by D. M. Turner
“I guess not.” Dakota looked away.
Max growled softly. “He started that after he found out my whole first name.”
“I thought your first name was Max.”
“It is, at least as far as the world is concerned. I managed to keep the rest of it off my records.”
“The rest?” The man frowned.
“My given name is Maximus.”
The frown deepened in confusion. “What’s wrong with that?”
“When Gerald found out, he started calling me Gluteus Maximus. Eventually, he shortened it simply to Glute, and the other boys picked it up.”
“Oh.” A dark scowl emerged, and Dakota glanced back to glare at the man in question.
Silence fell for a few minutes.
“I was beginning to think you were gonna kill him.”
“I almost did.” Max frowned. “The wolf wanted me to.”
“You didn’t listen. That’s good.” A satisfied smile accompanied a firm nod. “You’ll do fine.”
“I’m not ready to face the world yet.” He tossed that out there in case Dakota had illusions Max was fixed. He may have backed the wolf down from bloodshed, but that didn’t mean he could control the thing all the time, or even half the time. One victory, that was all.
“Not saying you are.” His friend laid a hand on his shoulder. “Just saying, you’ll do fine. We’ll get you put back together inside, just like we’re gonna do with that cabin of mine. You’ll see. Then you’ll be ready to face the world again, fully restored.”
Max glanced back one more time as they moved out of sight around a bend in the road edged by trees.
Gerald had gotten to his feet and leaned against the trunk of his car, his back to them.
“I hope you’re right.” He hadn’t killed the man. That was something.
He glanced up at the patchy gray sky. Thank you for stilling my hand, Lord. Now, if you could help me learn to corral the animal inside and use it as You deem, that would be great.
Peace settled over him. Max sighed and smiled.
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FANTASY WORKS PUBLISHED AS D.M. TURNER
Curse of the Talmara
Otherworlder Series
Shadows
Visions
Specters
Destiny
Urban Fantasy
Wolf: The Complete Collection*
Baby Makes Three: The Complete Collection*
Alpha: The Complete Collection*
Lethal Attraction (novelette)
Pack of Trouble (novel)
Change (short story)
The Prisoner (short story)
Enforcer: The Complete Collection*
Protective Instincts (novel)
Tough Choices (short novel)
Restoration (novelette)
* short story collection - each short story is also available individually for Kindle
NON-FICTION BOOKS PUBLISHED AS DAWN M. TURNER
Authors Unchained: Some Rules Were Made to be Broken
Patchwork Baby Blanket (crochet pattern)
CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN WORKS PUBLISHED AS DAWN M. TURNER
In God’s Time
Keep Her
Prequels to the Donovan Legacy Series:
Promises
Beyond Hope
Donovan Legacy Series:
Truth
Defender
Healer
Peace
Christmas Past, Present, & Future Novella Series:
The Christmas Trolls
#2 coming in 2017