The Accidental Werewolf 2: Something About Harry (Accidentally Paranormal Novel) Read online

  Who was frowning down at her.

  He set Hollis down, directing her to push the button for the elevator. When he turned to her, his hard face was tight, his lips thin. “What’s going on?”

  “What do you mean, what’s going on? What could be going on?” Using the Marty tactic, she feigned innocence with wide eyes and an exasperated snort. When being accused of something or asked a question about a situation you were absolutely up to your neck in, behave as though your accuser is crazy.

  “I mean, what are you doing with your time these days?”

  Also, when your accuser is poking around the accused, use humor. Marty tactic number two. Mara shrugged her shoulders and sighed forlornly. “Oh, the usual. You know, lab tech by day, dominatrix by night.”

  Keegan tapped the bridge of her nose with affection, but he wasn’t smiling. “Funny, you.”

  Mara rolled her eyes at him and reminded herself to remain calm, but move on to tactic number three: appear irritated with her big brother for behaving, well, like a big brother. “Well, what do you think is going on Keegan? Nothing ever goes on in my life. I work. I go home. I renovate. Wash, rinse, repeat. The most exciting thing I’ve done this week is refinish the kitchen cabinets and clean my refrigerator.”

  But Keegan wasn’t totally buying it. God, he was a nosy ass sometimes. He sniffed the air, a frown knitting his eyebrows together. “Something’s not right. I can smell it.”

  And tactic number four in the Marty Handbook of Avoiding Getting Caught: get away. “You’re not right. So knock it off, Keegan. I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Look, I have to go. I have a ton of work down in the lab. So quit harassing me about my life and go live yours, pal.” She turned to scurry toward the stairs, but Keegan grabbed her arm.

  “Dinner tomorrow night? Sloan’s coming. So is Jeannie. She’s bringing her better-than-crack brownies.” He smiled the way he used to when he was apologizing for interfering in her very adult life without actually saying the words.

  But she warmed—only because she loved Jeannie, her brother’s djinn-caterer wife. She made the absolute best pastries ever. How she managed to run the djinn realm and still keep her catering business going like gangbusters always left Mara so full of admiration. “Text me the time. And I accept your apology for being a nosy ass,” she said on a laugh, standing on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before darting off to run for her guilty cover.

  As she ran down a flight of metal stairs, her phone chimed a text from Wanda.

  She paused to read it, her limbs growing shaky, her eyes widening. Her head swam, the words of the text blurring, then sharply coming back into focus as horror began to settle in her gut.

  “Need you here STAT. Fletcher and Mimi are missing!”

  CHAPTER

  8

  “Mimi?”

  “Uh-huh?” she asked from the corner of her frightfully pink bedroom as she tried to force a bonnet onto poor Coconut’s head. Amidst the clutter of her dolls and assorted play strollers, Mimi played like any other five-year-old would after school on a snowy day.

  It was all Mara could do not to rush over to a seemingly unfazed Mimi and smother her with hugs and kisses chock-full of limb-shaking relief. Instead, after spending two hours with the police, being questioned as if she were the criminal, Mara approached her with an easy stride, smiling as she hunkered down next to her and poor tormented Coconut. “Can you tell me again what the lady who picked you up from school looked like?”

  “I already told the policeman.”

  Mara nodded. “You sure did, and you did a great job, honey. I didn’t hear all of it, though. So I was just wondering. No big deal.”

  Mimi shrugged agreeably. “She had hair just like you. Long and swingy,” she murmured, stroking Coconut into submission. “But she wasn’t as pretty as you are. She was just really nice to us,” she assured Mara, her round eyes bright and totally minus the least bit of trauma. “She gave me this.” Mimi held up her wrist to show her a bracelet, her name spelled out amongst the beading.

  It was all Mara could do not to scream her anguish and horror, but she stayed as calm as possible. “And where did she take you when she gave you that, sweetie?”

  Mimi made a face as Coconut began to protest his hat. Mara took her small hand and instructed, “Gently, honeybunch. Coconut doesn’t understand what you’re doing, and he’s afraid. See?” She demonstrated by stroking Coconut’s chin, fighting the panic thrashing her heart around like a ship lost at sea.

