spaghetti. That usually comes out fine.”
The guardian started making choking noises. Emily’s face screwed up.
“Um, actually, I promised Hunter I’d go over to his house and study tonight. He said his dad was going to grill some steaks and, uh, you know steak tops spaghetti any day.”
It was Sunday—a school night—but she meant it when she said she wanted to study. She’d just started her junior year and Hunter was a senior. They’d made a pact to get high enough grades that they could go to college together somewhere far from here. He’d promised to work and save money until she finished. I wasn’t sure whether to be happy about her goals for higher education or upset she wanted to leave town right after graduation.
“You’re sure his father is going to be at his house? The whole time?”
Hunter’s father might be a werewolf, but he was a responsible parent. He’d keep an eye on his son and Emily. The two teenagers might start with good intentions, but that didn’t meant they wouldn’t get other ideas later.
“Yep, he said he would be.” Emily spoke the truth.
“Then you can go, but be back by nine.” I gave her a warning look before glancing back at the guardian. “It’ll just have to be Kerbasi and me for spaghetti.”
He grunted. “I’m not sure even my immortality can protect me from your idea of tomato sauce.”
“Don’t you have a report you should be writing about the movie?” I asked as we came up to the house. “I think we should extend it to five pages instead of three.”
“Oooh, did I just hear that whip crack?” Emily gave the guardian a sly grin.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “You impertinent little…”
I grabbed his arm and turned him toward his home—a shed behind the house. It sounded crude, but it was a nice one with a window. He had a bed, a desk, and a dresser in there, as well as a lamp for lighting. I might keep him in the so called “dog house” but it was more than I was required to give him. Lucas had wanted to give him a tent.
“To your room.” I gave Kerbasi a helpful shove. “I’ll let you know when dinner is ready and if you eat all of it you might get desert.”
He stumbled forward one step, shot me a malicious look, and walked away.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” The teenager snapped her fingers. “Nik wants you to come by when you get a chance. He said he has something important to talk to you about.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he does,” I said, guiding her through the back door of our house. “But you’re changing your clothes before Hunter comes to get you.”
Chapter Seven
A female werewolf with shoulder-length blond hair guarded the entrance to Nik’s home. It would be a few more hours before a vamp would take over for the night shift. The exchange worked well for both races. Werewolves handled the daylight jobs and vampires helped them with compulsion if they got into a bind with humans.
This was especially useful if they landed in jail. Masters of territories regularly sent out a team of vamps just before full moons to ensure no one was in prison who might turn furry. Preventing human discovery was one of their biggest duties. If any supernatural revealed themselves to humans—with some minor exceptions—they had to cover it up fast if they didn’t want the archangels stepping in. Their clean-up jobs often involved sweeping up the violators along with the mess.
Nadine smiled at me as I stepped into the foyer. “Where’s your tag-along?”
“Back at the house.” I only lived about a quarter-mile from Nik’s. Kerbasi usually came with me anyway, but thankfully the plane ride had worn him out.
“Good. I hate dealing with that man.” She let out a sound of disgust.
“You and me both.”
At thirty years old Nadine was in her prime as a werewolf and the strongest female of her race I’d ever met. If not for Derrick, she could have been the alpha for Fairbanks. That wasn't to say she was
The guardian started making choking noises. Emily’s face screwed up.
“Um, actually, I promised Hunter I’d go over to his house and study tonight. He said his dad was going to grill some steaks and, uh, you know steak tops spaghetti any day.”
It was Sunday—a school night—but she meant it when she said she wanted to study. She’d just started her junior year and Hunter was a senior. They’d made a pact to get high enough grades that they could go to college together somewhere far from here. He’d promised to work and save money until she finished. I wasn’t sure whether to be happy about her goals for higher education or upset she wanted to leave town right after graduation.
“You’re sure his father is going to be at his house? The whole time?”
Hunter’s father might be a werewolf, but he was a responsible parent. He’d keep an eye on his son and Emily. The two teenagers might start with good intentions, but that didn’t meant they wouldn’t get other ideas later.
“Yep, he said he would be.” Emily spoke the truth.
“Then you can go, but be back by nine.” I gave her a warning look before glancing back at the guardian. “It’ll just have to be Kerbasi and me for spaghetti.”
He grunted. “I’m not sure even my immortality can protect me from your idea of tomato sauce.”
“Don’t you have a report you should be writing about the movie?” I asked as we came up to the house. “I think we should extend it to five pages instead of three.”
“Oooh, did I just hear that whip crack?” Emily gave the guardian a sly grin.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “You impertinent little…”
I grabbed his arm and turned him toward his home—a shed behind the house. It sounded crude, but it was a nice one with a window. He had a bed, a desk, and a dresser in there, as well as a lamp for lighting. I might keep him in the so called “dog house” but it was more than I was required to give him. Lucas had wanted to give him a tent.
“To your room.” I gave Kerbasi a helpful shove. “I’ll let you know when dinner is ready and if you eat all of it you might get desert.”
He stumbled forward one step, shot me a malicious look, and walked away.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” The teenager snapped her fingers. “Nik wants you to come by when you get a chance. He said he has something important to talk to you about.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he does,” I said, guiding her through the back door of our house. “But you’re changing your clothes before Hunter comes to get you.”
Chapter Seven
A female werewolf with shoulder-length blond hair guarded the entrance to Nik’s home. It would be a few more hours before a vamp would take over for the night shift. The exchange worked well for both races. Werewolves handled the daylight jobs and vampires helped them with compulsion if they got into a bind with humans.
This was especially useful if they landed in jail. Masters of territories regularly sent out a team of vamps just before full moons to ensure no one was in prison who might turn furry. Preventing human discovery was one of their biggest duties. If any supernatural revealed themselves to humans—with some minor exceptions—they had to cover it up fast if they didn’t want the archangels stepping in. Their clean-up jobs often involved sweeping up the violators along with the mess.
Nadine smiled at me as I stepped into the foyer. “Where’s your tag-along?”
“Back at the house.” I only lived about a quarter-mile from Nik’s. Kerbasi usually came with me anyway, but thankfully the plane ride had worn him out.
“Good. I hate dealing with that man.” She let out a sound of disgust.
“You and me both.”
At thirty years old Nadine was in her prime as a werewolf and the strongest female of her race I’d ever met. If not for Derrick, she could have been the alpha for Fairbanks. That wasn't to say she was
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