Her Perilous Wolf, Julie Steimle [howl and other poems TXT] 📗

on it. Also, a dog like him really ought not to be cooped up for so long. She wondered if he missed Africa and Juma. Had it been a mistake to bring him?

“…werewolf pack. We tried our best,” Randon said, busy explaining what had happened at that convention when Audry had met Daisy years ago. “They are a bit like a cult, so the story wasn’t inaccurate. Some werewolves worship the goddess Diana.”

“The Roman goddess?” Audry murmured.

Randon nodded. “Yep. She’s a moon goddess, you see. The thing is, I don’t know if Diana knows they worship her.”

Audry’s eyes widened. “Are you saying the Roman gods are real?”

He angled his head, thinking. “In a way, yes. They aren’t actually gods. They were elves.”

Audry paled. “Elves?” She had heard the term used before as if they were real. Silvia had mentioned it. “Like Santa’s elves?”

Shaking his head, Randon laughed. “No. More like those old Irish elves. You know, Lord of the Rings kind. Tall, creepy, elegant. Some played god. It was kind of a mischievous game for them, messing with mortals.”

Yet Audry’s eyes remained wide on him. “Have you ever seen an elf?”

“Yeah. A couple times.” Randon nodded frankly. “A diminished one.”

Silvia shuddered. She carried over the charm. “The best quote I ever heard of elves comes from a Terry Pratchett novel. He’s a British novelist. Anyway, he said: ‘Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder. Elves are marvelous. They cause marvels. Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies. Elves are glamourous. They project glamour. Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment. Elves are terrific. They beget terror’.”

Audry watched Silvia shudder when she said that last part. “Terror?”

Randon cringed. He did nod though. “Yeah. You should ask Tom and Matt about the elves they’ve met—but Tom more. Tom gets kidnapped by the Unseelie Court every Halloween—a group of ‘trooping faeries’ of the worst kind. And I don’t know how they find him—but they do, every single damn year. But Tom always finds a way to escape. However, not all elves are bad. Some are quite good. Silvia’s brother, Daniel, and Peter McCabe have been searching for a particular elf for years and—”

“They’re just dangerous,” Silvia said, cutting him off with a look. She sighed, dangling out her finished product. “For all we know, it was an elf who bit you. Some demons are elves gone bad. They’re all shape-shifters.”

 The finished product drew Audry’s eye. Silvia had strung the crystal with a sachet of herbs. It smelled slightly of eucalyptus and a few other oils.

“Normally I’d put garlic in something like this,” Silvia said, with a smile twitching up the corner of her mouth, “But I’d hate to make something that would drive our dear friend away from you.”

Audry’s face went immediately hot.

Silvia also held out the smooth fishhook stone. It now had a leather strap strung through the hole. “For you, as a reminder.”

Rolling her eyes, Audry took both. It really was kind of Silvia to do this for her.

Yet Randon patted Audry on the shoulder. “Good luck.”

Silvia reached out to hug her. Audry let her. It was like they were saying goodbye. “You are at a crossroads of choice. I know you are scared. But if you really want to leave it all and try to go back to the way things were, you should delete the pictures you have of the wolf, get rid of all those wolf shirts, and get rid of the silver bullet. At least then it will be a fresh start.”

A shudder went through Audry. She was sure Eve only recognized her due to the silver bullet. She had zero doubts. They had never met before. Juma was right, it was her good luck charm. It would be insane to get rid of it now.

“When you go back to Idaho, don’t forget us,” Silvia said with tears in her eyes, giving one more squeeze. “I’ll forever be your friend. You gave me a chance at a new life.”

Audry raised her eyebrows, knowing Silvia did not mean ending her practice of magic. Just the coven. In fact, Silvia winked, the understanding passing between them.

“Call us when you arrive there safely,” Randon said, rising from his seat.

Audry nodded. “I will. I just have to stop off at NYU first before I go. So… can I ask you another favor?”

They both nodded.

“Can you take care of Darth for me while I am on campus? I can’t bring a dog in the classroom buildings,” she said.

“Sure you can!” Silvia laughed. “Just tell them he is a service dog.”

Gazing at her dead pan Audry said, “You don’t use a Belgian Malinois as a service dog. They’re too hyper.”

Darth was already hopping excitedly to go.

Randon took hold of Darth’s collar, petting him. “We’ll take care of him. Do you know how long you will be?”

Sighing, Audry shrugged. “I might be there for a while. Uh, how about after seven. I also want to say hi to Jandra. I heard she also has been getting in a bit deep with Bobo, and—”

Randon whistled.

“What do you know?” Audry looked to him.

He shrugged. “I just know what Troy has told me. But, uh, she knows he’s a vampire.”

Audry paled. “How much else does she know?”

Randon shrugged. “I couldn’t say. But I am sure Bobo is keeping her safe.”

Yet Audry cringed. She really did need to see Jandra. She had to warn her friend of the rabbit hole she would be falling into if she continued to date Robert Lafon.

“Ok, I’ll see you later this evening,” Audry said.

As Audry went out the door (Silvia and Randon having a fair hold of Darth also so he would not escape and follow her), Randon called out, “Be careful. The best protection you can have are your wits. Magic cannot combat a good brain.”