  “I wasn’t afraid,” Mimi offered, easing her hold on Coconut until he sat in her lap, puffing her chest out to show her valor. “Auntie Nina said I should always be afraid of strangers no matter what, even if the lady didn’t scare me, and even if she’s nice to me.”

  So it was someone who had a rapport with children. “So where did she take you guys, Mimi?”

  “Just on a quick walk, but we came right back and she said we were really good.”

  Terror raced through Mara’s veins. Who would take Harry’s children, unauthorized, from school? And where was the sitter, Cora, Harry’s designated pickup? “And what did she say to you again?” she asked, her voice unsteady and trembling.

  “She said to tell you and Uncle Harry she sees you. I think she meant to say hello. I forgot to tell the policeman about that.”

  Mara’s blood ran cold just as Harry burst through the door, almost knocking her out of the way to get to Mimi. He scooped her up in his arms, pulling her to his chest.

  The police had separated the adults from the children when they’d questioned them about the incident, and while Harry had answered questions succinctly and stoically, he was clearly allowing himself to feel the panic now that the dust had settled. “Are you okay?” He held her from him, letting her legs dangle as he assessed her from head to toe with a critical eye.

  Mimi nodded, her deep eyes confused. The bob of her curly head was slow. “Uh-huh.”

  Harry pulled her close to his chest, burying his nose in her hair, taking deep breaths. For a brief moment, Mimi sunk into Harry’s arms, giving him the opening he needed to cuddle her closer. From where Mara stood, she saw just the slightest tremble of his fingers, gripping Mimi so tight she then began to squirm.

  Mara popped up, placing a hand on his arm. “She’s okay now, Harry,” she offered quietly.

  Harry’s lips thinned as he rested his head on top of Mimi’s to eyeball Mara, his jaw tight. “Says the woman who used that word just yesterday. I think we have a difference of opinion on its meaning.”

  Oh yay. Mara-blaming Harry had arrived. She stiffened in guilt as a new fear began to reside in her gut. Did someone take the children because of what had happened yesterday? That made no sense. No one knew what happened yesterday but her, the girls, and Guido. “Listen, we need to set aside some of the other stuff for right now and talk.”

  Mimi squirmed in Harry’s arms again, bracing her small hands on his forearms. “You’re squeezing me too tight, Uncle Harry!”

  Harry loosened his grip, letting Mimi slide down his legs until her purple-sneakered feet hit the floor and she went off to hunt down Coconut. “Someone, someone unauthorized, took my children, and Cora’s nowhere to be found,” he said between clenched teeth.

  “Yeah. Someone did. And Cora’s at home. Wanda checked in on her. She was fast asleep. So, WTF, Harry?” Nina groused, holding her hand out to Mimi who zipped across the room and took it as easily as if Nina had offered her candy.

  She swung Mimi up in her arms, wrinkling her nose at Mimi with a warm smile. “So what did we talk about when we talked about strangers? Say it again for Auntie Nina so she knows you get it, pretty princess. It’s more important than anything, like, ever.”

  Mimi nodded dutifully, her sweet face expressing thought. “You said no matter what, even if the lady says she knows Uncle Harry or you or Mara or anyone in my family,
I can’t go with her unless I know her and Uncle Harry gives me permission. And if she tries to take me somewhere, I have to scream like this!” Mimi opened her mouth and let out a squeal, long and high.

  Nina winced, placing a finger over her lips to quiet her. “Not ever, ever. Got that? Stranger danger, right? And if someone tries to take you, a stranger or a bad person or maybe even someone who seems nice, but someone you don’t know, what else are you supposed to do?”

  Mimi paused in thought, her round face scrunching. “Say your name really loud?”

  Nina held up her fist for Mimi to knock, popping it open to imitate it blowing up. “Boom, little lady. You remember that all the time, okay? Fletch, too. There are lots of bad people out there. No way I’m gonna let them hurt you, ever, ever. You call, I come, okay? Now, go find Aunt Wanda. She’s taking you and your stinky little bro for some dinner and then ice cream.”

