Page 66 of Kin of the Wolf

Bolin stared at me as if he couldn’t believe it.

“I’m saving the delight for retirement,” I said.

“Are yousureyou’re not a Boomer?”

“Positive. Are the vials the same thing that we saw you use in the parking lot the day we met? That threw up vapors and stung the eyes of the motorcycle thugs?”

“Yes.”

“Those tricks don’t sound like they’ll be that effective against werewolves,” Duncan said. “Wouldn’t you prefer to blow up the house and your cousins with it?”

“I know you’re a nomadic treasure-hunter who’s new to this country,” I said, “but both of those things are crimes here.”

“But blowing up the boathouse is okay?”

No, but since he’d offered… “I think that’s a petty crime. The penalties would be less… penal.”

Bolin’s eyebrows rose. “I shouldn’t, as a law-abiding citizen, be listening to this conversation.”

“Probably not. Thank you for bringing these.” After taking the vials and bath bombs, I shooed him away.

When Bolin was out of earshot, Duncan said, “Your cousins are going to keep coming after you unless you get rid of them permanently.”

“I’m going to force Augustus to confess to his bad behavior, not kill him. You can’tmurderfamily.”

“They’re trying to murder you.”

“Because they don’t consider me family anymore due to the choice I made to leave.”

“Don’t make it sound like this isyourfault when they’re the arseholes.”

I shrugged. “I’m not, but… I used to babysit Augustus and several of the others. I can’t kill them. I’ve seen them in their Underoos.”

Duncan blinked. “Their what?”

“Superhero underwear. Didn’t Lord Abrams give you any when you were growing up?”

“He did not.”

“What an insufficient parental figure he was.”

“I won’t argue that.”

“Capes were even involved,” I said. “I know you’re a fan of capes.”

“Of all the people in the world whodon’tdeserve to wear superhero undergarments, your brutish cousins are at the top of the list.”

“I agree, but I can’t plot to kill them. It’s bad enough…” I waved a hand at the parking lot where we’d battled Radomir’s thugs. Where I’d lost my humanity andkilledsome of them. I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t yet be discovered and brought up on charges for that. My karma had been twisted in knots, dropped on the ground, and stomped on.

“When people try to kill you, Luna, you have to kill them back. You can’t wait idly around until they poison your chocolate.”

I blew out a slow breath, admitting he wasn’t entirely wrong, but… “Like Bolin, I’m a law-abiding citizen with ties to this place and the human world. I have to live by their laws.Ourlaws. Even if I didn’t have a moral issue with killing family… I don’t want to end up in jail. I’m going to gather evidence—a confession—and let the pack elders handle my cousins.”

Duncan’s eyes narrowed. He’d stood up for me a number of times, jumping into fights that weren’t his, and his mulish expression worried me. He wasn’t contemplating doing the deed and taking the fall for me, was he? I didn’t want that.

“I’ll allow that human laws and law enforcement haven’t been sufficient to help me with my family werewolf problems,” I said, “but let me go through the proper channels with the pack before we consider anything drastic. Like I said, I’ll get a confession and show it to the arbiter. Lorenzo is in charge, and, if they’re motivated, the elders are strong enough to band together and get Augustus and whoever stands with him to leave.”

“Usually, you can get bullies to back down by punching them in the nose and showing them you’re not afraid, but those blokes…” Duncan shook his head. “I don’t understand their animosity.”

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