I was eager today. After volunteering, I would pick up Grace and we would hang out. I hadn’t seen her for days and I was dying to hang out with her. Even though she wasn’t under my care, I felt responsible for her and I wanted to treat her like a princess. I had no idea where her parents were, but I was going to be the best mom ever.
I tossed the disc in the yard and Godiva, Matty, and Dino barreled after it, leaping over each other like pups. I laughed when they tugged it from each other’s mouths, trying to get it to me first. I threw it a couple more times before leading them back inside their cages, heading to the front desk. Chandra didn’t like me away from the desk for long. Even though there was a camera watching the front door, she liked me being there.
So I slid behind the counter and leaned forward on my elbows. Time could not go faster. I really wanted to snatch Grace and have fun with her. Her big eyes and her curls were just too adorable to ignore.
No sooner had I thought that, Chandra exited the office and approached me. “Sweetie, it’s a Friday night. Don’t you have plans?” Her dark brown eyes smiled at me.
“It’s fine, I can stay--”
“Is there a boy?” she investigated, eyes glittering. “I love good gossip.”
“Um. Not really,” I replied, with a beet red face.
“There is!” she exclaimed gleefully, pointing her finger in the air. Her hair fluttered around her face. “What’s his name?”
“Well--I mean--I’m not seeing him tonight . . .”
“Playing hard to get, I see. Best trick in the book, if you ask me,” she winked teasingly. “I used it to get nearly all the guys to fall for me.” Her grin grew.
“I’m not playing--”
She glared at me with an ‘are you serious?’ look.
“I’m not!”
Chandra scoffed. “Okay, so then what’re you doing tonight?”
“I’m meeting with a friend.”
“The boy friend?”
“There are no boy friends. There’s this little girl named Grace who I met a bit ago and I wanted to spend some time with her,” I explained, relaxing into a slouch.
She smiled genuinely. “That’s so sweet. What does she look like?”
I returned the grin. Talking about Grace was like breathing out a deep sigh. “She’s got curly brown hair and the cutest eyes and she’s eight, so she’s really small and delicate and . . .” I sighed. “She’s adorable.”
Chandra smiled at me with crinkly crow’s feet. “Then why don’t you go find this special little lady and have a GNO with her?”
“You sure?” I cocked an eyebrow.
“Yeah. You’re a hard worker. One night off is no problem,” she said. “Besides, I don’t even pay you so you’re not obligated to stay here any longer than necessary.”
“Thank you,” I replied earnestly. My insides started jumping with zeal. I was going to see Grace!
“It’s no problem, sweetie.” She patted me on the shoulder with a leathery hand and I skedaddled from behind the counter.
“Thanks again,” I said, grinning from ear to ear. I walked backwards towards the door.
“You’re welcome, Sigrid. Have a good evening!”
“You, too.”
With that, I bolted from the animal shelter and hurried towards my car. I hadn’t seen Grace in forever and I was wholly anticipating the sisterly bond we were going to exploit. I drove with a fast purpose to the pack house, but dread nested in my stomach as I drove up the driveway. I hoped with all my might that Theo wasn’t there. After the date, everything was still very awkward and I had yet to resume my rock-hard resolve not to talk to him, to not make another Jason out of him.
YOU ARE READING
Secrets of the Wolves
RomanceAfter an irreversible encounter when she was young, Sigrid has had to keep her true self a secret. She's a werewolf and no one in her family knows. They move around a lot, and when they land in Merriweather, Pennsylvania, she expects everything to b...
