Page 23 of Bred By the Minotaur
When we get out to the car, Phoebe hops easily into the passenger seat, and I breathe a sigh of relief that she’s all right after everything that happened tonight. I won’t say it out loud, of course, but it could have been so, so much worse.
I try not to think about that as she tells me which direction to drive. Her scent fills up the whole car, and I have to work just to keep my eyes on the road.
She starts leading me toward my own neighborhood, and I wonder where her sister lives. We’re some of the few monsters in a mostly human neighborhood, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that we’re close by.
When we turn into my housing development, though, I start to feel nervous. Is she going to think I’m stalking her when I tell her I live right around the corner?
We stop on the street just across the block from my own home, where the houses are smaller.
“This is going to sound nuts,” I say as we stop. “But I live right over there.” I point down the street at my own front door.
Phoebe’s mouth drops open. “Really? Right there?” Her face falls, and I don’t think she’s pleased by this news. “Oh.”
“Sorry,” I say reflexively. “When I got hired at the station, it was easier and closer to live here.”
She gives me a baffled look. “You can’t help where you live. Anyway, thank you for the ride. And for...” She takes in a deep breath and closes her eyes, like she’s steeling herself. “For saving my life.” Her voice cracks, and she buckles forward in the seat.
Phoebe’s not crying, not that I can tell, but it’s like all the pain and hurt in her body is trying to force its way out. She shudders, and without thinking I wrap my arms around her, drawing her across the console.
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly into her hair, stroking the back of her head. Phoebe doesn’t pull away. No, her hands fist in my clothes as she shakes with even more force.
Then she peels herself away, and reluctantly, I let her go. She sits up straight in the seat and gives me a firm nod.
“Thanks again, Hank,” she says, and climbs out of the car. I’m tempted to walk her to the door, but that would be ridiculous, so I simply watch as she heads up to her sister’s house. There’s a rather interesting arrangement of lawn gnomes in the well-kept, though tiny, yard. When the door opens and her sister appears, I drive away.
Around the block.
I can hear them reuniting, and a voice that’s similar to Phoebe’s but much higher and louder cries out. This must be her sister finding out about the fire. I should give them some privacy, so I park the car and head inside.
Finally, I call the station to let them know what happened.
“She’s the mother,” I explain to Ron over the phone. “I had to go with her and make sure she was all right.”
“Wait, what?” I can almost see his big stone brows squinting. “From DreamTogether?”
“Yeah. She was the one in that house.”
“And she’s okay? The calf?”
“All fine.” I let out a sigh. “But I’m exhausted.”
“Go to bed, Hank,” Ron says. “I’ll wrap things up here with an incident report and get your sig tomorrow.”
With that we hang up, and I stand in the dark kitchen, breathing through my nose.
“Honey?” Mom appears at the door, a mystified look on her face. “You’re home early.”
“Bad fire tonight.” I want to say more, but it’s too much to explain right now. “I need to sleep, but I’ll tell you in the morning.”
She gives me a concerned look, then heads back to the guest room.
When I get into bed, though, sleep is the last thing on my mind. No, what I’m thinking about is Phoebe, only a block and a half away. Phoebe, the most beautiful woman in the world, who’s carrying my calf. Phoebe, who barely escaped a fire with her life.
I replay it over and over again, the moment she recognized me and relief filled her face. Now that I’ve seen her with my own two eyes, I don’t know if I’m capable of letting her go again.
I roll over in bed, thinking of how I almost kissed her tonight, how she almost returned it before pulling away.
I can’t fall in love with you, Hank.
