Page 11 (1/2)

"You knohat I’ for?"

I couldn’t remember what I’d told him and what I hadn’t

"An aniood of an explanation as any

So - be it a wolf in Louisiana, a big, black cat in the swamp, or an animal that no one even knew about yet Any one of them would be a coup for me to find

The snick of a arette I considered protesting, but -

The place was trashed, and it was technically his place What hararette butt do? Still

"Those things’ll kill you"

He stared out the , his pose conte, slow drag, then blew s will kill me, but I doubt it’ll be this"

I frowned at the statement, a variation of "we all have to die so and being killed Had his tihts on death?

I wanted to ask, but I wasn’t sure how This ue had been in my mouth, his hand on my breast, his body pressed inti hiue anywhere near ain

A vow easier lanced over his shoulder as he took another drag "How did that flower get on your bed?"

"So"

His hand, halfway to his arette, froze He flicked the stub to the floor and ground it out He earing shoes for perhaps the first tiures

"You’re sure?" he asked, the softness of his voice belying the tension in his body

"Sure it was a fire iris or sure so?"

"Both"

"I went to bed without a flooke up with one atabout what had happened, I was creeped out all over again Someone had been in my room while I was asleep and vulnerable I didn’t like it

Adahtened and his hands clenched He stared out theagain, and the silver light from the moon filtered over his face He really was quite beautiful

As if the glow pained hiet rid of the flower?"

"Didn’t have to The thing disappeared"

He tilted his head, and his hair swung free of his shoulders What was it about his hair that madeyour mind?"

I didn’t answer, because I wasn’t sure

He faced the , and though his next words were muffled, I could have sworn he said, "Join de club"

Before I could ask what he ht More than one this time and very close

I raced across the roo

"Here" He pressed sooody

"Do you kno to use one?"

"Yep"

"Use it" He headed for the door

"Wait! I’ll go with you"

Adam didn’t pause, didn’t look at me, didn’t answer, just slipped outside By the tione

"How does he do that?" Ito use? His bare hands?

Why not? According to local legend he was Cajun Coend he was also dead and there was a olf in the swa what I’d just heard, aze swept the thick grass This was the first time I’d discerned more than one, and I was excited More than one would be easier to find

Still, I hesitated Adao out there without him But I was here to find the wolf or wolves, and they were close

I checked the weapon - a 45-caliber Browning - fully loaded Should be enough I just needed oneinside, I retrieved o the thousand words and take a picture I needed the actual animal for proof positive, but a photo wouldn’t hurt

The night settled around h there wasn’t even a flicker of a breeze

I wished I could imitate the call of a wolf Wolves howl for a nuer, locate one another, communicate If I howled, they’d answer, and I’d knohere I was going