Something to Curse About by Gayla Drummond Page A

that arrogant puppy.” He stroked my head. “He rubs you the wrong way too, huh?”
    Doggy Me. Human Me likes him . I wondered if being turned into a dog made me a better judge of character. People were always talking about how animals knew it when someone was bad. Nick could be damn bossy, and he was downright rude to Logan most of the time, but I didn’t think he was a bad person.
    Then again, Doggy Me was part Border Collie, a dog bred to watch and tend herds, while Nick was a wolf, one of the hereditary predators such dogs guarded against. It could be that simple.
    “I hope Discord’s all right,” the shifter muttered, twitching the leash. We walked to his truck in silence.
     
     

TWELVE
     
    Logan didn’t drive straight back to his apartment. Instead, he stopped at a pet store outlet. “Finding your family is going to have to wait, girl, so we need to pick up a few things for you.”
    By then, I’d begun to wonder why he talked to Doggy Me so much. A lot of people talk to their pets, but it wasn’t something I expected shifters to do. Whatever the reason, it was nice to find out he didn’t drop something the second it became inconvenient.
    I did feel bad they were worried, but it was kind of funny too. Here I am, right under your noses. I’m not nearly as lost as you guys think .
    We went inside, and Logan proved to be a fast, decisive shopper. His idea of a “few things” resulted in a mixed case of canned dog food, a large bag of kibble—the good stuff, not an off-brand—food and water bowls, a box of organic doggy biscuits, a big square dog bed, a brush, and four toys. Internally cringing at the total, I followed him back out to the truck while adding it to what I already owed him for the vet checkup.
    I needed to return to human before taking care of Doggy Me emptied out his bank account.
    Twenty minutes later, we pulled into the garage. A couple of other shifters helped unload and carry things upstairs, and he told them to clean up in order to go with him to help look for me.
    “Discord’s missing?” Terra asked, looking up from the bags he’d placed on the table.
    “Looks like it.” Logan unsnapped the leash then touched her back. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her, if she doesn’t handle whatever’s going on herself.”
    I nosed his other hand, pleased to learn that he really thought I could take care of myself. He looked down with a smile. “I decided our new friend here is staying until Discord turns up. Would you mind taking care of her for a while?”
    “I don’t mind, but what about going to the grocery store?”
    “Alanna and Teague will take you.”
    The teen nodded, emptying the bags. She surprised me by asking, “Did you try contacting her?”
    “The second Nick said she was missing. She didn’t answer. I think there’s a limit on her telepathic range.” Logan began pulling tags off of the toys. “But I’ll keep trying.”
    “What about her elf hound? Can’t he…”
    “Nick said he can’t find her.”
    I sat down as Terra’s face paled. “That’s not possible. He’s bound to her by blood magic. He should always be able to find her.”
    “Yeah, I know.” They gazed at each other for several seconds. Logan shook his head. “There could be another reason for why he can’t find her.”
    Than what reason? I looked from her to him.
    “So you think she’s still alive?”
    Oh, that reason.
    He smiled. “I won’t count her out until I see her decomposed body. Discord’s smart, tough, and powerful. It’s more likely someone or something is hiding her from Leglin. She’ll either escape, or figure out a way around it and call for help if she needs it.”
    My tail started wagging. You are my new bestest friend, Mr. Sayer .
    Logan glanced down and patted me on the head. “I need to get downstairs, let Alanna and Teague know, and head back to Arcane Solutions.” He pulled out his wallet, handing over a card. “Don’t go crazy over the junk food at the grocery