Meanwhile the male werewolf sneezed and looked beyond me, where my teammates—Tetiana and Grove—were holding back a crowd of humans.
The crowd—filled with people who I expected were at least slightly intoxicated—was loud, and even I could smell the perfumes and body sprays they’d liberally dosed themselves with, which was probably making the werewolves sick to their stomachs with their sensitive olfactory systems.
“Magiford is holding a local festival this weekend called Octoberfest,” I said. “So even though it’s only Thursday, there’s more humans out than usual,” I tried to explain to the over stimulated wolves.
They aren’t going to hurt anyone, but if they bolt, the humans will freak. I need to keep everyone calm.
Crowd control wasn’t usually my responsibility when my slayer family stalked a target, but I knew the basics.
Behind me, a human shrilly laughed and the flash of several dozen cellphone cameras illuminated the area making the werewolves’ pupils shrink.
I slowly held my hands up and did my best to keep my breathing deep and even, and my heartbeat regular.
This would work better if I took off my mask so they could see my face, but I don’t think I can do that without scaring them.
I was wearing the traditional slayer mask, which hid my identity and hooked into the special hood I’d added onto my task force uniform.
Slayers weren’t very popular among vampires. I’d been wearing the mask since joining the Magical Response Task Force to hide my true identity so that I didn’t need to worry about my apartment getting staked out by vengeful vampires.
The wolves, however, didn’t fear me like a vampire naturally would but they were big into body language, so not seeing my face likely bothered them.
The almost entirely black werewolf yawned hugely, whining slightly in the process—which I was pretty sure meant he was stressed.
The smaller white and gray werewolf cautiously sniffed the air, the angle of her ears uncertain.
I never thought that summer I spent with a werewolf Pack would be so helpful.
My parents had sent me there, in exchange for agreeing to cover my expenses while I went to school and went through an apprenticeship to be an electrician.
I’d been taught about werewolves and shifters as a kid—the demand for slayer work in hunting and killing vampires had shrunk over the last century, so most slayer families had expanded to do work against the occasional werewolf, shifter, or even wizard.
But living with werewolves had given me personal experience, which was a help now since I frequently dealt with them as a member of the Department of Supernatural Law Enforcement.
The female werewolf tucked her tail and curved her rear, which was not a good sign.
“Hey-o, Blood. How are our friends looking?” Grove popped out from behind me to peer at the werewolves.
It was too much for the pair, who took off running, disappearing down an alleyway that reeked of trash.
Well, at least that will keep the humans from following them.
We’d intercepted the humans, who had backed the pair against a wall and were taking photos of them.
Without humans trailing them, they’d probably be fine but I still wanted to follow them and check.
One of the things I liked best about my position is that we didn’t just exist to fight, but to protect—it had been what attracted me to the position.
“Oh, off they go,” Tetiana said, raising her hand just in time to block a young woman who was attempting to record the werewolves and ruining the shot. “At least that’s settled! Away with you, humans. Go back to your partying.”
The crowd dispersed, most of them stomping into the loud club.
Tetiana shooed off a trio who were peering down the alleyway with interest. “Shoo!” Her Ukrainian accent thickened as she planted her fists on her hips. “Leave the poor beasts be and get on with your night.”
I waited until the trio disappeared into the club before I announced, “I want to follow after the werewolves.”
Tetiana checked the braid her glossy hair was pulled back into. “You think they’re upset enough to do something stupid?”
“No.” I started down the alleyway at a brisk walk, stepping over a fallen trashcan. “I’m just worried they might accidentally wander into something worse than curious humans when they’re already stressed out.”
Normally, I wasn’t quite so verbose with my teammates—I had social anxiety, which was partially why it was so hard for me to make friends. But my work ethic would run down even my worst bouts of anxiety, so I had no problem talking about our job. It was only when I tried to be friendly that I got tongue-tied.
“Huh. I didn’t know werewolves were that sensitive, but okay.” Grove started after me and patted his leather satchel—which was supposed to be filled with healing potions, but he had a thing for poisons so it was anyone’s guess what he actually carried.
Tetiana pinched her nose shut with her thumb and forefinger as she followed after.
I popped out of the end of the alleyway first, looking up and down the street to get my bearings. “There.” I pointed as the white and gray wolf disappeared around the corner of a street. “They’re heading south.”
Grove saluted me. “Lead on, Ma’am!”
“Should we run?” Tetiana asked as she walked side by side with Grove, both of them staying behind me.
“No,” I said. “That will scare them. We should be loud and sound friendly—so they know we’re following them but aren’t angry.”
Werewolves didn’t lose their humanity when they took on their wolf form, but they couldn’t talk back to us, so I wasn’t sure I was making the best choices to help them.
Maybe I should call on the radio for Brody…
Brody was a member of our squad and was a werewolf from one of the local Packs that lived on the outskirts of Magiford.
Behind me, Tetiana and Grove gossiped unconcerned by the situation.
“You’re in a good mood,” Tetiana observed.
“That’s because my new book came in at Book Nookery,” Grove said, naming the twenty-four-hour bookstore that catered to supernaturals and humans alike.
“Let me guess,” Tetiana said. “It’s about—”
“Poisons!” Grove announced in a sing-song voice.
“Of course,” Tetiana sighed.
Grove kicked a loose rock as we crossed the street. “What has you all tense tonight?”
Tetiana is tense? I hadn’t noticed—maybe this was why my teammates didn’t involve me in a lot of conversations. I didn’t notice important emotional subtexts.
I caught sight of the werewolf pair.
They were still heading south—and occasionally looked back at us—but their pace was slowing down.
Well. At least I know some body language cues.
“It’s nothing,” Tetiana said. “Things are tense among the vampire community. Several very old and respected Elders recently arrived in Magiford.”
Really? I would have turned around and asked for more information but as Tetiana was a vampire, if I asked anything about the Elders I’d probably spook her.