  This time, Mimi’s squeal was of joy, but it made Harry blanch as he watched her scurry down the hall to locate Wanda. “You’re scaring her,” he accused, Angry Harry back at the helm of his I Hate Werewolves Ship.

  “Dude, somebody’s got to. Jesus. You can’t even trust the school to look out for them! The kids need to know this crap, fucknuts. They’re never too young to learn there’s some bad shit out there. That’s your job. If you won’t do it, I’ll damned well do it for you. You wanna stop me?”

  He ran a hand through his hair, inhaling deeply, clenching and unclenching his fist. “We’ll talk about that damn school later. For now, you’re right. I don’t know what made them go with this woman. I know my sister, and if I ever knew anything about her, I know she taught them better. I’ve taught them better. And who the fuck is this woman?” he seethed. “Wait, I know. Bet she has something to do with all of you.”

  Whoa. Harry swearing and accusing. Less and less like the Harry she’d once held a wedding, complete with doves and flowered arches, in her mind with. Fatigue, fear, and, in general, Harry’s pissy mood left Mara pissy, too. They’d coddled, cajoled, apologized, catered to his grudge against being paranormal long enough.

  Harry’s poor-baby account was officially in the red.

  Pushing Nina aside, Mara went on the attack. “Harry? Shut up. Stop being an asshole, come into the kitchen, sit the hell down, and let’s figure this out. Because I’m damn tired of your crappy attitude. Yes. I, Mara Flaherty, turned you, Harry Emmerson, into a werewolf. Boo muthaeffin’ hoo. It’s done. There’s no going back. Now either shut up and lay off the grudging, or I’m going home and leaving you here to your own devices. If you think you got this, then we’ll all leave you to the getting. But don’t you call me when the full moon comes and you don’t know what to do when this,” she yanked another stray tuft of hair sprouting from his cheek so hard he winced, “becomes a full-bodied event, because I’m going to tell you to—suck—it!” She spat out her last words in his face, standing on tiptoe, finger wagging under his nose.

  Silence settled between them. Awkward and heated.

  Nina cackled in Harry’s face, clapping her hand on Mara’s shoulder. “Nice, Short-Shot. Way to read your man.”

  Mara pivoted on her heel, staring up at Nina. “He is not my man! I’d never have a man as whiny and angry as him!” she yelped before storming off to the kitchen where she had to bite her knuckles to keep from slugging a contrite Harry in the face.

  He trudged in behind Nina, his large body slumped, his eyes full of apology when he stood beside the stool in front of his small breakfast bar. “I’m sorry, Mara. The kids are the most important thing in the world to me. I wanted to kill anything in my path to get to them. I reacted badly. In short, I was a jackass.”

  Mara leaned over the counter, her expression full of outrage. “Like I don’t know that? Like any child involved in a kidnapping, especially children I’ve managed to somehow screw over without even trying, isn’t important to me, too, you jerk! You keep saying you’re sorry, and I’ll grant you some leeway because your hormones are on full tilt, but the hell I’ll let you keep throwing this in my face when we have a much bigger problem. Now, sit down and shut it!” She jabbed a finger at the polished wood stool.

  Harry did as he was told, making Nina snicker while pointing to a chair indicating Carl, looking sharp, if not still a little green, in his new jeans and sweater, should sit as well.

  Rolling her shoulders, she tied her hair up with the rubber band around her wrist, fanning the back of her neck to keep her anger in check. “Now let’s try and figure this out, rationally and logically.”

  Harry drummed his fingers on the counter. “Because there’s so much of that involved in this.”

  His flippant response was the last nail in his coffin. Her temper, usually almost nonexistent, didn’t just flare, it exploded. “Didn’t I say to lay off, Harry? If not, let me say it again. Lay the hell off!” she roared, unable to stop the forward thrust of her wildly shifting emotions.

  Without warning—a rarity indeed—her mouth opened wide before she could stop it.

  And then, it was all hair, limbs, and big, snarling teeth. Drool, too. She distinctly felt drool flying from her muzzle.

