21. Touching Love

-Jian-

Aline groans softly and shifts in my arms, drawing my attention back to her. I long to wash the cigarette smoke from her hair and cleanse the stench of alcohol from her breath.

Smell.

It occurs to me I can use my super olfactory sense to figure out which room is hers. I tilt up my nose, sniffing. The familiar, maddening scent of her perfume emanates most strongly from the room at the end of the upstairs hallway.

I carry her to the bedroom, which houses flowers, delicate accessories, and fabrics, all in eye-pleasing rosy hues. It pleases me that there’s a lack of fussy ruffles and lace. Had there been even a hint of girlie-girl stuff, I would have been duty-bound to rib her about it once she was sober enough to appreciate my efforts. The classy, straight, modern lines of her surroundings strike me most.

The dichotomy of her personal space with the tough person she presents to the world reveals how Aline’s pack life is not one of