Clay's Hope

Five

Rachel moved toward the refrigerator. Although she continued speaking to me—some nonsense about me being a good dog—I barely paid attention. Instead, I strained to hear the faint murmur of Gabby's voice. She was talking to someone. Probably Sam.

"Do you eat people food?" Rachel said, straightening from the fridge.

I forced my gaze from the arch, through which Gabby had disappeared, and gave Rachel my attention. She quirked a smile at me.

"Well, I'm sure you'd be willing, but should you eat people food?"

She put her hands on her hips and studied me for a moment.

"Dog food is essentially ground up meat and stuff, right?" She turned again and opened the fridge. "Hey, Gabby?" she called as she stared into the brightly lit interior.

I turned to stare at the arch.

From Gabby's room, I heard quick movements, then the door opened. I waited and was rewarded with the sight of her marching into the kitchen. She wore pants and a top that covered her stomach but not her arms or shoulders. I stifled the urge to sigh. I sure did like her swimsuit better.

"What's up?" she asked, looking at Rachel, who was still bent over looking in the fridge.

"Do you think I can feed him leftover steak?"

"I'm pretty sure people food is bad for dogs. We can pick up some dog food for him in the morning. He'll be fine overnight."

Yep, she was mad at me. That was okay. I could wait her out.

She sat at the kitchen table, pulled her legs up, and wrapped her arms around her knees. The position made her look lost, alone, and scared. I wanted to shift and hold her, but I knew I was the cause of her concern. Only time would reassure her that I had no intention to mess with her big plans. I just wanted to be with her, and hopefully, one day, take care of her as a Mate would.

Her stomach growled, and I felt a moment of frustration. I couldn't take care of her like this, though.

"But dinner does sound good," Gabby said. "I should have thought of groceries while we were shopping."

Groceries meant food. I should be able to provide that for her. Yet, I'd watched the humans enough to know my skills wouldn't help much. I needed a way to earn money. I knew human's had jobs. Charlene, Thomas' Mate, was big on the werewolves going out and getting jobs to help support the werewolf community. That was one of the many reasons my father had chosen to live away from the pack.

Gabby and Rachel's conversation faded as I considered my options. I had the paperwork I needed in order to get a job. But I didn't think that would be enough. Though I'd studied humans from a distance, I wasn't sure I knew how to be human.

Gabby stood, drawing my attention as she went to a cupboard. I lay down, rested my head on my paws, and watched. I was here for her. I wanted to show her that a Mate was an asset, but she was right. We didn't know each other. How could I prove I was what she needed when I didn't have any idea what she needed?

"What kind of movies do you like?" Rachel asked.

The question caught my interest. I knew so little about Gabby. And so did Rachel. I wanted to grin. That would only help me.

"Action-comedy, I guess," Gabby said. "I don't watch movies often."

Rachel gave Gabby a plate, and I finally noticed that hot pepperoni scented the air. My mouth started to water. It'd been a while since I'd eaten.