Coyotes, like werewolves, are territorialand this gun-toting jerk had barged into my place as if he had every right to be here.
Are the police on their way? I asked Sylvia, as she hung up the phone. My voice was shaking with adrenaline and anger, but my hands were still very steady.
He says hell be here in five. He also said that it would be a good thing to have backup. So there will be some other police as well.
I smiled widely at the bounty hunter, showing my teeth like any good predator. Tony is a police officer. Hes known these kids since they were in diapers. Hes not going to be happy with you. Tony was also hopelessly in love with Sylviathough I didnt think she knew that.
There was a movement to my right, and I snuck a quick glance to see Zee and Gabriel coming out the garage door. They must have gone back around. Zee had a crowbar in one hand and held it like another man might hold a sword. Gabriel had
Zee, I squeaked. Tell him to put the torque wrench back and grab something that wont cost me five hundred dollars if he hits someone with it.
Wont cost five hundred, said Zee, but as I glanced over again, he nodded at the white-faced Gabriel, who looked at what he held as if hed never seen it before. The boy slipped back into the garage as Zee said, It wouldnt break ityoud just have to get it recalibrated.
We have a whole garage worth of toolspry bars, tire irons, and even a hammer or two. Theres got to be something better than my torque wrench he could have grabbed.
Listen, lady, Kelly Heart said in a calm, soothing voice. Lets take a deep breath and discuss this a moment. I didnt mean to scare anyone. That little girl was about to get mauled by a werewolf.
Truth.
It didnt surprise me. Talking to Zee had steadied me, and Id had a moment or two to think.
There might be a TV reality star somewhere who would point a gun at a cute little girl, but not while he was being filmed. The man behind him had been his cameramanI could see the camera on the ground where it had been dropped when Heart landed on the second man with all his two-hundred-plus pounds of muscle.
If hed come here hunting werewolves, hed have figured out what Sam was right away. Theres a bit of wolf magic that encourages humans to see a dog instead of a wolf, but it is only a little bit of magic, and if someone is lookingtheyll see a wolf and not a dog.
So. How much to admit. Id already paused too long to deny what Sam was. He likes kids, I said instead. Gentle as a puppy.
Sylvia had been murmuring to her kids, but her voice stopped at my words. There was a short silence, then the littlest one went off like a fire truck, a high-pitched fire truck. At a guess, Sylvia had just snatched her daughter away from the big bad wolf.
I have a warrant for him, continued Heart, wincing a little. I couldnt tell if it was the volume that bothered him or the pitch, which was approaching ultrasonic.
I raised my eyebrows and indicated the gun with a jerk of my chin. Wanted dead or alive?
Samuel wasnt out. And the only one I was worried about coming after Samuel would never send a bounty hunter. It would be Bran who killed him, when and if the time came. Hearts warrant couldnt be for Samuel.
It didnt take a genius to figure out what werewolf people would expect to find around my place of work: Adam.
How a bounty hunter got a warrant for him, when, to my knowledge, Adam was in good standing as a law-abiding citizen, I didnt know. I was vague on bounty-hunter lore, but I was pretty sure that they mostly hunt down people who are wanted for bail-skipping, and then the bail bondsmen pay them a percentage of the bail money they would have otherwise lost.
The Kennewick Police Department wasnt very far away. Even so, the first vehicle in my parking lot was Adams. He parked his truck in front of the van, blocking it where it was.
Youre mistaken, I told Kelly Heart, Bounty Hunter, keeping my eyes on him no matter how much I wanted to look at the man who had just closed the door of his new truck. There arent any werewolves around here who have a warrant out for their arrest.
Im afraid youre wrong, Kelly told me kindly. Against my will, I was impressed by him. He was calm and cool while lying on his back like a turtleon top of his cameraman, who was scared out of his mind and focused on the mouth of the gun I held.
Another truck door opened and closedAdam had someone with him. The wind didnt favor me, so I couldnt tell who it was. And I wasnt going to be stupid and look. Not that I really thought the bounty hunter was a threat anymore. At least, not a threat to the children behind me.
I could hear the woman in the T-shirt saying in a frantic voice, Dont make her shoot again, Kelly. Forty bucks. Forty bucks those cost. Each.
