Why did children, regardless of species, learn the word “cookie” before words like “stop” and “no”? After listening to the yapping for a minute, Virgil simply lifted his head and howled. The bus and a couple of cars pulled to the curb as if responding to a siren. Jesse sighed. Acting victorious, Cory pranced over to sniff Virgil, who gave the pup licks of praise. Or was he trying to smooth down some sticky-up fur? Who knew? Glad Tobias wasn’t there to make some smart comment about the similarities between Wolves and mothers when it came to sticky-up hair, Jesse said, “I’m on my way to talk to Tolya.” No warning. Virgil lunged at her, his teeth closing on the leash inches below her hand. He looked at her and growled softly. Jesse let go of the leash. “I guess you’re taking Cory for a walk.” “Roo.” She watched Wolf and puppy trot across the street and into the grass on the square. “She gets tired quickly,” she called after them. “She’ll be fine,” Tolya said, coming up beside Jesse. “I know.” As she looked at him, her right hand closed over her left wrist. Couldn’t stop it. He closed his hand over her arm. “Let’s go up to my office.” “We need to help,” she whispered. “If we help, we won’t die.” “Come with me.” As they reached Tolya’s office, he released her arm in order to rush to answer the phone. “Tolya Sanguinati.” Jesse watched his face, watched the veneer of humanity fall away until there was nothing but a predator who could pass for human long enough to get within striking distance of prey. “I understand,” Tolya said. “I’ll stay right here until I receive it.” He hung up the phone and turned on his computer. “What is it?” Jesse asked. He fiddled with the mouse, with other objects on his desk, instead of looking at her. “Hope Wolfsong just finished one of her prophecy drawings.” There was more. She waited because she had a feeling he would tell her. Needed to tell her. “Something about the drawing upsets you,” Jesse said. Tolya shook his head. “I haven’t seen it yet. But Jackson Wolfgard has seen it.” He finally looked at her. “And Jackson is afraid.” * * * * * * “Slow down,” Yuri snapped. “Why?” Jana snapped back. “Are you afraid I’ll crash the car and we’ll die?” “I won’t die. I’ll shift to smoke in the moment before the crash and flow out of the hole you make in the windshield.” It wasn’t that visual that made her take her foot off the accelerator. It was wondering if the Sanguinati knew the human saying about waste not, want not, and would consider it a waste of a fresh meal to let the remaining blood of a seriously injured human leak out onto the road. “It will take time to scan the picture and send the e-mail,” Yuri said. “And then it will take more time for the picture to download once Tolya receives it.” And if Tolya and Jackson Wolfgard hadn’t received special permission from the Elders to have a phone line connecting Bennett and Sweetwater, a warning like a prophet drawing might come several hours too late. “Besides,” Yuri added, “we’re not supposed to scare the humans until we know what’s going on.” What am I, chopped liver? Jana thought. Another human saying best left unspoken in case it prompted questions about why livers should be chopped instead of just ripped out of a body and chewed. It took every ounce of self-control to park the vehicle properly and walk up to Tolya’s office. People stopped to watch her, then continued with their own business, satisfied by her behavior that they didn’t need to be in emergency mode—yet. Tolya’s office felt crowded, stifling, even though there weren’t that many bodies in the room. Still, two Wolves in human form took up more space than regular humans, if for no other reason than humans didn’t want to get within biting distance of them. Yuri shifted to smoke and drifted along the ceiling, shifting back to human form when he reached the rest of the Sanguinati, who were standing around Tolya’s desk, effectively blocking anyone else’s attempt to see the picture as it downloaded. “Jesse.” Jana nodded at the other woman. “Deputy.” Jesse eyed the Sanguinati, then looked at Jana. “I gather our puppies are having a playdate.” “Are they?” Jana focused on Virgil. “I hope Cowboy Bob didn’t forget the rule—and the consequences—when it comes to giving out unauthorized treats.” “Cowboy Bob?” Jesse looked from human to Wolf. “Tobias used to watch a TV show about a doll named Cowboy Bob that could—” “That’s the one,” Jana said, her attention still focused on Virgil. He showed his fangs before looking away. Busted, she thought. Virgil wouldn’t have looked away first if he hadn’t broken the rule. “John.” Tolya stared at the computer screen. The Sanguinati made room for the Wolf to slip around the desk and stand behind Tolya’s chair. “Blessed Thaisia,” John whined. “That’s Meg Corbyn.” Jana leaped toward the desk. Virgil hauled her back and growled, “Wait.” The printer began chugging, printing out a copy of Hope Wolfsong’s prophecy drawing. As soon as it finished, Virgil snatched it out of the printer and held it so that Jana and Jesse could see it. “Bumpy dark,” Jana whispered. The picture was of Meg Corbyn in the trunk of a car. Alive? Dead? Hard to say. Definitely wounded. They need you to think like a cop now. Think! “The license plate is clearly rendered. Would it be accurate?” Virgil nodded. Jana looked at the clock on the wall. “It’s a little past noon in the Northeast Region. We have to send that information to as many police departments as we can.” “Just one,” Tolya countered. “We send this picture on to Lakeside.” “Not to Lakeside,” Jesse said firmly. “We send it to Ferryman’s Landing.” * * * * * * Tolya began writing the e-mail to Simon Wolfgard and Vlad Sanguinati when Jesse Walker evaded Virgil and flung herself on his desk, slapping a hand over his. “Tolya, listen to me.” Virgil yanked her off the desk with no regard to her gender or her age. Before the Wolf could throw Jesse out of the room, Tolya said, “Sending it to Ferryman’s Landing would cause a delay.” “No,” Jesse said. He looked at Virgil.