Page 60 of It All Started with a Bite

“Like they can’t tell who’s a lady dwarf and who isn’t, what with the beard and everything,” Didi replied. “Leads to all kinds of brawls. It’s the reason they’re constantly grumpy.”

I was certain they were making this stuff up until we entered the liquor store and I saw the bearded dwarf perched on a high stool behind the counter. Grumpy was a mild word to describe his countenance.

“He looks like he eats small children for breakfast,” Bo commented.

I hushed my dog while Didi spoke to Grumpy.

“Security cameras?” he grunted at her request. “In the back.” He squinted menacingly. “You better not touch anything else.”

The footage room was barely bigger than a closet and reeked of smelly socks. Gavin narrowly missed setting fire to a cobweb and earned a death glare from Didi.

It didn’t take us long to find the SUV in the security footage. We could just make out a partial plate number.

Didi called Nigel on the way back to the office.

“I know someone at the DMV who owes me a favor,” Nigel said. “When I say ‘someone’ I mean a gremlin, and when I say ‘favor’ I mean he lost a bet involving Windows 95 and a flying toaster.” He chuckled in a way that I found strangely endearing.

My life was full of weirdos and I was getting used to their weirdness.

The full moon meant Hawthorne & Associates stopped work early so their werewolf employees could get ready for their pack run. Charlene gave me a message about my car being in the parking lot behind the building when we entered the lobby and passed me an envelope with the wordsAbby’s car keyon it in elegant cursive.

“From Samuel,” the banshee said.

Even the guy’s handwriting was sexy.

Didi and Gavin made reassuring noises about my first transformation as they said goodbye, which only served to make me more nervous.

I frowned as I made my way to the parking lot. Bar a text message telling me when he’d pick me up tonight and the envelope, I hadn’t heard from Samuel all day.

I stopped and looked around. My Subaru was nowhere in sight.

Bo padded over to a brand-new, gleaming, midnight-blue BMW. “I can smell Samuel’s scent on this.”

I joined him. He was right.

Suspicion roused its ugly head. I emptied the envelope. It contained a key with a BMW logo and a curt note that said,The Subaru has gone to a better place. Use the new car.

“That wolf had better give Ethel back,” I growled.

Bo looked at me warily. “Your knuckles are growing hairy.”

I reeled in my inner wolf and briefly debated storming back into Hawthorne & Associates and demanding where Samuel was. I decided I was too darn tired, got inside the BMW, and drove it gingerly all the way home.

By the time I reached Parkside, my bones were aching and my wolf was practically clawing to get out.

“I sure as hell hope every full moon isn’t like this,” I muttered as we rode the elevator.

Bo remained unusually quiet beside me.

We found Ellie in the kitchen, surrounded by what looked like every baking implement we owned. The counters were covered in cooling racks laden with protein bars, muffins, and what appeared to be an attempt at raw meat treats.

“Ellie?” I stared at the mess. “What are you?—?”

“I looked up what werewolves might need after transforming,” she babbled. “I got you some Gatorade. And protein shakes. Oh, and I found this website about post-transformation care?—”

“Ellie.” I caught her flapping, flour-covered hands. “I’ll be fine.”

My best friend looked like a deer caught in headlights. I could tell the guilt of being partly responsible for what I was going to go through tonight was getting to her.

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