“Fine. You’re right.” She gave a final nod. “We will grab pizza and they can just suck it up.”
“Yes!” I pumped my arm and pulled her into the mattress store. I wanted this day finished so I could curl up in my fresh bed. We walked around for exactly five seconds before a salesperson came up and within another twenty, we were walking out, with a delivery time of an hour. “Werewolf businesses rock. If this was a human store, it would be days until I could get my new bed.”
“Yeah, well, they only help the neighbouring packs, so they have an easier time.” My mom pulled me toward the exit. “Let’s go grab the pizza. I still have that mountain for clothes to do.”
“Ugh. Don’t remind me.” I wilted thinking about those clothes. I jumped into the driver’s seat and started my Jeep as my mom put everything in the back. I waited until she got in before I handed her the card Vince gave us. “I don’t want to use them. Mainly because Vince gave us their card, but I also want to wipe out my actual scent completely.”
She grunted as she took the card and called as I drove. “Hello. Yes, do you have availability today? One room. Yes, a bedroom. Alpha Vince gave us your card. Oh, you can. Perfect.” I listened to her as she set up everything. Then she called in the pizza. I headed to the pizza place, but she pointed to a different parking lot.
“What?”
My mom touched her lips as she finished the order. I pulled into the parking lot and waited for her to tell me what we were doing here. She hit end on the phone and turned to me. “The carpet guys tried to give me the runaround until I told themVince gave us the card. Now, they will be at the house in an hour.”
“Okay?”
“The pizza will be ready in twenty minutes.” She opened the door, but I grabbed her.
“Okay, but why are we here?” I pointed to the strip mall.
“We need descenting spray.”
“Right…” I was apparently dumb because that didn’t seem like the answer to my question. I twirled my hand. “What does that have to do with the strip mall with a nail salon, a survival store, and what looks to be a tex-mex restaurant?”
“Amy…where do you think descenting spray comes from?”
“Same place where we get laundry stuff from. Walker’s.” Walker’s is the werewolf community’s version of a superstore. They had everything.
“No baby. Descenting spray is made for hunting parties and survivalists. It’s to stop rogues from smelling you.” She opened her door again and waved me out of the car. “Come meet Carl.” We walked to a store with blacked-out windows.
“Who the hell is Carl?”
She just laughed as she walked into the survival store, Wildwood Survival. “Hey Carl.”
“Luna Ainsley. Fancy seeing you here.” The giant of a man smiled from behind the counter. “And who have you brought to visit me?”
“This is Amy.” My mother pulled me beside her and wrapped her arm around my waist. “My daughter.”
“You brought your pup to meet me?” Carl raised his eyebrows and had a giant smile. He looked at me. “You sure are a pretty little thing. But let’s see how strong you are.” Carl slammed his aura out to clash with me, and he was staggeringly strong. He just wasn’t as strong as I was. I gave a toothy grin and slammedmy aura out to meet his. His eyes widened as he hit his knees. “Holy Goddess.” I pulled my aura back in.
“Sorry.” I gave a sheepish look, but he laughed.
“Don’t be sorry. If I was going to choose anyone to follow, I have to make sure they are worth following.”
I turned to my mother, then back to him. “I won’t be the Luna of the Oakenfang pack.”
He lifted a brow. “Who said I was talking about that pack?”
That stopped me for a minute. I looked back at my mother and she smiled. “Carl here, is what you would call a nomad. He was a part of my father’s pack, but followed me to your father’s, and then to here. He refused to swear fealty to Vince. So he stays off pack lands. He set up shop here, and since he is one of the few warriors skilled enough to make descenting spray, Vince tolerates him.” My mother went over to Carl and kissed his cheek.
“Always a pleasure to see my Luna.”
“Oh, so he meant he follows you.” I bounced my finger between the two and my mom looked up at Carl, who also gave a tiny nod.
“Yes, and no. Carl here is also a shaman.”
“A what?”
“A shaman.” My mother held out her hand and I walked over to them. “Your father had his grandmother’s help with his pack.” She stared at me. “My father had Carl.” I could see it in her eyes. She was asking me to understand.
