“Wow, okay. I called Rowdy’s office. What happened on that?”
Thankfully, Rowdy had been in the middle of another homicide case and wasn’t called until after Tara and Debbie arrived at the clinic. He’d dropped in a few times to see Debbie, but she’d been so out of it, he hadn’t learned anything from her. One of the nurses had always been present. At least Rowdy hadn’t let on that he figured anything was amiss. He had talked to the doctor and learned the seriousness of Debbie’s injuries.
“He came to visit you several times, whenever he could. I’m sure he’s still looking to date you. He sent roses.”
She smiled. “That was sweet of him.”
Debbie continued to chat away in a lighthearted and cheerful way, while Allan was feeling the onerous duty of speaking about all of this to her later and was in gloomy spirits.
When they reached her duplex, she waited for him to get the car door for her.
“Are you still tired?” he asked, concerned that she might have needed to stay longer at the clinic.
“I felt so good for a bit.” She sighed. “Maybe because I could leave the clinic. But yeah, I’m exhausted. I feel I need to sleep for a week to get over feeling this way.”
“Do you want me to pack for you?” He offered his hand to help her up. She relied on his strength, which worried him all the more.
“No, as long as you don’t mind me taking a while. I want to shower too. If you don’t mind, could you fix us something to eat? I’ve got an ice chest that we can fill with some of the food.”
He didn’t want to tell her they would be moving her completely out of her duplex. For right now, they’d left everything as it was. But once she was settled in with him or someone else who she trusted in the pack, they’d move everything that was hers. She might not want to stay with him once she learned about what she’d become, but she was going to have to stay with someone in the pack. No way could she live on her own until she had her shifting under control.
“Sure, I can do that,” Allan said.
“The ice chest is in the garage. Plenty of ice in the freezer. Oh, what happened to my car?”
He hadn’t expected that question. Catherine had taken it to an outer barn for safekeeping until Debbie was ready to drive it again. But he didn’t want to tell her that and make her suspicious. “It’s parked in your garage.”
“Oh. Good.”
He unlocked the door for her, and she headed inside. “Is there anything in particular that you want me to fix for lunch?”
“Maybe chicken à la king? I’ve got noodles to go with it. Anything you don’t mind making.”
“Okay, I’ll let you know when it’s ready.” Paul and Lori had already told the duplex manager about Debbie’s injuries and that she was going to be staying with family for several months and would need to move out. Thankfully, the duplex came furnished, so they didn’t need to move any of the furniture.
He just hoped Debbie didn’t learn about it until after they were settled at his place and he told her the truth.
He was glad she was feeling so good, but he could tell she was still tired. He was afraid she wouldn’t take the news well when he told her the truth tonight, and he would have to deal with the mess. For now, he had to play along—feed her, help her pack. When they reached his mountain cabin, that was another story. He’d had security alarms put in so that if she managed to somehow get through a lock on a window or door, an alarm would go off. He didn’t think she would be able to, but he wanted to be prepared.
He had to even put a lock on his wolf door.
He opened the cabinet and pulled out a can of chicken à la king and a bag of egg noodles, dreading taking her home and what would happen as soon as the full moon reached its zenith. It was one thing to deal with an angry human. Another to deal with a wild and angry wolf. Especially one that would have no idea what her strengths and capabilities were.
*
Debbie had never taken acting classes, but she sure hoped she had snowed Allan over. And the rest of those associated with him. Sure, she was half out of it when the wolf had turned into a woman. Yes, she had seen Allan giving the wolf CPR. And she hadn’t seen any sign of Tara. Then suddenly, Tara was there and the wolf was gone. Even so, Debbie still hadn’t believed they were one and the same. Not until she overheard the doctor and nurse talking in another room. What had scared her the most was that she now knew the real reason the doctor said she had to be with someone for some time—not because of health issues, but that they were afraid she’d tell someone what she had seen.