Free Two Scents' Worth: A Wolf Rampant spinoff serial (Bloodling Serial Book 3) by Aimee Easterling Page A

Not that the other programmer knew that was how I thought of him. Victor was a typical young human male who pretty much considered only his own best interests at all times. I'd never mentioned my fur and claws, and he'd never picked up on the not-so-subtle hints I tossed in his direction to clue him in to my otherness.
    Victor's non-pack-centric worldview also made it tough for him to understand why I found it so imperative to take some of the financial strain off Tia's shoulders. But, despite not grokking my work ethic, my friend had come through by providing several leads that brought in a trickle of income and helped keep us all in gas money. In return, I'd performed a few random favors to keep his overly concerned parents at bay.
    Unfortunately, minor website-design jobs weren't going to be enough to fund the project I was currently envisioning. So I typed a quick addition to my initial reply.
    Wolf: Any leads on bigger jobs?
    The deal was, I was still obsessed with my promise to the Chief. I'd learned the hard way that daughter number one was okay on her own. Plus, she rattled my lupine nature way too much to be incorporated into any future strategies.
    On the other hand, a visit to daughter number two's residence had given me a firm plan of action for getting out from under Chief Wilder's thumb. The second pack princess was dead and had left behind a son being raised in the human world with no knowledge of his werewolf heritage. The potential for debt reduction was huge...as long as I could come up with two hundred grand to purchase the abandoned trailer park on the other side of the mountain and enfold the pup into my new territory.
    But, as I waited for Victor's reply, I held out little hope that my cyber buddy would help me accumulate the much-needed down payment. He usually typed a mile a minute, and I'd expected two or three messages to be waiting impatiently once I shook the current brain fart out of my head. Instead, the terminal before me remained blank, cursor blinking elusively.
    Which could mean only one thing. Victor did have a lead on something big, but he wasn't particularly keen on sharing it. Time to play on his competitive streak.
    Wolf: Scared to share, huh? Think I'll pull the rug out from under your ass and leave you hungry?
    Victor wouldn't be literally hungry without his coding, of course, or I wouldn't have prodded his pride. The young male still lived at home with two doting parents who paid for everything except his video-game addiction. Which is why Victor was usually so generous about sending job opportunities my way. Why work when he'd rather be playing?
    Luckily for me, Victor's lazy streak won out over greed once again. Because a message hit my screen at last.
    Victor: If you need dough, I'm on the trail of a whole bakery.
    Rolling my eyes, I input a single question mark. Yes, Victor tended to type in complete sentences...but not necessarily in complete thoughts .
    Victor: Gonna run with the big dogs.
    I couldn't help laughing at the hacker's words, wondering what he'd think if he stumbled across my pack during one of our hunts. Half a dozen huge wolves bounding through the midnight forest. Splashes of blood brilliantly red in the moonlight. Sharp teeth and bone-rattling howls. The human would probably shit his pants.
    Still, I followed the link my friend had provided at the end of his message and found I was viewing a wanted ad on the website of a podunk bank from small-town Ohio. First Ohio Bank and Trust was seeking a computer-security firm to upgrade their online banking portal and applicants were invited to speak with the bank manager in person at a convention this coming weekend. The salary wasn't exorbitant. But considering my pack lived mostly on poached deer and rabbit fur, it would be enough.
    I could've checked my calendar like a pro, but there was no point. I was free. I was nearly always free.
    Wolf: You going for the job? Wouldn't that mean getting out of your jammies five days