Page 38 of The Tracker's Secret
Chapter 14
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SATURDAY MORNING, Iwoke up late and dragged myself out of bed. I fed Cupid, then shuffled into the kitchen. When a strong cup of Columbian coffee didn’t wake me up, I took a cold shower. I shivered all the way through it and felt happy to be alive afterward, which was a great improvement.
“Do you still feel up to going out?” Rosalina asked as I came out of the bathroom, rubbing my wet hair with a towel.
We had plans to go furniture shopping for my new place, and since Aaron Blackridge had stopped by the office to drop off the tears and I’d started his potion, we were also supposed to go by the agency to pick it up. We’d decided to do the tracking trance tomorrow, so we could set DJ Slice on his path to bliss. However, just the thought of going under made me tired to the bone. If only I could track people’s mates by devouring their Cheetos or something, I would chomp at the bit.
We had been excited about selecting furniture for my apartment, and though I felt like curling up on the sofa to binge-watch Netflix or take a nap, I put on a smile and told myself that getting out would be good for me.
“Yeah, I need a distraction,” I said, sounding as chipper as I could. “Plus, I, at least, need a bed and a sofa before I move in. I close on Friday, and I’ll get the keys right away.”
Rosalina returned my smile and looked relieved to see my enthusiasm. I didn’t want her to worry about me and my upcoming appointment with the Werewolf from Hell, Mr. Eric Cross. He seemed to live up to his heartless reputation, but he had agreed to teach me what I needed to know, and it wasn’t like I had many options. I could tough it out.
A knock came at the door just as we were leaving. Looking through the peephole, I saw my mother. My anger popped like a jack-in-a-box.
I turned to Rosalina. “Tell her I don’t want to talk to her.”
“Who is it?”
“My mother.”
Rosalina cocked her head and gave me a worried look. “I’ll do it, but are you sure?”
“Yes. I need some breathing room. I’m not ready to deal with her.” Tears pooled in my eyes.
“All right.” I went into my bedroom and waited, fidgeting as I sat on the bed.
Rosalina peeked her head in after a few minutes. “She’s gone now.”
I nodded. “Thank you. I’m sorry for—”
She waved a hand. “No need. I’m with you. You need time to process. So...” she hooked a finger over her shoulder. “What do you say we get out of here?”
I hopped to my feet. “Let’s go!”
I drove the Camaro with the top down, enjoying the cool April breeze. Soon, the summer heat would come, and our brains would fry like eggs if we did this, so we needed to enjoy the weather while we could.
Our first stop was a chain furniture store where I found new stuff for a comfortable price. My bed and sofa would be new, but for the rest of my furniture, I planned to hit some antique and thrift stores for cheaper options. The pieces would have character and I could refurbish them if needed. I wasn’t shy about getting my hands dirty. Dad had taught me how to be handy.
After a couple of hours browsing, Rosalina and I picked a bedroom and living room set. They weren’t exactly fabulous, but I couldn’t complain. The bed was better than the one in the loft, which would now go to the guest bedroom, where I looked forward to hosting Rosalina every once in a while, just the way she was hosting me.
We grabbed a couple of burgers on the way to the office and ate them at Rosalina’s desk. When we were done, I packed Aaron’s potion in a tight container, and we headed back to Rosalina’s apartment. It wasn’t until we were on our way there that she brought up the topic of my werewolf teacher.
