Clay's Hope

by Melissa Haag

  Chapter 8

  Gabby was deep in thought as she read next to me on our bed. Since bringing me the books on mechanics, time with Gabby had become more special. She had seen right away that I couldn't turn the pages on my own and told me to nudge her when I needed a flip. She'd unknowingly given me permission to touch her. And over the past week, I'd read fast and brushed my nose against her bare leg as often as I could.

  Tonight, her scent clouded my senses, and I swam in my own paradise as she sat beside me. I didn't mind that she didn't seem to notice me because I knew what was happening. She was accepting not only my presence but me, too.

  Though I'd already decided to learn more about mechanics to help her, her acceptance pushed me harder to learn faster. I needed a way to show her what she meant to me. What her acceptance meant to me.

  So I absorbed the information on the pages. The basics of an engine were easy to grasp, but the practical application was a bit harder. I couldn't work on her car during the day, mostly because she was gone at school, and partially because I knew she wasn't yet ready to see me as a man. So at night, I carefully used her car as a test subject with the tools I'd procured here and there from the neighbors.

  Soon, I moved from the engine basics to a deeper understanding of the subsystems and the hi-tech tools needed to troubleshoot them.

  I was reading about those tools when I heard a car pull into the drive and another pull in front of the house. Lifting my head, I listened to Rachel's familiar step as she walked down the drive. Then, she was speaking to someone.

  I nudged Gabby, and she automatically turned my page for me. I smiled and was tempted to kiss her for her consideration but decided to nudge her again. The second nudge broke through her concentration. She finally looked up and met my gaze. I looked pointedly at the closed bedroom door. We both heard the front door open and Rachel speaking.

  "...and this is where I live. Please have a seat, and I'll change quickly. My roommate and our dog should be around here somewhere."

  "No rush," a man answered. "Our reservation isn't until six."

  Gabby looked at me, her eyes wide and her scent clouding with worry. Why would it worry her that Rachel brought a man home? I didn't care for it either; but after seeing the way Rachel dressed when she went out, I'd known it would be inevitable.

  Rachel knocked on Gabby's door, and Gabby jumped slightly. Her behavior puzzled me. Gabby rushed to close the book in front of me and called, "Come in."

  The words were barely out of Gabby's mouth when Rachel walked in still wearing her clothes from her job at the hospital. She reeked of chemicals and sickness. Though she smiled, her flushed cheeks had me worrying. Gabby wasn't like me; she could get sick. I hoped Rachel stayed back until she washed.

  "There you are," Rachel said, closing the door. "Come meet Peter." She walked closer to Gabby and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Don't kill me, but he has a friend without a date tonight, and I said I had a friend without a date tonight...please come with."

  A what? I turned to stare at Gabby, who groaned. Anxiety drifted from her. I didn't know what a date meant, but Gabby didn't seem to like it. The fact that Rachel had brought a man home and now wanted Gabby to leave with her, worried me.

  "Don't do this to me, Rachel. This won't end well, and you'll probably never forgive me."

  "Come on...please?" Rachel said as she sat on the bed next to Gabby. "I really like this one."

  Frustratingly ignorant, my confused gaze bounced between the two women.

  "That's the problem. Remember what I said? It's always a guy who ruins a friendship."

  I didn't remember that conversation, but Rachel seemed to. Not that it appeared to stop her from begging.

  "I don't want to go out tonight," Gabby said softly, desperation changing her tone.

  Go out. I knew that term. That meant leaving dressed in short skirts. I glared at Rachel. No amount of leftovers would atone for this.

  Gabby glanced at me, then gave me a nudge. Was the nudge because I was glaring or because she wanted me to bite Rachel? I was willing to bite.

  "I like having a friend," Gabby said.

  Something in her tone stopped my glare, and I turned to study her. Gabby held herself back from people. I'd witnessed that over the summer and when I'd followed her to school. Yet, she wasn't that way with Rachel. She relaxed around her. I'd noticed that right away. Could it be that Gabby was as lonely as me?

  "If he hits on you, then it wasn't meant to be. Don't worry so much," Rachel said with a smile.

