Page 17 of Kin of the Wolf

I hesitated, debating my answer. Did I trust him around the case now? I believed he was no longer working for my ex-husband, and I was starting to trust him with my life. Daily. That robbery might not have gone as well for me if he hadn’t shown up and stopped the motorcyclists. Further, he was the reason I’d found the lavender farm and the stolen artifacts.

“I suppose I shouldn’t pass up that offer,” I finally said. “The case’s mysteries have thus far eluded me.”

“Okay. Come on by with it later if you want. I can’t promise anything, but my tools are top notch.”

“Oh I know. I saw the shopping cart you pulled up.” I waved at the magnet.

“A feat that I’m positive impressed you.”

“So much so that I’ll be fantasizing about you in a blanket and a mask tonight.”

“I wouldn’t be offended in the least by that.”

My phone rang. I withdrew it warily, not sure whether to expect the police, my belligerent cousin, or some new plague on my life. My son Austin’s name popped up.

“Oh!”

I held up a finger to Duncan, tightened the blanket around myself, and hopped out of the van to answer.

Since my youngest son had been doing his Air Force training across the country, I hadn’t seen him in months, and he’d only called a few times during that time. Because, he’d promised me, his phone use was restricted, not because he didn’t love his motherand care about keeping her updated. It had sounded like a partial truth, but I’d reluctantly accepted that my boys didn’t need their mom as much anymore. At least Austin had had more time to process his lack of a college fund, and he wasn’t, as far as I knew, holding a grudge, not like Cameron.

“Hey, Austin,” I answered, striving to sound casual instead of like a parent starved for updates. “How’s Mississippi?”

He was doing his training at Keesler Air Force Base there.

“Hi, Mom. It’s okay. Not as humid now.”

“How’s it going?” I wondered what had prompted the rare call. “You haven’t fallen out of an airplane or anything, have you?”

“I’m training to be a cyber-operations technician, Mom.” His voice was dry, the eye roll assumed.

“They cyber-operate in planes sometimes, don’t they?”

“Not yet. I’m fine. We’ve got leave for Christmas. I told Andrew and Chul I’d see them over the holidays. We might even play a gig.”

“That’s great. I’ll pretend you want to see your mother too, not just jam with your high-school friends.”

“OfcourseI want to see you.” The tone promised another eye roll. “I need a place to stay.”

“I knew your love and faithful devotion would bring you back to me.”

“Ugh, don’t say things like that. I’m right outside the mess hall. Someone might hear.”

I reined in further snark and said a non-embarrassing, “I’m sorry. When can I expect you?”

“My plane comes in on the twentieth. Andrew said he’d pick me up at SeaTac.”

“That’s good of him. I’ll get a few groceries.”

“Cool, thanks. See you then.” He hung up.

I returned my phone to my pocket, delighted that at least one of the boys would come home for the holidays, but that meant Ineeded to do a few things. “Get the tree out of storage, visit Costco, and…” I gazed around the parking lot and especially into the woods. “Make sure my damn cousins leave me alone for Christmas and that nocrimeinvades my territory.”

I scowled, my delight at the prospect of seeing my son tainted by my new fear that the world was on the verge of figuring out I was a werewolf. For the boys’ entire lives, I’d taken a potion that sublimated my lupine magic and had striven to be a normal and entirelyhumanmother. They had noideaabout my secret.

A flutter of anxiety taunted my stomach as I worried whether that would change during Austin’s visit.

7

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