So she doesn’t have to be alone.
Yeah, I get it.
We all want that.
Probably the worst thing about being single is the feeling of total isolation and loneliness that tends to sneak up on you at the worst times. For years after she left, I’d catch myself thinking of her, wanting to pick up the phone and call her. Something funny would happen and I’d have to stop myself before I would just reach for the phone. She broke up with me. She left. It was her. She was the one who walked away, and I needed to make sure that I respected that.
Having her here in my house in the middle of the night is not what I was planning when I made dinner, or when I fed my cat, or when I sat down to read. I was expecting to have a chill night. I wasn’t expecting a ghost from the past in the form of a beautiful fox girl to knock on my door.
“What happened?”
We need to start with the basics and figure out exactly what the problem is. Was she approached by someone on the way to her date? Was it the guy himself? Did someone show up who wasn’t supposed to be there? The more information she can give me, the better.
“It…the meet went wrong.” The words come out slowly, carefully. She’s not sure how to word this. I think that she’s still in shock from whatever happened, so I’ll give her a few minutes. Part of me is so wildly relieved that she came here and that I was home to help her. I don’t want to think about what could have happened to her if I wasn’t around.
I wait quietly. She’s starting to calm down, which is good. She’s safe here. I’m sure as hell not about to let anything happen to Foxy. Not on my watch. I’m not under the impression that I owe her a damn thing, but Foxy and I go way back. I’m not about to let her feel sad or scared or afraid. I’m not going to let her feel anything but safety and comfort right now.
But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to pull her over my knees and give her the sweetest, most satisfying spanking of her damn life.
Team Shifter?
Shit.
The dating app isn’t bad, per say, but when you go meet strangers you’ve never met before, you’re supposed to be smart about it. She should have told someone – anyone. She could have told Meredith where she was going, or her mother, and she could have chosen to meet in a public place.
She didn’t.
Now some asshole is trying to hurt her, and that just makes me want to kill the damn guy.
Who the fuck does this guy think he is?
And why does he think he has a right to hurt Felicity?
“Tell me.”
“We were supposed to meet and scent each other. That’s how it works.”
“I’m aware,” I say drily. I haven’t been in a real relationship since Felicity and I broke up. I’ve always been convinced that she was my one true mate. Even as a younger shifter, I felt that. It was always just supposed to be the two of us together. I may have only been in my early twenties when we dated, but something within me just knew what our destiny was supposed to be. Her running off? Her breaking up with me? That wasn’t supposed to be how we ended.
“I don’t know where it went wrong,” she shakes her head and looks up at me like I’m supposed to have all of the answers, and honestly, I wish that I did, but I don’t.
“Start from the beginning,” I encourage her.
“We’ve been…talking.”
So they’ve been sexting. The thought doesn’t bother me as much as it probably should. I’m not the jealous type, especially when we haven’t been dating, but I dislike the fact that this guy saw her naked and then proceeded to scare her.
“And he seemed really fun and sweet and sensitive.” She shakes her head, blushing. “He listens to all of my problems, Brendan.”
“I’m sure that he does,” I say diplomatically, but there’s a part of me that wants to know what those problems are. Has Foxy been lonely? Has she been struggling with work? We live in a small town. It’s not hard to hear through the grapevine what she’s been up to. Besides, Foxy’s best friend, Meredith, seems to have a personal interest in keeping me updated with Foxy’s every move. It’s kind of annoying, actually.
“But when I went to meet him, I just had the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.”
“Those feelings are important,” I agree. “They’re one of the ways we can stay safe and protect ourselves. What gave you the idea that something was wrong?”
She wraps her arms tighter around herself. Foxy is still wearing the blanket I gave her, and I’m trying not to think about how sweet and wonderful she looks. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be, I remind myself, and this isn’t permanent. She’s only here for a short time. She’s not here long-term. She’s not here to date me or to be my mate. She just needed shelter. That’s right. Shelter. I meet her eyes, and I wait for her. How did she know her date was going to be a problem?
“Something about his scent. I don’t know. It was just…strange. So I turned to leave, but I was too slow. He pinned me.” She blushes again, but this isn’t a sexy sort of blush. This is the kind of blush from a creature who was tricked, trapped, and who is embarrassed about that.