Page 85 of The Wolfing Hour

He shook his head. A light dusting of pollen fell into his beard.

“Something else then.” When he said nothing, I asked, “You can’t drink your problems away. Please tell Fennel or me if you need us. We’re here for you.”

Fennel let out a soft, “Meow.”

He gave us both a stony look and went back to work.

Ida, Cecil, and Fennel accompanied me to drop the charms off. After expending so much magic, I was exhausted in mind and magic, and my body wasn’t feeling so great, either. Climbing behind the wheel of a car in my mental state would’ve been irresponsible.

We took the Mini because Ida enjoyed maneuvering the “snappy little car” around town now and then. Also, because it was easier to take on short trips—far easier than docking Ida’s ’85 LTD.

Now that car was a lesson in perseverance. First, you had to spend half the rent budget on a tank of gas then you had to pilotit into town on roads not meant for a car with a front seat wide enough to accommodate a family of four. Next, you had to wait for a parking space big enough and hope there was enough space on either side that you didn’t have to exit through the window like a race car driver.

The Mini went everywhere with ease. Sure, the steering wheel tried to wrestle you off the road if you went too far over the speed limit, but it was a better choice for our needs even if it was the shade of a radioactive pumpkin.

I dropped off the Melliza cousins’healcharms first. It was a short and sweet visit that scored me lavender scones for everyone in the car.

“Should’ve grabbed a couple of cappuccinos, too,” Ida said, as she pulled back onto the road.

“I didn’t want to wait for Kiv to make them. We need to get these delivered. Floyd’s escalating things with Ronan, and I don’t want our people to be unprepared.”

“Right. Next time, we should call ahead so they’ll have our drinks ready.”

That was my bestie, intentionally missing the point for the sake of coffee. “Beau closes around six. It’ll be faster to deliver to him first and hit the other La Paloma residences on the way back to Smokethorn.”

“Good plan.” She hung a gasp-inducing left off a city street and pulled onto a farm road. She hit the gas until the car vibrated then eased up. “Who’s after Beau?”

“Ronan’s staff, Calvin and Jenny, and a couple of wolves Ronan asked me to make one for.”

“Wish I’d worn myCannonball RunT-shirt,” Ida said. “The moment seems to call for a refined level of solemnity. Did I ever tell you about the time I met Dom DeLuise?”

“Yes. In an L.A. grocery store. You said if he hadn’t been desperately in love with his wife you would’ve jumped his bonesin a hot second because he made you laugh so hard you couldn’t breathe—Ida, watch out for that combine.”

From behind us came the sound of a seatbelt snicking.

“You two should’ve been belted in way before now,” she yelled as she off-roaded her way around the enormous piece of farm machinery, kicking up a massive plume of silty dust.

I glanced over my shoulder. Fennel had belted both himself and the gnome into the passenger seat, since the car seat they normally used was full of charms. Cecil’s hat was tugged firmly over his nose and eyes, and Fennel’s ears were low and sideways.

“Sorry,” I mouthed.

We made it to La Paloma in record time. Beau was with a customer when I arrived, so I caught his eye and tucked the burlap-wrapped charm behind the counter. I nodded to a couple of people I knew who were milling around the store, sidestepped their attempts at conversation, and flew out the door.

One down.

“Ida, pedestrians have the right of way!” I gripped the dash with both hands.

“C’mon, Betty. I saw them, but the old guy with the cane was slow enough to pass,” she said.

“Could you please not mow down our senior-citizen population? Seems like a cruel reward for a life long-lived. Plus, you’re drivingmycar.”

Cecil chittered.

Fennel meowed.

“Good graves, all you guys do is complain,” Ida muttered. “I wasn’t even close that time.”

Calvin and Jenny were at the pub with most of the staff, so I got to kill two birds with that stone. Ronan wasn’t there—I knew it the second I walked inside. The man had a strength of presence that dominated a room. He’d kept a lot of his alphaability under wraps while he was playing the “good son of the alpha” game, but some things you can’t hide.