  Rachel pulled Gabby off the bed, and I hopped down, sticking close to Gabby. I wasn't sure what they'd decided. Were they going out or was Rachel just introducing Gabby to the man in the living room?

  In the living room, a man with light hair and light brown eyes sat on the couch. He stood as soon as he saw the women. Or, rather, Rachel. His gaze didn't waver from her, the scent of his attraction flooding the air.

  Good. He could have Rachel. Not her leftovers, though. Those were still mine for putting up with the damn collar.

  Rachel stepped aside and introduced Gabby, whose anxiety spiked a moment before it disappeared. The man met Gabby's gaze, politely nodded, and went back to staring adoringly at Rachel.

  I studied Gabby as she exhaled in relief. What had she expected from the man?

  Rachel was saying something as she inched her way to the arch, but I didn't really hear her words until she said, "Tell her about Scott." I whipped my gaze to Rachel, who had already disappeared around the corner to her bedroom.

  Beside me, Gabby's fading anxiety flared with an edge toward panic. I glanced at the man, but he was still where he'd been, staring at the empty arch where Rachel had been, obviously infatuated with her. Who was Scott, and why the panic from Gabby?

  Gabby made a small noise that drew Peter out of his daze.

  He cleared his throat and looked at Gabby. She took a soft, deep breath. Nothing he could hear, but I did. She was trying to calm herself. I wished I understood what was upsetting her.

  "Nice to meet you, Gabby."

  "You too," she said, sounding normal. "Want to sit?"

  She motioned him to the couch and took the chair for herself.

  Continuing to observe her, I lay on the floor between them. As if sensing my attention, she glanced at me and then back up at the man.

  "This is Clay," she said.

  I turned and found Peter staring at me.

  "He's huge," he said.

  "Yeah. So, who's Scott?" Gabby said, asking what I wanted to know, too.

  Peter looked back up at Gabby. "Oh, a friend of mine. He's also in med school. We had plans to go to O'Donell's tonight for dinner and a drink or two. Then, I ran into Rachel and invited her to join us. We thought it'd be more fun if you could come, too."

  A date meant meeting another man? Not happening. I looked to Gabby, waiting for her to say no, but Rachel came back into the room just then, dressed in a skirt so short I could see her underwear if I wanted to look.

  "Of course you will, won't you, Gabby?"

  There was a silent exchange between the two that had both wearing a pleading look.

  "Okay," Gabby said slowly, giving in. "But I need to be home early enough to let Clay out."

  What? I was too stunned to react.

  "I'm sure he'll be fine for that little while." Rachel waved her hand dismissively at me, and I made a choked noise. What had just happened?

  "Go get dressed," Rachel said, waving Gabby toward her room.

  Gabby stood, ready to listen to Rachel, the short skirt queen. Gabby's willingness finally broke my control. There was no way she was leaving with Rachel and love-boy to meet up with some other guy.

  I stood and rushed to block Gabby from entering her room. She eyed me and tried to step around me, but I cut her off.

  Rachel laughed. "Come here, Clay. Come here and let Gabby get ready." She squatted
down and patted her leg. She was lucky I didn't have fingers at the moment.

  Ignoring Rachel, I continued to block Gabby. She had to understand. I wasn't okay with this.

  "I've never seen him act like this," Rachel said.

  Because I'd never been this angry with her and Gabby. I almost bared my teeth. Only Gabby's considering gaze kept me sane.

  "I'm surprised you have such a wild looking dog," the man said. "It seems too big compared to the house...and the two of you."

  Gabby shook her head ever so slightly and dropped to her knees in front of me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me. My pulse stuttered with her mouth so close to my neck. I forgot to breathe, but lack of air wasn't what made my chest ache and my gut clench.

  Bite me, I pleaded silently. Show them I'm yours and you're mine.

  Instead, she spoke softly near my ear.

  "I'm not crazy about the idea either, but you have to let me go and stop acting weird."

  Have to? No. I didn't have to.

  She pulled back.

  "Ready to be good, Clay?" She stood and scratched me behind the ear...just as a pet owner would do.

