Her Perilous Wolf by Julie Steimle (best e book reader TXT) 📕

“Let’s go where we can uncrate Darth,” Audry declared.

“His name is Darth?” Selena rose, laughing.

“Why?” Vicky chimed in, peering at him through the wire mesh

This was going to get tiresome. Audry could see those two hit it off way too well. She replied, “You’ll know when you see him out of the crate.”

They helped Audry push the trolley tower of luggage out of the airport and to the parking garage. They had come in Selena’s car—which was a small sea green Cooper Mini. There would barely be enough room for the luggage, never mind a dog crate.

“I can take care of that,” Selena said, watching Audry’s expression when she stared at the tiny car.

There was a small rack at the top of the petite vehicle, which they were able to put those things which did not fit in the tiny excuse for trunk space. Audry and Selena had enough bungees between them to secure her bags safely down. But the dog crate had to go. Audry unloaded it, putting Darth on a leash he most definitely did not want, yet he did not really need a leash to stay by her. He scampered around them in excitement, licking up Audry’s face before greeting his new friend in Selena and then Vicky who was more wary as she could now see what kind of dog he was. His face markings made her laugh and nod.

“He gave him to you?” Vicky was stunned.

Nodding, Audry tried to urge Darth into the car, but he was not having it. It looked like another crate to him.

“You get in the back seat first,” Selena said with a smile. “I’ll take care of the dog.”

Vicky smirked, standing back to watch Selena do her magic. It occurred to Audry that Vicky was taking in stride Selena’s peculiar gift. In fact, Selena was so natural with Vicky, it amazed Audry. But it also worried her. How much had Selena told her cousin? Would that cause her problems? Would Vicky also start to see things she ought not if she wanted a normal life?

Selena whistled for the dog who scampered about the car. She then said, “Go to your master. Go to Audry.”

The dog cocked his head, then in one slobber, licked Selena’s face and leapt into the back seat of the car, snuggling up with Audry in that seat as if it was where he wanted to be all this time.

“Ugh!” Selena wiped off her face. “Dog spit!”

Yet she shook it off, the liquid flicking out like a tiny whip from her hand and was gone.

“That was cool,” Vicky said, then got into the passenger side, pushing the seat back and enclosing Audry and dog inside.

“Hey!” called out a worker in the parking garage who had spotted them, pointing to the empty crate. “You can’t leave that here!”

“Oh!” Selena gasped in a sing-song. “I’m sorry!”

“Watch this,” Vicky whispered to Audry over the seat back.

Audry did watch through the rear windshield, though she also had one eye on her cousin.

Selena sauntered up to the irate parking garage worker as if she were speaking with a man at a party. “Can you be a dear and take it away for me?”

Almost immediately the man went from furious to doe-eyed and compliant. He murmured, “Sure. Anything for you.”

“Isn’t it amazing?” Vicky said. “She can just talk her way out of anything.”

Audry eyed Vicky, hoping she would not attribute it to magic. If she did, then they might be in trouble.

They watched as the man called to a few others, and together they hauled the crate away. Selena was back at the car, smiling at the pair of them as she slid into the driver’s seat. She started the engine, then started off into traffic.

“So…” Vicky asked as they merged in with the departing cars. “What brought you back to the US?”

Heaving a sigh, Audry shook her head. “I don’t want to say anything just yet.”

“Oh, come on, you can tell us,” Selena said in her sing song voice.

Audry felt the overwhelming urge to do just that, yet in her gut she did not dare. Her mouth opened, though, to tell Selena against her will.

Darth barked, shaking her to her senses.

“Oh… dogs,” Selena muttered. “Come on puppy, let her tell me.”

But Darth barked again, then rested his head on Audry’s chest, protecting her.

Selena peeked back through her rearview mirror, eyeing Audry then sighed. “I see. Alright. Maybe the dog knows best.”

Audry petted Darth on the head, scratching between his ears, whispering, “Good dog.”

Selena chucked, shaking her head.

Yet Vicky said, “No really. Vincent expected you to be in Africa like a month.”

“Where is Vincent anyway?” Audry asked, her eyes following the traffic. It was so different being back in the city. Already she missed the less noisy African landscape.

“I don’t know.” Vicky shrugged. “California? He said something about a business trip. Cousin Henry said he was out in California trying to make a deal with Tristain Enterprises.”

Selena drew in a breath. “Tristain Enterprises?”

Vicky nodded. “Yep. Not that it will happen. I overheard the CEO of that company hates grandpa. He thinks grandpa’s up to unscrupulous business.”

“Yeah…” Audry shook her head. “He might be.”

Vicky perked up, turning around in her seat to see her. She pushed her seatbelt aside. “You know something.”

Shrugging, Audry said, “Actually, when I was in Kenya, we accidentally stumbled across this… I don’t know how to put it, uh, Chinese smuggling corporation. And they had some kind of connection with Grandpa.”

“Smuggling?” Selena’s cheeks flushed.

“Poaching and smuggling. But don’t quote me on this,” Audry said, “Because I was hardly there. I got bit by a snake and—”

“Bit by a snake!” Vicky nearly screamed it.

Selena was so startled by the scream, she almost lost control of the steering wheel. She tried to pull off to the side of the road, but instead merely got closer to it, slowing down. “What do you mean bit by a snake?”

