I shrugged. “Most of my stuff is still at the house. I did pack a few things, but I’ll grab them when I wake up. Is it okay if I take a shower before I leave for work?”
She nodded and opened the door. “Our house is yours, Izzy. Please, come in.”
The floor creaked when I stepped inside. She hung her keys on a nail over the letter T. “You can put your keys on my nail,” she said in a soft voice. “I don’t have a car, but they wanted to include me in the lineup.”
On the right was a row of keys hanging on the wall. I found the letter I and looped my keychain over the rusty nail that was above it.
Ivy kicked off her shoes in the corner, and I followed her lead, putting my flip-flops beside her flats to the right of the door. We entered an open living room with another adjacent room on the right. Straight ahead was a fireplace, and to the right of it, a hall that led to the back of the house.
Ivy tiptoed toward the stairs on our left and turned around, lowering her voice to a whisper. “We have a little girl in the house, so please don’t shift. She’s human and doesn’t know you.”
I nodded with a bemused look as we reached the top of the stairs. It wasn’t common for humans to live in the same house as Shifters, but Austin seemed like a progressive city. On the second floor, I stared at two separate hallways shaped like an L. One led to the back and had doors on either side, while the other ran along the front of the house. Ivy led me toward the back until we approached a room on the left. She switched on a small lamp beside the bed and turned around.
It was a quaint little room with a bed on the right, a window straight ahead, and no other furniture. I’d heard most bedrooms in Shifter homes were small to accommodate more people in a growing pack. This room didn’t appear to be inhabited by anyone.
She turned down the bed and closed the drapes.
“If you need anything, let me know. My Packmaster is already aware you’re here, but he hasn’t told everyone else yet since they’re either asleep or not home.”
“Thanks again, Ivy. I’ll find a way to return the favor,” I said in a quiet voice.
She touched the end of her lovely braid and her dark lashes fanned across her cheeks. “Good night.”
After she closed the door, I collapsed on the bed and got a whiff of the clean sheets. “Oh my God,” I groaned, feeling a dull ache in my bones. I barely pulled my legs beneath the covers before my eyes slammed shut. After wiggling out of my jeans and sweatshirt, I tossed them on the floor. It felt wonderful to know I wouldn’t be sleeping in my car, but I needed to think about my plans for tomorrow. That meant getting up early and finding a place before my shift started.
Random thoughts tumbled in my head as I switched off the lamp and scooted to the left side of the bed. Hopefully I’d be able to figure everything out in the morning. I nestled my face against the cool pillow, grateful for Ivy showing up when she did and for her generosity.
***
The bed lightly shook, and I covered my head with the pillow. Hawk loved startling me awake, and the curtains did little to block out the morning light. I felt a tug at my hair, and my wolf began to stir.
“You got pretty hair,” I heard an angelic voice say.
Something in my brain switched on, and I remembered I wasn’t at home. My wolf instantly submitted to the sound of a child’s voice. This was Ivy’s house. I peered out from the pillow and glanced over my left shoulder. A young girl with sparkling blue eyes sat behind me, her tousled blond hair tumbling past her shoulders. She had on a bright pink shirt with a wide collar that had slipped off her shoulder, and her fingernails glittered with purple nail polish.#p#分页标题#e#
“I wish I had hair like this,” she said, holding up a strand.
I smiled and rolled over, the covers tucked beneath my arms. “And I wish I had dimples like yours. I’m Izzy. And who is this pretty little face brightening my morning?”
She giggled, and I noticed a missing bottom tooth. “I’m Maizy. We both got Zs in our name.”
“We sure do. I think your hair is much prettier than mine. Want to trade?”
Maizy smiled and touched my wild hair again. It had picked up a wave from all the tossing and turning. Against the white sheets, it looked like a blaze of fire.
“My mom wants to know if you’re hungry.”
“Did she send you in here?”
“No. She asked Miss Ivy, so I decided to come ask you myself. They’re in the kitchen making lunch.”
I leaned around and looked for a clock. “What time is it, honey?”
“Noon o’clock,” she said with a smile.
I sat up and rubbed my face. “I need to go. Tell your mommy not to worry about fixing me anything to eat. I’m going to take a shower and then I have to leave. It was nice meeting you, Maizy.”