The Rogue

Where's Tammy?

Samantha's POV

    Cautiously, I stayed in wolf form until I reached the edge of the woods near my home. After being confident that I wasn't followed, I stepped into the cover of trees and let the change take over, Bones broke and realigned as my fur blended back into smooth tan skin. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out the scent blocking lotion. After slathering on a good layer, I put the tube of lotion back in the bag and pulled out the clothes and shoes.

     Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I start the last leg of my trek home. It would've been faster to stay as my wolf all the way, but that would've also left my scent trail straight to my doorstep. Being overly cautious has kept me alive for this long. As the saying goes, 'mama didn't raise no fool.' Familiar sounds of nature surround me and the crisp morning air fills my lungs as I walk the rest of the way home just before dawn.

     I'm dead on my feet as I walk through my front door. The clock on my mantle tells me that it's just before 6:00 a.m. Exhaustion sets in and all I want to do is sleep for days. Unable to even make it up to my bedroom, I fell onto the couch for a short power nap.

     My bladder screams at me to wake up. My mind reels as I go through the motions of last night. First laughter at the thought of those stupid pack wolves underestimating me, then sadness as I think about what they did to my poor baby... poor Tammy. She was a good car.

     I go up the stairs to my bathroom so I can relieve my poor bladder. After finishing up, I decided to temporarily overlook my need for sustenance and fulfill my need for cleanliness. Steam billows from the shower and coats the bathroom before I get in. My skin turns pink the moment the hot water touches it and the aches and tightness leave my body. Mentally, I pat myself on the back for investing in the new water heater that I got last year.

     After washing up and soaking in the warmth, I decide to get out. The first thing I do after drying off is lather myself in more of the scent blocking lotion. I get dressed and pop in some brown contacts to cover up my unique eyes that would easily give away my wolf status. The scent of bacon hits me and I head downstairs to my kitchen, knowing who I will find.

     "Hey stranger," my neighbor and best friend Chris Walker says. He's at my stove cooking bacon, eggs, and hash browns. This was a regular occurrence since we had given each other spare keys to our houses. I take all 6'3'' of him in and smile before saying, "Miss me much? I told you I wouldn't be back till this afternoon."

     " You know I can't live without you, baby," he says and winks before adding eggs to a plate for me and hands it over. His playful personality would make any normal woman weak in the knees, and he knew it. Instead of commenting, I give him a snicker and sit down before I start eating.

     Chris was a great cook. Because of this, we had easily fallen into a good routine. Most of the time, Chris would cook and I would bake. A moan escapes my lips around a mouthful of perfectly seasoned eggs and hash browns. What can I say, I'm a vocal eater. Chris grins at the sound, knowing that it was his culinary skills that caused it.

     "How'd you know I was home?" I mumble around a mouthful of eggs. I had fallen in love with Chris's charm from the first time we met. He's good-looking with his tan skin and brown hair that always looked tousled but never shaggy. He had gorgeous green eyes and dimples that didn't hurt either.

     I just know it can never be. He's a wolf as well, but thanks to my lotion and secrecy, he doesn't know about me. Over the years, I thought about telling him, but the fear of what Chris and his pack might do kept my lips sealed. Chris was a mechanic. He owns a garage down the road, which was the reason why he lived here and not on his pack's land, which was about an hour drive from here.

     "I didn't. A man's gotta eat, and I still haven't gone grocery shopping," he says with a smirk. That's the thing about Chris, he is always teasing me. Suddenly, a fork full of hash browns leaves my hand. A piece gets stuck in his hair, and I give him my most threatening glare.

     "You're coming over tonight for steaks and beer, right? I won't take no for an answer. Besides, I now owe you for breakfast," Chris manages to say between bites from his own plate. He pretends to ignore the food dangling near his eye. It's probably for the better. I'd rather not have to clean up from another food fight between the two of us.

     Before I can say no, my phone rings. It's my uncle and boss, Edwin Denali, so I quickly answer. "Hi uncle." Thankfully, I never take my cell with me when I go camping. Too many run-ins with other wolves. I'd rather not have to leave anything behind that can be traced back to me. " Sam, I need you to head over to Jackson's ranch. They were attacked by wild animals last night and lost a few steer. I'm stuck in the office with a few appointments, otherwise I would go myself," Edwin says without taking a breath.

     "On my way," I say before hanging up. Uncle Edwin is a veterinarian, and I work as his assistant. He paid for me to get my schooling, but I don't think that I could ever leave him to work elsewhere. That and the fact that I am always needing to disappear at times to appease my wolf and run wild.

     I know Chris heard what Edwin said (wolf hearing and all), but I played dumb and repeated it. "Wild animals hit Jackson's ranch last night. I gotta go assess the damage. I'll come by around seven for dinner if that's okay. Should be done by then. Lock up behind you, please," I say as I rinse off my plate in the sink.

     Chris looks out the window and raises an eyebrow. "Where's Tammy?" he says, referring to my recently deceased car. Sh#t! He noticed my car was gone. Pretending not to hear him, I grab my truck keys and rush out the door.

Tammy is just what Samantha called her now destroyed car.  Chris will be mentioning Tammy again in the next chapter or 2.

FYI, Samantha refers to her truck as Billy.

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