“Those humans do this for fun?” she asked Uncle Boris in Russian.

  “I’d do it for money.” He shrugged.

  Aggie left our side to head to the kitchen with her masterpiece. She had to weave around my younger cousins as they played tag in what little space was available.

  “Precious cargo,” she announced. “Coming through!”

  I caught Mom’s squeal of appreciation in the kitchen. Having Aggie around again for chow was welcomed.

  I turned to Thorn. “Is Dad at work?”

  “He left this afternoon, but he promised that he’d try to get off earlier.”

  On the television, a well-built young man catapulted himself off a high platform and sailed toward the water. His trajectory was off and he belly-flopped on the surface.

  A resounding “Ouch” filled the room.

  “He might not be able to reproduce after that,” Uncle Boris said in Russian.

  “My balls shriveled up just seeing that,” another uncle replied.

  “As much as I’d like to watch until the meeting starts, I’m heading into the kitchen.” I left his side, briefly checking on Grandma, and entered the kitchen to find my mom, Aunt Olga, and Aggie gabbing away.

  I checked out the back window but found everything quiet. My parents took good care of their backyard and I spotted signs of my mom’s perfectly straight rows of summer vegetables. The hydrangeas in the back swayed with the evening breeze.

  The scene should’ve fed me a large dose of tranquility, but I knew from the past that relaxing meant I wouldn’t be ready if a surprise came out of nowhere.

  I left the window to find Aggie sampling Mom’s pot roast while Mom and Aunt Olga discussed Aggie’s relationship prospects now that she was back in town.

  “Are you sure you’re not serious about Will?” Aunt Olga asked. “Your best friend could be your sister-in-law!”

  Aggie shoveled another portion into her mouth. “We’ve been dating for a while now, but I need to be alone.”

  “Why do you want to be alone?” Aunt Olga asked softly. With well-manicured fingers, she drew Aggie’s hair out of her face. “You’re young, strong, and pretty. You should date more.”

  “I got married, divorced, and then my ex kidnapped me. The next guy who hits on me might have his arm ripped off.”

  My aunt pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. I wouldn’t have a comeback for that reply either.

  Less than an hour later, my father trudged into the house from work. Of course, Rex was right behind him. Lovely. Everyone greeted my dad and our family meeting began.

  Thorn and I stood in the living room in front of the television. Rex leaned against the back wall and surveyed the room like the place was his kingdom.

  “As many of you heard,” Thorn said, “our territory is under attack.” He explained in easy to understand terms what we knew about the Basilisk King and the trunks.

  The Stravinskys nodded at the right moments. Even the children paid attention.

  He continued. “At first, we thought he might be targeting anyone, but we discovered he has individuals in mind.”

  I told everyone the news I heard from Bill about the slain shapeshifter.

  “Does that mean all shapeshifters are targets? Like us?” Aunt Olga asked.

  “No, he was just the first course before he gets to the real meals,” I murmured. “Those who practice Old Magic.”

  Everyone exchanged worried expressions.

  My mom, on the other side of the room standing next to my father, glanced at Grandma in horror. No matter how much my mom adhered to the Code, Grandma was still her mother.

  “When will he attack?” Mom asked.

  “He’s already been here,” Grandma said simply.

  All eyes turned to the small woman.

  “Are you serious, Mama?” Aunt Olga approached Grandma.

  “He won’t enter the house,” Grandma explained. “Lowlives like him want their prey to come to them.”

  “And what will drive him to go to you, Mrs. Lasovskaya? Hunger will bring him to you,” Thorn said.

  That drew a moment of silence.

  Thorn added, “He attacked the shapeshifter right outside of the bakery. I believe like any predator, if the trap isn’t sprung, the wolf hunts for the rabbits in their den.”

  His words laid a solemn blanket over the room.

  I stepped forward. “I want Grandma protected twenty-four-seven. Do we have any volunteers?”

  “I will take time off from work and protect my mother-in-law,” Dad said firmly.

