?“Kimberley!” Macy announced. She and Shannon were sprawled on Kim’s bed. “Are you telling me that man was here and you didn’t call me? Why did we work so hard to find you a cellphone you could stand?”

  ?“Barely stand!” Kim corrected from the floor, flipping through college brochures. “And I’m sure he’d love that. ‘Hold on, all-powerful Superwolf, my friend Macy wants to drool on you. Let me pull out the glowing thing you hate and call her!’”

  ?“I’d be open to him drooling on me,” Macy joked.

  ?Shannon shook her head, smiling. “You know we’re here to do homework. Not fantasize about Sarah’s dad—who’s like five hundred years too old for you and not your boyfriend. Where’s Adam, anyway?”

  ?“D&D, then getting me McDonald’s, then here.” Macy stretched. “And, in answer to your unspoken assumption, I have a hall pass for Daddy Wolf.”

  ?Shannon glanced at Kim helplessly. “Don’t look at me. I come for the banter. I’m not even in school anymore.”

  ?“How are things with your mom since… you know, all that?” Shannon asked, her voice careful.

  ?“Well, she’s sober still. Which is pretty amazing, all things considered. She’s been running the company. Dad’s other family was in Austria, so they don’t have any rights to his stuff here. But I might go meet them this summer.”

  ?“Who’s puppy-sitting at camp?” Macy asked.

  ?“Oh, no one. If Sarah gets back from Germany, she’ll be coming with me or going home with Mary.”

  ?“I kind of miss her,” Shannon almost mumbled.

  ?“Ha!” Macy laughed. “Of course we miss her! I can’t carry all the comedy needs of this group on my own!”

  ?The doorbell interrupted.

  ?“Well, it’s the door, not the window,” Macy said as Kim headed downstairs. “So we know it’s not her.”

  ?Her mom was at work. Jill didn’t work for them anymore, and Kim had grown more interested in taking care of herself than being taken care of. The house was quiet most days—except when Macy or Shannon came over for the night.

  ?Kim opened the door and froze.

  ?“Sekwan!!”

  ?She all but leaped into the older Native woman’s arms.

  ?“You’ve grown, my dear,” Sekwan said warmly. Kim drew her in as the other girls joined her. “And friends over. That’s nice to see. You used to always be so focused on whatever your parents had you doing. It’s nice to see you taking time for more.”

  ?“Macy.” Macy extended her hand. “This is our quiet but sexy friend, Shannon.”

  ?Shannon’s face went just a bit red as she nodded in acknowledgment. Just happy she didn’t say "gay friend."

  ?“Jeffery told me about you. Macy is the one who likes the guns.”

  ?“Guilty.” Macy curtsied jokingly.

  ?“You know Father Jeffery?” Kim asked, helping Sekwan with her coat. Something about this felt off.

  ?They sat at the kitchen table, Kim making tea. “Yes, although he’s been Jeffery to me since long before he took the cloth.”

  ?Sekwan sat and let the girls talk. They talked of school and boys. Adam arrived, handed Macy her fries, and melted her heart as he did.

  ?The conversation had migrated to the living room before Sek had mentioned anything about herself. Kim knew that was Sek’s gift: listening.

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  ?“I’m sorry, Sek. It’s been so long. What happened?”

  ?“When I was fired, I had nowhere to live in Alden. So I returned to my reserve. I tried to call and text you several times.”

  ?Macy gave her a look.

  ?“Sorry,” Kim muttered, mostly at Macy to keep her quiet. “I was going through… something.”

  ?“I understand you are Tonweya now,” Sek said. “I think you call them werewolves.”

  ?Kim’s eyes grew wide. All the teens stared at the woman. “How did you know?”

  ?“Jeffery and I talk regularly,” she offered innocently. “And I know some Tonweya.”

  ?Kim looked at Sek as if for the first time. “It’s not really a secret, I guess. But I didn’t know you knew. Why didn’t you come?” losing Sek had hurt worse than being torn apart by Sarah. Her inner wolf was stirring.

  ?Shannon noticed Kim getting upset and immediately moved to comfort her. Macy was boiling.

  ?“Please, darling. I’m old. I wanted to be here. But with nowhere to live and no means of getting ahold of you… I just had to pray.”

  ?“But you’re visiting now. You have friends here. You couldn’t send a message? Something? Sek, you were the only family I had. I thought you were dead!” Hot tears rolled down her face.

  ?Kim tried to force a comforting lie. The wolf inside bit it down. “I know you worked for my parents. But you were never an ‘employee’ to me,” she managed through a mix of crying and growling.

