Reaching in the bag, I pulled out a rectangle that was wrapped in red paper. It was thin, heavy, and definitely not pancakes. I glared at him.
“I had to take it out of the box,” he explained. “You’ll see why.”
I tore the paper open and gasped. “An e-reader! I can’t believe you got this for me. Trevor! It’s too expensive.”
“Ah, bologna,” he muttered, sitting up. “It’s the latest model so you can jump on the Internet when you’re out, and it lets you watch movies. It’s fully charged and ready to go.”
I flipped it on and scrolled through the images. “Books? There’s books on here. Or do I buy those?”
Trevor laughed. “No, those are yours, April. I bought them all for you to replace the ones you lost. I looked around the trailer and figured out what was missing. The rest are just for fun. I’ll show you how to shop for free books later on, but those should keep you busy for a while.” He paused for a few beats and his voice wavered. “So, uh, is it okay? Do you like it?”
I tackled him and squealed against his neck. He belted out a satisfied laugh, and I felt like a kid at Christmas. “I love you, Trevor. You didn’t have to do this.”
“Yes I did. It’s your early birthday present.”
I sat up and held it between my fingers. It wasn’t the cost of the item—it’s that Trevor was the only person in my life who really knew me. My own sister didn’t indulge me with books, but instead picked out things that she would have wanted for herself. God, I loved him so much and couldn’t understand how someone with such an enormous heart didn’t have a family or close group of friends. It almost made me feel guilty, as if I were keeping him all to myself.
Trevor glanced at his watch and grabbed the wrapping paper and bag. “Now take off that damn shirt.”
I froze and felt all the blood rush to my face.
Trevor rolled out of bed, not paying attention. “I hate it when you wear Billy Joel, especially when I’m lying beside you. It’s like I’m sleeping with him. You want a breakfast burrito with some of that leftover meat in the fridge or… April?”
Before he caught on to my mini panic attack, I set the e-reader in my drawer and scooted down the bed.
He seized my wrist. “What’s wrong?”
“I need to use the bathroom,” I said, jerking my arm free and locking myself in that tiny little closet that wouldn’t even allow me the privacy to cry. Trevor was right. Everything made sense about shutting away all the gloom and just relishing life. I needed to compartmentalize my emotions and lock up the bad stuff. The party was just the thing I needed—barring Trevor going Bruce Lee on someone.
A door violently slammed and I jumped.
“Trevor?”
When I heard shouting, I yanked my jeans on and hurried to the door.
“April, get back!”
It took me a second to assess the situation. Trevor stood ten feet in front of me, barefoot and holding a butcher knife. Pacing toward us was the wolf.
My wolf.
“Trevor, no!” I jumped down and tried to run past him. He grabbed my arm and swung me around.
The wolf growled ferociously and bared his white fangs.
“This is your wolf, April? I thought you were talking about a dog, like one of those fucking sled dogs.”
I shrugged. “I’m not an animal expert, Trevor. He won’t hurt us. I haven’t seen him since he took off and maybe he’s hungry.”
“Get off our property,” Trevor shouted.
But the wolf narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, not allowing anyone to talk down to him in that manner. Didn’t matter he was facing off with a guy holding a sharp blade in front of him.
“Don’t you dare hurt him,” I hissed. “That animal is not aggressive.”
He gave me an “Oh really?” look as a stream of slobber dripped off the wolf’s jaw.
“Wolves are territorial. You let him hang around here once and he’ll think this is his turf,” he argued. “Get outta here!” Trevor yelled again in a threatening manner.
“He can’t understand you. Come inside and he’ll leave.”
Trevor raised his arm at the wolf. “That’s your only warning.” His eyes latched on to mine as he walked by. “I got bit once. You can’t trust a dog, wolf, whatever.”
Trevor yelled out a curse when I slipped around him and dropped to my knees, holding out my hands. “Come here, sweet boy. Let me have a look at you.”
The wolf compliantly paced forward, flicking his eyes at Trevor but wagging his tail. He licked my nose and I ran my fingers over his soft ears. “Is your leg feeling better today, pretty boy?”
He sat down and lifted his paw as if he wanted me to shake it.
“April,” Trevor scolded, and then he gave up and went inside.
“I missed you.” Then the tears came. It was just easier that way, because he didn’t understand. The wolf licked my cheeks and groaned. “I’m so scared,” I whispered. “Someone is after me and I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen. I don’t know what to do. I wish you could help me.” It seemed childish telling all my troubles to an animal, but it’s as if he sensed something was wrong.