Dont worry, I called to her. You can dig them out, and theyll look just about like what they do now. You might even be able to reuse them. Silver doesnt deform as easily as lead, which makes it a lousy ammunitionunless youre shooting at werewolves.
She doesnt seem too worried about you, I told Kelly with mock sympathy as Adam walked toward us. I guess silver bullets are harder to find than bounty hunters who look good in black leather.
He smiled. She thinks so. Look, can I get up? I promise not to try anything, but I outweigh Joe here by a hundred pounds. If I lie on him much longer, he might stop breathing.
Go ahead and put up the gun, Mercy, said Adam. Get it out of sight before the police are here. Itll be easier that way. We might even get out of this without anyone getting arrested.
My will broke at the sound of his voice, and my head turned with as much inevitability as a sunflower turning its face to the sun.
Adam was in a three-piece suit with a Mickey Mouse tie his daughter had bought him for Christmasand he managed to look much, much more dangerous than the man on the ground. Id known he would come, even after this mornings conversation.
Id hurt him, and still hed come when the security cameras he had posted all over the place at my garage told him I was in trouble. Id never doubted for a minute that he would come; Adam is staunch and true, like the tin soldier in the old childrens story. Stauncher and truer than I, whod pushed him away to save Samuel.
Sylvia called Tony. The police might already know about the gun.
Even so, said Adam. People make mistakes when there are guns about.
Kelly didnt want to take his eyes off me while I was holding a gun on him, but he was caught up in the same spell everyone in Adams sphere found themselves in. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the bounty hunters face turn to Adam, whod come up from the side so as not to put himself in my line of fire if Kelly had popped up and started running.
Right, the bounty hunter said. Just put down the gun, Ms. Thompson. As this gentleman suggests. Maybe he thought Adam would be more reasonable than I was. Kelly Heart wouldnt understand what the bright gold flecks in Adams eyes meant.
I came here to bring in a werewolf I have a warrant for, he told Adam, and I could tell he believed it. I saw the werewolf with the kid and thought there would be trouble.
He was telling the truthhed told the truth to me, too. I fumbled a little, putting the safety on the unfamiliar gun. With Adam here, who needed a gun?
Zee came up and held out his hand. Ill take it and make it disappear, he told me.
Heart rolled off his cameraman, keeping his hands up as he eased himself to the side. He was still mostly paying attention to me, as if I were the threat and not Adam. I ratcheted my estimate of his intelligence downward.
Adam slipped on a pair of sunglassesbut he kept his gaze on the bounty hunter as Heart came to his feet. Adam took a step back when Heart offered a hand to his cameraman, and his foot crunched on something.
Adam knelt, a graceful movement, over in a moment. When he stood up, he was holding the camera.
Im afraid this didnt survive the fall.
The cameraman made a moaning sound as if someone had hit him. He snatched the camera and tucked it against his belly as if that could somehow make it better.
Adam looked at the cameraman, then beyond him to the van, where Hearts people were frantically conferring. He glanced at Ben. When he had the other werewolfs attention, he motioned toward the van with his chin. As simply as that, he let Ben know that he wanted him to go keep tabs on Hearts crew. Adam didnt leave things to chance, and he wouldnt ignore possible hostiles on the other side of the parking lot.
I am sorry for scaring you, Kelly told me, sincerely. This time he was lying. And for upsetting the children. He wasnt worried about that either. I wondered how many people actually believed that sincere act.
A pair of police cars, followed by Tonys truck, pulled into the parking lot.
No sirens, said Adam. Probably Tony didnt tell them about the gun.
Sam stepped around me, making me bump into the door. I dropped one hand and wrapped it in the ruff of his neckno way was I stupid enough to grab his collar. My touch was a request, not an order . . . but Sam had already stopped beside me. He surveyed the approaching police from the top of the steps, a position that was higher than theirs.
Sam, Heart paid attention to. He glanced longingly at Zeebecause the gun was out of sightand took a step away from the werewolf.
This is a misunderstanding, he said in a voice designed to carry to the approaching police. My fault.
