the same way with the wolves. They"d rather eat using their dog dish and not plates. Oh wait. Maybe the wolf is used to eating carcasses in the wild that"s why he snubbed my food. He"s a wild animal after all.”
Carcasses? Callum didn"t know what to say to her reasoning so he just shrugged his shoulders and changed the subject. “How do you want to do this?
Like a question and answer type of thing?”
“Sounds good. Let me start with, why my dad thought I need protecting.
From who?”
“From the ones who killed him.”
“Who are they?”
Here we go. “Shape-shifters.”
“Oh dear.”
Her reaction was exactly the kind he expected. “Mari, I am not kidding.”
“Did I say you are?”
“You don"t have to. No, I didn"t read your mind. Your oh dear and rolling of your eyes says you think I"m bullshitting.”
“Couldn"t help it.”
“What I said is true. The Shape-shifters killed Mark.”
76
“Forgive me, but unlike some people, I am not a big fan of Sci-fi"s. So it"s kind of hard to digest your story.”
“I"m not just telling you a story. By the way, Shape-shifters fall under the category of paranormal. Have you heard of them?”
“Yeah. Hollywood movies. I"ve seen shows about them. Humans changing into different forms like werewolves, bear, hawks, rats, worms, snails or snakes.
Fiction stuff.”
He"d never seen or heard of a movie with snails or worms Shape-shifters. He bet it would be hilarious to see one. “Atos and his clan are not. They are as real as they can get.”
Marisol raised one brow mockingly. “Are you sure you"re not on something?
Meth users, once addicted would start seeing—”
“I don"t do drugs.”
“Hash, ecstasy pills, cough syrup?”
“No.”
“Dementia?”
“For the love of humanity, Mari. I am neither a drug addict nor crazy.”
“Alright. Are you a frustrated writer who got rejected numerous times so you"re going around telling your story instead?”
“You are one incorrigible woman.”
77
“Sheez. Who"s talking about paranormal shit here? And why are you calling me Mari. I didn"t give you leave to shorten my name.”
“You don"t like it?”
Marisol raised one dainty shoulder. “Well, I kind of like it.”
“I wish you"d like my paranormal shit story as easily.” He hunched over, his arms resting on his thighs.
“It would take a great deal of persuasion before anyone believes a story like paranormal stuff. Anyway, you"re saying about this Atos?”
What a rambler. She was better than a couple of loud squirrels fighting for an acorn. She"d be a wonderful company on a long lonely night. “Atos is a powerful wolf.”
Marisol leaned forward. “Like Padfoot. Harry Potter"s godfather?” she whispered and wiggled her eyebrows. Her eyes danced with merriment.
Callum let out a defeated sigh. “If you don"t take this conversation seriously, Marisol Saint James, I"ll leave.”
“Can you blame me? I"m a big fan of historical romance movies like Pride and Prejudice. Now those stories are real and believable. If you tell me that this Atos is the reincarnated King Henry the VIII, I"ll believe you. But Shape-shifters? Man, that"s just crazy stuff written by overly imaginative authors. Some made a gazillion—”
78
“Mari!” Callum snapped his fingers. Damn, what a chatterbox.
“What? I"m just saying there are authors out there selling crappy books.”
“Okay, but Atos is not a character in a book. He"s a real Shape-shifter.”
“And he killed my dad?”
“He killed Anna, too.” That did it. Laughter in her eyes disappeared like a bubblegum that popped.
“You knew my mom.”
Callum nodded. “Yes. Atos killed her. Although at the time, he didn"t know who she was. He thought Anna was just another Midnight Howl bitch protecting a wolf.”
“A what?”
“A Midnight Howl. It"s a wolf clan. Enemy of the Blood Robbers that Atos leads.”
“Jesus, resolving the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan is probably easier to understand than
Carcasses? Callum didn"t know what to say to her reasoning so he just shrugged his shoulders and changed the subject. “How do you want to do this?
Like a question and answer type of thing?”
“Sounds good. Let me start with, why my dad thought I need protecting.
From who?”
“From the ones who killed him.”
“Who are they?”
Here we go. “Shape-shifters.”
“Oh dear.”
Her reaction was exactly the kind he expected. “Mari, I am not kidding.”
“Did I say you are?”
“You don"t have to. No, I didn"t read your mind. Your oh dear and rolling of your eyes says you think I"m bullshitting.”
“Couldn"t help it.”
“What I said is true. The Shape-shifters killed Mark.”
76
“Forgive me, but unlike some people, I am not a big fan of Sci-fi"s. So it"s kind of hard to digest your story.”
“I"m not just telling you a story. By the way, Shape-shifters fall under the category of paranormal. Have you heard of them?”
“Yeah. Hollywood movies. I"ve seen shows about them. Humans changing into different forms like werewolves, bear, hawks, rats, worms, snails or snakes.
Fiction stuff.”
He"d never seen or heard of a movie with snails or worms Shape-shifters. He bet it would be hilarious to see one. “Atos and his clan are not. They are as real as they can get.”
Marisol raised one brow mockingly. “Are you sure you"re not on something?
Meth users, once addicted would start seeing—”
“I don"t do drugs.”
“Hash, ecstasy pills, cough syrup?”
“No.”
“Dementia?”
“For the love of humanity, Mari. I am neither a drug addict nor crazy.”
“Alright. Are you a frustrated writer who got rejected numerous times so you"re going around telling your story instead?”
“You are one incorrigible woman.”
77
“Sheez. Who"s talking about paranormal shit here? And why are you calling me Mari. I didn"t give you leave to shorten my name.”
“You don"t like it?”
Marisol raised one dainty shoulder. “Well, I kind of like it.”
“I wish you"d like my paranormal shit story as easily.” He hunched over, his arms resting on his thighs.
“It would take a great deal of persuasion before anyone believes a story like paranormal stuff. Anyway, you"re saying about this Atos?”
What a rambler. She was better than a couple of loud squirrels fighting for an acorn. She"d be a wonderful company on a long lonely night. “Atos is a powerful wolf.”
Marisol leaned forward. “Like Padfoot. Harry Potter"s godfather?” she whispered and wiggled her eyebrows. Her eyes danced with merriment.
Callum let out a defeated sigh. “If you don"t take this conversation seriously, Marisol Saint James, I"ll leave.”
“Can you blame me? I"m a big fan of historical romance movies like Pride and Prejudice. Now those stories are real and believable. If you tell me that this Atos is the reincarnated King Henry the VIII, I"ll believe you. But Shape-shifters? Man, that"s just crazy stuff written by overly imaginative authors. Some made a gazillion—”
78
“Mari!” Callum snapped his fingers. Damn, what a chatterbox.
“What? I"m just saying there are authors out there selling crappy books.”
“Okay, but Atos is not a character in a book. He"s a real Shape-shifter.”
“And he killed my dad?”
“He killed Anna, too.” That did it. Laughter in her eyes disappeared like a bubblegum that popped.
“You knew my mom.”
Callum nodded. “Yes. Atos killed her. Although at the time, he didn"t know who she was. He thought Anna was just another Midnight Howl bitch protecting a wolf.”
“A what?”
“A Midnight Howl. It"s a wolf clan. Enemy of the Blood Robbers that Atos leads.”
“Jesus, resolving the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan is probably easier to understand than
Similar Books
