A London Werewolf in America Read online

  His hand shot out and caught her wrist, stopping her. “We can’t trust him.”

  Her heart stuttered at his touch. She forced herself to ignore it, and overlook his automatic “we.” “He’s a cop.”

  “Yes. Trained to use firearms. That aside, he’s a wolf first. You’ve no idea of the politics. Rank-shifting’s as natural to us as changing shape. It goes on constantly. Even for someone like Charlie. If he saw an advantage in killing me, he’d take it. So would any of them. That must explain why they waited until now,” he went on, more to himself. “Isolate me in a foreign land, then go for the throat. You’re right, it probably isn’t Charlie. It’s more likely Mother or Tamra.”

  Carefully Darinda pried his hand off her wrist. “Who’d benefit from your death?”

  He shrugged. “All of them. My sister and mother would be free of a rival. The lower ranks could advance. You need suspects? Let me list my relatives. We haven’t even gotten to my betrothed’s family or your Big Alex.”

  “That doesn’t leave you too many options.”

  He slanted a calculating look up at her. “There’s you.”

  “No, there isn’t. I’m—”

  A squeal of tires interrupted her. Both she and Roderick looked up. A police cruiser had pulled up to the curb just outside the shop. The chair scraped back as Roderick stood. “Cousin Charlie.”

  “Saves us a call.” Darinda trotted to the door and opened it just as Charlie’s hand hit the knob. “Hi, Charlie. I’ll bet you’re looking for him.”

  “Rod! Lycaon, this is a stroke of luck.” Charlie Meadows was a tall, trim wolf with chestnut hair and a thick moustache. “Eugene called me, told me what went down at the club. Why the hell didn’t you call somebody? Mom’s going scatty.”

  Roderick opened the wizard’s robe. “I seem to have misplaced my cell.”

  “Uh huh. Darinda. Thanks for watching him. Mom told me you two met. I was hoping maybe you could track him, but I see you’re way ahead. Now.” He advanced on Roderick, all cop. “You want to fill me in? I couldn’t get scat out of Eugene.”

  Once again composed, Roderick recited chapter and verse of his recent adventures. Darinda learned some additional facts, and noted the ones he left out, such as his attackers’ awareness of his name and species. “Fortunately,” he finished up, “I was able to find my way here. I was just about to call Aunt Letty. Sorry for the delay.”

  “Any idea who they were or why they went for you?”

  Roderick shrugged. “They were monkeys. Who knows why monkeys do anything?”

  “Probably a robbery. Kids after dope money. Speaking of which…” Charlie pulled a leather wallet from his pocket and tossed it to Roderick. “We recovered it from in front of the bar. You’ll have to tell me if anything’s missing. Looks like the money’s intact.”

  He riffled through the wallet. “Were my assailants still there when you arrived?”

  “Are they ever? Of course not. Probably took off when you turned into a wolf right in front of them. I realize you were under duress, but— Lycaon’s guts, Rod, this isn’t Chase Manor. We don’t do that in public here. The humans are already leery of us. We don’t need any more bad press.”

  “I’ll try to remember that next time I’m shot at.”

  “Yeah.” Charlie sighed. “Sorry.” He glanced to Darinda. “He’ll never tell me, so I’ll ask you. Was he hurt?”

  “Not that I could see.” And she’d seen everything. The memory made her quiver inside. Mind out of the gutter, she ordered herself.

  “Yes, that’s the strange bit,” Roderick said. “I can understand how the shooter would miss. Cars whizzing back and forth in the street and all that. But the girl had me dead. Twice. And she missed, both times. Same for the other’s chain. Nothing could touch me.”

  “The weapons bounced off?” Darinda said. “Like they’d hit a force field or something?”

  “More like slid around. It was awfully odd.”

  Darinda nodded. “I think I know what happened. When you approached me at the airport, did you notice anything unusual? Any strange sensations or visions?”

  “Well, when I first saw you, my heart sped up.” He smiled disarmingly. She didn’t smile back. He let the smile and the charm both drop. “Now that you mention it, I recall the color violet, of all things. And feeling full, like after a big meal. Feeling…”

  Great-aunt Sophia. That was it. His mind leapt to a pack gathering in the deep forest, back when he’d been a small cub. He’d been drowsing in Great-aunt Sophia’s lap, full-fed and secure. Great-aunt Sophia wore her favorite violet dress. “Safe,” he concluded. “I felt safe.”

