Page 13 of The Vampire in the Potting Shed

Mercer stood on the doormat, waiting for me to wave him in, but I didn’t see the point when he and the others would only give me until the count of ten before welcoming themselves into my home. Even here they worried assassins would leap out of my cabinets or climb out of the sink drains to reach Dad.

“Careful.” I rushed ahead of Dad. “Myrtle spent the night.” I dug around in the blanket on the couch, but I couldn’t find her. “She’s in here somewhere.”

“Myrtle?” Dad turned a slow circle. “Who’s that?”

“The dog.” I heard crunching and darted into the kitchen to find her eating. “From yesterday?”

“You brought that thing home with you?” He stepped into the entryway. “What were you thinking?”

“That I wasn’t going to toss an innocent animal out on the street to fend for itself? Her toenails are pink, for pity’s sake. This is someone’s pampered pet. We’re booked solid at GSG, so she had nowhere else to go.” I shooed him out before his aggression spooked her away from her meal. “Did you find her owner?”

“We have reason to believe he returned to GSG last night.”

“Oh?”

With a flick of Dad’s wrist, Mercer claimed the floor, reading stats off his tablet.

“Around eight o’clock, about an hour after you left for the night, Tai startled a gray wolf while he was on patrol. He pursued it on two legs while calling in the incident. It was too fast for him to catch, and it kept to the shadows to make identifying any markings on its coat impossible.”

“What about their scent?” Knees wobbling, I sank on the couch. “Can you tell which pack they’re from?”

“The only scent in the area belonged to Sloane.” Muscles twitched in Tai’s jaw. “She texted me she forgot her keys, so she circled back to GSG for them. I never saw her, but she must have come by while I was chasing the wolf a few blocks away.”

“She’s okay?” I dragged a pillow onto my lap. “She wasn’t hurt?”

“I interviewed her this morning.” Mercer dug in his pocket and produced a lollipop for me. “She’s fine.”

Since there was no escaping it, I accepted the treat, hating how he trivialized my feelings by acting like a disc of flavored sugar fixed everything. “Did she see anything unusual?”

“No.” Tai growled, his hands tight at his sides. “Nothing.”

Thank God.“Then what did you want to talk about, Dad?”

“For your safety, we should close GSG for the next week.” He sat beside me, reaching for my hand. “The dog appearing in a kennel was one thing, but a strange wolf prowling the streets?”

Oh, no. No, no, no. Last night was coming back to bite me in record time.

“I have clients.” I kept my hands in my lap so he wouldn’t feel them tremble. “I have responsibilities.”

“You’re being unreasonable, Peanut.” He pulled a hurt face. “I’m only trying to protect you.”

“You’ve always been a helicopter parent, but this is a lot even for you.” I did what few would dare to do. I locked gazes with him. “What’s going on?” I watched him for any tells. “What are you hiding from me?”

The best defense is a good offense, right?

“Maybe we should tell her—” Mercer began.

“There’s nothing to tell,” Dad gritted out as he rose. “Peanut has nothing to do with pack business.”

Zoe recoiled, her gaze finding mine, but the others didn’t bat an eye. To react that way, she must not have been with the pack long. Most everyone else was used to how I existed on the fringes, pack but not. Living at home, in the house I was forbidden to leave without an escort, I had felt like the plastic ballerina in a music box, twirling when the lid was lifted but hunching in the dark the rest of the time.

“You’re right.” I smoothed my palms down my pajama shorts. “I have nothing to do with pack business, and pack business has nothing to do with me.” I saw the moment Dad realized he had misspoken bloom across his features, but it was too late to take the words back. “I amnotclosing my business. Not for the next week, the next day, or the next hour.” I smiledat him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready to open for the day.”

With a jaunty wave at the others, I strolled into my bedroom, shut the door, and snatched up my phone.

>We’re in the clear.

>>Thank God.

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