Page 50 of Triumph of the Wolf
“Quite.”
Before Duncan pulled out into the road, a truck drove past us, going fast over the ruts and potholes. I sensed another werewolf inside, one that reminded me of Jasmine. Her mother? I hadn’t seen Renata for a long time but remembered her.
“There might be a hunt starting at Mom’s tonight,” I said.
Or was it something else? Both of those werewolf-driven cars had been going fast, their drivers full of urgency.
My stomach knotted at the thought that Mom might have gotten sicker. Or… what if she’d already passed? While Duncan and I had been… frolicking in the woods.
I rubbed my face as he drove up the road and told myself that was the last thing I needed to feel guilty about when it came to Mom. Shewantedfrolicking. Admittedly, she wanted the kind of frolicking that led to children, and we’d used my condom stash, so that wouldn’t happen. Not tonight anyway. And in the future? I wanted to deal with my enemies and get my life straightened out before putting more consideration into children. I didn’t want to have a grade-school-aged werewolf assassin lurking in the woods outside the nursery window.
The van turned down the long gravel driveway leading to the cabin, and I pulled my thoughts to the present, glancing at my phone to check the time. I realized I hadn’t played all three voice messages and thumbed the last open. I’d figured it had been another one from Ivan, but it was Bolin’s number. I played it as we pulled in behind four trucks and cars parked in front of Mom’s porch.
“Luna, pick up if you’re there,” said Bolin’s message. After a pause, he added, “Okay, call me back when you can. It’s about Jasmine. More delivery-van drivers hurling vials full of knock-out gas showed up. More guys than last time. Jasmine was in the parking lot when they arrived, and they got her. I charged out and threw some of myownpotions, but the wind shifted, and I didn’t get out of the way fast enough.” His voice grew tight and rapid as he added, “It’s not my fault. They were attacking her. I had to get to her!” He groaned. “When I came to, the drivers and their vans were all gone, and Jasmine was gone too. Her car is still here, so I know she didn’t drive off. I’m trying to get into the footage from the security cameras to check, but I think they took her, the same as Ivan’s sister. Why would they wantJasminethough? She’s nice and pretty and— She shouldn’t have anyenemies, Luna. Why?”
I slumped back in the seat, staring at the phone. That was the end of the recording.
Duncan had turned off the van and looked gravely over at me.
“I don’t understand this either,” I said to him. “When they took Izzy, I assumed they thought she was me. Though I don’t even know why Abrams would want me, except to chain in a dungeon so he could torture me and take revenge for his lost business partner.”
“It’smehe wants dead,” Duncan said. “Though, knowing him, he very well might want revenge. More for his destroyed laboratory and lost potions than his dead partner.”
“Either way, Jasmine and Izzy didn’t have anything to do with that.” I pointed to my chest and then Duncan’s. We’d equally been responsible.
“No.”
I tried calling Bolin but couldn’t get enough reception to dial. I sent him a text to let him know we would be back soon to help.Though whathelpwe could offer, I didn’t know. Unless Abrams sent a ransom note, we didn’t know where to find him.
Duncan looked out the window as someone walked up. Emilio. He skirted the driver’s seat and approached my side of the van.
“Sorry,” I said, rolling down the window. “I didn’t bring any salami this time.”
“That’s egregious, if not an outright criminal act, but it’s not why we’re all here. Did you hear? Jasmine is missing.”
I winced. “I did just hear that, yes.”
“Your mom and Lorenzo think it’s the same dumbasses who are trying to buy up the lands out here.” Emilio waved toward the woods to either side of Mom’s property.
I started to shake my head, Abrams’s face large in my mind, but did we know he’d been responsible for the kidnappings? The use of alchemical concoctions seemed to suggest it, but it wasn’t as if other people couldn’t have purchased such things. Rue had a whole business selling potions, and there were other alchemists in the Seattle area.
A part of me hoped someone besides Abrams had been responsible. Then it wouldn’t be my fault that my niece was missing. Though with Chad now wrapped up with the real estate developers, I didn’t know if that was entirely true. Somehow, I kept ending up at the center of everything.
“Lucky me,” I murmured.
Emilio pointed toward the cabin’s front door. “We came to have a family powwow and figure things out, but your mom wants to speak with you first.”
Lorenzo stood outside the door, outlined by the porch light, and beckoned when I looked toward him.
“Do you think this is about frolicking?” I asked Duncan quietly, fastening the medallion around my neck and waving for him to do the same with the other one. We’d taken them off sothey wouldn’t influence our choice to have sex, but I believed Mom would want to see us wearing them.
“I suppose it might be, but it looks like your family has more profound things on their minds tonight.”
Normally, I would be relieved something had Mom distracted from the topic of frolicking—and especially offspring—but not at Jasmine’s expense. I hoped she was okay.
“Let’s find out.” I took a deep breath and led the way to the door.
16
