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“Thank you,” he said. “My mother insisted that us boys learn to cook just like the girls did.”
“If you can cook, then why do you come to Howlers’ almost every night?”
“I don’t like cooking for just one person. Plus, I would spend half an hour to an hour cooking a meal, ten minutes eating it, and another ten minutes cleaning up after myself. It’s easier to just go to the restaurant. The food is good, and I like the company.”
“That makes sense,” she agreed.
“Can you cook?” he asked.
“Actually, I can. My brother, sister, and I all learned to cook as soon as we were tall enough to reach the stove. I have a couple of dishes that always turn out well, although they’re not anything fancy. One is chicken, potatoes, and green beans with a couple of packets of Italian dressing and butter on them. I make killer Cajun wraps, and a hamburger and potato casserole dish that everyone seems to like. I also make butter and garlic noodles with spicy shrimp that my family loves.”
“Sounds good. You’ll have to cook for me some time,” he said.
“Maybe so.” She grinned.
“Tell me about your family,” he said.
“They are great. Mom is a teacher. Dad is a civil engineer. My brother owns his own landscaping business. He’s married and they have two pups. My sister is a pediatrician and is engaged to a dentist.”
“That will come in handy when they have kids,” he said. “Where is home?”
She looked at her watch and said, “I have to get ready for work. Do you want some help with the dishes before you take me back to my hotel room?”
Grinning, he said, “Nope. That’s what I have her for,” and pointed to the dishwasher.
He loaded it while Olivia got dressed. “Okay, so there is something about her home that has her stressed. It’s more than just a relationship ending badly,” he muttered to himself.
All thoughts of Olivia were erased from his mind once he got into his office. Lucius called.
“Marvin caught one of Marsden’s witches as she was walking down the mountain. He hoped that with some persuasion, she might be willing to tell us where the lair is, but her lips are clapped tightly shut,” Lucius said.
“I didn’t figure that she would talk,” Zac said. “If it isn’t from loyalty, it would be out of fear, or most likely, a combination of the two.”
“I called Jennifer. She and some elders came and got her. They’ll keep her in their prison, where she won’t be able to use her magic,” Lucius said.
“Hopefully, they’ll persuade her to talk,” Zac said.
“We can hope. I just hope that this doesn’t cause Marsden to increase her violent attacks against the shifters.”
Zac asked Ian to step into his office and told him what Lucius had said.
“We’ll make sure to keep up with patrols,” he said. “I agree that Marsden isn’t going to take this lying down.”
That evening was the pack meeting. Everyone quieted down as Zac stepped up to the podium.
“There have been a lot of questions about the issue with Marsden and her evil coven,” Zac said. “We figured that it would be best if we answered everyone’s questions at once. Marsden is supposedly working on an elixir or spell that would allow her to control the supernatural world. Over the last few months, several shifters from different clans have disappeared. Adam, a bear cub, managed to get away and confirmed our worst fears. Marsden and her coven are using the shifters’ blood for whatever she is brewing,” Zac said.
A dozen hands in the audience went up. Zac ignored them for a minute.
“We, along with the other clans, have constant patrols on the mountain, trying to keep our people safe and to find Marsden’s lair. There is no way that we could broach her at her store. Too many innocents would get hurt. Besides, she would see us coming a mile away. We have to take her by surprise,” Zac said.
“You have to help us keep you safe,” Ian said, stepping up beside Zac. “Don’t let younglings go onto the mountain without an adult. Adults shouldn’t go up there by themselves, either. You still need to be on alert, even when you go in pairs. We don’t know what she is capable of.”
“If you happen to see any of them, steer clear. Report anything that looks out of place or any unusual activity. We are certain that she has hidden her lair with a spell, but there should be some signs of it. If you do see something, please notify us. Don’t try to approach her yourself. I don’t think you’ll be able to shift into your wolf form if she turns you into a toad,” Zac said.
As he hoped, the last comment got a chuckle. He hoped that he and Ian managed to explain the danger they would be in from Marsden and would protect themselves. No one had any questions after that.
“Now that is out of the way, how was your date with Olivia?” Ian asked.
