A minute later, the howls had turned to snarls and the sounds were coming closer. "It sounds like they're chasing something."
"It's not like they're right next door or anything," she said.
But she was wrong. I caught the gleam of red eyes in the darkness.
"Poppy," I said, "I think it's time we went inside. Now."
"But we just..." She trailed off when she saw my face. There was a snarl and then a werewolf appeared out of the bushes about twenty feet in front of us. We weren't entertaining just one werewolf. From my count, it looked like a whole pack. I tried to shake off my paralyzing fear.
"Move slowly," I cautioned her, but Poppy was already bolting for the door.
She'd nearly reached it when a blur of fur and snapping teeth launched itself at her back. I put up a hand, and the next thing I knew, a heavy flowerpot flew across the yard and hit the wolf squarely on the nose. He dropped to the ground, panting and whimpering, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw another wolf creep forward.
I sprinted to the door and made it inside with seconds to spare. I slammed the door and turned the lock, and Poppy and I stood trembling in our foyer. We waited, but there was only silence outside. Then we finally heard the sound of the pack running into the night. I sagged against the door frame.
Poppy took a shaky breath. "What the heck was that all about?" she said.
"I don't know," I said. "But I think they were young wolves—teenagers maybe. They have to be. Why else would they shift when it's not even a full moon?" There was something still puplike about a couple of the wolves.
"There aren't that many young werewolves in Nightshade, are there?" I thought about it, then counting on my fingers, I listed them. "There's Nicholas, Bane Paxton and his little brother, Wolfgang, Elise Wilder, and Ryan. That's all I can think of."
"That's only five," Poppy said. "But you saw a lot more, didn't you?"
I nodded. "I think there were at least eight of them." "Maybe they're out-of-towners," Poppy offered. A terrible thought occurred to me. "Or maybe..."
"What?"
"Maybe someone is increasing the werewolf population." "How does that happen?"
I shrugged. My werewolf boyfriend hadn't been exactly forthcoming about the particulars.
"Ryan might know something," Poppy said.
"He'd never do something like that!" I defended him. "Nicholas, either."
"Of course not." Poppy rolled her eyes. "I meant that since Ryan is a werewolf, he might know or could help us find out more about it." She shuddered. "Those wolves were on the hunt. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't hit that one when you did."
"I'll ask Ryan," I told her, "the first chance I get." I didn't want him to think I was a scaredy-cat, so I decided to tell him in the morning.
I didn't realize that it would be some time before I saw him again.
CHAPTER EIGHT
I called Ryan's house the next morning during my break at Slim's, but I got his answering machine. I tried his cell, too, but there was no answer. By the time I left work, he still hadn't returned my call. I tried not to get irritated. It was late in the afternoon when he finally called me back. Rose and Poppy were both still at work, so I jumped a little when the phone rang.
He sounded stressed.
"I'm in Orange County," he said.
"What?" I was startled. He hadn't mentioned any upcoming trips, but I did know that he had family there.
"My grandmother took a fall yesterday. Dad and I left Nightshade last night right before dinner."
I knew it hadn't been Ryan in the pack last night, but I was relieved to hear that he'd already been on the road when we saw the teen wolves.
"Is she okay?"
"She broke her hip and she's a little shaken up. The surgery went well, but Dad and I will be here at least a week or two."
"Is there anything I can do?" There was no way I was going to tell him about the teen werewolf pack, not now. He had enough on his mind.
"Just be careful, Daisy. And ask Nicholas for help if you need it."
"Nicholas? I can take care of myself."
"I know you can," he said gently. "But a little backup wouldn't hurt."
After I hung up with Ryan, I weighed my options. I couldn't prove for certain that Wolfie was the culprit, but talking to Nicholas might be good. If nothing else, he could give me a little insight about pack behavior.
