Page 41 of Quest of the Wolf

I looked back at the dark highway in the rearview mirror, wishing he had come with us. It was not, I told myself firmly, a betrayal that he hadn’t. He was being magically compelled to work for Radomir.

Even so, it was hard not to feel a hurt tangle of emotions because I was driving south, and he’d headed off, seemingly of his own accord, in the other direction with those thugs.

14

Due to piecesfalling off my truck, and fatigue after the harrowing chase, I didn’t visit Mom that night. After dropping Jasmine off at home and checking the grounds of Sylvan Serenity to make sure Radomir’s men hadn’t been by and the police weren’t staking out Rue’s apartment, I went to bed and slept for ten hours. Fortunately, on a Sunday morning, nobody pounded on my door early.

After drinking two cups of coffee and wolfing down toast and scrambled eggs—I was still working on the cartons Duncan had purchased for me—I visited my truck with duct tape to engage in a few temporary repairs. That done, I headed north to make good on my promise to Lorenzo.

It was still early enough that there wasn’t much traffic, and I made it to Mom’s cabin in good time. Numerous trucks and cars were parked out front, suggesting a meeting was going on. One that I hadn’t been invited to? Or maybe the pack had gone on a hunt the night before. Several of my relatives were sleeping in the backs of trucks or on Mom’s porch. A couple of them were naked, looking sated after feasting on whatever they’d caught as wolves.

One of the trucks I passed on the way to the porch had antlers attached to the grill, a gun rack in the cab, and coyote tails tied to the radio antennae.

“Jasmine is delusional if she doesn’t think any of our other relatives have explosives in their gloveboxes.” I climbed the steps, looking around to see if Lorenzo was on the grounds before I realized I sensed him inside with Mom. They both seemed to be in the bedroom. I paused before approaching the door.

What if they were engaged in post-hunt amorous activities? Did Mom still have urges for that? In her condition?

“Hey, Luna,” came a male voice from the end of the porch.

Emilio sat against the railing, his naked butt pressed to the boards. The nudity made it easy to see the scar on his lower abdomen, a gift from one of Radomir’s men who’d shot him with a silver bullet. Emilio was lucky to be alive.

“Hello, naked relative.”

“You’ll have to be more specific.” He grinned and waved at a couple other snoozing nudes. “Did you bring any salami?”

“No, sorry. I thought only Mom would be here.” I dug into my pocket and held up a bag of midnight-chocolate-covered goji berries, something I’d picked up for her. They were more tart than my tongue preferred, but goji berries, also known aswolf berries, were supposed to have health benefits. Mom could use health benefits.

“You don’t think she craves salty cured meats?”

“Not as much as she craves chocolates.” I pointed at the closed front door. “Do you know if she’s…”

“Home? Yeah, she’s in there. She came on the hunt last night.”

“I meant do you know if she’sbusy?”

Emilio looked blankly at me.

“With Lorenzo,” I added.

My clarification didn’t help with the blankness. Emilio only tilted his head.

“Havingsex,” I whispered.

“Oh.” He drew back, clunking his head against the railing. “I’m sure they’re not doingthat.” He lowered his voice and raised his hand to his mouth to whisper, “She’s injured, and they’reold.”

“Old people can have sex.”

“No way. I’m sure they can’t even—” he made a gesture that prompted me to roll my eyes, “—you know.”

“Apparently, Mom can still hold her own against a bear. I’m sure she canyou knowif she wants.”

Whether she wanted to was what I didn’t know. Being ill had probably sapped her of her libido. Still, I knocked quietly, not wanting to disturb them if they were being intimate.

“They’re probably in there rubbing liniment into each other’s achy hips,” Emilio said.

The door opened in time for Lorenzo to hear that. He was shirtless—thankfully, notpantsless—and looked quite fit and not in need of liniment.

“Thanks for coming, Luna.” Lorenzo shot Emilio a dark look before stepping back and waving me into the cabin. “I’ll let you two talk.”

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