Grace of a Wolf
Chapter 173: Grace: White Cat (I)

Chapter 173: Grace: White Cat (I)

It takes three hours to get the truck fixed, but we’ve run into a tiny dilemma.

Actually, it’s not very tiny. At least to Caine.

"Damn it," he curses, running a hand through his hair. "I didn’t think about this."

"I didn’t, either."

Andrew and Caine are both staring at the set of keys on the dinette table, which they’ve been doing for the past five minutes since we got the call the truck was ready.

I rest my hand on my chin, watching their impasse with mild frustration.

Caine lets out another huge sigh, and Andrew follows suit.

"I should have gone with him," Andrew says, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Didn’t even think about the logistics."

"We’ll be fine for thirty minutes without you guys."

"No," they say in unison.

I roll my eyes at their stubborn veto. "So, how are you going to pick up the truck then? Caine, even if you shift, you’ll take at least an hour to get there, right? Wouldn’t it be more dangerous for you to be gone for so long?"

"I could shift," Andrew offers.

"It’ll still take you at least an hour to get there," I point out. "This is ridiculous. It’s not even a big deal. The drive there will take ten, fifteen minutes at most. Just go and come back. Thirty minutes and you’re done. What do you think is going to happen in thirty minutes?"

Caine grimaces. "Leaving you here is dangerous. Any crazy person can come off the road—"

"So leave Fenris here. He’ll scare anyone off."

"But—"

"Just Fenris is fine."

"If there’s a—"

"Just. Leave. Fenris. And go get the truck. Please."

Caine rubs at his forehead, the hard line of his jaw twitching beneath his stubble. "Fine."

The air between us shimmers, and suddenly his wolf is there—the slightly-less-terrifying "dog" version of him, anyway. And the first thing he does?

He swings his head toward Sadie and snarls.

Sadie—all golden retriever friendliness until now—yelps and leaps onto the couch in a rush of honey-colored fur, practically climbing behind Jer for protection.

So she’s afraid of Fenris, but not afraid of Caine or Andrew. I’m more convinced than ever Sadie’s a shifter child who won’t return to her human body for some reason.

The wolf, meanwhile, apparently satisfied with establishing his dominance, belly crawls under the dinette table until he reaches me, then sits up to plop his head into my lap in silent demand for pets.

"Good boy," I murmur, scratching behind his soft ears.

Caine snatches the keys off the table and stomps to the door, and I swear the man is sulking.

Is it possible for the great and powerful Lycan King to sulk? Because—he is.

He slams the door open, then hesitates at the threshold. His shoulders tense before he whips back around, fixing each of the kids with his steel-gray gaze.

"Not a single one of you sets foot outside while I’m gone. Unless this thing catches on fire, you stay inside with Fenris. Understood?"

"Yes," all three chorus, sounding mildly exasperated in the way only children can.

Satisfied with their obedience, Caine turns to me. "Lock the door behind me."

Oh, my God. The man’s ridiculous. "I know how doors work, Caine. Just go already."

His jaw clenches, but he turns and walks out. I follow, watching him and Andrew go before closing the door and flipping the lock with an exasperated sigh.

Like an RV’s lock will do much if someone really wants in. Fenris is the real defense here.

* * *

Fifteen minutes after they leave, Sadie won’t stop pacing by the door and growling. Even Fenris’s snarls don’t faze her. The growls evolve into high-pitched barks, and all the kids cover their ears. The noise makes Bun stir in Ron’s lap.

"She’s going to wake her up!" the boy hisses.

"She probably needs to go potty. I’ll take her out. You guys stay in here."

"But Caine said—" Sara begins.

Sadie barks again, and I snap on her leash and open the door. She bolts out, nearly pulling me down the stairs. "Hold on!"

She frantically barks again, spinning on the end of the leash as Fenris comes out with us. I close the door behind him, and Sadie yanks so hard she’s choking herself with her collar.

"Calm down, Sadie!"

Sadie drags me across the asphalt like a dog obsessed. I loop the leash twice around my hand to keep from losing it, trying to yank her back. "Sadie! Come on. What’s wrong with you?"

The golden retriever doesn’t acknowledge me; just keeps choking herself against her collar, each desperate bark coming out strained and phlegmy. We hit the grass, and I expect her to squat immediately, but she doesn’t. She keeps lunging forward, dragging me toward the open field beyond.

"Sadie!" I dig my heels in, yanking back on the leash. "Just potty here. Right here. Come on!"

She ignores me completely. Not even a glance in my direction. Her bark turns frantic, high-pitched yelps, sounding more like an alarm than nature’s urges.

Maybe I was completely wrong about this dog. Would a kid do this to themselves?

Looking at her now, she’s acting exactly like a dog. A really, really fucking annoying dog who won’t listen to basic commands, even though she was an absolute angel in the store.

Fenris stalks forward, his lips curling back as he snarls at Sadie. It sends a shudder through my bones, even when I know he would never hurt me.

Sadie doesn’t even flick an ear his way.

My skin prickles uneasily. "Come on, Sadie. Let’s go back inside."

A sharp tug barely budges her an inch back.

She barks again, fixed on the distance. I squint, struggling to see beyond the green sea of grass.

Something’s moving out there.

Fenris’s ears perk forward, his entire body tensing beside me. Then he prowls forward, head hunched low.

Whatever’s out there, it’s caught his attention too.

Sadie suddenly calms, her frantic barking quieting to occasional yips. Her ears stand at attention, tongue lolling as she watches Fenris take point. The black wolf stalks forward, and the familiar ethereal blue glow appears beneath his fur.

With a lightning-fast pounce, Fenris lunges into the tall grass. Something white and fluffy bolts out—a massive white cat, streaking across the field with Fenris in close pursuit.

"What the—"

The cat changes direction, darting straight toward me with Fenris closing in behind it. My heart jumps into my throat, but before I can move, the cat slides to a stop precisely at my feet and begins winding around my ankles, its loud rumbling purr sounding like a small engine and hearty enough to vibrate my legs.

Sadie barks excitedly, bouncing forward to box at the cat with her front paws. The golden retriever’s entire demeanor has changed—now she’s playful, like she’s greeting an old friend.

This is no ordinary cat. It’s massive, nearly the size of a bobcat, with pristine white fur and blue eyes and—

Son of a bitch.

Is this that cat?

Fenris snarls, saliva dripping from his jaws as he lunges for the cat.

"Stop!" I shout, throwing my hand out. "Fenris, no!"