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I slid the key into the lock. “I have tea.” I unbolted the door and popped it open with my hip. “If tea doesn’t work, I’ve got whiskey.”
“I can’t drink, remember?” She drifted past me, my nostrils flaring at the smell ofcat.
I groaned at my temporary lapse of judgment. Alright, so maybe I wasn’t thinking very clearly after that encounter with her ex-boyfriend. I could still smell the sweat of his rage infecting my nostrils. That man had more anger detonating inside him than a betrayed wolf. He acted like Anita still belonged to him.
But it wasn’t true. He didn’t own her. She belonged here with me where I could keep her safe from men like him.
Anita paused in the living room, turning about to inspect the place like she had just materialized here instead of being driven in a car. She set Memphis on the couch, looked up at the skylight above, and innocently played with the braid hanging over her left shoulder.
“Wow, that’s gorgeous,” she whispered absently. “I bet it looks beautiful in the morning.”
“I bet you do too.”
Her head snapped in my direction, and her hand flew to her mouth. I kept my jaw clenched shut to keep myself from saying anything else that would get me into trouble.
I’d already caused enough of a commotion. Patricia would have a fit if she knew Anita was spending the night here. Hell, the whole plan to get to know Anita had gone completely sideways, putting us in this awkward position.
But maybe it wouldn’t be for very long.
Anita took the hair tie out of her hair and unraveled her braid. “Thank you.”
“Told you I can adjust.”
“I didn’t doubt you for a second.”
I bolted the door behind me, crossed the room, and stopped a few inches away from her. Memphis hissed at me. I growled.
She put her hand in between her cat and me. “Youhavebeen growling.”
I stepped back and scratched the back of my neck. “Oh, that? I just have, uh…” I coughed. “Gas. Or something. That mocktail gave me heartburn.”
“You can’t tell me those are burps.”
“They’re burps. Hate to say it. But that’s just an embarrassing fact about me. Now it’s your turn. How about that ex-boyfriend, eh?”
She stared blankly at me for a few seconds before plopping down onto the couch next to her cat. The fluffy orange ball puffed up when I went to join his owner. Her shoulders curved inward as her expression emptied. Light faded from her eyes.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Her lower lip quivered. “He wasn’t supposed to know how to find me.”
I took her hand even though Memphis was hissing again. “I understand, Anita. More than you can ever know.”
“I told him to go away. I told him to leave me alone.”
“Men like that think they can just trample all over women like you.”
Her eyes sharpened as she looked at me. “What’s that supposed to mean? Do you think I’m weak?”
She snatched her hand from me and stood abruptly, causing her cat toyowlwhile fleeing the couch.
I stood up to follow her. “Anita, don’t walk away. I didn’t mean that.”
“Then what exactly did you mean?”
Emotions cracked her voice. It hurt to hear her sound sohurt. Just seeing her on the verge of tears was enough to alert my wolf of her need for me.
I had to talk him down. I couldn’t shift in front of her. If the pregnancy was a success, then I didn’t want her to freak out about having a wolf baby. Humans could be finicky about that kind of thing. It wasn’t like we were going to stay in touch after she gave birth.
And for some reason, that thought made me feel terrible.