  The pain in my chest grew worse, and I turned, went to her room, and jumped up on the end of her bed. She followed me in, closed the door, and folded her arms. An edge of anxiety lingered in her scent, warring with her growing anger.

  "I am not changing in front of you."

  Exactly. I grinned at her and lay on the blanket. Her eyes narrowed on me for a moment, then she shrugged.

  "Fine. I'll change in the bathroom."

  She turned and pretended to study the clothes hanging in the closet. She was bluffing. She had to be. But why? Did she want me to be jealous? I already was. The idea of the hours she spent around men while on campus each day nearly drove me insane. She didn't need to add a date. What did she have to prove? She already owned me. I was here, in the human world, trying to figure out how to blend into her life, trying to make us work. What more did she want from me?

  Gabby reached for a skirt just as short as the one Rachel wore. Not in this lifetime. I growled.

  "Zip it." She grabbed some kind of silky top. It had more material than the skirt.

  She really meant to go. I sat up and started to vent.

  If you're trying to make me jealous, it worked. Put it down. You're not going anywhere, especially wearing any of that.

  Of course, all she heard was barking. Still, it felt good to actually say something to her.

  She spun toward me, her eyes wide with shock.

  "What the hell, Clay? Cut it out."

  Like hell. You know you belong to me. I'm trying to be patient but this is asking too much. You can't go to dinner with another man while feeding me dog food and making me drink out of a bowl.

  Rachel burst in without knocking, and the man right behind her. I stood and yelled at both of them.

  Get out and take your man-boy with you.

  "What's wrong?" Rachel asked, her gaze bouncing between me and Gabby.

  As if she didn't know. I growled and barked nonsense just because I was so pissed at the way things were turning out.

  "Nothing," Gabby said, yelling over me. "Just give me a few minutes to calm him down, okay?"

  Calm me down? I stopped barking and glared at the three of them. Gabby walked toward me with the clothes still under one arm. I growled at them, and she faltered. A hint of fear drifted to me, and I immediately felt guilty.

  "Uh, I'm not so sure you should do that right now," Peter said.

  I will jump off this bed and mark you if you don't leave now.

  "Enough," Gabby said forcefully, her voice echoing in the small room.

  I snapped my mouth closed but bared my teeth at the man.

  Gabby gave me a hard look, then turned toward the pair.

  "I'm fine. Thank you. Just give me a few minutes to change."

  Once they left, shutting the door behind them, Gabby closed her eyes and took a slow breath as if she were the angry one. I couldn't believe it.

  When she turned to look at me, I glared at her. Sure, I'd known she hadn't wanted me here, but I thought she understood our connection. I hadn't been searching for a Mate. I hadn't wanted her any more than she'd wanted me. No, that wasn't quite true. I'd never hoped for a Mate because I thought it impossible for someone like me. I had no pack, no family, no way to offer protection and safety other than with my teeth and claws. Just because I hadn't hoped for a Mate didn't mean I didn't want one. I wanted her. Badly. Why couldn't she see that?

  "Will you bite me if I sit next to you, Clay?"

  I snorted and the rest of my anger left me. She was just as lost as I was. I needed to remember that. I sat back down and waited.

  "You know I don't understand dog, right?"

  Which was a good thing.

  "It'd be so much easier if you just told me what was wrong."

  She finally turned to face me. When her gaze met mine, I saw the turmoil there. I'd done that. Regret pounded at me, and I wanted to shift so I could use my hand to cup her face and try to erase the mess of emotions sparking in her gaze. I wanted to kiss away any thought of meeting another man. How could she not know what was wrong? I sighed and nudged the clothes she still held.

  "You don't like the clothes or that I'm going out?"

  All of it, I thought with a nod.

  "You don't like both?"

  I lay down on the mattress, glad we finally understood each other.

  "You're really frustrating me, Clay."

  What?

  She moved to get up, and I growled, nowhere near ready to stop trying to communicate.

  "Now, hold on..." She stood, turned, and put her hands on her hips as she eyed me with annoyance.

  "I'm trying here, Clay, and you're not. So stop growling at me. Got it? And so what if I go out? Do you trust me so little? Have you not been paying attention? I'm not comfortable around guys. It's not as if I'm going to go out tonight and come back with a boyfriend or something. So, just chill out about your Claim, all right?"

