He bought the supplies and new salt and pepper for the pantry, then tossed them in the bed of the truck before walking up the block for the nails and salt. It took him a few minutes to find the bags of cattle salt, and he hoped fifty pounds would be enough. He got the biggest box of nails, too. Just to be on the safe side.
The clerk looked at his purchases and lifted an eyebrow.
“I’m picking up some things for a friend,” Mack muttered. Next time Jude could do his own damn shopping.
With his arms full and halfway back to the truck, he saw Ned walking toward him. Ned was the last person he wanted to see today. Mack crossed the road and walked faster to his truck. So did Ned. He was waiting by the truck when Mack got there and dropped the salt in the back.
Ned looked at the bag then back at Mack. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, just picking up a few things.”
Ned crossed his arms. “It’s not like you to close the garage.”
“I was pretty sick.”
“Yeah? I thought I saw you heading out of town.”
“Had to go to emergency in the next town.” The lies piled up around him, but he couldn’t tell Ned what was going on. They were friends, but even friends who were sometimes lovers were allowed to keep secrets from each other.
“You seem fine today.”
Ned had no idea how far from fine he was. “Got some pills, so I’m feeling a bit better.”
“I saw that guy from the bar driving your truck. You don’t even let me drive your truck.”
“I was pretty out of it.” That wasn’t a lie. He hadn’t been up to driving after fighting the aufhocker. Walking back to the truck had been hard enough. He’d never been so exhausted in his life, and there was a good chance he’d have to do it all again tonight if Jude’s magic didn’t work.
“He shows up and suddenly he’s staying at your place. Are you in some kind of trouble?” Ned leaned closer. “He didn’t bring drugs, did he? Are you taking drugs?”
“No. Jesus, Ned. Like I said, I was ill.”
Ned shook his head. “You haven’t been acting yourself, Mack. This guy has changed you, and you’ve only known him five minutes.” And in those five minutes they’d become closer than Mack had ever been with anyone. “It’s not right, Mack, and I’m worried about you.”
Mack forced a smile. “There’s nothing to be worried about, but I appreciate your concern.”
“Do you? Really?”
Did Ned still hope that they’d get back together? He didn’t need this right now. Even if he had been able to share the details of his life with Ned, he couldn’t see them working out. They’d been young, and they’d only really had sex in common. Mack had moved on. He’d thought Ned had—he’d certainly gotten out and about more than Mack had.
Mack’s phone buzzed. He checked the message.
What about cages for the cubs? If there are cubs.
Shit. He hadn’t thought about that. The one he’d killed had been male. That meant they’d be facing a pissed off and protective mommy if there were cubs.
Mack glanced at Ned. He didn’t have time for this today. “You’re my best friend.” Ned knew him better than most people in town, but he didn’t know Mack the way Jude did. “But I think it’s time that’s all you are. We both need to move on.”
Ned pushed away from the truck. “He’s not good for you. He’s not even your type.”
“Maybe not. Maybe the type I thought I wanted wasn’t what I needed.”
But Ned was already walking away. Mack doubted they’d even remain friends.
Chapter Fourteen
Jude faced the mine entrance. The sun hitting his shoulders was reassuring. Everything they knew about aufhockers said they only hunted at night. Which gave him about an hour of daylight to get a head start.
“So do you actually know what you’re doing?” Mack dropped the giant bag of salt at Jude’s feet.
“I hope so. I was able to bind the bird.” But a bird was not an angry aufhocker after their blood and defending her cubs. If they were lucky, she’d still be pregnant.
“It was eating bread,” Mack said as though not sure that this magic would work.
Jude wasn’t sure either. “I had to get it to land somehow.”
He’d needed to run through what he was going to do once. Just because he’d read it online and understood the theory didn’t mean he could do it. Testing new magic on an aufhocker seemed like a dumb way to get him, and Mack, killed. So he’d sat in the yard and tried it out on an unsuspecting bird who’d traded a few minutes of freedom for some breadcrumbs.
“Are you sure it wasn’t waiting for more bread?” But Mack was smiling this time, teasing him.
It would’ve been funnier if Jude was completely sure that he could do this. He was giving himself an eighty percent chance of success. Mack and the tranquilizer gun filled out the other twenty percent.
All they had to do was keep the aufhocker bound for the night. Then the Coven would roll into town, or three members anyway. It had only taken three witches to sentence him and send him to Mercy. Would it be the same three who came to sort out the aufhocker?
If it was, at least he knew who he was dealing with.
He’d used more magic since coming to Mercy than he usually did in a year. He was stronger and had a better understanding of what he could do. And he had Mack. Well, he had him for a one more night.
Mack put a hand on the back of Jude’s neck. “Don’t fret about tomorrow. We could die tonight.”
“That’s not helpful.”
But Mack
