Argus looked at Harlan, but said nothing. Harlan turned to Tora, as if for guidance. Tora looked at Argus, her mouth open but unable to speak.

It was then that Tora realized how much the pack depended on Noble to guide them. If Noble had been there, all three of them would have looked to Noble for an answer. And instead of staring at the others in dumbfounded silence, Noble would have responded with a plan of action.

But Noble wasn’t there, so it was up to one of them to step up to the plate and take charge.

Tora was first to speak. “We have to save the girl.”

Argus nodded. “Then we fight!”

They were all about to move when Harlan suddenly turned to face Tora and Argus. “But if we fight the wolves, and we hurt them, they could turn into werewolves…just like humans would.”

Tora felt as if she’d been struck by a hammer. Harlan’s point was a big one—huge—and it hadn’t even occurred to her.

It would be impossible to fight this pack of wolves without wounding one of them in some way. Killing them was an option, but chances were good that the wolves would run away if the fight went bad. After all, they were hungry and hunting for food, not looking for a fight to the death. So, even if they could fight them off, they might be creating four new werewolves in the process. And not just werewolves like themselves, but four wild werewolves, wilder even than Phelan, and perhaps dangerous to the humans of Redstone.

And even if they did fight off these wolves, would the girl survive her ordeal? She’d been outside in the freezing cold for hours and was likely suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, and hypothermia. Was it worth the risk?

For a moment, a wisp of a thought ran through Tora’s mind. What would Noble do? It was odd to think of the problem in such a way, but it seemed only natural after so many years of following her brother’s lead. And as quickly as the thought came, so did the answer. Save the girl! Even though fighting the wolves would cause problems, now and in the future; even though they’d be risking serious injury to themselves; and even though Angelina was the sister of Maria Abruzzo, who had never been kind or understanding toward the pack, Tora was sure that Noble would still do everything he could to save the girl. That’s what made him, well…Noble.

“We must save the girl,” Tora repeated. “Whatever it takes.”

“Bring it on,” Argus said, baring his teeth in a sneer that said he was looking forward to this fight.