“Get out,” Vlad said, pushing the girls toward the back door. “Get out of the Courtyard and stay away until I call you.”
“But I live in the efficiency—,” Merri Lee began.
“Find another place tonight,” Vlad snapped.
“Give her ten minutes to pack a few clothes,” Tess said. “Ruthie can run over to the Three Ps and tell Lorne to close up, then go to the medical office and tell Theral.”
Simon howled. The prey was getting away!
“Go!” Tess said.
The girls ran toward the back of the store. But Merri Lee turned back. “What about Meg?”
<Our Meg!> Simon screamed.
“We’ll look after Meg and keep her safe,” Vlad said, watching Simon. “Go.”
Simon panted. Hard to breathe. The prey was gone. No point fighting with the Grizzly now that the prey was gone.
“Simon.”
Fucking vampire was right in his face again. Bite him!
“Who did you talk to?” Vlad asked quietly. “Simon? Who told you about Meg’s puppies?”
Not Meg’s puppies, but they might have been.
His mouth couldn’t shape human speech. <Joe found . . .> Without the fury, he felt sick and too tired to fight with Vlad and Henry.
Henry hauled him up to the Business Association’s room. Unable to stand being in that filthy human skin a moment longer, Simon tore off his clothes and shifted fully to Wolf. The relief was almost painful.
He curled up and studied Henry, who stood guard at the door.
<Meg?> he asked.
<We’ll take care of Meg,> Henry replied. <You can see her when you’re calmer.>
Henry wouldn’t lie. With the humans out of the Courtyard, Meg would be safe.
Simon closed his eyes. Drifting in an uneasy sleep, he dreamed of Meg falling through the ice on Courtyard Creek, weighed down by bags that wailed and screamed.
* * *
Vlad hung up the phone with exaggerated care . . . and wondered how long Tess had been standing in the doorway.
“It’s bad?” she asked.
He understood killing to eat, to survive. He understood killing an enemy. He understood killing to protect family and home.
But he didn’t understand this. He wasn’t sure there was any kind of terra indigene who could understand this.
One chance, he thought as he picked up the phone and dialed. One chance to show us you’re not all monsters. “Come in so you can listen. I’d rather not repeat this more often than required.”
* * *
Monty stepped into Burke’s office to ask if the man wanted a cup of coffee, but the captain was on the phone, and his face was set and pale.
Retreating, Monty bumped into Kowalski, who grabbed his arm and pulled him toward his own desk, where Officers Debany and MacDonald waited for them, along with Louis Gresh and Pete Denby.
“Ruthie just called me,” Kowalski said, speaking so low the other men had to lean in to hear him. “Something has happened, something bad, but the girls don’t know what it is. Simon Wolfgard just banished all humans from the Courtyard. He’s so pissing mad, he tried to attack Merri Lee and Ruthie.”
Monty’s heart banged against his chest. Mikhos, guardian spirit, please spare us from having to fill out a Deceased, Location Unknown form for any of these girls. “Are they all right?”