Wild Country (The World of the Others #2)- Anne Bishop Page 0,176
to warn all the Wolfgard. Many didn’t hear the warning in time and were killed, but many escaped the HFL humans because she bled … and she saw.”
Blood prophet. Through his mother, and because of some things Jesse had told him in strictest confidence, he knew the locations of the two cassandra sangue whose vision had saved not only some of the Wolfgard but Prairie Gold as well. “Does Broomstick Girl live in Sweetwater or Lakeside?”
A soft growl of warning before Morgan said, “Lakeside.”
Gods, what had the terra indigene heard? “Would it be permitted for a human to hear the teaching story about the Cyrus human?”
Morgan cocked his head. “Why would you need to hear our story? Don’t you have teaching stories of your own?”
“We do, but I’m not sure our teaching story about Broomstick Girl and the Cyrus human would travel this far from Lakeside.”
“It is an important story.”
He didn’t dare tell Morgan that a young woman being abducted might not be considered important news if the abduction took place in another region.
“It’s a very important story for my people as well as yours. But news doesn’t always travel between regions anymore.” Not quite true, since the Elders hadn’t eliminated the means for radio and television programs to span the continent of Thaisia. But lately there had been too much—and nothing—to say, especially when humans finally understood that the Others also listened to what was said on the radio and television.
“When I have learned the story, I will tell you,” Morgan said.
“Thank you.” Thinking it would be easier to walk through a nest of rattlesnakes, Tobias answered Morgan’s first question—and hoped he wasn’t simplifying things too much. “When someone talks about outlaws, I think of the frontier stories. Outlaws were the humans who robbed banks or stores. They stole cattle and horses. And the sheriff and deputies would catch those humans and put them in jail because they broke human law.” He thought for a moment. “If the terra indigene see someone they think is an outlaw, they should capture him and howl for the sheriff and let the sheriff take that human to jail.”
Morgan nodded. “Outlaws we capture.” He thought for a moment before adding, “But if they attack us, we will eat them.”
* * *
* * *
Jana walked into Virgil’s office, set a small roasting pan on his desk, and lifted the lid. When the Wolf said nothing and did nothing except stare at the contents of the pan, she said, “It’s an apology.”
“It looks like meat.”
“It is meat. I figured you would like that more than chocolates or flowers.”
“I do.” Now, finally, he looked at her. “Why are you apologizing?”
“This is my first job as a deputy. I’m going to make mistakes.”
He nodded. “The meat is an apology for which mistake?”
She’d made more than one? Darn it! “The woman’s death upset me.”
“But not the male’s death?”
“Yes, but I didn’t see him. I did see her. And because she killed herself, I accepted her version of events as she related them to Mr. Skye. I should have asked if any of the terra indigene had seen anything. I should have been more respectful when I tried to explain why I felt those people should have been apprehended rather than killed. I was thinking with my feelings instead of my head.”
Her last statement seemed to confuse him until he took a deep breath. Then he focused on the meat sitting right in front of him and licked his lips.
“You want to rejoin the police pack?” he asked.
“Yes. Sir. Yes, sir.”
He stared at her. “All right. You can rejoin the pack. Just remember that there are enemies among the humans living in this town.”
“I’ll remember.” She kept her eyes focused on the desk. Submissive. Offering no challenge.
“Get to work,” Virgil said.
Jana dashed for the door. Before she crossed the threshold, he added, “Tobias Walker might want to kiss your furless ass, but if you challenge me again, I will discipline you like any other member of the pack and you will feel my teeth. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
Back at her own desk, she turned on the computer and set the pen and pad of paper beside the phone to take the day’s messages—and noticed how her hands shook. With relief. Yes. Her hands shook with relief that she didn’t have to handle human conflicts on her own.
She would keep telling herself that until she believed it. But that other thing?
Kiss her furless ass. Right. She should have known Yuri or the