I wandered into the kitchen and took down a mixing bowl. I always thought more clearly when I was cooking. I'd start with the dessert. I decided on fresh peach ice cream. Poppy loved ice cream of any kind and ice cream might tempt her appetite. She still wasn't eating enough.
I figured Rose and Poppy would be home from work soon, and sure enough, Rose walked in while I was getting out the ice cream maker.
"Rose, do you know the next time Nicholas is coming over?"
"We have a date tonight," she said.
Perfect timing. "Do you mind if I borrow him for a few minutes? I have some questions about pack behavior."
"Go right ahead," she said. "Is Ryan having problems or something?"
"No, it's not that." I told her about Wolfgang Paxton's obnoxious behavior and how Poppy and I had been cornered by the Were pack the night before.
"Daisy, this is serious," she said. "Remember, Nicholas didn't grow up in a pack, but he's done a lot of research. It sounds like there's a renegade pack on the loose in Nightshade."
"Why don't you invite Nicholas over for dinner?" I said. "I'll cook and then we can pick his brain."
"That's a great idea," Rose said. "We were just going to go to a movie or something, but he loves your cooking."
I felt a warm glow at her praise. I wasn't good at that many things, but I was the only one in my family who was good at cooking. Except my father, but he didn't count. Only the people who stayed with the family counted.
Rose went upstairs to prepare for her date and then Poppy came in as I was pouring the ice cream mixture into the maker.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Fresh peach ice cream," I replied. Her face lit up and I was glad I'd thought of it.
"Do you need any help?" she asked. "Otherwise, I'm going to go change." She was still in her work clothes.
"No, thanks," I replied. "I've got it handled."
Before she went to her room, she reminded me to practice.
I decided to try to get the pan I used for boiling pasta onto the stove using telekinesis. It worked out okay, except that I spilled a little water on the way over to the stove.
Since company was coming, I decided to jazz up what I'd planned for dinner. We had the ingredients to make a fresh tomato and herb bruschetta, so I got everything together and put it in the oven for an appetizer.
I wondered if I might like to be a professional chef someday. My senior year was coming up and I needed to start thinking seriously about my future. But first I had to figure out what was happening in Nightshade.
When the doorbell rang, I beat Rose to it.
"Hi, Nicholas," I said.
"Hi, Daisy." Nicholas smiled politely but looked behind me for Rose. Despite their rocky high school romance, he was clearly totally into my sister. Which was another reason I trusted Nicholas's judgment.
A timer rang in the kitchen, and I rushed to rescue the bruschetta from the oven. Rose and Nicholas followed me, and Poppy, attracted by the smell of baking bread, appeared a minute later. I transferred the appetizers onto a serving platter and then offered everyone some.
"These look great," Nicholas said. "Thanks so much for the dinner invite." He grabbed a piece of bruschetta and popped it into his mouth.
"I heard the phone ring earlier," I said to Poppy." Was that Mom calling about her flight?"
"Yeah, she called," Poppy replied. "She's not coming home anytime soon. Her case is taking longer than expected."
I wondered what Mom was up to in Italy. She wasn't telling us the whole story, but there wasn't much I could do about it from N
ightshade.
I changed the subject. "I made pasta, too. It's a new recipe. It should be ready in a minute." I knew pasta in the middle of summer was a little heavy, but Nicholas ate a lot and never seemed to gain an ounce.
"Why don't we take our plates and sit outside?" Poppy suggested.
We all grabbed our food and followed her suggestion. There was a little patio table in the backyard that was perfect for the four of us.
I couldn't very well grill Nicholas until I'd fed him, so I waited until he had eaten before asking him questions.
"Did Rose tell you about what happened to Poppy and me?"
He nodded.
"Can you tell us a little bit about werewolf packs?"
"Normally, they're made up of families, related groups."
"Like the Wilders?" I asked.
"Exactly, although the Wilders are a little different because they have so many species of Were animals besides wolves in their family tree. There are two kinds of Weres, born and made. I have a suspicion that the Weres in the pack that attacked you were made."
