Sticking her snout out from under the jacket, she realized neither man was paying attention to her. She sat up and stuck her head between the front seats.
Kael spotted her first. He let out a startled scream, which scared Zack. Zack turned, saw her, and let out another scream, also causing him to swerve across their lane.
She cringed until he quickly brought the car under control.
“What the fuck is that?” Zack screamed.
She wanted to laugh. I’m a who, not a what.
Kael shook his head. “It’s some sort of dog.”
Coyote, actually, but whatever. She wouldn’t be picky. They had saved her life. Literally. They could call her whatever they liked as long as they didn’t kick her out.
Zack pulled over to the side of the highway and parked on the shoulder. Mai glanced out the rear window and saw two other cars pulling over, too. Must be the others they keep talking about.
Zack and Kael got out of the car and were quickly joined by the others. They stood outside the car, discussing her. She pressed her nose against the back passenger window and whined. Come on, guys. I reeeally have to pee! Someone, please, let me out!
One of the women, who looked very pregnant, laughed and opened the back door. Leaving her pride behind, Mai jumped out, quickly squatted and emptied her bladder with a sigh of relief in the grass next to the road. Then, before they could lock her out of the car, she leapt back inside and settled herself on the seat.
I’ll give ’em puppy-dog eyes.
Zack and Kael still looked stunned. “Where the hell did that come from?” Zack said.
Kael laughed. “Don’t know. But at least you’re off the hook for smelling like a dog.”
Zack swatted him on the shoulder.
Another woman leaned in and cautiously held out her hand. She definitely smelled like a friendly wolf. Mai whined and licked her hand.
The woman felt around Mai’s neck. “No collar, Lina,” she said to the pregnant woman. “I guess you guys now have a dog.”
Lina smiled at the two men. “See? Told you.”
“Told us what?” Zack asked, sounding exasperated.
“Yes, you can keep her. Duh.” Lina looked in at Mai and winked.
Crap! Whatever Lina was, she knew Mai was more than she appeared to be. Oh, shit. Wag tail. Mai wagged her tail, which drew smiles from several of the people.
Good. That worked.
After a few more minutes of discussion, another man, who also smelled like a friendly wolf, went to his car and returned with some cheese sticks and a bottle of water. He unwrapped the cheese sticks and offered them to her.
With a soft whine, she gratefully inhaled them. He coaxed her to the edge of the seat so he could use his hand to cup water from the bottle and let her drink. After she finished, she sat up and gave him a lick on the cheek.
Hope the older lady with you isn’t jealous, but thank you, mister!
Lina reached out and stroked her head. “I think you should call her Mai.”
Mai knew her eyes widened. It startled her so much she nearly shifted right there, but she caught herself in time.
“Why that?” Zack said. “I think she looks more like a Gigi.” He reached out and petted her, uncertain at first, then gaining courage as he realized she wasn’t going to bite. She licked his hand, making him laugh.
Dude, I’m soooo not a Gigi.
“Because she looks like a ‘Mai.’” Lina said. “It means ‘coyote.’”
Wow. You get bonus points, lady.
“Hey,” Kael said. “She does sort of look like a coyote, doesn’t she? Wait, how do we know she’s a she?”
“Would you like to feel her up?” Lina asked in a snarky tone.
Mai chuffed in amusement. I really like this lady.
Kael studied Mai. “If you say she’s a she, I guess she’s a she.”
“Trust me.” Lina looked up the road. “There’s an exit up there. Let’s pull over. I need another bathroom stop, too.” She patted her tummy. “Let’s find a store so we can get her supplies for the drive home.” She held Mai’s head in her hands and looked into her eyes. “You are going to stay with us so we can help you,” she whispered. “Aren’t you?”
Stunned, Mai nodded.
Lina patted her on the head and gently pushed her back so she could close the door. “Allons-y!” Lina declared as she headed back to another car. A few moments later, they were heading toward the exit.
After an hour, they were back on the highway again. Mai now sported a pink collar with rhinestones on it and a matching leash. It was a little froufrou for her tastes, but that she could handle.
At least I’m not a Gigi.
The men had bought her food and water dishes, a gallon of bottled water, and some top-shelf canned and dry dog food that wasn’t as good as human food, but tasted a hella lot better than the scavenged, rotten roadkill she’d subsisted on for the past week.
Mai didn’t understand Lina’s joke about Callie being envious of the collar when Zack buckled it around Mai’s neck, but apparently everyone thought it was funny because they laughed their asses off.
With relief in her heart and her first full tummy in several days, Mai settled back on the seat, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
They stopped at a hotel in Virginia, south of Richmond, sometime in the early, predawn hours. Kael clipped the leash to her collar and led her across the parking lot to a grassy area to do her business. She made sure to be the perfect dog, didn’t pull on the leash, and stood patiently while he used a plastic baggy to pick up her waste.
Perfect. I get two hunks waiting hand and foot on me, and they’re gay and I’m their dog.
She even stood patiently in the bathtub while they gave her a quick bath with orange-scented dog shampoo they’d apparently bought, along with the other accoutrements.
Truth be told, it felt damn good to have them massaging her aching muscles in the warm water.
She obediently sat on the tile bathroom floor while Zack went after her with the hair dryer. When he finished, her coat was poofy, but clean and smelling citrusy fresh.
It was nearly four in the morning when the men exhaustedly climbed into one of the beds. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. The carpeted floor would be fine, but before she could curl up, Kael pointed to the other bed.
“Go ahead, Mai. You can sleep on the bed. I don’t know where you came from, but you’re a good girl.”
She nearly shifted in shock at that, wanted to cry. His voice sounded so tender, so loving.
She walked over to their bedside and put her front paws up so she could lick him in the face. Then she turned, jumped up on the other bed, curled herself nose to tail, and went to sleep.
I could get used to this. She didn’t know what she’d do in a few months when she couldn’t hide her secret any longer, but at least she’d have a few months of peaceful living.
Mai awoke late the next morning to someone knocking on their room door. Zack and Kael, who’d still been asleep, stirred. Zack got up and answered the door, greeting Lina and welcoming her in.
She immediately walked over to Mai’s bed, sat down, and gently stroked her head. “Good morning, Mai.”
I wish I could talk to you, lady. Whoever you are.
She looked at Lina’s bulging belly and felt a sad pang of envy. No doubt Jan and Rick, the other two men she’d figured out were Lina’s mates, were desperately eager for her to have their child. Probably loved the hell out of her.