Page 32 of Claimed by the Pack

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Cheyenne

“So,” I said, as I sat down on the couch next to Gray and pulled his head over to my lap.

“I know you didn't seem to like Chase, but I honestly enjoyed myself tonight.” Gray looked up at me and I would swear he had a sneer on his cute little face.

“He's a wolf,” I told the dog. “That's probably what confuses you. He's a nice guy though, and he's funny. He seems almost childlike, sweet, kind of innocent...”

Gray growled low in his throat and I raised an eyebrow.

“What's that about?” Just then Myrna opened the front door. Brett was with her. I guess that was what Gray was growling about.

“Hey,” she said, “Still have the dog, I see?” Gray got up with his paws on the back of the couch and barked.

“Hey! Stop that. You met Myrna and this is Brett. Be nice.” To Myrna I said, “I put up posters, but no calls yet.”

“Brett and I rented a movie and picked up Chinese. We're going to watch it and eat in my room. You want some food?” Before I could answer, Gray barked again. I laughed.

“No sir, no Chinese for you. You didn't touch your dog food, and I got the good kind for you.” Again, I think the dog sneered. He was almost human sometimes, it was a little bit freaky. “I'm good, Myrna, thanks.”

Myrna was smiling at me. “You're funny with that dog. You talk to him like he understands what you say.”

“I really think he does,” I told her.

“Where is he going to sleep? Brett has to leave early in the morning...I don't really like the way he's looking at him.”

“Me neither,” Brett said. Gray growled again.

“Hey. That's not nice!” I told Gray. “I'll keep him in my room tonight.”

They thanked me, took what they needed from the kitchen and went to Myrna's room. I put on a romantic comedy movie and Gray and I snuggled up to watch it. As I lay there petting the dog and staring at the movie I realized something strange. I hadn't thought of Ridge since Chase first showed up. We had talked, and laughed over coffee. He was really a nice guy, and much less arrogant than his good looking, kidnapper friend. As I ruminated over every word he said and every facial expression he made, I wondered once again if maybe my infatuation with Ridge had simply been my loneliness reaching out for the first opportunity that came along.

I laythere and pondered that until suddenly I woke up, hours later, I assume, cuddled up to a sleeping Gray with some sitcom blaring on the television.

I hated to disturb the warm dog, but I shook him slightly, almost like he was human and said, “Hey guy, we need to go to bed, okay?”

He yawned and stretched and got up off the couch.

He waited for me to turn things off and then he followed me down the hallway.

When we got to my room, I took my night clothes into the bathroom. I know it was silly, but I was shy about my body...even in front of a dog, I suppose.

When I came back, Gray was curled up in the center of the bed.

“Hey! Who said you could sleep on the bed?” He raised his head and looked at me with his blue eyes, pleading.

I rolled my eyes.

“Okay fine, but don't hog the covers.” He rolled over on his back and put his legs in the air. I laughed and rubbed his belly. Then I kissed him on the nose and we cuddled up and went back to sleep. I could get used to this dog stuff.

* * *

Ridge

I had a restless night,and almost left the compound a few times, but I talked myself out of it. I told Will I would wait to hear back from them, so I did, but not happily. I fell asleep once, and had a dream...or a nightmare, that Chase and Cheyenne hooked up. I felt like I wanted to kill someone when I woke up. I did leave my cabin after that, just long enough to walk over near Chase's cabin and make sure...number one, that I could smell him inside and number two that I couldn't smell Cheyenne. She wasn't there and he was, so I went back home, but I didn't get any sleep. I was on my second pot of coffee when Chelsea knocked on my door in the morning.

“Good morning. Can we talk?” she said.

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