  “That must be it, then,” Darinda said to Charlie. “My brother was flying back to Chicago. I put a protection spell on his plane. Roderick came up to me while I was at it. He must have gotten caught in its sphere.”

  “And it’s still operating?” Charlie said doubtfully. “After over a day?”

  “It was a big plane. I cast a potent spell. It should fade by morning. Protection spells are always temporary. I can give you a charm to improve your luck, but that’s the best I can do.”

  “Why?” Charlie pounced. “You think these people will try again?”

  Should she mention the reading? She glanced at Roderick. His expression begged her to keep quiet. “Maybe not them specifically,” she said carefully. “Let me get you an amulet. Couldn’t hurt.”

  “Yeah, okay.” She could tell Charlie had his suspicions, both as a wolf and a cop. But without cooperation, he had to let it drop. “Lycaon bite it, this better not be targeting. Rod, don’t walk the streets alone for a while. There are places in the city even we stay out of, and you don’t know them yet. And no more shifting in public. The were community tries to keep a low profile. Big Alex’s orders.”

  “I won’t shift if they don’t shoot.”

  “Oh, for—”

  Charlie broke off at Darinda’s approach. She held a small pendant, a simple red stone on a thin bronze chain. She handed this to Roderick. “For luck. It won’t deflect a knife, but it might increase your chances.”

  He bounced the pendant in his palm. It held a faint warmth, perhaps from her hand. Her scent washed over him. He shot a grin at her. “So I’m going to get lucky?”

  With an almost lupine growl she shoved Roderick toward Charlie. “Take him home before I shoot him.”

  “The station first,” Charlie said, taking Roderick’s arm. “I want a full, official account of what happened tonight. Humans, vampires, I don’t care. Nobody jumps family and walks away clean. Thanks, Darinda. For everything. You ever need help, just howl and we’ll hear you. I’ll send the robe back in the morning.” He checked the street before he herded Roderick outside. The two climbed into his car.

  Darinda watched them pull away. Roderick’s smoldering stare was locked on the window, and on her. She stepped back. She’d done all she could to protect him, all any witch could do. It was up to him and his pack now. The same pack that might have just tried to kill him. “Not my problem,” she muttered to herself.

  If only she could get the memory of those piercing yellow eyes out of her head.

  “Not my problem,” she repeated. It sounded even shakier this time. Irritated at herself, she picked up Norman and cradled him, basking in his warmth. “Wolves,” she crooned to him. “Let them chase their own tails, huh, baby?”

  Norman sighed. So did Darinda. Tonight wouldn’t end fast enough.

  * * * *

  Darinda was with a customer, and so couldn’t dash to the wall phone when it rang at midmorning. She kept up her spiel on which herbs could do what and tried to look more chipper and wide-awake than she felt. She’d closed the shop at two a.m. and gone home to a fitful sleep, full of dreams about wolves getting shot by gorillas. She thought about calling Charlie for an update but didn’t want Roderick to hear about it. He didn’t need any encouragement.

  Peri snagged the phone. “Hey there! You’ve reached Set A Spell, purv
eyors of all things witchy. I’m Peri. What can I do for you? Who?” She glanced over her shoulder at Darinda and smirked. “‘Dahrinder’? She’s with somebody. You want to hang on, or leave a message?”

  He must have picked message, because Peri stayed on the phone but turned her back for privacy. Darinda masked both a curse and a yawn and focused on her sales pitch.

  Ten minutes later, with a satisfied, herb-laden customer safely out the door, Darinda steadied her voice and asked, “Who was that on the phone?”

  “Like you don’t know,” Peri said with a maddening grin. “That was your werewolf buddy. I said you’d call him back.”

  “I don’t want to call him back.”

  “I think you should. I don’t think he wants a date. He sounded all serious-like.”

  Darinda came fully awake at once. He’d found something out. “Did he leave a number?”

  “On the pad.”

