Tora took on her wolfen form and ran off, heading north at first, then circling around to the far side of the searchers. She didn’t want to get close enough to be seen, because if the searchers saw a wolf in the forest, then it would confirm Maria’s original claim that her sister had been taken by wolves. That was to be avoided at all costs. And so, Tora got close enough to the searchers to be heard but not seen, and began making a series of low, throaty sounds, like those of a bear or very small moose.

“What’s that?” one of the searchers said. Tora recognized the voice as belonging to Karen MacCallum, one of Phyllis Brock’s best friends since high school. She hated to deceive the woman in this way, but they had no choice in this situation. The searchers were in the way of the girl’s rescue and they had to be moved, by whatever means necessary.

“Sounded like an animal,” said the second searcher, Karen’s teenage son, whom Tora recognized from the library. His name was something like Eric or Alec, and he’d helped Argus with his homework on a couple of occasions.

Sorry, Tora thought, then growled again, this time with a bit of a snarl that sounded more like mad dog than wolf or bear.

“A wild animal,” said Karen.

“I don’t like this,” said her son.

“Neither do I,” she agreed.

The two searchers began to move.

Tora smiled, clenched her right hand into a fist and pumped it up and down in the air in triumph.

But instead of heading south, back to town, they went northward, in the direction of Argus and Angelina.

Tora was at a loss over what to do. Usually, if two people were confronted by wild animals in the forest, their first instinct was to head back in the direction they’d come, not go deeper into the forest.

Worst of all, there was no way she could warn Argus about what was coming. She’d told him to stay put and wait for her, and he was such a loyal soldier he would do just that, no matter what.

Again, Tora wished Noble were with her. Even if it had been his plan that had gone wrong, at least all she’d have had to do was help him make it right.

But how could she make it right?

And then it occurred to her. Instead of scaring them away, she needed to draw them in. At least that way she could be sure which direction they’d be heading.

She quickly moved down the slope. When she’d found some cover, she changed into her human form and cleared her throat. “I think I see something over here!” she cried out.

The searchers stopped running northward and turned in Tora’s direction. Still, they seemed confused, unsure about which way to go.