"What makes you think that?"
"First of all, since they came after you on a night when there wasn't a full moon, they have to be new Weres who don't yet have the control that more experienced adult Weres do."
I nodded. "I know adult Weres have enough control that they change only when the moon is full. Plus, they were like puppies. Big feet and awkward, but still dangerous."
"And you say there were about eight of them? There aren't that many Were teenagers in Nightshade."
"Good point," I replied. "And besides, I don't really see Elise or Bane doing something like that, and I know it wasn't Ryan. He wasn't even in town."
"How are werewolves made?" Rose asked.
"It's a risky business," Nicholas said. "A werewolf finds a victim—sometimes willing, sometimes not—and bites him or her. Then the victim has to survive the change."
"Why would a Were want to do that to someone?" Poppy exclaimed. She sounded repulsed.
"Power," Nicholas said. "Or loneliness."
"It wouldn't surprise me if Wolfgang Paxton was involved," I said. "I've seen him be really nasty."
Poppy nodded. "Me, too."
Nicholas shook his head. "I would hope Wolfgang would know better than to do such a thing. Nevertheless, I'll tell the council members to keep an eye on him." He paused for another bite of pasta before he asked me, "Would you recognize the pack if you saw them again?" "Definitely the wolf who seemed to be the leader." A troubling thought occurred to me. "Can a werewolf's bite be reversed? I asked.
Nicholas looked startled. "I don't know.
"Because I have this weird feeling that Nightshade's football team has started howling at the moon.
Rose stared at me. "That's terrible."
"I know, I said. "Sean's on the football team and he's been acting really weird lately. And hanging out with Wolfgang Paxton, someone he couldn't stand before.
"Is there anything else that makes you think the team is involved? Nicholas asked.
"They're all ordering their meat rare when they come to Slim's," I said. "And some of them have really bulked up."
"You should try to talk to Sean," Rose said. "Or ask Sam to."
"Ryan's Sean's best friend. He's already tried talking to him." I told him what had happened at the movie theater.
"Something's not right, Nicholas stated.
We had no idea what an understatement that was. Something was definitely wrong in Nightshade, and teen werewolves were only part of the problem.
CHAPTER NINE
After a few weeks of my working at the diner, Slim finally trusted me in the kitchen alone. At least, I thought he did. When your boss was an invisible man, it was hard to know for sure. I was getting more cooking shifts and fewer serving shifts. Of course, that could be because I drove Flo crazy when I made mistakes.
"Daisy," Slim said, "can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure." I faced the general direction of where I thought he was. Today it was fairly easy because he was chopping onions and I saw the knife flash.
I waited, but he didn't say anything. Finally, he cleared his throat. "Do you think you could handle the morning shift on your own for a while on Saturday?"
"Really?" I beamed at him. Then a thought struck me. "Is everything all right?"
"Yes, of course," he said. "But I'd rather you didn't say anything to Natalie. Or anyone else. Natalie gets anxious when I'm away. She'll notice eventually, but I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't call her attention to my absence."
"Of course," I said. "Does Flo know?"
I knew Natalie would kill me if she found out I'd been covering for her boyfriend. But he was a grown man, after all.
I wondered what kind of plans Slim had that he didn't want his girlfriend to know about, but I wasn't going to ask my boss about his love life. "What time should I be here?"
When my alarm rang at four A.M., I rolled over and groaned. I was faced with leaving for work in the pitch-black. The thought that only the vamps and me were up at this hour didn't help. At least until daybreak, that is.
I took a quick shower and got into some old clothes. They were still decent enough to wear to work, but I wouldn't be devastated if I stained, scorched, or sweated on anything I had on.
I braided my hair, then grabbed the car keys. Rose would drop off Poppy later in the morning. She'd be chomping at the bit to have the car, because she had to work later that day, but there was no way she was getting up early enough to take me to work. Being a two-car family was a pain sometimes, but it could be worse. We could all be harpies, like the Dickersons.
