The ICU room was small and reminded piety of her aunts last days. Glenda was hooked up to monitors and the were the florescent lights  made Peabody’s skin look even whiter and washed out. The smell of the aseptic cleaner was in the air and the cool draft of air from the vents made this room feel like a place Piety wanted to run from and not stay in. Melody murmured she would go find a restroom and left. Her boot heels clicking as she walked away.

Piety tiredly sat on the only chair and placed her hand on the older woman's , “ You know this is a bit much for one week Glenda. You and my Aunt Charity are supposed to be one of two old hippies playing at witches not the real deal.”

A voice behind her said, “ Charity was the real deal , Glenda while a good person is a schooled witch , not a hereditary . All and all like fight club we don’t talk about witch club.”

Piety didn’t recognize voice but from the newcomers appearance she surmised this had to be a relatives of Mrs. Cho. The scrubs made piety wonder if the woman was another doctor or nurse. “I take it you are a part of the Cho clan?”

“Because I am Asian?” the woman said defensively as she checked the monitors.

“ and you understood what I was talking about?” Piety replied flatly not wanting to deal with anymore crap today...night.

“True. My name is Evelyn Yi , I’m Glenda’s nurse tonight. Young Cho is my mom.” She walked over to Glenda’s iv and checked the bag and added something to the port on the IV line. Piety hoped it was medication and then felt bad for being suspicious of a nurse who only had Cho as a mother as a known negative.

“Why do you care so much about heredity vs taught?” Piety asked not wanting dead silence.

Evelyn pursed her lips , glancing about then said, “ People who are from a witch bloodline like my mother and father, give birth to people who can draw on that power automatically. They still have to be taught and it has to be refined, but the power is there. My children are all magical. However, taught witches like Glenda can do nothing without spells and rituals. They must be educated by a coven witch and intimated into their line. They will never have the full abilities of a witch, but they are barely considered one. The loaners who can work some small spells and refuse to be bound by a coven, are called hedge witches. They are troublesome and in the old days could be killed on sight. The old guard wouldn’t mind that rule going back into effect. Glenda was taught and imitated by your aunt they were quite the couple back in the day. Your aunt had one student in her life and that was Glenda. She really should have enlightened you to your heritage.”

“Kind of hard since my mother and father were holy rollers and hated her.” Piety replied wondering why she was sharing with a stranger. Yet Evelyn softened a little nodding and she said , " That must have been rough."

The nurse started charting on a laptop that was on a stand bedside. “ Still, Charity should have at  age 18, should have taken you in hand.”

“Whether you want to or not.” Piety said flatly.

Evelyn stopped and looked over at Piety, her eyes dark and penetrating giving Piety a feeling that the nurse saw deep into her.  “The blood is sacred and a gift. It was your right to know about it! Your mother was a heretic for leaving her coven. Your extended family should have made sure that your mothers poor choices didn’t impair your future.”

“My mother was no prize , but I think she though she was doing what was right.”

“She was a fearful woman and your aunt should have prepared you to take up the work of being an arbitrator . Glenda never should have been given the mantle when Charity died.” Evelyn let out a slow measured breath as she considered what she wanted to say . The nurse stabbed at the keys a little too hard her mind made up, “Look, I wish you would decide whether you’re in or not. You still have the store, but you don’t believe in it’s products. You see what we can do, and yet you spurn my mother who is a great and powerful witch. She is someone who could serve as a leader and arbitrator of justice until you can stand on your own. Yet you just do nothing."

Piety felt hot anger and opened her mouth to retort she was cut off by a deep male voice said from the door, “She has known about the paranormal reality for a whole week. You’re talking over the very much alive Glenda, like you made plans for her to die. Maybe Evelyn you should look to your job and leave Piety be.” His nose flared from both taking in the scent of disinfectant and the waves of irritated witch scent that came off like burnt cloves.

Evelyn’s eyes blazed with hate for just a second and then settled back to a placid deceptive calm, “ I don’t take instruction on witch matters from an animal.”

Jack smiled and there was nothing warm in that smile, “Sticks and stones little Cho.”

With that Evelyn left her footsteps heavy on the floor her body language all but screamed that if she were not in a public place he would be dead.

Jack watched her leave, “I really hate the Cho clan.” His voice was tired sounding but not from physical effort. He was in his uniform and Piety decided that she liked him better in jeans and a t-shirt. 

"Did Melody pass me off like a football?" She asked, then thinking about it, the interaction she had with Evelyn had gone on for a bit.

“She had kids to feed and a husband to boss around.” he crossed over to Glenda’s side and said leaning over, “You need to stop gold bricking old woman. We need you." He took her hand that looked small and white in his larger one.

“How well did you know my aunt and Glenda?" Piety asked quietly as if Glenda was truly sleeping and not in a coma.

“Acquaintances and allies describe it, the best. I was not personal friends with them.” He answered evenly. 

“I take it not all of them are, uhh werewolf racists. The witches, I mean? She called you an animal.”