  She didn’t dial right off. Don’t look too eager. Oh, Goddess. What was she, in high school? She stabbed in the number. The strain in Aunt Letty’s answering voice wiped all the vexation out of her. “Darinda? Oh, thank you for calling. It’s been so horrible. Poor Roddy’s just beside himself.”

  “Is that her?” Roderick came on the line. “Darinda. Thank you for returning my call. I’ll be blunt. I want to hire you.”

  “For what? I told you last night, there’s nothing more I can do. Protection spells work, but only short-term. I know you think it’s a risk, but really, you should confide in Charlie and let him—”

  “Not as a witch, per se. I want to hire you as my bodyguard.”

  Chapter 5

  Meadowlands was a square two-story Federal villa with generous lawns, hedges and a well-tended garden, set back within the sheltering trees, across the street from East Park Reservoir. The structure dated back to the early 19th century, when Fairmount Park had been considered “the country” by Philadelphia’s elite. Naturally, Darinda figured as she maneuvered her Toyota up the drive, the city’s packs would establish themselves in a place of trees and grass and game.

  Most of the Park’s mansions belonged to the city and had long been open to the public, but a couple, like Meadowlands, remained in private hands. She suspected Big Alex had a paw in that. She wondered if the folks who managed Strawberry Mansion and Lemon Hill knew who their neighbors were.

  She wondered also, not for the first time, what exactly she was doing here.

  “I can’t,” had been her initial response to Roderick’s proposal. “I’m not a bodyguard. I’m a witch.”

  “Yes, I’m fully aware of that. That’s why I want you to protect me. If brute force were all that were needed I could handle this myself. But they’re coming at me with armed humans, and simply killing my attackers isn’t an acceptable recourse. Your spells deflect their weapons, as ably demonstrated last night. I can use such an advantage. Between your magic and my lupine abilities, we can put a swift end to this.”

  “No, ‘we’ aren’t doing anything. This is too far outside my skill zone. Can’t you find someone else?”

  “I’ve only just arrived in America. It’s not as if I have a wide range of options.”

  “You have Charlie.”

  “I can’t trust Charlie, or any wolf. I thought I explained that last night.”

  “Look. I know people who know people. I can get you somebody else.”

  “I don’t want ‘somebody.’ I want you.”

  She set her lips. “Uh-huh. That better not be what this is really about. Some twisted trick of yours to get me up to your lair.”

  “Lair? Do people even use that word anymore?” He huffed over the phone. “You won’t be alone with me. Aunt Letty is here, and she doesn’t tolerate nonsense, especially not from me. I doubt I’ll be feeling too amorous anyway, what with my life in danger. I promise I will make no moves on you until after this is resolved.”

  “You’d better not.”

  “Then you’ll do it?”

  Darinda cursed herself for tumbling into his trap. She made one last-ditch effort to extricate herself. “I’m a witch. Do you understand what that means? I’ve made a vow not to cause deliberate harm to any living being. If someone attacks you—”

  “You can’t stop them without hurting them? Perhaps you’re not as good a witch as I thought.”

  “Perhaps I should just hang up and let your enemies get you.”

  “But you won’t,” he said. “Will you?”

  No. She couldn’t, dammit. She’d brought all this on with her reading. She’d known his life was in danger and she’d kicked him out of her store and her life with no more than a half-assed warning. If he’d died last night, the blot on her karma record would have tainted her for years.

  She rubbed her tired, burning eyes. “I can’t make any promises.”

  “I’ll take what I can get. Bring enough clothes for a couple of days and whatever magic things you need. We’ll look for you this afternoon. And thank you.”

  So here she was, working for a werewolf. No one ever said witches were overloaded with sense, she thought with a mental sigh.

  The three-car garage behind the house had been left open, but Darinda parked in front of it instead of pulling in. She didn’t want to look as if she’d come to stay. Three days, tops. Three was a good solid number. Long enough to root out Roderick’s hidden enemy, settle the matter, and get back to her comfortable routine. After that, she privately vowed, she would steer clear of werewolves for life.

  Roderick himself came out to greet her. He opened the driver’s side door for her. “Thank you for coming so promptly. Where are your bags?”

  “That’s it.” She indicated the shapeless mass of her shoulder bag overflowing the seat beside her. “And a small suitcase in the back. Don’t bother, I’ve got it.”