  ?“Well, thank you, Magic Native Lady, for zero help! And coming by and upsetting our werewolf!” Macy lashed out, uncoupling from Adam to comfort Kim. “Bye-bye?” She waved at Sekwan as she moved to sit by Kim, pulling her into a hug.

  ?“Kim… loving you was never a part of my job. But a homeless Native woman isn’t much use against a Wendigo. And you had two Knights and the daughter of the Great Storm.”

  ?Kim just shook her head, feeling more betrayed with every word. “I’ll be okay. Don’t go.” She pulled away from her friends, though she was comforted knowing they were close.

  ?“Why did you come now?” she managed to say without tears or growls. But the wolf wanted out.

  ?“Kim.” Something haunted the woman’s eyes. “I came because there is a reason wolves don’t come to this part of Colorado. Even the one who is a part of my tribe stays out of here unless the one you call Daniel is close by.” Something like venom slipped into her voice for a moment. “The Sasquatch here… they hate werewolves.”

  ?Macy blinked several times. “Wait, what? Okay, so the legendary giant mountain monkeys are real too? Is anything a legend anymore?”

  ?Sek sighed. “They don’t come out of the forest often. And they won’t challenge the one you call Daniel. But they want you and the other wolves out. It’s an understanding with the wolves. It goes back almost five hundred years.”

  ?Kim had to stop her. “Why wouldn’t Daniel tell me this?” The questions that mattered most to her burned.

  ?“He probably doesn’t care. Not regarding you,” she added quickly. “He doesn’t fear the Secret Tribe. Or anything. He just forgets, or considers it beneath his notice. It’s not like they have get-togethers.” Kim had to wonder how much Sek learned from Father Jeffery.

  ?“Why the hate for werewolves?” Shannon asked.

  ?“They don’t trust them. There have been many Dog Men,” Sek responded.

  ?“Sorry, what now?” Adam asked.

  ?Kim answered. “When a werewolf eats a human, it warps them. Makes them evil. Mary and Daniel aren’t big on details, but that’s the gist.”

  ?“So… what? They think Kim’s a Dog… Woman or something?” Macy added.

  ?“No… but they know the risks posed by a werewolf. Particularly a lone wolf. They sent me to warn you. If anyone else becomes a werewolf… if they see more wolves in their territories… it will be war.”

  ?Macy was done holding back. “Yeah, so potential bad werewolf equals dire warning. But when a Wendigo and some undead god-demon thing came here to unleash Hell on Earth or something, you didn't think to pop in?” She held up her hand to stop Sek from responding.

  ?“No, no, Rent-a-Mommy. I get it. You came to pretend to care about Kim. Who has been mourning you for months now! So I’m gonna give you a warning to take back. Seventeen warning shots, center mass! And that’s just what I carry when I’m out with friends! It wasn’t the Gorillas in the Mist who showed up when the world needed saving. Now they’re issuing warnings?”

  ?Sek raised her hands. “I’m sorry, Kim. I did try to come.”

  ?Macy wasn’t having any of it. “No, oh no!” Macy waved her hand and pointed at the door. “I didn’t notice any Native tribes or whatever the fuck else is out there come by to warn Cindi! Or Sam. Or their damn families before they got EATEN! You know there are two kinds of people in this world, lady. The ones who show up… and the ones who don’t FUCKING count! And you didn’t show up! NOT FOR KIM! People died because you couldn’t get on a bus. So take your whole ‘very special episode’ vibe and get the hell out. And tell the Planet of the Apes: No one is afraid of them. We’re gonna have a machine gun werewolf party and they’re invited. You see? If they were bulletproof, then white people wouldn’t own this state! So bring it the fuck on!”

  ?Sek looked hurt. Kim had a hard time caring. “I was half eaten, my father was killed, Adam almost died, Shannon's girlfriend, Macy's friend Cindi... we all lost so much,” she growled bitterly to Sek. “It was easier when you were dead.” she said coldly. “You can leave now. If one of those monkeys comes after me or my friends, we’ll be waiting.” She warned.

  ?Sek tried to mumble an apology. But it fell on deaf ears. She just left.

  ?“Was that racist?” Macy asked after the door closed.

  ?Shannon gave her a soft smile. “You really have to start coming to church with me.”

  ?“The gay one?”

  ?Shannon laughed and pulled Macy into a side hug. “What matters is that you try,” she said as she walked Macy to the living room. “And you show up.”