returning with him, but was unsure how to handle the situation with Zane.
I felt angry, hurt, confused, and a ton of other unproductive and unpleasant emotions. I’d wanted time to think about accepting the mating mark, and I planned to take that time.
I was no longer sure that Zane would still want me as his mate or wife.
Luke had given me the week’s remaining days off. For the first time ever, I had nowhere I needed to be in the morning. The guys could handle things back home without me. My riff with Zane would serve as a distraction for everyone involved. Staying away for another day would give him time to cool off and focus on the latest evidence.
As far as I knew, there were no new animals on my need-to-interview list at the park, and I wanted to see my parents. I hated the way we’d left things. Going home without a personal visit would be just plain rude. The person I wanted to be rude to was Zane, and Jazmine, and Rhonda.
So I had a few bones to pick.
What twenty-four year old female didn’t have conflicts?
***
Chapter 35
Several hours of fitful sleep were all I could handle.
Disturbing thoughts of Joshua Smart, Zane, and the Plum Beach murder mystery battered my mind like an aerial bombing attack. I’d even had an erotically charged dream about Valamir. Sleeping was out of the question given I couldn’t seem to find the off-switch for my mind.
It was 4:02 AM on Tuesday. I wondered if Zane was still asleep. Ignoring the urge to check his mental status, I made a pot of gourmet hotel coffee, and flipped open my laptop. I’d already mapped out my day. For starters, I’d spend a few early morning hours researching ancient languages to see if I recognized anything, and then, a long hot shower prior to checking out.
Before giving the paper to Alcuin last night, I’d taken a few minutes to appraise the document. I’d even traced some of the symbols. Even a research novice was capable of conducting a simple online search. Maybe I’d get lucky. It was about time one of us did.
Following my shower, I intended to indulge in a hot breakfast before heading to Troutdale and my parents. Mom had used her new texting talents to inform me they’d returned home ahead of schedule, no doubt thanks to Alcuin’s assistance. I was torn between calling head of my arrival, and surprising them. For now, I was leaning toward the big surprise.
Bob worked the first shift. He’d always been an early riser and a hardcore workaholic, much to my mother’s ongoing consternation. With him gone, I’d have some time alone with her. We needed to talk candidly. Something neither of us excelled at.
I sat on the bed’s edge debating whether or not I should prop some pillows against the headboard and get to work, or set up my laptop at the elegant desk in the corner. Unable to motivate myself into action, I rearranged my schedule and moved my shower up to the number one spot.
With the hot water pounding on my aching shoulders, I relaxed. The shampoo’s flowery blend provided a soothing aroma therapy session. I ran my hands down my squeaking hair, feeling like the first Breck Girl in action. I’d done a research project on her commercial history in my high school drama class, not something I made a regular practice of reminiscing about. I was also contemplating the possibility of switching the water flow and filling the tub. A bath sounded even more tantalizing.
A few minutes later, feeling grateful for the hotel’s super-sized hot water tank, I sunk into liquid warmth, letting the water envelop every last inch of me; just my face remained exposed.
As a child, my always-anxious mother had made sure to check in on me every five minutes during bath time, afraid I’d fall asleep and drown. Her fear about drowning was valid, but not in the context she’d envisioned. I doubted her paranoia had extended all the way to my fifteenth birthday, and my near-deadly dip in that stranger’s freezing pool.
Even in the heat, I shivered at the memory. Pushing the thoughts of that horrible day aside was simple enough, but they were replaced by searing visions of Zane. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about him? Sure he was my husband, but ….
The time we’d made love I was in a drunken stupor. Although the few romantic moments we’d since shared were well worth remembering, and