Audry shrugged, sticking out her hand toward Vicky.

But Vicky stared at the bite, then her cousin. “This bite looks old. Are you sure it’s not a dog bite?”

Sighing, Audry nodded. She closed her eyes, the jet lag making her weary. “Not a dog bite. But yeah… it does look old. It healed fast.”

“What’s really going on, Audry?” Vicky peered at her, her blue eyes taking in more than most people did. “You’re being evasive. What happened?”

“I got sick,” Audry murmured, sighing. She did not want to say more.

“Sick?” Vicky asked, not letting it go. “Like Ebola?”

Audry rocked her head side to side against the seat where she rested it. Darth licked her hand, whimpering a little. “I don’t know, actually. When I finally got to a licensed doctor, it was at a clinic and I was already recovered. I want to see doctor here as soon as I can. But I want to go home first.”

“That makes sense,” Selena murmured, and she sped up.

“Didn’t you get your shots?” Vicky demanded, almost angry.

“I always get my shots,” Audry said, irritated that her questions were turning into the third degree. “Something went wrong.”

“Something?” Selena asked. So much came from that question. Audry could feel her asking, ‘What exactly? Tell me.’

But Darth barked again, snapping that demand out from Audry’s brain.

This time Selena grumbled. “Dogs…”

“If you don’t like dogs,” Audry muttered, half asleep, “Then why did you like Rick?”

Selena broke into a laugh.

Vicky stared at her, puzzled.

But Selena laughed more, nodding. “Ok. I get it. I’ll stop.”

And she did, heading in the right direction toward Audry’s home.

*

Vincent had spent a week with Michael Toms and Tommy Whitefeather assembling a clear handbook for—as Michael put it—‘normies dealing with the supernatural’. It wasn’t that extensive, as Michael considered the best way to deal with most supernatural beings is to pretend you don’t see them. However he did create what he called a ‘General Monster’s Glossary’. It did not contain all ‘monsters’ by far, but rather a simple glossary of supernatural beings Vincent might have encounters with in North America. He said, “We’d be making an encyclopedia if we included everything.” It did not sound like a bad idea. However, Michael explained that because there were so many different varieties of supernatural creatures in the world, that he decided to use the general categories rather than specifics—and he promised to consult with his friends in the Seven so they could create a more thorough handbook. So basically, they really made a pamphlet. But it looked professional.

And they used the word ‘monster’ loosely.

In alphabetical order, they started with angels. Vincent stared at that until Tommy explained that there was a wide variety of angels in the world—some evil. The list ended at zombies—which Vincent stared at for a full five minutes, more than at the angels. But Michael reassured him that a zombie bite was not generally infectious—and most didn’t eat brains. That was Hollywood hokum.

“They’re human puppets, basically,” Michael explained when he put in the entry. “And there are two types that we know of—though I am sure my friends have actually seen a third kind when we were in China—but I won’t include it here. That would be for the encyclopedia, if you really want us to do that.”

“The encyclopedia would be better,” Vincent muttered. “But what were you doing in China?” 

“Helping out the Monkey King. Look, do you want to work with me on distributing this? We can do a better compilation later—maybe not quite encyclopedia size. Or do you want to keep your name off of it?” Michael pointed to the final draft of the glossary. “I will understand if you want to remain anonymous.”

Vincent chuckled looking to the ceiling. The entire week had been surreal. He had helped Michael gather digital sources for the handbook so they could also post a website on top of coming across as more credible—as Michael had started the list with things he had personal experience with, which most people would have described as him being a delusional LARPer. Vincent had made it more academic, with a bibliography and glossy pictures. They had heavily referenced from the book Dr. William McAllister wrote, all about vampires. After reading it, Vincent wondered if he ought to meet that doctor next.

The website idea had made Michael laugh and nod, muttering that the Seven should have thought of making a site just like Rick’s Anonymous-Wolf werewolf blog—only more extensive. They had a site, Michael explained, but it was set up for emergencies. It was run by a brilliant man Michael swore was their Q. He called him Sir Cooley. But the man was more techy than a public relations kind of guy, and he may have ignored some more human needs.

In fact, in the week, Vincent learned a lot about the members of the Holy Seven in general. Every one of them was connected to Middleton Village, Massachusetts. Only one still lived there—nicknamed Sir Strength Heart—publicly known as Eddie, or Edward White. Apparently his career was raising horses. But he was also keeping the witches of Middleton Village at bay. Michael called him the Watchman sometimes. The others from that town had gone out for their education and were in or starting various careers which were surprisingly diverse. One of them was the famous soccer player—Peter McCabe, whom Michael said the others called ‘Zombie’, even though Peter was best known in the world as the Witchdoctor. Another one was a forest ranger nicknamed Sir Iron Fist though Michael sometimes called him the Boy Scout. Then there was Andrew and Jessica—the Married Couple—doctor and police detective, respectively. And lastly, Daniel Smith (Silvia’s half-brother), who was working toward a career as a college professor specializing in myth, legends and folklore, but currently ran a small occult book shop as ‘witch bait’. Michael called him Swift, though sometimes he jokingly called him the Pyromaniac.

“I don’t mind if you do,” Michael added, bringing Vincent out of his thoughts, going back to the pamphlet.

Vincent nodded. “Yes, keep my name off. I’m not really contributing much, anyway.”

“Well, that’s not