Page 32 of Relics of the Wolf

“Please don’t ask about my fertility again.”

“I suspect your fertility is fine. And now that you’ve stopped consuming that odious potion, your power is more palpable. Even if you hadn’t brought that one, your cousins would have been foolish to confront you.”

Since they’d succeeded in knocking me off that train trestle, I didn’t have her confidence in my ability to stave off their attacks. Not when they ganged up on me, and Augustus was proving that was the only way he operated.

“That one is far more dangerous than your relatives.” Mom waved in the direction we’d seen Duncan walking. “You would be wise to end your flirtation with him. Find the case on your own, and bring it here. I must consult my tomes and examine it, but I believe it belongs to werewolves, and since it was brought here, in our territory…” She spread her palm.

“It’s rightfully ours?” I asked skeptically, though I had no idea to whomit belonged. “Druids made it.”

“Yes, as they long ago made our family artifact.” Mom rested her hand on her chest. Was she talking about the medallion she’d shown me? That she intended for me to inherit? “They worked in conjunction with the werewolves of the time. Our two magics have always been complementary, both born of nature. Wolves are not strong crafters of artifacts, so we’ve made pacts with druids in the past, lending our power to theirs for the making. In exchange, we’ve guarded their kind, those who didn’t fear us and were willing to ally with us.”

“Oh. Huh. Maybe that’s why I like Bolin.” I liked that he’d used his magic to help de-mold one of the apartment units anyway.

“A druid?”

“Sort of. He’s my intern and just out of college, but he said his grandfather was an actual druid, back before he passed, and Bolin has learned a few things. He can use magic.”

“He may be a good resource then.” Mom leaned across the table and gripped my wrist. “I need your help, Luna.”

I blinked in surprise. Mom was so proud, the once- and perhaps still-alpha female of the pack. It was startling to have her ask for help from anyone, especially me.

“What can I do?”

“The attacks are linked by the artifacts.”

“The case and… your medallion?” I waved toward the bedroom. The last time I’d visited she’d retrieved its box from a drawer in there.

She grimaced. “They stole it.”

“Those thugs got in here and took it? Doesn’t it zap bad guys?”

“If they felt pain, they did not show it. Or they prepared themselves ahead of time. I have no doubt it’s what they came for. They weren’t certain where it was and ransacked my cabin as they shot at us.” She pointed toward a bullet lodged in one of the logs next to the refrigerator. “They tore everything up as I lay bleeding on the floor. I threw a butcher knife and lodged it in one man’s shoulder, but it wasn’t enough.” Her voice lowered. “Also, the change… eluded me. I struggle now to summon the magic sometimes. And the men… They were surprisingly strong.” There was almost a quaver in her voice when she admitted, “I was not powerful enough to stop them. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t enough.”

“I’m sorry, Mom.” I rested my hand on hers, wanting to comfort her, but I was also scared.

When I’d been a girl, she’d been a mountain. Strong, unflappable, fearless. A brave female werewolf from an era where you couldn’t show vulnerability or the pack would sense your weakness and drive you out. Or so she’d always told me. Even last week, when she’d admitted to her cancer diagnosis and that she was dying, she’d still seemed strong and powerful to me, the magic in her blood almost overcoming her body’s failings, her age.

Now, for the first time, she was showing her vulnerability, her distress at the world and how it was treating her. I didn’t know what to do, but I regretted having been away for so long. My cousins weren’t wrong—Ihadturned my back on my family and heritage. Not because of them but because of my own failings, of the knowledge that I was a danger to others, that I’d killed by accident—and that it could happen again. At the time, and during all those years in between, my choice had made sense to me, but now… Now I doubted it. And myself.

In that moment, I knew I had to help my mother. I couldn’t cure her disease, but if I could at least get the medallion back for her, she would rest more easily. She would know it would remain with the family, passing into my hands, whether I was worthy or not. I had to at least be more worthy to carry it than whoever the thieves wished to sell it to.

“Did they speak at all?” I asked. “Anything that could hint to what they wanted your medallion for? Both artifacts?”

Mom’s face hardened, the glimpse of vulnerability disappearing. “All they said was that it was open season on wolves. Then they started shooting indiscriminately.”

“I wish we’d caught the blond guy. I want to question him. Badly.”

“Jasmine has asked her father to use his computer skills to research paranormal dealers in the area, as well as members of the community, to learn if anyone else has had magical artifacts stolen of late. He has always been a quirky wolf who prefers spending time using technological devices instead of being out in nature, but in this case, it may be useful.”

From what Jasmine had said, her father was a game developer. I imagined him asking people about real-world magic while flinging fireballs in online realms.

“We’ll do our best to find the guys and get back what they stole,” I said.

“We,” Mom mouthed and looked out the window again.

Duncan hadn’t come back into view, but she knew who I meant.

“You should not spend more time with him,” Mom said. “Do not trust him. Lone wolves, in general, are suspicious. If he challenged an alpha, lost, and was cast out, he might make such a challenge in another pack again, perhaps less honorably, to ensure he won.”

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