“You really don’t know?”
“Know what?”
He shook his head. “Not here. Not now.” His voice dropped so she had to strain to hear him, and even then she wasn’t sure she did. “I can’t believe your folks never told you.”
“What?”
“Finish your dinner. Then we’ll go for a walk.”
The rest of their dinner talk ran to inconsequential things, like who was coming back, who married whom, who had kids, divorces. All the mundane subjects you touch on when you meet an old acquaintance from your teen years.
“Would you like dessert?” David asked as Darla arrived with their check.
“Not me. I’m stuffed.” She reached for the bill but he was faster.
“My treat.”
“I can pay.”
“I’m sure you can, but I owe you.”
“Huh? For what?”
He grinned at her and she melted into a puddle at his feet. Well, almost.
“Remember graduation night?”
“Ye-ah.” Sunny did remember—barely. She had a fuzzy recollection of too much beer—if you could call one beer too much—and a long drive through the mountains.
“You don’t remember.” He laughed as he handed Darla a twenty. “We were so wound up, but nothing around here was open…”
The memory returned, along with her snort of laughter. “So a whole bunch of us jumped in the back of your truck and you drove to State College to the truck stop. You didn’t have enough money to cover your food and the gas…”
“…So you treated me. I’m finally getting the chance to return the favor.”
Sunny led the way outside. The sun had set, but soft globes lit the main street. David was close enough for her to feel the heat coming off him as they strolled the familiar streets. “What happened to the Five and Dime?” she asked as they crossed the square.
“It closed when Wal-Mart opened out by the highway.”
“But not the hardware store.”
“That’s because they supply things you can’t get anywhere else. The stores that were unique continue to thrive, the others…” He shrugged.
She noted they were strolling away from the center of town, toward the mountain. “So what do you want to talk to me about?” She jumped as his cell phone howled. She quickly hid her hands in her pockets, willing the claws to turn back into fingers and fingernails while David answered his phone. All she heard was “I’ll be right there.”
“You have to go?”
“An emergency. I’m sorry. Where are you staying?”
“The hotel, room 401. Call me later?”
“If it’s not too late. Come on, I’ll walk you back.”
“Go. I’m a big girl now, David. I’ll be fine.”
He sighed and shook his head. “You really have changed. The Sunny I knew didn’t like being out at night.”
“The Sunny you knew grew up. Go on. Call me tomorrow.” She watched as he took off at a quick jog. By the time he’d disappeared around a corner, she turned away and faced the mountain. Very few streetlights lit this part of town. Ten years ago, she’d never have ventured here alone. But like she’d told David, she’d changed.
She strolled on, reaching the end of paved streets and houses about thirty minutes later. A narrow path led from the end of the road into the forest. This was the night of the new moon, so no light broke up the deep darkness under the trees. She picked a large hemlock with a double trunk next to a rounded boulder as a memorable spot and stripped out of her clothes. Finally, she removed her contacts. She tucked everything into her oversized handbag and buried it in branches at the base of the tree. Then she shifted.
Hands and feet turned to paws, hair turned to silver-tipped fur. As her body changed, she sniffed the air, searching for other animals in the area—especially humans. There was a smell—familiar and yet not—in front of her. Not close enough to be a danger, though. When the transformation was complete, she shook all over, settling her fur into place. Where a woman had previously been, a beautiful, Siberian husky now stood. Sunny took off on the path, stretching her muscles, enjoying the night air and the freedom of running.
Chapter 2
David drove as fast as he could to the vet clinic. One part of his mind was on the emergency, but the rest was on Sunny. The girl he’d had a crush on forever. She’d been cute as a kid, pretty as a teen, but now was drop-dead gorgeous with curves a man could get lost in. He’d thought about asking her out in high school but had worried he might lose her friendship. Plus, there were the other shifters. I should have ignored them and asked her out back then. After all, being the alpha male should come with some privileges. Just because she came into her power later than the rest of us was no excuse to shun her. All the excuses of the past seemed silly now. Now, there was no excuse for them not to be together. Maybe fate really had intervened. Whatever the reason, he wouldn’t let his Sunny get away again.
He sighed and forced his mind to the clinic and the job ahead. Once there, he went in through the back entrance. His assistant stood there waiting for him, lab coat in hand. He shed his jacket and put on the lab coat. “What do we have?”
“Donny Miller. He got into another fight with Trace. It’s bad this time.”
David pushed through the doors to his private surgery. A German shepherd lay panting on the table. A set of x-rays hung on the light boxes behind the table. He studied them, and then leaned over the dog. “Donny? Can you shift?”
“I don’t think he can, Doctor.”
“Okay, put him under this way. We’ll just have to pray he doesn’t shift mid-surgery.”
With the help of his assistant, he did what he could to help the pup. “What is it with these young ones? Won’t they ever learn?”
“Were we any different?” his assistant asked. “I seem to remember Doc Martin putting a few stitches in you now and then.”
David chuckled as his deft fingers probed and stitched. Finally finished, he stepped back and stretched a cramp out of his back. “Bandage him and put him to bed. Who’s on tonight?”
