Dives chuckled. "I'm hardly a dog."
I whirled around and glared at him. "No, a dog would be better behaved. Now do you think you could lose the fur coat before somebody else sees you like that?"
Dives raised his hands and glanced from one to the other. He furrowed his face. "It doesn't seem to be working." His eyes flickered up to me and that smooth, seductive smile slipped onto his lips. Even with all that fur and ripped clothes he was handsome. Or maybe it was because of the ripped clothes. "Perhaps it's the company."
"Perhaps it's because you don't know as much about this whole werewolf thing as you thought," I retorted.
A dreaded heavy rap came to my door. "Combes? Combes, are you in there?" growled the apartment building owner, Mr. Dominus.
My shoulders drooped and I hung my head. "Perfect. . ." I mumbled.
I lifted my head when I noticed movement. Dives strode towards the door.
I reached out a hand towards him. "No!" I yelped.
Dives opened the door and revealed my tall, heavy-set apartment manager. Dominus was six-foot six without shoes and was built like a tank if a tank could bench press a bus. He wore a plaid shirt and jeans, and glared down at Dives.
"Who the hell are you?" Dominus snapped.
Dives smiled and extended his hand. "David Dives. Perhaps you've heard of me."
Dominus sneered at him. "No, now where the hell is Combes? I heard a dog howling and I know it came from her apartment."
Dives dropped his hand, but not his smile. "Miss Combes is currently unavailable, but if you have a problem with animals you can take it up with me."
My apartment manager narrowed his eyes. "I'll take it up with whoever I want, now where's that worthless girl at?"
Dives's face took a noticeable downturn as his eyes narrowed and a frown graced his lips. "You might want to apologize for calling her that."
Dominus scoffed and grabbed Dives's shoulder. "Like hell I'm going to do that, now get out of my way."
Dominus shoved him to the side, but Dives wrapped his arms around the manager's thick arm and swung him back into the hall. I stepped into the line of sight from the hallway and watched the giant of a man slam into the shut door on the opposite side of the hall.
"You can't come in here without permission or a warrant," Dives warned him.
Dominus pushed himself off the door. His furious eyes fell on me and he pointed a finger in my direction. "You've got two weeks, and then you're outta here! Understand?"
I frowned and gestured to Dives. "But I didn't-"
"I don't wanna hear it!" he snarled. He pointed a finger down the hall. It was the middle one. "Get out or I'll throw ya out! Got it?"
My face fell. "Yeah, I got it."
"Good! And if you've got a dog in there then yer outta tomorrow!" Dominus stormed off down the hall. His heavy boots echoed down the stairs until they faded into the distance.
I plopped my rear onto the arm of the couch and ran a hand through my hair. "Perfect. Just perfect."
"I don't see the problem," Dives spoke up.
I whipped my head up and narrowed my eyes at him. "Of course not. You're not the one who has to find a new place in two weeks while my manager harasses me about moving. Is this how you repay every girl who saves your furry hide?"
He gave me a sly smile. "No, but I do feel like I'm at fault-"
"Because you are," I reminded him.
"-and as such, I have a remedy for your problem. You can stay at my home."
My face fell and I crossed my arms over my chest. "Are you serious?"
"Quite."
I stood and shook my head. "No deal. You're rich enough to be able to buy me an apartment building. Why do I need to stay at your place?"
He shrugged. "For the company."
I gave his furry body a once-over and frowned. "Yours or mine?"
"It's to both our benefits," he replied.
I pursed my lips and glanced over my dingy apartment. The dull and lifeless walls stared back at me. A chance at some luxury. That's what he was offering me. There was that whole 'werewolf' thing to worry about.
My eyes flickered to him. "You're not going to bite me and turn me into a werewolf, are you?" I questioned him.
He smiled and shook his head. "No. That is, if you don't want me to."
I rolled my eyes. "No, I don't want you to. And I get my own bedroom, right?"
Dives sighed, but gave a nod. "Yes, if you wish."
"I think that's required," I retorted.
