Page 55 of The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine

She hesitated and looked at Fluffy. ‘Once you became a vampire, I worried that your dad had forced the prophecy on you. I returned to your flat later on that day to see a bloody werewolf prowling around outside and I knew it was there for you. Something told me that the werewolf was important. And I knew the prophecy – I knew you needed a cursed wolf by your side. I carry a safety curse on me, a shamanic one designed to downgrade any threat. So a cursed vampire might become a mosquito, and a cursed werewolf…’

‘Might become a dog,’ I whispered, my eyes wide as I stared at Fluffy. He gave a bark. I swallowed hard. ‘You’re the one that cursed Fluffy. You turned him into a “cursed wolf”.’

She folded her hands primly on her lap. ‘I did.’

Outrage roared through me. ‘And you put him in a bin!’

She sighed. ‘You collect strays, Bunny, you always have. Yes, I locked him in the bin, but I knew you’d rescue him.’ She spoke patiently, like she was talking to a slow child.

‘How?’ I demanded. ‘How could you possibly have known that?’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘When I visited your flat that day, your waste bins were overflowing. I knew it wouldn’t be long before you put the rubbish out, found him and took him under your wing. If your father wasn’t above a little manipulation to make your prophecy come true, then I decided I could do the same.’

I felt sick. She’d risked Fluffy’s life on my cleanliness? We were lucky he hadn’t died. ‘He was so thin, Mum.’

She grimaced. ‘As I said, the curse downgrades the threat. Big strong werewolf, little thin dog.’

‘Fluffy is a werewolf.’ I shook my head in disbelief. It was too much; all of it was too much. Still, if Mum had made the curse then she could undo it, like Anissa had said.

‘Undo the curse,’ I ordered.

Mum blinked. ‘It’s not that simple. It’s not my curse, it’s a shamanic one – one I bought from a market.’

Fluffy leaned hard against me and I finally realised that all along he’d been telling me not to trust my mother. He had growled at her from the moment he’d first seen her; his dislike had nothing to do with her irritating Pomeranian but the fact that she had cursed him.

I couldn’t look at her. ‘I need time to process all of this.’

‘Bunny—’ she started.

Hearing my name on her lips somehow made me angrier. ‘I need to go to work,’ I snapped. ‘Don’t be here when I come home.’

I stormed out and I didn’t look back.

Chapter 34

I took the Suburban back to work. Work was my salvation; I needed to keep busy until Connor was home, then I could fall apart with him.

I walked into the office and sat heavily in Gunnar’s spare chair. Sidnee was still on the computer, leaning forward, her chin on one hand and typing with the other hand. She didn’t look at me as she shoved a sheaf of papers towards me. ‘These are the people who’ve been known to hustle others. It’s been slow going but we’re getting there!’

When I didn’t take it or say anything, she looked up at me. Then, in an alarmed voice, she demanded, ‘What’s wrong? Is it Sig?’

I shook my head and sighed. ‘No, she’s fine as far as I know. It’s my mother.’

‘What’s wrong? Is she cursed too?’

‘Ha. I wish,’ I said drily. But I didn’t, not really. After everything she’d done to me, I still couldn’t bring myself to wish her harm. I was the most pathetic vampire on earth.

‘What happened? Bunny?’

I rubbed a hand across my face. ‘My father was the one that paid the vamps to turn me. And Mum deliberately caused accidents that hurt me during my childhood to awaken my magic. Oh, and she’s the one who cursed Fluffy. Can I come stay with you until Connor gets back?’

‘Oh my God, Bunny. That’s a lot for you to deal with, hon. Of course you can stay with me. Any time, you know that.’ Her eyes looked a little wild; I think I’d shocked her.

‘Thanks. I did tell her to get out of my house, but I don’t want to be there right now.’

‘She can stay in the hotel,’ Sidnee agreed. ‘And you can stay with me as long as you need.’

‘It probably won’t be long. Connor should be back soon. I don’t want to be alone.’

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