Although there was plenty of parking out front, I parked in the alley behind the restaurant. Slim preferred that staff park in the back.
The lights were already on at the donut shop across the street, and as I got out of the car, I breathed in the intoxicating smell of sugar and fried dough. My stomach growled loudly.
At least, I was hoping it was my stomach and not one of Nightshade's scarier residents when I noticed movement over by the dumpster.
A shabby figure stepped out of the shadows. Am an, wearing dark clothes and a hat slung low, his mouth stuffed with yesterday's stale cinnamon rolls. He groaned as he chewed. It took me a minute to recognize the features under the wide-brimmed hat.
It was my father. The father I hadn't seen in years.
"Dad?" I said, shocked. The keys jangled as they dropped to the pavement. At the sound of my voice, he bolted away. I was unable to move as the knowledge swirled in my brain. My father was back in Nightshade and had made no attempt to contact his family.
After a long time, I picked up my keys with shaking hands and let myself into the diner. But I worried all through my shift. My previously elegant, immaculately clad dad had been dressed in a grungy pair of eighties parachute pants and a red flannel shirt. And he looked like he'd spent the last six years in a dumpster.
The diner was packed for breakfast, and I spent the next few hours sweating cinnamon rolls and black coffee. Gradually, the orders petered out and the restaurant emptied. I wandered to the front to get a coffee.
"You'd better take a break before the lunch rush starts." Flo patted a stool next to hers.
I was still consumed with second-guessing myself. Had it really been my father? And if it was, how on earth could I tell Mom?
Maybe the jukebox could shed a little light on the subject. It wasn't like other jukeboxes, any more than Nightshade was like other towns. The music player had given me plenty of clues solving other cases, but would it help me solve this one?
I handed Flo a five and asked for change in quarters. "Think Lil is still mad?" I asked, with a nod toward the jukebox.
She shrugged. "I think she missed you."
I fed my stack of quarters into the machine and punched in my selections, but there was no reaction. Not even my normal selections played. I was being given the silent treatment.
"Look, I'm sorry I was go
ne so long," I whispered. "But I really need your help."
Nothing. I checked my watch. It was almost eleven. Time to get ready for the lunch rush.
The door opened and Penny Edwards walked in.
"Hi, Penny," I said, eyeing her cautiously. Which Penny would I see today? The old Penny or the Penny at the beach?
"Giordano," she said, "I'm supposed to meet the rest of the cheerleaders here. Can you show me to a table?" Penny seemed to be up to her usual tricks.
"We don't have a hostess here, Penny," I replied. "Just pick a spot and sit down."
She made it almost impossible to like her. There were no other customers, so I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat on one of the stools next to Flo. I wasn't going to fall all over myself to wait on Penny.
A few minutes later, other cheerleaders drifted in.
"Daisy, it's nice to see you," Rachel said. She gave me a big hug.
"I'm glad to see you," I said, hugging her back. Samantha and the rest of the squad came in, and since they were the only customers in the restaurant, I stayed and chatted.
"Could we please get some water? Like sometime today?" Penny demanded in a cold voice. I laid a restraining hand on Flo's arm." I'll get it." I didn't want the whole squad getting kicked out of Slim's because of Penny's snotty attitude. Flo was capable of banishing them for much less.
I gave everyone glasses and set the water pitcher down in front of Penny. She gave me the cold shoulder, but her eyes held the gleam they got when she had good dirt. By the way she could barely suppress her glee when she looked at me, I knew that she was dying to say something about my sisters or me.
Flo took their order, which consisted of a dozen diet sodas, several salads, and a couple of orders of fries, so I headed back to the kitchen, but not before I heard Penny's raised voice. What had her in such a dither?
"He's in town, I'm telling you. My mother saw him in the parking lot of the grocery store and he looked like a bum or something."