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  “Please, Rylie--”

  “Wait a minute. I know why all of a sudden you’re questioning the curse. It has to do with Jack, doesn’t it? None of this talk started until he came into the picture. I think you should just forget about him. That, or date him yourself.” I pushed the plate away and wiped the corners of my mouth.

  “I can’t believe you just said that,” she huffed and tossed her fork down.

  “Believe it, because I said it,” I snapped. All right, I sounded like a snot, but at that moment I didn’t care. She seemed too concerned about what was going on with Jack. I had only known him for a few days. Repeatedly I told her the curse was real. She should believe me.

  “I’m not interested in Jack for myself,” Jennifer cried with a squeal in her voice.

  No comment.

  She picked up her fork again and idly pushed her food around on the plate with it, avoiding my gaze. I moved from the table into the living room and plopped down on the sofa, folding my arms in front of my chest. It took a lot for me to move away from steak, but this was enough to force me to leave without eating every bite. There was no denying, I felt particularly rowdy and couldn’t fight it. Tomorrow night the full moon would edge into view, and I’d spend my time trying not to howl directly at it. Jennifer’s meddling didn’t help matters.

  “You know what,” I pointed at her, “I’ll call my mother right now and ask her. She’ll set this whole mess straight.” I grabbed the phone and punched in the numbers.

  Jennifer stared at me, then shrugged. Apparently she had no comment. The phone rang on the other end, and I waited for my mother to pick up the line as I tapped my fingernails on the table positioned next to me. My anxiety increased just thinking about why my mother would do such a thing. She was flaky, but this was ridiculous. One way or another, I intended to get to the bottom of the situation.

  “It’s ringing,” I said as if Jennifer had asked.

  She nodded, unenthusiastically. I’d show her. My mother would answer and then tell Jennifer what was really going on. It was all just a misunderstanding and would be settled in a matter of minutes. The phone continued to ring, and Jennifer arched her brow while continuing to stare at me. I shot her a sharp look. She still didn’t say a word, although by the look on her face I knew she wanted to.

  “No answer. She must not be home. I’ll call her later. I’m sure it’s a misinterpretation and she’ll straighten out the mix-up as soon as we talk to her.” I pushed the button and set the phone down.

  Jennifer moved across the floor and sat in the chair across from me. She remained tightlipped. Minutes passed without conversation. Jennifer examined her nails while I counted the fringe tangling from the sofa pillow. The silence was palpable, hanging in the air like thick fog hovering over a lake. The tension was ridiculous, so I made the first move to ease things between us.

  “So you want to help me with the voodoo junk while we wait to call her back?”

  Jennifer shrugged. “I guess.” With her legs draped over the side of the overstuffed chair, she didn’t look at me, but continued to study her manicure.

  I stood from my spot on the sofa. “I’ll get the stuff. I’ll be right back.”

  Again, no response.

  After a few seconds, I returned with the little black pouch, the instructions and the oils and powder that came with it. Jennifer had moved to the window. She stared down at the street below for a couple of seconds lost in thought, I suppose. She didn’t acknowledge my presence. Moving over to the sofa, I found my comfy spot again. Surely she’d stop ignoring me soon. Stubborn ass. She could be difficult sometimes, to say the least. I unfolded the single piece of paper and examined it.

  “The instructions say not to perform spells when in a highly emotional state. That’s practically all the time for me…so I guess now is as good a time as ever.”

  “I guess.” Jennifer seemed about as excited as if her dog had just died.

  “You know, Jennifer, I just want some semblance of a normal dating life. I don’t want this curse. I didn’t ask for it. I don’t want it and I’m willing to give this voodoo stuff a try, for Pete’s sake.” I let out a sigh. “Maybe I need to return to the priestess. I don’t want to mess this up.”

  Jennifer remained silent. If I was going to get the silent treatment I might as well do the hocus-pocus stuff alone.

  “Hmm…it says I need to bathe and do a cleansing before I perform the spell.”

