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So I was pretty much a glutton for punishment by spending more and more time with the man, including having dinner at his house the past three nights. Last night we’d even watched a movie, during which I’d promptly fallen asleep. When Dallas had gently shaken me awake, I’d been lying on my side, my head resting on his muscular thigh.
And he’d been playing with my hair.
I’d practically tripped over myself as I’d rattled off an apology for falling asleep on him, but he’d just flashed that smile at me and given me the okay sign.
Surprisingly, my mother hadn’t complained or questioned why I was getting home later and later each night. And she’d continued with her weird need to make me breakfast every morning. I’d finally given up trying to figure her out. I was too busy trying to make sense of my relationship with Dallas.
I straightened when I heard his footsteps on the stairs. I wasn’t sure, but it sounded like his footsteps slowed as he got closer to the living room. When he finally did round the corner, his face was full of tension.
And I instantly knew why.
Because he couldn’t hide what he was holding in his hand.
“Oh my God,” I whispered when my eyes fell on the violin case.
Dallas was hesitant as he moved to sit down next to me on the couch. But I didn’t even spare him a glance because I was too busy trying to breathe.
He’d gotten me a violin.
“What did you do?” I croaked.
Dallas eased the case onto my lap, then reached for his tablet.
It’s probably not what you’re used to playing, but the guy at the store said it was a really good quality one. Maybe it can tide you over till you get yours back or you get a new one.
“Dallas,” I breathed in complete and utter disbelief.
He motioned to the latches on the case.
I nodded and opened it, my fingers shaking.
I knew just by looking at the violin that he’d spent quite a bit of money on it. I let my fingers slide over the wood, then the strings. The need to pick it up and play was like a living thing beneath my skin.
I couldn’t accept it.
I just couldn’t.
It was too much.
But one look at Dallas’s hopeful expression and I was nodding my head. “Thank you, it’s beautiful.”
His smile made my heart stutter. He reached for his tablet and was about to type something when Loki suddenly climbed to his feet from where he’d been lying on the floor next to the couch and let out a low growl.
The three of us held there for a moment before Loki suddenly took off and darted through his doggie door. Dallas stood and went to the kitchen door that the wolf hybrid had disappeared through. He threw it open and listened. I got up and went to him, but heard nothing.
Dallas snagged his coat off the hook and motioned to me.
“I’m coming with you,” I argued, and grabbed my coat. Dallas shot me a quick glance as he reached for the flashlight he kept by his coat. I was glad when he merely nodded.
It was pitch dark outside, but Dallas had installed low-level lighting along all the walkways. The motion detector lights were only on the buildings that weren’t close enough to any enclosures where the animals would trip them every time they moved around at night. So we were reliant on the flashlight and the walkway lights as we made our way through the inky darkness.
We’d only gone about a hundred yards when we heard it.
A loud, rumbling roar.
There was only one animal capable of making that kind of sound at the center.
“Gentry,” I breathed right before Dallas took off running. I managed to keep up, but if Gentry’s enclosure had been any farther away, I would have lost Dallas for sure.
As we ran toward the building that led to Gentry’s enclosure, the bear’s screams – and that was the only way I could think to describe the awful sound – grew louder. As he ran, Dallas shined his light on the bear’s enclosure in the hopes of locating the distressed animal. I nearly came to a stop when I saw that the door separating the outside enclosure from the inner one was closed.
I’d been with Dallas when we’d said our goodnights to the bear.
The door had been open.
Fear tripped through me when I saw that the lights in the building were on.
Loki was pacing frantically in front of the door leading to the building when we reached it. The second Dallas ripped the door open, Loki tore through it. Despite how loud Gentry’s cries were, I could hear someone yelling.
“Dallas!” I shouted as fear for him took over every other thought.
But he ignored me and followed Loki into the building.
