Page 23 of Way of the Wolf

Duncan regarded my find. “That’s creepy.”

“No shit.”

8

With furyand fear flooding me with adrenaline, I dropped the tiny camera onto the nightstand under my feet and stomped on it to break it. I wished I could also break the neck of whatever creep had planted it.

On the third stomp, a tiny snap sounded. White light flashed, and a pulse of magical energy surged up my leg, pitching me backward. I tumbled off the nightstand and struck the wall.

Duncan sprang forward and caught me before I pitched to the floor. I groaned, belatedly remembering that his magic detector had alerted us to the device, meaning it hadn’t come out of a box from RadioShack.

After mumbling a thank-you, I wriggled free from his grip. I resolutely grabbed my saw and walked around the bed toward the other corner.

“Do you have any idea who would want to spy on you?” Duncan asked.

“No.” As I shoved the other nightstand into the corner, I thought of my werewolf family, the cousin I hadn’t yet called. But there was no reason the pack would want to spy on me. Andcertainly not in mybedroom. That was what made this extra creepy. How often had I wandered naked from the shower out to the dresser to grab clothes? And when my husband had been here, we’d had sex right under those cameras. If they’d been there that long. Had they? “I don’t suppose your device can tell mewhenthese were installed?”

“No. Sorry.” Duncan’s voice came from the floor. He’d pushed the bed back and knelt so he could remove the vent cover.

“Do you mind?”

“Helping you? Not at all.”

“Do you mind notsnoopingright in front of me? If there’s any searching to do,I’lldo it.” After finding the camera, I dreaded learning what might be down in the heat duct. Already, I wasn’t sure I wanted a witness for this. Duncan probably thought I was a deviant, or haddateddeviants, someone who’d put this stuff up there.

But who did I know who would have had access to my apartment?Andwho knew where to acquire magical items? I’d never even heard of magical cameras. Where did one go to buy them? An alchemist with an electronics background?

“Of course, my lady.” Duncan rose, lifting his hands. “I’m merely trying to be helpful. And I’m always curious. I admitted that, didn’t I?”

“Just… write down whatever you need to know about that potion, okay? That would be helpful. I need to find someone to make it before…” Before the full moon, I thought but didn’t say. “Just before.”

Duncan watched me as I lifted the saw to drill another hole. “May I ask a question?”

“No.”

“Ah.”

Something told me he wanted to knowwhyI took the potions instead of embracing my heritage, my heritage that could turn meinto an animal with the power to kill. The distressinglyeasypower to kill.

“Potion, then. Right.” Duncan turned toward the dresser.

I drilled the hole and found another camera plugged in above the ceiling, its power cord running who knew where. Again, I yanked it out, snapping the connection. I was tempted to stomp on it to destroy it, hardly caring if the magic knocked me on my ass again, but it was probably a good idea to leave it intact and try to figure out where it was transmitting. Was it hooked up to my Wi-Fi? Or someone else’s Wi-Fi? There were dozens of networks in the apartment complex, and I never would have noticed if another had appeared. Nor was I a techy person who would have noticed if a foreign device was using mine. Did these cameras evenneeda network? Maybe the magic allowed them to magically transmit the feed to…

To where?

“I wonder if Chad did it,” I muttered, staring at the device in my palm.

He was a mundane human, but he’d always been interested in magic, and he might have figured out where to buy such a thing. But why would he have cared about spying on me after he left? Out of jealousy? To make sure I didn’t hook up with another guy?

He’dbeen hooking up with women left and right, so that would be hypocrisy, but I wouldn’t put it past him. When we’d been together, he’d snapped at other men who’d flirted or even looked too long at me. That might even have been the reason I’d stopped wearing makeup and dressing in anything that showed off skin or curves. To make those incidents less likely to occur.

“Is Chad your husband?” Duncan had the potion vial up, squinting at the label.

“Myex-husband.”

“How long ago did he leave?”

“He didn’tleave. I kicked the cheating bastard out. If he’d hadhis way, he would have kept returning from hisbusiness tripsto shag me in between screwing every bimbo along the way, including that blonde girl he’s yachting around the world with now. Assuming she hasn’t gotten sick of him and kicked him out.Henever had money for a boat. I know that’s her yacht.”

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