She waved, going down the stairs, her mind ruminating on that. He had a point, which made her wonder if that was why so many peopled did not see magic in the modern age. It wasn’t just ignorance. She was sure it was also that superstition and the supernatural ducked away from good common sense and a bit of science.

Getting back to the car, Audry drove to NYU. When she parked then stepped onto campus, she had the sensation that she was being followed again. Audry looked over her shoulder several times, hoping it was just a security guard.

Then she saw him. That man from the airport.

“I thought it was you!” he said, brightening up when their gazes met. His toothpaste perfect grin flashed at her. But it felt so fake now. Plastic. He quickened his pace to join her. “Are you a student?”

“Doctorate student,” she said, annoyed that she now had a tagalong. “Look—”

“Do you care to go for some coffee?” he asked, a sort of sheepish yet confident look on his face.

Sighing, she replied, “No, actually. I’m busy. I have to do some research and see my advisor.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Another time then?” He looked a mite crestfallen. Yet he picked his cheer up once more, saying, “What is your research, might I ask?”

Inwardly groaning, Audry said, “I’m into animal conservation and rescue.”

He grinned wider. “A noble cause. So you’re researching how to protect endangered species?”

She chuckled, as her research was no secret. “I’m trying to find a win-win situation between natural predators and human civilization. Unlike most of my contemporaries, I don’t believe that human beings are a blight on the planet. We’ve simply misused our creative powers, and I think through ingenuity that a balance can be made.”

“What exactly are you suggesting?” He seemed more interested now.

Since there was no harm in telling him, she said, “I want to create some kind of system not unlike permaculture but for zoology, which allows mankind to thrive by using natural means, yet also allowing animals to do the same, in harmony. For example, the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone was a major move that changed the rivers and improved the environment that was damaged by the unhindered growth in the deer population. Wolves have been the villains forever in fairy tales—unjustly I might add—and many species have been hunted to extinction. But when they reintroduced the wolves, they discovered how important they are to the ecosystem. Fact is, they were crucial to the ecosystem.”

“You’re really fond of wolves, huh?” He looked amused, smirking at her. But she got chills when he said it.

Hesitantly, she replied, “They’re my favorite animal.”

“But there are no wolves in Africa,” he remarked.

Nodding, Audry thought on that. “That’s true. But most people don’t know that.”

His smirk fell a degree. He knew more than the common man. What were the chances the guy from the airport would coincidentally show up at NYU, honestly? Audry got shivers again. It was plain to her now that she was being followed. She wondered how long and from where to where? Had he followed her from the airport? Or was he SRA and knew where she lived?

Deciding to pretend she suspected nothing, Audry turned to leave. “Well, I need to go. I have work to do.”

She walked off, not looking back. If he were an agent in the SRA, he would follow at a distance. She had to test it.

“Audry!” Neil Garret from Green Club saw her, spotting as he was on his way somewhere. “Long time! What brings you back?”

She walked up and hugged him. “Neil! Oh, um, I’m back for a little more research. PhD work.”

He laughed, nodding. “Gotta use the library, huh?”

She nodded. “That and I need to see Prof. Jackson. Is he here?”

“Probably in his office.” Neil gestured in that direction.

From there it got awkward as they were both on their way to different places, but Audry stopped Neil before he could leave. She whispered. “Hey, I think I have stalker. Could you do me a favor and—”

“You and our stalkers.” Neil laughed. “When don’t you have a stalker?”

She rolled her eyes. “When the stalker is still my boyfriend. Look, I need a favor.”

He nodded, sobering up just a bit.

“There’s this guy, kind of a tall, dark and handsome fellow—”

He smothered a laugh, his eyes saying that was her kind of stalker.

“—he’s wearing a blue blazer, white shirt, and tie—but not a fancy business type. His blazer is more casual. You’ll know when you see it.”

“And what you want me to do?” he asked.

“Just see if he is still following me,” she said, ducking her head a little. “And if he is, can you call campus security?”

Neil stepped back, nodding. “Yeah. I can do that.”

“Thank you so much.” She walked backward then turned to go into the building.

Audry went to find the professor first. There was no commotion or anything behind her as she left, and Audry did not know if the stalker was found and escorted away or not. But she did find Prof. Jackson in class, lecturing to a Zoology 201 course. Audry stood outside the door, listening.

When the hour ended, and class dismissed, she slipped in to make her greetings.

Prof. Jackson blinked in a stare then cracked such a wide grin as soon as he saw her. He reached out a hand. “Audry Bruchenhaus—my favorite pupil.”

Audry blushed sheepishly. “Ah, you say that to everybody.”

“But with you, I mean it.” He smiled wider. “What brings you back? Are you looking for a job? I wouldn’t mind having you as an assistant. We’re going back to Nigeria this term. I’m taking a small group.”

Blushing more, Audry hunched her shoulders together. “I can’t go back to Africa. I just recovered from yellow fever.”

His jaw dropped. He stared. “Please tell me that is a joke. And it’s a bad one. Not funny.”

“Not a joke.” Audry cringed. Then she proceeded to explain what happened on her last trip. She left out all the supernatural details and only described the poaching and the incident where she caught, suffered from, and survived the disease. No mention of Eve either. She mention Darth, though and how she brought him back. When she concluded that they had agreed she needed