Page 4 of My Shifty Bodyguard

In fact, I think that part of my adventure is going to be getting Murder-Man to crack a smile. Everybody deserves to smile, don’t they? Maybe I can make him a little happier by the time I leave, somehow.

I’m not sure how yet, but I will figure out a way. For some reason, it’s really really important to me that Dax be happy. I feel that with an urgency I’ve never felt before. I mean, in general I like to make people happy, but this is on a whole different level, like if he’s not happy, I won’t be either.

I could cook something for him. I’m a pretty good cook. I mean, I make a lot of mistakes in the kitchen, but Drusilla assures me that I’m a really good cook and she loves everything I’ve made for her. I don’t think she’d lie to me. Drusilla is my stepmother but she’s always treated me as if I were her real daughter. She says she’s glad she’s got a girl in the family or she’d be completely outnumbered by smelly boys. She always says that when my half-brothers are there, and it makes them laugh.

I’ll miss her terribly these next few weeks; I’ve never been away from her before. For some reason, she’s not going to be able to call me while I’m here and neither is my father. I imagine that will be hard on him. He’s used to checking in on me constantly.

As we leave the building, Dax is scowling. “Your suitcases and trunks are being delivered to my cabin,” he informs me. “You’ll be staying with me for the duration of the visit.”

“Can we go into town today, or do we have to wait until tomorrow?” I ask. “I can’t wait to visit Cedar Run! I’ve heard so much about it. I know you have one of the most beautiful downtowns. And you have a farmer’s market, right? We have a farmer’s market in our hometown too, but it’s kind of small. We only have one pack in our town and we’re kind of remote. I am going to do so much shopping. I am going to shop so hard. What’s your favorite store? I like every kind of store.”

Dax gives me a sidelong glance. “Ah…we’re supposed to remain on pack lands for the duration of your visit.”

“Oh,” I say quietly, and inside I feel like a balloon of happiness was just popped and all the air’s leaking out.

We walk down the sidewalk in silence.

“I’m sorry,” he says.

“It’s okay.” It isn’t. I feel hot tears stinging my eyes. I was really, really excited to go to town. I’d already looked up all the shops in Cedar Run and I was going to visit all of them.

“There’s a lot of fun things to do on pack lands,” he says awkwardly.

“That sounds great! I’m really excited about it.” My words end on a sob. For some reason I’m hyper-emotional today. Tears spill onto my cheeks. I look away quickly and frantically wipe at my face with my sleeve.

He stops. “Listen, Violet. You don’t need to try to make me feel better. It’s pretty lousy that I can’t take you into town. I’m sorry about it. I don’t like it either.”

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be complaining.” My shoulders slump miserably.

“Of course you should! You were excited about going to town and now you’re stuck here, on pack lands, with me.”

“Oh, I don’t mind being stuck with you, at all,” I blurt out. For reasons I can’t explain, I feel completely comfortable and safe next to him, as if I am exactly where the universe wants me to be. How weird is that?

“Anyway, I wish I could take you into town. Maybe when it’s sa- maybe when your father is done with his trip and comes to pick you up, he’ll take you into town.”

I’m pretty sure he won’t, but it’s very nice of Dax to try to make me feel better.

“In the meantime,” he continues, “complain away.”

“That’s okay,” I sigh. “I mostly try not to.”

“Nope.” He comes to a dead stop. “Don’t keep it bottled up. I want you to complain. Right now.”

I burst out laughing, despite myself. “Really?’

“Really. If it helps any, that’s an order.”

“Okay, fine.” I take a deep breath. “I am really upset and disappointed right now, and I’m really, really mad at my father. I love him but sometimes I want to punch him in the face and then push him off a cliff. A lot of times. He never lets me go anywhere. There’s no reason for me not to go into town at all. It’s stupid. He’s stupid. No, he’s not, he’s actually really brilliant, but this decision was stupid.” Nobody has ever asked me to complain, to really speak my mind, before. It feels really good, actually, like there was a dark angry storm cloud swirling in my belly, sour and bitter, and now that I’ve vented, the sour feeling is gone.

“It was. Unfortunately, my Alpha has passed your father’s orders on to me, and my Alpha’s orders are law.”

I sigh. “I get it. I just was excited to visit a town that wasn’t Cold Lake, for the first time ever. Okay, I feel much better now that I’ve complained.”

“Wait, what?” Dax is staring at me like I just grew a third boob. I quickly glance down to make sure that didn’t happen. Nope, still two. I call them Petunia and Dahlia. My hoo-ha is Virginia.

I look back up at him. “I’ve only ever visited our town. I mean it; he never lets me go anywhere. I’ve never left pack territory before this visit.”

His eyes widen in shock. “In twenty-five years? Never?”