He raised an eyebrow and there was a touch of something feral in the depths of his eyes. It excited me more than I cared to admit. "Then you'll come?"
I nodded. "Yep."
5
I packed what few belongings of mine were worth packing in a sheet, slung it over my shoulder, and led Dives downstairs to the rear entrance. We stepped out into the dark, dingy alley to find several unwelcome surprises. Some local thugs stood around my hunk of junk. One of them knelt in front of my car with a carjack beneath my car and another had my car tire in his hands. Two others stood by and watched the proceedings with flashlights. These guys had more class than the garage thugs, so they held wooden bats instead of pipes.
The four of them turned at our exit. The one who knelt stood, and the pair with the bats took center stage between us and my car.
"Get the fuck out of here, if ya know what's good for ya," one of them warned me.
I tightened my grip on my bag and glared at him. "Like hell I am. That's my car."
"But the tires are ours," the other bat boy spoke up.
My eyebrows crashed down and I took a step forward. "Like hell they-" Dives held an arm out in front of me. I whipped my head up to look into his face. His stern attention lay on the thugs. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I'll deal with this," he told me.
He dropped his arm and walked down the steps. The men took a few steps back and accessed their new foe.
One of them shone their light on Dives's face and frowned. "What the hell are you supposed to be? A dog? Don't you know Halloween isn't here yet?" That got a laugh out of his buddies.
A sly smile slipped onto Dives's face. "Not quite, but if you know what's good for you you'll leave."
The first bat guy smirked and nodded. "Sure, we'll leave. After we get the other three tires."
Dives shook his head and moved within range of their bats. "Sorry. I can't let you do that."
The guy laughed. "Like hell you're gonna stop us." He pulled his bat back and swung it to connect with Dives's face.
"Duck!" I yelled.
Turns out Dives didn't need to. He grabbed the thickest part of the bat before it hit him. The thug frowned and tugged on the bat. "Let go!"
Dives chuckled. "You shouldn't have done that." He crushed the wood until the end broke into a thousand tiny splinters.
The thug stumbled back with what remained of his bat. There was a mangled mess at the end. The thug quaked in his boots as he jerked his head towards Dives. "W-what the hell are you?"
"A nightmare."
Dives dove forward and swung his fist. His hand connected with the man's cheek and sent the thug into the side of my car. He slid to the ground, but the man's body left a nice indent in the rear door.
I whipped my head to Dives and glared at him. "You're supposed to be saving my car, not destroying it!"
"You fucking bastard!" the other bat boy shouted.
He swung his bat, but Dives took my advice and ducked. Dives swung his fist and hit the man in the gut. A wheezing of air escaped his lips and his eyes bulged out of his head. He crumpled to the ground and lay in a fetal position.
Dives turned his attention to the other thugs. "Who's turn is it?"
The men dropped what they were holding and ran down the alley. Dives turned to me with a smile and bowed. "Your chariot awaits, my lady."
I crossed my arms and nodded at the missing tire. "The horse is lame."
Dives followed my gaze and shrugge
d. "There's nothing I can do there. I'm a werewolf, not a mechanic."
I rolled my eyes and tossed my bundle at him. He juggled the jiggly contents for a few moments as I stalked down the stairs and over to my car. I shoved the unconscious man out of the way and pointed at the tire.
"You can at least hand that to me," I told Dives.
He rolled the tire over to me, and in a few minutes I had the wheel on and tight. I even had a new carjack to toss into my trunk. I stepped back and admired my work.
Dives moved to stand beside me and smiled down at me. "Beautiful, and mechanically inclined. What more could a man ask for?"
"Interest," I quipped as I brushed my hands on my pants and took the bundle from him. "Now where's this house of yours?"
"Along River Road, if you know where that is," he told me.
I looked up at him and frowned. "Yeah, but I know it by a different name. Rich Road."
He chuckled. "It does have quite a few wealthy occupants."
I snorted. "Yeah, like all of them. Now come on. I could use a bath."
