Page 27 of Shifter's Dream

The confusing part was that the incident the dream portrayed had actually happened. She’d been four, and her father, who was a useless waste of space, according to her mother, a one-night-stand-gone-wrong, had chased her into the forest. Reed winced thinking about what she had just done the night before. If she got pregnant she would be reliving her mother’s life exactly.

Wait. Reed thought hard about the man she’d seen in her dream, the one who had turned into a wolf. He’d said, “You look just like your father.”

Her phone buzzed in her purse. It was a worried text from Sage.

OMG! What happened last night? If you don’t answer me in ten minutes, I’m calling the cops, and you know I know a lot of them!

Reed scrolled up and saw Sage had texted her a dozen times, and she’d even gone to Reed’s house to check on her, but Reed had been too busy being bent over a cheap motel bed to remember her friend might worry about her.

She read each message, starting just after she’d run out the night before, some only a few minutes apart, some hours apart.

Did you just quit??!?!? Linda said quit, then she said fired.

What the hell is going on? Are you ok? Where are you?

I’m worried about you???

I get off in an hour, I’m coming to your house.

I’m here, you’re not.

Checking in

Checking in

Then the last one she’d just received.

Reed typed back to her.

I’m good. Sorry.

She hovered her finger over the send button, knowing that didn’t answer any of Sage’s questions, but it was all she could say. She pressed send and got an immediate reply.

Holy shit! You scared me so bad! Please tell me you fucked Tom Selleck. That’s the only thing that will make me forgive you.

Reed stared at the message for a long time, snickering a little, not sure how to answer.

She thought about it for a long time, then replied.

I did.

100% forgiven. I take back every bad thing I ever said about you. You’re not uptight at all.

Reed shook her head.When did you ever call me uptight?

Back when I didn’t know you. Not the day before yesterday. Forget that. How was it? Tell me everything. What size peen is he working with? Did you go to his place?

Reed had to laugh, but she didn’t answer one question. Instead, she typed back three words:He bit me.

The 3 little dots appeared then disappeared so many times Reed thought maybe Sage was broken, but then the message came through.

Bit you? Like for real bit you? Kinky. On the shoulder?

Her phone rang. Her mother.

Gotta go, Sage. Later.

She put Sage on mute until she could get back to her and answered the phone. “Hi, Mom.”

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