Page 47 of Wolf's Endgame

“You need to eat?” Lottie asked me.

“Yes.” I looked at her as I sipped my tea. “Can you cook better yet?”

“I can cook fine.” Her glare was the same, and it made me smile.

“In that case, I’m not hungry.”

“Lost your damn clothes, not lost your smart mouth, I see,” she snarked, but I saw her lips tug upwards before she pretended to scowl more.

“He told me you were both dead.” Okay, so I was going right there. “The guy…” How did I explain this?

“I think we need to call the police,” Maggie tried to whisper to Lottie.

“I don’t need the police.” My voice was a little too high, a little more high-strung sounding than normal. “I can kind of explain to you both, kind of.”

“Why?” Lottie’s hand inched closer to the shotgun. “Why no police?”

“Do you have silver bullets in there?”

Lottie looked at Maggie quickly, her finger now on the barrel of the shotgun. “Maybe we should call someone.”

“Lottie, I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine!” she snapped. “Sitting here as bare as the day you were born, gone for months, and now asking about silver bullets. You think you’re a damned werewolf or something, girl?” Her snort was loud. “You need help.” Maggie was nodding along with every word. “Let us help you.”

“You are helping me. I have a blanket and a cup of tea. I just need time to warm up.” Which was a lie as I was already toasty. “I can be gone so quick you won’t even know I was here.” I watched them share a dubious look. “I thought you were both dead.” Lowering my cup of tea to the table, I knew I needed to explain. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you are both alive and well.”

“Wouldn’t say well.” Lottie sniffed. She took a seat, her hand no longer so near to the gun. “Your disappearance and then manhunt”—she grunted out man—“aged me about ten years, I reckon.”

“Did you kill those men?”

I met the fear in Maggie’s eyes, and I knew there was no point lying. “I did. They were going to rape me, then murder me. I fought them and I won.” She looked worse after the explanation if that were possible. “If you could let me finish my tea, I’ll go. You can call the police and never have to see me again.”

“You’ll stay where you are.” Lottie gave me a meaningful look before she turned to Maggie. “Never heard you argue against self-defense before.” She slid the shotgun across the counter to Maggie. “Hold onto that if it makes you feel better.”

It shouldn’t have made me sad when Maggie pulled the butt of the gun closer to her.

“Where have you been? Why are you naked? Who can we call?” Folding her bony arms across her chest, Lottie waited for me to answer. “I’ll know if you’re lying.”

“I was taken.” Not a lie. “I was held prisoner.” Also not a lie. “I escaped.” Still not a lie. I’d escaped so many places now, it was almost funny. “I didn’t have any clothes, which is why I’m naked.” Truth. “I need to call my brother.”

“You have a brother?”

“Yes. He’s older. He needs to know I’m okay.”

Maggie’s hand flexed on the gun. “He’ll be worried? He knows you are missing?”

“Yes, I’m worried about him too. May I use a phone?”

“You’re not telling us it all.”

Lottie. Luna, I’d missed this woman, but I hadn’t missed the fact she was almost shifter-sensitive when it came to sniffing out bullshit. “I’m telling you what I can.”

Still not lying.

Digging into her pocket, Lottie handed me an old and battered cell phone. “Know his number?”

Taking it, I felt the wry smile as I punched in his number to make the call. “It’s the only one I know.”

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