Page 27 of Quest of the Wolf

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The potion gave me heartburn.Horribleheartburn. It felt like I’d drunk the free trial of Rue’s blue-spider acid, the concoction she’d promised would eat through metal bars. I even double-checked the bag to make sure that smaller vial remained inside.

“Is true love worth this?” I flattened a hand over my breastbone.

Jasmine offered the bag of Doritos. We still stood in front of the stone building as full darkness settled over the forest. The irritated wolves had stopped howling. Now and then, a chilly breeze swept through, whistling across the old chimney.

“Love?” Jasmine asked. “I thought you just wanted to have sex.”

“He’s good company too.”

“Because of the accent?”

“Just… because.”

“Have you told him he’s cool to hang out with?”

“Not in so many words. I’m usually busy threatening to have his van towed.”

“Adults are weird about relationships.”

“Bitter divorced adults are. But aren’t you twenty-four or twenty-five now? You’re an adult too.”

“That can’t possibly be true. I’m still living at my parents’ place because rents in the real world are ridiculous.” Jasmine said something else around the crunch of a Dorito, but my esophagus started to tingle, and I missed it.

At first, I thought the potion was trying to come up again, but the tingle didn’t hurt. It caused the heartburn to ease and reminded me of the way magic felt under my skin when the wolf came over me. The sensation spread from my esophagus to my entire chest, and I had the urge to turn east, toward the snow-smothered Cascade Mountains. Even without the influence of the moon, I could see their white silhouettes between gaps in the trees.

Was Duncan off that way somewhere? Within ten miles? The wolf howls had come from that direction, so it made sense.

“My esophagus wants me to go that way.” I pointed.

“Mine usually wants me to go to the grocery store.”

“The snack food section?”

“Naturally.”

Thinking of the wolves, I said, “Why don’t you stay here?”

“Alone at the haunted mushroom farm?”

“Since when is it haunted?”

“The windows are bricked up, the light keeps flicking on and off, and the wind is paranormal creepy as it blows across the chimney.” Jasmine pointed her chip bag toward the roof.

“Mushrooms like it dark, the light is motion-sensing, and the wind isn’tparanormal. Besides, you’re a werewolf. You’re scarier than any ghost.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah. You’ll be even scarier if you wipe the Dorito cheese dust off your chin.”

“Ha ha. Your heartburn is glad I brought them.”

“It’s turned into a warm tingle now, and it’s guiding me in that direction.” Again, I pointed toward the mountains, then grabbed the sword out of the truck. Most likely, if trouble found me, I would need to shift into a wolf, but Duncan might be tickled if I showed up to his rescue with it. Maybe I should have stopped to buy a superhero cape along the way, but that wasn’t in the budget.

“Is it wise to go in the direction suggested by tingling heartburn?” Jasmine asked.

“Just stay here and call someone to help if I don’t come back. Here.” I handed her the keys. “Turn on the truck if you get cold.”

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