Page 41 of Relics of the Wolf

“Luna?” came a call from one of the walkways, one of the tenants taking her miniature pinscher around the grounds.

“Poop bags?” I guessed.

“Yes, the dispenser by the path is empty again.” She waved toward the greenbelt.

“I’ll fill it.” Lowering my voice, I muttered, “Either people besides my tenants are using those, or the werewolves cruising through the area are taking them.”

Duncan snorted. “Your cousins didn’t seem the solicitous types to bag their droppings after a hunt.”

“Probably not. They’re on the rude and presumptuous side.” I lifted a hand in a wave, intending to get back to work, but I paused to make myself say, “Thanks for researching this on my behalf.”

“You’re welcome. Do you forgive me for talking to He Who Shall Not Be Named?”

This time, I snorted. “He’s not Voldemort. I’d feel better about you if youdidn’tchat him up regularly?—”

“I don’t. I just thought I might be able to get useful information from him.”

“I know. I get it. It’s fine.” I waved again and headed away.

Judging by the expression Duncan wore as he watched me leave, he wasn’t sure if it trulywasfine. I wasn’t either.

12

I didn’t knowhow long it took to 3D print something, and I had plenty of work to keep me busy, but I kept glancing out windows as I waited impatiently for Bolin’s return. When my phone rang, I had my head and shoulders under the sink in B-14, the water turned off so I could replace a leaking faucet.

“Hey, Jasmine,” I answered, not bothering to crawl out of the cabinet. The fifty-something tenant worked from home doing computer stuff, so he was nearby, tapping away at his keyboard. It was probably better if my voice was a little muffled.

“Hey, Luna. Thanks for coming out yesterday. My dad is still looking stuff up, but I wanted to apologize for getting you and, uhm, your boyfriend jumped by the family. Your cousins think they run things, even though we all pay way more attention to Lorenzo and your mom.”

“It’s okay, and he’s not my boyfriend. He’s…”

“Really hot. Ilovethat accent.”

“He’s too old for you,” I said dryly.

“I’m twenty-four. Lots of people my age date older guys. Especially older guys with sexy accents. And when he was naked, he looked really… not old.”

“Yeah, he’s fit.”

“Absolutely.” Jasmine giggled, sounding more like thirteen than twenty-four.

I pulled the new faucet out of the box on the floor.

“He’s into you though. That’s really cool. Like I told you before, we’ve only kept tabs on you from a distance, but I know your husband has been gone a while. You should totes hook up with Duncan.”

“I’ll keep that suggestion in mind.”

“Don’t pay attention to what the family thinks. You know the males get surly and territorial about anyone from another pack intruding on their territory. But that’s so dumb. Thefemalesknow we need werewolves from other bloodlines to breed healthy young.”

“I’m notbreedingwith him.” I glared at the phone, then clamped my mouth shut as footsteps sounded.

“Sorry, just getting a pop,” the tenant said, opening the fridge.

From under the sink, I couldn’t see his face, but the way he hurried away made me think he’d caught the breeding comment. I sighed. It had been easier to keep my secret identity as a werewolf from getting out before my family had started talking to me again.

“If you did, you would have amazing young, I bet. But, anyway, that’s not why I called.”

“Thank the moon.”

---