“I am the perfect blend,” I noted in case she wasn’t following along. Then I kissed the smirk off her face.
* * *
Iwasn’t the only one who chafed under the magic. Several of the weres hated it enough they had Ricky remove it.
They’d been told they were not allowed on the rescue mission without the mark. Both packs enforced the rule. The weres grumbled, but agreed.
Pamela’s girlfriend, Josie, met us alongside the road, near the cavern, bringing an amazing artillery of weapons, ropes, and lights.
For a hunter, Josie was quick to smile, quick to give the werewolves shit. She was also quick to back up Pamela who was currently telling one of the werewolves that none of the hunters could hurt them without every single wolf knowing they were going to try it before they actually tried it.
The weres might not trust the hunters, and the hunters might not trust Lu and me, but Ricky’s connection leveled the ground.
I was reasonably sure no one would turn the rescue mission into a killing spree.
“You must be Brogan,” Josie said before slapping a salt shaker full of Rooroo dust into my hand. “Pamela said you’re not were. Any chance you’ll tell me what you are?” She batted her thick eyelashes, really laying on the fake charm, the warm rose undertones in her dark skin making her soft hazel eyes pop.
“Doesn’t seem likely,” I said.
“Had to try.” She handed a shaker of dust to Lu. “You just don’t…” She shook her head. “Sorry, it’s rude.”
“I can handle rude,” I said, curious.
“Neither of you make sense to me.” She tapped her forehead. “To my sight. Sometimes you don’t look alive, and other times, you’re both wrapped in so much power, glory, I wonder if you’re a couple gods playing us dirty.”
We hadn’t run into a Sighted—someone who could see the supernatural truth of someone—for decades.
“We’re not gods,” Lu said. “If we were, we wouldn’t have lost Abbi.”
Josie nodded, but made a sound like that still wasn’t enough to convince her. “What about the ghost?”
Val was currently leaning on the bumper of Silver, bitching at both wolf packs.
“What about him?” I asked.
“Well, is he with you? Because if not…” She opened her flannel shirt to reveal another small shaker filled with what looked like salt.
“He’s with us,” Lu said.
“We wouldn’t take kindly to you banishing him,” I added, which earned me a strange look from Lu. “What?” I asked. “He’s a part of this. A part of saving Abbi, of doing the ‘right thing.’ Just because he annoys the crap out of me doesn’t mean I want to see him banished.”
“Aw,” Lu said, taking my hand and making big eyes at me. “You like him.”
“I do not.”
“A little,” she insisted.
“Not even. I barely tolerate him.”
“He is the first ghost friend you’ve made. I’m so proud of you.”
“Nope. That’s the end of that. I’ll just go throw myself down a hole so I don’t have to listen to this nonsense.”
Lu, chuckling, grabbed at my sleeve as I faked my anger and started to storm off.
“Settle down. It’s fine, it’s fine,” she laughed. “I take it back. You have no friends and never will.”
“What did you just say?” I wasn’t as incensed as I sounded, but she had caught me off guard. Her laughter snagged me even as I realized the accusation wasn’t that far from the truth. “I have friends.”
