Page 27 of Firefighter Midlife Wolf

“Do you mind if I ask what that’s for?” Jessica didn’t want to interfere in Verna’s personal business any more than she had to, but this was definitely some unusual behavior.

“You might as well since you’re going with me.” Getting to her feet, Verna headed back into the living room and grabbed the purse she’d been digging in a few minutes ago. “It’s a safe deposit box key, and we’re going to the bank.”

“Hold on, Verna. That’s not my job. I’m supposed to take care of you in your home. If you need someone who takes you places, that’s a whole different position.”

“I need you.” Verna stabbed a finger at Jessica to make the point clear. “I can explain it all on the way.”

“Now, really, Verna. I’d be breaking a lot of rules in my company if I did this.” The problem was that Jessica wanted to help her. She knew that Verna probably had some good reasoning behind what she was doing, even if it wasn’t perfectly thought out. The old woman was desperate to keep herself and her material assets safe from Darcy. It didn’t matter what she wanted, though.

“Listen, honey. I’m going out that door whether you come with me or not, although I’d much prefer it if you did.” Verna’s deep chestnut eyes stared into hers for a long second before she headed for the door.

Jessica sighed. She was totally going to lose her job. “Hang on. I’m coming.”

“This is a nice car,” Verna said when she was settled in the passenger seat.

“Thank you.” Though Verna seemed to be moving around quite well, it still made Jessica incredibly uneasy to take her out of her home. “Where is it we’re going? And more importantly, why?”

“So impatient,” Verna clucked. “There’s almost never a good reason to hurry. Slow and steady really does win the race. Of course, I’ve got a few extra years to my advantage, so I guess that explains that. Eugene Bank and Trust in Whiteaker.”

“Okay.” Jessica backed out of her parking spot with a metallic taste in her mouth. “And the rest?”

“Let’s see. Where do I even start? It goes so far back. I already told you that I have elf in my lineage. I’m mostly human, of course, but I’m still lucky enough to have some of their characteristics. I can thank my elf side for my complexion and longevity. There’s also my connection to the Earth and my charge to protect it. My magic isn’t nearly as strong as it was when I was younger, but it’s still there.”

Jessica knew she couldn’t argue against any of this. A human nurse would instantly write her up as needing a mental evaluation, but Jessica was capable of turning into a wolf anytime she wanted to. Who was she to question?

“My brother Roland was also part elf, of course,” Verna continued. “He’s gone now, but the two of us were always very close. I was very happy for him when he found his mate in a benevolent fire elemental.”

“Mate?” Jessica dared to question, even though she was more curious about this fire elemental business. This was getting weirder by the second.

“Oh, yes,” Verna said with a nod. “There are plenty of others in this world who have a soulmate, a singular person who ignites the flame inside them and makes them truly step into themselves. Bridget was definitely that for Roland. They loved each other so much, and the rest of us had no doubt about their union. On their wedding night, Bridget gifted Roland an ancient fire amulet from her people. It was a symbol to show that he belonged with them, and it meant a lot to him. Roland wore it all the time. That’s what we’re going to get today, and that’s what Darcy’s after.”

Jessica was so engrossed in the story that she almost missed her turn. “Why is an amulet so special to her that she’d go to so much trouble?”

Verna was busy looking out the window and the windshield, studying everything around her. “Yes, I suppose that part is important, too. Roland could never tap into the power of the amulet. He was part elf, but not elemental. Their daughter Darcy, however, does have elemental blood in her. She was always an unpredictable child. She was impulsive, and she’d have awful outbursts when she didn’t get her way.”

“I don’t think she’s entirely grown out of that,” Jessica commented, thinking of the way Darcy had shown up at her house.

“Precisely the problem,” Verna agreed. “Roland knew she couldn’t be trusted with the amulet and its true power. Thus, he willed the amulet to me before he died. This infuriated Darcy. I think she was willing to bide her time at first, but now she’s realized that she’s going to have to wait an awfully long while before I kick the bucket. That’s why she’s been so desperate to get a hold of it now.”

Jessica jumped on Route 99, barely able to remember where the hell she was going. This was a lot to keep track of, since it was all so new. “What exactly does this amulet do, though? Isn’t it just a necklace?”

Verna’s laugh filled the car. “My goodness, no! If this was just about money and material things, I wouldn’t give a shit. Let the little bitch have it if it makes her happy. This necklace can be used as a weapon if it’s put in the wrong hands.”

“A necklace as a weapon?” That was a new one for her.

“I don’t think it was intended to be, necessarily. Let’s see if I can remember. This has all been so long ago.” Verna tapped her finger against her lips. “The amulet was forged a very long time ago by Bridget’s people. It was supposed to offer protection to the elementals. I never understood all that much about them, to be honest with you, but I trusted what Roland told me. He said Darcy had some very dark tendencies, and that both he and Bridget had worried about her and what she might become. It’s imperative that she doesn’t get a hold of this, or there’s no telling what she might do.”

From what little she knew about Darcy, Jessica didn’t doubt that. “But her mother wasn’t like that?” she asked. She wanted a clear image of everything, especially if she was going to get fired for it.

“No, not at all. Bridget was wonderful. Darcy is a very different case, and most of her people aren’t like her. She’s the fly in the ointment, and I have no doubt she’d do many terrible things if she got a hold of the amulet. Here we are.” Verna pointed out the window.

Jessica parked. The scents that drifted across the street from the First Light Café were tempting and far safer than what they were doing, but she ignored them as she came around to open the passenger door for Verna. “Wouldn’t the amulet be safer if we just left it here, then?”

“No, I’ve got a much better plan for it.” Verna confidently led the way inside and up to the front desk. She signed her name in on the check-in sheet, and a teller named Tammy came with a set of keys to show her into the vault.

Jessica waited in the lobby, wishing they could just get this over with already. She never should’ve taken Verna anywhere. Even if there’d been a medical emergency, the protocol was to call an ambulance. All of this business about elementals and amulets would never fly on a report. If she tried, everyone would think she was the one who needed an evaluation.

Verna emerged from the vault a few minutes later with her chin held high and a satisfied smile on her face. “Time for us to go, dear.”

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