Page 11 of Little Howl of Moon

My phone started ringing and I grimaced. Steel laughed and leaned forward, pressing the answer button for me.

I shot him a look, but his smile was contagious. When he wasn’t worried about doing something wrong, he was a lot happier and relaxed.

I pulled my attention from him and focused on the road and the fact that Jess was on the phone.

“Hi, darling,” I said. “I'm still on my date.”

“Oh my god,” she hissed. “And you picked up?! Are they with you?”

“Yes, he is,” I said patiently. “And the phone is on speaker since I’m driving.”

“Oh.”

“Hi,” Steel said with ease. “I’m Steel.”

“Hi, Steel,” she chimed. “Uhmmmmmm, well. Okay. Sorry to interrupt. I’ll check in later.”

“How about I check in on you?” I asked. “I figure you’ll be out with your sister tonight.”

“Oh, yeah. We’re going to a party.”

I bristled at that. I always had to remind myself that they were adults now and would be smart. “Be safe,” I said. “I love you.”

“Love you too. Have fun.”

Well she didn’t have to sound so smug. The call ended and I exhaled. “Sorry,” I mumbled. “Not exactly setting the mood.”

“I don’t think you realize how nosy my family is,” he laughed. “I would not be shocked if my sister showed up on your doorstep at some point to interrogate you about your intentions.”

“My intentions, huh? I don’t think either of our families need to know that.”

He barked out a laugh as I turned down my driveway, slowing my car as the tires crunched over gravel.

Fuck, I really couldn’t believe I was doing this. Just an hour ago, I’d been tempted to drive away from Creature Cafe and never look back. Now I had a hot werewolf who was twenty-one years younger than me in my passenger seat.

“You know, I like that you aren’t hiding me from them,” he said. “Well, our date. Although do they know I’m not a human?”

“Yes,” I said. And I decided not to add what they’d said about that, because it’d been inappropriate. “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common for humans to know about the monster world, but maybe I’m wrong. I just know Jess has always been able to see through the glamours that make monsters look human. And my wife, well, her best friend was a harpy. Or, is. Her name is Cela.”

“Oh! I know Cela,” he said.

“Really?” I parked the car and looked over at him, surprised.

“Yes. She works at an office that’s run by a friend of the family, Inferna.”

I grinned. “Warts & Claws?”

He nodded. “Yep. You know, I interned there for a bit, but I can’t stay in an office. It drives me wild, and not in a good way. I have to do work with my hands.” His eyes narrowed, full of amusement. “I wonder if we’ve ever met before.”

“You and me?”

Steel smiled. “Yeah.”

“I think I would have remembered you.”

Steel’s fangs flashed in the sunlight as he opened the door and climbed out of the car. I got out and led him up the steps to the porch, unlocking the front door.

He followed me inside, and the moment the door shut, I turned to face him.