Gabby waited on the porch when Rachel pulled past the corner of the house. I stayed as I was, lying on the backseat. After the indignities I'd suffered, I wasn't speaking to Rachel-not that I spoke to her before-and I wasn't yet sure how I felt about Gabby. Had she sent me to that place knowing what they wanted to do to me? She'd told Rachel not to let them unman me; she'd tried to protect me. Yet, she'd said nothing about the last procedure.
Rachel opened her door.
"How'd it go?" Gabby asked. I could hear her anxiety.
"He took it like a champ."
I shuddered at what more I might have taken if that woman would have had her way.
Rachel opened the back car door. Nauseous, I lifted my head and stood on shaky legs. When the pack spread information about the human world, no one had specifically mentioned vets as animal doctors. I considered contacting one of the Elders with a warning but didn't want to admit how I'd come by the knowledge.
Deep in thought, I slowly climbed the deck steps and moved to Gabby's side.
"What'd they do to him?" she asked.
Her worry broke my reverie.
"He wasn't acting like this when we left. I swear. I think he's hamming it up for you." Rachel patted my head with a laugh, and I realized, unless I wanted Gabby probing-I cringed at the use of the word-into what had happened, I needed to act normally.
I straightened and walked with purpose to the door. Gabby sighed, her relief obvious. I glanced at her and winked. She quickly looked at Rachel, but that woman was already in the house.
Gabby followed her in.
"So what shots did he get?" Gabby asked as she poured some orange juice. She took a small sip a little too casually, then glanced at me. I wished I knew what was going through her head. Moments like this made me yearn for her to stake her Claim. The connection it would give us...well, there'd be no doubt what she was thinking or feeling then.
"Just rabies. The vet had a hard time determining his age by his teeth, but thought him to be in his prime," Rachel said.
Gabby choked on her juice.
"That's great," she said in a raspy voice as she glanced at me.
I couldn't help the small smile that curled my lips because I knew she was thinking of me as a man in that moment, not the dog that I'd been treated like for the past hour.
"Hey, while I was waiting for him, Peter called."
Rachel had been waiting for me to come out of the corner-where I'd stayed until the woman with the plastic glove left-when her phone had chirped. I'd been too preoccupied to pay attention to her conversation.
"He said he had a good time last night and hoped Scott hadn't ruined his chance by coming on too strong. He's never seen Scott act in any way but smooth. He naturally thinks Scott's falling hard for you."
I stared at Rachel and considered biting her. She'd put me through enough today.
"I'm just repeating." She held up her hands with a laugh at Gabby. "Anyway, Peter said Scott's already been bugging him about getting your number to set up another date. Given what you told me, I said no, that last night was just a friendly get together and that you were seeing someone else."
Gabby and I both let out relieved sighs. Rachel noticed mine, though.
"You know, sometimes that dog creeps me out with how human he acts," Rachel said, shaking her head. "Anyway, I'm going to meet up with Peter for another try at a date. We're going to see a movie; and this time, I'm not asking you to come with." She had a huge smile on her face as she walked past us toward her room.