Page 72 of Kin of the Wolf

Two more of my cousins, this pair in their wolf forms, padded into view by a breakfast bar. I tensed, certain the pack was about to swarm me. And I’d gotten nothing.

“If you don’t have it, I won’t tell you how to get into the case,” I said. “It’s a box that zaps you, nothing more. Therealpower is inside.”

Probably true, but I still had no idea how to open it.

“I’ve had someone researching its secrets,” I added.

Augustus cocked an eyebrow but didn’t appear that intrigued. “I don’t need to know its secrets.”

“You don’t want what’s inside for yourself then? What, are you selling it on eBay?”

He grunted. “Not eBay.”

“To the guy running that potion corporation? Radomir?” Only as I said it did the answer thunk into my mind with certainty. Yes. That was the most likely explanation for where the magical silver bullets had come from.

“The market for artifacts related to werewolves, whether they’re beneficial to our people or not, is hot right now.”

“You don’t think Radomir will pay more if you can tell him how to get into the case? I know he doesn’t know. I’ve met him.”

Augustus considered me, then pointed at Jasmine. “We don’t have any beef with you. Go wait in the kitchen.”

“Why?” she asked warily.

Because they were going to try to kill me and didn’t want her to be hurt—or worse—in the process.

“The antidote,” I stated again.

Augustus grunted in disgust but said, “Fine,” and walked toward a liquor cabinet.

I turned enough to look at Jasmine while keeping Augustus in my sights. I also didn’t want her to be hurt, but this might be our best opportunity.

“Do what he says,” I said, then let a hand drop to my pocket where she could see it. “This isn’t your fight.”

While Augustus opened the cabinet door, I extracted one of the vials of truth elixir, then, moving only my eyes, glanced toward his beer can.

Jasmine caught on right away, but my other cousins were watching us.

“Okay,” Jasmine said, brushing past me as she headed toward the kitchen.

I slipped the vial into her hand. She paused in front of the sofa table with the beer can, using her body to block the others’ viewsas she uncorked it. She leaned forward as if she were interested in what Augustus would pull out of the cabinet.

There wasn’t much time since he had already grabbed something. In addition to liquor bottles, there were rows of vials in racks in the cabinet, more than one glowing with magic. Nothing like a chaser of some alchemical brew to go with one’s cocktail.

Jasmine dribbled the truth elixir into the beer can, wiped the top, then stuffed the empty vial into her pocket as Augustus turned back toward us.

My heart pounded. Had any of my cousins noticed? I couldn’t tell, but they didn’t say anything as Jasmine turned away from the sofa table and continued toward them. In fact, they ignored her completely, the men and wolves letting her pass as they took several steps into the living room. Several steps closer to me.

I licked dry lips as Augustus also walked toward me. I had to keep the conversation going longer and hope he would drink the beer. I also had to hope the truth elixir would kick in quickly.

Jasmine stopped behind the wolves, out of the way but still in view so she could record. Assuming I could get Augustus to say something…

“Here you go.” He held up a vial of clear liquid that glowed faintly.

From the color alone, I knew it wasn’t the antidote. Rue hadmademe the antidote, and it wasn’t clear.

“Are you sure that’s not a chaser for your whiskey on the rocks?”

“I’m sure.” Augustus stepped closer to me, his height and broad build making him intimidating.

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