Excerpt: The Orca King, II

Tommy smiled slyly. "I suppose, beings that I am the perfect romance novel hero, that I should say make love to me, Rule. Make love to me and the world will fall into place as the stars move across the heavens. But that wouldn't really help the situation now, would it? I kind of think an old-fashioned ass whooping is in order, actually."

Rule shook her head. "Yeah, no. It wouldn’t help. I am fresh out of magic vaginas. No part of me save my wit and willingness will help you stop the slaughter of deer on this island."

"How's your bladder working these days?" Tommy asked. "I need to leave a scent trail that will force the deer onto Mt. Constitution. Where we met, that fire break re-christened Lover's Lane, is where I need to finish, you know, to close the circle I've been making that will force the deer away from the cull-zone.” Tommy paused, the words at the tip of his tongue. “Rule, would you like to urinate in the forest with me tonight?"

"I'm not into water sports." Rule laughed nervously. Tommy didn't seem to get her joke.

"I don't mean it to sound crass or strange--but human urine will scare away deer. Not all of the deer on this island are magical beasts."

“If you’re the alpha stag, why can’t you just order them to Mt. Constitution?” Rule asked.

“Because they are deer. You can’t reason with deer. You have to get them to act instinctively.”