Page 65 of Way of the Wolf

“Shewasn’tgoing to return to us,” Augustus said. “It wasn’t until I— Until this week, she wanted nothing to do with us.”

“Until youattackedher,” my mother said. “That was what you meant to say, yes?”

He stared at the ground. “Yes.”

“She did not challenge you.”

“No, she was a puny human who couldn’t challengeanyone.”

I bristled and almost waved to the dead hunters, but slaying people, especially in a fit of animalistic rage, wasn’t anything to be proud of. I resented that my cousin had set this up. That a bunch of my family members had been in on it.

“The only reason she came here was to cry to you that the pack wasn’t treating her well.” Augustus pointed at me again, his finger accusing.

“I came because I wanted to know why you were trying to kill me,” I said. “I didn’t care abouttreatmentin general.”

“Whatever brought her,” my mother said, glancing towardJasmine, “does not matter. Luna is here. She has returned to us.” Mom lifted her chin and met my eyes. “Sheis my heir. And you will not attempt to harm her again unless she challenges you for your position in the pack.”

Jaw clenched, Augustus didn’t answer.

“Did you steal the case from my apartment complex?” I asked Augustus, hoping he would continue to answer and speak the truth with my mother watching. “Or tell someone to do it?” I realized he couldn’t have been there, attacking Bolin, at the same time he was at Mom’s cabin, getting ready for the hunt.

Augustus glanced at Mom. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Case?” Mom asked, watching us both.

“A magical artifact with a toothy wolf on it.”

“I’m not familiar with any such artifacts in the area that would have significance to the pack.”

I was about to say that it’d been made with druid magic and might not have anything to do with werewolves, but I grew aware of all the eyes watching the conversation, not all of them friendly. Maybe I would talk to my mother about it in private later. It was hard to read through Augustus’s surliness whether he had been responsible for the theft or not.Duncanwas the one who’d been trying to get it all along. Bolin would have recognized him if he’d been the attacker, but it was possiblehe’dhired someone to help.

The tingling in my wounds had worn off. They didn’t seem to be bleeding, but weariness settled into me, and I didn’t have the strength to ask any more questions. All I wanted was to return home and curl up in bed and sleep for days.

The white wolf, Lorenzo, had stayed back during the discussion, allowing my mother to handle it, but he stepped forward now. With the moon shining on his back, he shifted, morphing into a man I hadn’t seen in a long time. He was younger than Mombut not by much, his white hair thick and straight, but his skin weathered and creased. His body was still lean and muscular. Powerful. He stood at Mom’s side to face my cousin.

“If you attack my mate’s daughter again,” Lorenzo told Augustus in a gravelly voice, “you will answer to me.”

“And no matter what happens,” Mom said, “after this, neither you nor your mate will inherit anything from me. Certainly not that medallion and the hope for our people’s future survival.”

After giving me a dark look, one that promised he wasn’t done with me, Augustus stalked into the woods. Several others took off after him, those who were his allies, those who’d been willing to help him end my life.

I licked dry lips, distressed that I might not have resolved anything tonight.

“I am glad you have returned, my daughter.” Mom nodded at me before she and Lorenzo took their wolf forms again to leave.

I pushed my hand through hair wet from my soak in the river and wondered if I could so easily command the wolf to return. After a change and a hunt, the insatiable urge to do so usually faded until a threat or another full moon bestirred my wild instincts again.

Before I could test my abilities, Jasmine walked up. “Are you okay?”

“Bruised. Battered.” I glanced at the dead hunters but quickly looked away. “And rattled.”

“I would be too. I’ve never been forced to…” Jasmine waved at the bodies.

“Yeah.” I appreciated that she’d used the wordsbeen forced tofor me. I hadn’t wanted this. She understood.

“I need to make a confession.” Jasmine looked around, but the rest of our kin were leaving, most as wolves, but a few as people, perhaps not able to summon the magic to change again.

I recalled the look my mother had given to Jasmine and nodded. “Go ahead.”

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