“Actually, I am. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“Good. I’ll crash in my room. Call me if you need me.”
“Yes, Doctor. Good night.”
David stripped off his surgery gown and stuffed it in the laundry bin. After scrubbing up, he went to his office and made notes on what he’d done. A quick glance at the clock told him it was much too late to call Sunny. He opened the door behind his chair and entered the room behind. When he’d designed the clinic, he’d had the extra room added on for the sake of convenience, but it seemed lately he’d spent more time there than at his cabin. More like an efficiency apartment than a room, it had a full bathroom, small kitchenette, sitting area, and sleeping area. He headed straight for the bed, tired beyond reason. But sleep eluded him as he kept picturing Sunny as he’d seen her at the diner.
He’d told her the truth when he said she was beautiful. Unlike women who were nothing but skin and bones, she had curves in all the right places. She was soft and womanly, with short curls that enhanced her good looks. He wondered what form she’d take if and when she shifted. She’d come into her gift late and had never joined the rest of them in the woods. Had she learned to accept what she was? Did she know about the rest of them? As he drifted off to sleep, he imagined running with her through the trees, free to be whatever they wanted.
* * * *
Close to midnight, Sunny strolled back to the hotel and her room. A long, hot shower washed off the last of the dirt and leaves from her impromptu roll on the forest floor. She was sure she wouldn’t sleep much—she never slept well in strange beds—but the next morning she woke after sleeping better than she had in years. And without any nightmares.
At the diner the next morning, she was enjoying a second cup of tea when David entered. Like Robin Hood’s arrow to a target, he bulls-eyed her and headed straight for her, not even looking for another seat.
“Good morn
ing!” He slid into the bench opposite her. “You look incredible this morning.”
“You’re not so bad yourself. How’d your emergency turn out last night?” She figured he’d faked the importance so he didn’t have to stay with her. After all, he was David, as perfect as the statue carved by Michelangelo. And she was…Sunny. Slightly overweight nerd and weirdo.
“A German shepherd got into a fight with another dog. Gashes and some internal injuries, but he’ll pull through. I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you, but by the time I was out of surgery, it was pretty late.”
“You mean it really was an emergency?” His eyes widened and she choked on her tea. “Damn. I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
“Yep. I take it you’ve been the victim of the fake emergency call a time or two.”
“Or more. I even had an accountant once tell me he had an accounting emergency he had to fix. Didn’t even get past the appetizer on that one.”
“Ouch. Were those guys all blind?”
“No. That’s the problem. They saw all too well.”
“Sunny! You were a cute teen, but you’ve matured into a gorgeous woman. Any man would be proud to have you at his side. I know I would be.”
“Excuse me? You? You can have any woman you want. There were enough of them drooling after you all through school.”
“But none of them were my friend. Not like you. I’ve never been as comfortable with anyone as I was with you.”
Her hopes sank like a breached sub. A friend. That’s all she was. She stiffened when he reached for her hands.
“I’ve missed you more than you can possibly know. And I am so glad you’re back. But before I say anything else, we need to really talk—finish what we started last night. Are you done?”
“Yes. But what about you?”
“I ate earlier. Come on.”
She paid her tab and followed him out. A cold breeze blew leaves around. They’d had a hard frost during the night and the sun hadn’t yet warmed the air. Her breath puffed white in the cold and she pulled up the collar of her heavy jacket. “Where to?”
“Would you mind coming to my place?”
Only as much as I’d mind winning the mega-lottery. “Um, no. That would be fine.”
“We can take my car. Do you have any plans you need to be back for?”
“I’m supposed to meet up with Rommy sometime today, but nothing definite. And there’s the parade tonight.”
He laughed. “I promise you won’t miss the show. Rommy, I’m not sure about. You can call her from my place.”
“I’ve got my cell phone.”
“That’s good then. Come on. My car’s behind the hardware store.”
He led her to a big black truck with scratches showing through the caked-on mud. “Sorry. I should have run it through the car wash.”
“Why? This is the vehicle of someone who gets into his work.” She climbed into the passenger seat after he opened the door for her. The interior smelled like dogs and she smiled. Most people would find the odor offensive. She bit back the urge to sniff at the seat. He climbed into the driver’s seat and they were off. To her surprise, they headed into the mountain.
“Your place is upslope?”
“Yeah.” His cell phone howled, and he hit the talk button on his earpiece. She wasn’t totally surprised when the truck slowed to a stop.
“I’ll be there shortly.” He hung up and sighed, his head dropping to the steering wheel. “Sunny?”
She laughed. “Yeah, I know. Another emergency.”
“Actually, no. But the shepherd isn’t doing well. I need to go back. You want me to drop you at the hotel?”
“Can I go with you?”
His eyebrows raised and he shot her a grin. “You’d do that?”
“Of course. Go.” He whipped the truck around—an interesting feat on the narrow road. She grabbed the handgrip as they went down the mountain a lot faster than they’d gone up. He did slow down on their way through town, his hands tapping impatiently as they waited for the single light at the square to change. Then over the bridge and on to the river road. A few minutes later, they skidded to a stop next to a low, white brick building. Sunny spied wire enclosures at the back of the building; she assumed they were kennels and other holding pens.