I saw the moment the first officer on the scene recognized him because his eyes rounded, and his voice was a little awed as he told the older patrolmen who followed him, Its all right, Holbrook, Monty. Its Kelly Heart, the bounty hunter from TV.
Monty was probably Tony, whose last name was Montenegro. That would make the older cop Holbrook.
Green, said the older man quietlyI dont think any of us were supposed to hear him. Its not all right until you find out whats going on. I dont care if the president himself is in front of you. But then Holbrook took a good look at us, all standing with our hands plainly visible and in the relaxed fashion of people who had not almost killed each other five minutes before. We, all of us, were pretty good at lying with our bodies. Now, go call it in and tell them situation under control.
Green turned without argument, leaving Tony and Holbrook to approach us alone.
Mercy? Unlike the other officers, Tony wasnt in uniform. He was wearing a dark jacket over black jeans, and he wore diamond studs in his pierced ears and looked more like a drug dealer than a cop. What happened?
He came into the office and saw my friend here. I rested my hand on Sams head. I couldnt call him by name. Tony knew Dr. Samuel Cornick, knew he was my roommateand wouldnt have any trouble connecting him with a wolf named Sam. And calling him Snowball at this juncture was only going to draw attention to the fact that I was hiding his identity. And assumed that any werewolf was a danger.
Thats a werewolf? asked the older cop, who suddenly looked a lot more wary. His hand crept to his holster.
Yes, I agreed steadily. And as you can seedespite Hearts precipitous actionsI didnt tell them what his precipitous actions had been, though Tonys mouth tightened, so I was pretty sure he knew about the gunmy friend here kept his head. If he hadnt, there would be bodies. I looked at Heart. Some people might learn from his example of self-control and good judgement.
Hes dangerous, said Kelly. I wouldnt have sh He suddenly decided to leave the gun out of it, too, and switched tactics without bothering to finish his sentence. I have a warrant authorizing the apprehension of the werewolf.
No, you dont, I told him confidently. No way did he have a warrant for Sam.
What? said Tony.
A werewolf? said the older cop. I dont remember hearing anything about a warrant on a werewolf.
He whistled and waved, catching the attention of the young cop who was walking briskly back toward us.
Green, he said, you hear anything about a warrant out for one of our local werewolves?
The young mans eyes widened. He looked at me, looked at Sam, and came to the right conclusion. Sam wagged his tail, and the police officer straightened up, his face going impersonal and professional. I recognized the lookthis one had been in the armed forces.
No, sir, he said. He wasnt afraid, but he was watching Sam closely. I would have remembered something like that.
I have proof, the bounty hunter said, nodding toward the van. I have the warrant in the van.
Tonys eyebrow went up, and he glanced at the other cops. I can tell you for certain that we havent had any werewolves arrested and let out on bail. Since when does our department give arrest warrants to bounty hunters? Im inclined to agree with Mercyyou must be mistaken.
Holbrook kept his attention on Sam, but Green and Tony both showed better sense.
Officer Holbrook, I said, you could make things a lot easier on my friend here if you didnt look him in the eye. He wont do anything. I hoped. But the wolf instincts tell him that direct eye contact is a challenge.
Holbrook looked at me. Thank you, maam, he said. I appreciate the information.
The warrants in the van, said Heart. I can have my assistant bring it here.
While the police were talking to Heart and me, Adam, Zee, and Gabriel had been doing their best to fade into the background. But I caught motion out of the corner of my eye: Zee, catching Adams attention. When he had it, he tilted his head toward the storage yard across the street.
Like Adam, I followed Zees gesture with my eyes and spotted it right away. On top of the nearest storage unit was something that blended in with the red metal roof. With enough glamour, a fae can take on the appearance of any living thing, but something inanimatelike a roofis harder. I couldnt see what he or she was, just that something was there. It took less than an instant, and I pulled my eyes away quickly so as not to alert the fae creature of our notice.
Ben, Adam said very quietly.
What did you say? asked Tony.
Ben was leaning against the van and chatting up Tanya-the-Bounty-Hunters-Woman, Leather Boy (Hearts too-handsome sidekick), and Tech-Girl. They all must have had really bad instincts, because they were flushed and smiling. When Adam spoke, Ben looked over to his Alpha. The van would hide him from the fae on the rooftopbut it would also hide the fae from him.