  So she did understand and meant to go anyway? I growled in frustration.

  "We're not talking unMated males," she said softly. "They're just men."

  I laughed in disbelief. Just men? All men, whether werewolf or human, were a threat to the tenuous hold I had on her.

  I hopped off the bed and moved toward her. She stepped back, worry in her gaze, and I felt ashamed again. I'd done that. With my anger and impatience, I'd scared her.

  "Sorry."

  I could hear she meant it. I should be the one apologizing to her.

  "Let me think, Clay."

  She sat on the bed, and I watched her think for a moment.

  "Can we compromise? I don't want to spend the entire year sitting at home with a possessive dog who won't talk to me."

  I resented that she'd called me a dog, but I understood her point. If only she were ready to deal with me as a man and potential Mate.

  "What if we went somewhere dog friendly? There's a bar with cute little bistro tables on the sidewalk. If you're on your leash, you could come."

  Again with the dog reference. I turned around and faced the door so she could change. If she was set on going, I wasn't going to let her out of my sight for a second.

  "Is that a yes? I'm taking that as a yes. If you turn around while I'm changing, I'm going to have you neutered."

  I laughed at her threat. She was thinking of my-the soft rustle of material distracted me. I swallowed hard. She was changing. Right there behind me. A tremble raced down my spine. I ached to shift.

  A slight movement caught my attention. I glanced up, and my world stopped. In the mirror, I watched her pull her shirt over her head. The thing she wore underneath was like her bathing suit but with slightly wider straps and in all white. Pure, like her. I wanted to touch her so badly I shook with need. She pulled a new top
over her head, and suddenly, her gaze met mine in the mirror.

  Give me a sign, I thought, and I'll change into a man to touch you. Just one sign.

  "Hope it was worth it," she said. "You're on the couch tonight."

  That wasn't what I'd hoped for.

  She walked past me to open the door, and I saw she already wore the short skirt. She looked amazing. Sexy. I wanted to pull her back into the room and bar the door.

  "All set, but can we change our plans?" she asked as she stepped out. "I think Clay was freaking out because he knows we're leaving. He's been left alone so much this week..."

  Following closely behind Gabby, I didn't miss Peter's doubtful look. Rachel made pity noises and came at me. I narrowed my eyes at her, but she didn't seem to notice.

  "What if we went to that bar with the bistro tables that you were telling me about?" Gabby asked.

  "That'd be perfect. It's still nice enough out. Besides, I think this is the last week they do the outdoor dining. We should go before it's closed for the season."

  Peter spoke up. "Are you sure he will be okay? He looked pretty aggressive in there."

  Aggressive? That was nothing. I was ready to show him my teeth when Rachel's hand stilled on my head. She looked at Peter.

  "He's never done that before. I think Gabby might be right. We've been leaving him alone a lot."

  See, even your woman wants me along.

  "I even forgot to let him out this morning before I left," she said.

  Why did she have to go there?

  "Let me grab my shoes," Gabby said. "I'll follow you guys in my car just in case I need to leave early."

  "I'll let Scott know about the change in plans," Peter said.

  It would be better if he didn't tell Scott about the change in plans. I hated Scott, and I didn't even know him. Somehow, I didn't think biting him at first sight would win me any points with Gabby.

  "I'll let Clay out." Rachel got up and started calling to me. I glanced at Gabby, giving her my best is-she-serious look. Gabby's gaze held no pity.

  "You know the drill. Go do dog business."

  Patience, I reminded myself as I stood and left the room.

  As soon as Rachel closed the door behind me, I went to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. I wished I had some clothes. If I did, I would've thrown them on and went with Gabby like I was supposed to. What would she do? Probably throw a fit. She was too willing to see me as a dog and not at all willing to see me as a man.

  I sighed and waited for her. She stepped out a minute later, shaking her head at me. It seemed I was constantly disappointing her. She opened the door and got in.

  "You're going to be seen doing stuff a dog shouldn't do."

  A dog. Yep, that's how she saw me, and that knowledge ate at me.

  "That or someone's going to call the cops because a naked man keeps popping up in my backyard."

