Page 55 of Hallow Hill at Halloween: Part One

My shoulders slumped. I liked being thought of as Rita Rules and didn’t care much for being thought of as the village idiot. “It’s a long story.”

“No doubt. And you’re going to tell it to me.” I wasn’t sure I liked Lochlan’s suddenly imperious tone, but I had nothing to hide. “Just as soon as we send the bugger back to his hidey-hole.” He looked down at the dogs. “I think the young ones should sit this one out. Can you confine them to the mudroom?”

“I can try. But in this form, I think maybe they’ll do as they please.”

I put Fenn and Frey in the mudroom. As Lochlan had said, they weren’t happy about it and stopped just short of disobedience. I returned to the living room just in time to see Lochlan throw open the door and rush forward holding branches of wolfsbane like a shield.

Angus and Aisling streaked away, and I knew we would not be hearing from the werewolf again that night.

“Let’s leave the door open, if you don’t mind,” he said. “My dogs will let us know when the encounter is over for the night.”

“Will they kill him?” I asked.

“If they catch him, but it’s very unlikely.” He motioned toward the kitchen. “Why don’t I make us a pot of tea while you tell me how you ended up exchanging names with a werewolf?”

I slumped into one of the chairs, glad to let Lochlan make and serve tea.

I retold the whole story including the part about Evie fixing Romeo. By the time I was at the end, we’d each nearly finished our first cup.

He took a sip. “So, he followed you home, did he?”

I didn’t like the concern I saw on Lochlan’s face. It made him look quite a bit older.

“Seems so. Though I don’t know how that’s possible. It’s over two hours away, and Romeo was booking it.”

Without speculation on how the werewolf had followed me, Lochlan changed subjects.

“We’ll get Esme to come over and ward the entire premises for werewolves. She’s going to love all this blooming wolfsbane.”

“Oh gosh. It’s late for her to make house calls.”

“Don’t be daft, Rita. It’s the job and pleasure of your friends to take care of you, particularly with the sephalion gone hunting.”

Yeah. None of this would’ve happened if the sephalion hadn’t gone hunting. I’ll not be so agreeable next time.

Lochlan took out his phone and dialed Esme. They must have some sort of code built in that meant urgent. Esme would definitely not answer if I called her so late.

He spoke in low murmurs. I was able to make out a word or two, but not the entire conversation.

“She’ll be here right away.”

“I don’t know whether to be more amazed that she can do this ward thing or that you got her up in the middle of the night.”

“You’d do it for her.”

“Of course, but that’s different.”

“How?”

“I’m a nice person.”

Lochlan chuckled. “So is she when you’ve pulled several layers back.”

I was surprised that I didn’t get any dirty looks when Esme arrived. She went right to work with the wolfsbane branches and a lantern that produced thick clouds of white smoke. Those were accompanied by words in a language that I not only didn’t understand but had never heard before.

“Zipped up tight,” she said when she’d completed her circle around my house. “Everybody can come and go except the werewolf.”

“OMG. I should’ve asked you to include my ex in that.”

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