Moon Struck: When Were & Howl Book 1 Page 12

  Chapter 12

  Dirk’s mansion could have been featured in Cribs or Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. A private paved road, just large enough for two cars, passed by the front yard which featured a stand of pines and a water-fall type fountain trickling water into a rather large pond. With my head hanging out the window, I could smell the algae and pine and the wind ruffled my fur in a way that made me happy to be alive. The front face had faux-stone siding up the first half of the house and for such a large house, I thought it austere.

  Rob had managed to reach Dirk on his cell. Apparently he traveled a lot and just happened to be in town this week. When Rob told him of the amulet and my dilemma, Dirk asked us to come over right away. Not for my benefit. No, Dirk asked Rob a lot about where we got the amulet, and whether we could confirm that the amulet was driven by ‘his power’, and a whole bunch of other questions that seemed nonsense to me.

  The garage faced the side of the house and looked large enough to fit four cars wide. Rob parked on the furthest side of the pavement, before opening the side door for me. I hopped out and padded around the car, a large part of me urgently longing to run through the grass.

  The door opened before we even took three steps from the car and a gentleman with salt-and-pepper hair stepped out. I wrinkled my nose. He smelled fake with that bright cologne and I wondered if that was why Rob liked me so much. I didn’t wear a lot of perfume such was my allergic reaction to it. Some perfumes gave me a roaring headache. “Thank you so much for coming. You’re looking well. Did your father ever get that kitchen remodeled?”

  “Sure did. Unfortunately, my mom thinks lavender works in a kitchen. This is Ali and Jen.” I felt a little guilty when Rob pointed me out. After all, I might have taken this guy’s mojo. One thing for sure, when he got it back, he'd change his cologne. It was hard to tell from wolf-angle whether Rob was smiling, but he seemed to relax now that his problem (that would be me) had been transferred to Dirk.

  “So you’re the girl who’s caused all this trouble. We’ll go to the back of the house. My changing rooms are back there and Jen will find quite a bit to interest her I think.” Changing rooms? What, were we going to a closet?

  We followed him back and sure enough, they were changing rooms. Chew toys, rawhide, leather strips, and old shoes. Must have a foot fetish, that one. Human furniture, second-hand, lined the walls of the large room. I wanted to ask if he had wolf parties in here, but I think I knew the answer. I smelled at least a dozen different wolf scents.

  “Have a seat.” Dirk waved with an expansive gesture and then said pointedly at me. “You may sit on the furniture in this room.”

  How nice. My sarcasm was lost in silence, but I jumped up on the couch where Rob sat and put my chin on his leg, my thinking brain realizing what a mistake it was while my doggie brain wanted some comfort. Maybe being a wolf was just a really good excuse to get closer.

  With a happy sigh, I turned a circle and settled in, having slept very little the last night. It was time for a nap.

  Rob scratched my ears and the weight of his hand coaxed my eyes closed. Ali sat on the other side of Rob, unusually quiet. Dirk and Rob started talking about Dirk’s youngest daughter…bo-ring…until I found myself dozing. Rob’s hand felt warm against my head and the scratches behind the ears, well let’s just say, I understand a dog’s enjoyment of the ear-scratch now.

  I fell asleep.

  Someone was shaking my paw. “Jen,”

  I opened my eyes.

  “We wanted you to be awake for this. Dirk found a book that might help us change you back.”

  Suffice it to say Dirk’s fantastic magical book basically said to put all of your energy into the form you wished to take and speak aloud your intent. I did all those things. I did them again with Rob, Ali, and Dirk watching intently, with the collar back on. I didn't particularly like that collar. The more I wore it, the more I struggled to remove it.

  Did I change back? No. Dirk gave us a couple of possible contacts.

  We were in Dirk's library when Rob made the calls. His first two contacts fizzled. They didn't know anything about amulets or spells.

  One was a werewolf who, like Dirk, had lost his power. He and Rob were chatting about me. And wolf ears pick up everything, let me tell you. Like Rob, this guy was angry, a more personal pissed-off state. And so, he asked Rob if he could talk to me.

  “She's a werewolf right now.” Rob said into the phone for which I was slightly grateful. I would have been completely grateful if they hadn't been talking about me at all.

  “I just need a minute.”

  I nodded, which in retrospect I shouldn't have done.

  Rob put me on speaker. The werewolf turned unmagical blasted me. “You ruined my life. I haven't had a moon night in twelve months. Twelve!” That was the start of his rant. And since I didn't feel personally responsible, I growled back, snapping at the phone until the man formerly known as a werewolf stopped talking.

  “Jen disagrees with you.” Dirk said bluntly. Somehow I seemed to disagree better as a wolf. In human or mouse form, no one really seemed to mind a difference of opinion from me.

  Rob's tiny half-smile told me he was proud. It was a smile filled with affection and not a small bit of amusement. I wondered what amused him about me snapping at some random guy on the phone. “One more call to make.”

  The guy couldn't help at all. Just a bitter ex-wolf.

  On the last call a woman answered the phone. She sounded sultry and sexy, with a husky voice. After Rob explained the problem, I expected the same unhelpful comments that we'd gotten before. Instead, we got an invitation to her house.

  Rob said, “It's quite a drive. Are you sure we can't discuss this on the phone?”

  “I need to see the magic used, and I don't make house calls. Bring Jen and the amulet here.”

  Did I not get a choice in the matter? Why should we go see some lady with a hot voice on the other side of the state? I certainly didn't see the point. But then again, I didn't want to spend the rest of my life as a wolf.

  Chapter 13