Chapter 24
Even though my life as a weremouse has at times been fraught with danger and perhaps an adventure or two, I've never suffered from any major problems or faced anything truly evil. When we followed the werehound into a twisted part of the forest, I expected to find something innocuous, maybe a teenager playing pranks who truly didn't realize how dangerous his actions were to the werefolk.
But the shed with the three large cages gave me a cold chill. The cage design indicated a preference for wolf, but human shackles attached to one of the bars. I howled my question, frustrated and unable to express my anger, How many werefolk have gone missing?
The hound changed into human form, a middle aged man, short and stocky with a balding head and freckles. I turned my head until he put on the jeans and the sweatshirt one of his friends handed to him. He shook his head, “This is a bad business.”
“Did you get anything from the scents?”
“Three men, humans with no wereblood in them spent a fair amount of time here. They've had several wolves, a bear, two dogs, and three cats in the cages. One of the cats didn't actually have any wereblood. I smell vampire. Not in the cages and only faintly, but it's there. Also, air and earth magic, although that one hinders the reading.” He pointed to me. I gulped, feeling simultaneously guilty and offended.
Rob glanced over his shoulder at me, “Is the smell exact? We've been struggling to undo a curse that's turned my friend here into a wolf. So far, the change has been permanent.”
The man knelt by me and sniffed the air. I so wanted to curl my lips at him and give him the sneering wolf face. But he was helping, so I was nice. “One of the magic smells matches, but there's more than that magic in play here.”
By now the leader of the pack, the man with white hair had arrived, “I called the Moon Patrol. They'll be here to investigate.”
The Moon Patrol was the werewolves' affectionate name for the police, specifically the teams that handled werewolf problems. Usually a combo pair with a wereperson paired up with a human person. I glanced over at Ali who had remained in raccoon form. She gave me a quick nod and slipped out.
Which made complete sense. We'd only been out of high school a few years and Ali, if not notorious, would be recognized by at least eight of the Moon Patrol officers. On five of those occasions, we were shuffled along to our parents. But it still made sense for her to disappear, because if they started questioning her, she would lie, even if this was a wonderful time to tell the truth.
Rob and I waited.
Meanwhile, the group scouring the forest for traps brought them into the shed, dumping them in front of the cage. As the pile grew, some of the werewolves in human form looked distressed.
Most of the trackers left or changed into their human selves. I was the only animal left in the room, which could have been awkward, but no one made a big deal about it.
The Moon Patrol took forever to arrive. I practiced sniffing, catching all of the cat scents and even discerning the one that didn't turn to human. Unlike the bloodhound, I couldn't smell magic. Maybe they should start calling them magichounds.
Nothing exciting happened. The Moon Patrol took notes and asked questions. The only surprise I got out of the whole thing was that a few of the patrolmen actually dismantled the cages themselves.
We left while the investigation was still in full swing. The disturbed look on Rob's face told me he wasn't done yet. He opened the door for me and waited for me to jump in.
Ali popped up from the backseat, “What took you so long?”
To his credit, Rob merely raised an eyebrow and scratched his chin, “You don't have a car of your own?”
“I parked in the gas station down the way. This trap thing is probably connected to the amulet. So I was thinking we could all head over to the wizard's house.” Ali pushed herself up and grabbed her seatbelt, hooking it in the latch with a single swish.
“Return to the scene of the crime? No.” Rob shut the passenger door, walking firmly around the car.
“But Rob...”
Rob didn't let Ali get another word in. “No.”
“But.”
“No.”
I barked, mostly to tell Rob that he was in a losing battle. Sure, he said no. And in a few minutes he'd drop Ali off at her car, then she'd go alone. Ali never let a little word like 'no' stop her.
As for me, I was getting tired of the snout and the paws. At some point, I desperately wanted to have my own face back, preferably before I turned gray.
Ali crossed her arms. “Fine. I'll stay home tonight, but I'm taking Jen with me.”
Which meant that we were planning another escapade.
“Is that okay?” He asked me.
I nodded.
“No more water parks?” Rob lifted an eyebrow.
Who, me? My furry face broke out into a crazy grin. He scratched me behind the ear. We were both getting too used to those little touches. Moments like this being a wolf isn't so bad.
“No water parks.” Ali put just the right inflection for boredom, sounding exactly like a disgruntled teenager, which is probably how she felt. But I read more into it. Yes, Ali had a plan in mind, something that required a bit of subterfuge. I wondered what we would be doing in an hour. Not hanging out at home. But how to break into a wizard's house...that's the question.
Rob's a pretty smart fellow and he frowned at Ali the way a parent might. That frown that says, I know you're up to something. I just can't prove it yet. But he let us go, driving away with a wave once he'd dropped us off at Ali's car.
“That was way too easy.”
I wasn't so sure about that. Rob had his expressions, too. And when he dropped us off, it was with the full and complete expectation that Ali was up to something. I wouldn't be surprised if Rob ended up at Ali's apartment. Too bad Ali didn't understand me when I said, “He knows.”
But it didn't matter. We were two peas in a pod when it came to trouble. Either way, we were heading to Grady Road to check out the wizard's house. I felt silly even saying the words in my head.
Moon Struck: When Were & Howl Book 1 Page 23