But invariably, when he accompanied her, any number of wives who lived in the Shadows made it a policy to come up and pet him, such as the day before when three of them had approached him, hardly looking at her as they almost blushingly made over him. He had become quite a focal point in the neighborhood, and though proud, she had come up with some misgivings over the attention. There was such a thing, she'd read, as dog-knapping, and God, how could she ever explain that, should it happen, to Aunt Janie?

"I don't want to be strict with you, darling," his new young mistress intoned with a final, loving pat, "But I just might have to curtail some of your wanderlusting habits. Aunt Janie would never forgive me, I know, if anything happened to you… and I couldn't forgive myself."

Satyr was aware only that her melodious, gentle voice bestowed kindness and love. But beyond that, he had sensed in his closeness against her a poignant smell not unfamiliar to him, a heady scent which immediately inspired trained responses inside his big, muscular body. It was the human mating aura he had been skillfully educated to recognize… and he did, but perhaps with more eagerness than usual, for this was his beloved new mistress who made his animal-heart beat rapidly when she petted him…!

Her mind still a conglomeration of mixed-veined thoughts, Karen opened the refrigerator, identified the ham bone on its plate and bent down to retrieve it from its backward place on the tray. She said aloud, more to herself than the waiting dog: "Ham shouldn't really be kept this long, anyway… even under refrigeration…!"

Though it gave her a jolting, if wild start, the astounded young wife didn't move! She was still bent over, but frozen immobile at the feel of the unmistakable cool wetness of Satyr's nose high on the soft inner side of her left thigh!