  Right there in the middle of Harry’s black-and-white kitchen.

  * * *

  “WHERE the fuck is Carl, Harry?”

  Harry had either learned his lesson or he was in a state of quiet terror. He shook his head to indicate he didn’t know.

  “Damn it, Harry, didn’t I tell you to watch him while I cleaned this shit up? Jesus, dude. We can’t have a zombie running the hell around your nice suburban neighborhood, loose and shit with humans. Are you nuts?” She stomped out of his kitchen and headed to the door leading to Harry’s small backyard, where he’d installed a swing set for the kids.

  “You have a zombie, and I’m the one who’s nuts?”

  “Half zombie,” Mara reminded, cracking her knuckles and stretching her arms to readjust in her human form.

  Harry nodded while Mara used his Dustbuster to clean up the remnants of her very angry, tumbleweed of hair shift. She dropped it back in its charger and brushed her hands together, before tying one of Harry’s shirts tighter around her thighs. “Ready to talk like adults now and figure this out? Or do you want to hold a grudge and sulk some more?” she asked, still angry.

  Harry leaned forward on the counter, crossing his lean forearms. His eyes had lines around them from lack of sleep, and his skin was chalky white. “You were naked.”

  Mara lifted her chin. She would not hide—even if he’d seen every last ounce of cellulite on the backs of her thighs and the dimples on her ass cheeks. She was a werewolf and damned proud of it. Sometimes, when stupidheads like him made her angry and frustrated, she shifted. Too bad. “I was. Bet you’ll shut up from now on, won’t you?”

  “That was insane.”

  “Me naked?”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know. It was all just insane.”

  Mara clucked her tongue at him, strangely empowered now that she’d cleared the air. Children were being snatched. Someone had to take control. “That was me really angry.”

  “Wow.”

  Her eyes fell to the floor with her next admission. “That’s only happened twice before in my life. I’m usually pretty easygoing. Which means you really irked me.”

  “Third time’s a charm,” he quipped, only this time, he actually followed it up with a small smile to indicate he’d mildly amused himself.

  She used that as her in to question him. “So let’s figure this out. How could the school allow Mimi and Fletcher to leave with someone unauthorized? Don’t they have to have permission slips or something?”

  Harry nodded, his expression grim, his eyes full of concern. “According to Principal Ditter, no one saw them leave—classes weren’t even out yet. They were at recess, which means they were talked into going with this person from the playground, if what the teache
r says is right. Principal Ditter sounded the alarms and called me when neither of them showed up for last period. But according to her, no sooner had she sent out a search party than the kids were back on the school’s premises. It all happened so damn fast. One minute I was babysitting Carl, the next the principal was calling to say she couldn’t find the kids. Who would want to take my kids, Mara, and why?”

  Harry’s grief, his statement thick with it, shoved the last of her anger aside, letting in sympathy and yet more fear. Mara reached out and squeezed his hand, relishing the warmth of his skin before she pulled away. “I don’t know. But we won’t let anyone hurt them. I swear that to you, Harry. So, did you notice the bracelet Mimi had on? She said the lady with the swingy hair like mine gave it to her. It had her name on it, Harry. Did Fletcher come back with anything unusual, too?”

  Harry shook his head, his eyes bereft, his mind clearly sifting through his conversation with Fletcher. “No. Nothing. And his description of this woman was the same as Mimi’s. Except he said when she dropped them off, as she ran away, she got all blurry. He said she was really fast. ‘Superhuman fast’ were his words.”

  Mara gripped the edge of the counter. Blurry? What would make a child describe a scenario like that unless the person doing the running wasn’t human? Humans didn’t get blurry when they ran. “Someone paranormal . . .” The words slipped from her lips before she could stop them.

  “So this does have to do with all of you?”

  Mara tilted her head, certain she hadn’t heard an accusatory tone in his voice, just a simple question. “That makes no sense, Harry. No one knows about you but Guido and us. And he doesn’t know about the kids unless you told him. No one at Pack even knew the kids existed. They still don’t, as far as I know. How could they unless you told them? HR doesn’t even know about them.”