Soul Bound (Completed)

Chapter Twenty-Six

          Donna lay on her stomach on the rug in Sammy's room. He was in wolf form, his back on the floor and his legs ­– all four of them – in the air. Donna rubbed his stomach in soothing motions, soft yips coming out of his mouth. 

          It should have been a weird sight, but it was oddly natural. I drew closer, fascinated by the small wolf on the floor. As if sensing my approach, his little head jerked to the side, and I watched his eyes light up. Sammy rolled over so that he was on his hind legs and a small tongue slipped through his teeth.

          I laughed. It was probably the cutest, most endearing sight I had ever seen.

           "Hey," I said to Donna, bunking down on the floor next to her. A furry little body warmed its way onto my lap, and I smiled. "How on earth did you keep all of this a secret for so long?" I marvelled, as my fingers began to stroke Sammy's fur.

           "It weren't easy," Donna admitted, her eyes on her son. Keaton, who had let me into the apartment, walked into the bedroom with a bag of chips in hand. He always seemed to be eating. "But there was somethin' about you that made me want to have you around. I didn't know what it was back then, but once I began smellin' the scent of your wolf I knew you'd find out eventually."

           "Don't know why you bothered," Keaton said, settling down on the floor too. "It couldn't have been easy, letting a human get close without giving everything away."

           "Hey!" I protested half-heartedly, my eyes on the pup curled up on my lap. His little body seemed to be quivering. "Perhaps she thought I was worth the bother."

           "I didn't mean any offence, sweetheart. I was merely making an observation. You're hot. I could see why some young pup would lap up your company, but unless I'm mistaken, Donna doesn't swing that way."

           "You're not mistaken," Donna said wryly, her hands also nestled in Sammy's fur. From the purring noises he was eliciting, I could tell he was enjoying both our attention. Keaton looked satisfied.

           "Why are you even here?" I asked, looking between Keaton and Donna

          Donna didn't look embarrassed or uncomfortable and I deflated a little, realizing that nothing remotely sordid had been going on. She seemed to sense my thoughts and shot a sharp, but sad look in my direction.

           "Dane is in a prissy mood. I didn't want to be stuck in the apartment with him, but I also didn't want to go out anywhere tonight. Not with the full moon in a few hours. So I came here." For a second I was confused, then remembered that Luca's middle name was Dane.

          "And emptied out half my refrigerator in the process," Donna said wryly.

         I hoped at least Luca would be clearheaded tonight. It wasn't overtly obvious, but Donna and Keaton definitely seemed on edge. The pins and needles sensation in my arms and legs had passed, but they still felt heavy and sluggish. Every minute that went by helped erase my doubt. The atmosphere around us was charged and electric and I knew that something big was going to happen tonight.