He took both his daughters by the hand and began leading them away. But before Maria was gone she turned toward Tora and stared intently at her with narrowed, almost evil eyes. “I’ll get even with you, if it’s the last thing I do.”

Tora looked at Noble.

“It’s just talk,” Noble said. “Let’s just be happy that nothing bad happened here tonight.”

But even as he said the words. Noble’s stomach churned, reminding him that while Maria’s sister was safe, something bad had indeed happened that night…to him.

“Let’s go home,” he said. “I don’t feel so hot.”

Chapter 5

Argus sat next to Noble in the back seat of the Brock family car. Noble was slumped forward, his arms crossed over his stomach and his whole body shivering as if he’d just been pulled out from under the ice of some frozen lake. Noble was also showing a lot of hair around his neck and ears, as though he were about to change his form from human to werewolf but was taking his time about it.

Argus didn’t know what to make of the extra hair since Noble was usually so careful about stuff like that. He leaned over and whispered in Noble’s ear, “How’re you feeling?”

Noble shook his head. “Not good. Not good at all.”

Argus was silent. He’d only asked the question so he could pat Noble on the back and tell him he’d be feeling better in no time, but there was something strange about the sound of Noble’s voice. Something different. If Argus had to guess what it was, he’d have to say fear. But that couldn’t be it, because he’d never known Noble to be afraid of anything in his life. “How bad is it?” Argus asked.

Noble didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to show Argus his right hand.

Argus gasped. He’d never seen anything like it before. Noble’s hand looked mangled. The first two fingers had transformed into a wolf’s paw while the rest of the hand remained human. Then, up past the wrist, Noble’s forearm had bulked up and was covered in fur, as it would be in his werewolf form. Argus didn’t know what to make of it. It was unnatural to see three different forms in a single arm all at one time.

“Can’t you control it?”

Noble shook his head. “I can’t do anything.”

“Does it hurt?” Argus asked, reaching out and touching Noble’s arm.

Noble winced. “It feels like it’s on fire!”

“Everything okay back there?” Ranger Brock asked.

“Noble’s not feeling well,” Argus stated.

“Is he sick?” asked Phyllis.