“It’s easier to disappear in the country.” I tapped my fingernails on the railing. “Salem and I were careful. My secretstorage locker was under an alias, so it was easy to safely ship my belongings down. If I’d been smart, I would’ve kept money in there.”
Most of my jewelry was fake and only for show. Occasionally, men had paid me in jewels—probably pieces that belonged to their wives—but I always sold them for things I wanted, such as expensive dinners, beautiful clothes, and traveling. The rest went into savings. My vintage outfits were the only items of value, but I couldn’t bring myself to part with them.
“The Relic was right,” he said. “Laughter is the best medicine. It’s good for the mind and the spirit, so do what makes you happy. Stress is poisonous for the body. Now go inside and eat some steak before those jackasses clean us out. My wolf needs to run. Make sure they save me some.”
Tak abruptly shifted, and I hopped back.
Instead of running off, his large animal advanced toward me. The left side of his face had grey fur, and there were also grey patches across his ebony coat. My heart thumped wildly in my chest. This was the closest he had been to me in wolf form since I could remember.
His animal touched his nose to my belly and sniffed. A groan settled deep in his throat before he raised his head and howled. Catcher jumped to his feet and joined in. A moment later, Krys howled in the distance.
Virgil swung open the door and walked out in only a pair of jeans. He had a large beignet in one hand and powdered sugar all over his face. “What the catastrophe is going on out here?”
Melody’s wolf bolted past him, knocking the beignet out of his hand. She raised her head and howled along with the pack. Archer stepped out next, and when he saw the pack singing, he shifted. His cream-colored wolf snatched the beignet and bolted as fast as his three legs would carry him.
“Come back with that!” Virgil ran and leaped off the steps, executing a midair twist—his signature move. His jeans flew off, and his wolf landed on his feet before chasing Archer across the lawn. Krys sprinted onto the scene, stole the pastry from Archer, and gobbled it down. Then their wolves chased each other, jumping playfully while asserting their dominance.
Cecilia poked her head out the door. “What’s going on out here? I thought we were about to make lunch as soon as Bear and Mercy got home.”
“A wolf karaoke.” I chuckled and captured her arm before leading us inside. “This means more food for us.”
Chapter 9
One week later
“Best day ever.” Virgil crammed a double bacon cheeseburger into his mouth and took a gargantuan bite. “You know what would make this taste even better?” he asked around a mouthful. “Wild Rabbit.”
“Absolutely not.” I snatched a french fry off Salem’s plate and giggled when he frowned at me.
Wild Rabbit—the house drink—was the last thing Virgil needed, but he loved his sensory drinks.
Virgil wiped his hands on his black T-shirt before adjusting his brown fedora. “Why am I the designated driver when nobody else is drinking?”
I playfully arched my eyebrow. “Is my company so dull that you need to drug yourself?”
He picked up his burger and winked. “You’re a doll. My vices have nothing to do with you and everything to do with the mystery that is Virgil Nightingale.”
“So share the mystery.”
“Someday I’ll tell you my secrets, but today is not that day.” He stuffed his face with more burger.
“Goddammit, put some pants on!” Calvin’s strident voice was directed at Kevin, who brazenly approached the bar to saddle up.
Kevin was the local handyman whose horse was often seen trotting back and forth between jobs. He was always easy to spot in bars because of his mullet and lack of clothing, so Calvin always kept a pair of pants hanging on the wall by the door of the Rabbit Lounge. Kevin still tried to bypass the rules since he was a nudist by nature.
“This was such a fun outing.” I looked at Salem on my right. “Wasn’t it fun?”
Salem stroked his beard, his attention zeroed in on Calvin and Mercy talking at the bar. “Did you buy everything you needed?”
Tak had encouraged me to get out and enjoy myself, and because I didn’t feel right taking money from Salem anymore, Tak offered me spending money. Virgil joined us, as did Mercy.
We’d all squeezed into Lakota’s truck and driven to Austin to spend the day shopping. I purchased supplies from a craft store, then decided I needed comfortable shoes that fit my swollen feet. There was a festival nearby, but I didn’t feel up to walking.
The loud music drew Virgil’s attention, and he disappeared for an hour before returning with an abstract painting. Salem found a few medical supplies he needed, and Mercy bought a songbook for Bear.
No one said a word about my not buying baby things. Even if they didn’t have all the details, neither Mercy nor Virgil brought up the pregnancy.
But I did purchase one item—a grey baby beanie with wolf ears attached. I still wasn’t sure why I’d bought it, but the moment I laid eyes on it, I couldn’t resist.
