Page 9 of Kin of the Wolf

“Ghosts? Like ghost dogs?”

“I didn’t ask, but they showed me their ghostometer when I drove in. This is why I felt the need to apologize. Since all the newspaper publicity, well, you probably noticed the people who’ve applied lately have been a little… quirky, I guess you’d say.Normalpeople get scared away from places where violent deaths occur. Quirky people are attracted to such establishments. It’s possible I didn’t vet these ladies well enough.”

“Their credit scores were fine. I saw the application.” Had anything been wrong with them, their employment, or their references, I wouldn’t have approved it.

“Theircreditisn’t the problem.” Bolin lowered his voice. “I think they’re the ones who talked to theTimesreporter.”

“Look, Bolin. I’m glad you want to do a good job leasing this place, but you can only legally check for certain things on the applications.”

“You think it’s discrimination to deny housing to someone based on whether or not they have a ghostometer?”

“I’m positive. Washington isn’t a landlord-friendly state. The tenants have allkindsof rights.”

“Like… the freedom to perform nocturnal ghost hunts in the parking lot?”

“I’m afraid so. I’m surprised you’re not supportive of paranormal activities given that you’re…”

He stopped me with a finger to his lips.

“A free spirit yourself,” I finished.

“I’m worried that my parents will show up and think I’m not doing a good job. Luna, I have to prove myself capable of handling the accounting and paperwork for this place before they’ll let me travel around the world and oversee operations for their other properties. Specifically properties in desirable places that you’d actually want to visit.”

“On the behalf of the people of Shoreline, I’m slightly offended.”

“You know what I mean.” He’d been helpful on numerous occasions and was more mature than I would have guessed when he first rolled up in his G-Wagon, but his voice took on a distinctive whine when he added, “I want to work in Saint Lucia. Or Singapore. Or, oh, did I tell you they got a new property in Ireland? It’s where my dad’s side of the family came from. I’dloveto work there for a few months. I could visit the Hill of Tara and New Grange in Boyne Valley.” He clutched his hand to his chest with longing.

I thumped him on the shoulder. “Things will work out, Bolin. You’re a good intern. I’ll let your parents know.”

He gave me a dubious look, and I wondered if he knew more than he’d let on aboutmyfuture with the Sylvans. Could they already have an inkling that I was the reason for most of the trouble of late? I grimaced.

A startled gasp came from one of the girls, and she pointed toward the Roadtrek parked in the corner of the lot. No, she was pointing toward the half-naked man trotting barefoot toward it. I sighed. At least Duncan still had my blanket wrapped around his waist.

“It’s probably not the ghost hunting that’s going to alarm your parents if they show up,” I told Bolin.

He groaned and leaned against a tree.

4

“Areyou certain you don’t want to return to your abode and retrieve the sword?” Duncan asked.

We were at a red light, and he was, fortunately, fully clothed now. He’d replaced his usual black leather jacket with an expensive-looking sweater, a testament to the damp chill of a Seattle winter. With his hand on the steering wheel, he watched as I slid two dollars for gas onto the stack of bills on his dashboard, the fisherman bobblehead still holding them down.

“You think I’ll need it to feed ducks?” I asked.

“For adventure and fulfillment.”

“At the duck pond.”

“Just last night, your cousins appeared to watch you. In your wolf form, especially with the assistance of a fine and devoted male of some stature, you could have defeated them, but what if they’d come when you were a human? You don’t carry a firearm loaded with silver bullets, so you may have struggled to deal with them.”

“I appreciate the sword, Duncan.” I smiled at him to let him know I really did. Further, I hoped he wasn’t disappointed that Iwasn’t toting it all over town on my various errands. “But I don’t think it’s legal to carry one around openly. They’re dangerous weapons. Besides, I don’t know anything about sword fighting.”

“It is an art with instructors that exist, even in this technology-subsumed era. Perhaps some lessons would be in order. I’ve noticed local karate dojos with katanas mounted on the walls. A single-edge blade would be different from the dual blade of the longsword, but any experience with swords should be helpful for you.”

“I’ll think about it, okay?” Given how crazy my life had been lately, I could barely keep up with my work. Taking on a new hobby sounded stressful. He wasn’t wrong, however, about my inability to defend myself in human form.

“Certainly.”

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