Zach chuckled. “Not exactly as cut-and-dried as the former, and definitely not as nosy or predatory as the latter. I just came to help.” He leaned toward me and handed me a business card.
A shiver ran up my arm when our fingers touched and my mouth went dry. The smell of sunshine, fresh-cut wood, and clean laundry floated toward me and I just wanted to lean in and inhale him. I gave myself a mental shake and glanced down at the card:
Zach McClure
Licensed Wildlife Control Specialist
HIS PHONE NUMBER WAS listed below it, along with his federal license number. I slid my hand down my face. Having a “specialist” who thought he was dealing with a standard animal was so not what I needed right now. “So you think we should bring in outside help?”
Zach frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “As a matter of fact, I do. According to press releases, you have what appears to be a wolf, or possibly a panther or mountain lion, that’s gotten a taste of human flesh and I can help you with that. And you don’t actually bring me in. I hold a license to do this and am only notifying you as a courtesy.”
Really now? Despite the urge to tell him exactly what he could do with his license and courtesy, I shifted my weight, trying to find a diplomatic way to discourage him. I didn’t need anyone poking around in this when I hadn’t figured it out yet. It was both a safety and a security risk. A rogue werewolf going around killing people in my territory was my responsibility.
“I really don’t think the answer is sending hunters out into the forest to track and shoot anything until we know for sure what we’re dealing with.” I handed the card back. “My people and I are on this, and I have faith that we’ll have it resolved shortly.”
Apparently, my shot at diplomacy missed the mark because he got snippy. “Right! Because you’ve done such a bang up job so far. I’ll have you know I’m not exactly an amateur in cases like this. I’ve dealt with animals that would keep you inside at night if you knew they existed. Keep the card.” He pushed it back into my hand before he turned on his heel and stomped away without looking back.
I sighed. I hadn’t won any points with him, but I couldn’t let him run around thinking I was okay with him traipsing into my woods with a loaded weapon, especially consider I WAS one of those animals that would keep people up at night. If he thought I was being rude or condescending, then so be it.
My mission was critical. I had to catch a murderous werewolf before he could kill anybody else or out our kind. If that meant hurting some feelings, well, suck it up, Buttercup. There wasn’t much I could do about it.
Thank You!
THANK YOU FOR JOINING me Keyhole Lake, a small southern Georgia town where the residents are quirky, the ghosts are sassy, and the tea is sweet. I hope you enjoyed reading Mayhem and Murder as much as I enjoyed writing it.
If this is the first time you’ve visited, I invite you to start at the beginning, with Sweet Murder, the first book in the Witches of Keyhole Lake Series, available on Amazon.
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Books by Tegan
Books in the Witches of Keyhole Lake Series
Sweet Murder
Murder to the Max
Murder so Magical
Mayhem and Murder
Murder and Marinade
Hook, Line, and Murder (May 16, 2018)
Witches of Keyhole Lake Shorts
Witching for a Miracle (Book 4.5)
Cori Sloan Witchy Werewolf Mysteries (Coming April, 2018)
Howling for Revenge
About the Author
I WAS BORN AND RAISED in the South and even hung my motorcycle helmet in Colorado for a few months. I've always had a touch of wanderlust and have never feared just packing up and going on new adventures, whether in real life or via the pages of a great book.
When I was a little girl, I didn't want to grow up to be a writer—I wanted to raise unicorns and be a superhero. When those gigs fell through, I chose the next best thing: creating my own magical lands filled with adventure, magic, humor, and romance.