"She's having milk, I think," Adele frowned at Ashe, who shrugged amiably. Dori licked her whiskers, growled softly in thanks and leapt from the deck to the top of the fence before jumping down into the adjoining yard.
Ashe heard the back door of the Anderson's home open and close. Sali snickered. "I still have half a glass of milk here, wanna wear it, dude?" Ashe turned to Sali.
"Do not point the deadly Dori-contaminated milk in my direction," Sali laughed. Ashe was standing in a blink. Sali was over the fence and in his yard seconds later while Ashe flapped after him as the bumblebee bat. "Oooh, I'm so scared," Sali was waving his arms and doing a creditable imitation of Principal Billings.
"Ashe Aedan Evans, stop that this instant," Adele had to hide her laugh as Sali now ran around the DeLuca's yard, flapping his arms wildly while the tiny bat fluttered over his head.
"This is too good," Marco was outside the DeLuca's house and recording the incident on his cell phone.
"Salidar, what are you doing?" Marcus was now standing behind Marco, a cup of coffee in his hand.
"Oh, my gosh," Denise walked out of the house and started laughing.
"Sweetheart, don't laugh, it just encourages him," Marcus said dryly, and then began laughing as well.
"Hello?" Dawn and Randy Smith joined Marcus, Denise and Marco on the deck. "Is that Ashe?" Randy asked, watching Sali run around the yard, still flapping his arms in mock fear of the tiny bat.
"Yep. Welcome home, bro," Marco slapped Randy on the back.
"I've missed this," Randy sighed, settling into a deck chair. "Land of the free, home of the weird."
"So, working for a Chicago newspaper, huh?" Ashe asked later. Ashe had come over to the DeLuca's home to talk with Sali, Randy and Marco.
"It's not glamorous, by any means," Randy sighed, stretching his legs out on the ottoman inside the media room. "I get the assignments nobody else wants. Like going down to the abandoned narrow gauge rail tunnels beneath the city and checking out dead rats. Some people are worried that the tunnels may be flooding, and that's not a good thing. That's caused problems in the past."
"Man, I thought rats were good swimmers," Ashe said.
"They are. That's why everybody is so upset. They've got experts doing rat autopsies, to see if they drowned," Randy said. "If they drowned, that means the tunnels were full of water. Repairs could cost a lot."
"Dead rats aren't a bad thing. Maybe they shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth," Sali shuddered. "I hate slimy rats."
"Sali, they're not slimy. Not all the time," Ashe teased. "Besides, don't those wolves in Alaska eat rats?"
"Those are wolf-wolves, not werewolves," Sali tossed a corn chip at Ashe.
"Oh. Now I get it," Ashe rolled his eyes.
"This is the best stuff, and I can't ever write a damn thing about it," Randy grumbled.
"You know it will get us killed," Marco said softly.
"Yeah. I know that for sure. You think I'd take chances with my mother's life? I won't ever say anything. Or write anything. Been down that road before, remember?"
"How's Trajan?" Marcus sat on the sofa next to Ashe.
"Fine. Up and around the second day like nothing happened. Back to slave driving in the weight room on the third day."
"You lifting weights?" Sali stared at Ashe.
"Yeah. Trajan thinks I'm too skinny, so he's determined to build me up."
"Ashe is running three miles a day with me," Marco nodded. "Trajan's orders. We work in the weight room first, and then go for a run before breakfast. I think Ashe is looking better."
"But Sali's always been the pretty one," Ashe grinned. Sali threw more corn chips.
"Marcus," Denise walked into the media room where all of them had gathered. Ashe jerked his head around—his skin was suddenly tingling. Denise sounded frightened.
"Denise, what is it?" Marcus was on his feet already.
"Ben Billings is outside and he's issuing a challenge." Denise was twisting her fingers nervously.
"He can't go to wolf if it's not the full moon; he has to fight as a human."
"I think he knows that, Marcus. He has a gun."
Ashe muttered a word that might upset his mother. Mr. DeLuca, I'll get the gun, you get Principal Billings, Ashe sent. Marcus gave the briefest of nods. Everybody else was up and following Marcus from the room when Ashe turned to mist and went straight through the roof.
Micah Rocklin, Marcus' Second, was already out in the DeLuca's yard, attempting to reason with Billings. The werewolf Principal was waiting just off the front porch, pointing a pistol at the door of the DeLuca home.
"Don't try to talk me out of it, Micah. I deserve to be Packmaster. Should have done this a long time ago," Billings was hissing, spittle flying from his mouth. Ashe had never seen the Principal like this before. He sounded crazy, and that wasn't like him. Angry and biased, yes. Crazy—no.
Coming down now, Ashe sent to Marcus. He zipped down and only forming hands, snatched the gun right out of Billings' hands just as Marcus stepped outside the door. Hovering overhead, then, Ashe watched as Billings stared first at his empty hands and then at Marcus. Billings growled.
"I don't know what kind of tricks you're up to now, DeLuca, but your time is over," Principal Billings snapped.
"Ben, you don't want to fight me. Not like this. Go home. If you still want to challenge, we'll do it on the full moon, all right?" Marcus had his hands out in a placating gesture.
Billings cursed. Ashe was shocked—he'd never heard the Principal say words that foul. "I'll fight you here and now, Marcus. You're just scared to fight me—admit it. Whenever there's an execution, you let me take it. You're weak and you don't want to get your hands dirty."
"Ben, go home. Think about this. We'll settle it on the full moon," Marcus repeated his warning. Ashe, from his high vantage point, watched Marcus' hands. They were prepared to strike. The yard and the street beyond were filling up with people—mostly werewolves, Ashe realized. This was Pack business. Marco held Sali in a tight grip on the front porch and Micah was standing next to both boys. Greta, Micah's wife, was there with them, too. Denise DeLuca went to stand beside Greta, who put an arm around the Packmaster's wife. Among those gathered, Ashe saw Chad Hollis and Jeremy Booth, talking softly together. Ashe couldn't make out what they were saying. Dawn Smith was also there and surprisingly, Randy had gone to stand beside her.