Page 79 of Kin of the Wolf

With weariness settling over my body, along with the pain and awareness of all my injuries, my only remaining goal for the night was to retrieve my truck and go home.

EPILOGUE

In the twenty-oddyears I’d been the property manager at Sylvan Serenity Housing, I’d never helped anyone move into the complex. Happy to save my employers money, I did a lot of extra jobs, but I drew the line at toting in people’s TVs, computers, and boxes. That had been the case until today, anyway. Rue had arrived, her only assistant a gangly, geeky grandson two inches shorter and ten pounds lighter than me. It was possible he’d needed a phone book to sit on to drive the moving truck up from Seattle for her.

As soon as she’d spotted me, Rue had put me to work. Admittedly, I’d been lurking near the parking lot, ostensibly raking and tidying the landscaping but hoping to see a familiar Roadtrek roll in.

It had been three days since my showdown with my cousins, and, despite trying to call his number numerous times, I hadn’t heard from Duncan since he’d disappeared in his bipedfuris form. Was he once again wounded and in a ditch? Had his creator decided he was too much trouble and killed him? Had Radomirchained him up to use whenever he needed muscles that weren’t amped up on potions?

I didn’t know, but I missed him. I’d been on the verge of driving up to that potion factory to see if he needed rescuing, but one of my half-siblings had arrived to collect me. The day after Augustus’s death, the pack had started the first of three meetings to determine the fate of my remaining cousins, and I’d been needed to present my evidence and answer questions.

During the meetings, the arbiter, Lorenzo, and numerous elders had reviewed Jasmine’s footage of the confrontation at the lake house. At some point, Jasmine had also gone to Francisco, the store owners, and the leader of a witch coven to get video testimonials describing Augustus and saying how much money he’d extorted out of them over the last year.

The elders had been difficult to read as they’d watched the videos. None of them had looked fondly in my direction. Augustus might have been the most vocal person about voicing disdain for the years I’d abandoned the pack—and taken that potion—but the vibe from others suggested many felt I wasn’t to be trusted. I wished they knew I’d risked my life to get Mom’s medallion back and help the pack, but she’d kept its theft close to her chest, so few people knew it had ever been stolen. At least the elders hadn’t scoffed or been dismissive when presented with the evidence.

Also, nobody had suggested I should be punished or exiled for killing a relative. Werewolves didn’t do that, not unless foul play was involved. The pack knew Augustus had challenged me numerous times, and nobody seemed surprised by his death. Only his siblings—and colleagues in the mafia gig they’d been running—had glared balefully at me. But their association with Augustus and the artifact thieves had gotten them in trouble. In the end, the elders had banished several of my cousins. I hoped theystayedbanished and that I wouldn’t see them again.

It had been a victory, even if I hadn’t intended Augustus’s death. Too bad I didn’t have someone to celebrate it with. Instead, I was carrying boxes of alchemy equipment and incense in the rain, the latter potent even through the cardboard, and I kept sneezing.

“Ah yes,” Rue said, waving me in. “That is the last box. Place it there. Perfect.”

“Glad I could help,” I said dryly.

I might have said no, but shehadmade potions for me.

“Already, I am enjoying this domicile. There is atreeoutside my window instead of honking traffic. Isn’t that fabulous?”

“I didn’t know alchemists enjoy nature, but I’m glad it’s acceptable.”

“Yes. It will keep nosy snoops from peering in, monitoring my work, and jumping to conclusions about the potions I’m brewing.”

“Was that a big problem in the Seattle high-rise? It looked like your windows all faced the building across the street, not any of your neighbors.”

“The denizens in the building across the streetspoketo my neighbors. They are the ones who first started the gossip. One of them even kept a telescope on his balcony. For watching thestars, he told the police when I complained, but he used it to peer into other people’s homes. He was a pervert.”

“I think I would make that assumption too. Between the light pollution and the cloud cover, Seattle isn’t exactly an astronomer’s dream.”

“No, they use their tools to spy on their nude neighbors instead.Perverts.” Rue dug into her pocket. “I will tip you for your service.”

“That’s not necessary.”

Instead of money, she pulled out a little bag that clinked. “These are beauty and longevity potions. You’ll find the wrinklecream perfect for your fine lines.” Rue peered at my face. “And that forehead crease that is not so fine. Have you been sleeping?”

“Not nearly enough.”

“Definitely use the wrinkle cream. I do every night before bed, and you can see the youthful smoothness of my face.”

“It looks very nice.”

“Yes.”

In the hope that I would see Duncan again, I accepted the bag, willing to try alchemically enhanced wrinkle cream. It probably worked better than the hyaluronic-acid gunk I smeared on my face at night. I still found it laughable that Mom thought I was of an age that having children would be a good idea. Though I admitted that my perimenopause symptoms had lessened of late. It was possible I’d simply been too busy to notice them, but… maybe my wolf magic was helping keep my body in homeostasis now that I’d stopped taking the potion that sublimated it. Fine lines aside, I’d been sleeping better—when I could actually get home at a reasonable time to engage in it.

After leaving Rue’s apartment, I was heading back to my own when a tenant with a clogged toilet waylaid me. My life continued to be glamourous. At least it was an easy fix, and I finished by the time an SUV with a Millennium Falcon sticker on the back of one of the side mirrors rolled into the parking lot. I’d seen it before but not for months. It belonged to Austin’s friend, the one who’d been picking him up from the airport. I lifted a hand and waved, then jogged over as the passenger-side door opened.

Austin grinned as he stepped out, brown hair painfully short in a military buzz cut. It made his ears look bigger than usual, but he still managed to be handsome.

“Hey, Mom.” He spread his arms to let me hug him fiercely, then patted my back in a tolerating manner. Neither of my sons had ever been the touchy-feely types, but they endured embraces from their mother.

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