Page 197 of Stand: Part One

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I tossed the Frisbee to Sloane, chuckling softly as I watched Camaro dart off for it. I didn’t often get to play keep-away from her since it was damn near impossible to get Clive or Owen to participate. But Sloane seemed happy to oblige.

A couple of times Camaro had managed to wrangle it before we could snatch it from her, but she was still excited to chase it all the same.

Standing in the shade of the trees, Sloane tossed the Frisbee again across the lawn, but the wind suddenly picked up and swung it a few feet to my right. When it hit the ground, I quickly reached down to grab it before Camaro could.

But she was faster than I had anticipated. We both went for the Frisbee at the same time, but instead of the Frisbee, her jaw clenched right over my left hand instead.

A quick sharp pain struck through my hand, a yelp slipping from my mouth as I drew my hand back. Camaro immediately whined and cried at realizing she had accidentally bitten me, her entire body shaking back and forth as she moved.

“Jaden, are you okay?” Sloane called as she came running from across the lawn.

Pulling my hand from my chest, I saw a few red puncture marks below my knuckles and near my thumb, blood coating my skin as it seeped from the wounds.

“Shit,” I whispered to myself.

“Let me see that,” Sloane demanded as she gently took my hand.

“It was an accident. She didn’t mean to bite me. I reached for the Frisbee at the same time she did,” I tried to explain.

Sloane nodded. “Okay. We should get you over to Sid.”

“Oh, come on. It’s not that serious. I can clean this up myself.”

“Jaden, you were bitten by a dog. On your hand, no less. Sid needs to take care of this.”

I sighed as the anxiety filtered through me. If Darren found out about this, I was afraid of what he would do about Camaro. She was already on thin ice as it was.

Begrudgingly, I followed Sloane down to the infirmary with Camaro trailing behind me.

“It’s okay, Camaro,” I cooed, trying to calm her down. But inside, I was anything but calm. Darren was going to be furious, and I didn’t know how I was going to get him to forgive her.

Sid cleaned up my hand as carefully as possible, and examined the punctures.

“Well, the good news is that it doesn’t look like you need any stitches. The bites aren’t that deep,” he confirmed. “But I’m going to give you some antibiotics, just in case.”

I breathed a small sigh of relief, but Sloane didn’t look any happier. No doubt Darren would somehow find a way to blame her as well.

When Sid was done treating and bandaging my hand, I looked down at my dog and the dark feeling of dread crept over me. I didn’t want Darren to find out, but I was sure Sloane would have to report what happened to him anyway.

“Is there any way I can convince you to let me tell Darren what happened?” I asked her.

She folded her lips and then gently shook her head.

I groaned aloud. I knew it was a long shot.

“Fuck.”

“Why don’t we go see Katherine now and think about this later,” she offered. “I was just informed that you may join her for lunch.”

Fucking finally!

Suddenly rejuvenated, I hopped down from Sid’s medical table and patted Camaro behind the ears.

“Okay, let’s go.”

I eagerly kept up at Sloane’s side, trying to hide my impatience as I followed her to Katherine, my bite now long forgotten. I had no idea where they were keeping her. I hadn’t seen her once since she and Daniel had been transferred back to one of the guest bedrooms. It seemed she was bound to her bed just like I had been.