Page 51 of Death and Divination
Chapter 19
Ophelia
The moon broke free from the clouds, illuminating the landscape in a rolling wave of light. During the day, the city park was a beautiful mix of tame and wild, just like the residents of our town. Wild roses and overgrown azaleas gave the park thick, thorny, private spots to enjoy. At the west end of the park, a small grove gave the illusion of a vast woods complete with mossy paths and thick undergrowth. In the center of the park was a manicured lawn, perfect for croquet or a foot—or hoof— race. In the middle was a small fountain with fresh water spilling into clean bowls positioned at different heights, providing a quick drink to those who needed it. Around the fountain and at the edge of the lawn were bushes with long, thin leaves that in daylight would be dark green.
Oleander. Oleander in the moonlight.
I saw Tink stiffen and look off into the distance, her eyes focusing on something deep in the wooded grove. Cassie lifted a hand and a ball of light appeared, fire flickering around the edges. Three werewolves walked from the tree line—Ruby flanked on either side by two heavily bearded men in camo. They hesitated as they saw my sister’s ball of fiery light, then glanced over at Lucien who was now nearly seven feet tall with huge horns sprouting from his forehead and glowing orange eyes.
“Don’t want any trouble,” Ruby called out. “I’m just here to talk about my daughter.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tink stiffen. Her mother hadn’t spoken to her or even looked at her. It was as if the female werewolf wasn’t even here. Dallas had said he wouldn’t get involved, so it was clear Tink wouldn’t be exiled or forbidden to return to the pack, but would her mother accept her again? Life in the pack would be difficult without the social status that familial bonds provided.
Cassie’s ball of light vanished. “Then let’s go to the diner and talk. Peach pie and coffee. I’ll buy.”
The two male werewolves perked up at that, and I bit back a grin. Shifters were always hungry, and everyone knew the way to a werewolf’s heart was through his or her stomach—which was probably why the criticism of Tink’s cooking would really sting.
We watched as the five headed into the diner. I shifted so Tink had Nash and I on either side, the fountain at our backs.
“She’s gonna disown me,” Tink said tearfully. “I won’t have a family. I’ll be stripped of my last name. Everyone will think I’m a bad cook and a leg shaver, and that Dallas not only dumped me but decided I wasn’t pretty enough to even screw. Nobody will invite me to hunt with them. No one will ever date me—especially if they think I shave my legs. I’ll never have sex again. I’ll die a lonely wolf, shriveled up from the lack of orgasms.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
“I’ve heard that Ophelia’s sister, Sylvie, has an incredible knowledge of sex toys,” Nash chimed in. “There’s no reason for you to die from lack of orgasms when there are any number of battery-operated products to fill your needs.”
I choked, slapping a hand over my mouth.
“Those toys are not fun unless there’s a virile werewolf male to enjoy them with,” she complained. “I’m not a do-it-yourself woman here.”
“I’m sure this will all quickly blow over and everyone will forget about it,” I told her. “You’ll have lots of male werewolves propositioning you, and Dallas will find some other woman to mate with.”
Tink looked oddly depressed at my statement, but before she could say another word, something caught her attention from within the grove. A tiny smile quivered at the corner of her mouth. “They’re here,” she whispered.
My eyes narrowed, and I wondered for a brief second what the heck was going on in that little werewolf brain of hers. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to ask, because she was right—there were werewolves in the grove, and I was darned sure one of them was Dallas.
I could hear them in the bushes, which meant they weren’t exactly being stealthy in their approach. Tink caught her breath and spun around, moving in closer to the two of us.
“Protect her,” I told Nash, not really sure what he would be able to do beyond kill a bunch of plants. His presence seemed to unsettle the werewolves, so my hope was they’d be afraid enough of him that they wouldn’t attack.
Stepping a few feet away, I upended a box of golf balls onto the ground, noticing how much they looked like the full moon peeking over the edge of the horizon. Then I lowered the golf club, wiggled my hips, and tried to look like the golfers I’d seen on television.
“Stand back or feel the wrath of my…my nine iron,” I commanded.
A wolf sprang from the bushes, and I swung. The club hit the ball with a solid thwack. The wolf yelped and scurried backward as it hit him in the chest. Two more wolves ran forward, and I drove them both back with solid blows to the side and head. The next time the three were a whole lot more cautious, and all I had to do was pretend like I was swinging to make them dodge back to safety.
A deep growl filled the air and I caught my breath as a huge dark wolf slunk forward, teeth bared, and yellow eyes fixed not on me but on Tink.
Dallas. I hit golf balls like a crazy woman. He grunted with each impact, but kept moving slowly forward like he was stalking his prey. The last golf ball bounced off his head and, out of options, I ran forward, swinging the club at him.
It seemed like the golf club wasn’t just accurate when it came to hitting golf balls. The nine iron bent nearly in half as it encountered the werewolf alpha’s thick skull. Blood flew from my club on the upswing, splattering the oleander leaves. Dallas’ eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped like a stone, shifting back into his human form.
Behind me, I heard Tink scream and Nash shout for her to stay back. A slight female form shoved me aside, cursing as she dropped to the ground beside the naked, unconscious alpha.
Cursing. At me. As if I’d just killed her puppy and not bravely defended her from the jerk who was trying to force her into a loveless marriage.
“Is he dead? Did you kill him? How could you do that to him?” She cradled the werewolf’s head, all the while professing her love for him.
Love. I looked over at Nash and held up my hands. What the heck were we supposed to do now? I’d planned on whacking Dallas a few more times with the enchanted golf club once he regained consciousness and threatening him with further bodily harm if he didn’t leave Tink alone and give up any idea of forcing her into mating. But instead it seemed shelovedhim?
