“What’s funny?” asked Remy as they came in from outside.
“Ha! My brothers always said I was boring and too shy to do anything but sit at home with all of my animals. I don’t know if they would believe everything I’ve done since meeting you all.” They all laughed. Kirby smiled as she added, “Don’t worry, I’m going to send them pictures on my phone, that will shut them up.” Or, she thought, send them here to check on me. Feeling more relaxed now, she let go of Blake’s fur.
“So, I see you’ve met one of Faith’s dogs,” said Remy as Blake wandered off. “I haven’t seen this one before. He’s beautiful.” A huge grin came over Remy’s face. “The one Faith seems to like the most is this huge, horse looking wolf with dirty blond colored hair and bright blue eyes. Argh.” Remy shivered. “Gives me the heebie-jeebies every time I see him. Now that I think about it, he kind of reminds me of Kane. That’s probably why I react to him like that, because they’re both big arse nasty dogs.”
Faith shot a glare at Remy, and they seemed to have a silent talk for a moment before Faith looked at Kane. Then Remy doubled over laughing. Kirby looked up behind Faith to see Kane giving Remy a deadly stare.
“Oh, be nice, Remy, it’s my birthday. How about we decide which bands are priority to see?”
Faith grabbed Kirby and Remy’s hands as they walked into a large lounge room with a huge plasma hanging on the wall, surround sound stereo system, PlayStation, Xbox, Wii, and heaps of games—you name it, it was there. The room was any male’s paradise.
“Wow,” Kirby mumbled. She took a seat in the middle of the sofa with Faith and Sara on either side, discussing when they would leave and what bands were priorities.
Kirby couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She had never had this before…friends that she could laugh and argue with, and now Faith even knew her secret ability. She finally felt like she belonged.
* * * *
Rane came into the house to laughing, screaming, and squealing. He waited in the entry hall, watching and listening.
“Oh my God, they didn’t. What did you two do?”
He heard the musical voice of Kirby answer, “Well, Faith must be used to it because she handled it like a pro. I tell you what though, damn! That is not what fifteen to sixteen year olds look like where I’m from. If they did, I wouldn’t still be a virgin at twenty-two years old.” All four girls squealed with laughter.
Rane would swear his wolf did a happy dance that she was untouched and only they would have her.
Sara giggled. “Faith, you have to tell, give it up.”
“Okay, but I laughed my arse off when it happened. I don’t know if I can tell it. You know how I told you that after school care is in the converted gym? Well, it was myself and Kirby’s turn to set up, which involves a lot of moving around and lifting. I noticed we had a crowd of boys about the age of fifteen-sixteen. They were finishing up playing basketball. The coach usually always tries to stay back if he knows Kirby is going to be there.”
Kirby chimed in, “He does not.”
Rane bit his tongue so he wouldn’t growl. He didn’t want them to notice him and stop talking. Rane stepped toward the doorway and peeked into the lounge room, watching as they threw food at each other.
“Hey, don’t waste the M&Ms,” Remy said, which for some reason made them fall to the floor in giggling fits.
“Don’t listen to Kirby, he does stay back for her, and if the PE teachers or coaches at the school I went to looked like him, I would probably be a soccer or basketball star,” commented Faith. All the girls squealed in laughter.
Kane came up beside Rane with his work bag in hand. “I know I’ve retired from the military, but someone has to keep an eye on things, so while you’re gone, I’ll check on your recruits. Do you still think you can do this? I know what she is to you.”
“Hell yes, I’m going. I’m not an idiot. I am not going to run from my mate. I’m going to embrace this with open arms. You’re running right now, aren’t you, Kane?”
“God yes! You do hear them, don’t you? I love that woman in there, but when she’s with those friends…” He shivered. “Good luck with them today. Watch those women like a hawk.”
Kane left and deliberately slammed the door. Faith turned toward it and said, “Oh, there’s Rane. Let’s go. I don’t want to get there too late.”
He smiled and nodded at them, then turned around and headed out the door, knowing that they were following him.
* * * *
By late afternoon, Rane had figured out that he was in hell. A straight guy never goes out with women on a girls’ day out, no matter what they’re doing or where they’re going. He should have taken Kane up on the offer to bail out. It was worse still, because if one more person accidently touched Kirby’s butt, boobs, waist, or any other body part, he was going to rip them apart. Not to mention the men who asked for her number…they were going to die. The worst thing of all was that she ignored him, wouldn’t even look at him, avoided being close to him. By the time night fell, his wolf was so on edge that he did something he never did, he retreated and called Kane.