do not know what a hippie commune is.”
“Are you guys like end of the world types? Are you preparing for the apocalypse out there?”
Travis sniffed the air for an answer, was she serious? Were all humans this inquisitive? He was dangerously close to telling her his secret; humans weren’t supposed to know about their existence.
“I am sorry to have bothered you, female,” he said, standing up beside the bed. “I appreciate you nursing me back to health after my injuries. It appears they were as much my fault as yours. I must be going.”
“Wait!” she said, jumping up from the bed and fumbling through the dark for him. He stopped at the doorway, turning to see her tumble out of her bed and onto her face. Why did humans sleep so far off the ground?
“I must be going,” he said again.
“It’s the middle of the night though,” she said. “Stay, please. In the morning I can give you a ride to wherever you need to go.”
“The night is the best time for me,” he said. “I will be lazy and tired by morning.”
“What are you nocturnal?” she asked, laughing.
“Yes,” he said bluntly.
“Oh,” she muttered. “Still, don’t run off. You don’t even have clothes on.”
“Neither do you,” Travis said.
The human female quickly covered her breasts and backed away from him, towards a closet door.
“I’d forgotten about that,” she said, embarrassment evident in her voice. Travis had never been embarrassed in his life, but he had learned this human emotion from the few books he had learned to read on at Jacob’s.
The human slid into a long pink bathrobe that completely covered her naked form and made her look even larger. Were human males attracted to this?
“I feel terrible about hitting you,” she said. “Plus I can go steal some clothes from my store in the morning. I don’t know how you do it in Bowshot, but you can’t walk around naked here.”
Travis knew that, he hadn’t planned on remaining human for long though. It’d be easier for him to move in wolf form. His sight, smell and speed all increased in wolf form. The humans might think it odd to see a wolf the size of a small bear wandering around town, but he could escape them easily enough. Still, perhaps this human female could be useful. She might know where to point him to look for these wererats.
“Very well, female,” he said. “I will return to your couch and sleep.”
“Please call me Paige,” she said, smiling.
“Goodnight Paige,” Travis said, turning and walking out of her room. He did not want to sleep anymore, but he had no pack to rely on. Allies would be very important in his upcoming battle, even if they were covered in useless pink, plump flesh.
Chapter 6
Did last night happen? Paige thought as she opened her eyes the next morning. Yes it did, it had to have happened.
She slid out of bed silently and stalked down the hallway, moving as quietly as a church mouse. She stopped right before the living room, holding her breath so as not to make a sound. Just as she peeked around the corner Travis’ eyes flew open.
“I could hear you coming a mile away,” he said. “You are very noisy.”
She laughed and walked completely into the room, still covered in her pink bathrobe. Travis had grown modest overnight and pulled the blanket from the back of the couch over himself. His muscular chest and huge, boulder-like shoulders still sat out, teasing Paige as she stared at them.
“I was trying to be quiet,” she said.
“Is that a joke?” Travis asked.
“No,” she said. She didn’t know if he was serious or just trying to be funny, had he really heard her?
“You told me you could get me some clothes,” Travis said, sitting up. “I am growing tired of walking around naked. I understand it is frowned upon around here.”
“Do you walk around naked in Bowshot?” she asked.
“We don’t shackle ourselves with human clothes when at home,” Travis said, looking around.
“What do you