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"She should be" Carol frowned and then shook her head "A virus can be contagious fro it to five days after What if Marilee and Becky brought the virus from their pack?"

"I’ve checked," Ryan said She adative skills to use and was one step ahead of her He continued, "Their pack is clean But it doesn’t matter"

"Why not?" Carol asked

"Becky and Marilee haven’t been with the pack for a couple of weeks I suspect they’ve been with Connor’s people all this time"

Carol swore under her breath "And you danced with Marilee"

"Only because she was acting nervous"

"So you danced with her out of concern for her?"

He chuckled darkly "No, because she seemed unduly nervous Like she’d set an explosive device in the house and wanted to leave It made me curious, but when I tried to learn what the et anywhere with her I assuht erether "I can’t i so despicable"

"Offerthey’d never do otherwise"

A frisson of dread suddenly worked its way up Carol’s spine Before she could analyze asher feel so antsy, her vision blurred and she closed her eyes, not welco no choice Ryan’s words faded into the background like a conversation in the distance as the vision clarified

As a wolf, Darien paced, panting, his teeth and lips bloodied Wounded, he limped A dead wolf lay near the bed on the blue carpet in his and Lelandi’s bedroom Carol felt Darien’s satisfaction that the as dead--and his frustration and dread because he couldn’t change He was stuck as a wolf

Lelandi lookedher hands Carol wanted to help and console her But then Lelandi grabbed her phone off the bedside table and punched a button

Carol’s phone rang and nearly gave her a heart attack, yanking her from the vision Perspiration trickled between her breasts, and her heart rate accelerated as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at the Caller ID "Lelandi?"

"Coht" Lelandi didn’t have to tell Carol what had happened, that Darien had been victorious in a wolf fight, but he couldn’t shift back It was too late for Darien, too late for Doc

"Not a word to the others," Lelandi ht We’re nearly there" Carol hung up her phone, trying not to shake Everyone would have to know their pack leader was in a real bind Jake and Toe back

"What’s wrong?" Ryan asked, pulling into the drive and parking in front of Darien’s ho"

"Your face has lost every ounce of color, Carol Your voice shook when you spoke with Lelandi You’re not a good liar"

She ground her teeth and looked at Ryan Lelandi didn’t want her to tell, but everyone would know before long anyway

"Darien’s shifted And he can’t change back"

"Hell"

Jake parked his truck next to Ryan’s vehicle and hurried out "Lelandi just called ave Carol an anxious look

Lelandi must have realized she couldn’t hide the fact that Darien couldn’t shift back Did Jake worry he would be next?

"We’ve got to find the lab where theseCarol’s ar her toward the house

Wolves in motion, Tom and Sam bolted from around the side of the house, and Carol jumped Her heart took a dive They shouldn’t have shifted

"Hell," Jake said to his brother and Sam "You better be able to shift back" He opened the door to the house, and the wolves dashed inside and up the stairs, tails straight out, indicating both were tense