Page 9 of It All Started with a Bite

I frowned at my reflection in the rearview mirror as I drove us out of East Valley. Despite my best efforts with concealer, a beanie, and Ellie’s largest scarf, I was still projecting strong Sasquatch vibes. Luckily, we’d managed to leave Parkside undetected by our neighbors, though Mrs. Chen’s cat had taken one look at me through her window and fallen off its perch.

“You look fine,” Hugh reassured from the backseat.

“You look like someone tried to groom an orangutan with a leaf blower,” Bo commented bluntly from the passenger seat.

I shot the Husky a dark look. “Not helping.” I paused. “How do you know about orangutans?”

“I watch the Discovery Channel when you guys aren’t home,” my dog said with zero compunction. “Also, Marshmallow told us he saw one at the zoo once. That trip scared the poop out of him.”

“Marshmallow?”

“The Saint Bernard who lives on the next street over. Friendly guy, if a little overzealous when it comes to butt sniffing.”

I fervently hoped werewolves didn’t sniff each other’s butts.

“At least your eyebrows look good,” Ellie offered helpfully from beside Hugh.

I scowled. “That’s because they’ve merged into a giant unibrow.”

“That’s the least of your problems,” Bo said solemnly. “Wait till your tail starts growing.”

I froze, horrified. That thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.

“That’s not going to happen, right?” I twisted to glare at Hugh. “Right?!”

“Um.” Hugh suddenly became interested in the scenery outside the window. “Oh look, there’s Hawthorne Manor.” He pointed with a maniacal grin.

I followed his finger distractedly. An estate appeared at the top of a hill in Temple Heights, Amberford’s historic district. The windows of a mansion sparkled faintly in the distance between the treetops.

I dragged my gaze from our destination and narrowed my eyes at Hugh. “Answer the question. Am I going to grow a tail?!”

“Only when you shift,” Hugh admitted reluctantly. “But hey, it’s a really nice tail,” he added hastily as I ground my teeth. “It’s super fluffy and shiny, if you use the right hair care products.”

“You’re not gonna use my dog shampoo, are you?” Bo said suspiciously.

“No!”

“Good.” He sniffed. “I like that shampoo. It tastes like strawberries.”

“I personally recommend Fur-Ever Fresh,” Hugh declared magnanimously. “If you’re having a bad fur day, there’s no beating Moon Shine: Extra Glossy Coat.”

Ellie took her phone out and started taking notes.

“Oh God.” I pulled up at a traffic light and thumped my forehead against the steering wheel. The horn blared, making us all jump and drawing a stare from the guy in the pickup next to us.

His eyes bulged when he saw me.

I hunched down and slammed my foot on the gas when the light changed. The car jerked forward, throwing us all back into our seats. Bo whined in protest.

“Maybe we should let Hugh drive?” Ellie suggested in a small voice.

My knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. “No one drives Ethel but me.”

“You named your car Ethel?” Hugh asked.

“You use a shampoo called Moon Shine,” I shot back.

“Touché.”

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