  And if I wasn't a dog, I was still a crazy man in her mind. I suppressed a defeated sigh. Couldn't she give me some hope?

  "You okay?"

  I looked at her, wondering if she could see my pain.

  "Fine," she sighed when I didn't speak. "No growling, no biting, no barking. Pretty much no anything but acting like a passive, well-behaved dog." As she spoke, she backed out of the driveway and turned onto the street to follow Peter's car.

  "I'm really nervous about this and don't want to worry about you, too."

  So she'd guessed my plan to bite Scott? I heaved a sigh and looked out the window.

  For the next few minutes, she just drove.

  "Clay, you should know...men make me uncomfortable because of the way they act around me."

  I turned to watch her.

  "They usually start flirting or ask me on a date. Most girls would be flattered, but if you really pay attention, there's something unnatural about it. It's like they can't help themselves. And sometimes, after I tell them no enough, they walk away with...I don't know...a look. Like they've been caught doing something they're ashamed of. I just want to try for normal tonight, okay? It'll be hard enough being in a public place. You'll see. I just need to know you're not going to make it any harder on me."

  She'd just told me men wouldn't leave her alone, then wanted a promise that I wouldn't react? Yeah, right. I went back to looking out the window, already knowing I'd do as she asked...because she'd asked.

  She reached out and ran a hand lightly over my shoulder. My tension and anger left me with that single touch. She was my world. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for her. Except give her up.

  "Does it bother you when I pet you?"

  Fear that she'd stop kept me from laughing. Instead, I curled up as tight as possible and shifted my position to lay my head in her lap. She laughed, a quiet husky sound that made me want to wrap my arms around her.

  Too soon she pulled into a parking spot, and I had to sit up again. The calm I'd gained quickly fled. We were here so Rachel and her new friend could introduce Gabby to another man. I wanted to bare my teeth, but Gabby's increasing worry stopped me. She didn't want to be here, either. She'd said as much.

  She snapped the leash on me and opened her door. I followed her out and stayed close to her side as we walked.

  While Gabby talked to Rachel and the man-boy, I scanned ahead, looking for the man they meant Gabby to meet. He was hard to miss. As over groomed as a poodle, he stood near a table. I glanced at Gabby. She wouldn't be interested in that. Would she? She had remarked on my smell and seemed to like me better right after I groomed.

  Gabby's step hitched the slightest bit as she noticed the man. Was that a sign of interest? Jealousy balled in my stomach. The man's smile changed as he caught sight of Gabby.

  I could feel my hackles rising and tried to calm down. A light touch, Gabby's hand on my back, soothed me, and I managed to walk to the table without growling.

  "Scott, this is Gabby," Peter said.

  "A pretty name you don't hear often," Scott said, pulling out a chair for her.

  His smooth words annoyed me. Gabby hesitated to sit in the chair he offered. Good girl.

  "Would you mind if we switched spots, Scott?" she asked. "That way our dog won't be so close to people walking by. He's very friendly, but big. I don't want anyone to be intimidated by him."

  "No problem," he said, pulling out his own chair for her.

  I moved with her; and as she sat, I lay between her chair and Scott's, making sure to push his chair further away. And, there I stayed through all Scott's annoying attempts to hit on Gabby. He wasn't obvious about it, just small little remarks like the comment about her name. I did my best to ignore it. After all, I was between them, and his words couldn't actually touch her.

  Yet, the longer I stayed at her feet, the more I resented the man at the table. It should have been me.

  "Why not have a drink with us, Gabby?" Scott asked.

  Gabby shifted slightly in her chair. "I'm a bit younger than the rest of you."

  "Really? How old are you?"

  "Eighteen. I'm not much of a soda drinker either, so water works. How much longer until you graduate?"

  I almost picked my head up. Why had she asked that? Was she actually interested?

  "It depends on how far I want to go. Peter told me he declared his major freshman year and has never changed. I, on the other hand, have changed twice. I like what I'm learning now, so I hope I won't change it again, but you never know. What about you?"

  "I'm going for massage therapy. So, I won't be here as long as the rest of you."

