Page 172 of Blue Moon Mistress

I look up, and the ghostly forms of the wolves shift in his headlights.

“I don’t own a dog, Sheriff. And you can’t ticket me for having those hang around.”

He grabs my arm before I can get out.

“Listen, I’m willing to trust you, but only so far.”

“And I wouldn’t expect you to. I know your family history sheriff. Maybe you should start thinking a little more deeply about the stories your grandaddy told you as a boy.” I take a deep breath. “Just remember. We’re not all bad.”

His hand loosens and I get out, grabbing my things from the back before I rush inside.

The fact that the wolves are here means they didn’t manage to find them… or Aphrodite found a way to send them back to me.

I hear the sheriff’s tires crunch in the gravel and I know he’s leaving. I send a quick thanks to the Goddess for that.

I move through the house with a duffel, grabbing everything I think I might need. More of it is for dealing with her vampire—like the burlap sack of coal I grab from beside the fireplace.

I have a piece of it in my hand when I step out the front door and find him waiting for me.

“Arde” the word is a whisper, but the coal knows what to do. Spelling any object is easier when you’re asking it to fulfill its purpose.

It bursts to life, the bright flames licking harmlessly against my fingers.

He sees it, eyes wide. “Mother f—Stop!” In a blink, he’s behind a tree, peeking out to glare at me.

The wolves can’t kill him, but witchfire could.

“I’m here to help, damnit!”

The fact that the wolves haven’t attacked his helps me believe that.

Clenching my fist, I kill the coal with a single whispered word,muri, but I don’t put it away.

He carefully steps back out into the drive, hands up, movements slow. “I came to tell you I’m leaving.”

“Why should I care?”

“I didn’t know who you were and I wanted to make suresheknew I wasn’t going to hurt you.”

The terror I’d seen on his face at the Carraway plot is gone, but I can sense the feeling lingering.

“I’ll see about putting in a good word next time I’m out there, is that good enough?”

Pushing past him, I pull open the door to the barn and set everything I think I’m going to need on the rack at the front of my dust covered four-wheeler.

Keeping half my attention on him, I check the tires and the fuel gage. I left it ready to go. Time and neglect haven’t taken that from me.

“You aren’t going to find them at Mrs. Miller’s house.”

“But that’s where they were.”

“Yes. She got the old lady to give them drugged lemonade and tricked that witch that runs the store into helping her get rid of your protection stones. I don’t know if he survived.”

“He did.”

He nods, but I don’t think he cares.

“Where are they now?”

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