  Jennifer didn’t waste any time before responding. “Why don’t you do that and I’ll finish my dinner. I need to run some errands after I eat, anyway.”

  It was apparent she didn’t want to help, so I didn’t argue the fact with her. She wasn’t making my life any easier. I had never kept secrets about the supernatural from her. Jennifer had accepted the things I told her as the truth, or so I thought. Lately her attitude had changed, ever since she’d talked with Jack.

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll see you when you get back,” I said.

  After a moment’s pause, she wandered back to the table. I gathered my voodoo paraphernalia and stood. I’d flee to the sanctity of my bathroom. A bath would be good for me, anyway. Things would be better later. After Jennifer had time to realize how much of a jackass she was being.

  A loud rap sounded at the door, stopping me in my tracks. I glanced over at Jennifer. “Are you expecting someone?”

  It was hard to believe, but a simple knock at the door made me jumpy. Things hadn’t always been that way. My crazy life was different now, though. Crazier. I had to constantly look over my shoulder.

  She shook her head and let me know she wasn’t expecting anyone.

  “Could it be Todd?” I asked.

  She shook her head again. “I don’t think so. He’s with his mother. They’re having a mother-son getaway.”

  If not Todd, then who could it be? I set the voodoo material down. Apprehension took over, but I made my way to the door, anyway. I never knew what might jump at me when I opened it--more tomfoolery from Lily? Or the other strange beasts that had been following me around the city? Jennifer didn’t offer to get the door. She was probably afraid of what might be on the other side too. I can’t say I blamed her. I was more than a little afraid of what I might find too. With my wolfish instincts turned on high, I forced myself to be brave. After all, I was a werewolf. I could kick some butt if need be. Any number of paranormal creatures could be there. They’d never bothered me in the past, but would they start now?

  I opened the door.

  “Hello, ma’am.”

  Damn. The police. He didn’t wear a uniform, but he had law enforcement written all over him. I sensed it. There was an air about him that gave it away. The man flashed his shiny badge in front of my eyes. The movement was so fast I barely made out what it was. No doubt this had something to do with Jack. Since I hadn’t heard from the police yet, I thought maybe he’d dropped it and would just let it go. No such luck.

  “Hello.” At least this time it was a hunk of a man instead of the less-than-in-shape specimens from before. Jennifer peeked around the door to see who the owner of the baritone voice was. Her eyes bugged out when she caught a glimpse of him. She really needed to tame those hormones of hers. Maybe I needed to secretly give Todd a call and ask what was up with their love life. I bet Jennifer wouldn’t like it one bit, and it would serve her right for calling my mother. Payback’s a bitch.

  Jennifer stretched her arm up and leaned against the door, propping her hand on the wood in what she obviously thought a seductive pose. She had that giddy look on her face again. Since when had she become so man-hungry? The six-foot full of gorgeous had his eyes on Jennifer too. Apparently the feeling was mutual. I felt like an intruder. As he smiled and continued to eye her, he directed his question at me. He stood rigid and straight, but his gaze never left Jennifer.

  “My name’s Detective Peters, and I have some questions for you regarding a package your neighbor received.”

  Apparently I was just a “neighb
or” to Jack, not a friend and definitely not a girlfriend.

  I sighed. “Sure, you wanna come in?” I asked less than enthusiastically. Things were not looking good.

  “Thank you.” He let his gaze ease from Jennifer for a nanosecond and entered our living room, scanning the space.

  “Would you like to sit down?”

  “No, thank you,” he said.

  “I’m not sure how much information I can give you. I really don’t know much about it.”

  “That’s funny, your neighbor says you know who sent it. That would mean you know quite a bit about it. Are you saying he’s not being truthful?”

  “You can call him Jack. I do know his name, you know.”

  “I’m aware you know his name,” he said with a slight smirk.

  What was that supposed to mean? His words were loaded with innuendo.

  “It seems you had another incident the other night. Someone broke into your office?”

