Page 69

When we turned into Mom’s driveway, I sensed other werewolves about. None of the family had attacked me since Augustus had passed and his cronies had been asked to leave the pack, but I gripped the case through the towel. Others would sense its magic and be curious. They might bemorethan curious.

Only a couple of cars were parked in Mom’s driveway. At the moment, there weren’t any werewolves, naked or otherwise,snoozing around the cabin. With the temperatures dropping, and snow blanketing the ground, maybe the family wasn’t inclined toward that hobby.

After Duncan parked his van, I opened the door and rearranged the towel to fully hide the case.

“Should we… stay inside?” Bolin peered out one of the van’s side windows, one that wasn’t blocked by equipment, and into the trees beside the long driveway.

I didn’t see anyone but sensed a couple of pack members in that direction, likely in wolf form. Was that Rocco? He was a young upstart who might interfere.

“You’ll be fine here,” Jasmine said.

“Because you’ll protect me?” Bolin asked.

“Because the family hates Duncan and focuses their animosity on him.”

“I thought that was only Luna’s cousins.” Duncan slid his keys into his pocket. “And they’re gone now.”

“Oh, everyone gets concerned when you’re around,” Jasmine told him. “It’s the uber powerful old-worldness that clings to you.”

“I should have taken you up on your offer to shower this morning,” Duncan said to me.

As if that would wash away his power.

Still, I smiled and said, “Yes,” before getting out, a half inch of snow squishing under my shoes. It dusted the ferns and rocks to either side of the driveway, though it hadn’t yet filled in under the trees.

None of the loitering wolves intercepted me on the way to Mom’s front door. They were probably here as protection in case Radomir’s men showed up.

Inside, Lorenzo sat at the table, looking worried.

“Are things… okay?” I asked him, holding the door open for Duncan to follow me in.

“Last night, while many of us were gone hunting, one of theenemy’s trucks came by and presumed to come halfway up the driveway. A magical security device blew out one of its tires and knocked the fender into the trees, and the driver retreated. The vehicle parked down the road until several of us returned home. Also…” Lorenzo looked toward the open door to Mom’s bedroom. “Your mother didn’t snip or snark at me this morning.”

“And that’s… unusual?” I guessed, knowing my mother’s personality well, despite my long absence.

“It is. I would have deserved it. During the hunt, I was distracted and failed to bring down a buck.” Lorenzo shook his head sadly.

“Do you wantmeto snark at you?” I looked toward the front door.

Duncan stood at the threshold and hadn’t yet presumed to come in.

“It wouldn’t be the same.” Lorenzo considered the towel I held, the case bundled within, occasionally zapping me through the thick material.

“It’s an artifact. I’m not sure if we told you about it.”

Mommight have told him about it. I unwrapped the towel enough to show him the ivory case, the fanged wolf head carved into the lid. I also shared the translation and that we’d seen it heal Duncan after he’d been poisoned.

“It may not do anything for Mom,” I warned when a glimmer of hope entered Lorenzo’s eyes, “but I doubt it’ll hurt to try.”

“It felt quite delightful, actually.” Duncan rested his hand on his side in the spot where the poisoned sword had slashed him.

“You’re welcome to make the attempt.” Lorenzo nodded toward Mom’s room. “Assuming she’ll let you.”

“She might snark about it,” I said.

“Ihopeso.” He smiled wistfully.

I waved for Duncan to follow me but realized that Lorenzo and the others would sense it when Duncan changed into thepowerful bipedfuris form. Would the whole pack run in, believing my mother threatened?