They had no Uncle George, but the oblique reference acted as a clue, and Mom caught on.
“Well, we were going to wait for you to go. You know he loves seeing all you kids.”
“Can’t get away at the moment but give him my love.”
“Will do, baby girl. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
She hung up and took a deep breath then another. At least now she knew her family hadn’t gotten caught up in the Rogers mess. Not yet. Hopefully Mom would have Selene and Ares packed and hiked out into the bush by the end of the day. Because what better way to foil watchers than to disappear in the wilds? They used to do it all the time growing up, Dad wanting them to learn how to live off the land just in case. They’d nicknamed the hut deep in the wilds Uncle George’s place. It became a running joke with them saying they were going to visit their uncle when they needed to blow off some steam.
With her family taken care of, time to plan her next move.
Rogers needed taking down, which meant locating him. Preferably at home. Only he wasn’t listed anywhere she looked. No phone number or address, just the news reports featuring him when he went viral for his amazing finds.
As she stared at the picture of Rogers standing beside the Sasquatch in a cage, her lips pursed. That had almost been her. The whole world had been only hours away from finding out werewolves really existed. Sometimes she wished she didn’t have to hide. That she could be loud and proud about her heritage.
How bad would it be?
Just ask Fred, the Bigfoot who’d been put on display in Calgary and became a huge tourist attraction. He’d lost weight and hair since his captivity. Poor guy. At least the Ogopogo got to stay in its lake, albeit under guard.
Athena would die if they ever served her up like a circus freak.
She had to make sure that never happened.
Even if she had to kill her first human to do so.
Chapter 4
Derek hated his job.Monotonous, repetitive, and long. So very long. He kept eyeballing the huge clock over the exit. He didn’t usually pay it much mind, but thoughts of Athena kept intruding. Had she left his place? Would he see her again? Would his stuff be there? Had she used his shower? Touched her body with his soap?
By the time one a.m. hit, and he could clock out, he’d convinced himself she’d be gone, most likely with his cash stash. He probably should have been more discreet, but honestly, if she fled with it, then so be it. He kept the bulk of his savings in random spots—a chunk in the bank, more inside his mattress, a few wads tucked in the eaves of his old treehouse. Derek believed in being prepared. The jar held only his fun money.
He snoozed on the bus ride home. At his stop, he hit the pizza place that stayed open late, picking up an extra-large loaded with meat. He’d skip the jog tonight in favor of push-ups and squats. Maybe watch the highlights of the hockey game.
To his surprise, Athena sat on his couch, wearing a soft pink sweater, his boxers, and a smile. “Do I smell pizza?”
“Yeah. Meat lovers, hope that’s okay.”
“Oh hell yeah.” She vaulted off his sofa like a gymnast.
“Glad to hear it. So many folks going vegan these days. I tried it but didn’t even last a week.” He’d never been so damned hungry. Fucking tofu and veggies and fruits and nuts just weren’t a meal to his carnivore brain.
“Fuck the rabbit food. Give me meat!” she declared, holding up a slice.
He’d love to give her his meat. Uh… He chewed, lest those words come out of his mouth.
As they ate, he asked her about her day. “So, did you have to escape any bad guys?”
She snorted. “Nope. Just dealt with my mom, did a bit of shopping, and then proceeded to suck searching stuff up on the internet.”
His turn to make a noise. “That was your first mistake. Everyone knows the regular net only shows you what the government wants you to see.”
A pizza slice hovered in the air in front of her mouth. “Hold on, are you a conspiracy theorist?”
“I’m sure some would call me that. I prefer the term well informed.” He shrugged. “I don’t take shit at face value. I like to hear both sides before I make an informed opinion.”
“Fair enough. So how do you get your news?”