ARC: Black Dog by Rachel Neumeier

Author:Rachel Neumeier [Neumeier, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Pure, Black Dog, tribal magic, shapechangers, Mexico, YA fiction, young adult fiction, contemporary fantasy
ISBN: 9781908844842
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Published: 2014-02-04T00:00:00+00:00

Natividad waited to speak again until they had found the car. The bulky, broad-shouldered Harrison looked exactly like the kind of man who ought to drive such a big vehicle. He had to put the seat back several notches and even then he had to slouch down so that he could keep an eye on the rearview mirror.

Natividad did not object to anything. She pulled herself slowly into the passenger seat, the effort showing her how stiff she was. As soon as Harrison started the car, she turned the heater all the way up. She hadn’t realized exactly how tired and cold and frightened she had been until she was in this nice car with its wonderful roomy seats and excellent heater. Though she wished the car could also do something about the fear. She wished they were already back at Dimilioc, safe in the house. If that was safe. Well, it would be safer than this car…

“You’re tired,” Harrison said to her, his rough tone almost a growl on the words. Yet, he did not seem angry any longer. Not very angry. He looked at her closely, his attention probably caught by her slow movements. “But you are not hurt.”

“I don’t think so,” Natividad said. Though she was very tired. She didn’t want to make the black wolf angry, not again, not now when he seemed so much calmer. But she said tentatively, “My mandala… I should explain… Vonhausel…”

“You can explain to Grayson,” Harrison growled. “But Vonhausel will not challenge any Dimilioc wolf again until he can bring overwhelming force to bear. So, not today nor tonight.” Then he ruined the certainty of this statement by adding, “Or I think not.”

Natividad did not want to think about what might happen if he was wrong. If overwhelming force came against them on the road, when she and Harrison were alone… She wished, suddenly and intensely, that Ezekiel was already back from Chicago. And Alejandro. She wanted to be safe in her room at Dimilioc, she and Miguel and Alejandro, all safe.

No, that wasn’t what she wanted at all. What she really wanted was a cup of hot chocolate, very strong and dark, the way her mother had made it. She wanted a hot bath and a soft bed and some silly light romance to read… She wanted, fiercely and suddenly, to go home. Tears prickled at the backs of her eyes.

“Though it’s true you will have a great deal of time to rest once we are home,” Harrison added, in counterpoint to Natividad’s sudden melancolia. “You’re grounded.”

“Grounded?” He’d said he would consider her punishment, but this was so unexpected that Natividad found herself shocked out of her homesickness and grief and the remnants of her fear, and actually struggling not to laugh. She hadn’t known that Harrison had a sense of humor at all, and then he came out with something like that!

The black wolf gave her a look that was not exactly a scowl. Or if it was a scowl, it wasn’t exactly bad temper behind it.

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