  Four hands went up. One of the volunteers was twelve. That kid was a sweetheart, but a harsh breeze could’ve pushed that pup over. Others murmured to show support, but we wouldn’t have enough people to cover spaced-out shifts. And now I had to work for Kramkar for a week, too.

  Rex’s voice rose above the whispers. His smile was a slippery as he was. “Everyone in South Toms River should do their part. Whenever I’m not at work, I’m willing to help.”

  I sighed. My family consisted of the working class. I had to be understanding, but seeing my grandma sitting there, so tiny and vulnerable, set me on edge.

  I sharply said, “I plan to do my part and sleep here from now on.” The flames in my stomach rose higher as pack members glanced away. Many were afraid, but I sensed indifference, too. “I don’t want to force people to help their own, but I will make—” A large hand gripped my shoulder from behind. The tension in my shoulders eased as Thorn’s serenity slipped into me.

  Across the room, even Aggie frowned at me.

  Thorn took over. “The Basilisk King is hunting Old Magic practitioners, but we all must be vigilant. Children should stay close to home. And if you see any old-fashioned trunks outside call Natalya or myself.”

  “If they don’t answer, you can call me,” Rex chimed in. “I’ll always be available to help.”

  I sealed my mouth shut and counted to ten. Would I mind that much if he wound up as Basilisk breakfast?

  The meeting ended and those who couldn’t wait to leave hurried out the door. Rex continued to stand there, even accepting a plate of food from Mom. He murmured thanks, but Mom merely nodded in reply.

  Rex took his plate and had a seat on the couch—right where I could see him all relaxed and content.

  “Natalya?” Many voices filled the room, but I recognized Grandma’s immediately.

  I hurried over to her.

  “Do you need anything?” I asked.

  She swallowed and stared at me a little as if she collected her thoughts.

  “I don’t want our pack ordered around like this. I’m old,” she finally said firmly. “I can take care of myself, and I don’t want you or anyone protecting me.”

  “Babushka…”

  “No, I don’t want to hear it.” Her soft brown eyes hardened. “I know your heart is pure, but up here,” she touched my forehead, “you are steel. Unmoving. You’re not willing to bend.”

  “I’ll never be willing to bend when it comes to you.”

  “That’s not your choice, devushka. I’d never give your life for mine, girl.” She leaned back, adding space between us. My heart clenched painfully.

  “Grandma, we’re still going to leave guards outside.”

  She cringed and shook her head.

  “Grandma?”

  Her chin trembled. Damn, I’d made my grandma upset. I’d never done that before.

  Without a second thought, I left the house. I couldn’t stand staying there another minute.

  “Where are you going?” Thorn asked.

  “Home.” I made it to the Nissan and headed to the driver’s side, only to have Aggie block the door.

  “Leave me alone,” I growled.

  “No.”

  Aggie motioned for Thorn to head back inside. Reluctantly, he nodded.

  I reached for the door and opened it, but she closed that, too. The frustration coiling inside unfurled.

  “Stop it.” I tried to push her. With ease, she sidestepped my attack and left me sprawled on the concrete.

  I came at her again, claws out, but she blocked me again, grabbed my blouse collar, and shook hard. Damn, nimble wolf. I snarled, and her grip switched from my collar to my neck. She shoved me until my back hit the car hard.

  “Stand down, Nat.” Aggie bared her teeth and her blue eyes flashed purple. “Or I will end you.”

  She drew a deep breath while my anger grew and the rising tension in my stomach threatened to overwhelm me.

  “You almost lost control back there,” she said. “Those people are your family. Your blood. You need to be more flexible.”

  “Grandma needs protection and people are dying—”

  “Yes, they are dying, but ordering your family around won’t solve the problem.”

  Aggie’s steel-like grip tightened as I fought against her hand. No matter how hard I scratched or hit her, she refused to yield. How I wished I had her strength—her raw power.

  “Fine!” she barked. “Get it out of your system then. When you’re done wetting your pants like a pup, I’ll let you go.”

  Soon, my fast-beating heart stilled and the rage writhing under my skin eased. As quickly as my anger surfaced, the feeling subsided.