  “Yes. The police didn’t seem concerned about it then. Why don’t you ask the officers who took the report?” I scoffed. My tone wasn’t polite, but I couldn’t help myself.

  He paused, searching my eyes. “Believe me, I have. I want your account, please. And, by the way, I’d say whatever the problem is, it’s escalated, considering you’re now getting death threats.” Detective Peters was all business now.

  “Well, technically, I didn’t receive the death threat. Jack did. The box came to him. I don’t know if it was intended for me too.”

  I felt Jennifer’s gaze.

  “Does that mean you know someone wants him dead?” He scowled.

  “No, of course not.” Talk about twisting my words. I needed to watch what I said around him. “I didn’t say that.”

  “So you have no idea who’s doing this? Or who would want him dead?” His gaze shifted back to my overheated best friend.

  Jennifer cleared her throat. I took the hint. “Sorry, this is my roommate, Jennifer Matthews.”

  “Hello, Miss Matthews. It is Miss, isn’t it?” He eyed her intently. His blazer fit snugly over the top of his stiff white shirt. The detective’s blond hair was short and precise. He had neat-freak written all over him. It was my impression he tried to be as charming as possible. He had a long way to go as far as I was concerned.

  “Yes.” She blushed.

  Oh brother. This guy was impressed with one of us, and it sure wasn’t me.

  “Do you know anything about this?” He pointed in Jennifer’s direction and displayed another wide grin, showing his gleaming white teeth.

  Her eyes sparkled. She loved the attention. I had to remember to ask her if she’d finally had the talk with Todd. By the look on her face, I’d say she was looking for a boyfriend replacement.

  “I know she has a customer who’s been harassing her,” Jennifer blurted out.

  She would pay for that statement. I lashed out at her silently with my eyes, but she didn’t seem to notice.

  “Is that right?” Detective Peters pulled a notebook from his pocket and flipped it open. He clicked his pen and positioned his hand to begin writing. “Do you care to give me the full details, please? I’d like the truth, not the same story you fed the other officers.”

  He still didn’t look at me while he spoke. I guess he assumed I wouldn’t give the answers he wanted to hear, anyway, since I didn’t offer them up right away.

  “She has a customer who had some problems with a relationship and then blamed Rylie. So the woman protested in front of her office and even attacked her.” The words rushed out so quickly she barely caught her breath. She seemed more than happy to divulge the particulars. Her eyes grew larger and soaked in every ounce of the detective’s rippled muscles.

  “She didn’t attack me,” I screeched louder than I had intended to.

  “What exactly happened? The truth please.” He narrowed his wide, coffee-colored eyes. I didn’t like the guy. Jennifer might be drooling over him, but I wasn’t. He scowled at me.

  “Yes, she picketed me. No, she didn’t attack me.” I shook my head at Jennifer when he turned to look at her. She needed to keep our furry cover-up a secret. As if a light bulb went off--a very dim light bulb--she realized Lily was in werewolf form when she’d attacked me. And if the police asked Jack about an attack, the only attack he would know about would be from a mangy mutt, not a redheaded ball of fire named Lily.

  “Maybe I was mistaken about that part. She only picketed,” Jennifer added quietly.

  He scanned our faces as if he knew we were hiding a secret from him. I attempted my best innocent look. By his frown, I knew it didn’t work.

  “Well, we take death threats seriously. I would advise if you’re hiding anything…to not,” he said.

  “I wouldn’t think of it. I’d never lie to a police officer.” Jennifer giggled and moved closer to Detective Peters. “I’ve been so scared for Rylie’s safety and my own too. We want to get to the bottom of this, really.”

  Whoa. She didn’t waste any time getting right down to the flirting.

  His face eased back into a smile. “Well, I need to get as much info on this client of yours as possible, so I can question her.”

  So much for ignoring Lily. She’d be furious to think I’d called the police on her. No telling what she’d do next.

  “Her name is Lily Friedman.” Frustration crept into my voice.

  “Can I get a number and address for her? And possibly a description?” Detective Peters still smiled at Jennifer.

