Free I Kissed a Dog by Carol Van Atta Page A

tried to hide my alarm. With what I
     now knew about werewolves and their blood-drinking counterparts, the idea of some
     poor, underpaid soul traipsing around after dark didn’t sit well with me. Add an estranged
     serial killer to the mix, and you had a big fat recipe for disaster.
    “I’m not so sure about that,” Zane mirrored my apprehension. “With our local serial
     killer and all — “
    “I’m open to suggestions.” Luke shrugged. “We’ve got to do something. I’ll try to
     move a camera closer to the zebras, but what if other animals are being attacked?”
    “If you don’t have anything major for us, Zane and I can interview the animals,” I
     suggested. Who better to talk with than the actual witnesses?
    Pleased with my idea, Luke returned to his normal duties.
    “Well?” I turned to Zane who was giving poor Missy a shot of antibiotic mixed with
     a pain medication.
    “Working here,” he grunted.
    “Meet me on the bench when you finish,” I commanded, before stomping away, maddened
     by his nonchalant attitude.
    At last, I was sipping a sugar-filled cup of coffee. I almost never took my fifteen
     minute breaks, but today was an exception. Between Zane’s conflicting attitudes and
     the zebra’s nightmarish experience, my Tuesday was becoming as bizarre as my Monday;
     and it wasn’t even noon yet.
    To make matters worse, Rhonda sauntered over. “I suppose you’ve heard.” She tilted
     her head and puckered her silicon-stuffed lips, feigning sadness. I could tell she
     was itching to spill the latest gossip or something worse.
    “What now?” Fear clutched my heart like a vice as I envisioned another victim torn
     to shreds.
    “You don’t have to bite my head off,” she snapped. “Some woman called for Zane. She
     said she was his fiancée. He doesn’t seem like the marrying type. I’d gotten the feeling
     he was interested in me.”
    “You’re telling me this because ?” I tried to hide my annoyance. Jazmine, of course, came to mind. She’d referred
     to Zane as her potential mate. I guessed that would suffice as fiancée in the werewolf
     world.
    “Well, you’re with him a lot at work. I wondered if he’d mentioned me or this future
     wife.”
    “Ladies.” Zane strode up, his Levis embracing every masculine bulge.
    I couldn’t tear my eyes from the area just below his belt. I suspected Rhonda was
     leering too — as if that made it any less unacceptable. By the glint in his eyes,
     it was easy to see just how aware he was of our staring.
    “Zane,” Rhonda purred. “When’s the wedding?”
    I froze — my gawking indiscretion all but forgotten. Did this woman have no tact?
     I wondered how Zane would explain Jazmine.
    “Where’d you hear that nonsense?” He asked with obvious irritation.
    “Your lady friend called. She happened to mention you were her husband-to-be. For
     us single girls, it’s a major disappointment.”
    “Don’t include me in your disappointed group of single girls,” I quipped.
    Zane shot me an “if looks could kill” look. Love you, too, Babe.
    Eck! This mind-messaging was becoming as cumbersome as text-messaging. Why couldn’t
     we just talk like two normal adults? Because we’re not normal adults , I chided myself. One werewolf plus one animal-reading-freak equaled a major mismatch.
    “Chloe, we’d better get to work.” He raised his wrist, revealing a watch. “As for
     future wives, Rhonda; I promise nothing is signed in blood.”
    Clasping her hands, Rhonda giggled, unable to hide her pleasure. With a near-perfect
     runway pivot she spun toward the courtyard, making her exit dramatic as usual.
    She, of course, hadn’t picked up on the ominous way he’d said blood .
    “I think we need to have our own talk prior to any animal conversations,” Zane said
     minus any hidden innuendos I could identify.
    “Where to?” The stone bench didn’t seem private enough. Too many tourists.
    “The wolves. Where else?”
    “Where