Nothing important, Adam said, while he made a few unobtrusive gestures with his right hand, about hip level. Ben made a gesture in return, and Adam closed his fist, then opened it.
Who are you, anyway? asked Heart.
You were going to show us this warrant? asked Tony, changing the subject.
By the van, Ben smiled. He ducked his head, said something to the people he was talking with that had them all looking our way, then walked casually around the end of the van. I couldnt see him as he crossed the street because of the van, but I saw the fae notice him and drop off the far side of the warehouse.
Heart said, Bring it on over, sweetheart. I understood then that they had some sort of mic system that allowed her to hear everything we said. Probably recorded it, too. I supposed that was okay.
Ben hopped the tall chain-link fence without touching itif any mundane saw him, there would be no question that he wasnt human. But the police, including Tony, were watching the famous TV star.
No one but Adam, Zee, and meas far as I could tellnoticed anything. Gabriel was gone. I realized that Id seen Gabriel go back through the garage when his sister had cried outbecause Sylvia had pulled her away from the werewolf.
Paying attention, I could hear him talking in Spanish, his voice sharp with anger as he and his mother argued about somethingand my name was definitely a part of the discussion.
I tuned them out as the bounty hunters tech-girl came running over with a thick folder that she handed over to Heart. He leafed through the pages tucked into a pocket of the notebook and produced an official-looking document that he handed over to Tony.
He has a warrant, Tony told me, carefully not looking at Adam. And youre right. Its not for this werewolf. He handed the paper to Holbrook.
The older man took one look at it and harrumphed. Its a fake, he said, absolute certainty in his voice. If youd have told me the name, I could have told you it was a fakewithout even looking at the elegant signature that looks less like Judge Fisks than mine does. No way theres a warrant out for Hauptman and its not all over the station.
Thats what I thought, agreed Tony. Fisks signature is barely legible.
What? There was enough honest indignation in Kellys voice that I was pretty sure it was genuine.
Tony, who was watching the bounty hunter pretty closely, seemed to have the same opinion as I did. He handed the warrant to the youngest cop. Green, go call this in and see if its real, he said. Just for the bounty hunters sake.
Like Tony, Green very carefully didnt look at Adam. I havent heard about this, he said. And Id have remembered if we had a warrant for him. We know our local Alpha. I can sure as heck tell you that he hasnt jumped bail. Green looked at Tony. But Ill go call it in. And he strode briskly back to his patrol car.
My producer told us that the police department didnt want to take on a werewolf and had asked for our help, said Heart, though he didnt sound nearly as certain.
Holbrook snorted indignantly. If we had a warrant to pick up a werewolf, wed pick him up. Thats our job.
Your producer told you we didnt want to take on a werewolf, said Tony thoughtfully. Did your producer give you the warrant?
Yes.
Does he have a name? Wed like contact information for him, too.
Her, Kelly said. Daphne Rondo. I wondered if he knew that his heart was in his voice when he said her name. He reached into his back pocketslowlyand took out his wallet and extracted a card.
Here. He held it a moment when Tony reached out to take it. You know this guy, right? Thats how you knew this wolf was the wrong one. Then comprehension lit his face, and he let go of the card and looked at Adam. Adam Hauptman?
Adam nodded. Id say pleasure to meet you, but I dont like lying. What is it Im supposed to have done?
The younger cop strolled back from his car, shaking his head.
Kelly looked at the cop, then sighed. What a cluster. I take it you havent been killing young women and leaving their half-eaten bodies in the desert?
Adam was ticked. I could tell it even if he was looking like a reasonably calm businessman. Adams temper was the reason he wasnt one of Brans werewolf poster boys. When angered, he often gave in to impulses he wouldnt otherwise have given in to.
Sorry to disappoint you, Adam told Kelly in silky tones. But I prefer rabbits. Humans taste like pork. And then he smiled. Kelly took an involuntary step backward.
Tony gave Adam a sharp look. Lets not make things worse, if we can help it, gentlemen. He pulled out his cell phone and, looking at the card, dialed the number. It rang until the voice mail picked up. Tony didnt leave a message.
