’ll be right in,” Nic said. “Just need to get something out of my truck.”

Mindy nodded and walked back into the house.

Nic waited until she was inside, then scented the woods once more. The odd odor was gone, but its absence didn’t alleviate his unease. If anything, it made it worse.

As part of the Moonlight Kin, there weren’t many scents he couldn’t identify. He rubbed the back of his neck and walked to the house. The fact that he couldn’t place this one worried him.

* * * * *

The second he stepped through the door into the living room, chaos erupted. Squawks, hisses, and barks collided in a glass-shattering cacophony. Nic was immediately hit with sensory overload.

Mindy’s ranch-style house was neat and clean. Nic doubted a human would detect the various scents, but to a Were it was like taking a stroll through a zoo after a sinus rinse. So many scents. Too many. Including an unusual one that escaped him.

He held his hands over his sensitive ears and his eyes watered as he slowly looked around. Various types of animals were scattered throughout the cozy living room.

“Hush!” Mindy said. “What’s wrong with you guys? Behave, we have company.” She turned to Nic. “I’m sorry. They don’t normally act like this. Have a seat while I check on dinner.” She pointed to the rose-colored couch under the window.

Nic wasn’t surprised by the uproar. A predator was in their midst and they didn’t like it one bit. Between the scents and the noise, Nic couldn’t hear himself think. The animals were making him edgy.

Still, he found himself sitting down. Nic told himself it was to be polite, but he was only lying to himself.

“Can I get you a drink?” She walked into what he presumed was the kitchen.

“I could use a beer.” It was an understatement.

A one-eyed cat took one sniff of him and hissed. Its orange fur rose on its back and its tail straightened as it prepared to attack.

Nic bared his teeth and growled low in his chest. The cat snarled and ran into the corner under a side table.

Mindy’s three-legged poodle showed no fear at all when it approached. It licked his jeans and whirled around to show him its butt, then proceeded to hump his leg. Nic tried to shake the dog off, but it was determined to entice him, since it was in heat. He groaned. This was a nightmare.

There was another loud squawk. Nic flinched and looked over at the cage hanging from a chain attached to the ceiling. A gray parrot cocked its head to look at him, then said, “Nice doggy.” The comment was followed by a string of expletives that would shame a fleet of intoxicated sailors.

Movement in the corner of his eye drew his gaze away from the foul-mouthed feathered menace. A green, tailless lizard marched across the couch toward him. When it got close, it did a strange rocking dance that Nic was sure was meant to intimidate him.

He had to leave. This was too much. Nic shook the randy poodle off his leg and stood. Mindy came into the room as he was about to make his way to the front door. She was carrying two beers.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he had to go. “What is all this?” The question surprised them both.

Mindy set the beers on the coffee table, then walked over to pick up the cat cowering in the corner. “They’re strays.” She stroked the feline. “This is Hannibal. I named him that because he constantly kills things and presents the bodies to me.” She pointed to the poodle. “That’s Tart. She humps anything that moves.”

“Go to your kennel.” She herded the dog into a back room and shut the door, then walked back into the living room. “Now that her wounds are healed, I plan to get her fixed. Her owners abused her. It took me two months just to get her to the point where I could pet her without her flinching.”