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Emilio yelled, “That was a fat one.”

“Varmint hunt!”

Thuds sounded on the porch as my family leaped off to chase whatever had stirred their wolf blood.

“You think it’s humans that made me odd, huh?” I asked.

“Absolutely.” Mom smiled.

Her curved lips warmed my heart, even though the gesture didn’t last. She looked sternly at me and said, “You’re welcome for the advice. Now, go find him. And don’t come harass me if I choose to hunt on my own again. I can still handle myself when the magic infuses me.” She didn’t admit, as she had done before, that the wolf sometimes evaded her now when she reached for it.

“Don’t do yourself in, please, Mom. Taking on a bear alone is unwise. And Lorenzo?—”

“Is a nag,” she said firmly.

“Then why are you spending time with him?”

“Most of the time, he’s decent company. And he’s good in bed.”

I groaned and dropped my face in my hand. “I knew Emilio was naive about that.”

“He’s naive about a lot. I bet he would fall for the hokum on the label of that bag. Why don’t you give him those berries?”

“He prefers salami.”

“Go home, Luna. I’m fine. Make some plans, and go retrieve your old-world wolf. And the device that controls him. Perhaps he’ll be so grateful that he’ll?—”

“Don’t say it.” I jerked my hand up, palm toward her. “No more talk about offspring. Please.”

“He’ll be a loyal protector and companion going forward,” she finished, though I believed I’d guessed right about what she’dintendedto say.

“He’s already that,” I said softly. Then, because she looked tired, I rose to take my leave. I left the chocolate-covered berries. Just in case.

“Another reason he would be a good father to werewolf pups then,” Mom said softly.

I heard the words but didn’t look back, not wanting to argue further.

Besides, I had something else on my mind. The beginnings of a plan to find Radomir and Abrams and steal that device from them.

15

Afternoon approachedas I returned to Sylvan Serenity. My stomach grumbled, requesting lunch. Bolin’s fancy SUV was in one of the staff spots, his inflatable protective bubble around it. He didn’t usually come in on the weekends, and I hoped he hadn’t brought his parents with more prospective buyers.

Logically, I knew the sale of the complex was inevitable and that I should prepare myself to accept that fate. Emotionally, I wanted to roll around on the grass, throw a temper tantrum, and demand to know why the world kept hurling so much crap at me.

Only Duncan had been a good thing in my life. On the drive back, I’d mulled over possible ways to find Radomir and Abrams so I could help him.

Why hadn’t I asked Duncan where they were staying now? Would he have told me? Or would he mulishlynothave told me? For my own good?

The only idea I had was to drive around Puget Sound and check all those addresses. It wasn’t a great plan, but it was a starting point.

When I leaned into the leasing office, Bolin sat at the computer, scowling and typing.

“Are you being assailed by spam emails?” I asked. “Or applicants with low credit scores and histories of evictions?”

He looked at me. “Are those the kinds of things that disgruntle you at the computer?”

“On a regular basis, yes.”