she’d called Cadence she would have
driven up here herself and taken her back to Allen. Callie didn’t
want to be rescued; she wanted to make her own way. But she missed
the hell out of her best friend. And Cadence was wrong, at any
rate. Callie left so Cadence didn’t have to fight for her. Cadence
wanted to keep her apart from the other females and protect her,
and the alpha couldn’t really do that without making herself look
weak and screwing up the hierarchy of the pack. It would have torn
her apart eventually, ruined her relationship with Jason. Callie
was a lot of things, but she wasn’t that selfish.
So her new plan, that she had hatched early
this morning while she was hunting, was to get a car and get on her
way. She’d find a job in some big city. She could be a teller at a
bank or do customer service somewhere. She’d get a place, start her
life over, and no one would know that Calliope Marie Hunter was a
werewolf until she found the man she was going to marry. And it
wouldn’t be twin mountain lions that were cops in a small town in
northern Pennsylvania. Definitely.
She dozed off and on fitfully, thinking about
the car accident, her growing attraction to the boys, the bitch
Farrah, and the party. Several hours later, against her better
judgment, she got up and showered. With a towel around her head and
one around her body, she opened both suitcases and looked at the
contents. It was much colder up here than back in Allen. By about
twenty degrees at least. Her wool winter coat wasn’t thick enough
to withstand this blistering cold. She should head west instead of
east. Seemed like there were some wide open places in Kansas
without packs. She wasn’t sure she had enough money for that trip,
though. Unless she didn’t replace the car. Her insurance company
said once she had a mechanic take a look at the car and send them a
letter saying it was totaled along with pictures, that she’d get
the value of the car. Which wasn’t much. It had been a loaner from
Peter when she got her license and he gave it to her on her 18th
birthday. It was old and run down when she got it.
She put on a matching satin pink bra and
panties, and slid into a pair of artfully distressed jeans. Besides
the pair that had been cut off her, these were her favorite. She
layered a fitted white tank with a dark green brushed cotton long
sleeved shirt and left it unbuttoned, and finished with her black
Champion tennis shoes.
Taking the time to dry her hair, she pinned
the sides back with little twists. It was starting to get long,
dipping past her shoulders in a soft wave, the color all browns and
honeys. In the summer it got lighter and went a little red. While
she put on enough makeup to cover the dark circles that little to
no sleep had garnered her, she looked at herself in the mirror.
Short, curvy, cute. That’s her. Like a bunny rabbit on two legs.
Men didn’t fall at her feet and beg for a kiss. She'd get the punch
on the arm, good-buddy attention.
“You’re not going out there for anything
except to be nice and respectful to Ethan and Eryx for their
hospitality, and to not embarrass them in front of their family.
That’s it. If the females give you attitude, you just walk away.
You’re not sticking around anyway.” She glared at her reflection as
she spoke out loud and willed herself to believe that she could
spend the evening with Ethan and Eryx and not want to stay. Yes,
she would. She had no choice. That female’s reaction to her was all
the proof she needed that the hierarchy for lions was like the
pack. And she was trying to avoid that at all costs.
It was 6 when she walked out of the bedroom
and there were two extra men in the kitchen besides Ethan and Eryx.
All four turned towards her when she walked out, and Ethan and
Eryx’s eyes lit up like they’d just seen something incredible. She
was tempted to glance behind her to see if there was anyone else
there.
They moved quickly to her and a rush of
driven up here herself and taken her back to Allen. Callie didn’t
want to be rescued; she wanted to make her own way. But she missed
the hell out of her best friend. And Cadence was wrong, at any
rate. Callie left so Cadence didn’t have to fight for her. Cadence
wanted to keep her apart from the other females and protect her,
and the alpha couldn’t really do that without making herself look
weak and screwing up the hierarchy of the pack. It would have torn
her apart eventually, ruined her relationship with Jason. Callie
was a lot of things, but she wasn’t that selfish.
So her new plan, that she had hatched early
this morning while she was hunting, was to get a car and get on her
way. She’d find a job in some big city. She could be a teller at a
bank or do customer service somewhere. She’d get a place, start her
life over, and no one would know that Calliope Marie Hunter was a
werewolf until she found the man she was going to marry. And it
wouldn’t be twin mountain lions that were cops in a small town in
northern Pennsylvania. Definitely.
She dozed off and on fitfully, thinking about
the car accident, her growing attraction to the boys, the bitch
Farrah, and the party. Several hours later, against her better
judgment, she got up and showered. With a towel around her head and
one around her body, she opened both suitcases and looked at the
contents. It was much colder up here than back in Allen. By about
twenty degrees at least. Her wool winter coat wasn’t thick enough
to withstand this blistering cold. She should head west instead of
east. Seemed like there were some wide open places in Kansas
without packs. She wasn’t sure she had enough money for that trip,
though. Unless she didn’t replace the car. Her insurance company
said once she had a mechanic take a look at the car and send them a
letter saying it was totaled along with pictures, that she’d get
the value of the car. Which wasn’t much. It had been a loaner from
Peter when she got her license and he gave it to her on her 18th
birthday. It was old and run down when she got it.
She put on a matching satin pink bra and
panties, and slid into a pair of artfully distressed jeans. Besides
the pair that had been cut off her, these were her favorite. She
layered a fitted white tank with a dark green brushed cotton long
sleeved shirt and left it unbuttoned, and finished with her black
Champion tennis shoes.
Taking the time to dry her hair, she pinned
the sides back with little twists. It was starting to get long,
dipping past her shoulders in a soft wave, the color all browns and
honeys. In the summer it got lighter and went a little red. While
she put on enough makeup to cover the dark circles that little to
no sleep had garnered her, she looked at herself in the mirror.
Short, curvy, cute. That’s her. Like a bunny rabbit on two legs.
Men didn’t fall at her feet and beg for a kiss. She'd get the punch
on the arm, good-buddy attention.
“You’re not going out there for anything
except to be nice and respectful to Ethan and Eryx for their
hospitality, and to not embarrass them in front of their family.
That’s it. If the females give you attitude, you just walk away.
You’re not sticking around anyway.” She glared at her reflection as
she spoke out loud and willed herself to believe that she could
spend the evening with Ethan and Eryx and not want to stay. Yes,
she would. She had no choice. That female’s reaction to her was all
the proof she needed that the hierarchy for lions was like the
pack. And she was trying to avoid that at all costs.
It was 6 when she walked out of the bedroom
and there were two extra men in the kitchen besides Ethan and Eryx.
All four turned towards her when she walked out, and Ethan and
Eryx’s eyes lit up like they’d just seen something incredible. She
was tempted to glance behind her to see if there was anyone else
there.
They moved quickly to her and a rush of
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