“Welcome to my place.” David held the glass door open for her. The large lobby was split into three sections, dogs to the left, cats to the right, general pets in the center across from a welcoming receptionist’s desk.
“Nice.”
“Thanks. I shouldn’t be long. Feel free to look around.”
“Go. Take care of your patient. I’ll be fine.” He grasped her hand and she thought he was going to kiss it, but to her surprise, he merely sniffed. Who knew a sniff could be so sexy? So hot? After he left, she stepped back outside to cool off. The man created more steam than a sauna. She walked around the back to the holding pens. The open ones were empty, but she was sure there were other animals inside. The wire cages bothered her. To be so enclosed…how horrid.
She went back inside and wandered through the store area. Different types of food, bedding, grooming supplies, and more lined the neat shelves. She didn’t feel right wandering through the examining rooms and other private areas, so she stuck to the waiting areas. The designer had made the seating comfortable with padded chairs, but also practical in using easily cleaned fabrics and flooring, varying from industrial carpet to tile. Large windows let in ample amounts of light and green plants softened the corners. It was a professional office, but comfortable and easy on the eye.
Five magazines later, David emerged from the back offices. Deep fatigue lines marred his face, and her heart went out to him. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry. That took longer than I thought it would. And I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to take you to my place. The shepherd took a turn for the worse. I may have to operate again. I can take you back to the hotel, but then I need to come back here.”
Her heart dropped, but she put on her best smile. “No worries. You sure you can leave now?”
“Yeah. The tech is keeping an eye on things.” He held open the door for her.
He was quiet all the way to the hotel, and she left him alone. She knew he needed to process what had gone wrong at the clinic. They pulled into the parking lot, and he just sat there, hands on the steering wheel. She climbed out of the cab. “See you later?”
“Huh? Oh. Yes. Later.” He was moving almost before she shut the door. She jumped back and stared after the truck. Had she seen what she thought? It couldn’t be. Could it? “Did he have fur? And claws?”
Head shaking, she strolled into the hotel. A dozen or so people stood around, some at the desk, others scattered around the lobby. She recognized most of them, though they’d changed in the ten years since she’d last seen them, but then, so had she.
“Dr. Clark?” The young man staffing the desk called her over.
“Yes?”
“I was told to watch for you and give you this.” He handed her an envelope. Sunny turned it over several times before finally slitting it open. “Damn.” The note was from Rommy. She and Sam would be tied up almost all day with family stuff. So much for them getting together until later. “So what do I do now?”
“Sunny?” A tall blond man approached her. He was tanned and wore expensive clothes tailored to fit his long frame. He seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put a name to the face.
“It’s me, Mack.” He grinned at her with a mouth full of teeth that probably cost more than her rent—for a year.
“Mack?” The name clicked. “Mack Gontz?”
The million-dollar grin again. “Yep. It’s good to see you. How are you doing?”
“I’m good. But look at you! You’ve changed.” She remembered him with bad skin, crooked teeth, and glasses that would rival a bank vault door for thickness. They’d been passing friends in school, both relegated to the “nerd” side of the lunchroom, envying those on the “
other” side.
He spun around and laughed. “I made some money in the dot com field and got some work done.”
“Some? You look incredible.”
“Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself.”
They continued talking, which led to Sunny joining him for lunch in the hotel restaurant, on his tab. After their meal was delivered, she grinned at the tiny portion of fish atop a molded mound of rice pilaf and sautéed greens. The full entrée was barely large enough for an appetizer and the price was more than what David had paid for both their dinners last night.
She and Mack laughed and chatted until the dining hostess chased them out, claiming she had to get set up for the dinner crowd.
“Would you like to go for a walk?” Mack asked.
“Sure.”
As they headed for the exit, David was entering. “Sunny?”
“Oh, David. Hi.” Uh-oh. “You remember Mack?”
David glanced at him, and then stared, narrow-eyed. “Yeah. What are you doing here?”
“Um, reunion? If you’ll excuse us, Sunny and I are going for a walk.” He pushed past David, his grip on Sunny’s arm tight almost to the point of pain.
“Sunny? I thought we were going to my place,” David said.
She pulled Mack to a stop and moved his hand from her arm. She’d waited for this day for years, but why now? And what was with Mack? He was the least aggressive guy she’d ever known.
Some people really do change, inside and out. She smiled at David. “You were gone so long…by the way, how’s the shepherd?”
“He’ll be fine. The surgery went well, and he’ll make a full recovery.”
“Good. Maybe we can take a rain check on the trip. How ’bout if we get together tomorrow? I’ll meet you for breakfast at the diner.”
“I’ll do better than that. I’ll pick you up at your room and make you breakfast at my place.” He glared past her at Mack and then looked back at her.
She laid her hand on his arm. “It’s a date. Thank you.”
“Good. Get some rest. I’ll see you then.” David stepped aside for her.
Who's Your Alpha? Page 2
