Page 60 of Wolf Bane
“Humor me.”
“I’ll start looking up plane tickets.”
“Love you.”I sighed, letting Ethan end the call as I pulled parallel to the Clemens’ house, parking at the curb.Like all of the houses in the neighborhood, they had an expansive front yard with old trees shading the front walk and making islands of shade in the grass.Some children’s toys dappled the expanse, sun bleached plastic trikes and more than a few foam dart guns.A beat-up Datsun truck older than me sat near the two-car garage, not on blocks but definitely giving off the vibe that it should be.Unlike the other houses in the street, the Clemens’ house was showing signs of wear and tear.A torn window screen beside the front door, a pile of dirty aluminum cans near the garage.The front door badly needed repainting, the screen door open and canted at an angle that told me it wouldn’t close again without divine intervention.
One of the houses on either side belonged to Mr.Robards.Either the tidy green and white one or the blue and white ranch style with the military-neat azaleas lining the front and the brutally short grass.
I decided it must be the blue one; the green and white one showed signs of people coming and going while the blue and white one had mail hanging out of the box near the door.Robards hadn’t been home in days, so that made sense.
The champagne SUV pulled into the driveway next door.A petite woman in a pink jacket and dark jeans got out, shooting me a glare as she hustled into the neat little green and white house with the striped metal awning and scalloped trim, shutting the front door not with a slam but with a definite firm thump.I turned to look back at the Clemens’ house in time to see Melly, the little biter, zooming around the front porch and disappearing into the side yard.
Awesome.
The sentry spotted me.
Vinnie Clemens opened the front door when I was halfway up the walk.“No,” he said, low voice carrying easily across the distance.“Ain’t no humans allowed here.”
“You sure did pick a strange place to live if that’s your stance,” I said, stopping in my tracks, hands out at my sides to show I meant no harm.
As if Vinnie would believe that anyway.
Keenly aware that, despite the quietness of the street, we weren’t in private, I said conversationally, “I’m just doing some house calls while we get the temporary clinic up and running.There was an incident over the weekend.”
“I heard.”He smirked.“Mongrel.”
“I don’t suppose you heard who did it then?”
“Is that why you’re here?Blaming us for some shit like that?”He stepped out, letting the door bang shut behind him as he stalked down the steps.“Bad enough you’re helping tear apart our community, making us weak.Now you want to come on my property and?—”
“Vincent.”Celestine’s clear, thin voice rang out from the window beside the front door.“You’re making a scene,” she said.“Come inside.Both of you.”
Vinnie stood, glaring at me for a long moment.I knew there was some arcane protocol I should be following—ducking my head, averting my eyes, something, but all I could do was hold still.My scared rabbit mode.But under that, something new.Well, not so much new as something stronger.Something I’d been learning to manage, slowly but surely.
The were in me growled, confusing that scared prey part of my brain, making my heart rate kick up, my body waver between fight and flight.Vinnie grinned as if he could tell, as if he knew this moment of indecision was going to get me killed one day and he’d love to see it.
“Vincent.”Celestine’s voice was sharp now.“Come inside before I come out there.”
Vinnie stepped back and gestured me towards the door mockingly.“Be my guest.”
Next door, the front door creaked, and Miss Champagne SUV peered out at us.I smiled at her then nodded at Vinnie.
“Of course.Why don’t you get the kids inside, too?I have some quick questions about a bug that’s been going around some of the kids at the school.”
* * *
Celestine Clemens heldcourt in a comfortable living room that did not at all match my mental picture of the place.Instead of fussy grandma furniture covered in plastic, everything was mid-range, nice, and comfortable.No torn upholstery from rambunctious kids, toys neatly put in open-front storage cubbies along one wall, a gaming console tucked on a TV stand with the controllers neatly beside it.Everything was in shades of mint and rose except for the heavy black trunk serving as a coffee table, the brass fittings polished to a shine.
“Tea?”she asked politely, pale brows arching in question.“Or some water?”
“No thank you.”I took the indicated seat—a recliner across from Celestine’s perch on the sectional sofa—and offered a small smile.“As I told your son, I’m making some house calls since the clinic is out of commission for the time being.We’re setting up some temporary buildings but those won’t be ready until later in the week.Given the situation with, ah, everything, I thought I’d stop in and make sure everyone was doing well.”And also maybe ask about your neighbor and how your kid managed to turn him into a werewolf.You know.The usual questions.
Celestine glanced past me to where Vinnie was standing in the doorway.“Where are the children?”
“Out back.”
She nodded, returning her gaze to me.“You can see Vinnie in here.I’ll be in the backyard, minding the little ones.”
Vinnie lumbered over, towering above me to glare down.“I’m not pissing in one of Mom’s cups for you.”