We climbed into my car and drove away from my old life and to my new one. The streetlight-lit route took us through the maze of commercial and urban streets and to the south-eastern portion of the city. The Cam River broke the city into two districts and emptied into the bay. The port lay to the south-west of the river, and the wealthiest of the city's citizens had their homes along the eastern shores of the bay.
City slum changed to commercial, then to the urban areas with their identical homes and finally into the grand estates of the super-wealthy. Large mansions and high stone walls turned their noses up at my old car. The dark autumn night hung over the quiet streets and stars twinkled above us. A waxing moon shone its light on the trees along both sides of the street and cast long shadows across the street. Behind and to our left lay the city, and to our right beyond the lush estates lapped the cool waters of the bay.
My eyes flickered to Dives. He stared straight head in all his furry glory. "So should I be looking for the biggest one or what?"
He smiled. "I flatter my person, not my house."
I snorted. "So now your modest?"
He shrugged. "It's a failing, but one of my few. Anyway, my house is the one at the end of the road and on the right."
I glanced in that direction and saw that the road stopped in front of a wilderness area. A large,faded white sign advertised a wildlife refuge. On the right was a tall gray-stone wall with a long black iron gate. I stopped in front of the gate beside a small intercom. Two columns flanked either side of the gate, and each one had a camera zeroed in on the interior of my car.
There was a crackling sound on the intercom followed by a high-pitched screaming voice. "Mr. Dives! Where in the blazes have you been?"
Dives winced. "Not so loud, Puer. I'm all right."
The clip of Puer's words didn't slow down. "But what happened? Why are you like that? Who is this woman? Why did you leave your car? Why didn't you answer any of my calls?"
Dives sighed and leaned over me to speak into the intercom. "I'll explain everything when we get inside, but that won't happen if you don't open the gate."
"What? Oh! Yes! Yes, of course! Right away, Mr. Dives!"
The noise from the intercom stopped and the gate swung inward. A gravel driveway led across a wide lawn filled with ancient trees and to a two-floor, full attic colonial home. The place was a mansion, but not as gaudy as some of the castle-like structures we'd already passed. We drove up to the roundabout that abutted the front walk and parked the car. I stepped out of the car and leaned my head back to take in the full view of the many tall windows with their paneled glass. The white clapboard siding stood out against the darkness of the night, and a few lights poured from the windows and streamed onto the lawn. Nothing moved save for the tree branches in a soft bay breeze. The scent of fresh water came to my nostrils and I took in the tranquility with a deep sigh.
It was not to last.
Dives stepped out and the front door flung open. A man of fifty rushed out and down the concrete path. He wore a black suit with a white shirt, and there was a look of panic on his tense face. The man grabbed Dives's hands and looked the man over. "What in the world has happened, Mr. Dives? Why are you transformed?"
Dives freed himself from the man's tight grasp and gestured to me. "It's a long story, but let me introduce you to someone who possibly saved my skin, and maybe my life. Miss Dakota Combes, this is my manservant and old family friend, Elliott Puer. Puer, Miss Combes." I waved.
Puer bowed stiffly at the waist in my direction and turned back to his master. He grasped Dives's upper arms and swept his eyes over the werewolf man. "But what's happened, Mr. Dives? Why are you like this?"
Dives smiled and shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm hoping a long, hot bath can fix it."
Puer bowed his head. "Yes, of course, whatever you wish." His eyes fell on me. "And will Miss comes be staying?"
Dives turned to me. He stepped to the side and gestured to the open front door. "I would be very glad if you and your bed-sheet bundle would stay a while."
I sighed, scooped up my bundle and shut my door with my foot. "I'm staying, but don't forget your promise. My own bed."
He chuckled and bowed his head to me. "As you wish."
6
Puer led us inside and shut the door behind us. The interior of the house matched the outside decor, complete with an elegant eighteenth-century parlor to our right and a large dining room to our left. The stairs to the upper floors covered a wall to our left and deeper into the entrance hall. The stairs and its banister curved around the rear of the hall and out of sight to the second floor.