  "Massage therapy? I hear they ask for volunteers to come in for those classes. If you ever need someone to practice on, let me know. I'd be happy to come in."

  The man reached across the table, and I tensed, ready to jump up, but the arrival of their food saved him. I nudged Gabby's bare leg with my nose. When she glanced down at me, I showed her my teeth. That was all the w
arning I was going to give her. If Scott touched her, he'd feel my bite.

  "I think you'll both be in some of the anatomy classes next semester, Gabby," Peter said, drawing her attention. "If you want a study group, you should let Rachel and I know. I've already been through them. And since you're graduating in spring, I know you have, too."

  "Thank you, Peter, but I really do study best on my-"

  "That's a great idea," Scott said. "We should start now so the class won't be so hard later. What do you think about Tuesday nights?"

  I bumped her leg again. She was not studying with him.

  "It's a good idea to get a head start-"

  Woman, I thought in warning and bumped her harder.

  "But I'm so swamped with classes and homework now that I don't even have time to take poor Clay for walks."

  She reached out and patted my shoulder. I turned my head to gloat, but saw the man's gaze dip to Gabby's shirt and froze. She must have noticed his attention too because she immediately straightened and took a quick bite. That was the only thing that saved him from a beating.

  Exhaling slowly, I worked to calm down but the man tried to shove his chair closer. I braced myself, unwilling to give a hairsbreadth. He noticed and glanced down at me. I kept my head down, trying to control my temper.

  "What's your dog's name?" he asked.

  "Clay," Rachel said.

  "Nice name," Scott said.

  Liar.

  "Let's take him home after this and go out to a new club that opened downtown."

  I wanted to give Gabby what she desired, my good behavior, but he was pushing it. There was no way I'd let her walk away with him without a challenge.

  "Rachel?" Gabby said.

  My heart froze. What was she asking Rachel? Was Gabby seeking her permission to bring me home?

  "I see it," Rachel said.

  "See what?" Peter asked, echoing my thoughts.

  "Exhaustion. She's been studying like crazy." I lifted my head enough to witness Rachel wave over the waitress and ask for boxes and the check for the two of them. Finally, some sense from that woman.

  "And she needs rest, not a night out. Although, I am really glad we came."

  Gabby reached for her purse on the back of the chair, knocking my leash loose. Scott moved to grab her hand. Oh, hell no. I stood, unable to take any more, and everything on the table rattled when my shoulder bumped it. But, I'd successfully blocked Scott from touching her.

  Gabby turned away, not looking at either me or Scott. Good. Scott was eyeing me again; I was eyeing his leg.

  The waitress returned with the bill and the wrapped up leftovers, breaking the tension. Gabby paid, and Rachel gave up digging in her purse.

  "I better drive her home," Rachel said, looking at Peter as she stood. "You have my number. Give me a call if you want to do something next weekend."

  Gabby stood too, turning her back on Scott to step toward Rachel.

  "Rachel, you can stay with Peter. I don't mind taking Gabby home," he said.

  I bet he wouldn't mind.

  With her back to him, Gabby didn't catch Scott reaching to stop her. I sprang forward and propelled her out of the way with my head. She looked down at me, but before I could nod toward the car, Rachel spoke up.

  "No, Scott. I think we're done for tonight." She waved to Peter then grabbed Gabby's hand.

  As the two started to walk away, seeming to completely forget about me, Scott shoved his money at the waitress and stood, his intent clear. I darted in front of him and crouched low. The man's singular focus on Gabby cost him. He tripped over me and fell to the ground. I stood and ran after Gabby, who was looking over her shoulder at us. I nudged her back to keep her moving. The man wouldn't stay down long. Both women moved at a pre-jog walk.

  "I'm sorry," Rachel said, once we were almost to the car. "You told me, but I didn't really get it. Even the men sitting around us were eyeing you."

  They were? I glanced back, but everything looked normal. I'd been so focused on Scott, I hadn't noticed anything else.

  "No big deal," Gabby said. "You should see me in some of my classes. 'No' is the most common word in my vocabulary. Scott's reaction was worse than most because he already considered me his date. If you say 'no' consistently and to everyone, it doesn't get so bad."