Okay, Tony said. Id like to get a statement from you about this warrant. If weve got someone falsifying warrants, we need to know about it. We can do that here, or down at the station.
I left Tony and the police to deal with the fallout, and went back into my office, letting the door shut behind me. I left Sam outside, too. If he hadnt killed anyone yet this morning, he wasnt going to.
I had other matters to deal with.
Gabriel had his youngest sister on his hip, her wet face on his shoulder. The other girls were sitting on the chairs I had for customers, and his mother had her back to me.
She was the only one talkingin Spanish, so I had no idea what she was saying. Gabriel gave me a desperate look, and she turned. Sylvia Sandovals eyes were glittering with rage as hot as any Id ever seen on a werewolf.
You, she said, her accent thick. I do not like the company you keep, Mercedes Thompson.
I didnt say anything.
We are going home now. And my family will have nothing further to do with you. Because of you, because of your werewolf, my daughter will have nightmares of a man pointing a gun at her. She could have been shotany of my children could have been shot. I will have a tow truck come to pick up my car.
No need, I told her. Zee has it almost up and running. I assumed. No telling how much hed done with his magic.
It is running, Zee said. I hadnt realized hed come into the office, but he must have come in through the garage. He stood by the inner door, looking grim.
You will tell me how much I owe you over and above my sons last check.
Gabriel made a protesting sound.
She glanced at him, and he bit back whatever he intended to say, his eyes suspiciously bright.
My son thinks that because he is almost a man, he can make his own decisions. As long as he lives in my house, that is not true.
I was pretty sure that Gabriel could go off and do all right on his ownbut that without his extra income, Sylvia would be hard-pressed to feed their family. Gabriel knew it, too.
Gabriel, I told him, I have to let you go. Your mother is right. My office isnt a safe place to work. If your mother were not involved, you still wouldnt have a job here anymore. Ill mail you your last check. When you are looking for work, you can tell them to call me for a recommendation.
Mercy, he said, his face white and stark.
I couldnt have lived with myself if something had happened to you or one of your sisters today, I told him.
Oh, poor Mercy, said Sylvia with false sympathy, her English getting worse. Poor Mercy, her life it is too dangerous, and she would feel bad if my son were hurt. She pointed her finger at me. It is not just this. If it were only the gunman, then I would sayno, Gabriel you cannot work here anymorebut we are friends, still. But you lied to me. I say, What is this great big dog? You tell me, Perhaps some mixed breed. You made this decision, to let my daughter play with a werewolf. You did not tell me what he was. You made such a choice about my childrens welfare. Do not call at my house. Do not talk to my children on the street, or I will call the police.
Mamá, said Gabriel. Youre over the top.
No, I told him wearily. Shes right. Id known that I made the wrong choice the moment I heard Maias first cry. It hadnt been Sambut it might have been. That Id been sure it was him right up until the moment I saw Kelly Heart with his gun told me that Id made the wrong choice. Id endangered Sylvias children.
Zee, would you back her car out of the garage, please? He bowed his head and turned on his heel. I couldnt tell if he was angry with me, too, or not. Of course, I was pretty sure he had no idea how much of a risk Id taken. He wasnt a wolf, hadnt lived with the wolves; he wouldnt know what Sam was.
Mercy, said Gabriel, helplessly.
Go, I told him. Id have hugged him, but I thought wed both cry. I could deal, but Gabriel was seventeen and the man of his family. Vaya con Dios. See, I do know a little Spanish.
And you also, he said formally.
And his sister started wailing again. I want my puppy, she cried.
Go, said his mother.
They left, the girls subdued, following Gabriel, with Sylvia bringing up the rear.
Chapter 5
WITH SAM AT HIS HEEL, ADAM CAME INTO THE OFFICE while Sylvia and her family were still in the garage, waiting for Zee to get the Buick out. From Adams face I could tell hed heard every word Sylvia and I had said. He put a hand on my shoulder and kissed my forehead.
Dont be nice to me, I told him. I screwed up.