  He bothered anyway, lifting the suitcase off the back seat. He resisted her efforts to reclaim it. “This is all? I expected more.”

  “I’m only here temporarily. I wouldn’t be here at all, but your aunt sounded almost hysterical. I came for her sake, not yours.” She slammed the car door. To her disappointment, Roderick refused to wince. “Did you tell her the truth?”

  “A version of it. I couldn’t very well come right out and accuse her own litter of trying to kill me. I managed to steer the blame onto the Duquesnes, with a little left over for Big Alex. I had the devil’s own time convincing her not to ring him up.”

  “Good call.” This low-voiced exchange took place on the walk from the garage to the house. At the door Darinda stopped and planted herself before Roderick. “Let’s get one thing straight. I’m here to protect you. Nothing else. Absolutely nothing else.”

  He shrugged, expressionless. Damn wolf. She turned to enter just as Aunt Letty came out. The older woman caught her up in a hug that almost bowled her over. She let go quickly, a good thing for Darinda’s ribs. “Thank Lycaon you’re here. It’s so good of you to come help us.”

  “We never turn down anyone in serious need. Part of the witch’s oath. Builds up the karma points.” She focused on Letty and tried to ignore Roderick looming so closely at her back. He didn’t touch her physically, but his presence crowded hers. Like letting a dog onto your bed, she thought. First thing you know, it’s sprawled all over the blankets and you’re on the floor.

  Coolly, still not touching her, Roderick nudged the door fully open and ushered the women inside. He didn’t need to touch her; his alpha energy claimed her, Aunt Letty, the house, the whole property. She forced herself to stop thinking about beds with big dogs in them.

  “I wish Charles could be here,” Aunt Letty fretted. “Eugene at least.”

  “You don’t want Eugene to leave Lucy and Emma alone. And Charlie has more than me to look out for.” Roderick shut the door. At the same time he deftly relieved Darinda of her shoulder bag before she could stop him. He smiled down at her. “Looks like it’s just us.”

  At least they had a sharp-eyed chaperone. Darinda followed Letty inside
.

  She stepped into a cozy parlor furnished in antique hardwoods and a few modern overstuffed pieces. The well-used hearth still held the remains of a recent fire. A table leg looked as if it had been chewed on at some point in the distant past, and the sofa held traces of dog hair. Darinda doubted if dogs were responsible for either. Every window looked out on trees. An open staircase led to the second floor.

  Aunt Letty headed for what Darinda guessed was the kitchen. “Roddy will show you to your room. Can I get you anything? Tea? Broth? Maybe a bit of lunch.”

  “Just the tea’s fine, thanks.”

  Letty about-faced abruptly and returned to hug her again. This time Darinda felt her trembling. Any doubts Darinda had about coming here vanished at once. “I’m so happy it’s you, dear,” the she-wolf murmured. “Looking after Roddy. Not some stranger. You’re known to the families, and your reputation is impeccable.”

  “Thanks. How about if I settle in, and then we can discuss the particulars.”

  Roderick had already started up the stairs, which left Darinda with no choice but to follow if she wanted her bags back. She made sure to walk and not trot. He wasn’t her pack leader. Nonetheless, she moved briskly.

  He waited for her outside a room just off the main hall. He stepped aside so she could enter. Like the parlor downstairs, the bedroom was roomy and tastefully furnished, with windows overlooking all manner of green. It also gave off a lived-in vibe a guest room shouldn’t have. “Whose room is this?” she asked suspiciously.

  “Yours, for the time being. I’m next door.” He offered up a maddening smile. “This used to be Eugene’s. I’m in Charlie’s. There’s no connecting door.”

  “I wasn’t looking for one,” she snapped, wrenching her stare off the dividing wall. “I just want to make sure I’m not putting anyone out.”

  “Not at the moment. The pups drop in frequently, so I’m told, but none of them live here. Charlie wants to be near the action, and the girls are staying in the city with Eugene while Emma goes to school. We’re quite alone. Except for Aunt Letty, of course.” He brushed past her and deposited her bags on the bed. “Fewer suspects to guard my back against. Unless you think Aunt Letty’s the killer?”