“I didn’t leave you,” I said, trying to lean closer. “I swear, that wasn’t what I was doing.”
To my surprise, Chuck snickered. “Yeah, I know. Honestly, that never even occurred to me.”
“It didn’t?” I asked, surprised.
“Not even for a minute,” Chuck assured me. “In fact, before I found out that you were the sneaky fox that had been helping us out, I thought the open window and missing screen meant that you’d been kidnapped.”
I laughed and regretted it immediately. “Not sure why anyone would want me enough to kidnap me.”
“Well, you’re definitely wrong there,” Chuck said firmly. “I, for one, would love to kidnap you and keep you all to myself.”
I wanted to laugh again but my head still hurt from the first time, so instead I just kissed whatever part of him I was leaning against.
Bits and pieces of the craziest dream came flitting back to me and I sighed. “You’re not going to believe the dream I had while I was unconscious. It was insane.”
Chuck choked a little and then stroked my hair. “Did it involve psycho dogs and explosions and a burning bush?”
Umm.
“You lost me at the burning bush?”
Chuck laughed softly. “Believe it or not, I don’t think you were dreaming. That’s pretty much exactly what happened, but the good news is the Hunters left and we don’t think they’ll be back.”
Umm.
“I think I need more information?”
“Colby rigged up some digital cameras before everything went down, so there’s actually video of the entire thing,” Chuck said. “If the doctor clears you, you can sit in on the meeting I have with the rest of the guys, okay? Because honestly, there’s some of it that I still don’t know how they did.”
Before I could agree there was a knock at the door and the doctor’s familiar voice greeted me with gentle amusement. “You know, son, this is starting to seem like a habit.”
~*~
After declaring me not concussed and handing me some over-the-counter painkillers, Doctor Lafrentz suggested I take it easy for a couple of days but cleared me to sit in on the meeting with Chuck’s team.
We gathered around the large conference table, watching in silence as the video of theeventplayed on the large screen television hanging on the wall. When the video stopped, a round of laughter and congratulations filled the room.
“Starting at the beginning,” Colby began, calling the group to attention and looking around the table with a wide grin. “You should know that the plan we had when we arrived here was completely scrapped and revamped, all thanks to that young man.” He gestured to the end of the table where Connery sat tucked close to Fang’s side. “Without the information on the religious fanaticism and anti-government issues, I don’t know that we could have put an end to this the way we did, with no combat injuries.”
I groaned inwardly, well aware thatIwas the only injury from the battle, such as it was. Everyone else applauded Connery, making him blush a bright red.
When the applause stopped, Colby continued. “Once we knew that the old man’s plan was to use the hounds to trap us, Pete looked into ways to distract the dogs. Pete?”
The bunny man took a swig from his flask and set it on the table with athump.“Our initial foray into the camp to release the hounds made it clear that the Hunters didn’t have the control over their dogs that they should have,” he said, rolling his eyes. “So, then I just had to find a way to thoroughly distract them.” Another swig from the flask. “Has anyone here ever used anise seed to train dogs?”
A murmur of denial ran around the table.
“Some people call it dognip,” he explained. “It’s frequently used to train scent hounds because most dogs react to it almost like cats to catnip, just not as extreme.”
“So, that’s what was in the cookies we were spreading?” Chuck asked.
Pete nodded. “Yep. And by spreading them everywhere the way we did, we gave those hounds so much that it overwhelmed them and, well, you saw the result,” he snorted.
I raised my hand and Pete sniffed in annoyance. “Yes?”
“I was just wondering why it didn’t have the same effect on the werewolves?” I asked curiously.
“We weren’t sure if it would, so we didn’t risk it,” Colby said. “Anyone with a canid shifter profile had menthol paste spread under their nostrils to diffuse the smell.”
