“She got grabbed,” Conall answered for her.
Miki glared at him. “I can talk for myself. They didn’t rip my tongue out.”
“More’s the pity.” Zach muttered as he stood over her with a first-aid kit. She would have been angry but she realized that, in his own Zach way, he was teasing. She grudgingly appreciated his attempt to make her feel better and diffuse the obvious tension between her and Conall.
“I needed to use my phone and reception sucks on this block. So I went down the street a bit. It was when I was coming back I heard them calling to me from the alley.”
Zach frowned. “They called to you? They knew your name?”
She nodded.
“You went into the alley?” Conall barked.
Miki glared at him. “Yeah. I said, let’s go see what’s in the dark, scary alley all by myself. Because I’m stupid like that.”
Conall growled and turned away from her.
“So what did happen?” It was starting to concern Miki that Zach was the rational one in this conversation.
“This person grabbed my arm. So I handled it.”
Zach and Conall frowned as they looked at her, but Sara smiled.
“Is there blood on your Docs?”
“Nah. But I did my best to shove balls through roof of mouth.” If the she-male had balls.
Sara gave her a thumbs-up, then proceeded to clean off her wound.
“Was there only one?”
“I don’t think so. There were more in the alley.”
Conall growled again, but she didn’t have time to react because her best friend was sniffing her.
“What’s that smell?” Sara asked, taking a couple more sniffs off Miki. “Besides blood.”
Miki pulled away from her. “Dude, you’re freakin’ me out. I wish everybody would stop fuckin’ sniffin’ me!”
“Don’t know. But that’s what was in our territory,” Conall offered.
Sara gently held Miki’s wounded arm. “Were they Pride, Mik?”
“I don’t know.”
“They weren’t Pride.” Zach leaned against the desk Miki was almost positive he’d just been fucking Sara on. Horny dogs. “That scent is definitely not Pride.”
“So then we have another player in the game. Just great.”
Miki frowned as Conall suddenly started pacing. He looked like a dog trapped in one of those kennels. She expected him to start barking and running in circles or start chewing at his leg.
“Well, luckily this isn’t that bad or that deep.” Sara smiled. “It could have been a lot worse.”
“I know.”
“Any chance I could talk you into delaying going to Seattle?”
Miki knew this was coming, and why she originally had no intention of telling Sara anything. “No. There isn’t.”
Sara covered the wound with Neosporin and a bandage. “Then can I strongly suggest—”
“I’m coming with you.”
Miki and Sara looked up, startled. Even Zach stood a little straighter and stared at Conall.
Miki shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, Conall. But no. That’s okay. Thanks anyway.”
Conall looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “I’m not asking you.”
She heard Sara sigh as Miki felt the blood rushing to her brain. She tried for calm. “I don’t care if you’re asking me or not. I’m politely turning you down.”
“I’m going. It isn’t up for discussion.”
She glared at Conall while Sara finished up the bandage on her arm. “Perhaps you didn’t hear me clearly.”
“No. I heard you. And I’m ignoring you. I’m going. So get the fuck over it.”
Sara cleared her throat. “I need you to move your fingers.”
“What? Why?”
“I need to make sure the bandage isn’t too tight.”
Miki lifted her hand up and gave Conall the finger.
“Well, that works.” Sara leaned back on the couch.
“I don’t need a babysitter, Conall. And I especially don’t need you.”
“You’re not going anywhere without me. Not until we know what’s going on.”
“Back off.”
“No.”
Miki stood and walked to Conall. She stared up at him. “You so don’t want to play this game with me, Viking. You just don’t have the brains for it.”
Well that hurt. Of course, he wasn’t being rational. He was egging her on. But goddammit. Seeing her in pain. Knowing they touched her. That they could have killed her. As it was, he could barely hold the wolf in. The wolf that wanted to start tearing through the streets looking for the assholes who did this to her. The wolf that wanted to drag her back to his den and keep her safe forever.
But none of that would happen. Whatever attacked her was long gone and Miki wasn’t letting him drag her anywhere now. He still couldn’t believe she let him get away with it this long.
Conall leaned down, his face inches from Miki’s. “Bring it on, sweets. I’m more than ready for you.”
They stared at each other for at least a full minute. Then, with a snarl, Miki stalked off. She opened the door, but Conall’s voice stopped her.
“Maybe I wasn’t clear. You’re not going anywhere without me. And that starts now.”
Miki glared at him. Then she slapped her leg. “Well come on, boy! Come on. Time for your walk.” She stormed out the door. “And don’t forget your leash!”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zach wince. But Conall didn’t flinch.
Sara stared at him from the couch. “You know, you could have just asked her if you could come along.”
Of course, he hadn’t actually thought of that as an option.
Sara shook her head. “Asshole.”
Miki stared at the pathetic excuse of a dog watching her from the foot of her temporary bed. “All right. If you must.”
The beast clamored on top of her bed and settled in at her feet. She’d never had a dog before. She’d always left that up to Sara. Yet, especially in the mood she was in, she found him quite comforting. Considering what Sara had to live with when her grandmother was still alive, she wasn’t surprised her friend always made sure to have a dog. And she understood why her heart went out to the abused, the deformed, and the freakish of the breed.
She turned the light off and settled in. Her anger had tired her out and she would probably get a few hours sleep. Good. She didn’t sleep often, but she was glad when she did. A welcome respite from her brain.
She felt the dog jump down from the bed. “Hey, Roscoe. Where ya goin’?” She thought he’d spend the night. Keep her company. “Oh, whatever.” She settled back down and was just drifting off to sleep when she felt Roscoe return. He jumped up on the bed and settled down right behind her. His snout against her ear, his furry forearm across her waist.
“Watch the wet snout, beast.” Then she was asleep. Oddly comforted by Sara’s freak dog.
Conall nudged Miki’s door open with his muzzle and walked out into the hallway. He had a couple of hours before they had to leave for the airport and Miki’s alarm would go off soon.
Zach was heading back to his and Sara’s bedroom with two bottles of water when he stopped to intently watch Conall in that way only predators had.
“Have you no shame?” he finally asked.
Conall shifted and quietly closed Miki’s door. He shrugged and smiled. “Not when it comes to her. No.”
“You better be careful. That woman’s deranged. And mean.”
“Zach,” Sara called from their bedroom, “get your tight ass back in here!”
Conall crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Yes, O great leader. And yours is so stable.”
Zach snorted. “At least I’m getting laid.”
With that, Zach disappeared back into his bedroom.
“Asshole.”
He glanced back at Miki’s door. It felt nice sleeping beside her. Even as wolf. She talked in her sleep. She kept spouting equations and formulas. She’d just bark them out of nowhere. Kind of entertaining, in its own twisted way.