Page 29 of Kin of the Wolf

“Indeed.” Kashvi nodded to me. “Please carry on, Ms. Valens.”

I mumbled an agreement but rubbed the back of my neck as the group walked away. I felt distressed but also… resolute. I didn’t want to be forced to move and find a new job. No way were my dastardly cousins going to be the cause of that. I also didn’t want them bilking people in the neighborhood out of money.

I lowered my arm and glowered into the trees, though I didn’t sense them out there at the moment. Too bad. I was more than ready to deal with them. I would start with Mom and Lorenzo. This time, I intended to find a solution to Augustus and his siblings that was more permanent. If that meant transporting them to Canada and hurling them out the door of my moving truck, so be it.

As the Sylvans drove away, Duncan walked from his van to the passenger side of my truck and patted the door. Saying he was ready to visit the pack with me?

I nodded firmly and headed that way. As much as I hated relying on his help, I might need to in order to deal with my cousins. If he was willing to assist, I couldn’t be too proud to accept.

“Ready to go see your mother?” Duncan joined me in the truck when I slid into the driver’s seat.

“See her, yes, and also kick the butt of every werewolf who’s stepped foot in Shoreline in the past year.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I’vestepped foot here.”

I put the truck into gear. “You’d better gird your ass then.”

10

This time,when we drove past Monroe and into the woods where my mom lived in her two-room log cabin, no surly werewolves sprang out of the driveway to block us. I was almost surprised, but maybe Augustus was still lurking around Sylvan Serenity, waiting for a chance to raid my apartment and find the wolf case. Such an effort would prove futile since the artifact was in my glovebox, nestled atop two recently purchased bars of dark chocolate.

At the start of the driveway, magical items in the brush to either side pinged my senses. Whatever they were, they hadn’t been there before. I couldn’t see anything through the fern fronds, but I felt their presence.

“Your mother has added magical defenses,” Duncan said.

“Is that what they are? She mentioned getting ready in case thieves shooting silver bullets raid her property again.”

“Let’s hope that, whatever the devices are, they don’t attack helpful lone wolves who’ve done nothing to deserve having magic flung at them.”

“Nothing? After you beat up my cousins, you pinned anotherof my relatives to the wall of the cabin. I think you dislocated his shoulder.”

“Those attacks were warranted.”

“Do you want me to tell the magical devices that if they start pummeling you with sonic rays?”

“I would appreciate that, yes.”

I glimpsed something glowing softly under a tree as the cabin came into view and wondered whom Mom knew who made and installed defensive magical artifacts. Maybe I could put some in around the apartment complex, though I would have to make sure the devices knew who to attack and whonotto attack. After everything that had happened, I didn’t need a magical landmine going off when one of the tenants’ dogs peed on a bush.

When we arrived at the cabin, Mom’s Jeep was parked in the driveway beside a twenty-year-old Subaru. I didn’t know what Lorenzo drove but hoped that was his car. He wouldn’t have a problem with me visiting, and he’d seemed okay with Duncan. At least, he hadn’tattackedDuncan.

But when I knocked on the front door, an older woman answered, her gray hair dangling in a braid over her shoulder. I recognized the wise wolf who’d tended Emilio, removing the silver bullet that had lodged in his torso, and concern tightened my throat. Rosaria was her name, I remembered, though I hadn’t had cause to interact with her often in my youth.

“Is Mom okay?” I blurted for my greeting.

“Good evening, Luna. And…” Rosaria looked toward Duncan. “Lone wolf who smashed Rocco against the wall of the cabin.”

She’d seen that? She must have been peering out the window at the time.

“Duncan. And I’m sorry you had to witness such violence.” He bowed apologetically to her.

“Werewolves are not bothered by violence. More tedious was setting his dislocated shoulder later. He was a dreadful patient.”

“He was a dreadful opponent as well.” Duncan nodded. “So very surly.”

“Yes, that sounds right.” Rosaria smiled faintly at him before looking at me again.

I leaned forward, more worried about Mom than Rocco.

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