living, thanks to werewolf hunters. I don’t really want to jump species for an assistant.”
“ Understood. I’ll see what I can do for you. For an assistant.”
“ Who are you going to call to find a female werewolf who wants to move to Switzerland and be my lady friend?”
“ This isn’t a dating service. She’d be an employee. The personal interaction would be up to the both of you. Or not,” I said.
“ Right. Just so you know, I haven’t had a mate for many years. It was the desperation of loneliness and the comfort of familiarity that made me latch onto Ambra’s arm that terrible night. I mean, I love her, but I am not in love with her.”
“ I’m aware. You do know she and I are in a relationship.”
“ We all know. She’s just my closest, dearest friend. Or was. It just seemed like a short leap, lad.”
I pointed at him with both my index fingers. “You won’t take that leap again, right?”
“No. You have made your territory clear. So has she. She won’t even ski with me anymore. I’ve lost her trust. Possibly forever.”
I nodded. “I can’t speak for Ambra, but I do want to be your friend, Corbin.”
“You are. You saved me from Delilah. In my mind, that sort of evens it up in the grand scheme of things. Most werewolves are fiercely loyal, did you know that?”
“ I guessed as much from the way you follow me around now and wag your tail when I say your name.”
“ Very funny. If you can find me a female werewolf, I would be further indebted. Just to have someone of my own kind to be with would go a long way toward improving my emotional state. You can’t imagine how isolated I feel,” Corbin said. “No one here is remotely like me. They even make fun of me. I’m a true pariah.”
“ I’m sorry. You never complain about things and I guess I just never thought to ask you what you needed or wanted. Anyway, what happened to your wife, if you ever had one?”
“ I’ve had six. Over many years, of course. No divorces or devourings.”
“ Good to know. Werewolf wives?”
“ Not all were werewolves, but my last wife was a werewolf. It was good with us. Very good.” He paused. “Werewolf hunters killed her, in Scotland, a long, long time ago. I fled to Switzerland and have been here at the castle ever since. No werewolf hunters have come after me and I have lived a peaceful life by not killing anything with less than four legs. No one bothers me and I try to fade into the woodwork.”
“ I don’t expect you to fade into the woodwork. Be true to yourself, Corbin.”
“ I try, and I know I might seem okay, outwardly, but inside, I’m empty and yearning to be filled. I want to share my life with somebody. You know what I’m talking about, man to man?”
“ Sure I do. It took a lot of trust for you to tell me all this. I already told you I would see what I could do toward hiring you an assistant of your own kind.”
“ Really?”
“ Yes. I don’t want you to be this unhappy. I haven’t gotten to it yet, but just be patient. I know it takes away from the strength of the group if one of us is in such a state as you were the night you tried to turn Ambra.”
“ If I could take back that night, I would.”
I nodded. “We all would. Even though I killed Delilah, it set in motion unexpected things.”
“Rand, thank you for understanding.” He paused. “Can you please make more sausages tomorrow?”
“ I’ll see what I can do. We’re running low on supplies. I’ve been here all this time and I don’t even know where the groceries come from.”
“ Daphne used to go to local farmer’s markets in Zürich and to Aligro in Schlieren. She had told me it’s like your Costco stores in the U.S.”
“ That’s perfect. Do they deliver?”
“ Do you think this is Los Angeles?”
“ No deliveries to a remote castle? Okay.”
Everyone else except Ambra came down the stairs and filled up their plates and sat down to eat. It was a subdued group just trying to
“ Understood. I’ll see what I can do for you. For an assistant.”
“ Who are you going to call to find a female werewolf who wants to move to Switzerland and be my lady friend?”
“ This isn’t a dating service. She’d be an employee. The personal interaction would be up to the both of you. Or not,” I said.
“ Right. Just so you know, I haven’t had a mate for many years. It was the desperation of loneliness and the comfort of familiarity that made me latch onto Ambra’s arm that terrible night. I mean, I love her, but I am not in love with her.”
“ I’m aware. You do know she and I are in a relationship.”
“ We all know. She’s just my closest, dearest friend. Or was. It just seemed like a short leap, lad.”
I pointed at him with both my index fingers. “You won’t take that leap again, right?”
“No. You have made your territory clear. So has she. She won’t even ski with me anymore. I’ve lost her trust. Possibly forever.”
I nodded. “I can’t speak for Ambra, but I do want to be your friend, Corbin.”
“You are. You saved me from Delilah. In my mind, that sort of evens it up in the grand scheme of things. Most werewolves are fiercely loyal, did you know that?”
“ I guessed as much from the way you follow me around now and wag your tail when I say your name.”
“ Very funny. If you can find me a female werewolf, I would be further indebted. Just to have someone of my own kind to be with would go a long way toward improving my emotional state. You can’t imagine how isolated I feel,” Corbin said. “No one here is remotely like me. They even make fun of me. I’m a true pariah.”
“ I’m sorry. You never complain about things and I guess I just never thought to ask you what you needed or wanted. Anyway, what happened to your wife, if you ever had one?”
“ I’ve had six. Over many years, of course. No divorces or devourings.”
“ Good to know. Werewolf wives?”
“ Not all were werewolves, but my last wife was a werewolf. It was good with us. Very good.” He paused. “Werewolf hunters killed her, in Scotland, a long, long time ago. I fled to Switzerland and have been here at the castle ever since. No werewolf hunters have come after me and I have lived a peaceful life by not killing anything with less than four legs. No one bothers me and I try to fade into the woodwork.”
“ I don’t expect you to fade into the woodwork. Be true to yourself, Corbin.”
“ I try, and I know I might seem okay, outwardly, but inside, I’m empty and yearning to be filled. I want to share my life with somebody. You know what I’m talking about, man to man?”
“ Sure I do. It took a lot of trust for you to tell me all this. I already told you I would see what I could do toward hiring you an assistant of your own kind.”
“ Really?”
“ Yes. I don’t want you to be this unhappy. I haven’t gotten to it yet, but just be patient. I know it takes away from the strength of the group if one of us is in such a state as you were the night you tried to turn Ambra.”
“ If I could take back that night, I would.”
I nodded. “We all would. Even though I killed Delilah, it set in motion unexpected things.”
“Rand, thank you for understanding.” He paused. “Can you please make more sausages tomorrow?”
“ I’ll see what I can do. We’re running low on supplies. I’ve been here all this time and I don’t even know where the groceries come from.”
“ Daphne used to go to local farmer’s markets in Zürich and to Aligro in Schlieren. She had told me it’s like your Costco stores in the U.S.”
“ That’s perfect. Do they deliver?”
“ Do you think this is Los Angeles?”
“ No deliveries to a remote castle? Okay.”
Everyone else except Ambra came down the stairs and filled up their plates and sat down to eat. It was a subdued group just trying to
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