Masquerade by Dahlia Rose Read Free Book Online Page A

Bubba,” she called to them.
    “I should let it eat his big powdered blue ass,” Dominic yelled back. He kicked the wolf off Bubba who was flailing around wildly and dragged him to his feet. “That’s what you get for going where you’re not invited. Get inside, idiot!”
    She turned off the music—which just happened to be blaring Thriller —with just a press of a button of the remote she had stashed in her costume’s small purse. From there, she ran down the steps and caught the first two small bodies that she came to. “Get into the house!” she yelled all the while watching Dominic and Alex stand with Vernon and the males of his pack. People began heading up the stairs to the wide open front doors.
    “What the fuck is happening? Did you use your witchy powers to call wolves in so we’d be eaten?” Lorna accused.
    “I should let you get eaten, you stupid twat. Don’t you see my men out there trying to protect your sorry asses?” Tempest snapped. “Get inside and you stay close by the door in case I need to kick you out. And if I catch you in any other part of my house, it will happen, trust me.”
    She handed the children to a woman whose face was familiar to her from the Acadia pack. She ran to the bouncy house and got those kids out as well. Even a few human friends were helping to get everyone inside. When everyone was inside she pulled the thick drapes on the four big windows that looked out to the patio. All the while, her guys and the Acadia pack stood in a semi-circle, a tense standoff between the rogue pack of wolves. She locked the door and looked out the window at what was going on in her front yard.
    “Tempest, what’s happening?” The worried voice belonged to the mayor of Cormina who was dressed like Count Dracula.
    “Don’t you see, Daddy? She’s using some kind of spell to get back at us,” Lorna cried out and tears trailed down her face. She pointed at Tempest. “Can’t y’all see she’s evil?”
    “Lorna, for the love of God, shut up!” Her father snapped. “God knows why you couldn’t have had your mother’s brains and common sense. You’re just plain spoiled and it’s not a quality that’s endearing in an older woman.”
    “Daddy!” Lorna gasped.
    “Go sit down and take that big goofy lug with you.” The mayor turned his attention to Tempest. “Is there anything we can do?”
    “No, Alex and Dominic can handle it and the other guys with him are accustomed to wolf attacks.” Tempest kept thinking on her feet. “We invited them and their families because they are friends of my guys. They told us about wolf attacks on a few other small towns they’ve been tracking for the EPA. They can throw off the natural order of the bayou if they are allowed to stay and breed.”
    The mayor nodded. “Well, that’s good. Good that you had these men here to protect your guests. The children are scared. I’ll start some games and hand out some of these treats you have here.”
    “Thank you, Phil.” Tempest managed to smile.
    He patted her on her shoulder. “Regardless of what you may think, there are many in this town who would like to apologize for the life and the lies that your family was thrown into.” He gave his daughter a hard look. “The gossip of a child can seem innocent until adults learn that the child had spite in her from the very beginning. There are some who would like to make amends and offer their hand in friendship even though we don’t deserve it.”
    “I understand, Phil, but a lot of really bad things have been done to me and my family over the years.” Tempest sighed. “How about slow steps?”
    He smiled. “Yes, that works just fine, dear.”
    A yelp from outside made her part the curtains slightly and look through the window to what was going on. Vernon hadn’t taken the form of his wolf, but all the others had and so had Dominic and Alex. When the first rogue wolf jumped towards them it was Alex who responded with a snarl. He took the wolf