Daddy?Im right here, baby.Lumps form in my throat, going all the way down into the core of me.Its his voice. His. Right there. I reach toward the doorknob but I dont get to turn it.Nick smashes at me with his head, pushing against my lower jaw and cheek, like a blow. His muzzle moves my head away from the door. He presses his face in between me and the wood. Fur gets in my mouth. I spit it out and push at him.Thats my dad. My dad. I slap the door. Hes on the other side. The pixies will get him.Nick shows me his teeth.I cant lose him again, Nick.The wolf snarls like hes ready to bite. My head jerks back and away, but then I steady myself.Get . . . out . . . of . . . the . . . way.Pushing against his thick neck, I slam my hands against him over and over again, pummeling him. He doesnt budge.Move! I order. Move.Zara, is there a wolf in there with you? Do not trust him, my dads voice says, calmly, really calmly.I grab a fistful of fur and freeze. All at once it hits me that something is not right. My dad would never be calm if I was in my bedroom with a wolf. Hed be stressed and screaming, breaking the door down, kicking it in like he did once when I was really little and had accidentally locked myself in the bathroom and couldnt get the lock out of the bolt because it was so old. Hed kicked that door down, splintering the wood, clutching me to him. Hed kissed my forehead over and over again.Id never let anything happen to you, princess, hed said. Youre my baby.My dad would be kicking the door in. My dad would be saving me.Let me in, he says. Zara . . .Letting go of Nick, I stagger backward. My hands fly up to my mouth, covering it.Nick stops snarling at me and wags his fluffy tail.How would my dad know that it is a wolf in here and not a dog? How would he know that it isnt pixies?I shudder. Nick pounds next to me, pressing his side against my legs. I drop my hands and plunge my fingers into his fur, burying them there, looking for something. Maybe comfort. Maybe warmth. Maybe strength. Maybe all three.
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About Carrie Jones, Need
Carrie Jones, Need.