  A description? How about “short and feisty”? Kind of like a human firecracker.

  “Sure, I guess. Her contact information is in my office downstairs. We can go get it.” I motioned toward the door. His feet didn’t move.

  “Would you like some coffee while Rylie gets the info? I have decaf,” Jennifer said coyly.

  “Yes, that would be great. Thank you.”

  Hmm. Something was definitely going on with her. She never made coffee for anyone. She was the worst hostess ever--even worse than me.

  “Yes, I think we still have some instant coffee, and Jennifer would be more than happy to stir you up a cup. Say, Jen, wasn’t the last time you used that coffee when you started dating Todd?” If looks could kill, I’d be on the floor with a knife in my back--perhaps a bullet to the head. “I’ll be right back.” I dashed for the door before she had a chance to catch me with another evil glare.

  They’d probably talk about me while I was gone, but where Jennifer was concerned, I was getting used to it. I almost felt my ears burning. Apparently she’d talked to everyone she could about me as of late. No telling what Jack said to her. And I thought she was my best friend. Best friends didn’t do that, did they?

  Chapter 17

  How to Date a Werewolf Rule # 17:

  Ignore other paranormal creatures.

  I ran downstairs as fast as my legs would allow and collected the info. I didn’t want to give Jennifer a lot of time with that guy. Something about him rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t care if he was with the police department. Within seconds, I had the info written on a scrap of paper and trotted back up the stairs. Maybe I shouldn’t have left her alone with him. I could have sworn they were whispering as I made my way back to the apartment. I tiptoed to the door and stealthily opened it. If they didn’t know I was there, maybe I could overhear their conversation.

  I peeked in.

  Jennifer and Rent-a-Cop stood beside the dining table. She had her tongue tangled with his as he held her in a passionate embrace. Lips moved everywhere.

  “What are you doing?” I yelled. At the sound of my voice, they both jumped back and looked at me as if they were teenagers caught making out in the backseat of an old Camero.

  “Um…we were…um…” Jennifer stuttered. She backed away from him. Her cheeks flushed. She picked up her mug from the table and gave it a sip, trying to look casual.

  “Did you get the information?” Detective Peters asked in his best professional cop voice, turning awa
y from Jennifer.

  “Here it is.” I shoved the paper at him. “She’s a bit high-strung, so be careful,” I mumbled. My eyes were still wide from what I’d seen. I didn’t know what to do. Should I act as if their kiss hadn’t happened, or tell the guy to keep his hands off my friend?

  He snorted. “Nothing I can’t handle. I’m in the habit of dealing with a lot worse than that.”

  I gave a whatever smirk. He needed to leave pronto.

  “Thank you for the coffee, Jennifer.”

  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised they were on a first-name basis. After all, they had just tongue-wrestled.

  “You’re welcome,” she said. She ogled him. Did she bat her lashes?

  “If you think of anything else, call me. Or if you just want to talk.” He handed her his card. After a long gaze into her eyes, he turned and furnished me with a card too. With that, he pivoted on his heel and walked out the door as quickly as he’d entered. Good riddance.

  “What the hell are you doing? What was that all about? You’ve known that man for five minutes and you’re making out with him? What are you thinking?”

  “Oh, Rylie. We weren’t making out…we were kissing, that’s all. It’s not as if you caught us ripping off each other’s clothing.” She stared at her feet, squirmed and refused to meet my gaze.

  “That’s all? That’s all? You don’t even know him. And if I had been a few minutes longer, you would have been unclothed. Is he married? Do you even know or think to ask?”

  The red sneaked back into her cheeks. “I don’t think so. He wasn’t wearing a ring.”

  “He wasn’t wearing a ring? Jen, Jen, Jen. You can’t always tell by an empty finger. Maybe he doesn’t wear one while working, or he doesn’t wear one so he can fondle pretty women while on the job. Plus you should look for a tan line on his finger. I can’t believe you.” I frowned in disapproval.