Page 36 of Triumph of the Wolf
Have you visited the cave yet?
No, I hadn’t, and, after the strange night before, including Izzy’s kidnapping, it wasn’t at the top of my to-do list. Nonetheless, I texted back that I would talk Duncan into driving back up there with me. Even though I suspected Mom’s motives for wanting us both in that cave while wearing the medallions… one couldn’t deny the wishes of a dying woman.
Around breakfast time, I showed up at Duncan’s van with to-go cups of espresso, a basket of biscuits slathered with butter and peanut butter, hot bacon wrapped in paper towels, and egg sandwiches I’d made using toasted English muffins. As I’d seen before, he had an appetite that rivaled that of a growing teenage boy. Thanks to my heritage, I wasn’t the lightest of eaters either.
“You’re a wonderful woman, Luna.” Not surprisingly, Duncan went first for the bacon—werewolvesdidhave carnivorous streaks after all.
“I am wonderful, but this is also a bribe.”
He surveyed the spread I’d laid out on the tiny table in his camper van. “One that doesn’t involve any chocolate?”
I pulled out a bar of dark chocolate with bits of reishi mushrooms and coconut flakes.
“Ah, that’s the kind of bribe I expect. But… mushrooms?” Duncan raised his eyebrows.
“I bought a stack of these for my mom. Just in case.” I pointed to a few words on the label that toted the health benefits of cacao and reishi mushrooms and suggested cancer-fighting properties. “They’re sufficiently rich and sweet and don’t taste medicinal. Or, er, fungal. I taste-tested them.”
“How many squares? A sufficient amount to know for certain?”
“Three bars. Maybe four. It’s been a hectic week.”
“I won’t deny that.” Duncan looked out the windshield toward the lawn, though all sign of the strange vapors had disappeared.
Later, I would take my hand broom and pan outside to sweep up shards of broken glass from the vials. Most of them hadn’t landed near the walkways, so I wasn’t too worried about tenants stepping on them. I wanted to get my mother’s request out of the way first.
“What’s the bribe for?” Duncan asked around a bite of a sandwich. “Oh, there’smorebacon draped over the eggs. Fabulous.” His eyes rolled back in his head.
Even though I’d never considered myself a talented chef, I had a few staples in my arsenal that were, in my opinion, delicious. It was always nice to see someone else enjoy my food.
“I’d like you to come up to the cave with me. And with this.” I lifted the chain around my neck to draw the medallion out from under my shirt. “And withthat.” I pointed to the matching male medallion that he wore.
“Ah. Because you spent the night aching with need and want to seduce me there?”
“Because mymomwants me to seduce you there.” I grimaced. “Don’t worry. I’m not planning on that. But I… did pack condoms, just in case.”
Duncan arched his eyebrows.
“I’m not on birth control anymore,” I explained, though I didn’t know if that was his silent inquiry. “After my ex-husband left, and with me, uhm, not that interested in seeking out companionship, I went off it.”
“Makes sense. You didn’t know a new virile stud would come into your life.”
“Yeah, and then there’s you too.” I smirked at him.
“Ha ha. Unless you’ve a thing for Abrams, I’m not aware of any other virile studs in your life.”
“He is sexy in his medical scrubs.”
“And a mere seventy years old.”
“With all those potions he knows how to make, he could have all kinds of enhancements that belie his age.”
“I suppose that’s true. I’d rather not know about such details. Regardless, I’ll certainly accompany you to the cave. I haven’t yet figured out how to deal with the Abrams problem—mostly because I don’t know where he is. After the chaos last night, I attempted to track Lykos back to him, but he must have guessed I would do that. Lykos walked through water several times to hide his trail, and I lost him out on Ballinger Way. He might have gotten on a bus.”
“The preferred method of transportation for eight-year-old werewolves.”
“He’s informed me that he’s almost nine and is a force to be reckoned with.”
“Thus making him more of a public transportation fan?”
