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Jessie drew her 44 a h’s Glock They leveled the barrels on un for each nostril How poetic

I wanted to duck, but I knew them too well They’d shoot first, say oops later

I don’t think Daive me up He was in shock

And ouldn’t he be? Who would guess that the most feared olf hunter on the planet kept his very oolf close at hand?

Not me, if I hadn’t been the olf in question

"Everybody calm down," Will murmured

I’d always liked hih" This was Dah’s blue eyes narrowed "Huot that"

"No I lance, then tried to inch between uns I elbowed hih warned "No suddenh lifted her brows, and her eyes warmed just a little

"She’s not like the others," Damien continued "When I said she was like me, I meant it She’s different, too"

"Does Mandenauer know?" Jessie blurted

"Of course," I said

"As if we’ll believe anything you have to say"

"You’re the one who asked Call Edward Believe him"

Everyone went silent They kneell as I did that if Edward didn’t knoas a olf before, and he found out now, he’d blow my brains out faster than I could say "Have mercy"

"Call hih did so without argument Two minutes later, she disconnected her cell call to Edward

"Well?" Jessie deh just stared at me

"He says we should leave her alone"

"He understands she turns furry under the reed with Damien She’s different, too"

After another un

I felt nome in the face, probably because four pairs of eyes were

"Is there somewhere we can talk?" I asked

I still wore only a T-shirt and sweatpants, and the Noveht wasn’t any warmer in Wisconsin than it had been in Montana Without

"We’ve rented a house next to the cop shop," Leigh said "We can go there"

"Where did Edward take Nic?"

"Mandenauer has a room over the antiques store," Jessie told ht at ho the street and kneithout being told which was his Windows at the front, so he could watch the town; I’d bet there were also s at the back, so he could observe whatever came out of the woods A second-story room is always the best choice for both offense and defense

As we continued toward the rental property I was struck by the silence No dogs barked Not a baby cried There wasn’t a single light in any of the houses or the businesses

"Too quiet," I lance over her shoulder The expression on her face caused a shiver of preined an empty town, a very full forest

"No one’s been bitten," Will said

"Then - "

"What are we doing here?" Jessie interrupted "We’ll get to that"

We reached a large log house at the end of the street The porch was a bit rickety, but other than that the place see a key from her jeans, Jessie unlocked the front door, snapped on the lights We blinked in the electric glare

Jessie motioned me inside As I inched past her she plastered her shoulders to the door, insuring we didn’t touch, even by accident I tried not to let that bother me, but it did I’d always been lonely, but since no one knew ofin my presence had been kept to aroo ensued Jessie, never a patient woman, was the first to speak "Talk, Doctor, or I’llon my nerves "I’d like to see you try"

Jessie caht, she probably had ten pounds on ht If only she didn’t have that gun filled with silver

Will grabbed her hand before she could draw the weapon Leigh put herself between us, and Daht before his hand touched me, he snatched it back

Thewhy I’d kept my secret all these years If Damien couldn’t handle what I was, how could I expect anyone to? Especially anyone like Nic

If I told him the truth, he’d think me insane If I showed hi

Better he hatedbitch than that

Defeated, I collapsed in my chair "What do you want to know?"

The others sat At first no one spoke, then they all spoke at once

"Who?" Jessie asked

"When?" That was Dah merely said, "Why?"

I looked at her "Why what?"

"Why haven’t you been able to cure yourself?"

Since h, but not Damien, she’d called and harassed me continuously She’d often been rude, crude, condescending I’d put up with it because I understood her smart mouth and habitual snarl were rooted in fear

If I couldn’t cure Damien, no one could

"It’s not for lack of trying," I said

The room went momentarily silent, until Will broke the ice "Who bit you?" he clarified "Where? When?"

"I wasn’t bitten"

All four of thelanced at one another, then back at ," Will said

I took a deep breath and a moment to think I’d never told anyone my story before

"When olves touch in human form we feel each other’s power and the delanced at Damien "But I don’t have a demon, and neither do you"

"I had one," he murmured "At first"

Damien had been like all the rest, until he’d run afoul of an Ozark Mountain ic woman He’d been blessed to lose the de it

"You’re working for the good guys now," Leigh told hi up for all that you did"

"I can’t h tih lifted her eyes to hts loud and clear

Fix hied, as she had a hundred times before

"Get on with the story, Doc," Jessie urged "We don’t have all night"

My story wouldn’t take that long, since it was relatively simple

"I wasn’t bitten," I said "My mother was"

Damien’s head came up "Lycanthropy isn’t hereditary A olf can’t breed"

"Can they?" Leigh’s voice quavered

Her concern was understandable I wouldn’t want to have puppies, either