life to righting what he considered his greatest wrong.
I returned my attention to Damien. "What did you do in the days after you'd shifted the first time?"
"Slept. The physical changes take some getting used to."
"Sleeping sounds good."
Even though I'd slept most of the night, I was exhausted.
"Then you will sleep," Edward ordered. "The rest of us will watch."
"Like hell."
"I didn't mean watch you sleep. I meant watch this place."
"You don't think Hector will be watching us, too? Or one of his wolf boys?"
"I know how to watch a residence, Leigh. I am not completely senile. Yet."
I had a thought - one I should have had before, but I'd been a little busy.
"Did Cora have any fascinating ideas on how to kill Hector?"
Jessie and Will shook their heads. "Nothing more than what she told us the first time."
"Terrific."
"I have an idea," Will said.
"I'm glad someone does."
"Often doing the opposite of a ritual will reverse the outcome."
"English, Slick."
He blinked and adjusted his glasses. "I thought that was."
"Do you have any idea what he was talking about?" Jessie asked.
I shrugged.
"If the ritual is..."
Was he blushing? I kind of thought so.
"The ritual is doing me under the hunter's moon in front of all the other wolves."
"Right. So not doing you will keep him from becoming all-powerful."
"That works well for me. But how do we kill the son of a bitch?"
"He became a Weendigo by killing, then eating the flesh of his enemy. Reverse it."
I thought about what he'd said. "His enemy kills, then eats him?"
"Can't hurt."
Yes, it could. Because Hector's enemy was me.
Chapter 38
"Can you do it, Leigh?" Will's voice, his face, was concerned.
"Of course she can." Jessie smacked me on the back. "If it means getting rid of Hector, you can handle anything, right? He murdered your family."
"I remember."
The room went silent, as if in respect for those who had died. I thought of them - went over their names again in my mind.
Jessie was right. I could do anything if it meant sending Hector to hell.
"Let's make a plan," I said.
Edward ran a hand over my head. "There's my girl."
Warmth spread through me at his praise. However, when he saw I was still holding Damien's hand he frowned and stepped away. I hoped I wouldn't have to choose between the two of them. But that was a worry for another time. If I lived past tonight.
We sat around the kitchen table. Will made coffee. Since I had no cinnamon, the secret ingredient, it wasn't as good as the last time. But it was certainly better than any coffee I'd ever made.
The planning didn't take long. "Shoot him with silver," Edward advised. "It is all you can do."
"Cora said silver will kill a Weendigo. But a power eater, she wasn't sure."
"Silver wasn't supposed to kill the wolf god," Jessie murmured.
"But it did?"
"Only because / shot her." Will took Jessie's hand, and she squeezed his fingers with a sad, wistful smile.
"I loved her."
"The wolf god ritual was about love," Will explained. "Zee needed the blood of the one who loved her to complete the ritual. Therefore, only the hand of the one who loved her could end her life. This ritual is about hate, enemies, lust, and not love."
"Nice," I muttered.
Will continued as if I hadn't spoken. "So it follows that if the power eater is shot by the one who hates him, his enemy, he should be wounded, disabled at the least. Then, to end his existence forever..."
Will looked at me.
"Conquering of the enemy, by eating of the flesh."
"Precisely."
I could hardly wait.
The meeting broke up. The others dispersed to take their hiding places and wait for Hector. Damien and I, the bait, waited, too.
I wanted to finish what Edward had interrupted. Sex with love - for the first time.
Damien touched me and I felt reborn. If we could get through tonight alive we could share love, life, a future.
The door burst open and in strode Hector. My back flared with agony, and I fell to the floor, writhing, helpless. Hector grabbed Damien by the neck and tossed him across the room as if he were a doll.
Damien cracked against the wall and slid into a heap.
A man would be dead. A werewolf should be fine. Damien lay still. He appeared broken.
I crawled toward him. My back was on fire, but I had other things to worry about.
I placed my palm against his chest. He was breathing, but a tiny trickle of blood ran out of his ear. I had to remember that Hector