Chapter 17

Richie sat there with a lap full of girl, a girl who had finally dozed off an hour or more ago. He’d kept her outside in the fresh air until he had realized that there was no gas leak. After two hours and her changing forms nearly 3 times as she whimpered, it was firmly implanted in his brain that, one, he wasn’t hallucinating and two, she really was what she said she was.

He had finally taken a deep breath and moved them both back into the living room and gently placed her on the couch, thinking that she’d be more comfortable. It had taken a scant ten minutes before she had sat up and moved back into his lap. They had chatted on and off in between her moments of near unconsciousness. The more she told him the more worried he became. How had Jon coped the few days he’d been gone? He remembered well how Jon would work through anything and it worried him. He didn’t want a repeat of the band’s dark days.

Dusty whimpered and opened her eyes slowly, her keen sense of smell alerting her yet again to the fact that the man holding her was still Richie. Soft golden eyes shadowed as she sighed softly. Tilting her head upwards she gave him a weak smile. “Decided it was safe to come back inside?”

Richie gave her a lopsided grin as he reached up and flicked her nose gently. “I checked it out, there is no leak, and it’s a damned sight warmer in here than the balcony.” He studied the girl quietly a moment, considering his next words. “I need you to show me again Dusty, I need to prove to myself I haven’t went crazy.”

Dusty sighed softly then looked up into Richie’s dark brown eyes. “I dunno Richie, its harder for me right now. I ache so much cuz of the bond. I told ya, it works on your system.”

Richie nodded, “I know and I’m worried about Jon because of what you said. What if he’s in as bad a shape as you?”

White straight teeth worried a full lower lip as golden eyes grew shadowy. “Well he’s never shifted, I’m hoping that has stopped some of it for him, and you did say he sounded ok?”

Richie nodded, then grinned “yeah he sounded fine, and YOU are changing the subject on me Dusty girl.”

Dusty pulled herself from his lap and stood facing him. “I don’t get why this is so important too you Richie and if it were anyone else I’d say no.” She stepped back a pace and crouched low, her golden eyes steady on his as she slowly morphed from a woman to the white wolf he remembered so well from Arizona.

Richie reached out with one hand and slowly gave the wolf a gentle pat on the head. “Well I’ll be damned, I wasn’t imagining things.”

The wolf pounced up and placed her paws on Richie’s shoulders before slowly fading away leaving Dusty standing there before him.

He opened the door, his worries having lent wings to his getting home even faster than normal. As the door swung wide his blue gaze caught Richie standing stock still in front of the couch with the wolf in front of him. Now where the hell had the wolf come from? They had left her in Arizona. Before he could get a word out his eyes widened in stunned shock as the wolf faded from view only to be replaced by the woman he loved.

“What the holy fuck?” His voice cracked out like a whip as he processed all he had just seen.

What the holy fuck indeed.