Page 21

Story: Bad Opinion

“The Nanny was having trouble of the magical kind. She had to go back to help out.”

“Have all your children got magical talent?” Xantos asked.

“They all seem to, even the boys. That makes it harder to find a nanny. The one we have right now is a low-level witch, so she can handle the smaller things.”

“I can see how this might cause difficulties.”

“You may think so, but you will understand better in time," Damon observed.

“Are you telling me that I or my mate are a witch?”

“Not exactly, but you don't have to be a witch to have problems. Has Sally changed yet?”

“She has, but I wasn't there. She's not a white or red wolf.”

“No, she's not.” Damon agreed with the smile.

“Are you telling me she's gold?”

“Not at all. Maybe the two of you should go for a run if you are concerned with what color she is.”

She could see that her mate was worried, and she wondered what that meant. She was just a silvery gray, and that didn't mean anything, did it?

“I'm nothing special. You can ask Harry who was there when I changed.” Sally offered.

Xantos immediately looked at Harry, waiting for her to reassure him that his mate was just an ordinary wolf, but all Harry did was smile at him. “What color is she, and what does it mean?’

“Go for a run someplace private, and then you'll know," Damon assured.

Xantos took her by the hand and led her away, and they would find some private place to go for their run. No one had even commented on the color of her parents and grandparents' wolves when they'd run. Why was this suddenly so important? She was a silvery gray, prettier than the average gray but nothing special.

They went to a grove of trees, and no one seemed to be around, so they changed to wolves together. It felt so good to be with her mate and ready to run. She could see that he loved her color and the look of her wolf, and her wolf preened and admired his wolf. That was the way it should be, wasn't it? She took off on a hunt with him following. There was a small creature, possibly a muskrat, and that was not something she had ever eaten or hunted before. It was convenient, and her wolf needed the hunt because she was new and fresh, and everything was different.

It was amazing how quickly she caught it, and then she let it go. Her mate laughed, or as close to a laugh as a wolf couldmanage. They had much to do, and they needed to return to the group to decide how to proceed with these tasks.

They returned to the spot where they had started and flashed back to their wolves.

“You are a silver wolf. I believe you'll have some talents, but I'm not sure what they might be. It will make some hunt for you even though you are mated. Some will come after you. That is what Damon is talking about. We'll have to determine what those talents are so we can utilize them effectively, as this is a large pack and will be challenging to manage. Elias used to control others, and that is not something I want to do. Initially, I believe they will think I am weak because of it. I'm sure I'll face many challenges, but eventually, they'll see that I'm strong and can overcome any of my adversaries. You need to be concerned about that, too, so we will need to train often to keep in good shape.”

Xantos pulled her in close to him and gave her a hot kiss. She could tell he wanted more, but under the circumstances, they needed to get back to the people waiting for them. They needed all the help so that they could get this pack under control before their help left.

The first one to notice that they were back was Damon. “You see what I mean.”

“I do, but I don't know what talents might be lurking inside her. I'm not sure that anyone does.”

“There are a few that know, and given time, unfortunately, there will be many that know.” He admitted. “There is no way to hide something like this for long. Especially when you are a pack bitch of one of the largest packs in this part of the country.”

She knew that was true, but she felt odd having them discuss her in such a fashion. They'd eaten lunch, and now itwas time to get back to work, so she and Harry went up to the attic to see what other surprises might be there. Sally was happy to find that there was a large bed and a twin bed. The twin bed had storage underneath it, and they found a couple of dressers to match the large bed. There was also a table with two chairs, a loveseat, and two chairs of some type. That would be enough furniture to start with, or at least she hoped it would be. Other items up here could be picked up one at a time. That was except for a refrigerator, a stove, and some kind of microwave. In the kitchen cabinets, they found basic dishes, bowls, and pots and pans. The drawers held silverware and other similar items. It was one less worry to begin with, and it would do for now. The house manager might be the one that dealt with the rest of this. She wasn't sure exactly what the house manager's responsibilities were.

“Why don't we get on one of our other jobs," Harry asked.

“What job would that be?”

“We need to pull all the bones out of the yard and the area close to the house. Tyne will be sending them off to be identified, and I believe the wardens will be here tomorrow to collect them. They were staying over at a nearby hotel, probably gambling.”

“One of the good points about being close to Las Vegas, right?” Sally suggested.

“This won't be anything, and I will need a whole lot of food, so maybe we should order something before I go out and start dealing with it. I noticed several places posted on the side of the refrigerator that I assumed were for delivery. Why don't we check those out first, and we can put in an order before we start working.”