waited for some werewolves to come along and move that fallen tree, I saw the compound.
It wasn’t all that pretty, but in the spring the wildflowers and grasses would grow over the areas where the trees had been cleared and the well and septic put in, and it would look like a beautiful meadow dotted with frame homes. Right now it was a rocky, muddy mess with torn-up trees off to the side where the backhoe had pushed them. The houses were pristine pine lumber and plywood sheets, the roofing trusses covered with bright blue tarps. I assumed in addition to running pipes and wires, the werewolves would be getting the roof and shingles on, then the doors and windows. As Cassie had said, winter was fast approaching, and Clinton and his pack really needed to be off Heartbreak Mountain before the first frost, and before Dallas lost his patience.
But before they did that, I needed to relocate the hornets who were making roofing work a nightmare for the werewolves. And a badger—although why the werewolves couldn’t deal with one little badger, I didn’t know. I closed my eyes and extended my awareness. My four squirrels were arguing with another two about trespassing and territory rights. Drake was staring at a werewolf’s discarded lunch remains, wondering why humans felt the need to cook their meat. Three does were grazing nearby, very aware of my presence. Birds. Insects.
Hornets. I opened my eyes and walked over to one of the far houses that had been built under a huge sycamore tree at the end of the clearing. There, up on a high limb, was one of the biggest hornet’s nests I’d ever seen.
There was no way I’d be able to reach that nest with my collapsible pole, even if I climbed up on the roof trusses of the house. I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to carry that nest somewhere else, it was so huge. I could ask the hornets to leave.
I could do more than ask them, but I refused to do that. It wasn’t right to take an animal’s will. No, I’d ask. I’d reason. And hopefully we could come to an understanding because if the werewolves continued to get stung, then their next step would be to break out the poison.
And none of us wanted that. Well, the hornets and I didn’t want that. I’m pretty sure no one beyond me cared about hornets. I called up to them, but none responded, so I looked around until I found a good-sized ladder, propped it against the house, and climbed as high as I dared.
“Hello! Hornets?”
A few emerged from the nest, buzzing around the opening. I tried to explain the situation to them, but they were more concerned about dwindling food supplies and the threat of predation by birds. After some back and forth, I managed to convince them that the werewolves working on this house were not a threat, and promised that the workers would not come within six feet of their nest.
I made my way carefully down the ladder, nearly jumping out of my skin when a pair of hands grabbed my waist and eased me down.
“Shit, Clinton! You nearly scared me half to death!” I scolded the werewolf alpha. As big and brawny as they were, werewolves were pretty darned light on their feet. I hadn’t even heard him approach.
“Sorry.” The werewolf grinned sheepishly. “Saw your truck by the downed tree and came to see if you needed a hand.”
“I just finished dealing with your hornet problem.” I gestured toward the nest. “Tell everyone to stay at least six feet from the nest and they’ll leave you alone. Unless you start swatting at them, that is.”
Clinton scowled. “Can’t you smoke them to sleep and move the nest? I don’t trust those things one bit. Yesterday I got stung, and I gotta say it was the most painful experience of my life. I’ve been stabbed, shot, hit over the head with a fire hydrant, and nothing hurt like that damned hornet sting.”
I grimaced, thankful that I’d never experienced a hornet sting. “They can’t vacate this late in the year, and that nest is too big and too high for me to move it. They’re really not aggressive. It’s only when they’re protecting their nest or they’re threatened that they attack. Otherwise they’re very peaceful creatures.”
“Peaceful my ass.” The werewolf glared up at the nest. “Darla and Billy are supposed to live here along with their three pups,