Page 67 of Kin of the Wolf

“I think it’s that we’ve sosuccessfullypunched them in the noses. Augustus might have scorned me before, but now he hates me. And you.”

Duncan waved toward my phone, though the screen had gone dark, the map disappearing. “Send me the address, okay? And tell me what time you want me to be there. I’ll find a nearby public dock and swim over.”

“Okay. And you don’t really have to blow up anything. An explosion out in the water would be a fine distraction.”

“He sent me poisoned chocolates. I’m annihilating his dock and his boathouse, then peeing on every square inch of his smoldering waterfront.”

I hadn’t realized Duncan had a vindictive streak, but Augustus had, in sending the poison, made it personal for Duncan.

“I trust you’ll turn into a wolf first for the latter,” was all I said.

“We’ll see how irked I get.”

“Make sure to give yourself time to remove your SCUBA gear before changing. I assume your wetsuit and tanks are expensive. You wouldn’t want them to disappear into the ether.”

“That’s the truth.” Duncan took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and shook his arms, as if to loosen tense muscles. “What time?”

“Eight p.m. I need to grab a few things and pick up Jasmine on the way.” I stepped forward and clasped his hands. “Thanks for helping me.”

“You’re welcome.”

“We’ll go hunting together somewhere exotic after all this is resolved.”

“Exotic? Like South America? Africa?”

“I was thinking Leavenworth,” I said, naming the tourist townon the east side of the mountains. I was fairly certain they had snow over there now and envisioned chasing game through a wintry landscape.

“I don’t know where that is.”

“A couple hours that way.” I pointed east. “It’s a cute Bavarian-themed town on a river surrounded by woods.”

“When you said exotic, I envisioned us stalking giraffes and elephants in the Serengeti.”

“Leavenworth is more in my budget. And it has a fudge shop.”

“Almostas enticing as a giraffe.”

“Yes. And it involves less fur getting in your mouth.”

He snorted. “You’re a quirky werewolf.”

“I think we’ve established that we both are.”

“Yes.” Duncan squeezed my hands, then kissed me on the cheek, letting his lips linger before drawing back. He gave me a long look, like he wanted to do more than deliver a parting kiss, but he released me with determination in his eyes and headed for the driver’s seat of his van.

Something about that determination made me uneasy. Again, I worried he might be willing to take out Augustus—if not every belligerent cousin I had—and accept the ramifications on my behalf.

Shaking my head, I went to my apartment to grab the rest of my potions and the wolf case before heading to my truck. For Duncan’s sake, I would pick up Jasmine early and be at Augustus’s house by 7:30. The moon willing, we could resolve everything before Duncan arrived.

20

My stomach was churningby the time I reached Redmond to pick up Jasmine. She still lived on her parents’ property, in an ADU in the backyard, and was waiting for me when I pulled into the driveway. The lights were on in the main house, a 1960s rambler that was modest for the area, though it occupied a large treed lot that made it appealing to my werewolf senses.

“I’m excited to help you get your comeuppance on Augustus,” Jasmine said as she slid into the passenger seat of my truck.

“Did you tell your parents where you’re going tonight?” I hoped this wouldn’t get her in trouble. Her mom had been helping my mom keep an eye on me over the years, so I doubted her parents wanted to see me slain by Augustus, but that didn’t mean they would support a break-in and forced confession.

“I’m twenty-four, graduated, and a strong and independent werewolf woman. I go where I wish, when I wish.”

---