Deek isn’t offended by the assertion. Instead, he says, “You say that because you haven’t tasted her cookies. You’d chase after her for a chance to have them too.” Idly, he watches his packmates surrounding the woman’s car as if he might be considering the merits of leaping out the window and chasing her down for a cookie right now.
“Deek?” Charlotte asks.
“Yes?”
“What do you do? I mean, before you came to live with us.”
Deek’s easygoing as always when he replies, “I work for the church.”
There’s a polite pause before Charlotte asks, “Really?” Her tone says That’s a real job?
He glances in her direction. “Yes.”
“What do you do?”
Seemingly not bothered by the prying, he still shifts his gaze away—but not cagily. Just… him. Submissively. “We’re a studying church, so the congregation gets together to read passages and break the text down verse by verse. I research the time periods and offer backgrounds on the chapters. I also have access to the Chaldee, Hebrew, and Greek translations. Those become helpful when the material doesn’t seem to make sense, which could be a case of a mistranslation.” His hands are clasped in his lap, his posture easy. “Sometimes it’s simply useful to have a refresher on world events at that time, like knowing about Cyrus, the ruler of the Persian Empire, and Alexander the Great, when you’re studying Kings and Isaiah. I also teach Sunday school every other weekend.”
“So you’re like… a preacher?” Ginny asks.
“Our church calls teachers pastors.” He clears his throat. “Like for a flock.”
“A flock of werewolves,” Charlotte intones.
Deek relaxed hands tense to fists on his thighs as he winces. “Yes.”
“Wow,” Ginny says.
Maggie raises her hand so that I connect gazes with her in the rearview mirror. “Can I go to church with Deek?”
“Umm,” I start, not sure if we want to attend werewolf church. Not even sure we’re allowed to attend.
Deek blurts, “Why was the math book upset?”
Everyone in the car is instantly bewildered.
I throw him a nonplussed look before turning my attention back to the street. “...Why?”
From the corner of my eye, I see Deek’s Adam’s apple bob like he’s gulped air. “Because he had a lot of problems.”
There’s a loud moment of silence.
Charlotte clears her throat. “Deek?”
“Yes?”
“That was painful.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Tell us another one!” Maggie encourages.
Obediently, Deek does. “What did the buffalo say to his little boy when he dropped him off at school?”
“Oh no,” Charlotte says faintly.
“What?” Maggie asks.
Deek smiles a little and answers proudly, “‘Bison.’”
Maggie bursts out laughing like he’s hilarious—making his smile grow.
Ginny, in the middle seat, covers her face with her hands. “Are all werewolves like this? Full of lame dad jokes?”
“No,” Deek answers.
“Another one!” Maggie cries.
Deek nods to himself. “Why don’t vampires go to barbecues?”
“I don’t know. Why?” Maggie is grinning ear to ear. Charlotte and Ginny are looking disturbed at Deek’s hidden talent for terrible jokes.
Deek chuffs a quiet laugh, gazing out the windshield. “They don’t like steak.”
Unable not to ask, I look to him. “You know, it was such a big deal when werewolves came out. And since there are werewolves, a lot of people have been wondering… are there vampires?”
Deek freezes.
When I chance a glance at him, I see fur sprouting on him.
“Deek,” I say carefully.
He ducks. Or to be fairer—he flattens.
“If you aren’t supposed to say,” I tell him quickly, “that’s okay. Pretend I never asked.”
His body relaxes.
Maggie shouts, “I want to know!”
Deek explodes into a full werewolf, causing me to slap my blinker on in order to be as polite as possible when I swerve to the curb and slam us in park so I can free him from his clothes and adjust the seat belt.
“I guess that answers that,” Ginny says, eyes wide in the rearview as I roll down Deek’s window so he can stick his muzzle out while I pull back into traffic.
CHAPTER 21
LUCAN
THE FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF SCHOOL
The idea that a two-day school week will ease all parties into the school day routine of the year probably looks like a great plan on paper. In reality, it’s a pretty hectic morning. The dread and excitement of returning to classes (regular classes, that is, with a load of non-accelerated ones for Charlotte and Ginny) is so strong I would have been able to sense the girls all the way down the block. Without werewolf senses. Being that I’m in the house with them and I am a werewolf though, the swirl of emotions and tension is a whirlwind for