Free Howl for Me by Lynn Red

something?”
    “No,” I said. “Nothing like that. We couldn’t even be fighting, if I wanted to.”
    And the truth was, I’d rather be fighting than have him gone.
    “He’s out of town for a day or two. I hope it’s a day or two. Pack business,” I said, not wanting to go into details.
    “Oh, no,” Hunter said, with a sigh. “Is it anything I need to know about?”
    I shook my head even though he wasn’t there to see.
    “I don’t think so. Not yet, anyway. But, hey, that’s nothing to worry about. You’re coming for a nice vacation, and I’m dumping my worries all over you. Good news!” I changed the subject, more for my own benefit than for his. “I’ve got good news!”
    “Yeah?” he asked. “Do I have a girlfriend?”
    I snorted so hard that I would’ve shot coffee out of my nose.
    “Well, I’m not sure if you have a girlfriend, exactly, but Cat did agree to go out with you.”
    “Son of a bitch!” Hunter swore. “People in this town have no idea how to drive.”
    “Huh? You’re here, already?” I asked, a little surprised. “I thought you weren’t gonna get here for another hour or so.”
    “Left a little early. What can I say? I was excited to see my pals. And anyway, things haven’t been the same in Scagg’s Valley since you guys were here. Everyone’s gotten all nervous about going out. They’re all scared of that that warlock stuff you guys fought off. Boring as all hell.”
    “Well, if you’re here already, want to get some lunch?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
    Hunter laughed. “Yeah, I’m the one who shoulda married this girl. Hell yeah, I want some lunch. Where am I headed?”
    I gave him the address of the deli that was, basically, always on my mind. I shot off a quick message to Cat on the off chance she wasn’t doing anything. Then I grabbed my stuff and headed out the door.
    This was exactly what I needed – a little break from the intensity, from the excitement.
    I checked the mirror, and sighed. I just had to think that stuff, again – all the calm-before-the-storm business. I couldn’t leave it alone.
    But, no matter what, I had friends. And, I had Damon. That would make it all okay.
    I checked the clock on the way out the door. Somehow I’d been staring at the mirror and fretting for almost ten minutes.
    As I sat down and fired up the ancient Suburban my grandpa gave me as a combination getting-married and I’m-getting-a-new-truck gift, my phone buzzed with a text. A moment later, another one came through.
    I didn’t bother looking at them until the first red light between the house and the deli.
    Fully expecting to pick it up and see Hunter lusting after a sandwich, I was more than a little amused to find him lusting after something else, entirely.
    The first was from Hunter.
    “Lily,” it read . “You’re a golden goddess.”
    I crinkled my face up, not really sure what he was talking about.
    “You’re some kind of genius, Lily. I owe you BIG,” the second one, from Cat, said.
    This was getting ridiculous.
    Almost on cue, it buzzed again with a picture message. I couldn’t believe it. Cat and Hunter, out front of the deli grinning like idiots made me grin. I never played mate-maker before, but I apparently had a gift for it. Second career, if the writing thing didn’t turn out.

-9-
Damon
    ––––––––
    T he long trip was almost over.
    Damon rolled over and spat the first mouthful of Arizona desert he’d tasted since leaving almost five days ago. The ground underneath him was cracked and hard. He rubbed dust out of the corners of his eyes.
    Dawn wasn’t for another hour, maybe two, and that was just fine. He and Devin only stopped because Devin wouldn’t shut the hell up about how much the zip-ties on his wrists hurt. At first, Damon hadn’t thought it would work. Plastic ties on a werewolf? How could it?
    It turned out to be like rubber bands on an alligator’s mouth. Devin couldn’t get enough leverage to pull his