Chapter 43: Chapter 43: A Million Reasons

“How the hell could you have let this happen, Carl?” Rick asks him with an aggressive growl.

“Don’t blame Carl, Vicky is a sneaky little shrew. Besides, how was he supposed to watch her and me at the same time?” I ask Rick defensively.

I realize that I may have a soft spot for Carl and think he can do no wrong, but my point is valid all the same. My eyes dart to all the areas around me, anticipating an attack at any moment. I notice Rick is also on alert and he is inching closer to me in a protective stance.

“I asked Carl to hire the guys to guard her. I didn’t want to use our pack members in case Vicky could gain sympathy from them,” Rick explains.

“It wasn’t their fault, Alpha. She tricked them, acted like she passed out, and since you wanted to keep her alive, they opened the door to check on her. She got the jump on one of them and then shifted and ran. She knows the house and the area better than they do so she got away,” Carl replies.