At least they were being nice to each other. I wanted some clothes and a moment to change, and if Ivy brought the van—which we’d packed in case we needed to bug out in a hurry—then all the better. Head weaving to gauge the distance, I jumped to the dock, my nails skittering. There was an Ooooh of appreciation from the people across the inlet sanding the bottom of their boat, and I flicked my ears back and then forward.

“I’ve got to go register,” Jenks said, as if proud of it, then hesitated, his earlier annoyance gone. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said, surprising me. “She can’t drive anymore, and I’m not getting in a car with crap for brains behind the wheel.”

“That’s enough!” I snapped, having it come out as aggressive barks. The entire marina took notice. Drooping, I sank to the damp planks like a good dog. It was Tuesday, but being the last Tuesday before Memorial Day, there were a few retirees working on their boats.

Jenks snickered. With a jaunty step, he headed to the bird-spotted dockmaster’s office. I still didn’t know why Ivy was there, and probably wouldn’t as long as Nick was listening.

On the dock, Ivy dropped to one knee, peering at my eyes to make me uncomfortable. There was a new sparkle of gold in her earlobes. When had she started wearing earrings?

“Are you okay?” she asked, as if trying to see if it was really me. I shifted to snap at her, and she grabbed the ruff around my neck, holding me. “You’re wet,” she said, the warmth of her fingers finding my damp skin under the fur. That a mouthful of nasty teeth had just missed her arm seemed to have made no impression. “There’s a blanket in the van. You want to change?”

Flustered, I pulled back gently, and this time she let go. I bobbed my head, turning to look at Nick. Seeing my attention on him, he drew the blanket tighter to hide his burned clothing, shivering. I wanted to talk to Ivy, but I wasn’t about to turn witch where everyone could see. Having the surrounding locals watch her talk to a big dog was bad enough.

“Let’s get out of here,” she said, standing up and stepping into the boat. “Let me help you with your…scuba gear?” she finished after pulling off the tarp. Her eyes went to mine. “You can dive?” she asked, and I shrugged, in as much as a wolf could shrug.

With a rough motion, Ivy drew the cover back before the curious people still sanding that same three-foot section of boat could see. She eyed me, then the shack where Jenks was, wanting to talk to me alone. “Hey, Nick,” she said, a ribbon of threat in her voice. “It’s going to take some time to get this packed. They have facilities for people who have their boats here. You want to shower while we load the van?”