  “Done?” she asked with a straight face.

  I grunted. “Yes.”

  I shook my head. “You should be the pack leader,” I added with a whisper.

  “Don’t want it.” She crossed her arms.

  “Why not?”

  Aggie stared at the overcast sky. A cascade of emotion danced across her features. “We all have our place in this world. Years ago, I’d bet my left ass cheek I’d end up as the Midtown alpha female. I’d be carting my kids to some Upper East Side private school.” She shook her head. “That isn’t my destiny. Thanks to my ex-husband, I really know that isn’t for me.”

  She rested her hand against the same shoulder Thorn had touched and offering me a reassuring squeeze. “Now I choose what I want. My mate. Where I live. What job I have.”

  I managed a nod.

  “South Toms River is my home now,” she said, “but this is your proving ground. Take care of it. Take care of your pack or you’re gonna wind up a rogue, and you don’t want that again.”

  She opened the driver’s side door and got in. My bold best friend even snatched my purse to retrieve the keys.

  “Where are you going?” And how come she was taking my car?

  “To get a sandwich at Barney’s. Want one?”

  Relief fluttered over me. Even though I’d tried to fight her, she’d forgiven me just as quickly.

  “Uh, sure?” I got in on the passenger side. “Are you sure you want to be driving around with the Basilisk King out there?”

  She smirked. “Good luck to the bastard who gets in the way of my next meal.”

  Chapter 19

  I was too ashamed to face my grandma and camped out in the car with Aggie that night. Thorn didn’t return home either. He pulled up behind us in his SUV and fell asleep. Aggie did the same from the backseat, but slumber never found me. The shadows kept shifting from the fast-moving clouds. A summer storm passed through around two AM, rattling the trees and leaving me restless.

  By the time the harsh weather passed around six AM, I was bleary-eyed, but a couple cups of coffee would get me back on track. Aggie still snored in her resting place, and I tried to shut the door softly as to not wake her. She didn’t stir one bit. Damn, I wished I could do that.

  I got out of the car to circle the house. From one end of the street to the other, all was quiet. The rain left a bit of debris, some branches and leaves on the street, but anyone would say this was great weather to water their backyard gardens.

  I checked around the house and everything was quiet and clear. Just like Grandma predicted. I stuffed my hands into my pockets. Maybe I was worried for nothing, but the fear settling into my bones remained.

  The sweet scents of breakfast wafted from my parents’ chimney. If I closed my eyes, I could taste a fried egg between two pieces of buttered toast. Grandma would be sitting at the kitchen table with coffee.

  Instead of heading inside to shake off sleep with my family, I trudged to my car and started it up. I’d be back to apologize later.

  “We’re leaving?” Aggie said, her voice thick with sleep.

  “Yeah, you hungry? I gotta report to Kramkar’s at eight.”

  Through the backseat mirror, I caught Aggie’s grin. “Donuts with sprinkles are my best friends. Hot cake and sausages are my friends with benefits.”

  Of course, sausage was where it was at for Aggie.

  Aggie climbed into the passenger seat from the back. “I want a permanent relationship meal this morning,” she purred.

  I laughed her way. Aggie’s hair was tangled and her morning breath questionable, but I relaxed a bit as she rolled down the window and rested her head outside the window.

  “What would I find in a permanent relationship meal?” I asked.

  “A gigantic cinnamon roll…covered in not only pecans and powdered sugar, but also with strawberries, pineapple, and blueberries.” The happiness in her voice made me roll my eyes.

  Off to find a permanent relationship meal, I decided and pulled away from my parents’ house. Thorn remained behind. A quick text showed he caught my departure: Stay safe.

  As we reached the drive-through at Dunkin’ Donuts, I was ready for some of that cinnamon and sugar Aggie was talking about. “I can practically smell the steam rising from fresh donuts.”

  At the order window, I bought a sizable breakfast feast: a dozen donuts, two pancake platters, and four cups of coffee.

  A few minutes later, breakfast was in my car, and Aggie bit into a sausage with gusto, talking as she chewed. “Breakfast beats boys every time.”

