Lots of time, right? Except, when I stopped to think about it, that wasn’t long at all. Not when it came to matters of the heart. I padded into Mathis’s attached bathroom and quickly washed up. After dragging my fingers through the rat’s nest that was my waist-length mahogany hair, I opted to braid it down my back. I had nothing here other than the clean pair of panties I’d put on. No toothbrush, no comb, nothing. And no way in hell did I intend to stumble down the stairs with a cotton mouth that reeked of morning breath. God, he’d smell it a mile away. I’d already made a complete ass of myself. Pun absolutely intended.
I grabbed the tube of toothpaste and squirted a bit on my finger. This, paired with a quick swish of mouthwash would have to do. Minty fresh, I lifted my head and met my reflection. Ugh. Avoid the vanity. Bruised shadows darkened the skin beneath my eyes, and creases from the pillows lined my cheeks. Not to mention the rumpled, day-old bridesmaid dress. This was shaping up to be my worst day ever. Because this was the ideal image of the woman every man wanted.
Top items on my to-do list today: New clothes, a shower, and burn hideous bridesmaid dress. Oh yeah, and become mates with Mathis. Couldn’t forget that.
I leaned out the door and eyed Mathis’s closest. Surely, there had to be something I could use in there. I tiptoed back into his room and eased open the door. Rows upon rows of shirts and slacks. Then below were the more relaxed items. I flicked through that section until finally stumbling across a University of Lethbridge hoodie. Two sizes too big, but hell, anything was better than this.
Yanking it off the hanger, I shimmied out of the dress and shunted it into the corner of the room where it could die a horrible death for all I cared. Then I pulled the hoodie on, grunting when my head got caught in the sleeve.
For frick’s sake. Could something please go my way?
A low growl rumbled deep in my chest.
I froze.
Oh, my God! I’d growled!
Trapped in the hoodie, I lifted my hand and cupped my throat, my heart skipping a beat at the feel of the slight vibrations rumbling against my palm. I was growling! Happy day!
Ecstatic, I wrenched the hoodie down over my head and fist-punched the air. This was wonderful, and more than I could have ever asked for. Hell, right now I didn’t care if I ever shifted.
I bolted back into the bathroom and stared at my reflection. Come on, girl, I coaxed. You can do it again. I wanted to see it. Wanted to watch the sound climb out of my throat, see my wolf come to life in my eyes.
I wanted to meet her.
Nothing. Not even a flicker of light in my eyes.
Disappointment rounded my shoulders. I gripped the edge of Mathis’s porcelain sink and held tight. Was it so much to ask for a glimpse? The witch said my body would tell me when I was ready, but I was ready now. I wanted to run, howl, and play. I wanted to strut in front of Sloe’s face and kick dirt in her eyes. I wanted to rub it in all their faces that I was more than what they thought. Petty, but deserved.
I lifted my head and sucked in a sharp breath. There, in the mirror, the wolf stared back at me. My once honey-brown eyes now shone amber.
“There you are,” I whispered. I reached out and touched the chilled glass.
My heart ballooned with happiness and hope. It was real. She was real. I could feel her pacing anxiously in the back of my head, eager to slip free of her human restraints and run. Oh, God. I wanted that too.
“Hey, pretty girl,” I whispered. I had no idea if anyone else spoke to their wolf like this. Or if their wolves were even separate in their head from the rest of them. And I didn’t care. She was here, and she was mine. “I won’t let you go.”
My fingers tightened against the sink as I considered the possibility of losing her. No. I refused to let that happen. Whatever it took, I would do it. Even if that meant mating with a man I didn’t know. It was worth it if it meant I could keep her. Piper assured me I loved Mathis. I had to take her word on that. Because I refused to give up.
I pushed back from the counter, then narrowed my gaze on the sink. Indents the exact shape of my fingers gouged the porcelain, and a fresh sprinkling of dust layered the floor. I snatched my hands back and stared down at them. Hell, I’d done that. Gripped the sink so hard, I’d damaged it.
Ah, shit. That was going to cost a pretty penny to fix.
I glanced up at the mirror once more, my mouth quirking at the sight of my bright eyes. “We’re going to have to work on that, girl.”
With a steadying breath, I smoothed my trembling hands down the front of the sweater. Thankfully, the hoodie was the same length as the dress and covered the most important bits. It was time to face the day, and convince Mathis that I could go home. At least so I could pack a bag. If he wanted me here, fine. But not without clothing and toiletries.
I toed out of the bathroom, then slipped out of the bedroom. From the sounds of it, the house was empty. Who knew if my hearing was trustworthy yet, though. I walked toward the staircase and paused, listening. Nothing still. Guess I was alone in the house.
With a massive grin, I bounded down the stairs and whirled around the corner. I crossed through the living room and skipped into the kitchen. Four-thirty in the afternoon meant I was starving. At the thought of food, the wolf perked up and turned toward me.
For the first time, I got a full image of her. Which was odd, since it was all in my head. But there she stood, so beautiful with her chocolate-brown fur and tawny eyes. We had similar coloring, I realized with a contented smile.
I wrenched open the refrigerator door and peered inside, while the wolf pressed her snout to the imaginary ground and sniffed. Something caught my nose, something that roused a growl from the deep recesses of my stomach. Oh, yeah. Definitely needed something to eat.
Though I hadn’t a clue what I’d smelled, I reached in and grabbed the nearest Styrofoam container, convinced that was the source. And when I flicked it open, my mouth watered. A meatlover’s skillet. Apparently, I was now one of Pavlov’s dogs because the scent of sausage and bacon and ham had me drooling up a storm. I placed the skillet on the counter and hunted through Mathis’s cupboards until I found a frying pan. The meal needed more than just meat. I tossed the contents into the pan and turned the burner on medium. Then I returned to the fridge and pulled out peppers, onions, and tomatoes. After dicing them up, I mixed them into the skillet and stirred.
Oh, baby. I licked my lips, then turned to sniff out the hot sauce and salsa. Bon appétit! I lifted my fingers to my mouth and kissed the tips.
All that remained was sour cream. I returned to the fridge, searching for the elusive container, then stiffened when I heard a soft chuckle.
I gasped and turned, heat suffusing my cheeks at the sight of a grinning Mathis leaning against the doorframe. A brisk chill clung to his clothes, his face pinked from the cold. “There enough for two?”
My focus shifted to the frying pan. Was there? I was starving. And right now, the last thing I wanted to do was share. But this was his house, his food. “Of course.”
His laughter startled me. “You look like I just told you your puppy died. Tell you what. You enjoy that, and I’ll order us some pizza as well.”
Could I eat both?
I glanced at the plate full of delicious skillet and realized, yes, yes I could. I lifted the pan off the burner and carried it over to my plate, dishing out the food with another rumble in my tummy. Mathis sat at the table, his phone cradled in his hand as he ordered a meatlover’s pizza with almost every spare topping he could think of. Except anchovies. Because blegh.