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I considered getting in touch with somebody in one of the packs when I got back to my cabin, just to check out Pirate Dave’s powers and the whole vampire/werewolf dynamic, but then I saw the messages shoved under my door. Two more fruit baskets and a balloon bouquet were waiting for me at the front desk. I decided that was enough pack attention for one night. As long as I stayed away from Adventure Cove for the next couple of days, I shouldn’t have to worry about Pirate Dave again.
I might have been able to stick with it, too, had it not been for three things. One, when I read the local newspaper over breakfast the next day, I learned that two children had been hurt in the breakdown of the Kraken the night before. Though neither injury had been serious, one was bad enough to keep a little girl out of a softball tournament she’d been practicing for all year. There was also an article about the park’s recent troubles, complete with speculation about the number of people who’d be out of work should the park shut down.
Two, there were more pack offerings waiting for me when I went by the front desk to get the deliveries from the previous night: fruit, cookies, and a spa basket.
Three, and possibly the reason that would have convinced me all by itself, I’d spent all night having extremely vivid dreams about a red-haired pirate.
That’s why I was the first person in line when Pirate Dave’s Adventure Cove opened, and I spent the day looking—and sniffing—for signs of sabotage. I wasn’t exactly subtle, but nobody noticed. The news about the park’s problems had spread, so there were even fewer guests than there had been the day before, and the employees were clearly demoralized by impending unemployment. I paid particular attention to the area around the Kraken but got nothing.
I’m not sure exactly what I expected to find. Pirate Dave had been sure the threat was supernatural, and unfortunately my experience with the supernatural world was next to nil. At least I could be fairly sure that the saboteur wasn’t another werewolf—I knew what we smelled like.
The park was so empty that I wasn’t sure if they’d bother with the evening parade, but when night fell, I was at Shiver-Me-Timbers, waiting for the Brazen Mermaid to arrive. As soon as the float stopped, I joined the scant half dozen candidates for Sea Queen.
Pirate Dave’s reaction upon seeing me was priceless. His face flushed, and he glared at me as he gave his usual invitation in a harsh tone that scared off two teenage girls. When it came time to throw the doubloon, he didn’t even pretend to fling it to anybody but me. I walked past the same flunky as before to climb the rope ladder and wasn’t a bit surprised when Dave grabbed me before I was halfway up and yanked me the rest of the way.
“All hail Sea Queen Joyce!” he thundered, and motioned for the float to start moving.
“Miss me?” I asked as we waved mechanically to the pitiful excuse for a crowd.
“What the devil is your game, wolfling?”
“Shouldn’t that be Queen Wolfling?”
“You should be keelhauled after what you did to those children last night.”
“I had nothing to do with that,” I snapped. “Which should be clear even to you by now.”
“What’s clear is that you’re playing some kind of game with people’s lives.”
“How many times do I have to tell you that I’m just here on vacation? I don’t want the park to close. Why else would I spend the entire freaking day sniffing around for whoever it is who’s trying to ruin you?”
He waved in silence for a moment. “You’re telling the truth? You really did that?”
“Can’t vampires sense lies?”
“That’s witches,” he said. “All I can do is glamour humans into telling the truth.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“But I do read body language, and yours . . . I believe you.”
“Finally!”
“Please accept my apologies for abducting you,” he said awkwardly.
“And for hitting me over the head?”
“Yes.”
“All right, then,” I said magnanimously. “Apology accepted.”
We waved more amiably for a minute, and then he said, “You must admit that having a werewolf show up is a remarkable coincidence.”
“I suppose. I don’t know how many of us there are.”
“None of the supernatural races are numerous—most of our numbers are in decline, and naturally women are particularly sought after.”
That certainly helped explain why all the packs were so interested in me. Fresh blood and all that.
“Well, I didn’t find anybody supernatural in the park today. Not that I’ve met enough to know what they’re supposed to smell like, but everybody I sniffed today was normal. Of course, that kind of thing is harder to do when I’m in human form.”
“I can imagine.”
“Why would somebody be so set on putting you out of business anyway? Is it vampire politics? I’d heard the infighting can get pretty nasty.” I was basing that more on books I’d read than on the orientation I hadn’t paid attention to.
“So I understand, but that doesn’t affect me.”
“Oh?”
“I have very little contact with my own kind.” I didn’t have to be an expert in body language to know he didn’t want to talk about it.
“Well, I’m pretty sure it’s not werewolves—that’s the one scent I know well. Witches? Ghouls? Space aliens?”
“Space aliens? This may be a joke to you, but I’m in danger of losing the park.”
“Sorry. I’m new to this. I’ve only been a werewolf for a few months. I’m not even in a pack yet.”
“I thought you’d belong to the pack that Changed you.”
“I was bitten by a rogue,” I said, though “bitten” was putting it mildly. “That means I get to pick a pack at the Gathering next month. That’s why I took this vacation—the packs have been courting me relentlessly.”
“Naturally,” he said.
I looked up at him in surprise. Had that been a compliment? I pushed the idea away. “But back to your problem. You said you have no enemies?”
“Of course I have enemies. I’m over three hundred years old.”
“You’re how old?” I did some figuring. “Jeez, were you really a pirate?”
“Not by choice,” he said softly. “So I sympathize with your curse.”
“My curse? You mean being a werewolf?”
He nodded.
“It’s not a curse—I love being a werewolf.” I loved roaming the woods with every sense on overload. I loved the strength in my body, the power in my movements. And God knew I loved being able to eat whatever I wanted and then run it off effortlessly. “The pack lifestyle is going to take some getting used to,” I admitted, “but being a werewolf rocks.” I was about to ask how he felt about being a vampire, but the float had come to the end of the route.
Pirate Dave helped me descend much more gently than he’d helped me ascend.
“I am sorry for suspecting you,” he said, “and when this is all over, I would very much like to spend more time with you.”
“As long as it doesn’t involve a cage.”
“Not until we know each other better,” he said with the wicked grin that I’d dreamt of.
It was the grin that made me reluctant to leave. “Isn’t there anything else I can do to help?”
He cocked his head to one side. “Not that I don’t appreciate your concern, but why? We’ve barely met.”
“True, but in a way I’ve known you for years. My family used to come to Lake Bartholomew every year, and coming to the park was the best part.” I left out the part about praying I’d catch the golden doubloon. “I love this place.”
He smiled incredibly sweetly. “Thank you.”
Dave leaned forward, and I was sure I was about to have another part of my dream come true, but an employee came ru
With a quick squeeze of my hand, Pirate Dave took off, with the flunky trying in vain to keep up.
I started to follow, then stopped to think about the possibilities. If the sabotage had just happened, then the saboteur might still be around, which meant I might have a shot at sniffing him out, but it wouldn’t hurt to improve my chances. I went to a nearby souvenir booth, grabbed what I needed, and threw money at the cashier on my way to the closest ladies’ room. It took only a minute to strip and stuff my belongings into the tote bag I’d just bought—a canvas number with Keep to the Code! emblazoned across it. After a moment’s consideration, I Changed into a Scottish terrier so as not to look threatening, then zipped out of the bathroom, dragging the bag behind me. The only one who noticed me was a little girl waiting while her parents argued over whether or not to stay for the fireworks.