Page 11 of Way of the Wolf

“Few are. Do you know anyone who makes potions?” I decided to be blunt.

I didn’t need to reveal what kind of potion I needed or what Iwould use it for. That was a secret I held dear. My kids didn’t even know. Only my ex-husband did, and I would have gladly kept it from him, but he’d met me before I’d found a substance to help my… condition. He hadn’t been supportive of me taking it—heassumed that being a werewolf was amazing and had been into me because of my lupine attributes. Maybe that should have told me long ago that he wasn’t a great catch.

“Realpotions?” I added, since there were all manner of fake witches and mystics in the greater Seattle area who cheerfully sold crap.

“Ah.” Duncan tapped his chin thoughtfully and gazed around the grounds.

A fog was rolling in from the woods, and dew droplets had formed on the grass. “I’ve met numerous alchemists in my journeys. I’ve not been in this particular area long enough to have made such contacts, but perhaps I could reach out to Stanislaw in the bayous of Louisiana. Oh, or Betsy in Pitlochry. She has a huge database of contacts in the field, and she owes me a favor for finding ingredients for her. Plus, she thinks I’m a sexy beast, so she’s always eager to assist me.”

“I’ll bet.”

“Come to dinner with me, and I’ll make some calls.” Duncan smiled easily, but there was an intensity in his eyes that didn’t match his affable manner.

Yeah, he wanted something.

“What’s your favorite food? Salmon? A rare steak? Some appealingly roasted haunch of meat?”

If I’d had any doubts that he knew about my heritage, the questions would have set them aside.

“I like teriyaki. It’s affordable.” To some extent. I usually cooked at home, which was evenmoreaffordable, but I hadn’t broken into my entertainment budget yet for the month. I’d been too busy to be entertained.

“Ah, aflavoredhaunch of meat. Cubed up and threaded on skewers before grilling. I would not object to such fare.”

“That’s good since you offered to pay.” I closed the door to the empty apartment, making a mental note to dig into the records and see what contact information I had for Beatrice. I’d made sure she putsomephone number in the field and believed she’d said it had belonged to a relative.

“Indeed I did. Allow me to escort you to my van.”

“Pass.” I brushed past him to lead the way to the front of the complex. There was no way I would get in that van with him. For all I knew, it was filled with iron shackles, torture devices, and guns loaded with silver bullets. “I’m not carpooling with a stranger. I’ll meet you there.”

“Are you sure? I’d love to show you my giant magnet.”

“Save it for Betsy. I’ll meet you at the teriyaki place on Bothell Way.” I didn’t intend to invite him into my car any more than I was willing to get into his. Besides, if he had to drive his own van, it would leave our parking lot. Hopefully permanently. “I’ve done a few repairs for them, so they always give me big portions.”

“Excellent. I like a hearty meal. I have a feeling you do too.”

Yes, unfortunately. The potion dulled many of my werewolf attributes, but I paid for being stronger than normal by having a fast metabolism.

When we reached the parking lot, I realized I didn’t have my purse and keys. “I need to grab a couple of things.” I waved toward my apartment. “I’ll meet you at the restaurant.”

“Yes, my lady.” Duncan bowed before opening the door to his van.

When he slid it open, I glanced inside before leaving. I didn’tseeguns or shackles, but there was a wall of racks that held SCUBA gear and other equipment I couldn’t name. The Roadtrek had definitely been modified from its original camper-van layout and duty.

“Bothell Way,” he called. “That runs along Lake Washington, doesn’t it?”

“Through part of Kenmore, it’s close to the water, yeah.”

“I’ve never magnet fished in Lake Washington. Are there lots of docks? It could prove fruitful.”

“I don’t know, man. Just don’t forget to reach out to your alchemist contacts.” I shook my head, afraid I was, at best, wasting my time. At worst, this guy could turn into a kidnapper or murderer and kill me.

As I unlocked the door to my apartment, a howl sounded, rising above the distant roar of freeway traffic. A wolf.

I looked back toward the van, but Duncan was driving out of the parking lot in human form. That hadn’t been him.

5

When I turnedinto the unassuming teriyaki restaurant, the Roadtrek wasn’t in the parking lot. I poked into the envelope in my purse labeled ENTERTAINMENT to make sure I had sufficient funds. Duncan had offered to pay, but I had no intention of putting out, or whatever he expected, and would make that clear by covering my own meal. Assuming he showed up.

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