Dives turned to his servant and me. "Show Miss Combes to her room, Puer, and then I'll explain what happened. She can have the one beside mine."
Puer pursed his lips, but turned to me and gestured to the stairs. "If you'll follow me."
He guided me up the carpeted wooden stairs to the hall that stretched the entire length of the front of the house. I looked out a window and saw the entirety of the front part of the grounds spread out before me.
Puer stopped in front of one of the half-dozen white doors, one that stood the left-hand side of the house and was the second-to-last on that side of the stairs. He swung open the entrance and swept his hand towards the interior. "This will be your room, Miss Combes."
I peeked in and noticed a high bed with four posts. On the wall opposite the door hung four windows, two on either side of the bed. Those looked out on the wide expanse of yard behind the house. A dresser and nightstand rounded out the sparse pieces of furniture, and for a finishing touch there was a large fireplace on the left-hand wall finished off the decor.
Puer stepped past me and strode over to the fire. "Allow me to light a fire for you. And there-" he nodded at a door that stood to his left along the same wall as the fireplace, "-is your bathroom."
I set my bundle on the end of the bed atop a quilt and tilted my head back to take in the large room. "I keep forgetting how rich Dives is, but he keeps reminding me."
Puer paused and glanced over his shoulder. His eyes were narrowed and his lips pressed so tightly together they were white. "Would you find it impertinent of me if I asked how much you know about Mr. Dives-ahem-personal life?"
I plopped my rear on the foot of the bed and smiled. "You mean his furry problem? He told me all about it."
A shadow spread over Puer's face. "And what do you intend to do with this information?"
I shrugged. "Nothing."
He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing? Then why are you here?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm here because he got me kicked out of my apartment, so he owes me a room until I find another one."
Puer's tense shoulders relaxed and a smile spread across his lips. "Ah, I see. I apologize if I came off as suspicious."
I waved my hand at him. "It's fine. I'm sure you're suspicious of all the women he brings here."
He turned back to
his work. "On the contrary. Mr. Dives has never brought a woman here."
I frowned. "Never?"
"Never."
I set my palms on the covers behind me and leaned back. My head tilted backwards and I stared at the white-sheen canopy. "So how long have you known about Dives's-um, furry problem?"
Puer lit a match and set the flame against the pile of thin sticks and paper. The kindling caught and crept over to the paper until a healthy fire spread over the entirety of the fuel. He stood and brushed his hands together before he turned to me. "I have been in the services of the family for the past thirty years. I was with Mr. Dives on the cruise when the-well, the incident in question occurred."
I looked him up and down. "So you're not a werewolf?"
Puer shook his head. "No. Mr. Dives would never pass the curse onto another."
I flopped down on the covers and sighed. "Finally some good news."
"Pardon?" Puer asked me.
I shook my head. "Nothing. Anyway-" I sat up and glanced at the door to the bathroom. "I think I'll clean up and get some sleep." My stomach took that opportunity to grumble loudly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten dinner. I clutched my stomach and cringed. "Which way's the kitchen?"
Puer smiled. "I can have a light snack made for you, if you wish, and leave it on the nightstand for when you come out."
I grinned. "Sounds perfect. Thanks."
He bowed his head. "Good evening."
"Um-" I bowed my head. "-'night."
Puer left me alone to the horrible comforts of the large room and private bath. I suffered through the hot, refreshing shower and the fluffy towels. My bath towel-clothed exit from the bathroom was greeted by the small platter of crust-cut sandwiches and fruit that sat on the nightstand. I walked over to the platter and took a grape. The warm fire crackled and cast a long glow across the floor as I tossed the grape into the air and caught it in my mouth.
Long, loud claps followed my epic feat. I spun around to find Dives beside the fireplace. His body was once more human and he wore a pair of loose-fit jeans with a white t-shirt that showed off his muscled chest. He leaned against the mantel and his appreciative eyes swept over my scarcely-clad body. The wall behind him was opened to reveal a hidden passage from my room to the adjoining one.
I clutched he towel close to me and glared at him. "What the hell are you doing in here?"