Part 23 (2/2)

Shadow stepped out of his kennel and sat on his haunches, ears p.r.i.c.ked forward.

Glancing his way, she stated, ”I'm a reporter, a d.a.m.n good one. I go in, get my story and then get out-except this time. I've learned everything I can from Dr. Bleddyn Glyndwr, so why am I still living in his house? I should have left here days ago.”

Shadow whined.

Meredythe broke eye contact and s.h.i.+fted as the cold seeped into the seat of her pants.

Shadow whined again.

Another glance in his direction. ”The werewolf cult? Yeah, that's a good one. Right here under my nose the whole time. I should have been asking questions in town as soon as the roads were pa.s.sable, so why didn't I? What is it about Bleddyn Glyndwr that keeps me here?”

Shadow rose to his feet.

Smiling, Meredythe crossed her legs and rested her elbows on her thighs. Cupping her chin in one hand, she continued, ”But then I wouldn't have met you.”

Shadow woofed and wagged his tail twice.

Ignoring her cold behind, she dropped her hands into her lap, leaned her head back against the fence and closed her eyes. It was time to leave. Her heart told her Bleddyn was not the killer. She'd pack up her stuff and go, stopping in town long enough to find out what she could about Morton Anderson although her gut told her he was too fixated on Bleddyn really being a werewolf to be the murderer either.

Bleddyn... Last night's conversation leaped into her mind. Biting her bottom lip, she fisted both hands. To think, he'd had the gall to tell her to stay away from a possible lead. Who did he think he was to tell her who she could and couldn't interview? Arrogant, egotistical...

When a cold nose touched her cheek, Meredythe jerked herself away from her musings and opened her eyes. Shadow stood before her, staring into her eyes. Then his tongue lolled out of his mouth. White teeth flashed.

Oh s.h.i.+t! What on earth possessed me to come into Shadow's run? And why did I take my eyes off him?

After one quick swipe around his muzzle, Shadow's tongue disappeared back into his mouth. Then wolf-dog sat down, ears p.r.i.c.ked forward. A soft whine escaped his throat.

Slowly Meredythe relaxed and raised a hand to his neck. Another, more eager whine escaped as she began to stroke his soft fur. Sighing, he leaned into her hand.

”Oh Shadow,” she murmured and threw both arms around his powerful shoulders.

Whining happily, the wolf-dog wiggled as close as he could.

Tears now streaming down her cheeks, Meredythe hugged him, laughing as he licked the moisture from her cheeks. Her back banged against the chain link fence when he flopped into her lap.

”Woof.”

”I love you too, you silly boy,” she said as she struggled under his weight. ”Move over-you're squas.h.i.+ng me.”

With another happy woof, Shadow scrambled off her lap. Another swipe of his tongue had her wiping her face on the sleeve of her parka.

Meredythe pushed herself to her feet. Shadow stood before her, tail wagging.

”You're all right now, aren't you, boy? You'll be okay, won't you?”

Another low woof. He grinned a doggy grin.

She grinned back and stroked his head. ”You wonderful, wonderful boy. I have to go tell Bleddyn. Is that all right with you?”

Shadow whined and leaned into her hands. His tail continued to wag.

”I'll be right back and give you the brus.h.i.+ng of your life. How does that sound?”

”Woof.”

After a few more quick strokes, Meredythe stepped out of Shadow's run. Then she sprinted to the house.

Bleddyn's sharp hearing registered the back door bang off the wall over the loud pulse of the hot water streaming over his head.

”Bleddyn!”

As he turned off the water, he heard Meredythe slide into the downstairs' hallway and skid to a stop before the open door of the study. Keri's questioning whine drifted out. She didn't know what had Meredythe so excited either.

He raked his wet hair off his face as he concentrated on Meredythe's thumping steps. Whatever she wanted must be important-she was leaping up the steps two at a time. Then she landed at the top of the stairs and dashed down the hall.

Frowning, Bleddyn wrapped a towel around his waist. Could something have happened to the wolves? He stepped through the door of the bathroom just as Meredythe shoved the door to his bedroom open and launched herself into the room.

”Bleddyn! You'll never guess-”

All thoughts of Shadow disappeared from Meredythe's mind as Bleddyn stepped out of the misty bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. A drop of water tumbled from his chin to his chest where it meandered obliquely across a well-formed pectoral muscle into dark, curly hair. Her gaze followed the droplet through his chest hair and down through the increasingly thin line of hair that plummeted over his flat stomach and disappeared beneath the towel. The obvious bulge against the front of the towel was impossible to miss.

She swallowed. ”Oh my G.o.d.”

Bleddyn combed the wet hair behind his ears with his fingers and smiled.

”Do you want something?”

Her gaze traveled slowly back up his body, stopping once again at his chest.

”Meredythe?”

She jerked her eyes to his face. Heat flooded her cheeks. ”What?”

She watched as his hands dropped to the towel and tightened it.

”Do you want something?”

She licked her lips. ”Umm. Yeah. I... ”

He chuckled.

She s.h.i.+vered and jerked her thoughts back to the wolf-dog. ”Shadow let me touch him. As a matter of fact, he crawled into my lap.”

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