Read Online Werewolves & Wisteria by A. L. Tyler - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: A. L. Tyler
Ads: Link
Kendra would leave you with all of this…”
In my mind I clung to her. She was my salvation, and Vince’s, and everything was going to be okay.
We sat back down at a table, and she told me that she had some friends in Stonefall who were members of a loose pack of werewolves. They had taken in new members before, people who had been bitten as adults, and managed to teach them coping strategies. It wasn’t a cure, but they were at least living their lives again.
“I think that’s the most important thing,” she said. “We’ll get Vince help. Then we can focus on this thing with Stark and Walter, and that might be a tough one. I’m not afraid of Stark, but I have no doubt that he can stir up more trouble than any of us would want. We’ll find a way to banish him again, and I’ll see if any of my friends know Walter’s pack. If we can work from the elders down, that’s our best chance to gain his cooperation. And when we’re finished with that, we’ll help Gates by helping Charlie. Kendra never mentioned that he was after humanity, but I knew they were pretty hot and heavy. I’m not surprised.”
I nodded, grateful. She had a way about her that made even the hard problems seem procedural and easy. This was going to work.
“Where are you staying?” I asked.
She forced a weak smile. “I’m… not, really. When Kendra went missing a lot of us worried until the obituary was published, but I never bought it. She said something in her last letter about getting rid of Stark for good, and I just thought… a car accident was too common, you know? Especially after Stark went missing. Something else happened. And then people started seeing Charlie around Stonefall, and I had to find him. I had to know if she was okay, and if anyone would know, he would.” She took a deep breath, and sighed. “So I got in my car, and I drove, and that’s where I’m living now. In my car.”
I smiled. “Come and stay with me. It’s the least I can do. As long as you don’t mind the demon and the werewolf, and I understand some people do, so I won’t be offended if you don’t want to.”
She hesitated for a moment, but then grinned, wrinkling her nose. “Are you sure? Really?”
“Really,” I nodded. “You’re welcome. I’m sure Charlie can find the wall space to put in another room somewhere.”
We laughed together. We finished eating, and just as we were cleaning up, the bell over the door chimed, and the next shift worker came in. Martha gathered her things from the back and followed me out the door and down the street to my apartment.
I was feeling so happy when I stuck my key in the door. I felt a little proud, even, that I now had a sense of direction in the way that I was going to solve everyone’s problems.
When I popped the door open and stepped in, Charlie took one look at Martha and sprang to his feet hissing at her.
Chapter 7
“Whoa!” I said, dropping my backpack and putting a hand out in Charlie’s direction. “What’s wrong?”
“What the hell are you doing with one of those ?” Charlie’s cat face sneered as he lifted a lip and folded his ears back.
I looked over my shoulder as Martha smiled calmly, almost smugly, and stepped through the door.
I turned back to Charlie. “It’s okay, she’s a friend of Kendra’s.”
Charlie was coming toward us, like he intended to do something about the situation, and Martha looked like she was going to laugh.
“You must be Charlie,” she said, bowing down to offer him a hand. “I have heard so many stories about you.”
“And you must be taking advantage of a child’s naivety!” He took a swipe at her hand, but fell just short of making contact. Martha didn’t recoil. “Annie, whoever this is, I can promise you she wasn’t one of Kendra’s friends! I have never seen her in my life, and Kendra wouldn’t befriend someone like her.”
“Oh, well there’s the pot calling the kettle black!” Martha said, amused.
I frowned,
In my mind I clung to her. She was my salvation, and Vince’s, and everything was going to be okay.
We sat back down at a table, and she told me that she had some friends in Stonefall who were members of a loose pack of werewolves. They had taken in new members before, people who had been bitten as adults, and managed to teach them coping strategies. It wasn’t a cure, but they were at least living their lives again.
“I think that’s the most important thing,” she said. “We’ll get Vince help. Then we can focus on this thing with Stark and Walter, and that might be a tough one. I’m not afraid of Stark, but I have no doubt that he can stir up more trouble than any of us would want. We’ll find a way to banish him again, and I’ll see if any of my friends know Walter’s pack. If we can work from the elders down, that’s our best chance to gain his cooperation. And when we’re finished with that, we’ll help Gates by helping Charlie. Kendra never mentioned that he was after humanity, but I knew they were pretty hot and heavy. I’m not surprised.”
I nodded, grateful. She had a way about her that made even the hard problems seem procedural and easy. This was going to work.
“Where are you staying?” I asked.
She forced a weak smile. “I’m… not, really. When Kendra went missing a lot of us worried until the obituary was published, but I never bought it. She said something in her last letter about getting rid of Stark for good, and I just thought… a car accident was too common, you know? Especially after Stark went missing. Something else happened. And then people started seeing Charlie around Stonefall, and I had to find him. I had to know if she was okay, and if anyone would know, he would.” She took a deep breath, and sighed. “So I got in my car, and I drove, and that’s where I’m living now. In my car.”
I smiled. “Come and stay with me. It’s the least I can do. As long as you don’t mind the demon and the werewolf, and I understand some people do, so I won’t be offended if you don’t want to.”
She hesitated for a moment, but then grinned, wrinkling her nose. “Are you sure? Really?”
“Really,” I nodded. “You’re welcome. I’m sure Charlie can find the wall space to put in another room somewhere.”
We laughed together. We finished eating, and just as we were cleaning up, the bell over the door chimed, and the next shift worker came in. Martha gathered her things from the back and followed me out the door and down the street to my apartment.
I was feeling so happy when I stuck my key in the door. I felt a little proud, even, that I now had a sense of direction in the way that I was going to solve everyone’s problems.
When I popped the door open and stepped in, Charlie took one look at Martha and sprang to his feet hissing at her.
Chapter 7
“Whoa!” I said, dropping my backpack and putting a hand out in Charlie’s direction. “What’s wrong?”
“What the hell are you doing with one of those ?” Charlie’s cat face sneered as he lifted a lip and folded his ears back.
I looked over my shoulder as Martha smiled calmly, almost smugly, and stepped through the door.
I turned back to Charlie. “It’s okay, she’s a friend of Kendra’s.”
Charlie was coming toward us, like he intended to do something about the situation, and Martha looked like she was going to laugh.
“You must be Charlie,” she said, bowing down to offer him a hand. “I have heard so many stories about you.”
“And you must be taking advantage of a child’s naivety!” He took a swipe at her hand, but fell just short of making contact. Martha didn’t recoil. “Annie, whoever this is, I can promise you she wasn’t one of Kendra’s friends! I have never seen her in my life, and Kendra wouldn’t befriend someone like her.”
“Oh, well there’s the pot calling the kettle black!” Martha said, amused.
I frowned,
Similar Books