“Some are assholes to put it bluntly.” Then Jack considered, “I can’t paint them all with one brush. Charity was working hard to get witches everywhere to see lycanthropes in a better light.”

“After meeting the Cho's I don’t believe, I want to join the paranormal gang life.”

“The life picks you.” He said with a grin his very white teeth showing. Piety wondered if lycanthropy meant no tooth decay or loosing teeth? Then again she only had met Jack and Melody, maybe they had good dental plans.

He said to Glenda , “ Here's a thought, maybe I will bite you on the ass and you can be the world’s oldest werewolf.”

Piety wasn’t sure if Jack was trying to be funny or not. She refocused her attention on Glenda and taking her hand she said, “I got a key from Latrice. I wish you could talk to me and tell me if you know where it goes to. I also can’t make heads or tails of your last green mountain order, so you better wake your ass up and tell me why we have 14 size small t shirts with kittens on them coming. Unicorns, dragons and ravens I get, but you stumped me with that one.”

“Everyone likes kittens” Jack offered with a shrug.

A different nurse poked her head in and said, “I’m sorry but it’s one visitor at a time Officer and only for a short visit." The woman was older and spoke with that air of authority that only comes with doing a job for a long time .

Piety nodded and collected her purse, she kissed Glenda on the forehead and said, “I will be back.” Jack fell into step behind her and his hand was very warm on her back as he subtly guided her around a yellow wet floor sign. She sighed, “ I grew up in hospitals and nursing homes moving around those signs should be second nature to me.

“Your mom was a nurse?” Jack asked and he paused looking at Piety she didn’t have on a coat. He bet she left it at the shop when the afternoon had warmed up and she left with Melody.

“No, my mom was a wannabe nurse, but dropped out of high school. She didn’t get her GED until her last job forced her to. She was a nurse’s aid her whole life.”

“She took you to work?” he asked draping his jacket on her shoulders and Piety didn’t know what to make of this chivalry, however, the coat held his warmth and smelled of his aftershave. For a long moment she inhaled and enjoyed the feeling of being cared for.

“Thank you” she said “My mom used to avoid paying a babysitter by working 3 to 11PM and my dad was done working at 4pm so he would come get us from her job.”

“So, every day was “take your daughter to work day?” he said walking ahead to open his truck door.

“Sort of , I have a brother Silas who was younger than me.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother?” he said closing her door and then going around to the drivers side. He had not seen any family pictures in her home.

“Yeah we aren’t very close.” She said “You have any brothers and sisters?”

“Yes , mam and a mom too. I even have a couple of nieces and nephews.”

Piety sat back in the truck seat she said tiredly , “ my family was always dysfunctional bunch of loaners. Other then church kids to play with and trust me they were all dull as shit, home schooled Jesus freaks .I pretty much got used to being a loaner.”

“Heh, not me, big 'ol family and then a big 'ol pack. There is always someone around.”

Piety didn’t didn’t say much after that and Jack didn’t press her. She had that wistful feeling of sadness about her and he remembered his mother used to say that sometimes not talking can be helpful too. So he drove and saw her face in the glow of the dashboard light and wondered how someone ends up having no real family?

The second murder site was within walking distance from Piety’s house. So after dinner they agreed to walk to it. Piety was reconsidering her bravado as she closed up the chicken coop for the night with Jack helping her. It was cold, clammy and she was surprised to find out that werewolves did indeed run warmer than humans. Then again every full moon he also had to urn into a wolf, so she guessed that was the trade off.

 Jack promised her that when this was done he would show her how to make homemade hot chocolate with a splash of baileys in it. Piety told him that she was holding him to that. Still he seemed disgustingly warm.

Jack wore a jacket hanging open and was unconcerned with the cold. He had taken a nap on her couch for an hour and a half then came awake. Piety had ordered a 18 inch meat lovers pizza and wings from the only place that delivered out to her house. Waiting for the delivery Finnigan grossed her out with leaving a dead bunny on her doorstep. She made a face and said , “ Finnigan stop killing shit .”

Jack looked at the fat rabbit and said to Piety, “He is trying to provide for you.”

“It’s still gross.”

“No, it’s still warm and he did a nice neck snap. Dress this thing out and it’s a nice meal. He loves you.”

Piety considered and then hugged Finnigan who squirmed and then bounced around. She watched the dog spin. 

“Dogs are eternal puppies, always wanting to please mom and dad.” Jack commented with a smile.

“ I am mom?’

“Yes, you provide a den, food, love and he will be an adolescent always wanting your attention and approval. The wolf side of him doesn’t always agree on the methods of that affection but you seem to deal with it ok.”

“I’m going to get a shovel.” She replied with a shrug.

Jack smiled and Piety relaxed he seemed to radiate that things would be ok. “I can get the bunny dealt with,” Jack said, and he tilted his head slightly. Piety almost felt like if he had wolf ears they would have twitched, “Oh hey, there is a car coming down the road, that must be the pizza.” He flared his nostrils as the car pulled in and said, “ Yup, I can smell the peperoni” Piety shook her head , what would it be like to have heightened senses and see or smell the world as a wolf somedays?