Page 56 of Way of the Wolf

He’d put that in his report because that’s whatI’dtold him.

“When you build an apartment complex next to the woods, you might get some wild critters,” I said blandly.

“Hm.” The way Bolin eyed me made me wonder if he was reassessing his belief in werewolves. He also looked toward Duncan’s van again.

I patted him on the shoulder. “If I’m not here when you come back with the case, you can leave it in the office in a drawer, but don’t tell anyone about it, okay?”

Especially anyone with a magic detector.

“All right.” Coffees in hand, Bolin stepped into the office.

I spotted a tenant with a leashed dog approaching and raised a hand to close the door, not wanting anyone to hear a chance comment about the case. Before I could close it, Bolin leaned out again.

“The medieval wordbriberoriginally meant trickster, beggar, or robber. The bribes were their ill-gotten gains.”

“Fascinating.” I closed the door on him.

When the tenant walked up, a curly-haired Doodle mix at her side, I braced myself for a comment about wolves or coyotes. All she did was inform me that the poop-bag dispenser by the dog potty area needed to be refilled. The mundaneness of the request filled me with relief.

As I headed to one of the storage sheds to grab supplies, I attempted to focus on the work issues that needed to be addressed that day, but my thoughts kept wandering. Somewhere along the line, I’d decided that I would indeed go to my family’s hunt that night. I needed to learn, as my mother had suggested, what was motivating my cousins to come after me.

After the previous night’s hunt, I felt more confident about going out to join the pack. I wasn’t confident they would tell me what I wanted to learn, but I doubted I would embarrass myself. I remembered how to change into a wolf and how tobea wolf. Over the years, I might have done my best to forget the magic, but the magic hadn’t forgotten me.

During the previous night’s hunt, I hadn’t glimpsed myself in any pools of water, so I hoped I was asmagnificentas Duncan had claimed. Since the gray in his hair showed up when he was in wolf form, I worried that mine would too, that the pack would see me as old and weak. I’d felt strong and powerful when we’d taken down the deer, but facing an ungulate without fangs wasn’t the same as confronting another wolf. And I might have to confrontmultiplewolves.

After filling the bag dispensers on the grounds, I looked toward Duncan’s van again. Unfortunately, I couldn’t ask him to come along for moral support—the pack would find his presence even more offensive than mine. But I wondered if I should tell him what I planned and ask him for advice. Or would he just listen to me rant about my family? Hehadsaid he would be available if I wanted to talk.

“Do you want to talk or finish that kiss?” I muttered to myself.

Instead of answering, I headed to the van.

Despite waving his metal detector earlier, I didn’t think he’d left with it. Was he taking a nap in his bed? He wasn’t visible in the cab, so I assumed he was doing something back there. Maybe his equipment needed lubing.

As I approached, the morning’s drizzle turning to rain, his voice drifted out through the window I’d left open earlier.

“You didn’t tell me she was so hot,” came distinct words from the back.

I froze. Who was he talking to?

“Especially as a wolf,” he added with a soft laugh.

He was talking to someone aboutme. Someone who knew I was awerewolf? What the hell? That narrowed the possibilities a lot.

A thunk came from inside, like the lid of a case closing.

I lunged to press myself against the side of the van so Duncan wouldn’t see me if he looked out a window. Ears straining, I tried to catch the other side of the conversation. My werewolf senses had been improving as more and more days passed since the last dosage of my potion, so maybe…

“You saw her as a wolf?”

Horror, chagrin, anger, and other emotions I couldn’t name ran through my body. My hands clenched into fists. I recognized that voice. Chad.

“Yeah,” Duncan said. “We hunted together.”

“You’re not supposed to behuntingwith her. Or talking to her at all. I didn’t hire you to go up there and contemplate herhotness.”

My jaw clenched as much as my fists. Betrayal entered the mix of emotions tightening my chest and making me want to punch things—starting with Duncan’s van.

The bastard who’d cleaned out our savings accounts—including our kids’college fund—had paid Duncan to come here? To come and… do what? Spy on me?

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