  I looked up at her and studied her sad face. She dealt with men like that all the time? Suddenly her standoff attitude toward just about everyone made a lot more sense.

  She handed Rachel the keys. "You really can drive."

  Rachel took them and opened the door for me as Gabby walked around to the passenger side. I hopped over the seats to get to the back, then lay down so I could watch out the front-and be closer to Gabby.

  Halfway home, Rachel stopped at a gas station.

  "Tonight's an ice cream night. Be right back." She jumped out and hurried inside.

  Gabby dropped her head back against the seat and sighed. I lifted my nose, trying to scent her mood. Melancholy. What part of tonight had made her sad? I doubted it was my interference; and although I'd bared my teeth in warning, I'd behaved as she'd asked. For the most part.

  She reached out and started to stroke my head and ears. I sighed and relaxed, enjoying her touch. At least she didn't seem to be upset with me.

  She looked out the window, and her misery grew stronger. I lifted my head, worried about her.

  "I'm fine," she said, meeting my gaze. "How are you doing?"

  She was worried about me? With an ache growing in my chest, I pushed myself forward a bit so I could lay my head on her lap.

  The door opened, and the unexpected sound made me flinch. I hadn't even heard Rachel approaching. I hadn't been listening because when I was around Gabby, all my senses belonged to her.

  If Gabby noticed my reaction, she didn't comment. Instead, she gave my ear one last caress and then released it so I could make room for Rachel.

  As Rachel drove and they talked about ice cream, I struggled to think of what I could do next. Though I wanted Gabby to see me as a man, and more specifically her Mate, she was starting to see me as a companion. She was talking to me more.

  We pulled into the driveway, and I jumped out just behind Gabby, not ready to give up the closeness we'd experienced in the car. When she went to her room, I reluctantly stayed with Rachel, half-listening to the woman's babble about how I was such a good boy.

  It didn't take long for Gabby to reappear, dressed for bed.

  "Where's my chocolate?" she asked.

  I could scent something off. She was still upset, and I moved to her side. She patted me gently.

  Rachel handed over a small container of ice cream.

  "I'm going to go change. Want to watch a movie or something?" Rachel stripped out of her shirt on her way to her bedroom, but I didn't look. I wasn't interested. I was too busy studying Gabby's face as she took a small bite of ice cream.

  She covered her ice cream with the lid and put it in the freezer.

  "What do you think?" she asked, looking at me. "Stay up and watch a movie, or go to bed early? Lead the way."

  I turned and went to her room, hopping up on the bed.

  "Rach, we're just going to go to bed early. 'K?" Gabby said from behind me.

  "It's okay. Go ahead. I won't keep you up with a movie, will I?" I listened to Rachel flop on the couch and watched Gabby move to stand in our doorway.

  "I'm so tired I doubt anything will keep me from sleeping."

  "'K. Night, Hun. Thanks for going with me even if it did suck."

  "Don't worry about it. Night."

  Gabby turned and closed the door. In the living room, a high-pitched, electronic squeal, a sound I'd grown used to, filled the air as Rachel turned on the TV.

  Something in Gabby's expression softened as she looked at me, and it suddenly hurt to breathe.

  "Thanks, Clay," she said, walking around the bed. She paused and bent over
me. I held myself completely still and closed my eyes as I felt her lips on the top of my head. A noise escaped me, part pain, part need. She moved away too quickly and crawled under the covers. Her feet slid under my chest, seeking my warmth.

  She didn't realize how these simple gestures reassured me. Her small touches meant acceptance. I sighed. I had patience to see this courtship through until the end. But, the torture of it might kill me.

  I waited until Rachel went to her room and the house quieted before I eased off the bed. I needed to go for a long run.

  Outside, I left the yard, sticking to the shadows and avoiding houses with dogs. This wasn't the first night I'd snuck out for a run. Sleeping in the same room with Gabby was as calming as it was stimulating. Her scent seeped into my senses while I slept, and I often woke physically uncomfortable. A run usually helped.

  Toward the campus, a few of the houses thrummed with music and muted voices. I stopped to watch the males and females interact and hoped Gabby would never want to go to a party.