  Time to pay the piper, his booking agent, and everyone else I owed a debt.

  I dropped off Aggie at the cottage and drove to the troll thrift store at eight AM. I wasn’t the only wolf here. My brother Alex reclined in his Ford Taurus on the far end of the lot. He nodded my way.

  Guess I had protection today, too.

  From the backseat, I fetched my sack lunch and tote bag. Today, I wore a dark-blue pencil skirt and crisp, white blouse. The clothes comforted me, but in terms of weaponry, they weren’t as friendly for hiding stuff. Therefore, the tote bag held my goblin blade.

  There was no way I was leaving that sucker in the car.

  Jocelyn didn’t wait outside for me, and with the front doors locked, I had to use the rear entry at the dock—without breaking in this time. My hands grew clammy with each step. I forced my back to straighten. This shouldn’t be hard. Hadn’t I figured out everything at The Bends?

  That took five years and a million panic attacks, my internal worrywart reminded me.

  I said a prayer to not go full werewolf and maul my employers.

  Here we go.

  There were no locks on the doors, and I walked into my new job then almost waltzed right back out. The back room in The Bends wasn’t perfect by any means—but at least Quinton stacked The Bends’s new stock in a designated corner. Here, cardboard boxes blocked the door, and I sucked in my stomach to squeeze through the gap.

  And sky above have mercy, what a sight I found.

  Heavy dust coated everything. A canvas tarp was left in one spot while wrapping paper filled another. It was as if they’d moved here, dumped out their goods, then they didn’t bother to dispose of the packing materials.

  Lucky me to win the golden prize of working here.

  I danced around the piles, searching for a place to stow my belongings. Finding not a single hook, locker, or drawer, I gave up and left my bags against the cleanest spot along the back wall, after I kicked away more paper and Styrofoam peanuts.

  A fine sheen of sweat formed on my brow. Soon enough, I’d be stress sweating out of my clothes. I pasted a smile on my face and did what I knew best: organize the hell out of this shit. I slid on a pair of plastic gloves and started sorting the boxes. Ten minutes later, which may well have been longer since I was working in purgatory, Jocelyn showed up carrying sacks of groceries. Fresh hot dogs and popcorn, my nose told me.

  “Got any more bags?” I asked her. “Need some help?”

  “No, this is it.” She surveyed my work and sighed. “Sorry you had to be brought into this mess.”

  “You and me both.”

  I’d cleared some space on a worktable hidden under boxes, which allowed Jocelyn to leave her groceries on top.

  “You work fast,” she observed. “Have you ventured out to the main showroom yet?”

  “Do I want to?”

  She chuckled. “I should’ve warned you that Kramkar trashes our stock and storage space every evening. Tomorrow, it’s going to be a mess in here all over again.”

  I shrugged. “Across the street is just as bad. Have you got a fridge for my lunch?”

  She fished out a cooler from under some boxes. It had to be from the Eighties based on the outdated design. “It’s clean and enchanted to stay cold. A football fan died while on the way to a tailgate. Guess his spirit is keeping it cold until his team goes to the Super Bowl.”

  I shuddered. Maybe an upset stomach from spoiled tuna fish wouldn’t be so bad compared to working here.

  Reluctantly, I left my lunch inside the cooler and followed Jocelyn out to the main store floor. The troll thrift mart didn’t have a back office. Just a closed-off area with curtains and large merchandise blocking customers from easily getting in.

  Not much in the showroom changed since I snagged the bells. Any evidence that Erica and I visited was long gone. All the stalls were arranged as before.

  “Let me give you the tour,” Jocelyn said. We started down the main aisle near the entrance. “There are twenty booths in the store. All with stock from enchanted sellers from around the world. Even from an otherworldly dimension or two.”

  I opened my mouth to ask from where but decided ignorance would be bliss during my stay.

  She continued our tour, showing me the set of four cash registers. All of the point-of-sale registers were from the late Nineties. I could spot an IBM SurePOS 790 from twenty paces away. Those things were notoriously buggy if they weren’t setup correctly.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24