Not your fault that overeager boy out there came in with guns blazing, Adam said. Someone sold him a whole pack of lies. Tony and he are trying to get in touch with his producer, but shes not answering her phone. I suppose she wanted a big fight on TV. Man versus werewolf.
Maybe, I said. Maybe he wasnt my fault. But if it hadnt been Kelly Heart, it could just as easily have been a vampire or a fae. Neither of which would hesitate to kill Gabriel or one of the girls if they thought they were in the way.
The hand on my shoulder slipped down and pulled me into a hug. I leaned into it, knowing I was receiving it under false pretensesI could tell from the way he was acting that he hadnt realized the full extent of my transgressions yet. Doubtless hed been too busy to take a good look at Samand Sam, miraculously, hadnt done anything to attract anyones attention. Yet. The day was still young.
I breathed in Adams scent and took comfort I wasnt entitled to. Sylvia was right. I was feeling far too sorry for myself, and I wasnt entitled to that either.
I pulled away and hopped up to sit on the counter next to the gun before I enlightened himI couldnt bear it if he were touching me when he decided he didnt want anything more to do with me. As Sylvia just had.
The sticky black stuff left from where someone in the Dark Ages had taped a piece of paper to the edge of the counter was gone, and I ran my finger over the newly clean spot. Shed left the cookies.
Mercy?
Id betrayed him. For all the good reasons in the world, but I was his mateand Id chosen Samuel. I suppose I could have hoped he wouldnt notice, but that seemed wrong in light of this morning. What if Heart hadnt come here first? What if hed run into Adam and shot him? What if hed gone to Adams work or had a photo of him . . . Come to think of it, wasnt that odd? Adam was out to the public, and his face photographed very well.
Someone hadnt wanted Heart to know who Adam was.
Mercy?
Sorry, I told him. Im trying to distract myself. You need to look at Samuel. I picked at a mucky spot on my overalls because I couldnt meet his eyes.
If Bran wanted Samuel dead, hed have to go through me to do it, which he could. But I was through lying to Adam, even if only by omission, merely to keep Bran from finding out.
Sam had trotted past both of us and gone to stand in the doorway, looking through the garage. I could hear Maia still crying for her puppy.
Puppy? said Adam, sounding amused. Sam turned and looked at himand Adam froze.
I was well on my way to passing stupid for idiotic. It was only when Adam stilled that I had the sudden thought that it might not have been the best idea to show the Columbia Pack Alpha that he had a problem with Sam in the narrow confines of my office.
It was Sam who growled first. Temper flared in Adams face. Sam was more dominant, but he wasnt Alphaand Adam was not going to back down in his territory without violence.
I hopped off the counter in between them.
Settle down, Sam, I snapped, before I remembered what a bad idea that was.
I kept forgettingnot that Samuel was in trouble; I had no trouble remembering thatbut that his wolf was not Samuel. Just because he hadnt turned into the ravening beast that the only werewolves Id seen who lost control to their wolf became, did not mean he was safe. My head knew thatbut I kept acting as if he were just Samuel. Because he acted just like Samuel would have. Mostly.
Sam sneezed and turned his back to usand I started breathing again.
Im sorry, I apologized to both of them. That was a dumb way of doing things.
I didnt want to look at Adam. I didnt want to see if he was angry or hurt or whatever. Id had just about enough already that day.
And that was a cowards way out.
So I turned and looked up at him, keeping my gaze on his chinwhere I could see his reaction without challenging him by meeting his eyes.
You are so screwed, he said thoughtfully.
Im sorry I let you think . . .
What? he asked. That you needed some time away from the pack, from me? When you really wanted to keep any of us from seeing Samuel?
He sounded reasonable, but I could see the white line along his jaw where he was gritting his teeth and the tension in his neck.
Yes, I told him.
Ben boiled into the roomsaw our little tableau, and came to an abrupt halt. Adam glanced over his shoulder at him, and Ben flinched and bowed his head.
I didnt catch it, he said. Her. The fae thing. But she was armed, and she dropped her weapon when she bolted. Hed been carrying a jacket, and from under it he pulled a rifle that had very little metal on it. If it had been a little prettier, it might have looked like a toy because it was mostly made of plastic.