"You see," Rowan said, "werewolves are different. They're not like vampires. They can't drink a little blood from people and then stop without doing anyreal harm. They kill every time they hunt-because they have to eat."Mary-Lynnette gulped, but Rowanwent on serenely. "Sometimes they eat the whole animal,but they always eat the internal organs, theheart and liver. They have to do it, the same way that vampires need to drink blood."
"And that means ..."
"He didn't kill Aunt Opal. Or the goat. They wereboth intact." Rowan sighed. "Look.
Werewolves and vampires traditionally hate each other. They've been . rivals forever, and lamia think of werewolves as sort of-lower class. But actually a lot of them are gentle.They only hunt to eat."
"Oh," Mary-Lynnette said hollowly. Shouldn't shebe happier about this? "So the guy I thought was nice just has to eat the odd liver occasionally."
"Mary-Lynnette, you can't blame him. How can I explain? It's like this: Werewolves aren't people whosometimes turn into wolves. They're wolves who sometimes look like people."
"But they still kill," Mary-Lynnette said flatly.
"Yes, but onlyanimals.The law is very strict aboutthat. Otherwise humans catch on in no time.
Vam pires can disguise their work by making it look like a cut throat, but werewolf kills are unmistakable."
"Okay. Great." I should be more enthusiastic, Mary-Lynnette thought. But how could you ever re ally trust someone who was a wolf behind their eyes?
You might admire them the way you admire a sleek and handsome predator, but trust them ...no.
"Before we go back-we may have a problem,"Rowan said. "If he realizes that you recognized his ring, he may know we've told you about you know." She glanced around and lowered her voice. "The Night World."
Mary-Lynnette understood. "Oh, God."
"Yes. That means it's his duty to turn us all in. Or kill us himself."
"Oh, God"
"The thing is, I don't think he will. He likes you, Mary-Lynnette. A lot. I don't think he could bring himself to turn you in."
Mary-Lynnette felt herself flushing. "But then, that would get him in trouble, too, wouldn't it?"
"It could, if anybody ever finds out. We'd better go back and see what's going on. Maybe he doesn't realize you know. Maybe Kestrel and Ash have managed tobluff him."
Chapter 14
They walked back to the gas station quickly, their shoulders almost touching. Mary-Lynnette found comfort in Rowan's nearness, in her levelheadedness.She'd never had a friend before who was completelyher equal, who found it as easy to take care of people as to be taken care of.
As they reached the gas station, they could see thatthe little group was now clustered around Mary Lynnette's car. Jeremy was peering under the hood.Mark and Jade were back, hand in hand, but there was no sign of Tiggy. Kestrel was leaning against a gas pump, and Ash was talking to Jeremy.
"So the werewolf walks into the second doctor's office and he says, 'Doc, I think I have rabies.'
And the doctor says ..."
So much for bluffing him, Mary-Lynnette thought.
Rowan, eyes shut and shoulders tensed, said, "Ash,that isn't funny." She opened her eyes. "I'm sorry,"
she said to Jeremy. "He doesn't mean it."
"He does, but it doesn't matter. I've heard worse." Jeremy bent over the engine again. He replaced a cap with careful, even twists. Then he looked up at Mary-Lynnette.
Mary-Lynnette didn't know what to say. What's the etiquette when you've just discovered that somebody's a werewolf? And that it may be their duty to eat you?
Her eyes filled. She was completely out of control today.
Jeremy looked away. He shook his head slightly. His mouth was bitter. "That's what I figured. I thought you'd react this way. Or I'd have told you myself a long time ago."
"You would?" Mary-Lynnette's vision cleared."But-then you would have gotten in trouble.
Right?"
Jeremy smiled faintly. "Well, we're not really sticklers for Night World law around here."
He said it in a normal tone of voice. Ash and the sisters looked around reflexively.
Mary-Lynnette said, "'We'?"
"My family. They first settled here because it was so far out of the way. A place where they wouldn't bother anybody, and nobody would bother them. Of course, they're all gone now. There's only me left."
He said it without self-pity, but Mary-Lynnette moved closer. "I'm sorry."
Jade moved in on the other side, silvery-green eyeswide. "But that's why we came here, too! So nobody would bother us. We don't like the Night World,either."
Jeremy gave another faint smile-that smile thatshowed mostly in his eyes. "I know," he said to Jade.
"You're related to Mrs. Burdock, aren't you?"
"She was our aunt," Kestrel said, her golden gaze fixed unwaveringly on him.
Jeremy's expression changed slightly. He turned around to look at Kestrel directly. "'Was'?"
"Yes, shemet with a slight accident involving astake," Ash said. "Funny how that happens some times...."
Jeremy's expression changed again. He looked as if he were leaning against the car for support. "Who did it?" Then he glanced back at Ash, and Mary-Lynnette saw a gleam of teeth. "Wait you think I did.
Don't you?"
"It did cross our minds at one point," Ash said. "Actually, it seemed to keep crossing them. Back and forth. Maybe we should put in a crosswalk."
Mary-Lynnette said, "Ash, stop it."
"So you're saying you didn't do it," Mark said to Jeremy, at the same time as Rowan said, "Actually, Kestrel thinks it was a vampire hunter."